Nervous about viewing a horse Thursday. If your the owner.......

Sorry to say I would not sell you a horse, however saintly. It sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Why not use your money on lessons until you are a more established rider.
 
I was planning to post some encouraging comments about being a first time buyer but having read more of your posts I really don't think that you are ready to buy a horse. Spend your money getting good quality lessons on suitable horses.

Find a BHS where to train centre if you can or an approved riding school. Maybe even consider doing a short course at an equestrian college. Get as much experience under your belt as possible before you buy, it will be so worthwhile and you won't regret it.

Make sure you can at least walk trot and canter in balance before you look to buy and if possible ride at a few different riding schools and include places where you can hack as well as riding in the school.

The more effort you put in now the easier and more enjoyable your first experience of owning a horse will be. I spent years learning to ride and building experience before buying and it was totally worthwhile.
 
OP, I don't think there's anything wrong per se with you buying a horse (although IMO it does seem a bit premature for you at this stage, given that you're not sure you can tack up correctly).

Having said that (and as another poster mentioned) it absolutely needs to be the right horse for you. In your shoes I would be looking for an older, 'been there got the T-Shirt' type. Something with enough miles on the clock that it won't panic and get into a tizzy if you lose your balance or fall - preferably an ex riding school pony or horse.

Be totally honest with sellers. A couple of years ago I was selling a wizzy but safe gelding. I stated in the ad 'not suitable for novices'/'needs an experienced rider' etc. and the amount of total beginners who showed up and wasted my time was infuriating. As long as you are brutally honest about your requirements and ability, no seller could be angry at you.

Good luck. Choosing the right horse is fun - just don't let your heart rule your head!
 
Agree with some of the others. If I were you I'd send the loan horse back now and use the money you save to pay for extra lessons until the spring, that way you'll have the extra daylight hours on your side to get to know your horse before winter hits.

I'm sure there'll be the exception to the rule, but I would want to be balanced at walk, trot and canter and be an active rider rather than a passenger before buying my own horse as as you've found out, privately owned horses can be vastly different from those you find at a riding school.
 
I think you need to be a little kinder to yourself. Just because you can't trot on your loan horse does not mean you have 'forgotten' how to trot. I bet on a more suitable horse (it really sounds like you need to send himback asap for your own confidence) you'll find that you can trot perfectly well.

Having said that, I also think you'd be better off saving your livery money for now and having some lessons to get you up to speed. A residential course as someone suggested would be a great idea as you'll learn so much by riding every day and once you've mastered the basics a weekly lesson would help to keep it up. In the mean time, could you keep up the horsey contact (I know it's hard to go without once you've been bitten!) by volunteering for your local RDA group or horsey charity a few days a week or even help at a riding school in exchange for lessons - this would also help to build your horse care knwoledge. Although I know you said this is already good and have no reason to doubt this, there's always something to learn!

Whatever you decide, good luck and If you do go, please don't go to see the horse alone.
 
I vote for lessons. I have ridden pacers and they shouldn't throw you around, it is an odd gait but quite sittable to. Or find a yard you can keep your horse at where there is a strong support structure.
 
Having read some of your other posts on different threads, I certainly wouldn't be buying a horse to move it to where you are now. There's not enough grass for the horses there already, there's nobody there to help you if you get into trouble (what if you fell off and got injured, with nobody to see it happen or find you potentially for hours or even days?) and you're already pretty much taking on responsibility for the other neglected horses there. While that's admirable and I'm sure you care about them, it's not sustainable or good for you or any horse you buy. For your own sake, you need to get away from there.

You've got the rest of your life for owning horses there's no rush. Even if you want to buy one sooner rather than later, take a bit of time to find a good yard with the right facilities for you (the area you've sectioned off for schooling will be a quagmire within a few weeks once the rain sets in) with good support and other owners who care about their horses and take responsibility for them so you can focus on you and your horse.
 
Spring Feather said:
Before you wrote the above, I would have said I wouldn't have had any worries if you were coming to view one of my beginner-ride horses, but having read the above I'd say you sound more beginnery than it came across in your first couple of posts. I have still sold some of my beginner-ride horses to people of your ability however they have boarded their horses here on my farm so I've been able to help them progress together. I wouldn't sell any of my horses to someone who can't post to the trot if they were not going to be staying on my yard. The horse you are going to view may be suitable, it may not, you'll just have to go and see. You have been honest with the seller and that counts for a lot, however I've found that most buyers over-estimate their capabilities so I always expect buyers to be less competent than they tell me and I weigh that up when deciding whether to allow the viewer to come or not.
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I think I'm with spring feather on this one. We all have to start somewhere and I think you are trying your best to start off on the right foot. However; I think you do need a little more experience if a big striding trot has you bouncing all over the place. Balance is something that we all struggle with at times, but if it is troubling you so much that your confidence is being affected, then probably time to have some lessons on the loan horse (lunge lessons are great) so that you can learn to cope with such differences. It could be quite tricky finding a privately owned horse that exactly matches what you're used to at a school. School horses learn to cope with unbalanced riders, privately owned horses (in my experience anyway) can be a little less tolerant!
 
Not sure really having just taken on a pupil that has been riding at a riding school for over 5 years who had recently bought their own to discover although they can walk trot and canter curled over the horses back they cannot hold the reins properly uses the reins to get up and down when they rise to the trot and canter with their head almost on the horses neck I really don't see what lessons will do for you unless of course it is an exceptional school. I find this a very common phenomenon when taking on pupils with their first horse many having been at Schools but they can rarely ride.
Like passing your driving test you only really learn to ride once you have your own if you enjoy the ground care and are capable at making sure the horse in question is healthy and happy and you have a GOOD instructor you will manage a nice tempered and kind, well schooled horse of your own to learn on trouble is a nice horse will be expensive and as you progress you may outgrow its talents even if you don't outgrow its size.
Being nervous is understandable but be yourself and try your best if it doesn't work out it was not meant to be
 
windand rain said:
Like passing your driving test you only really learn to ride once you have your own
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This is sooo true, and it's only something you find out with experience.

But I still stick by what I said earlier, lessons on the loan horse will help, then maybe start looking for a horse when the balance is sorted. I think that what OP is saying is just the sort of learning curve that we are talking about and experience and lessons on a familiar horse will be better in the long run than trying to buy a horse at this point in time.
 
I have to agree with some of the others in saying i wouldnt buy just yet if i were you, i would at least want to be balanced at walk trot and canter and maybe be capable of popping a small jump before even considering buying.

I would suggest finding a good bhs approved riding school and getting as many lessons as possible over the winter on as many different horses as possible to gain confidence and experience. Some riding schools even offer a part loan scheme where you can part loan a school horse or pony a few days a week and can have lessons, hacks and care for it on those days which may suit you before buying to as you will gain experience in both riding and care.
 
3OldPonies said:
This is sooo true, and it's only something you find out with experience.
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This is true, and a lot of people run through a clutch in that first year. The wear on your horse mentally and physically can be eased considerably. I also think having lesson as a regular thing you do is a great routine.

Boxing mine up and dragging them 40mins away once a fortnight is a right pain, (esp in the middle of moving) but it means any weirdness I've developed and my horses have kindly overlooked can be brought back into line. It also means I can get someone who knows the horses to check their gaits. I also like to have someone else competent ride my horses every once in a while. So that we don't slide into a comfortable laziness together.
*Incidentally, from your description of asking a field buddy etc I'm wondering if you don't have a trailer license. If you are in a slightly isolated situation this would be a very important thing to sort out. Vets visits, emergencies, shows, fun rides, hacking out, lessons etc. It would really open up a broader section of the equestrian experience to you, including friendships if you wished.

OP: Please don't feel that people don't want you to have a horse; just that we'd hate for you to be in a miserable situation again when it could so easily be amazing with a bit of preparation.
 
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