Have you outgrown your horses ability level

[Lady2021]

Hi everyone have you every outgrown your horse abilities level. My horse is very laid back and is very lazy. I have tried to fix it with training but I unfortunately I think it just my horse personally. I was riding my friend horse and it made me realize how much I have outgrown my horse ability level. Wall I have had her since for like 5 years and I was a novice rider back than. I would never sell her because I feel she would constantly be sold on.

 

[Flame_]

Personally no, my horse's ability level far exceeds my ability level with no hope of ever achieving equality, let alone me out-abling him. He's not bothered though, his main ambition is to remain at home and eat.

It does happen though, and if you and your horse would be happier now with different partnerships you could do it through loans and shares without selling.

 

[Sail_away]

Ha, not the current one!! I’ve only had her a month so I’d hope not - I could go on and on about her but suffice to say she is a much more experienced competitor than me.
Retired boy - yes I did. I knew it was coming, in the last few months of work he did I got told quite a bit by instructors that he just wasn’t a horse that would cope with the next level up. So we were looking at buying another even before his lameness issues. We got to schooling elementary and jumping 1m ish but he couldn’t physically do more though he was very willing.
Having said that I don’t put up with horses that are lazy unless there’s a veterinary problem, I click and they move. I wonder if it would be worth getting your instructor or a local pro rider to have a sit on your horse and see what they make of them?

 

[sportsmansB]

While I do agree that this can happen up to a point, its not usually about lack of forward energy
Its about not having the scope to jump the next height up, or the physical capability for collection required for higher level dressage, or the faster speed for cross country
It may be that your horse adapted to how you were as a rider back then, and has never had to adapt out of it. Laziness and a lack of energy is a training (and possibly management) issue not an ability issue
Its definitely worth working with a good instructor to see if your horse could become more reactive to your aids

 

[Bellaboo18]

While I do agree that this can happen up to a point, its not usually about lack of forward energy
Its about not having the scope to jump the next height up, or the physical capability for collection required for higher level dressage, or the faster speed for cross country
It may be that your horse adapted to how you were as a rider back then, and has never had to adapt out of it. Laziness and a lack of energy is a training (and possibly management) issue not an ability issue
Its definitely worth working with a good instructor to see if your horse could become more reactive to your aids

Completely agree, it doesnt sound like you've outgrown your horse OP.

 

[tatty_v]

I am starting to feel this way. My boy is 21 now and his age, combined with not having a yard with an arena for 2 years, means we are struggling with progressing beyond elementary. My plan is obviously to keep him for the rest of his days as he’s everything to me, but look for a second, younger horse to progress with. COVID has scuppered that plan so far but I remain hopeful!

 

[LEC]

I am frequently getting rid of horses because they do not match what I want. Last one was back in 2015. Lovely little horse but wasn't going to be careful enough SJ for eventing. Sent him back to his owner and he has a wonderful life just hunting. One of my horses had hock issues so was limited to 80/90cm - sold him 11 years ago and still going strong at 22 where he is much loved. I have one at the moment but not decided what to do with her. Evented successfully at novice but is asymmetrical. Only 10 years old. She is happy enough hacking and I guess when lockdown is over I will give her a jump to see what she wants to do. I suspect she would love doing some low level RC but will have another ditch at getting her 100% and then will look to loan or sell her.

 

[Bernster]

Yes, in the sense of us wanting to do different things and his heart not being into xc.

Current boy probably isn’t quite what I want in terms of my Eventing and jumping ambitions but not sure my ambitions are that realistic and it’s partly a training issue which I should address. He is naturally laid back and not fizzy but he is much quicker off the leg and on the aids, so there could well be a training element with your horse too OP.

But certainly if you both really prefer and are better suited to different things, there’s nothing wrong in securing her a happy alternative home or life, however you want to do that, and finding another dancing partner.

 

[J&S]

Another novice would probably be very happy with her! Alternatively approach an RDA group, they look after horses very well and a quiet, laid back horse is just what they need. You could still own her but they would pay for her costs and you could feel proud of the job she does.

 

[IrishMilo]

Laziness and a lack of energy is a training (and possibly management) issue not an ability issue
Its definitely worth working with a good instructor to see if your horse could become more reactive to your aids

Sometimes a spade's a spade... so I don't agree that it's a schooling issue. There's a difference between a horse who's been conditioned to be dead to the aids and a naturally horizontal personality - the latter's damn near impossible to change. Horses for courses and all that!

 

[dixie]

I agree with the horses for course comment.
I’m selling my bou because whilst he’s very capable he doesn’t particularly seem to enjoy the stuff I do such as BS/BE. I have a queue of people wanting him (once lockdown has finished) as a safe hack with occasional jumping/riding club tho, so feel he is much more suited and happier in a life like that.

 

[doodle]

Tom. I didn’t outgrow he just never was suitable. He was laid back to the extreme and didn’t want to work or learn or really do anything past a gentle hack. I bought him to do very low level dressage with. I took him for lessons and the instructor, who had known me from previous horse who I had lost, was blunt and said he would never do the job I wanted. I persevered for a few months and eventually gave up. Sold him to a lovely lady who just potters about a bit.

The others, nope, their abilities WAY out shone my abilities!!

 

[DressageCob]

I thought I had. I thought that he wouldn't take me any further. He's quite a talented little cob, but as a former driving horse, didn't naturally excel at the sideways. So I bought a second horse to take me to higher levels more successfully. He was competing at elementary but scoring generally low 60s.

However, when the original chap lost his eye and had to have weeks off he came back better than ever and is now working more or less at medium level, actually has a 3 time fairly-uphill canter and a proper medium trot. He has really upped his game and it turns out I hadn't outgrown him at all! He got 67-68% in his last couple of tests. I'm hoping to qualify him for Petplans once we are allowed back out.

When I was looking, my instructor and yard owner gave so much advice about what to buy. I could easily have ended up with something ploddy and flat because I was just enamoured with the idea of having a horse, any horse! Thankfully they steered me in the right direction.

 

[Wishfilly]

Why do you feel she would be constantly sold on if you sold her?

 

[Lady2021]

It may be that your horse adapted to how you were as a rider back then, and has never had to adapt out of it. Laziness and a lack of energy is a training (and possibly management) issue not an ability issue

I have had her re trained and had loads of experience people have ridden her . Also took a lot of lessons. We have came to conclusion that it just a personality type she is just a . she can only jump up to 70 cm and definitely not a competition horse. She is really only a happy hacker .

 

[Lady2021]

Why do you feel she would be constantly sold on if you sold her?

She isn’t a competition horse and she can jump up to 70cm . She can be very spooky at times. I don’t think she would really appeal to people.

 

[catkin]

My horses have often wanted to do different activities to those I have imagined and dreamed of us doing. It's taken me on some very interesting paths and there's always plenty to learn......

I've had the well-bred eventer that was the most superlative hack but thought jumping was a bit of a waste of time, the cut-and-shut cob who went much much further in dressage than anyone could imagine, the out-and-out showgirl that could only see the point in performing at certain shows.

I've had sooooo much fun with them all - a rethink on goals can be very rewarding and enjoyable.

 

[Chinchilla]

She isn’t a competition horse and she can jump up to 70cm . She can be very spooky at times. I don’t think she would really appeal to people.

Low level all rounders/happy hackers are actually quite in demand; a good, safe horse really is invaluable. Not many people actually want 'competition horses' because they can't ride one side of them.

 

[Wishfilly]

She isn’t a competition horse and she can jump up to 70cm . She can be very spooky at times. I don’t think she would really appeal to people.

What contexts is she spooky in? Is it a nasty spook or just a bit of nerves? I think there are plenty of people out there who don't want competition horses or big jumpers, and it would be possible to find her a home where she could do a job and have a happy life.

I'd suggest loaning, but that can be just as much of a risk.

 

[J&S]

"She isn’t a competition horse and she can jump up to 70cm . She can be very spooky at times. I don’t think she would really appeal to people."

Frankly, this is rubbish! It would describe our companion pony who we love to bits, at the moment I have a lady riding her who is far more used to riding race horses and she thinks she is the bees knees! Just because she doesn't appeal to you does not mean that some one else won't value her.

 

[nikkimariet]

This sounds less like you’ve outgrown her and more like a mismatch? Maybe she doesn’t like the chosen discipline sphere as much as yourself?

My previous WB wasn’t interested in dressage at all. Likes his hacking and his jumping and was so nice to handle. He is now a yard favourite at an Annie showing yard where he never schools or trains. Simply hacks and then competes but very low pressure and lots of standing around looking pretty which he loves. They love him. I had different goals, time to listen to the horse maybe?

 

[ycbm]

There's no shame in selling a horse that doesn't match what you want to do. If nobody sold there would be nothing to buy. I'm sure there's a market for yours.

I've sold a hunter who didn't want to school because I no longer wanted to hunt. A cob who was going to break if I continued to make him do dressage at a level he wasn't built for. A mare who i was unable to give the confidence to show jump the height I wanted her to, though she could cross country more than a foot higher and ability wasn't the issue.

If you would have more fun with another horse, she would probably have more fun with another owner.
.

 

[Mrs C]

My now retired was very forward going and quite hotheaded. I now ride a friends who is rock solid. Very different to ride. While I enjoy it, I do miss the forwardness I had with my previous