Should i????

[xhayleyx]

After wanting my own horse my whole life im finally in a position where i can actually consider buying one. Just need to save the money for the actual purchase of the horse.

There's a horse i've fallen inlove with but there is so many reasons i should probably steer clear. He's only 5 this year, he windsucks and he loves to have a nibble!

He's my friends horse, i regularly go up to her yard to help out with her horses but she's getting to the point in her life where she can't deal with having three horses to look after and is looking to sell two of them. If i did buy said horse i would have to move to a yard a little bit closer to my house but she lives 5 mins from me and i would have her help and advise available to me whenever i need it. She has bred and raised horse all her life and is now in her 60s.

Although his manners definately need a bit of working on as he likes to try and nibble he's a wonderful horse i've taken him in hand for walks round the round and he's so well behaved and have lunged him a few times and he was so good...

Is it possible to be able to cope with such a young horse if help is always available??

 

[Shysmum]

It's always possible, but, and it's a big but, if the horse is already showing vices, you must have the confidence yourself to be able to handle them, and prevent them getting any worse. I only say that as it seems like you will be relying a lot on this lady - nothing wrong with that at all, but a youngster needs a very confident handler all the time.

I'm sure lots of advice will follow re; stopping biting, and using weave grills in stables (or better still turn out 24/7 as it's usually a boredom/stable vice. I'm not too hot on those !

He sounds like a lovely horse tho, and if you build up that special bond with him, and give him lots of love, anything can happen !! sm x

 

[xhayleyx]

Thanks for your reply... its not that i'm not confident handling his problems its more that i understand when bringing him on riding wise i will need help and i just want to make it clear that there are people i can go to if i need help.

In relation to his wind sucking lady got given him as a yearling by a young girl who was bored with him. and he windsucked when she got him. he's supposed to have good showjumping blood in him so i suspect he was bought and as the girl couldnt ride him she just left him in stable all day. He currently has 24/7 turnout but cribs when he's in the stable, for example if you feed him in his stable.

 

[Shysmum]

sorry, I got that wrong - cribbing not weaving ! Duh !! I guess cribbing could be sorted with a collar, and as long as there's a metal guard on the door, shouldn't be too much of an issue ? Probably need an electric fence in the paddock too.

I have just started a three year old, and it's the best thing I've ever done. The bond you build up is amazing, and I would not have missed it for the world. Think about it - what's the worst that could happen, right ? If you have a good support network, and you research it a lot yourself, go for it. I used "The ABC of Breaking Horses" and Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks books as my bibles. The vices are probably due to boredom/ loneliness etc.

Ooooooooo......what'dya think ?? sm x

 

[xhayleyx]

thanks i think il have to try and get hold of them books
he's been backed a little last summer but has been left over winter. Yeah my aim would be to have him out as much as possible.
Ooooh any pics of your 3 year old??

 

[Shysmum]

The ABC book is a real help. I would take your boy right back to the start, as a lot of the beginning stuff (leading, police training - plastic bags over body, umbrellas up (!) ) will strengthen the trust. I did a lot of leading on road verges while singing - with L plates on and more hi vizs than strictly necessary, while humming tunes. Looked like a nutter, but again, it worked. And I got fit !

Going right back to the start is def the way to go.
Pics to follow. sm x ps at first I had no saddle, so he was backed bareback - don't do it !!