Looking for an old plod to hack can you help?!!

[Black_Horse_White]

I had a half dead coblet to plod up the road on! Until he p...ed off up the road with me. At least the owner has admitted she's brought the wrong horse and is going to find it a good home. Hope you find what you are looking for. And most importantly stay safe x

 

[OWLIE185]

I would put up some 'wanted' notices in your local tack shops/feed merchants. That way locals will know the true history and temprement of the horse and it can be tried out several times without the agro of travellling.

 

[pearcider]

Wow leave the thread for 5hrs and the bashing starts!!!

1. Current pony us not nasty nor will it be sold on to another unsuitable home!!! Its just not suitable for spending hours in walk currently another young pupil of mine is riding it and keeping if happy. I was nit around when theis lady brought current pony and it seems that it was wrongly advertised

2. We all know horses are animals I agree not perfect all the time but as an instructor called in to help I have advised that I feel this partnership is unsuitable and before 1, some one gets hurt or 2, pony gets fed up I feel it's best to find both parties envolved happy other halves.

I think the owner I'd bring very sensible in agreeing that current horse is not suitable no one should have to be injured to prove a patnership does not work what good dies this do to either involved

This thread was simply an extra way to put a feeler out for a horse some one might know that would enjoy more grooming and cuddles than work

 

[pearcider]

Just read previous post sorry for typos currently using iPhone which I can't read post back on after typing!!

 

[lastchancer]

I think some posters are perhaps forgetting/not understanding that the OP's client is not a young woman... OP isn't saying the pony she has is a 'problem' just that he's proved unsuitable for this particular job. Fair play I say, for sorting things out at this stage rather than waiting until said client looses all confidence in horses and gives up on her hobby. Maybe consider an older ride & drive horse, they tend not to nap, will go out alone and are generally exellent in traffic.

 

[splashgirl45]

not sure how old all of you are but i am a pensioner(hope i dont look my age) and have a very spooky, lively horse who i have now had for 10 years. i have been riding for many years and was always the one to get on anything and never worried whatever the horse did, HOWEVER i did not realise how nervous you can get when you are older and i was very surprised to find myself frightened to ride my new horse once i had got her fit. other people who have known me for years were also rather shocked and didnt believe me at first, so all i am saying is that no matter how many years experience you have and how competant you are, age really does take its toll. i was unable to part with my mare as i had become very fond of her and i am now used to her playing around and can cope....BUT if i ever get another, it will have to be as ultra safe and non spooky as possible(bearing in mind they are living creatures)as i wouldnt be able to cope with anything that is as bad as my current horse....please tell this lady that she is not alone and im sure the right horse will pop up soon....

 

[starryeyed]

Can't be much help other than keeping an eye out for you on websites to see if anything potentially suitable comes up (love a bit of horsey window shopping!) Agree with what someone said about putting up wanted ads - when I was looking, I put up a few (local & online) and got a huge response, much bigger than I expected, so may be worth a try so that you don't have to travel too far and can be very specific with what you're after?
Wish you luck finding a lovely horse for your client, sure the right one will have a wonderful home with her

 

[*hic*]

I'm just on my way to 50 and as a teen would and did ride anything and jump everything. Even when I returned to riding my second ever XC was round an Intro course on 14.2 cob. Now I have lost my nerve, I have an airbag and it doesn't make it that much better I assure you. What makes it better is a horse that instills confidence. That doesn't have to be a complete dead animal, it just has to be a horse that makes you feel safe. It makes bu66er all difference how quiet and sensible the OP's friends pony is if she doesn't feel safe. It's not the fault of the pony, it's just a mismatch which you young bouncy and over confident young things may ignore, for those of us who feel fragile it makes the thing we try to do for "fun" anything BUT fun.

Just to illustrate how weird the "horse that makes you feel safe" feeling is I have just bought a new horse, the first one I have ever bought in my life that's just for me. He's a 17.1 ISH, with lots of just-the-right-breeding names, been campaigning at Novice and expected to move up to Intermediate next year with the biggest paces ever. SOunds like completely the wrong choice for a scared older lady? Sure it does, but he also makes me feel safe - safe enough to get him out of the lorry at the first competition he's been to for many months, even though he hadn't been worked for three days, and warm him up for the guy who will be jumping him for me for the foreseeable future. I didn't even have my airbag on There's not that many horses that would come out in those circumstances as calm and as willing as he did. I think we can safely say he's the right horse.

So after the essay, it's important the lady finds a horse she feels comfortable on, there's no point in slagging her off for her previous choice - it was probably perfect on paper. One of the most perfect on paper horses I have been to see terrified the life out of me. I have never sat on a horse I felt so badly wanted to get me off it. Other people adored it though.

I just really hoped that the rather lovely-looking old boy and the nervous lady might be a match made in heaven - happy endings all round.

 

[legaldancer]

Hear hear!^^^

 

[Syrah]

I hope your client finds what she is looking for

I really hope she doesn't follow the advice of at least one trip in an ambulance before giving up on a horse

 

[pearcider]

Thank you to all I will let you know what happens
I agree I'm in my 30s and don't bounce like I used to so confidence does fade with age but to keep going you need to be sensible. Lovely to hear so many of you enjoy your horses after all that's what why we own them....

 

[rockysmum]

Cant believe some of the things people find to complain about on here.

I thought your original post was very sensible and it will be a lucky horse who ends up in this home.

I'm the wrong side of 50 and wouldn't want a horse I didn't feel comfortable on any more. I actually hate plods and feel very unsafe on them, I like something which goes forward, but thats because I have owned by current boy for 30 years and its what I'm used to. I could ride my daughters oldish cob which is a plod, and do occasionally, but it doesn't feel right.

I hope your client finds something which she feels happy and safe on, and I'm sure her current horse will find a good home too.

 

[splashgirl45]

well said hic, sounds like you are similar to me, but unfortunately i am 15 years older than you and definately dont bounce like i used to!!!!!

 

[indie999]

not sure how old all of you are but i am a pensioner(hope i dont look my age) and have a very spooky, lively horse who i have now had for 10 years. i have been riding for many years and was always the one to get on anything and never worried whatever the horse did, HOWEVER i did not realise how nervous you can get when you are older and i was very surprised to find myself frightened to ride my new horse once i had got her fit. other people who have known me for years were also rather shocked and didnt believe me at first, so all i am saying is that no matter how many years experience you have and how competant you are, age really does take its toll. i was unable to part with my mare as i had become very fond of her and i am now used to her playing around and can cope....BUT if i ever get another, it will have to be as ultra safe and non spooky as possible(bearing in mind they are living creatures)as i wouldnt be able to cope with anything that is as bad as my current horse....please tell this lady that she is not alone and im sure the right horse will pop up soon....

Absolutely agree when we are younger we dont necessary think of the consequences...after a few falls etc we know it can hurt. I use to ride horses on headcollars and get on them when they were laying down! As a 12 year old I would ride along main roads in a convoy leading from another horse(bareback etc etc)

Would I do that now..........hell no!I dont bounce as well. Safety stirrups/body protector BIG baby and I dont mind admitting it! Its meant to be enjoyable sport. Horses for courses. Good luck in finding one, a challenge.

 

[PeterNatt]

Another thought would be to share a 100% bombproof/spookproof horse with someone who wants theirs excercised. Again advertise locally. For instance when I was in London I used to have two other people who used to share my cob and I suspect that because I continued riding him he probably did not play up or loose his bombproof/spookproof characteristics.
(He was sold to me because his then owners could not cope with him). The danger being that a horse may behave perfectly with it's currect owner but as soon as the rider and the location where the horse is kept changes one has a horse with completely different characteristics. I do find that with every horse I have bought that it takes me about 2 years to get them sorted out to my own requirements. I do believe that it is almost imossible to find a horse which when the rider and home is changed will behave as it did with the previous rider/home.