Do you think I would be able to find a sharer/rider for this horse?

[charlie76]

I might be looking at getting some help with the boys as its hard work trying to fit them all in.. So, do you think I would find a rider to help exercise Boris??
He is a 3* event horse and has won £2k BSJA, he also is established on the flat. He is a sweet horse but can be a little quirky so not suitable for a novice.
His quirks are:
He is a bit funny to get on ( saying that he has been fine for the past 2 weeks). He has to be mounted from a decent height and be given a carrot when you get on. If your toe touches him or you girth him up to tight then he will shoot backwars or hump his back up. If you get on him as described above his is fine.
He knows all the tricks- changes, half pass ect but he can be lazy so you need to have strong legs to motivate him!
He is a bit of a pain to tack up, he hates his headcollar being pulled on so you have to lower his head by pushing it down by his nose. He lowers his head to take the bit but if he is in that frame of mind he will stick his head up when you do up the throat lash- resloved by standing on something or giving him a pony nut( he does anything for food!!) He is the same to brush his face/ears/mane-again- give him a pony nt and he puts his head down. He knows what he is doing!!

When you lunge him you have to clip the side reins to the bit then to the roller rather than the other way round.

You have to girth him up slowley and not to tight- he tells you if you over do it by fidgeting.

He is a super horse to ride, he doesn't buck, rear or nap and is fab to a fence both SJ and XC.
Once he knows and trusts you all of the quirks in him disapear- he is great with me.

Oh, and he is 17hh!

Do you think anyone would be intrested or is he too quirky?

I wouldn't let a novice ride/handle him although once on him he is anyones ride. He is very forgiving, you can play at the lateral work and if you get it wrong he doesn't get offended!

 

[CalllyH]

no he sounds fab - im sure you will find some-one. The girth thing is pretty common anyway

 

[flowerlady]

Just check that when they say they can ride they can and not just out of a riding school. I don't see why not I have known far quirkier. As long as once aboard he is not dangerous then yes I think you will easily find a sharer. Maybe someone who has evented before but is without a horse. Good luck

 

[Natch]

Can I be honest?

If I were looking for a share and rang you up/visited you from an advert and you told me all that, I'd think you were an owner who wants everything done exactly your way and the slightest thing done slightly differently will upset you. I know you say it is the horse, and chances are his actions will prove it is, but I think it could put a lot of good sharers off.

I wonder if there's a good way you can word it/show it to people?

I would also suggest you be really careful about vetting your potential sharers: his quirks may well put off the middle range average jo people (like me I guess) who aren't excellent riders but are decent, and know their stuff around horses; I would be worried you'll only attract top end (great!) and the real novices who don't realise they are too novice for him, and will probably lie & put on a good act. Its amazing the lies people will tell to get a share.

So would just advise you to be careful.

Other than that he obviously sounds like a dream ride, and I would think people will be biting your hand off for him

 

[mbsports]

If you were close to me no problem He sounds really nice

 

[brighthair]

I'm an experienced but nervous rider, and none of the things you describe would bother me, so yes I think you would find someone - each horse has its quirks

 

[Annabel_star]

He sounds fine to me. If i was looking for one to loan/share his quirks wouldn't bother me in the slightest! It might actually help you by putting off the novices!

 

[spinner1]

Hi , whereabouts are you based?

 

[BFG]

What type of rider do you want for him?

Do you want someone to compete him or do you want someone to just have fun on him?

I think you need to word your advert according to the type of person you want to attract. So if you want the person to compete then all the things you have mentioned won’t be anything new to them.

I don’t think anything you have mentioned is to out there. My lad can be a bit funny to mount and can put his head up when you try to but the head piece over his ears but i wouldn’t say he is that difficult to handle once you know the right techniques.

I am sure there will a queue round the block for him when you do advertise him.