GOW
Well-Known Member
Hi - after some (constructive) views please, and I apologise for the length but I think it's important to get the whole picture!
I have a horse that I absolutely adore (this is important) but as a result of a combination of factors I probably need to find her another home (please don't ask why just assume it's a given), and I am at a bit of a loss as to how to approach it.
She is on the one hand the easiest horse in the world - on the ground, to travel and to handle at shows - good to catch, clip, shoe, hack alone or in company. You can canter/gallop her in a field and sit up and she will come back to you. She has the odd spook but I have never ever felt scared on her although she does hate pigs with a vengeance and so I am not sure what she would do if forced to confront them
. She is the bravest, kindest horse I have ever sat on and is adorably kind with my young children.
On the other hand she can be "quirky" under saddle. When I got her she had only ever showjumped (dc at Newcomers level) and we found out soon enough that all the wrong muscles had built up so we spent a looooong time with physio and loads and loads of straight line hacking etc to "re-build" her.
Flatwork was alien to her as a concept and whilst she is much better than she was she will never be the best dressage horse because she gets very, very tense at comps. We are more often than not in the bottom 10 after the dressage, and it's not just me - a pro who has competed her has almost always been in the same position after the dressage
. As my flatwork instructor said she is an Advanced Medium horse one day and a Prelim horse the next - "inconsistency" is the key word .
Jumping - again has enough talent - pros that have ridden her and that I train with reckon she would go 2* no problem BUT again she tends to rush and really needs to be "held" with the seat and legs with very little pressure on her mouth or her ears will end up up your nose. She will only accept a rubber snaffle in her mouth and rears if metal is used
She has never stopped with me but being so opinionated has led to me losing my confidence and we both had a fall last year which has affected me deeply. XC - she is awesome. She had never run xc before I got her and is brilliant at it. All the new questions (ditches, steps, etc) she answered no problem. Slight propping at water to start with which was fair considering as a showjumper she had been trained to jump OVER the water but no XC faults in 2 seasons. And perfectly controllable - she actually listens xc but always makes the time.
So here's the thing - I know how to manage her - physically there is no reason for her behaviours - honestly please be assured my horses have the very best attention (I am the first person to call a vet and am supported by one of the biggest equine hospitals in the South) she has been scanned/xrayed from head to toe - and scoped. We did find some old scar tissue from ulcers pre my ownership which we treated as it was inflamed but physically she is in great shape - just her head carries tension. A couple of trainers have declared her "too bright for her own good" as she is always looking for the complication even if all you want is to walk, trot and canter in circles. I manage her carefully on a regular programme of physio and sports massage, varied work, v v little feed and as much turn out as I can get into her. Question is how on earth do I find her the "right" home? She is really a pros horse but is realistically not going to take them to the top, as is probably capped out at 2* scope wise. She needs a quiet sympathetic rider and probably prefers girls to boys (just an observation). In the wrong hands she would be dangerous I think and I couldn't take that responsibility. So on loan? With stipulations as to management? Would that work?
Any suggestions most welcome and thank you very much for getting this far
I have a horse that I absolutely adore (this is important) but as a result of a combination of factors I probably need to find her another home (please don't ask why just assume it's a given), and I am at a bit of a loss as to how to approach it.
She is on the one hand the easiest horse in the world - on the ground, to travel and to handle at shows - good to catch, clip, shoe, hack alone or in company. You can canter/gallop her in a field and sit up and she will come back to you. She has the odd spook but I have never ever felt scared on her although she does hate pigs with a vengeance and so I am not sure what she would do if forced to confront them
. She is the bravest, kindest horse I have ever sat on and is adorably kind with my young children. On the other hand she can be "quirky" under saddle. When I got her she had only ever showjumped (dc at Newcomers level) and we found out soon enough that all the wrong muscles had built up so we spent a looooong time with physio and loads and loads of straight line hacking etc to "re-build" her.
Flatwork was alien to her as a concept and whilst she is much better than she was she will never be the best dressage horse because she gets very, very tense at comps. We are more often than not in the bottom 10 after the dressage, and it's not just me - a pro who has competed her has almost always been in the same position after the dressage
. As my flatwork instructor said she is an Advanced Medium horse one day and a Prelim horse the next - "inconsistency" is the key word . Jumping - again has enough talent - pros that have ridden her and that I train with reckon she would go 2* no problem BUT again she tends to rush and really needs to be "held" with the seat and legs with very little pressure on her mouth or her ears will end up up your nose. She will only accept a rubber snaffle in her mouth and rears if metal is used
She has never stopped with me but being so opinionated has led to me losing my confidence and we both had a fall last year which has affected me deeply. XC - she is awesome. She had never run xc before I got her and is brilliant at it. All the new questions (ditches, steps, etc) she answered no problem. Slight propping at water to start with which was fair considering as a showjumper she had been trained to jump OVER the water but no XC faults in 2 seasons. And perfectly controllable - she actually listens xc but always makes the time.So here's the thing - I know how to manage her - physically there is no reason for her behaviours - honestly please be assured my horses have the very best attention (I am the first person to call a vet and am supported by one of the biggest equine hospitals in the South) she has been scanned/xrayed from head to toe - and scoped. We did find some old scar tissue from ulcers pre my ownership which we treated as it was inflamed but physically she is in great shape - just her head carries tension. A couple of trainers have declared her "too bright for her own good" as she is always looking for the complication even if all you want is to walk, trot and canter in circles
. I manage her carefully on a regular programme of physio and sports massage, varied work, v v little feed and as much turn out as I can get into her. Question is how on earth do I find her the "right" home? She is really a pros horse but is realistically not going to take them to the top, as is probably capped out at 2* scope wise. She needs a quiet sympathetic rider and probably prefers girls to boys (just an observation). In the wrong hands she would be dangerous I think and I couldn't take that responsibility. So on loan? With stipulations as to management? Would that work?Any suggestions most welcome and thank you very much for getting this far
but I realised that when I sold my last two. In fact one of the owners is more suited to my youngster than I was I think! 
