If you were buying a 5 year old...

[QueenDee_]

If you were buying a 5 year old what would you expect it to have done? (e.g. outings, level of schooling etc)

I know this will vary depending on discipline - feel free to specify or to answer as if it was being bought with a view to being an all-rounder/RC type.

(by 5 I mean rising 5 this spring!)

 

[Rosiejazzandpia]

I would expect a good amount of hacking as this is all I do with my youngsters. Maybe an occasional local pony club show or similar just to have them out and about.
I wouldn't expect too much as I don't like to do too much schooling so early on in their lives apart from the basics

 

[Ambers Echo]

I would want good ground manners - easy to lead, brush, pick out feet, load, catch etc. A calm, trusting outlook. Nothing else would really bother me. I am put off by horses who have done too much too young, not too little as that can be established very quickly in a horse who is psychologically relaxed. A backed and ridden away 4 year old is far easier to educate than one out competing in age classes whose brain has been fried in my view.

 

[Ambers Echo]

ETA and much cheaper too!!

 

[be positive]

Probably to have hacked out, had the basics in place and done some simple jumping, I would be likely to have taken one out a few times to clear round jumping or a prelim dressage test or two, I would not have gone to a show unless it had been shown in hand as a youngster preferring to go to a quiet venue on a surface with youngsters to give them less excitement and more security than the average show on grass will allow.
That said if I was buying I would actually prefer if they have done very little rather than done anything badly that requires undoing, I would prefer a just backed 4 year old in many ways, less risk of being spoilt.

 

[SpringArising]

Going nicely (i.e. responsive with brakes) in walk, trot and canter. Happy to pop single jumps and to have seen traffic and be OK with it.

Wouldn't be fussed in the slightest whether it had been out or not.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've got a 4yo traddie coblet.

I've just ridden her on quietly this winter, just hacking. I don't have access to an arena so - horror of horrors to some - I'm cracking on without. She'll be my "happy hacker"/TREC/Pleasure ride mount, and I need her to encounter everything on the roads; here there's plenty of scope for that!!

This week she's been ridden through a working building site (honestly!); she's had to encounter big tractors hauling ****e around the lanes; she's been ridden over a major dual carriageway, and right beside it; she's met an oil tanker lorry in a narrow lane; she's met, and ridden alongside, then had to part from, other horses. All OK! Oh and she hacks through a working quarry to boot. She's already worth far more than I gave for her last August, has the sort of temperament that you just can't find.

She hasn't ever seen the inside of a school!! - and will not - all of our "schooling" is done whilst hacking. Appreciate that this isn't everyone's way of doing things, but its what has to be, and in fact this little pony is doing really well on it.

After a few initial problems with the farrier, when she showed her displeasure quite firmly!, I've done a lot of groundwork with her. Every day I've been picking up her feet and tapping them with a hammer. For the last two times, she's been a very good girly indeed for the farrier and stands politely. She'll lift her feet to a verbal command now, which is huge progress: when I was looking for a horse back-a-long it was amazing how many youngsters just will not pick up their feet politely, someone obviously hadn't given this enough attention and ground manners and picking up feet is one of the very first things I'd be checking out and be looking for in a youngster as if this isn't right then you know that someone hasn't done their job well and you'll very likely have some remedial work to do down the line. Also attitude is important - you don't want something that comes across as a Jobsworth; and of course temperament.

Hopefully this summer, if I can beg steal or borrow a trailer, along with my trainer (lady who backed her), we'll get her out to something to let her see the world a bit. But no rush, just taking it all very gently right now.

But appreciate that if someone wants to seriously compete say RC, then they'd obviously look for a lot more, particularly in the school.

But again, if you're wanting a happy hacker, you just try finding one that's genuine, they're impossible to find - and when they do, they fetch silly prices.

Sorry, probably this isn't much help, but am throwing it in the pot!

 

[DabDab]

If I was buying I wouldn't have wanted it to have done anything much - just be nice to hack and have good schooling basics in place. I'd buy based on whether it was a nice horse with good foundation work that will mean it will be straightforward to bring on, not on whether or not it had been taken out and dribbled round a prelim

 

[ycbm]

I would like to see video of it at a low key outing with no fireworks. Hack alone and in company. WTC in the school. Pop a 70cm fence quietly. Nothing more.

 

[BlackRider]

TBH the 7 year old I bought last year, had been backed at 5, done some hacking and light schooling, hadn't been out and about much.

 

[Mule]

I'd want good ground manners, hacks alone, good basic schooling and can pop a small fence without major incident. I wouldn't be bothered if it had been out or about.

 

[Wishfilly]

I'd expect W/T/C in the school, happy to hack alone and in company and pop a small cross pole.

I agree it wouldn't bother me if it had been to shows or not, but I would like to know that it loads/travels well. I'd expect it to have had at least front shoes on and be reasonably sensible to shoe. I would be slightly nervous about buying something homebred that had never left its home stable.

If it had done less, I wouldn't be too put off, but I would expect the price to reflect this.

 

[Mule]

I'd expect W/T/C in the school, happy to hack alone and in company and pop a small cross pole.

I agree it wouldn't bother me if it had been to shows or not, but I would like to know that it loads/travels well. I'd expect it to have had at least front shoes on and be reasonably sensible to shoe. I would be slightly nervous about buying something homebred that had never left its home stable.

If it had done less, I wouldn't be too put off, but I would expect the price to reflect this.

I agree. I'd want to be sure it doesn't go beserk for the farrier. I've had that and it's downright dangerous.

Although after a lot of work I managed to get her as quiet as a lamb for trimming. I'd hate to be responsible for injury to a farrier.

Luckily the horse in question had tough feet and could go barefoot with no problems. She didn't give us any choice in the matter anyway:rolleyes3:

 

[tda]

I've got a 4yo traddie coblet.

I've just ridden her on quietly this winter, just hacking. I don't have access to an arena so - horror of horrors to some - I'm cracking on without. She'll be my "happy hacker"/TREC/Pleasure ride mount, and I need her to encounter everything on the roads; here there's plenty of scope for that!!

This week she's been ridden through a working building site (honestly!); she's had to encounter big tractors hauling ****e around the lanes; she's been ridden over a major dual carriageway, and right beside it; she's met an oil tanker lorry in a narrow lane; she's met, and ridden alongside, then had to part from, other horses. All OK! Oh and she hacks through a working quarry to boot. She's already worth far more than I gave for her last August, has the sort of temperament that you just can't find.

She hasn't ever seen the inside of a school!! - and will not - all of our "schooling" is done whilst hacking. Appreciate that this isn't everyone's way of doing things, but its what has to be, and in fact this little pony is doing really well on it.

After a few initial problems with the farrier, when she showed her displeasure quite firmly!, I've done a lot of groundwork with her. Every day I've been picking up her feet and tapping them with a hammer. For the last two times, she's been a very good girly indeed for the farrier and stands politely. She'll lift her feet to a verbal command now, which is huge progress: when I was looking for a horse back-a-long it was amazing how many youngsters just will not pick up their feet politely, someone obviously hadn't given this enough attention and ground manners and picking up feet is one of the very first things I'd be checking out and be looking for in a youngster as if this isn't right then you know that someone hasn't done their job well and you'll very likely have some remedial work to do down the line. Also attitude is important - you don't want something that comes across as a Jobsworth; and of course temperament.

Hopefully this summer, if I can beg steal or borrow a trailer, along with my trainer (lady who backed her), we'll get her out to something to let her see the world a bit. But no rush, just taking it all very gently right now.

But appreciate that if someone wants to seriously compete say RC, then they'd obviously look for a lot more, particularly in the school.

But again, if you're wanting a happy hacker, you just try finding one that's genuine, they're impossible to find - and when they do, they fetch silly prices.

Sorry, probably this isn't much help, but am throwing it in the pot!

Something like this 😁

 

[Always-Riding]

Well, I bought an unbacked 5 year old last year that had never left the yard it was born on!

For me, the less is better. I wouldn't want to see much more than walk/trot/canter and going round a small 70cm course.

 

[TGM]

I think people who specifically want a 5 yo will generally expect a certain amount of experience under the belt. Walk, trot and canter in a nice rhythm and balanced and obedient enough to do a Prelim test and get a reasonable score. Jumping small courses and grids happily. Hacking out alone and in company and fairly good with traffic. If you are wanting a horse to compete then it is good to know that it has been out places in a sensible manner, whether that is low key competitions, PC or RC rallies/clinics, sponsored rides etc., and it is reassuring if there is some proof of good behaviour when out, whether that is in published results or video footage. You would expect if it had done much less than that then the price would be substantially lower, all other factors being equal.

 

[Gallop_Away]

I bought my section D as a rising 5yo. She was broken and accepting a rider. Had done some basic schooling in walk trot and canter and some hacking. Hadn't done much roadwork.
This is my idea of what a broken rising 5yo should have done. Any more and I would be questioning whether they had been slightly rushed.

 

[Girlracer]

I bought a 5 year old last year, she was unbacked. Personally I would far sooner see an unbacked or lightly backed 5 year old than one that has done a fair amount of competing and training. Although it is nice if by that age they are at least happy under saddle and hacking.