Iberian/Spanish horses honesty please!pro's cons

SaharaS

SaharaS

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arrgh I spent ages writing an epic & my battery died so you may have escaped ..but here goes again.put the kettle on & grab those slankets...here goes!

After reading about the poor girl this am battling with her Spanish horse,it really opened my eyes up that I may not previously have been told the exact truth about the breed...and may have possibly been about to make a big mistake.

Long story short my health is not good, good days & bad (broke every vertebrae,sternum & had spinal chord damage, resulting in still having severe back pain , fibromyalgia & ME/CFS. Decided to down size and lost one to sudden death aged 7, took me till this dec to muster the courage/sense to sell my 3yr old new forest and thought 4 would be a good easy number..horses have other opinions ofcourse and the herd dynamic is totally pearshaped now...who thought 2 mares & 2 geldings would pose probs...I'm a TB girl & have to say I've been VERY lucky as only two are now ridden(one is 3, one broodmare i had the accident on) (one 25 dressage mare, one 17hh tb gelding.) My only option i think is to sell the 3 yr old (Brief Encounter colt) and the 17hh gelding.. I know from experience, two will not work for me as both mares need a friend while I ride/excercise the other...so as 17hh gelding thinks he's a sabre tooth tiger/rhino hybrid I can't put him with the 3yr old gelding. The two ridden ones i know well enough and have a strong enough bond with that I can ride when i have good days and leave them for a few weeks(even months if really bad in the past at time of accicent) and they don't bat an eyelid & do look after me...yes both thoroughbreds, both raced & I've retrained both....all my horses to date have been like this, so I'm either very good at picking them, or they have just accepted my ways. When the mares were both competing pre my accident I did want to put them in foal & considered an Andalusian...I went for Brief Encounter instead & Supreme Chance before that..but now I know I can't personally take the risk of starting youngsters & bringing them on, I think I'm going to try sell the two boys and find a nice mare. I need to know your experiences...bad and good...if you think I am making a mistake with the breed...(had decided Andalusian better way to go than Lippizaner/Lusitano for calmness)...but I am open to everything you can throw at me. When health allows, I will be looking to compete, just dressage...mainly only school really, in the menage at home as no companion to ride & roads so evil near me... but my are very accepting of it & don't ever seem to get bored...we play schooling to music & each has its favourite genre and songs so its always fun & relaxed learning & bonding time.I can school in fields & adjoining woods & farm to break the monotony if required...I will be offering a long term home /forever home and am keen not to have been suckered in & misled/fed what i wanted to hear...is this the right breed for me? Its all very well reading the websites & asking breeders, but I want to know the day to day, nitty gritty, the troubles & tantrums...the tears & the sucesses...everything you only know by owning the breed for yourself...I would ideally want a mare(unless it is a VERY kindly mare-like(gay gelding!) gentle gelding but I would take some persuading as this is a big step out of TB's!)ideally 6 so it will be started but that I can still teach her & learn/bond together...prob no more than 8 tho age not set in stone for the right horse....have had a hanoverian x TB given to me to compete pre accident and I loved him but would never have wanted to own him..really stroppy tendancy ridden & had a bit of a streak which I understand is the hanoverian in him..he was very good at temper tantrums & held grudges...could do without this again...the stud i was considering years back was said to be the creme de la creme of uk andalusians, but I'm sure every owner would argue theirs are better! Well done for staying awake...thank you for all your help.....hope I've not been totally mislead & they are as nice as i had hoped....:confused: xx
 
Andalusian are very sensitive horses, they are highly intelligent and eager to learn, like all animals they are individuals, some are more expensive than others. Where about in the country are you? do you know any one near by who has a spanish horse? if you live near me you are most welcome to come and visit my boys.

They are both opposite end of the spectrum. Daniel, the grey, bred for the bull ring, broken in as a 3 year old and used to fight bulls (look at my signature photo you can see a gore scar on his leg) so he is sharp, incredibly talented, but needs to be in work and in a routine other wise he worries. He is a very brave giving boy, but as a youngster could explode, he is fine now but has taken time. Jonah the bay, can turn his hoof to anything, loves jumping, can leave him for weeks and then ride him like he has never had time off, he goes with the flow so to speak. He was bred in the UK, broken as a 4 year old and brought on slowly. Brave, quick to learn, can be cheeky, never spooks or stands off a jump.

both boys are brave, loving, funny, cheeky, expressive and communicate all the time. This is the key with this breed, or with my two boys, you must learn to listen to them, be gentle, quiet and honest with them. They are all divas and believe they are the only horse in the yard that is of importance :)

A spanish horse with issues, needs some professional help, if you start off going down the wrong road with a spanish horse and it looses its trust in you, it takes a long time to get it back. No harsh voice, no physical punishment although they need discipline but more of a leadership thing.

Hope this helps, there are other spanish owners on here that can also tell you what their experience has been. But go and meet owners with their horses, you cannot tell what a horse is like on a selling yard
 
Agree totally with this/\
Ive had my PRE stallion for little under 2 years now (in my sig) bought in spain and imported as a 5 year old, he's 7 now and tbh i wouldnt ever have another breed as he does everything i want and more.
As above he is very sharp and spooky at times but also doesnt need a lot of work, and i can pretty much get straight on him after weeks off with little more than a quick lunge beforehand (as i have done this week after not riding him since october!).
He can get quite stressy in the stable if left on his own though, but it never equates to any bad manners and he's a dream to handle considering hes a young stallion on a busy mixed yard. In spain the stallions especially are handled firmly, and taught from a young age how they must behave with no ifs or buts, theyre ridden and stabled with other stallions and mares and are just expected to get on with it.
Also because they are so clever they learn new things very quickly, unfortuantly they also learn bad traits just as quickly and will test you to see what they can get away with, kirico has a wonderful way of showing me just how little i know sometimes but fortuanatly he is the forgiving sort!
Ive been very lucky with kirico in that although he can be a bit of a stress head he is also the sweeteest nicest tempered horse i know, hes on a busy yard with mares and kids around but never puts a foot out of line. If you can get a good one they are wonderful horses to own, will teach you so much and will do anything for you once they trust you. Saying that however ive known a few that are the complete opposite of him, and which have some serious issues that i for one couldnt deal with, they are just so sensitive and can be very nervy which can result in flat out bolting if something scares them. Kirico occasionally darts off and has a decent spook but ive seen a million times worse, tbh he's a total pussy cat and often cant be bothered to misbehave as would rather be in his stable eating!
I cant say whether you should or shouldnt but its definatly the best thing i ever did, if you do though definatly get some advice and preferably take someone who knows the breed and may spot problems you could miss. Have a look on the BAPSH website aswell though as there is loads of info on there and people that can help, maybe try and arrange to visit a stud or have a few lessons on a PRE schoolmaster if you havent already. Not sure what area your in but i know of one or two good ones if you want to pm me for more info.
Hope this helps and hasnt just been mindless waffle!
 
The youngster we have is going to be a nightmare to get a saddle to fit. Only a small issue I suppose, but I am thinking he will need something specially adapted (& expensive). He is very shortcoupled, which will be a pain for my 6ft3 son who will ideally want an 18inch saddle but will have to squeeze into a smaller one. Horse also has the most gigantic scapula/shoulder, so I think we will be looking at some kind of extra wide native pony type saddle.
 
Please dont be put of because of my little poo horse they are nice horses and very loyal and with a good up bringing are excellent horses. Sadly my horse has never had a good up bringing from stud upwards and seems to be abused all his six years. When hes good hes really good and loving the one thing i will say their quick in actions and learning good and bad they like routine riding he goes past things even my cob snorts at I trust 100 percent riding whoever abused him was on ground level. And i did buy him from meat man he was there for a reason.
 
Seiennamum Albion make a saddle especially for Iberian horses, both my boys have one, find a good saddler that will ensure it is flocked for your boy, they change shape drastically as they grow and develop so you will get to know your saddler well :)

Natwood. Great you are enjoying your boy. My boys are not spooky at all. Jonah stands still when he is worried and Daniel snorts a bit but then grows another hand....just to show that leaf that he is boss. Like yours mine will go pass things that others shy at, the other day we went past a lawnmower in full throttle behind a hedge.....an old hunter turned tail and flew in the other direction!!!!

Tracyann So sorry you are having so much trouble with your lovely boy. Someone has been terrible with him and he has had a really bad start off in life and sounds like he has been really abused before you had him. Where about in the country are you?
 
Hi SaharaS, I don't own one but have come accross a couple one thing I would say is ride one....with your back issues and the Andulusians short coupledness it may not be a good combination. You can really feel them sit and the thrust of the hind leg, it's was like sitting on two pistons rather than the morse subtle feeling (in comparison) of a TB or WB properly engaged.

Out of the three boys I know, two where sold (individually) to novices and they found the day to day handling tricky at times as they seem to be a sensitive breed. The other one was just a thug! The two sensitive ones were particularly sensitive to any unbalance in the riders seat, and one of them I treated horse and rider regularly as it was never clear who was making who crooked.

They can all be prone to sheared heels and can take a lot of hoof care in the winter if you have wet ground. All three boys would be prone to maggot feet in the right weather conditions.

But certainly two of them were lovely boys to be around, both very routine focussed. Beautiful to look at, and gorgeous to ride once you got used to it.

I would definately second the advice to go and ride one if you can, there are some riding schools with them now, and breed supporters will often be keen to let you see and possibly ride there horses. Good luck!
 
I cannot agree with the foot thing. My boys have wonderful feet, and I have never know another spanish horse with problems with their feet. Our ground gets very wet, in fact they can come in with mud up to their knees (as they did yesterday yug) perhaps the ones you know are just bad luck.


I did consider selling one of my boys and went on the hunt for another more advanced dressage horse, I rode a couple of warm bloods and I have to say I didn't realise the difference in the movement, as you point out KM, I much prefer the close coupleness and togetherness of the spanish ride. Needless to say I didn't sell him and he is doing really well.

I think as you can tell I am passionate about my Spaniards :D
 
Everyone seems to be talking about imported PREs, most of the time they are very gentle and it doesn't surprise me that some have sharpness issues... They are treated very differently in Spain than they are in UK.

PREs are very people orientated and love human contact more than any breed however because of this trust, once it is broken, it is hard to win back.

The statement that they thrive on work isn't really true especially when referring to every single individual, they are in fact quite calm and can stand around chilling all day... As long as you don't feed them rocket fuel!

But anyway, why do you want to breed? The Market is stagnant, can you be sure your horses will sell? What will happen to mare and foal if you fall ill? How will you manage?

If you have been looking at the UK breeders, you will have seen many p/b's available, you can visit them and see for yourself how the breed suits you. They will have been registered properly, or else you will have to make sure they are registered or your foal will not be a PRE part bred but just an Andalusian which cannot be proven as a PRE. Why don't you visit the breeder nearest you? Find them on the BAPSH website. Call the breeders as they will have many many years experience of breeding and living with the Spanish horse in the UK.
 
Hey dressagedreamer, the foot thing could be due to extra thick and sticky hertfordshire clay!! But important to consider if one has a bad back :)

They are beautiful to see working properly a la Sylvia Loch and I saw Tina Layton schooling one of Sylvias mares and it was a real ahh moment.

Good luck with your decision SaharaS!
 
Well I have had close contact with 2 PRE's and regularly ridden one. As others have said they can be sensitive. The one that i have ridden gives a fantastic feeling, and seems to have gears (we have done a lot of endurance) that you can move up and down - and I have to say is an incredibly comfortable ride.

The other, a youngster, and you couldnt pay me to get on her - just waaaay to 'spirited' for me. She is incredibly head strong, and brave. she does however behave like a spoilt brat sometimes, and when she throws her toys out of the pram, everyone knows about it - I had to lead her round hartpury at the BAPSH show last year after a terrible ridden showing class with her owner. Just leading her back had my adrenaline going - she was a monster, but then 10 minutes later, after a 'time-out' in her stable, was a puppy and followed and was lead around beautifully, like having a completely different horse on the end of the leadrope.

In the field both these PRE's are turned out with my mare (non pre) and another non pre, I regularly catch my mare and the other non PRE in, if i do this before the PRE's are caught the youngster can make life difficult, so can the older one. but what is interesting is that if i tell the older horse to back off and get out of the way she does. however my friend that owns the 'other' non pre horse in the field, has major problems with the older PRE who just ignores her and makes it clear she should be caught first. I'm sure its down to the fact that I have ridden the older horse and we built up quite a bond. - i hope that all makes sense.
 
tallyhohoho said:
Everyone seems to be talking about imported PREs, most of the time they are very gentle and it doesn't surprise me that some have sharpness issues... They are treated very differently in Spain than they are in UK.

PREs are very people orientated and love human contact more than any breed however because of this trust, once it is broken, it is hard to win back.

The statement that they thrive on work isn't really true especially when referring to every single individual, they are in fact quite calm and can stand around chilling all day... As long as you don't feed them rocket fuel!

But anyway, why do you want to breed? The Market is stagnant, can you be sure your horses will sell? What will happen to mare and foal if you fall ill? How will you manage?

If you have been looking at the UK breeders, you will have seen many p/b's available, you can visit them and see for yourself how the breed suits you. They will have been registered properly, or else you will have to make sure they are registered or your foal will not be a PRE part bred but just an Andalusian which cannot be proven as a PRE. Why don't you visit the breeder nearest you? Find them on the BAPSH website. Call the breeders as they will have many many years experience of breeding and living with the Spanish horse in the UK.
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Hello...just a quicky reply as I didn't want to start off a mini world war if anyone comes in now who couldn't cope reading my OP! Big thank you to all who have and taken the time to reply! Just quickly, I am NOT planning to breed. I bred years ago-last being 2007 for my 2008 foal not knowing I would not have recovered enough to be as I wanted.That 3yr old is not like the others I bred who I backed myself,one even since my accident-sadly lost her to vile colic complications tho initialy we thought she would survive the operation-it was caused by a faulty batch of B****** horse food that also wiped out a stud of 17 mares & foals in Scotland.) He is too exhuberant for me to chance starting in my current condition which is actually helped by riding. In my OP I did state that i wanted someting already started maybe 6 or 8 age wise.

Other bits I forgot to put: :-) I have been to a few studs..and riden their horses. They were reported (by a vet pally with breeder I later found) to be THE crem de la crem in th Uk and were imports...her site is still running but oddly she still has none of the horses /stallions that were there who she told me were from her line and would never sell...everything I have seen at both the studs, were so (too) well behaved to be 100% believable..they only handled the horses in two's ie 2 handlers to one horse...that worried me tho they jsut said it was their safety system & why the horses are so good.....you will appreciate i so not wish to name them, I saw nothing wrong, but it felt odd if you know what I mean...I frequently used to lead 6 of mine at once tho I knew they would be very good and have a background in polo so I'm simply used to doing it that way! I liked how they felt to ride & how the ones i met were in hand/ridden/in stable but it was yesterdays post that made me sit up...posting this so I do make the right breed choice (as in buying ready started horse not breeding from mine) Both studs made out NO spanish horses ever had a temper, ever challenged their rider/handler were ALWAYS immaculate with abbundant manners hence the price...now THAT was what put my off before as I love the thought of that but as we all know, i think she was eating happy cakes...or no one would bother with any other breeds if they were all so perfect...in the same way, TB's and Warmbloods get a rough name sometimes and its all down to handling & respect & trust and problems sometimes can be sorted that previous people have ingrained with fear. So....my post was to get the day-to day opinion of owners,rather than the facade you get from SOME who can see only money when you are enquiring....Hope you are all staying safe in this weather...I'll be back on later to reply to the individuals/pms etc Thank you all this is all exactly what I was needing to know....keep them coming!:-)
 
Haven't read the rest, or the whole of your post, sorry, but my experience is that the feet can be an issue because they can, as a breed, be highly sensitive to too much sugar/carbohydrate in their diet. I know of many examples, because they are bred for dry scrub Spanish and Portuguese plains, not for dairy ryegrass paddocks. In Spain and Portugal they usually live in, so it is not an issue.

Behaviour wise, the PRE/Lusitano gelding which I owned was sharp and unsuitable for anyone nervous or any novice who was not completely over-confident. He needed leadership to stop him from being nervous in the stable. For example, if his handler was at all unsure he would be reluctant to go through doorways, especially with his tack on, but with me he was completely confident.

Because of their potential for anxiety, and a gut designed to eat shrub, I believe that they may also be more prone to ulcers than a more "dull minded" breed.

There are LOTS of pluses for the right horse with the right owner and they are lovely horses.
 
Kyo's Mum said:
Hey dressagedreamer, the foot thing could be due to extra thick and sticky hertfordshire clay!! But important to consider if one has a bad back :)

They are beautiful to see working properly a la Sylvia Loch and I saw Tina Layton schooling one of Sylvias mares and it was a real ahh moment.

Good luck with your decision SaharaS!
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clay you bet LOL I could throw pots with the stuff LOL
 
just to add to the chilling out attitude this breed has, both of mine would not give two hoots if they had to stay in all day, as long as they have plenty of hay and a stretch of their legs they are cool with it. They are really easy that way.

And for the spanish v uk breeding, I have one of both, the spanish bred boy is more "sharp" but that is the way he was first introduced to humans, being broken at 3 fighting bulls and being ridden "tied in" the UK boy, broken as a 4 year old brought on slowly turned away after 6 months for 6 months then brought back in to work. He is not so sharp. But both of them are fantastic boys
 
You really need to read the book 'Living and working with the horse of spain' by Peter Maddison-Greenwell. I got it from Amazon. It is very informative about the spanish breeds and helped me understand my cross-breed a whole lot better. It has info on training methods etc.
The reason I had so many problems with mine is that he was my first horse, I bought him as a connie x but the spanish half is the dominant half! I had no idea about spanish horses and had to find out fast. Now I have learned how to work with him he is fabulous. But I found it hard to find an instructor who understood his spanish diva 'ways'.
Also I will second that they are very sensitive to their riders' imbalances. Mine spent a year throwing random flying changes down the long side of the school - very infuriating during a dressage test! I had 3 different instructors try to help me with it, several different 'back' people out... Then I realised when messing about dancing that MY hip was slightly out - and I mean VERY slightly, I'd been doing pilates for years - cue sports physio for me and overnight horse stopped the flying changes. So if you do intend to do dressage on one then make sure your own back is checked regularly.
 
I dont own an Iberian horse but have had experience with them. My next horse will be a luso for sure, they are an amazing breed. But they can be very tricky. They need firm yet sympathetic handling as they can be very nervy horses and have to be schooled, handled correctly as when it goes wrong...it can go terribly wrong and dangerous. Once you secure correct schooling and handling they are so amazing to be around, extremely loyal and try their absoloute hardest to please and there so very eager to learn. I do find they can "test" their handlers to see what they can and cant get away with, once there put back into their place they know their boundaries. The Iberian like to have a leader- a leader they can trust, if this isnt established they loose themselves a bit and struggle without firm leadership. I can honestly say though, when you get this right you have a best friend for life, so understanding and eager to please and I find its like having a bond with a horse that no other breed can compete with. They are truly magnificant. They each have strong different temperaments but each are very cheeky.

I worked in Portugal on a dressage yard and at times it was very difficult, you had to be extremely careful when working around the stallions especially. Certain rules in place when handling them to ensure safety- stallions of all breed but especially the iberians are very nippy and you have to nip that in the bud first and foremost as it can escalate into something more serious- but then that covers every aspect of riding/ handling them.

They are completely different to ride then a wb or tb. There movements are super electric and I found it was like riding a pony lol. It takes some getting used too as I was more used to long strides and the movement of a typical english horse.

Once you work start work with an Iberian your whole mind set changes and you wont ever look back. They can be very tricky and you have to be consistent with them as I said, but there just a pleasure to be around when all of above is correct and the bond you get with them is just incredible.

IBERIANS ALL THE WAY :D
 
I have had my Spaniard for 6 years now and I cannot praise him high enough. He really is Mr Perfect. I've had allsorts over the years (am now in late 40's) but this fellow is definately for life. He is so laid back he's almost dead! he is totally non spooky, not scared of anything whatsoever! The less I ride him the lazier he gets. He is super duper clever, trainable and talented. He has the toughest feet known to mankind, is unshod and never needs the farrier. Sugar has no effect on him, niether does competition mix, oats haylage etc etc! he is a very good *doer* and cheap to feed. Although he's laid back and has a tendency to be lazy, point him at a jump and all hell lets loose, he just loves it. Very happy popping round an Open HT course at great speed, never stops Sj and has jumped double clears at 3ft ODE. He was imported from Spain as a 4yr old. He's 15.2 bay and very very beautiful and truly my best friend. He has a character to die for (very cheeky in a nice way) , he can make anybody laugh at his antics! I kept him entire for 2 years, he is no different now than he was then and I only had him gelded so he could interact with other horses.

If you can find one like mine you will have truly hit the jackpot!

I cannot recommend the breed enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
We have 2 PREs in my family. They have both been imported as 4 years old from the same dressage stud in Andalusia (where they are backed before being exported to France in our case).

My mother's gelding is 8 years old and has been bought last Summer from a lady who trained him for horse spectacle as an amateur. He hurted himself in his box 2 years ago and she gelded him then. As a stallion and a gelding, he has always been very well behaved, non spooky and easy-going. He is a baroque type. Forward and responsive but easy to do for a confident beginner rider.

My sister's mare is 6 years old and was bought a year and a half ago. She is a bit spooky and will back away from something scary (but doesn't bolt). She is a bit more high strung and tends to raise her head in the air and lift front feet off the ground if she doesn't like something. She is a more modern type and is closer to a warmblood in look, mind and paces. She wouldn't be suitable for a beginner.

They both have excellent feet, strong and small (with a very tight white line), and go barefoot on all surfaces. They also share a comfy little trot very handy when hacking. Temperament wise, it's down to the individual horse. I wouldn't trust what the breeder told you. I think the high price tag is because they are fashionable right now, but they are like all other breeds of horses, some are easy, some are difficult, some have good feet, some have bad feet... If you are buying a mature individual, you should be able to assess him enough that you know what you're getting into.
 
misterJinglejay said:
I would just like to thank Sahara, and all the posters, for this very informative thread. I am planning on treating myself to a PRE/Luso in the future, and am learning a lot from everyone elses opinions. Thank you :D
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:D wooooooo, good luck in your search...you'll never look back ;) ooooo I want to treat myself to a luso too lol, wont be for a while yet though :(
 
OP, if you're really concerned about a pure bred - why not buy a half bred? There are a few crosses around. I've got a Luso x TB who is absolutely fantastic and has taken a quite a bit of the Luso side.
 
my PRE was born here - I've had him since he was a weanling and he is now 2 1/2

I echo what everyone has said about how easy they are to keep - he is happy in the stable, out of the stable, in the yard, on his own, with company. He is a very confident young horse and picks up his lessons very well (currently just done a bit of groundwork and desensitising) he also never forgets so I have to be very careful to do things the right way from the start. He has a lovely attitude, like he really wants to learn and is very calm when the others are freaking! He's great with other horses and loves fuss from humans and I have high hopes for his future career, whatever that may be

He has taken (almost) everything in his stride and I am really looking forward to this year when we can do a lot more groundwork and start long reining and lunging and then next year when I can start riding him - that will be very exciting!!
 
If anyone is *thinking* of buying or owning an Iberian, please make the BAPSH or The Lusitano Breed Society be your first port of call.

http://www.lusobreedsociety.co.uk/newsite/
http://www.bapsh.co.uk/indexpage.htm

Please don't just hop on a plane to Spain or Portugal and expect to come back with the most amazing dreamboat of a fairy horse. This is NOT what happens in most cases.

Speak to people like Fiona Foy, Sylvia Loch, Heather Moffatt and the Society too including breeders near to you. Do your research!!! Most often you can find what you want right here in the UK... many Militar, Bocado bloodlines in the UK aswell as abroad. Minus the stress of importation or at least if you want to import you can get someone experienced to help you.

Also, you need to know if you are purchasing a true PRE or APSL registered with the appropriate studbook with correct papers etc. Some part-breds do not even qualify!!!

I wish you all the best, they are magnificent horses. Just make sure you understand everything first because they will take you by surprise otherwise.
 
I've got an 8 year old PRE who was imported a couple of weeks before I bought him. I've now had him for just over 3 years and he is a horse of a lifetime. I've also bred a Luso x warmblood who will be 2 in March this year.

I've had no problems with his feet, but my farrier is used to doing Iberians and so works with the foot shape. As he had never been turned out in Spain the whole going out to graze thing took some time for him to get used to. He is turned out alone as he is still very stallion like and territorial in his behaviour, but that is just him.

He is a great hack and LOVES his work, the more you give him the better he is. The first 18 months were a challenge though...

You will always find slightly different opinions as all horses are different regardless of their breed. For instance there is another PRE at my yard and he is the exact opposite of mine.

I would take the time to speak to as many people as possible in the UK and ride as many as you can. There are some great trainers who are experienced with Iberians and will help you tick off the questions on your list. Depending on your location I would recommend you contact either Marcia Wakeman, or Esperanza Dressage (James or Emma), Tori Peters or Sylvia Loch in Scotland. Yes there are more but these are the ones I have personal experience of. Would also recommend you look at BAPSH, they have a FB page too.
Good Luck in whatever you do
 
There's 8 PRE's at my livery yard and everyone is different.
But to ride any of them you have be a confident, sensitive, well balanced rider.
Everyone of them is capable of the odd sharp moment, although the single British bred one is one of the calmest.
None of them have a nasty bone in their bodies though, they all real people horses.

I've learnt I'm much more suited to a cob.
 
I rode an Andalucian for a while - was asked to introduce him to jumping by his nervous owner. I have no idea why as she never intended to jump herself or to sell him so I didn't see the point but I was a skint student and she offered to pay me! He was the laziest most backward thinking horse I've ever ridden so I think it's safe to say there are all types of horses within every breed. Sensitive and sharp he was not!

I'm probably going to get jumped on for saying this and I can only talk about him as I've not ridden any others, but I felt his movement and shape was very similar to a Section D who are about a 1/4 of the price and all the ones I know have much nicer temperaments and attitudes. Like I say though that was just him and I get the impression he might not be very representative of the breed!
 
tallyhohoho said:
Whereabouts are you btw?
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me?? Deepest darkest Somerwet on the Wilts Dorset borders...in the wild wild wet of England...:-)

Alibear said:
There's 8 PRE's at my livery yard and everyone is different.
But to ride any of them you have be a confident, sensitive, well balanced rider.
Everyone of them is capable of the odd sharp moment, although the single British bred one is one of the calmest.
None of them have a nasty bone in their bodies though, they all real people horses.

I've learnt I'm much more suited to a cob.
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Thank you...blimey they seem to be very on trend at that yard! Bless you with the cob bit...I don't know tho, the spanish I've seen all seemed angellic but the cobs I've known have been total hooligans and I've always stuck to my TB's as I just feel I know where i am with them-they do tend to wear their heart on their hooves so to speak!...I'm not a nervous rider by any means, just thinking safely because I don't need any extra risks with my back(was told not to ride again!:p as if...just decided not to jump or ride psychos or start youngsters!)..and all my TB's & youngsters that have come to me/i've bred, have been very varied...all the Tb's I've retrained from racing all had their quirks and were all very sharp tho all are now very balanced 'people' and have all considerably mellowed which seems to rub off on any newcomers...until we lost Blue & ever since my big lad has felt VERY sad & bitter towards my 3 yr old...but in every other way they are all individually very nice natured...but don't want the risk now of starting my 3 yr old as he is very full of exhuberance & the big lad, I think would be best in a one to one situation where he gets 100% of the attention.Currently,I play polo, dressage (as & when feeling ok/up to it)& used to event & point to point before my accident..so

annagain said:
I rode an Andalucian for a while - was asked to introduce him to jumping by his nervous owner. I have no idea why as she never intended to jump herself or to sell him so I didn't see the point but I was a skint student and she offered to pay me! He was the laziest most backward thinking horse I've ever ridden so I think it's safe to say there are all types of horses within every breed. Sensitive and sharp he was not!

I'm probably going to get jumped on for saying this and I can only talk about him as I've not ridden any others, but I felt his movement and shape was very similar to a Section D who are about a 1/4 of the price and all the ones I know have much nicer temperaments and attitudes. Like I say though that was just him and I get the impression he might not be very representative of the breed!
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Hope no one jumps on you for this...I know all horses are different & you are simply sharing your experiences...many people won't go near TB's but I adore them...so far i think nothing said here has put me off...I just think that I will have to be incredibly precise when I go looking & take all of you with me haha!:-) I wonder if there are any particular lines that people favour or avoid....or any with a particular reputation...I think I will have to start obsesively researching them then will only have myself to blame!:-)

Will try reply to more of your posts as fast as I can..I've VERY grateful for every single one of them, all very very helpful HUGE THANK YOU'S!xxx
 
dressagedreamer said:
Andalusian are very sensitive horses, they are highly intelligent and eager to learn, like all animals they are individuals, some are more expensive than others. Where about in the country are you? do you know any one near by who has a spanish horse? if you live near me you are most welcome to come and visit my boys.

both boys are brave, loving, funny, cheeky, expressive and communicate all the time. This is the key with this breed, or with my two boys, you must learn to listen to them, be gentle, quiet and honest with them.

A spanish horse with issues, needs some professional help, if you start off going down the wrong road with a spanish horse and it looses its trust in you, it takes a long time to get it back. No harsh voice, no physical punishment although they need discipline but more of a leadership thing.

Hope this helps, there are other spanish owners on here that can also tell you what their experience has been. But go and meet owners with their horses, you cannot tell what a horse is like on a selling yard
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Thank you soooo much for this Alma, really very much appreciated :-) I'm in Somerset so a fair way from you, tho not a million miles, your offer was VERY kind..they both look stunning..bf lives in London so would not be a totally impossible detour to or from prob in the spring when the wildness subsides & the days get longer if still ok with you then...I think no miles are too great when its vital research as which ever horse i do eventually add to the team once the boys have found a new home, will have to be the right one as I won't be planning on selling her so all the effort is v much worth it. VERY grateful for your replies on here:-)xx

Natwood said:
Agree totally with this/\
As above he is very sharp and spooky at times but also doesnt need a lot of work, and i can pretty much get straight on him after weeks off with little more than a quick lunge beforehand (as i have done this week after not riding him since october!).
He can get quite stressy in the stable if left on his own though, but it never equates to any bad manners and he's a dream to handle considering hes a young stallion on a busy mixed yard.

kirico has a wonderful way of showing me just how little i know sometimes but fortuanatly he is the forgiving sort!

Kirico occasionally darts off and has a decent spook but ive seen a million times worse, tbh he's a total pussy cat and often cant be bothered to misbehave as would rather be in his stable eating!
Hope this helps and hasnt just been mindless waffle!
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One like Kirico but mare please!Forgiving, but not dull...can't leave my tb's alone(don't like to for any animal tho) so would fit in...LOVE the fact that you are able to keep a YOUNG stallion on a busy yard..I had my two colts entire & running next to my mares(diff field) only got my boy cut as his hormones were all a pickle & when he started working out what it was for he would 'play with himself' till it all got too much & he'd colic nearly every time....& boys being boys, well I decided they HAD to come off...sad but necessary...I love when they are capable of living in mixed set ups & just cope with it...its the way it should be...until recently the dynamic with mine was almost harmonious, but selling one 3yr old has just throw everything up into a pickle so much harder with 4 than 5!(sigh ...horses!):rolleyes: Thank yo ufor your post too, VERY grateful ...not been put off yet!xx

Kyo's Mum said:
Hey dressagedreamer, the foot thing could be due to extra thick and sticky hertfordshire clay!! But important to consider if one has a bad back :)

They are beautiful to see working properly a la Sylvia Loch and I saw Tina Layton schooling one of Sylvias mares and it was a real ahh moment.

Good luck with your decision SaharaS!
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I'm planning on being alergic to clay...having chalk cravings again -WHY WHY WHY did I leave Sussex:rolleyes: thank you for the names, always nice to hear from recommendation as I explained somewhat ramblingly in my OP that the lady I saw at her stud farm was all too good to be true & just didn't feel right, so I will have a little cyber stalk of these two(in a nice not freaky way!) xx

Kyo's Mum said:
Hi SaharaS, I don't own one but have come accross a couple one thing I would say is ride one....with your back issues and the Andulusians short coupledness it may not be a good combination. You can really feel them sit and the thrust of the hind leg, it's was like sitting on two pistons rather than the morse subtle feeling (in comparison) of a TB or WB properly engaged. Excellent sensible person here...thank you

I would definately second the advice to go and ride one if you can, there are some riding schools with them now, and breed supporters will often be keen to let you see and possibly ride there horses. Good luck!
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I've ridden at the stud and a friend has a little iberian mare, tho I am not sure how true to type she is, felt just like my TB mare but SO safe she lets her 3 yr old daughter jump her on lead rein-that said daughter just giggles & I do actually think she is trying to see if her daughter bounces/forgets she's an actual child not a teddy...if she needs to put her down, she simply aims her for the nearest surface...new pony, unbacked pony, high stone wall...you name it...AND she gets away with it too.. like those fearless kids that put you to shame skiing but arent' even able to say ski yet! I'm going to start getting my ads sorted & live on H&H then making a list of breed supporters to go & natter to, think i will be inviting half the forum too when I find one..thank you so much xx

siennamum said:
The youngster we have is going to be a nightmare to get a saddle to fit. Only a small issue I suppose, but I am thinking he will need something specially adapted (& expensive). He is very shortcoupled, which will be a pain for my 6ft3 son who will ideally want an 18inch saddle but will have to squeeze into a smaller one. Horse also has the most gigantic scapula/shoulder, so I think we will be looking at some kind of extra wide native pony type saddle.
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Luckily I know a LOVELY saddler who has just retired (nearly 80!)but I think his wife is keen to keep him out & busy, so he can have a potential new client...never thought of this aspect, so used to my tbs-4 out of my original 6 all had high withers and fitted exactly the same saddles, tho by the time we figured this out(totally by accident), they all had one each (gutted!!) THank you...all very much worth keeping in mind xx

traceyann said:
Please dont be put of because of my little poo horse they are nice horses and very loyal and with a good up bringing are excellent horses. Sadly my horse has never had a good up bringing from stud upwards and seems to be abused all his six years. When hes good hes really good and loving the one thing i will say their quick in actions and learning good and bad they like routine riding he goes past things even my cob snorts at I trust 100 percent riding whoever abused him was on ground level. And i did buy him from meat man he was there for a reason.
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Don't worry Traceyann, I've still not been put off..if anything reading your post has made me sit up & put soooo much more thought into the breed, I'm so sorry your poor boy had such a rough start, but to me it sounds you are totally devoted & comitted to him & doing whats right & I am sure he knows this...if anything he has helped me as which ever my next addition is, it will be more thoroughly researched so forewarned is forearmed and this is invaluable...also I think alot of people will possibly have read your thread & just maybe, someone out there will have had that break through moment & realised there is more to a horse they have been struggling with...wishing you the VERY best of luck with him and do give the zoopharmacognosy a try,I'm addicted!:-)xx
 
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