OMG... Horse coming tomorrow- i've never even seen!

McNally

McNally

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I am a mixture of blind panic and excitement right now!
I have been looking for a horse, something quiet to ride out with my daughter and do some fun rides etc but generally hack.
My y/m and her daughter told me about a horse and really raved about him at a yard they work on. I eventually asked for the number so i could ring up and find out more, maybe arrange to visit, Ohh, no....Got to the yard yesterday to bring my daughters pony in and am told its all been arranged he's coming on Tuesday for a months trial??!!! WTF????

I dont know how i reacted tbh i was so stunned. My first reaction was slight irritation maybe that i hadnt even said yes but then i saw how really chuffed with herself y/o was at having found me a horse for free and arranged delivery (transport bothers me!) that i didnt have the heart to be crabby! The more i hear about him the better he sounds (although really not what i was looking for)
He's 10, Bay raced until being turned away last year but has also hacked and done fun rides with the trainers wife. been wintered out so apparently a bit scruffy and needs a good feed but generally a really nice sort.
y/o daughters knows me well and i ride her horses and she rode mine so she knows what i want in a horse and what i will accept and she is convinced he's perfect for me and i will love him.

Sooo, really exciting but at the same time like being in a slightly mad dream. I'm NOT a person ever take on something unseen but do trust these people and its a month trial.... watch this space, and wish me luck!
 
Blimey!

Good luck, hope he turns out to be as nice as your y/o says he is and that he's what you're looking for. Fingers crossed for a happy ending.
 
Wow - how exciting!

Remember, he's here on trial. Don't let anyone talk you into keeping him if you find he's not what you are after. And get a very good vetting done.

Otherwise, best of luck for all of you and I hope it is the start of a wonderful relationship! :)
 
raced until being turned away last year but has also hacked and done fun rides with the trainers wife. been wintered out so apparently a bit scruffy and needs a good feed but generally a really nice sort.
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Ooo someone's looking to make a penny or two off your back. And remember - once he's up, fed and getting fitter he probably won't be the quiet plod that's being delivered.

I feel quite cross on behalf of this horse that his retirement is being left in the lap of the gods. Poor lad.
 
Who is paying for the livery for the month and transport costs? If it is the ym then it sounds like she thinks she'll be able to sell him whether or not you take him. If you are expected to pay all associated costs then I think that's a bit of a liberty on your yms part. I hope you have a contract and that he's insured but mostly I hope that it all works out nicely for you :)
 
Before you buy him, bear in mind that you could go to Doncaster or Ascot next week and buy one just like him straight off the track for 500gns. He is worth more because you can ride him and see him in your own home, but not massively more.

I would also wait to pay for him until you have him fed and fit. Most gelding ex racers make lovely RC types, but one in a few never "leave" the racetrack and you won't know which he is until he recovers from what is probably the first winter in his life he has ever survived outside.

Good luck, I hope he's the horse of your dreams.
 
Ummm word of warning. My 'quiet sane' TB who I have on loan has in the last few weeks become not quiet so quiet and sane..luckily the girl loaning her is 16, nuts and LOVES a bounce bounce boing horse!! Jade had been off work over winter, ex-racer, hacked out etc etc etc...she is beautiful to handle, absolute delight in the stable and to groom, hacked out better than anything I've ever seen...but she's now been put on weight, chowing down on spring grass, being ridden daily and started to pop small poles and the REAL horse is coming to the surface.

Just be careful, take it slowly and get your YM to get on it first. ;)
 
cptrayes said:
Before you buy him, bear in mind that you could go to Doncaster or Ascot next week and buy one just like him straight off the track for 500gns. He is worth more because you can ride him and see him in your own home, but not massively more.

I would also wait to pay for him until you have him fed and fit. Most gelding ex racers make lovely RC types, but one in a few never "leave" the racetrack and you won't know which he is until he recovers from what is probably the first winter in his life he has ever survived outside.

Good luck, I hope he's the horse of your dreams.
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Excellent advice.
 
That sounds like a shrewd business move to me, unless of course they are willing to bear all the costs. In which case if it doesn't work out tell them you've always fancied an Aston Martin DB9, he who dares.....
 
I'm coming at this from a slightly different angle than some of the posts on here because a similar thing happened to me. Long story short my horse was pts and i went to Australia very shortly after for a while - whilst there I got a text to say my 'new horse' was waiting for me and got back to find a scruffy, scrawny thing that I would never have looked twice at just to 'ride on' until I found what I wanted.

10 years later my beautiful girl is still with me so IT CAN WORK. Don't get me wrong it wasn't easy and I was under no pressure to buy her but it did work out. However at first sight I really didn't like her, she wasn't my type of horse and I hadn't chosen her, so based on looks alone I really couldn't see it working.

I think my point is if he comes off the lorry and you think "yuk" don't let that put you off and give him a fair try.

Good luck :D
 
10 years later my beautiful girl is still with me so IT CAN WORK.
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Oh, yes - absolutely agree with you.

But having seen how much work my ex YO puts in to his retiring racers to get them ready for a private home - to ensure success, safety and happiness to all - I would just caution the OP to be wary.

If my ex YO felt that the retiring racers would not be suitable for private re-homing he has not passed them on. However, the majority have been great success stories. Passed on fit and well and perfect for the private all round home.
 
I'm really interested to see what you think of him tomorrow .... I know all the sensible folk have sensible things to say but I for one would be quietly excited inside !

Please post us some pics :-) I hope the story has a happy ending !
 
Sounds exciting, but definately dont feel pressured into having him unless you are absolutely sure he's right for you :)

cptrayes said:
until he recovers from what is probably the first winter in his life he has ever survived outside.
Racing TB's do actually know what living out is like you know, lol! They do get things like holidays! All our yearlings live out for their first winter, and the breeding mares also live out from April/May - Jan, so lets not make too many assumptions :D

Good luck OP, you must get some photos!
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I wouldn't be too happy about having this horse arrive without my definite say so. Just bear in mind the month you devote to her, is a month you're not looking at other horses. I assume you're not expected to pay livery & food. I can sympathise you didn't want to pop the YO's happy bubble (I'm a bit cynical about this, I suspect it may be a subtle form of pressure), but over the next few weeks try and casually mention how you were surprised to have the horse turn up, as you couldn't recall having agreed to it. Just make the point pleasantly, so if you do decide to cut the trial short or have any problems the onus is on her to help resolve.
 
No pressure then !!! Im afraid I wouldnt be too happy about that. Yes it may be the right horse for you but surely you were the one to make that call.

Hope it all works out for you.
 
Ooo, Im going ton go with the half full lot and say good luck and I hope it works out for you and the horse!

I would agree though that you let YO take the lead and handle, ride etc. first. If you take the back seat you leave her in no doubt that she arranged this to happen and she is carrying the can!
 
How exciting A friend of mine did this to me with a pony for my son except the telling me before it arrived bit - he just arrived in my yard with the pony on the trailer. Cracker of a pony too. Sometimes things like this do work.
Good luck. Keep us updated and remember he's only on loan you can return him at any time.
 
I was in a very similar situation but without the trial, mine was just being given away or pts so i gambled and have got an amazing horse now :) i appreciate i was very lucky, he came straight out of racing and is perfect and have had him 8 months now :) so best of luck! :D
 
nikkiportia said:
QUOTE=cptrayes until he recovers from what is probably the first winter in his life he has ever survived outside. END QUOTE

Racing TB's do actually know what living out is like you know, lol! They do get things like holidays! All our yearlings live out for their first winter, and the breeding mares also live out from April/May - Jan, so lets not make too many assumptions :D

Good luck OP, you must get some photos!
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The horse is described as thin and does not seem to have wintered especially well. He may have been out as a foal, you are right, but he was in training until last season and he probably will not have lived out as an adult and it's very different. Young horses have much less skin than when they are adult, but the same number of hair follicles, so their coats as babies are MUCH thicker, to keep them warm. Wintering out as an adult is much tougher, especially if you have been years in training without being out in winter at night, which is likely.

The point is, that when he is not thin, and not putting his energy into surviving, he might have a LOT of energy to spend elsewhere.
 
How goes it OP?

You sound in the same situation as me with my current horse. I've only ever seen him race and the odd competition but we went and picked him up from the field having been in work for about a month. We had him on trial for a little while as well. My first ride on him was at 6am before college with my mum sat nervously watching and wondering what this pony would be like.

Word of warning though (as others have said) when he was unfit and weak he was very well behaved, he wasn't ploddy though. Now he's fit got some muscle and weight he's a different horse, has a lot more energy is obviously feeling very well.

Best of luck I hope it works out :)
 
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Hello again!!
No he's not here, a mix up with times of delivery and me and y/o had gone to collect a horse for someone else and were hours away when they wanted to bring him over.

I take on board all comments- both sides!
I will be paying feed costs but NOT livery (i have a arrangement with my y/o buy one get one free and help out when needed which is not often so great for me)
Yes i could go to sales but i work in racing so can get them for free anyway I have already had the "crazy" ex racer- not just my opinion but that of many more experienced than me, he went on to be professionally schooled where they said he is a very difficult horse, so i am very keen to get one who is known by friends or known myself. No money will change hands for this horse.

My old racer was a very very good doer but if i had wintered him out on just hay i think he'd be looking lean aswell, so am not overly worried by this.

What does concern me is that having just spoken (half hour ago) to someone else who knew of the horse she thinks he broke down quite seriously- had a long time on box rest then was turned away until now. He last ran in July 2010. I was told he retired due to a niggling tendon not 2 proper legs!
How does this change things? I know nothing really about tendons other than every other ex racer at my livery yard has at some point "done a tendon" but they all cope fine with hacking- should i be seriously worried?
 
Anything comming out of racing at 10 is going to have significant wear and tear on the legs. But you will be able to request it's medical history and have it vetted - all of which will help you make some sort of decision.
 
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