First horse?

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Bexx

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I am currently looking to buy my first horse. I have been riding 13 years and have previously worked with horses from youngsters to competition ponies. I have weekly lessons where i usually ride my instructors horse or one of the liveries and have also done some schooling/exercising for other people. I have asked my instructor (who is very knowledgable and has a very good reputation) about what I should be looking for. She recommended getting something either unbroken or just backed, so then I can do all the work myself(with regular help and lessons from her). I was slightly shocked as although I am experienced and confident, this will be my first horse. So, my question is, would I be mad to look at such young horses even though my instructor thinks I am perfectly capable? What sort would you look for in my position?
 
Bonkers!
Ready to bring on might work if it is a very sensible type but not unbroken or lightly sat on.
 
I got a very green 5 year old but had daily help. Will your instructor be there day to day or only once a week? Be very honest about our ability, can you properly bring on a youngster? If you haven't the confidence, perhaps look for something that's backed and ready to go as opposed to unbacked.
 
I wouldn't. But then again, I've just bought equine no 3 and wouldn't have got something just backed even now!

I think for a first horse (unless you have a real interest in bringing something on yourself), look for something that you can just get on and go with :)
 
I will be hopefully keeping it at her yard. I have backed and ridden away ponies (mainly sec. A types) with the help of the lady I worked for, and schooled a 15hh 4 year old conny from being lightly hacked to scoring highly in prelim dressage at local level and starting some small fences and pole work. On paper I know what I am doing, I am experienced and always get comments on my riding ability from people I do not know. I will also be going in for my stage 3 this year so I am by no means a novice, I just worry things will be different if the horse was mine and I didn't have someone there every time I worked with it
 
I am very cynical so ignore me but it sounds like your instructer is lining themselves up with lots and lots of extra income from you as if you;ve not had experience of youngsters before you might need help/ lessons maybe 3/4 times a week!

I'd go with your instinct and look for something mature and sensible for your first horse that you can have fun with and enjoy from day one.
 
Must admit i'm with the others on this one. My gut instinct says get something which has been broken and ready to further its education, my wb was 5yrs old when i got him and even at that age he had so much to learn. I think with it being your first horse you'll want to be able to have a little fun as well as teaching it. Good luck.
 
It's not that I haven't had experience with youngsters, as I have said in my previous posts I have backed and ridden away before, just seems different when it will be my own. My instructor is by no means a money grabber, she often lets my ride for free and has given me opportunities with her horses when I could not afford my own
 
I had a decent amount of experience but had been away from riding for a while (10 years+). I wanted a young one because I wanted him to be with me for years and years, and for us to get fit and work from scratch together. I have a really good instructor, and got a 5yr old Arab who I thought was a lot further on than he was. It turned out he had never accepted the bit, and that's resulted in months of groundwork and very slow progress. I'm still not riding fit, my position isn't the best and it's not really fair to him to be honest. I have stuck with it, we are starting to see results but we have a mountain to climb. I was offered a fun fell pony, and I should have taken him and been honest with myself about what I could manage, and what I wanted to do. So the question for you is, do you want to spend the next 1-2 years or more bringing on a young horse, watching your mates go out hacking and go to shows while you are working on achieving a nice walk? If not, I'd get one that's a bit more mature. You will have fun, a great experience and develop your riding. You can always get a youngster next. That's what I'd do, and I've got the bitter voice of experience! O hubris thou art my downfall!
 
Polos Mum said:
I am very cynical so ignore me but it sounds like your instructer is lining themselves up with lots and lots of extra income from you as if you;ve not had experience of youngsters before you might need help/ lessons maybe 3/4 times a week!
day one.
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Got to be honest...this exact same thought crossed my mind.
 
So hard to comment as I have no idea what kind of rider you are or how confident you are (though guessing not too confident if you are worried :) ).

Cynic says instructor is rubbing their hands at all the lessons/riding you will have to pay for.

Nice person in me says that she thinks you are a great rider and will get a companion for life.
 
Batgirl said:
So hard to comment as I have no idea what kind of rider you are or how confident you are (though guessing not too confident if you are worried :) ).

Cynic says instructor is rubbing their hands at all the lessons/riding you will have to pay for.

Nice person in me says that she thinks you are a great rider and will get a companion for life.
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I am a confident rider, she just took me by surprise when she said it as she is very "safety first" and is very conscious about matching horse and rider when she teaches. I just thought she would suggest something older
 
I think the only thing that really comes into it is what do you want? And what do you honestly feel capable of coping with? If you feel at all nervous at the prospect of having such a young horse for your first one then it's not the right choice for you, simple as that! At the end if the day it's you that's paying the bills, not your instructor. And it's supposed to be fun! It's got to be whatever you're going to get the most enjoyment from and what you can picture yourself owning. Don't just go along with whatever your instructor says, horses are so personal and it's got to be whats right for you.
 
Well I'm going to be the odd one out and say trust her judgement.

There was a post yesterday from someone asking if anyone would buy an unbacked 4 yr old - the majority of replies said yes, a blank canvas that has had a good start is priceless.

You could buy a 5yr old and live happily ever after, you could buy a 10 yr old and be on medication 6 months later.

Think about what could arise having a youngster and sit down with your instructor to talk through them.

Good luck whatever you decide. Personally from your experience listed I think you would be perfect to take on a well grounded young horse.

And as for type that totally depends on what you like and what you want to do with your horse. If I was in your position I would be looking at an Arab or Arab X because that is my dream.
 
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We're on horse number 10, and I still wouldn't dream of getting something unbroken/lightly broken. We did buy him as a 4yo, but he had been professionally broken and extensively hacked and hunted.
 
Ok. Now you sound like you have had a lot more experience than me. And I mean a lot. My first horse was an older 10 year old supposedly plod of a cob. She was a nightmare. Long story but now in a forever home and well. So. Against my better judgement I bought my friends unbroken cob. Had him backed ect ect. Now he's a six year old and the horse of my dreams. With help from my friend and the best instructor ever it worked out. Then I took one of same friends exbroodmares And am doing the same and it's working out brilliantly. So I would say YES go for the unbroken youngster cos you then get a blank canvas to work with. It sounds like you have backup as well as experience. It will be a big learning curve - well it certainly was for me but the satisfaction in knowing you've done it all yourself is worth everything. Good luck.
 
I'd say if you've got the time and money go for a youngster but if you want one ready to go, go that way, your decision! Depends on what you'd get more out of. Exciting though!
 
Completely different having the responsibility of your own horse. Its a total different kettle of fish to RS horses, even the most 'experienced' RS rider can be very much out of their depth. I'm sure you are quite capable but my advice would be to get a fairly well schooled horse to enjoy, leave the unbroken ones to the experts :)
 
I'm a little cynical as well.

Quote 'She recommended getting something either unbroken or just backed, so then I can do all the work myself(with regular help and lessons from her).'

I presume that the help your instructor will be giving you will be paid for? To be honest I wouldn't go with this idea at all, it's a lot of work & a lot of expense. It would certainly be cheaper & safer in the long run to to get one that had at least been started. This venture could be very expensive for you if you chose this route.

There's a lot of sense being said here, have a good think about your options.
 
If you believe in your abilities and have lots of help (which it sounds as though you do have), then there is no reason why you shouldn't and it can be a wonderful experience IF that is what you want. But think about it carefully: with a youngster of your own you have to be conscientious in everything you do - there's no getting up on a Sunday morning and thinking 'it's a nice day I think I'll go for a hack', you have to have to have no agenda other than what is best for the horse on any given day, and you have to be prepared to be very flexible in your demands and requirements of them. Do you really want to be turning a youngster away for a couple of months because that's what is best for them at that time or would you find that frustrating? Will you spend hours of your time loading and unloading them from lorries to get them used to it and travel to shows just to have a wonder about or will you be longing to get in the ring and succeed? There are a million unknowns with an unbacked or just backed horse - I am not saying don't do it just REALLY think about it.
 
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I want to give my little bit here talking from someone who has been through this but not by choice. I wound up with an accidental 3yr old tb (sold to me as a 6yr old) NOW I would honestly say through the lesson I have learned that even 6 would of been to young for me and my experience. I love my horse (who is now 4.5) and she is my horse for life but the past 9 months have been hard and frustrating. A few days go I spent all morning walking my horse on and off of a trailer while everyone hacked in the sun. We can't canter yet and I have trotted her very few times because we want to go slow and get walk balanced first. No one on my yard really wants to hack with us because we can't Go fast and she won't hack on her own yet so I have to beg! Everyone else does sponsored rides and jumping while I work on basic ground manners and trust. HOWEVER despite the days of feeling like poo everytime me and dizzy achieve something it feels amazing because I know we have done that! There is two sides to every coin babies are a massive challenge but they are amazing and hugely rewarding oh and they will teach new lessons everyday and I know at the end of it I will have my dream horse but I wouldn't go through this again
 
You sound like you have a lot more experience under your belt than me, but I would have thought that something with a bit more experience as your first would be a good idea. I get the argument for not dealing with someone else's mistakes, but I found owning my own a million miles from full loans and shares!

I wanted something that I could get on and go with, but still had plenty of miles on the clock. I ended up with an 8yo Irish gelding who had hunted, but not much else. Bold and good outdoors and in traffic etc, but schooling needed work - within my comfort zone. A lot of the horses I looked at were similar - had done a bit, mostly hacking etc, but not 'produced' as such in the school.

Yes, he came with some issues - headshy for starters, but I think getting over that has helped us build a bond.

Whatever you end up with, good luck!
 
I've had my first horse for 13 yrs now, she's been very difficult over the years and I've gain a lot of experience having her. I bought a 18month old last year, he's not just 3 and I would defo not recommend an unbacked horse for your first horse! you don't want to make any mistake with such an impressionable horse!
 
I only really got back into riding in 2010 when I started loaning a horse... last summer I loaned a horse that I backed :rolleyes:

I wouldn't rule it out :)
 
I am torn you have experiance you have help and your trainer knows you so she must think you can cope and you get a blankish canvas to work on ( I say blankish as they come with their own personalities some easier than others and it's not always easy to tell who a youngster will become.
If you buy an older horse you get a better idea for who you are buying but you buy an issues as well but at least with an older one you can get on and enjoy ,with backing and early training it takes time my trainer calls it the slog ie training all the basics before you get out and about .
Think through what you want to do in the next three years do you want to spend them on early training of a youngster or do you want to do stuff with an older horse ,
Think what you want to with your horse as that affects what you want to buy to if say you would like to event and have done no XC riding I would advise a horse with experiance so one of you knows what you are up too.
 
I'll be blunt - no matter how 'experienced' you consider yourself to be (and on paper you do sound proficient) having your first horse of your own is a different kettle of fish and I really really would not go for unbroken. I'd even be wary of getting something just backed. If you want something you can work on and grow together maybe look at slightly older ones that already have the basics and a grounding. Then you have that opportunity to do a lot of the work as they grow and age but the crucial basics are already there (and not only that but handling/experience on the ground/etc)..
 
SadKen said:
I had a decent amount of experience but had been away from riding for a while (10 years+). I wanted a young one because I wanted him to be with me for years and years, and for us to get fit and work from scratch together. I have a really good instructor, and got a 5yr old Arab who I thought was a lot further on than he was. It turned out he had never accepted the bit, and that's resulted in months of groundwork and very slow progress. I'm still not riding fit, my position isn't the best and it's not really fair to him to be honest. I have stuck with it, we are starting to see results but we have a mountain to climb. I was offered a fun fell pony, and I should have taken him and been honest with myself about what I could manage, and what I wanted to do. So the question for you is, do you want to spend the next 1-2 years or more bringing on a young horse, watching your mates go out hacking and go to shows while you are working on achieving a nice walk? If not, I'd get one that's a bit more mature. You will have fun, a great experience and develop your riding. You can always get a youngster next. That's what I'd do, and I've got the bitter voice of experience! O hubris thou art my downfall!
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SadKen, you really sound like me 18 months' ago. Only mine was nearly 9 and still green and with a sore back.

After about 6 months, I was questioning whether I should have got an older native pony (at least a hand less when I fell off!). Now I am so glad that I bought him - because he is a challenge but just so rewarding and now sometimes I can ride him like a reliable old plod.

If I now could go back and start again, I would still choose him, not just because I love him and know him but because he is just endlessly entertaining.

I hope you reach the same stage with yours very soon.
 
Ill go out on a limb here- I'm in Sunderland and have a four year old home bred home broken baby... If you would like to pop over and have a sit and see how you feel- he's very good, and very quiet for a four year old... It'll give you an idea of how much quicker you have to think when sitting on a big baby rather than a dink. Pm me if you like!!
 
It depends what you want. Do you want something that you can go out and do something with straight away? Or do you want a project that you can't seriously compete for another year? That's if you want to compete at all. You can always get something that has established paces (not unbalanced) and has done a bit of jumping, then you have a project that you can take to some small shows. I would say that's a 5 YO or v expensive 4 YO :)
 
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