DRESSAGE: what are your thoughts on this mare? any potential?

[Andiamo]

I've seen this mare advertised, 6 years old, 16.3hh. Unverifiable Dutch breeding, bred in UK. She hasn't done anything. I doubt she has had any formal training til now. Nice temperament though. And very cheap. I wonder what the fellow-dressagers out there think, any potential? The video isn't great at all, but that's all there is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_nEqOmUNRA

Could she potentially be transformed into something nice, that could go out and do some decent tests? I kind of feel she could look really smart with some correct training and muscle development....

Let me know your thoughts anyway! Thanks in advance

 

[charlie76]

It's lame behind.

 

[charlie76]

Prob why its cheap. And why it can't maintain a true canter

 

[Cluny]

She looks nice enough, but doesn't make me go wow. She doesn't look like she steps under herself particularly well and she isn't particularly uphill. I guess it really depends to what level you want to ride at.

 

[MissTyc]

Can't see enough on the video, but she looks and moves like my 3yo. I have always hoped training will help my 3yo move better and find them both (from the little I've seen here) very weak through the topline and backend, not engaging as expected.

 

[Andiamo]

but with some trained self-carriage, hindquarter engagement, and related muscle development, she could go a lot better.

Uphill ability can be produced / built / trained, (unless the horse is about 2HH higher at the croup than its wither )

Asking price is in the region of £2K.

Imagine a decent rider on her, and about 6 months of consistent training....

Charlie76, why do you say she's lame behind?

MissTyc, yes, she does move like a younger horse...probably because she hasn't done anything until now.

 

[cptrayes]

I also think she may well be lame behind and I think it is a huge no, for me anyway, that she swings her hind legs through without bending the hock. It makes it very difficult ever to teach them to sit and carry more weight behind. For 2k a good risk for a riding horse, but not a dressage horse, sorry

 

[ihatework]

She barely flexes her hocks!! When you dressage what level do you mean? Anything beyond riding club then I wouldn't consider this horse

 

[Andiamo]

oh ok!
Thanks for all of your opinions

I had noticed a bit of lameness in the hind left...but wasn't sure, because it was just a couple of odd looking steps.

I'm glad I asked you all )

Thanks again for taking the time to look and to provide your feedback.

 

[kc100]

From someone who is just learning about dressage and lameness/equine health it even stood out to me that there are some problems with her hind legs. Inside left leg looked definitely lame to me, plus there is very little movement in her hocks (never seen a horse before where its legs look almost straight!) so I would say very little potential to go far in dressage because there is no way she could use her hind legs to collect for the more complicated movements.

No real expression in any of the movements for a WB as well, might make a nice all-rounder or general riding horse but I wouldnt say there is much potential for dressage I'm afraid. I'd always be wary of a price that low for a WB, would normally indicate there is something wrong! You could get a decent TB for that price who you could develop to get further up the levels in dressage than with that horse.

 

[Gamebird]

It's lame behind.

Generally I disagree with people who pronounce this sort of thing on a random ridden vid as most often it's not possible to make this sort of judgement from the footage shown. However in this case I agree 100%.

 

[Oscar]

Can't see it going beyond prelim, sorry!!

 

[charlie76]

Generally I disagree with people who pronounce this sort of thing on a random ridden vid as most often it's not possible to make this sort of judgement from the footage shown. However in this case I agree 100%.

Thanks game bird, like wise, I wouldn't normally make such a statement but I only watched seconds and could see it.

 

[Pigeon]

To be honest she strikes me as plain.

Better movement can be trained to an extent, but £2k isn't that cheap, (it's what I paid for mine!!) - I would want more there to work with!

 

[Lolo]

She looks very funny behind. For £2k you could do a lot better I reckon...

 

[foxy1]

Looks lame to me too

 

[Goldenstar]

Does apsolutly nothing for me.

 

[Kokopelli]

Very meh, she wouldn't stand out in a crowd. You could get a far nicer moving youngster for the same price who will be even less work than her or a well built TB probably has better movement.

 

[LouisCat]

I found myself waiting for something more interesting. She doesn't do much for me

 

[HBBambee]

It would find collection work very hard as it does not flex it's hocks at all, this may be due to some lameness issue. I wouldn't take the risk personally.
You want something that moves loosely, has presence, really good flexion at the hocks and a great walk if you looking along the dressage lines.

 

[el_Snowflakes]

I thought she looked very straight behind.