I'm getting old and cranky, but ...

Totally with Mrs B.

I started on TB's in 1976, what a mistake, scared me witless, bought a cob, got confidence back, moved on to ID's, lots of fun, bought a ferrari, clean underwear needed - gave ride to someone else and still had loads of fun as an owner cheering the horse on ringside.

And now as an old, stiff, fat and fecking frightened happy hacker I have bought a road roller.
 
I agree with OP completely, but I have to say there are times when appearances can deceive.. I was walking my giant youngster (16.2 at 20 months) in hand and a local horsey type stopped for a chat. She was very complementary but then mentioned his height and we discussed the fact he will probably easily make 17hh plus. She looked me up and down and said, "What do you want a great big horse like that for? You're only little."

I'm 5'10, 34 inside leg and weigh 12 stone!

I suppose I should take it as a complement :)
 
I am in the position that I have bought a horse that I thought was perfect for me, a 15.2hh welsh Sect D that had been hunted and done a little dressage and jumping. He didn't like jumping unless while out hunting but to be honest as I only wanted a happy hacker he seemed ideal. Unfortunately he has turned out anything but a happy hacker. He is very nervous of most things except traffic and needs very firm handling or he would just run home!! I can't say I enjoy riding him but he is a complete gentleman to handle from the ground and has manners to die for. I will not part with him as I feel he may end up being passed from home to home because of his quirkiness but it also means that I cannot justify getting another one to ride, I have 5 already!! Three minis so obviously not for riding and an elderly retired mare. I was so naive when buying him, my first pony I inherited and my second was a foal we bred from my pony, my third I had on loan, best horse I have ever ridden who had to be PTS and so bought the welshie in a bit of a rush to keep my elderly mare company and was swayed totally by his looks. How stupid was I?????? Wouldn't make the same mistake again!!! If I get the chance.:rolleyes:
 
I bought a Highland said to be very quiet and suitable for a nervous novice.I found out shortly afterwards and on another forum that the woman I bought him off had bought him cheap from a former owner as he had frightened her to death.He seemed ok to begin with but then became quite spooky and not only with me.Loved him to bits though.Long story short someone had the confidence to tell me that he was the wrong horse for me.Instructor took him for a hack and there was an incidence on the road I witnessed and I knew it was over for us.I cried for a week and wished I had the money to keep him as a pet and buy another to ride but I didn't.Wouldn't have worked though.He LOVED being ridden.The whole thing.Coming in, being groomed and tacked up and ridden.I sent him to a selling livery who were very good.I could visit whenever I wished and they kept me in touch with what was happeneing.He was sold in a month to a lovely couple who had another Highland.They also discovered that he had a cateract in his right eye.He is in a suitable home for life and I have a welsh sec D.Everyone says they are crackers.Not this one.He has helped me with my confidence and one or two other people as well.Best thing I ever did.
 
All anyone needs is what will suit them and sometimes that's difficult to find .
One person perfect hack is another's unpleasant slug another's nightmare hunter is someone else's perfect hunter perceptions are different.
It's easy when you are young and your joints do what you want them to do without complaining its harder as you get older.
I have a TB ATM he was know to be sharp and a bit difficult I find him incredibly laid back I am not sure how I knew we would suit each other but I did I wish I could find the magic formula for getting it right 100% of the time.
 
When the woman who told me that my Highland was unsuitable for ME she said that "Out there is the right horse for you and out there is the perfect home for him, someone who will enjoy him and love him to bits".I found that quite comforting at the time and she turned out to be absolutely right.
 
The thing is, it's not like a choice between an old banger and a ferrarri - there are all sorts in between and variations on the theme.

My lad might not beat a ferarri in a straight line speed race, but that's ok, because we prefer doing this

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this

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and a bit of this

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Wouldn't want to do that in a ferarri :D

Horses for Courses :D Give me a Highand Land Rover any day :D
 
Hippona said:
My arab would be more appropriate for that .....the highland is far more of a wuss and regularly falls over his own feet:rolleyes:
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Ah well arabs are the ultimate 4x4s in the desert world too :D My highlands are the ultimate wet climate 4x4s, but they're not racially prejudiced (Fergs happily snogged KatPT's spanish lad at the weekend!) so more than happy to share that title with other breeds too :D
 
meh, there have always been people that have been overhorsed -there are just more of them now.







there used to be a saying 'don't buy what you can't see over'. I have no idea why people are obsessed with bloody great horses that cost more to feed/shoe/rug etc. when I was growing up, 16.2h was a big horse, 17.2h was very rare for a riding horse. But still, in my 20s I wanted that huge moving 17.2h dumb blood. These days I prefer my 15.2h, somewhat more comfortable lusitanos (I make no apologies for being a breed enthusiast though!).

An an Exmoor is the ultimate hairy quadbike!
 
I nearly had this exact conversation with someone the other day but had to bite my lip as I realised she was 'one of them' :-0

She was talking about going on holiday to Dartmoor and I suggested she find a good pony trekking place to go for a ride - I was abruptly told that she 'doesn't ride ponies'. Apparently she doesn't like the way it feels! I think it might be because she came to equestrianism later in life, but I couldn't help but laugh. Surely there is no better feeling than batting about bareback on a pony? Bareback jumping? Jumping with no reins and *gasp* not even counting the strides? Playing cowboys and indians with other ponies? She was agog at the propect! Admittedly it's been a while since I've done it as I'm quite tall but I'd pay a fortune for a horse-sized pony :)
 
Mrs B - I do agree with your post but not with some of the replies! Perhaps this makes me super cranky! I don't agree that all happy hackers have to be of the Cob,native, hairy persuasion!
My absolutely wonderful, perfect, horse of a life time - full tb, never raced and the most fun, all rounder! Hacks on her own perfectly, loves a good gallop, loves to jump - the closest I ever came to falling off she literally threw me back on! We've been on holiday together and she often is asked to babysit younger horses out hacking or for novices to have a go. She can also go up a gear when I get on as we both like going fast!
I always wanted a tb - to me they are the most beautiful horses, with a good brain, personality and sense of humour and I wouldn't change her for the world.

I do think it odd that people seem to think they are good riders if they have a'naughty' horse. To me a good horse is one that has been well trained so others can get on and it will still try its best.

P.s plenty of ex racers on our yard who have been very sane and sensible.
 
I've always been cranky but now I'm old too...

I think part of the problem is that there have been so many changes in how we learn to ride, manage horses and breed/buy them in the last 30 odd years.

When I started riding 'properly; at about 5 years old (nearly 40 years ago! where the hell has all that time gone?) we were positively encouraged to do stupid, potentially dangerous things on our ponies - backwards races, bareback everywhere, hike our stirrups up for 'jockey' races (took me a while to realise that to stay on it was a good idea to bridge my reins, I was a slow learner) but we learnt a lot about balance doing those silly things. Does anyone remember the dragon that every PC had who thought it was a good idea to do a lane of jumps saddleless and bridleless? It was carnage to start with but great fun and even klutzes like me ended up with an independent seat. In recent years the attitude to risk has changed and kids don't get the same opportunities to learn, admittedly they probably also won't spend as much time in A&E as I did but that leads to people growing up thinking they can ride a lot better than they can. It's ok when their parents are sourcing nice, capable ponies for them (and in many cases doing 95% of the work so they aren't even learning stable management) but they then go and buy their 'first' horse of their own, maybe green or with issues and the gaps in knowledge start to show.

Add in that there is massive shortage of grazing land in parts of the country so it is becoming the norm for horses to stand in stables a lot more than be turned out, that really doesn't help with behavioural problems either. Plus the changes in feeding too - we learnt that you fed for work DONE not as a daily diet regardless.

The other thing I've noticed is that horses were relatively expensive then but cheap to keep rather than the other way round as it is now. My first owned pony in 1980 was £800 to buy (to put it into context my Dad earned £12k pa at the time) but cost about £8 a week to keep including field rent, farrier, wormer and jabs. That pony now would cost about £1k - great jumper, good (safe ish on the roads as long as we didn't meet anything with air brakes!) hack but he also had sweet itch, was a riggy late cut and was a b***** to catch. He'd cost a minimum of £50 pw to keep. Too easy to buy now but get caught up in not really having the time and/or money to invest in your cheap purchase if there are problems.

*Old gimmer leaving the room now* :p
 
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This is my pleasure hack. He is my mid life crisis which i bought when a close friend died and i realised it was something i had to do.
Im a crap rider and had nt been anywhere near a horse in twenty odd years..well maybe one or two mad impulses to go riding .
We got there in the end though and i would nt change him for the world.
Sorry if my choice of horse offends.
 
Evie91 said:
Mrs B - I do agree with your post but not with some of the replies! Perhaps this makes me super cranky! I don't agree that all happy hackers have to be of the Cob,native, hairy persuasion!
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Of course they don't, but out of the many horses I've worked with for owners, the ones that they have most problems with are usually horses that are bred for competition with a highly strung temperament and bought by folks that aren't ready for them.
You can find good/bad temperaments in any breed, I once went with a friend to view a Welsh D, it was a good 15 hh, high as a kite and had a huge bull neck. The owner wouldn't get on it and we didn't bother trying it as it just wasn't the right horse for the purchaser. The selling point was that it had done 4 miles further than anyone else on an endurance ride - I suspect it was because they couldn't stop. :D
Temperament and something easy to do are my priorities.
 
Evie91 said:
Mrs B - I do agree with your post but not with some of the replies! Perhaps this makes me super cranky! I don't agree that all happy hackers have to be of the Cob,native, hairy persuasion!
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Ach I don't think anybody's saying that. It's big flashy warmbloods or highly strung TBs owned by people who can't handle them and don't want to admit it. I mean, someone upthread said they were overhorsed by a highland! And fwiw my highland can be a pig to hack (but is saintly with everything else and *fingers crossed* is getting better all the time). Lots of TBs and WBs are lovely, straightforwards rides - rhino, for one, on here has a cracking, well mannered WB. Ultimately, there are good (and bad) examples in most breeds which can become great hacks and all rounders - but it is more common for quiet horses to be cold blooded types, or at the least, they are more commonly not hotblooded continental warmbloods bred for competition :)
 
Touchstone; very true, temperament has to be one of the most important aspects when considering a horse
Just hope I can always source calm tbs to keep me going into very old age, have never wanted anything else :)
 
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