How sensible can a 6 yr old horse be?

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eahotson

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O.K Still only window shopping as I still have one to sell BUT rang a recommended dealer and he has a nice alrounder who has shown, hacked out in heavy traffic,been on a fun ride and is going hunting this weekend. I want a confidence building schoolmaster and while this one sounds lovely he is only 6.To me a young horse is a young horse. Maybe sane and sensible, as this one is suposed to be,but still needs to learn about life. What does everyone else think?
 
Depends on the horse IMO. My old girl at 30 was still as nutty as a fruitcake, where as I (unknowlingly
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) rode a 2 1/2 year old in a lesson with fireworks going off and he didn't notice. Depends on the horse.
 
I wouldn't class 6 as young.
I'm not sure you'd find a 6 yr old schoolmaster but it's not to say that he isn't genuine and honest.
 
Sounds good, go have a look. At six it should have seen and experienced most things and if its got a sensible temperament you should be fine.
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My 6 year old is absolutely fantastic - he is bombproof in traffic knows his job in the dressage arena or showring hacks in company or alone although not established completely with lateral work and jumping as he was brought on very slowly (hacked out till he was 5) he is a novice ride and is very willing to learn. I wouldnt say he was a schoolmaster in every discipline but can certainly hold his own in any environment
 
depends on the horse - my horse was a saint when he was 6. it was only a phase though, as he has now grown out of that
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my problem was that he didnt act like a 6 year old so i wasnt treating him like a 6 year old, so i had to keep reminding myself that he was only a baby
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he was broken at 5.
 
Well, I got my horse as a 4 yo (14 years ago). He had been broken in, turned away and then brought back into work, had been schooled pretty well and started BSJA (winning some money BN).

he was kept at a yard right next to a haulage firm and hence didn't even look at lorries. He has never really batted an eyelid. I sent my mum out on a hack on him within about a week of having him. I don't know what it was there was just trust there and he was and is a very confident horse.

Oh, he certainly can pretend to be spooky (worse with age cos he's a bit of a comedian I think) but he's harmless and has been brilliant over the years. He was at college with me when he was a 6 year old and was used by the college and I think he loved it he likes the attention). I think some horses whatever their age are just laid back and take things in their stride. Mine is no plod by any means and has been succesful BSJA and eventing, he is just sensible and doesn't get silly about things. I am sure he has had to learn alot since we've had him - ie he'd never seen a x-country fence and didn't get jumping from anything more than a showjumping canter but he just enjoyed learning and nothing was ever a chore.

I guess i suppose you do have to be fairly confident as you may have to teach the horse certain things it may come across are 'ok' but if they're general nature is trusting and confident then I don't think it is difficult, Plus, at 6 it should have been out and about a fair bit already and experienced the world.
 
I own a TB mare who is 5, and yes some people may say that TB's are shown more things in life as youngsters than most horses, but she is the nicest, sanest TB I know! Infact so sane, I would happily give my younger sister lessons on her, and not worry to much!
Different horses mature at different ages... mares mature earlier than gelding, and infact some geldings don't even grow out of adolesence!
 
It so much depends on the temperament really- Our 6YO is probably our quitest most straaightfoward, and Ajay was horizontally calm from when we got him at 3. But then Pip wasn't even broken at 6.
 
i have 16 going on 17 year old who is the babyish thing! Like the others say - depends on the temprement i think. Go have a look at this one - sounds a dream!
 
If you go for it, just budget in a bit of allowance for 'help' if you find any situations where he is a little greener than you would like - actually, thats a good thing to do whatever you buy!
 
i had a mare a few years ago i bought at 3 and broke myself and from day one she was always perfectly calm and safe in every situation.

by the age of 6 she had already given many novice riders confidence and i was using her to ride and lead with the babies and she never once put a foot wrong.

on the otherhand, i know much older horses who you couldnt class as safe or sensible- totally down to the horse.
 
All depends on the horse. One of ours aged 6 was more like a three year old. Another one aged 6 never ever put a hoof wrong.

Hacking Hack mentions a 4 year old being calm and sensible. I know a 4 year old ex racer who is just a lamb to handle and the most sane bombproof horse you could wish for.

A friend has a 14 year old who is completely nuts.

All depends on the nature of the horse itself and also the upbringing he or she has had.
 
I took a risk buying a 6 year old for my OH who was a beginner and it did work out. The horse had had a very good education for the past 2 years, so it had been about and seen things, he had a fundamentally really nice temperament, and my OH was supervised with everything he did for the first couple of years, i.e. hacks only in company, lessons with good instructor. I also rode the horse about once every couple of weeks to make sure he was still behaving and I dealt with any problems that he had, e.g. if he was worried about something on a hack I would get on him the next day and make sure he got his confidence back. So it is doable if you are sensible and it is the right horse.
 
my 4yo is better behaved and calmer than my 8yo and 14yo !!!!

a lady at my yard also bought a lovely 5yo from a dealer who hasnt a bad bone in his body !!
 
My main riding horse is 6. He is an amazing little horse. Totally and utterly bombproof, excellent working cattle, doesn't give a damn about artic lorries or any traffic at all. He's a total joy to ride and I have never had one problem with him at all in the years I've owned him. Mind you I can honestly say the same for my 3 year olds and 4 and 5 year olds too.

I personally don't see 6 as being that young, but that may be because I generally back my horses between 2 and 4 years old, so by the time they are 6 they have done loads and seen almost everything that they will ever need to in their daily lives.
 
Merlin was only 6 when I bought him...... he was green but very willing and we had a fantastic time....

Jumped in the London and South East SJ championships that year, and came 2nd out of just over 100 competitors
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He was very envied
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Due to my lack of ability though.... he is still green
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