For people who have problem horses when ridden

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amzy

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Just curious really, but after reading some posts about horses not cantering, napping, rearing, etc., did you buy the horse knowing about the problem, was it something that started happening after you got it home or do you feel that you didn't try it out properly before you bought it?
I had someone try out my horse today. He walked and trotted away from home without a problem but when he went in a field he wouldn't canter until he was facing home and then he went at a nice pace and was easy to stop. This put the woman off (and I'm not disputing this) but there seems to be a lot of horses out there with real issues that people either put up with or try and work through the problem and I'm just interested to know why some people buy these horses when others would walk away. Mine is advertised as a 6 year old ploddy hack and has probably never been schooled but I didn't realise he doesn't canter away from home as I normally don't have an opportunity for much cantering due to lack of school, no bridleways and I don't 'do' open fields anymore. Just as well really, as when I went to view him I must admit I only wanted to see him being ridden alone in traffic as that was top of my priorities and I just assumed he would canter in a field on his own.
 
I buy horses with problems because I'm stupid. If I like the look of them I just buy them and figure I'll soon find out whats wrong with them when I get them home and then I'll have to find out how to deal with them. Probabaly would be sensible to try them out more thoroughly and be more fussy but I'll never learn. Have to admit it feels really rewarding when you do finally get somewhere with a difficult horse though.
 
I wanted a horse as a reliable hack, so when I tried mine we went in the school for a bit and then down the road. He was fine so I bought him. I had a limited budget and knew I was unlikely to get everything I wanted. He had only ever hunted, but as I wanted him to hack I didn't think lack of schooling would be a problem. I probably didn't ask enough questions about his temperament before I bought him and he has turned out to be the weirdest, quirkiest horse I have ever known - but I love him!

I think the problems I have with my horse are down to a huge change in his lifestyle at quite a late age. He isn't ridden as often as he was, doesn't hunt any more, and has to go in the school sometimes, which he hates. He is quite spooky and can get bolshy. However, in the summer when we hack out most days he is completely different and is great fun. As this is what I bought him for, I tend to put up with the other bits!
 
it all depends on how much you're selling him for. Daisy wasn't perfect in the school by a long way when I went to try her but she gave me a lovely hack and was safe. I decided that I could work on the finer points of her schooling.

tbh you're not making him sound that appealing in the way you've described him. I'd be wondering why a 6 year old would be looking for a new home again. He's probably lovely but with the way you've described him I would have thought you're only going to get limited interest. Why buy him if you could spend the same money on a horse that will canter away from home?
 
I buy horses with problems because I'm stupid. If I like the look of them I just buy them and figure I'll soon find out whats wrong with them when I get them home and then I'll have to find out how to deal with them. Probabaly would be sensible to try them out more thoroughly and be more fussy but I'll never learn. Have to admit it feels really rewarding when you do finally get somewhere with a difficult horse though.
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Problem horses are generally always cheaper than non-problem horses so I would expect a fair few people buy them because of this. This in itself can often worsen the situation for the horse because a lot of these people who take on problem horses have an unrealistic image of their horsemanship skills.

To be honest, listening to your comments, it sounds like this woman couldn't ride very well if she couldn't get the horse to canter.....probably a lucky escape if you ask me.
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Funnily enough she did admit to the fact she wasn't a particularly good rider, although she did seem very confident. She wasn't interested as he wasn't, in her words, a 'push button ride'.
I expect I've got it all yet to come. I hate selling horses.
 
I bought Fly knowing he had issues. He was incredibly cheap but I liked the "look" of him and saw pics of him loose schooling over 4ft plus jumps and that was it! ITs been 7 months of ups and downs but now we are getting it together. It has taken serious WORK and commitment and I admit to sometimes having lows but I stuck at it. I wouldn't sell him now for any amount of money and we have struck up a good partnership. In a nutshell it was his looks and his jump that convinced me to have him.
 
I got Lady because I felt sorry for her and worked though all her issues most of which the rescue centre neglected to inform me of at the time
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they are mostly sorted now although she still bucks when very excited and will try to nap given half a chance. Fudge I knew didn't really hack alone, hadn't been schooled and was a nappy, but we really clicked. For the most part he's improving
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Depends what the 'issues' are! I would never knowingly buy a horse that reared (although my last one tried it a few times), and I HATE nappy horses. I can forgive it the odd time on babies in a strange place with a new rider but I would never buy an older horse with this sort of established behaviour.
 
Mine is a pain in the bum to hack out. I didn't know this when I bought him as I didn't try him on the roads and they said they didn't know what he was like. He is just a bit nappy. Having said that, I bought him as a competition horse for showjumping and dressage, both of which he excels at, so I don't feel I got it wrong at all.

I'm moving out into the sticks in a few weeks and will start to work on his hacking then - it's just too busy where we are at the moment. I'm confident I'll get him hacking out with perseverance, but if I don't it doesn't stop me doing what I bought him for.
 
I didn't know my horses issues till i had her home. When i brought her she was unfit and being fed very little poor quality hay, admitaly i did buy her from a doggy dealer. It was only when i got her home and started to ask a few question did i realise she had a number of issues. It's taken a lot of work to iron these out but if she didn't have these issues there's no way i would have been able to afford her, and she has taught me lots along the way.
 
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