Big Ben
Well-Known Member
So not many of you know much about me, those who do know an overweight rider who us trying to get back to fitness and a decent riding weight. Well I have ended up in the strange position of having 3 horses that I really like, but haven't had a chance to do much with yet, due to said weight issues, all have their own issues which we are working through on the ground at the moment. Now taking away any issues of weight, and presuming me to be a fit and well matched rider to any of these what would you do?
I'm using this thread to give my things to think about, insights from the outside to consider, so think out loud please.
OK, I'm 55, rode from a child up to 30's with little formal training, could stick on and that was about it. Then had some formal English training, before switching to Western. Rode Western for a while until life events led to us losing our house, our land, the horses, and for a short time my mind as well. Several years later I find myself living in Canada, losing the weight that had accumulated while the mind was on vacation and living the dream riding my little Appy western style around the farm. Then I went for a lesson to help me get my confidence back to do the western lope, well somehow that ended in my transferring back to English and starting Dressage lessons, and having a ball. Sadly little Appy although he tried so hard was not really into it, so he has gone to be a roping horse, and I am left with a choice of three horses here to ride next year. I am very low level, intro and training, and we only have local clubs or video dressage, I live in a province several times the size of England, with less than a million inhabitants. I am not sure if I can do the three justice I was only aiming to have two.....so am umming and awwing about the future.
The Horses:
The Knight Before Christmas, AKA Big Ben.
Nearly 17hh of Tb/Perch x Saddlebred, 10 years old but only backed last year, and had 60 days at the trainers this summer. Very much a green bean, struggles to walk a straight line
Liked the look of him first time I saw him, and when he came up for sale a year later I was in the right place at the right time to buy him. Can be a bit spooky, but is a real cuddle Bunny, and I love the way it feels to be on him, he has so much power available, but it is going to be a long journey with him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjk_Bv9Qero
Emmy on Fire
15 hh Arab mare, 8 years old, and daughter of my very own Ace. I was browsing the ads, idly as you do, saw an arab mare advertised, was about to pass on, when I saw a pedigree link, hit the link and found what I had been looking for, Ace, only bigger and younger, so I just had to go see her. She a long way away, and we were in seeding so it took a while until we got there, but when we did, I spent some time with her, and ended up standing there crying in her mane, she had so many things like her Momma it wasn't true. Well V the owner bred Emmy, used to own my Ace, and cut me the most generous deal on Emmy that I had to have her. Now she has her issues, she went to a training barn as a youngster and was well thought of, but they fried her mind, I think it was all to much to soon. When she first arrived she was very jumpy, but now she is starting to trust me in all situations, and she is going to be a sweetie once I start riding her I think.
Then there is Willow Wind, 15.2hh and 6 years old, she also came from V, was advertised the same time as Emmy. When I went to see Emmy, I do notice Wills there, but paid no attention, I had seen her ad, and although she was being sold as a dressage prospect, I didn't want anything with issues with her ground manners, and described as pushy. I still can't actually remember the ins and outs of why I agreed to have her here for a while, originally for two weeks to see how she was, then after that two weeks she would be staying.
This mare is something else, she is bitchy, bolshie and impatient, but the conversations we had in her first couple of days here seem to have stuck, and she saves the worst of her manners for pushing around the rest of the herd. This standoffish, unfriendly mare, is always the first one to come and great me, and will stand for ages while I hug her and tell her what is going on. She also was in a show barn, was doing well, then got pulled through lack of money, she has been ridden western and English, can be hot. In the ground work I have done with her I find her light and responsive, and she knows her stuff. She is such different type to anything that I would have bought for myself, but I really can't see her going back, final decision comes in the spring when I have to pay for her if she is staying.
.
Congrats to all who got this far, and if you want to add your thoughts, please do, they are all nice horses, and all of them tug my heart strings for different reasons, but I'm not at all sure that I can get the best out of three of them, especially as we have effectively doubled our farming operation for next year.
I'm using this thread to give my things to think about, insights from the outside to consider, so think out loud please.
OK, I'm 55, rode from a child up to 30's with little formal training, could stick on and that was about it. Then had some formal English training, before switching to Western. Rode Western for a while until life events led to us losing our house, our land, the horses, and for a short time my mind as well. Several years later I find myself living in Canada, losing the weight that had accumulated while the mind was on vacation and living the dream riding my little Appy western style around the farm. Then I went for a lesson to help me get my confidence back to do the western lope, well somehow that ended in my transferring back to English and starting Dressage lessons, and having a ball. Sadly little Appy although he tried so hard was not really into it, so he has gone to be a roping horse, and I am left with a choice of three horses here to ride next year. I am very low level, intro and training, and we only have local clubs or video dressage, I live in a province several times the size of England, with less than a million inhabitants. I am not sure if I can do the three justice I was only aiming to have two.....so am umming and awwing about the future.
The Horses:
The Knight Before Christmas, AKA Big Ben.
Nearly 17hh of Tb/Perch x Saddlebred, 10 years old but only backed last year, and had 60 days at the trainers this summer. Very much a green bean, struggles to walk a straight line
Liked the look of him first time I saw him, and when he came up for sale a year later I was in the right place at the right time to buy him. Can be a bit spooky, but is a real cuddle Bunny, and I love the way it feels to be on him, he has so much power available, but it is going to be a long journey with him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjk_Bv9Qero
Emmy on Fire
15 hh Arab mare, 8 years old, and daughter of my very own Ace. I was browsing the ads, idly as you do, saw an arab mare advertised, was about to pass on, when I saw a pedigree link, hit the link and found what I had been looking for, Ace, only bigger and younger, so I just had to go see her. She a long way away, and we were in seeding so it took a while until we got there, but when we did, I spent some time with her, and ended up standing there crying in her mane, she had so many things like her Momma it wasn't true. Well V the owner bred Emmy, used to own my Ace, and cut me the most generous deal on Emmy that I had to have her. Now she has her issues, she went to a training barn as a youngster and was well thought of, but they fried her mind, I think it was all to much to soon. When she first arrived she was very jumpy, but now she is starting to trust me in all situations, and she is going to be a sweetie once I start riding her I think.
Then there is Willow Wind, 15.2hh and 6 years old, she also came from V, was advertised the same time as Emmy. When I went to see Emmy, I do notice Wills there, but paid no attention, I had seen her ad, and although she was being sold as a dressage prospect, I didn't want anything with issues with her ground manners, and described as pushy. I still can't actually remember the ins and outs of why I agreed to have her here for a while, originally for two weeks to see how she was, then after that two weeks she would be staying.
This mare is something else, she is bitchy, bolshie and impatient, but the conversations we had in her first couple of days here seem to have stuck, and she saves the worst of her manners for pushing around the rest of the herd. This standoffish, unfriendly mare, is always the first one to come and great me, and will stand for ages while I hug her and tell her what is going on. She also was in a show barn, was doing well, then got pulled through lack of money, she has been ridden western and English, can be hot. In the ground work I have done with her I find her light and responsive, and she knows her stuff. She is such different type to anything that I would have bought for myself, but I really can't see her going back, final decision comes in the spring when I have to pay for her if she is staying.
Congrats to all who got this far, and if you want to add your thoughts, please do, they are all nice horses, and all of them tug my heart strings for different reasons, but I'm not at all sure that I can get the best out of three of them, especially as we have effectively doubled our farming operation for next year.
) will give their all to people that they trust.
Personally I think your big lad is gorgeous and would definitely be holding onto him, but it sounds as though you don't really want to let the mares go either. 
Ben is 10 not young at all, just they never got round to breaking him, so one thing I know about him is that his bones are set