I have been offered a share in a horse...

[mickey01]

...and I'm not sure about it.

It's a short term (6 months to a year) agreement with a family friend who is being given a horse from a yard she works for free. He is an ex-riding school horse, 15.3hh, 16yo novicey plod which would be great for the rest of my family (brother and dad) to learn to properly ride on. But, I have my doubts.

I'm worried that being a plod, I will get bored easily and within a few months I will want out of the argeement, letting our friends down. Also, as the horse is 16 and been a riding school horse for the best part of 10 years it will be, for want of a better description, worn out and looking for a quieter, gentle hacking home. Which, I don't think I could give it, being 15 and wanting to compete for school, PC etc.

What do you think?
Sorry it's a little bit long, cookies for you getting to the end

 

[alison_oliver]

It sounds like u may have talked yourself out of it already. However once out of the riding school environment u may find he loosens up a bit and may surprise u. A lot of horses that are sold out of riding schools find the quieter life so much easier they actually liven up a bit. My friends 14.2hh gelding was in a riding school for 7 years and was used for RDA. Now he's going mounted games in the summer, and lively hacking in winter. However if this lad does want to slow down it may not be fair on you if you want a younger horse to PC etc
Tough one i'm afraid....

 

[StarFell]

Doesn't really sound like its right for you. I wouldn't go for it just because the opportunity is there, wait a bit and find a horse that would suit you better, there are plenty out there

Edited because I can't spell

 

[Boxers]

If you take him on how easy would it be to give him back if he doesn't work out for you?

I would say to you that 16 is not old. We have a hack/hunter on loan and when we went to see him the girl who had him could hardly get him going, but as we wanted a steady horse we weren't too bothered. Now we have had him for about 2 months and he is a different animal. My 14 yr old daughter takes him hunting, she schools him and now has him jumping about 90cm. When I hack him, although he is steady he still has a bit of fun with me on the bridlepaths and neither of us find him boring (bearing in mind my 14 yr old daugher has a very speedy jumping pony).

I think you should give him a try - he might surprise you!

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Have you been to ride him yet? If not I think you definately should, he may be different to how you expect. Equally even if he is a bot lazy now once he has been out of the school for awhile and being consistently ridden by just a couple of people he should change quite a bit and may turn out to be a superstar. Because he's been in the school so long he is probably very reliable so once you liven him up a bit he maight be fab! Definately go and give him a go then if you don't like you can tell your friend, which surely is more polite than telling her now that you won't like him when you don't really know what he's like?

 

[mickey01]

I don't know how easily I could give him back, but if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, and usually it's no-ones exact fault in that circumstance.

I think I may have to play it by ear slightly, and go and see the horse a few more times, maybe put him through his paces out of riding school situations (where he doesn't just follow the horse in front

) to really get a feel for what he's like.

 

[mickey01]

I have ridden him but on a hack where our other friend was on another horse from the riding school and he was a bit of a plod, just no need to steer, kick or stop, he did it automatically when the horse in front did it. He probably thought 'here we go again, another dunce who can't ride for toffee...' I haven't ridden much since January

 

[Paint it Lucky]

I would try to school him on your own and really work him to see just how lazy/nappy or otherwise he is. Also pop him over some jumps to see what you think before making any decisions.