spin off from are you on your last horse thread- breed to go for in my old age :-)

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hackedoff

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Having added to the very timely thread re being on last horse through age, I started thinking about what type/breed to buy. I genuinly love all types and breeds. As a teenager I was very into Arabs and actually sat the trainee judge course. College and career intervened and I didn't buy a horse until 30. My beloved horse is an un reg welsh D. Much loved but has many typical D moments!

I plan to do a bit of everything but mainly long hacks (yard is 5 mins from pennine bridle way), le trek, long distance and dressage. Might show a bit as well.


I currently toy with either;

An arab. Pros love the look, ideal for endurance which was my passion. Cons I don't feel I am supple and confident for something flighty, modern arabs are a bit spindly and now up in the peaks so need something with mountain goat tendencies that won't suddenly shy over a precipice.

Welsh D- see above for Arabs pros and cons other than the spindly bit! Would also possibly go further in dressage which I may do more of than endurance due to lack of crew.

Fell- I like these very much, can do long distance (had a friend whose fell did red dragon 100 miles in 2 days), purpose bred for terrain round here. Easy to get on and offable aS I'm 5 foot so don't need a biggie.

Spanish horse I love the look, don't know if I'd cope though. Same goes for a warmbloodm

Any comments, suggestions welcome!
 
My arab is like a mountain goat ;) and is certainly not spindly. Look at crabbet and polish types! Mine is certainly quick but is safe with it. Temprement wise I have never met a bad one. You can tell where my vote lies :)
 
I'd go for a Fell, I have one and she will turn her hoof to anything and she is a much loved family member, always keen and forwards going. They are great characters. Mine is 14hh but rides bigger and I can drag her out after weeks of doing nothing and she will behave impeccably.

I bought her as something the whole family could use, but there is only myself who rides her now. :)
 
Purely based on my own anecdotal experience rather than any real knowledge about the breed - I'd say don't rule out a TB...:D

For someone who can ride confidently and 'automatically' (if that makes sense :confused:) my TB is turning out to be so laid back he's almost horizontal... A bit more maturity and balance and I've got him pegged to play around with some dressage... He'll pootle out for hours on end hacking with the student who rides him...

I keep seeing 'not your usual TB' comments in sale ads and would have laughed before figuring all TBs were flightly lunatics...

My 'ride in training' though is an AQA... He's ultra chilled... They appear to manage Trec ok and are suited to endurance or just long hacks... I don't personally know any doing dressage though and they're arguably not as 'pretty' as some of the Arabs... A bit more my cup of tea though... :)

Welsh D's are pretty nifty at turning their hoof to most things though and not always bonkers... :)
 
An arab cross wth a but of native in there ;) I had a 5/8 arab, 2/8tb and and 1/8th nf as a teenager and he was amazing. Flashy arab looks and stamina with a bit of nf commonsense and very hardy. I appreciate that is a bit specific, but I have known a lot of arab x with a little native and they have all been great horses :)
 
ghostie said:
An arab cross wth a but of native in there ;) I had a 5/8 arab, 2/8tb and and 1/8th nf as a teenager and he was amazing. Flashy arab looks and stamina with a bit of nf commonsense and very hardy. I appreciate that is a bit specific, but I have known a lot of arab x with a little native and they have all been great horses :)
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I had an arab x welsh that was a pain in the a*se! Would spook at anything and be stubborn as anything if he didn't want to do it. Always described as a difficult ride by the dressage judge. :D

Honestly now that I'm older and a hopefully a bit wiser I'd go for something that you can simply have fun on without worrying about spooking, silly behaviour and having to cossett in harsh winters. As I get older I've got aching joints and stiffness of my own to consider, so I always think what I'll be able to cope with ten years down the line when getting a new horse, from the care aspects as well as the riding.

Being only short myself it is loads easier with pony heights rather than taller horses, (I couldn't do the vaulting on a 16.2hh while cantering away from a gate any more!!!) from tacking up to mounting etc and everything is cheaper to feed the smaller it is. But the right horse can be any breed/type. :)
 
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Unless you want to show I would not be too set in stone about breed, there are good and bad examples of all types and breeds, its about finding the "right" one that fits you and your requirements.

I have know and owned safe and sensible examples of many type, a good New Forest is hard to beat, if you are short they are not too wide, I had the most wonderful Dales pony but he was wide and for long hacks a bit uncomfortable.

I think you just know when you find the one for you, it feels right as soon as you get on.
 
I was in the same situation a few years ago having lost my old horse. As a child I had coveted a friend's highlands and after much thought and research this is what I bought. He is perfect for me, great fun, will turn his hoof to anything, and not too far to fall! He doesn't mind if he's not ridden for weeks and is cheap to keep.
 
I know what you mean OP, I've always loved my Welshies as a breed of choice but I'm not fit and quick enough for them now! Same with the Connies I grew up riding.

If you want an Arab I second the Crabbets, I liveried at a stud for years and (once they matured!) they were very sensible but fun.

When I was last looking for a horse I really wanted a Highland but couldn't afford the type I wanted so ended up with a Haflinger... great, fun ponies who really can turn their hooves to anything but sensible enough that you aren't risking life and limb on a daily basis.
 
I think any of your list of breeds should be suitable I think as you get older you have to converntrate harder on getting a horse who is made by that I mean that it has experiance on its CV that makes it as sure as it is possible that it will do its job which means you may have to be prepared to pay a bit more for the right one.
I have said no more to break no more very green ( I am 51) but my latest purchase was a pretty green TB with a few issues but it had been out and about a lot.
As I get older I can see that I will need more made horses than him .
The right horse is the thing the breed is secondary.
 
An elderly gentleman (he really was too - in his late eighties, always polite, always wore a tweed hacking jacket and flat cap) that I used to meet hacking, used to ride an ex-racehorse. When the TB died from old age, he got a mannerly retired hunter to potter about on, although with the new horse his daughter cycled out with them. :D
 
My last horse was a cob, with a bit of TB X Cleveland bay on one side; and he was an absolute cracker, carried me very safely and never put a foot wrong, a very generous honest horse, bless him. But don't think you can go wrong with this sort.

What about an ex-hunter??? Some of them yes might be a bit skitty and/or strong but in most cases they've been there seen it done it, and if they've been around for a few years and maybe needing to take life a bit more gently might suit you?

OR what about a traddie cob?? But care needed as some of them can be a bit wide which isn't good news if you've got hip trouble; also some of them can be a bit strong and/or obstinate when it suits! Plus quirky like mine, they're not always the plods they look by any means BUT they generally have a fairly laid-back attitude to life and will look after their rider without hotting up.

Yes know Welsh D's have a reputation but the little mare I've got on loan is a super little girl and as sure-footed as a ballerina in rough terrain and honest as the day is long and generous with it. So you could always think about a native crossed with a cob, or TB (or Arab) X??? Or a mixture of everything???!!
 
My pensioner friend on my yard had just bought a quarter horse. He's a serious happy hacker who goes out for hours, several times a week and his new horse is certainly fitting the bill. He has a lovely temperamant, seems unflappable and has plenty of energy to go on those long hacks.
 
Another vote for Crabbet/Polish Arab! My mare is one of these and is very hardy and not spindly. I find that where an Arab scores over a native type is in being very, very comfortable (can trot without stirrups for ages without getting sore) and My stiff old muscles really appreciate this!
 
Arab all the way, they are small enough to get on and off easily, forward going enough so don't have to work too hard but if you get the right one sensible with it, perfectly capable of doing decent dressage and very nimble on their feet. Of course finding the right one could be a bit tricky as people don't tend to sell them once they are like that. Although really i'd have to say just find the right horse that suits you regardless of breed. Good luck and I actually like the Welshies and the Fells too and i'd also go for New forest as a breed.
 
Not sure how old is "old" but i still ride my wonderful Arab mare who is Crabbet/polish bloodlines,and still going well at the age of 27.She has a superb temprement and so easy to handle,a toddler could manage her.In fact when my youngest daughter was a toddler,she did handle her and first learnt how to sit,do sitting trot and some of the old exercises like round the world on her.My mare is great to accompany young horses and nervous riders.I also have my daughters Section D who can be bolshie to handle and sharp to ride,but otherwise a sweetie too.I do like the Welsh/Arab crosses but they can be too lovely,although i have seen some fantastic small competition horses with this breeding.Oh i am 51 and still enjoy a good gallop and fast sponsered rides.
 
Wundahorse said:
Oh i am 51 and still enjoy a good gallop and fast sponsered rides.
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Well done!!!! Ditto basically, tho' do have some "senior moments", like yesterday when friend and myself - both "mature lady riders" (trying to be polite) went for a two-hour hoon and then got back to the yard and realised that dismounting was gonna be a slight challenge at best, and downright embarrassing at worst, as we'd been up in the saddle for an un-accustomed length of time and had basically "frozen" up there!!!

But we did manage it .......... rather inelegantly, but it had to do!! Poor old things, we'll have to fix up a hoist next ..... :)
 
Don't rule out tbs. I am way past my sell by date and have an ex racer/polo pony who is sweet natured, bombproof in traffic, never bucks, spins or rears - not very brave though! Most tbs are "not typical", its the "typical" ones that get
noticed!"

Go for temperament not type
 
I have an inkling that i may also inherit my daughters WB when he can no longer compete and thus becomes a happy hacker,same way as i have the section D.However,neither of them come close to my Arab.She is lively and has loads of stamina but equally is happy to plod when asked,and i can put a novice rider on her in the school and she will nanny them.My Arab is so comfortable and has a super extended trot.
 
If have an 8 yr old ISH and am 33. If all goes to plan (fingers crossed) when he retires I am planning on getting a full ID. Will prob change my mind and getting another ISH thou :)
 
I would say go for the type of horse that you learned to ride on :) I still tend to ride overgrown show ponies. I was a very small seven year old when I started riding and only caught up with growing as a 14/15 year old, so always rode the lightly built show pony types. Sister was 12 and tall for her age when she started learning, so got the cobby types, she still chooses this type of horse and probably always will :)
 
Quarter horse x crabbet Arabian. The best of both worlds. The perfect combination for an all round reliable horse without being a plod. Capable of doing a bit of anything coupled with a loving generous nature.
 
If it helps I have a Welsh Cob x Warmblood and although he's not my usual 'type' of horse he's lovely :-) (not that I'm biased!). We did an endurance ride a few weekends ago and we were very close to the minimum time with a great vetting. We did stick out a bit against all the Arabs though as he's full up 16.2 and reasonably chunky :-).

He can jump xc and sj, has a great cob trot for showing and he's very laid back. When I mean laid back I'm talking 300 cyclists went past at top speed hacking the other day :eek: (some cycling event) and he didn't even blink :cool: (bless him!).
 
For mainly hacking & a bit of riding club activities I'd consider an Icelandic. They are strong but small and not too wide, and the "toelt" gait is much smoother than trot.
 
A gaited horse is a wonderful, smooth ride. We have a Paso Fino and many people choose them if they have a disability or injury because they are so easy to ride.
Paso Finos, the 'horse of the fine step' in Spanish are all descended from the Spanish horses taken by Christopher Columbus in his sailing boats to the Americas.
The Spanish saddle is like a Western one, without a roping pommel, and your leg is long in it. It feels very comfortable to ride in, and because gaited horses do not trot, your bum never leaves the saddle.
The Paso has been bred through the centuries for its superb disposition and character. Their willingness and obedience combine to give the rider a superb ride. Ours feels like a dancing horse, so supple and alert.
There are only about 150 in the UK, as most are still imported from the States or Germany, but some are bred here.
 
I sold my haffy to a lady who was 69. I had about 4 older ladies wanting to come and try her too. She would plod all day and never exerted more energy than she needed to so was perfect for the lady. She adores her and rides everyday now.
 
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