Horse hunting tales...

Foxford

Foxford

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Sitting very still as I write this....

Went to try out a green 6 yo today, as I'm looking for something young to bring on. I've done it twice before, so wouldn't say I was a novice! Anyway, it turned out to have no brakes - WHATSOEVER! And I bailed out as he was about to jump the menage fence.

Landed on a big stone, right on my hip. It's all puffy and bruised and I'm shuffling around. Feeling fine untill I move!

I've been to try out a few but nothing like this. Think I'll give the dealers a miss from now on! This is the the 3rd dealer 'hatrack' I've seen, but the first nutter.

I'm thinking about getting something to break myself in the hope that I can do a decent job of it. Obviously I would get qualified help.

Any ideas? Feeling a bit disheartened!!
 
Yes, the guy rode it for about 3 mins. looked like he was having trouble with it, although he had obviously been on it a few times. I don't know how many other people had been on it though! Don't usually have an electric bum!

I had been a long way to see it so thought, may as well try! Will listen to my instincts next time!
 
I've had the same when I was about 10 years old (and already broken/ridden lots of youngsters), the people told me there was no-one else to ride it, the truth was that there was no-one else who hadn't lost their nerve riding it! It reared up and I bailed out before it went over backwards!

I also had an experience of trying a pony, as I was riding the seller had her head in her hands. Mum asked if she was ok, she replied "I'm too scared to watch, he's thrown everyone else off"! we bought him and he turned out to be fab with a bit of remeidial schooling
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Thankfully I haven't had many horrendus experiences when trying horses, but ironically I almost didn't go and view my current horse as the owner was so honest about him I thought he'd be too much horse for me, he has infact been my ideal neddy!
 
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Just because you travelled don't get on a horse. I've been 3 hours to see one and just said no and walked away.

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LOL obviously wouldnt recommend getting on ANYTHING... I choose life!
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I've had a similar experience - twice! One from a dealer where he admitted that the horse had bolted earlier in the day with someone else! And a private home where the daughter 'wasn't available', so I rode it 'blind'. Bloody thing took off, luckily able to stay on a circle with it, and every time I passed the mother I said 'I can't stop, I can't stop HOW DO I BL**DY STOP!' She said ' oh, my daughter normally heads him towards the barn, don't worry he WILL stop!!!!

Advertised as a Novice ride by the way!!

I detest with a passion buying new horses, which is why I try not to!! Recently did, off someone I knew. Had plenty of trials and a short period on loan. Things haven't worked out and she's gone back, but that was definately the way to go.

If you're buying from a breeder/stud I think they tend to be more honest as they have more to lose if you slag them off!
 
I rode a horse for a mate once, got off to tell the head girl NO WAY! and the dealer already had her on board....
ten minutes and a wall of death later, I get my friend to circle as tight as she can around me and grab the horses cheekpiece, get dragged along but stop her. Brave or foolhardy?!
At least now she has found a suitable,sane horse, and she has a good deal of trust in me! The dealer was told about her level of skill as a rider, I wish I had been quicker to say no before she had got on, as I often have recurring injuries/strains to my left.
Ah well..its a fun story to tell people!
 
It's good to see I'm not the only one this has happened to! I tried out a 'bombproof' cob x tb going for part loan only for him to have a total broncing fit. And then be told the woman's daughter wouldn't get on him anymore beacuse she was sick of getting thrown off by him!!! People should be brutally honest when selling/loaning horses. Forewarned is forearmed!

Today I did actually shout as I was approaching the fence 'grab him!' but unfortunately he was moving pretty quick and they were sloth-like in their reactions!

Just having a few beers to numb the pain before I get in a hot bath!
 
Though not quite the same we have had a few bad experiences when pony searching.
First was a shetty who who bolted with the poor child who was riding it for the owner. it just took off down the road, full pelt.

So i went to a dealer who said they had a few ponies which would be suitable.
First pony shown to us, we were told he'd been in all week due to bad weather, so not to worry if he was fresh. Two minutes later another girl showed me the field he'd "been out in all week...look how muddy he's made it!". The pony then bucked my son off.
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They then brought out another pony who was also 'suitable'.
Let's just say, I wouldnt have touched it with a bargepole!!

That said, I do know of some good honest dealers, but their prices usually reflect their reputation...high!
 
My sister wanted to buy a pony for her daughter and invited me along to view one and to ride it before her daughter did. It was a 13hh grey welsh type. The owners daughter rode it first in the school and bombed round and round flying over the jumps. I then rode it. It was a time bomb, totally unschooled, and strong. I told my sister it was most unsuitable but she liked it and sat her daughter on it aged 11 years. It took off and jumped all the jumps, her daughter who is a very quiet rider just sat there sayying I cant stop. In the end when she cantered passed me I grabbed the rein (och) and stopped it. This pony was advertised as a great jumping pony for a novice kid!!! and snaffle mouthed.. It was a fiz ball and ridden in a pelham and crackle. My sister didnt buy it, and did find a suitable pony for her daughter..
 
Tried a 15.2 Small Hunter type at a dealer yard. Dealer rode him, I rode him then took him out - passed cement mixer traffic everything but there was just something not right so I said I wanted to try him again. Went back two days later horse was booting stable door when I got there. Tacked up got him out span like a loon as I got him near mounting block dealer trying to hold him down at this point I said - NO not horse for me and I'm not getting on (this was a horse I wanted to get my confidence back after a very bad fall which left me with a head injury) Dealer got a bit stroppy and told his son to get on bare back to show me how quiet it was everytime he tried to vault on it bucked squealed and twisted, he put a saddle back on it and got one foot in the stirrup and it took off down the road flat out with him scrabbling on board. I have no idea if it was doped the first time, if it had just been locked in it's stable for the weekend since I tried it. It was also out of condition and fat so god knows what it would be like fit. And no I didn't buy it!!!!!
 
We had lots of horrible experiences when looking for a horse for OH. Worst one was at a dealer who had been recommended to us, we got there to find he had noone to ride it first .. some alarm bells though as he had been recommended we thought it would be ok ... few minutes later OH had been thrown off into side of a barn & had broken ribs. Will NEVER EVER try a horse again without seeing it ridden.
 
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