sj report - shall i sell??opinions please!!

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bamboozle

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ok - hope your comfy!! may be a long one! went showjumping today, aiming to do the 3'3 then 3'6, but arrived late and got there just in time for the 3'6, thought i may as well go for it, thought it might do us good to be thrown in at the deep-end - and it wasnt very big. he jumped really really well, and we had an unfortunate pole down, because he just ran through my hand a little on a related distance. but over all very well. so after that pleasing round, i entered the 3'9, thinking whats the worst that can happen. he warmed up perfectly, and we went in. he did an absolutely FILTHY stop at the first fence - hes a little green, and always needs a huge amount of contact. i came to the first fence, and was on a bit of a long one, and ive been working on not flapping around and kicking to get him there, but to just sit up - so i did, and he put down - he has a tendancy to do this, and just doesnt think for himself. so after approaching again - with masses of contact, and sitting up with masses of leg on!! we got over - not particularly pretty though - jumped 2nd and third fine, came round the the fouth off a corner, and he totally dropped the contact, and sat behind the bit, hes found that if he sits behind the bit, he can get away from me - so we had another stop. then really got his head up and in a very interesting style, managed to finish, with 2 down, and 2 stops.

he has always been like this, and we have seriously thought about selling about 2 months ago - his temperment just isnt good enough. i want to be doing Novice by june, and hes got all the ability, but just not got the brains. this was bought up by my instructor, who knows him, and says although we have learnt a huge amount together, hes never going to have the brains, or temprament to go above novice - hes so sensitive, and so clever - instuctor says hes just keeping me back now and i need something that will take me places. ive learnt a huge amount with this loevly horse, taught him such a lot, and had such fun with him, that i dont want to sell, but because i want to try and work with horses in the future, is it worth wasting these valuable years when i can go eventing (im 17) on a horse thats not going to do what i want it to do?!?
What do you all think i should do???!!!
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Sell. Find him a new home where he won't be pushed beyond his limits and can use his ability without being stressed. Find yourself a new eventing horse who can take you places. Only fair on the both of you
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If you want to go further then novice and this horse isn't going to go beyond novice then the sensible thing would be sell. There are plenty of people out there that don't want to go further than Novice. If he jumps happily round PN then he would make a good riding club type horse.
 
is novice not 3"6?
Have you been practising at 3"9?
I wouldn't sell on one bad experience, and sounds like maybe he wasn't prepared (he is green and at a fairly large enough height)
 
Bugger, that is a dilemma! Any chance you can send him away to someone who can ride him for you and see if there is anything that can be done training wise?
If not, or if you have already tried that route I would get a horse that will take you where you want to be. In the end of the day life is too short to be playing a lost battle for the next few years.
All the best with your decision!
 
Well this is a difficult one. You are blaming the horse [and maybe you are right] but you were pleased with the first round.I wonder what changed, I'm sure the 1st fence wasn't higher than you had already done and you did say you were 'on a long one' maybe you should have been really positive if you wantedhim to stand off and make a lot of effort.Then again maybe the horse is not for you ,it is difficult to say ,have you been successful on other horses, how old is the horse, was it on grass and the ground was hard,if your insructor thinks it is not the horse for you then find him a home more suited to him and look for another
 
thanks guys. it is an ongoing thing with him - we jump that at home, and he was totally prepared i jump twice a week, incorporating grids, circle grids, plenty of pole work, as well as jumping upto height - i keep him where my instructor is based, and hes ridden him a few times, and can never really get much more out of him - its in his brain. just wondering , because hes been a very late maturer (sp?!!) and is now 8 - but we've spent the last 2 years making him realise xc isnt scary - but now, he totally loves xc! its tough because i cant decide whether - like the xc, he just needs more time to grow up, but hes so inconsistant - one day he'll go like an absolute dream, the next hes an absolute sod. thing is - hes not any bodies ride , and is very sensitive. a novice wouldnt last a second on him - if i do sell, it'll be hard to find someone who will click with him! hes not an easy ride at all. hes done lots of unaffilliated dressage, including some pc area tests scoring in the low 30s, dressage always in the 20s, rarely in the 30s. 34 was my worst ever test! hes a stunning horse! hes hunted and is a great allrounder, but think it'll be hard to find someone who doesnt want to do much, to be able to cope with him!
 
Agree entirely. One bad experience is not much to go on for this kind of decision. My god we would be selling our horses every fortnight !
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And beware of instructors, they make money on young (or not so young
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) gullible riders....
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How old is your horse? Maybe not enough experience yet. You said he did well at 3.6? Could be these few more inches were too much for him at this moment in time especially if he is green. You obviously know the horse, have you jumped 3.9 at home? Does he easily do a course at this hight at home? Would be a shame to sell if he is talented but just a little green. Depends on this. If he does not have the scope so well and good, but if he does may be worth persuing.
 
Have you BE'd him because it sounds like he would do well in intro and pn and then if you think that will be his limit you can sell him to someone who just wants to do that.It is difficult to find the right home for the sensitive ones but don't be disheartened sounds like he will manage BE lower level fine and with those dressage scores we will see you at the regionals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
hes 8 now. yes jumped well at 3'6. have jumped 3'9+regularly at home, with ease. hes incredibly talented and thats just what i want to avoid.selling him when hes not reached his potential. do i wait for him t grow up? or do i sell now? dont want him to be wasted if i do sell becasue hes super! we talked about selling last summer for same reasons, and 2 months ago we actually advertised him - its been on going!!
 
I'd give some BE Novice Combined Training competions a go if I were you and not ready for the full Novice event yet. BE Novice SJ is what? 1m 15", so 3ft 9" but they rarely seem this big - well not opposed to BSJA of the same height I don't think.

I always think it's a shame to sell a horse that ticks most of your boxes and you feel it's got more untapped potential as you'll always be left wondering 'what if'? Or the new owner might give him a couple more years and he turn out brilliant. Then you'll regret it.

It sounds like you've come on so far already so don't let one shitty outing mar things
 
BOF used to tell me every day to sell PF; that she wouldn't have the temperament to SJ... I ignored him and now he adores her.
Sooooo, basically I would suggest that you go with your gut. Stick with him as long as your gut tells you you're making progress/have a chance of getting further. Sell when you don't.
Instructors don't know it all!!! (Don't tell the Bossy Old Fart I said that though!)

Ooh, forgot to say that PF is also very sensitive and very clever. Gets me out of a heck of a lot of trouble although sometimes it causes me a few probs too

edited because I forgot summat
 
One question...how much experience have you got at the higher level ?

With all due respect, no horse is going to change that much from 3'6 to 3'9...it's only 1 hole after all
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It sounds more like something he's picking up from you
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Especially if he's jumping bigger at home...
 
madhossy - exactly what i dont want to do - regret selling him - but it hasnt been just the once. where do i find out about BE combined training/?

rambo - yes it is something that i did wrong, think i just didnt quite come in positively enough to the 1st fence and he lost his confidence a little - i wasnt asking him to stand off - just to lengthen a little, and think for himself. we've been workingon this at home and he had little reason to stop - it was jst dirty. i think this then just put him off, then he started to drop me before the fences so i couldnt get him to the fences because he went all 'negative' and its v hard to get him out of this in a short space of time.
 
We had a young novice pony who we thought lacked ability but kept it small for a season, crept it up the next season then he just turned a corner and never looked back. Went straight to a JA and exceeded all our expectations. Give your chap some more time to prove himself.
 
tricky, sounds like hes got a lot if potential - can't remember who said, but if you've not already can you take him round some intro/PN (sounds like he'd cope with these pretty easily) over the next few months and see how you go. If you do decide to sell, at least then hes got a record to his name and should increase his value.
Are you still in juniors next year?
 
Think you can do indoor Affiliated Combined Training in the winter. Thought they were run by BE, but perhaps I'm wrong and it's BD??

Think you can do equivalent of Intro, PN and Novice tests and heights.

What Eventing are you doing at the moment and how are you getting on?
 
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