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

horserider said:
You're right to a certain extent but those hairy's of yesteryear weren't clipped and had their mane's washed in Argan Oill. They never wore a sun/shower rug or had glitter hoof polish.

Even the grubbiest native can scrub up well on a yard with a hot shower and solarium.


Before the arrival of the internet, most horses were bought locally or from sales, so there was less chance of finding a creatively bred continental equine.

Many horses today would be just as tough and workmanlike as their great, great grandfathers if they had to work like they did. A tootle around a surfaced ménage and personal lorry to take them to a few parties doesn't take the energy out of the stabled, well fed prima donna's. Its not always the case that owners are overhorsed, sometimes its simply that the horses are underworked.

When did horses have their own transport ? They used to be the transport.
Click to expand...

True too, HR. :)
 
I think it may need to be a flight of stairs in a sky scraper :D :D There are just so many things, overhorsed to start with (I well remember the poor terrified child who was bucked off when she tried the horse, but 'looked so pretty on her' :eek: ) Horses fed huge amounts of molassed rubbish, kept in if there is drizzle, rugged to the eyeballs, bought by people who have had six months of weekly lessons, kept on yards where no-one knows anything sensiblle about horse care, no idea about slow fittening work. I could go on and often do :D :D :D :D :D
 
Mrs B said:
I don't disagree, EC, but I'd rather see someone sell on a horse they're not sure they can handle to some one who can, than hang on for the wrong reasons and spoil a horse's life.
Click to expand...

Very true. People sometimes need to cut their losses for both the horses and their own sakes.
 
Even my desperately unhorsey OH says that mine's not a 'proper' horse :( (compared to the big warm bloods on the yard) However, he's safe, forward, sometimes spooky enough to keep me on my toes! My 'stamp' of horse as my old YO said! Joining you on the step but will need a hand up again later. *Creaks into position*
 
I'm young(ish - feel a million years old tonight) and I'm definitely a grumpy git. Don't see the point of something flashy if you can't handle it. My lad is a muppet sometimes and has his failings, but he's fun and extremely well natured and he makes my life easier - not harder! It's meant to be fun - and I beat myself up enouh for my failings (not being brave enough to jump bigger or good enough to compete more successfully) - I don't need to beat myself up for screwing up the horse too!
 
I got fed up of dealing with 'problem' horses and riders that were terrified after being overfaced when I was teaching, I ended up getting a 14hh unbroken fell pony to bring on as a family pony, and I've had so much fun and pleasure from her over the years, she can be all horse when she wants to be, but I'm not frightened of her breaking or being out of control.

I'm glad that now I'm older and dare I say probably not as supple as I used to be that I made that choice. :)
 
Love my happy hacking cob more than I can express. We may never go past novice level at dressage or event past rc but I can hack round the villiage and be safe as the houses.

However...
More people would have a safe happy hacker if they... Ahem...

Fed less and exercised more!!
 
Us oldies know our limits, yes we could still ride and school the "warmblood" but to what end, my lot are odds and sods and I enjoy them each and every day, as you never know what they will get up too. The past 5 days trying to get my youngster near the horse trailer and tonight he planted both forefeet on the ramp which for me and hubby is a red letter day, although he got a bit narky when he realised he was being walked away from his food, just a handful in a bucket the rest of his supper was in his stable, this horse works and only thinks about his stomach.:D:D:D:D:D
 
YorksG said:
I think it may need to be a flight of stairs in a sky scraper :D :D There are just so many things, overhorsed to start with (I well remember the poor terrified child who was bucked off when she tried the horse, but 'looked so pretty on her' :eek: ) Horses fed huge amounts of molassed rubbish, kept in if there is drizzle, rugged to the eyeballs, bought by people who have had six months of weekly lessons, kept on yards where no-one knows anything sensiblle about horse care, no idea about slow fittening work. I could go on and often do :D :D :D :D :D
Click to expand...

Exactly - my girl is a 15'1 cob mare who is 1/4 tb - she looks after a very unconfident rider (me) but at the same time pushes me and is just sharp enough to be fun. I've come off her once and (tbh my fault as completely unbalanced on her doing trotting poles:eek:) and she just sorta stood there and looked at me like 'what are you doing down there?' She's taken me from very gingerly walking round with someone on the ground beside me (I had a very bad fall from a tb, yes massively overhorse :rolleyes:) to I can now canter on hacks, cantering in the school is still an issue but we both prefer hacking :D - why would I want to 'move up' to a big flashy warmblood/tb/hot type that is going to bounce sideways with me and ruin all that work on my confidence?

Can I join the que for a seat on the step please?:D:D:D
 
Im old and cranky....but possibly a bit unhinged too...i bought my first purebred aged 40 (me, not him) and travel the countryside mostly sideways. There are days im overhorsed by the 13.3 highland though.....Im with SadKen.....probably shouldnt have bought said arab, but glad I did :)
 
I'm 32, my 'horse' is the 14.2 I got when I was 10. Putting the fact I love her to bits to one side, I'm honest enough to admit I am underhorsed, she's a schoolmistress now & there is no challenge in riding her. I still love riding her though, because she's 'her' & I adore her. I wouldn't really want another pony schoolmistress for me though. That said, an unpredictable, highly strung sportshorse wouldn't fit with what I do. I need something I can play tig with a child from at gallop round a field, or pop a fence on whilst giving daughter a jumping lesson on hers, something my daughter can hold with hers if I need the loo at a show, & generally have fun with. In the future I'd like another nutter, but not now. My friend has a lovely tb I can ride if I feel the urge to ride a snorting, fire breathing loon. And the next I buy, will be another connie x tb or full connie, which I'll bring on & compete for a few years before passing on to daughter. I do like big highly strung horses, but right now having one wouldn't be fun or practical.
 
Littlelegs said:
I'm 32, my 'horse' is the 14.2 I got when I was 10. Putting the fact I love her to bits to one side, I'm honest enough to admit I am underhorsed, she's a schoolmistress now & there is no challenge in riding her. I still love riding her though, because she's 'her' & I adore her. I wouldn't really want another pony schoolmistress for me though. That said, an unpredictable, highly strung sportshorse wouldn't fit with what I do. I need something I can play tig with a child from at gallop round a field, or pop a fence on whilst giving daughter a jumping lesson on hers, something my daughter can hold with hers if I need the loo at a show, & generally have fun with. In the future I'd like another nutter, but not now. My friend has a lovely tb I can ride if I feel the urge to ride a snorting, fire breathing loon. And the next I buy, will be another connie x tb or full connie, which I'll bring on & compete for a few years before passing on to daughter. I do like big highly strung horses, but right now having one wouldn't be fun or practical.
Click to expand...

32 OMG I am old enough to be your mother and not in a 'shameless' way ,I think I need to go to bed.
 
Mrs B said:
I don't disagree, EC, but I'd rather see someone sell on a horse they're not sure they can handle to some one who can, than hang on for the wrong reasons and spoil a horse's life.
Click to expand...

Sadly there is one on our yard at the moment - bought as a foal (by top dressage stallion) and then backed nicely by a professional and turned away. But then against advice sent to a not very good trainer in January and then due to weather not much done (think "trainer" was overhorsed). He is massive and absolutely stunning and could really go to the top. But the owner is an average rider, stuffs it full of food gets on it and gets chucked straight off and ends up with black eyes and squashed nose. This horse needs a professional at least at this stage in his life.

I can see this horse turning into a monster just because it finds out through poor handling and training that it can be! Makes me mad and very sad :(

I admit I've made a mistake and overhorsed myself with a big sort of flashy DWB but he was sold on within a couple of months - hopefully to a rider who could cope with a dominant alpha personality. I now have a smallish, cuddly, food loving BWB. Although he can be quite naughty & spooky sometimes but nothing that has stopped me thorougly loving & enjoying my 8 years with him. Not all WB are aholes! :)
 
'Aged. Brown pony. Gelding. 14.3'


Yup! Spot on. He had the conformation of a better-than-average looking Warthog, a winter coat like a yak, the temperament of a gentle Tigger and the softest, most kissable muzzle in the world.

Some lovely posts here and what better testimony to a horse can you get than Mrs B's one above!
 
You can adopt me if you like Goldenstar! You'd even get an adoptive grandchild for free. Which shameless style, assuming you are 50+ means you could be a great, great grandmother, & me a gran!
 
horserider said:
You're right to a certain extent but those hairy's of yesteryear weren't clipped and had their mane's washed in Argan Oill. They never wore a sun/shower rug or had glitter hoof polish.

Even the grubbiest native can scrub up well on a yard with a hot shower and solarium.


Before the arrival of the internet, most horses were bought locally or from sales, so there was less chance of finding a creatively bred continental equine.

Many horses today would be just as tough and workmanlike as their great, great grandfathers if they had to work like they did. A tootle around a surfaced ménage and personal lorry to take them to a few parties doesn't take the energy out of the stabled, well fed prima donna's. Its not always the case that owners are overhorsed, sometimes its simply that the horses are underworked.

When did horses have their own transport ? They used to be the transport.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with the above and you, Mrs B.

Why can't happy hackers/low level comp riders be happy with 'ordinary' horses thses days? Why do they have to be a certain breed or a certain colour? Me, I buy the best (as in most suitable for my needs) I can find for the amount of money I have to spend.

And to the poster who said that their horse walks quietly whilst someone else's is 'tap dancing' - that's the whole point, you're only a good rider if you can ride a loony horse ;)
 
marmalade76 said:
Totally agree with the above and you, Mrs B.

Why can't happy hackers/low level comp riders be happy with 'ordinary' horses thses days? Why do they have to be a certain breed or a certain colour? Me, I buy the best (as in most suitable for my needs) I can find for the amount of money I have to spend.

And to the poster who said that their horse walks quietly whilst someone else's is 'tap dancing' - that's the whole point, you're only a good rider if you can ride a loony horse ;)
Click to expand...

I blame the internet and access to media. We are all so busy oohing and ahhing over professional's horses or even those who are very accomplished amateurs and doing the whole monkey-see monkey-do bit. We are told that in order to compete we need high powered beasts and feed it up til it's sugared out it's eyeballs.

And with the disposable society in which we live - we think we "outgrow" our rides and then go for something bigger better faster and nuttier just so we look the part cantering sideways in to the dressage arena (!) and tame the beast to prove to our pals that we're such good riders.

I woudln't trade my honest ageing PBA who I can take anywhere, compete on my own, hack out sensibly on my own or in company. We won't beat the big flash warmbloods or even half the ex-racers but I know that at the end of the day we'll come home safely even if I have a senior moment and do something slightly daft. True, he only cost me £1 but to me he's worth at least £2.50 :p
 
I agree. Over horsed riders are in the majority on our yard.
I pity them, missing out on that unadulterated whizz up the field, neck and neck with a like minded combination. Can't fail to make you smile!
The alternative, lunge, lunge and lunge again, being too worried to mount leaves me cold.
 
100% agree! (Another here for 'the step'!)

There are 2 recent examples at our yard - 1 good, 1 not so good!

1st case, a lovely lady at the yard got THE most beautiful looking gelding - black, shiny (looks like he might have some Fresian in there!). As he has come fit he has become stronger and less bidable. The rider has really persevered with him, along with YO/Instructor but she has come to the conclusion he is just too much for her (she's looking for one of the types described earlier!) So, very luckily one of the (really brilliant) instructors has taken him on! He couldn't have fallen more on his hoofs!

On the other hand, we have a novice (only been riding for a few months) older chap (over 70, anyway) just bought another lovely looking mare. Hunter type, 16hh3", loves to jump but otherwise very green. I know he has ridden my lovely boy in the past and found him 'difficult' - he's the easiest for most people. Don't know what's going to happen, but it does look a bit like a disaster waiting to happen! Hope not:eek:
 
Mrs B said:
That lifts my heart to read that there are other cranky old sods out there! :p:D

A good example of the 'old type' is my late Mum's old lad.

When passports were introduced, the vet came to do Benji's.

He looked. He sucked his teeth a bit. His pen hovered over the pristine passport and he wrote:
'Aged. Brown pony. Gelding. 14.3'

Yup! Spot on. He had the conformation of a better-than-average looking Warthog, a winter coat like a yak, the temperament of a gentle Tigger and the softest, most kissable muzzle in the world.

Until the end of his life (aged 29) he ventured out on every hack like it was the best treat on earth and he carried my Mum safely into her very late 70's.
Click to expand...

How lovely and weren't they lucky to find each other.I hope they are in Rainbow bridge together now still enjoying their hacks.
 
It's all about people's image though isn't it? They want to LOOK as if they can ride the big flashy beast, and also flaunt the fact the have money to spend on such 'qaility' . When I fact the reality is they can't sit on it, nd they've probably got a good few years worth of debt! Oh and to add to it- flashy beast won't have been ridden for ages and goes and ******s its leg in the field causing more bills!
 
There are more challenging performance horses than there are riders who can get the best out of them though, what should happen to them all?

Also as I asked in the last over-horseing thread, how can you tell if one 16.2 five year old warmblood will be too much for you if your last horse was a young 16.2 warmblood whom you enjoyed very much when you're looking for a horse?

I agree people keep on trying for too long when they're not having any fun, aren't safe and their confidence is being shedded, but you only have to read all the replies on the "struggling with newish horse problems" threads on here telling people to stick with it, all will be fine. :confused: At the same time though, when you paid £££s for a horse which then spends most of its time dropping you, you're in the difficult situation of not having a horse still worth those £££s to get them back and try again.

Just some thoughts, and FWIW I have a lovely easy arab who's anybody's ride, which can be a little uninspiring in the school but on a field with chaos surrounding he can have a bounce about with the rest of them but its nice to know you're safe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top