Potential Nightmare Horse Purchase - Not me someone else

[Flibble]

Well I thought I was a little naughty buying a 5 yo and I have owned 5 horses previously the last for 13 years.

Had a lesson at Riding School yesterday to be greeted by an excited lady that rides at the same time as me.

Weekly rider nothing wrong with that, first horse so - she drove to Rugny and looked at a 4 year old Trakhener. I say looked at as the owner couldnt (wouldnt possibly) ride it so it was just trotted up and lunged. Its being vetted on Thursday it looks beautful I just pray that she is the lucky sort that lands on her feet.

 

[Boxers]

Oh my!

I think you should tell her to join this forum and ask for some opinions.

My opinion is that she shouldn't be buying it - having not seen it ridden and not having ridden it herself!

Has she no common sense?

Has she no-one to advise her? Perhaps her instructor?

 

[ClareHasler]

OMG! Can't you just tell she has NO idea what she is doing... I fear for the worse.

 

[Flibble]

She thinks she is going to have it schooled for 4 weeks and start riding it in the fourth week.

I didnt know how to say you must be bonkers when I was playing with my new 5yo toy but I know how important temperament is and the feel of the ride you get. Just because it looks pretty doesnt meant it will ride pretty. God I hope I am wrong..

 

[jewel]

she must be mad, i really hope it doesn't all go very wrong for her

 

[ecrozier]

Uh oh! Sounds like a familiar story.........
I bought my original mare as a 6 year old (still got her, she is 18 now) from Ryan Praeter's dad, as he had taken her in part ex from a lady who did exactly this - bought a 4 year old chestnut russian trakhener mare, freshly backed and only 4 weeks off the boat from the state stud of the USSR. I have her original purchase reciept - £5500 and that was in 1990. I bought her for £3000 as a 6 year old after Vin had had her 6 weeks and basically re-backed her, story goes that the woman had tried hacking her out a few times, been dumped every time, and totally lost her confidence, then let some idiot loose on her who had beaten the cr@p out of her everytime she spooked - cue horse afraid of rider, let alone the big wide world! Anyway, she then rotted in a field for 6 months before the Praeters took her in part ex for an older slower model, Ryan jumped her a few times after they restarted her but he was only about 12 at the time and she was far too big, plus ultimately not the calibre of horse he would have now, so sold her on.....she was one of the lucky ones though I think, as a less scrupulous dealer would have passed her straight on and she could have ended up anywhere on the basis of her looks and breeding!
Are you friendly enough with this lady to question the purchase? It does sound like a recipe for disaster!

 

[lochpearl]

I must say she is daring! Trakehners are not the best especially for a novice. I have been lucky, I have a 5 year old that has a wonderful temprament however he can be sharp and we have had some problems since I have had him - bronking, leaping, spinning and so on, plus although this does seem impossible but he has grown 3 inches in 3 months - he was 17hh when I bought him and he is nearing on 18hh now!! The only good thing about my boy was that he was used for a beginner to learn to ride on so from being broken he was used to someone bouncing around, socking him in the mouth and generally being a heavy rider so if I ride like an idiot he is fine, the naughtiness however comes out when he is asked to work properly and they are very intelligent always one step ahead of the rider. But hey he's beautiful looking so who cares LOL!!!

 

[CracklinRosie]

Oh dear me, why does this always happen? They see people riding big pretty horses and think it's walk in the park!

I bought an ex racer without sitting on her, she'd not been ridden for 4 years, but she's turned out lovely and I've got plenty experience and a good team of peole to get help from.

This lady needs help. Can you speak to her intructor?

Maybe it'll fail the vetting????

 

[Nels]

I bought a 5 yr old german trakehner that had the attitude of a 4 year old (i.e. had to practically re-back etc) and my advice to any potential trakehner owner would be that they are adorable creatures but can be VERY sharp. Although my boy doesn't bolt or buck he does get very hot-headed at times which needs to be kept under control. I wouldn't dream of putting any rider on him that wasn't very experienced - if you gave that horse an inch he would take a mile. I also know a few grand prix dressage riders/instructors that say trakehners test you to the limit and think far too much for their own good!

So good luck to this lady, and I hope it all works out for her. The breed really are very sweet horses and I hope her one is backed and trained well enough for her to cope and enjoy the riding side of owning her first horse.

 

[Nels]

[ QUOTE ]
I must say she is daring! Trakehners are not the best especially for a novice. I have been lucky, I have a 5 year old that has a wonderful temprament however he can be sharp and we have had some problems since I have had him - bronking, leaping, spinning and so on, plus although this does seem impossible but he has grown 3 inches in 3 months - he was 17hh when I bought him and he is nearing on 18hh now!! The only good thing about my boy was that he was used for a beginner to learn to ride on so from being broken he was used to someone bouncing around, socking him in the mouth and generally being a heavy rider so if I ride like an idiot he is fine, the naughtiness however comes out when he is asked to work properly and they are very intelligent always one step ahead of the rider. But hey he's beautiful looking so who cares LOL!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like we are thinking along the same lines... I would sum up Trakehners as pretty but sharp

 

[Flibble]

Unfotunatly I dont know her well enough though I am praying it fails the vetting. I sort of weedled my way into their group lessons on a Monday night to keep my costs down and my riding going forward.
Her instructor only works there part time and I overheard her endorsing the prospective purchase so I am afraid I dobbed her in it today.
What worries me is that she has bought it assuming it can be effectivly re-broken for her but they dont do that at the school they improve horses but dont start them.
I must admit I was so cross as the permanent instructors would have gone for the Vicar of Dibley response - No NO NO NO NO NO NO.

 

[PeanutButterDragon]

Oh dear

I do hope everything works out okay for her! Having said 'oh dear' my first pony was a 3 year old mare with a very soft mouth who my Grandad and I brought on together very slowly, but as he had trained/backed and bitted for 40 years he knew what he was doing!! Does she have an experienced friend she could turn to for a bit of help/advice here and there?

 

[SirenaXVI]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I must say she is daring! Trakehners are not the best especially for a novice. I have been lucky, I have a 5 year old that has a wonderful temprament however he can be sharp and we have had some problems since I have had him - bronking, leaping, spinning and so on, plus although this does seem impossible but he has grown 3 inches in 3 months - he was 17hh when I bought him and he is nearing on 18hh now!! The only good thing about my boy was that he was used for a beginner to learn to ride on so from being broken he was used to someone bouncing around, socking him in the mouth and generally being a heavy rider so if I ride like an idiot he is fine, the naughtiness however comes out when he is asked to work properly and they are very intelligent always one step ahead of the rider. But hey he's beautiful looking so who cares LOL!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds like we are thinking along the same lines... I would sum up Trakehners as pretty but sharp

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too, I feel really sorry for this horse, who knows where it will end up should it(and it probably will) go wrong.

Why Why Why do people do this

 

[Sprout]

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

 

[AnnaandStella]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I thought I was a little naughty buying a 5 yo and I have owned 5 horses previously the last for 13 years.

Had a lesson at Riding School yesterday to be greeted by an excited lady that rides at the same time as me.

Weekly rider nothing wrong with that, first horse so - she drove to Rugny and looked at a 4 year old Trakhener. I say looked at as the owner couldnt (wouldnt possibly) ride it so it was just trotted up and lunged. Its being vetted on Thursday it looks beautful I just pray that she is the lucky sort that lands on her feet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm. Maybe she'll realise it's wrong and sell the horsey after she realises how much work is involved?

How good is she at riding?

Is she nice and quiet?

...

 

[Coffee_Bean]

I hope it goes ok, i really do.... BUT just to go against the grain...

my first horse was (and is) a 7 year old trakehner mare. Yes there is a lot of difference between a 4 year old and a 7year old, but if he happens to be very level headed, and nearly 5 then she *could* be ok. I think my mare was broken late, I was very novice, had only jumped once in my life practically, but we learnt together and luckily i had an experienced friend on hand to teach me.

 

[ladyt25]

First thought "what an idiot!". Sorry but i fear this is likely to be a case of more money than sense. I assume this horse is not a cheapie?

Feel sorry for the poor animal. As a first horse this is a ludricous idea and the horse is going to (unless there is some miracle) end up ruined! What would possess a person buying their first horse to opt for a 4 year old??!

I can see this being another story where the new buyer has a disastrous time and blames the vendor or the horse gets passed from pillar to post and is labelled a 'maniac'!

 

[Smash]

Does her instructor know what she is doing? I'd be tempted to express my concern to the YO or instructor, if only to save the horse the hassle.