Thunking of downgrading on a horse

I think you need to go and try some different horses. For the last 20 years I have ridden a haflinger and then a cob, when I tried a new cob this week I was so comfortable on him (even in my 50s). So I do think you need to find a horse you feel comfortable on and only you will know that but I am guessing not too wide, so maybe a native x tb, cob x, connie x tb?
 
Tiddlypom said:
For a try out of ‘types’ you could pop over to Cannock Chase Trekking Centre for the two hour experienced riders’ ride - they’ve got a number of the types suggested there. Good fun horses (40+ of them) and the riding is fabulous and all off road.
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Good shout, @Tiddlypom. They don’t have any TB crosses, but plenty of other pure breeds and crosses.
 
spacefaer said:
Thanks guys!
All answers much appreciated!
Both of mine are lovely and straightforward but require consistent work to keep them lovely. They're both TBs which are a breed I love but some have higher natural energy levels than others!
I've ridden 17hh plus for the last 15 odd years so my natural tendency is to go for something taller, but it would be sensible to get a horse that didn't exacerbate my knackered shoulder.
I'm 5'8 so ponies (and pony types) are definitely out.
And I've had sec Ds..... their sense of humour is not mine!!
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Ponies and pony types are frequently ridden by people who are 5’8” and taller, it all depends why you’re the height you are and the conformation of said pony. Good idea to have a sit on some different types. A native x will be cheaper than a registered highland or dales. Welsh cobs probably a little cheaper because there are more about. Quarter horses are great fun but also not cheap for a chunky type. Good luck in your search.
 
I had this. Mum was ill and I was her only LPA, the horse I had at the time was beautiful but needed constant work yet I didn't have the time to do that. She ditched me twice in 3 weeks, although that was my 'fault' if you like, but I sold as I couldn't be injured.

I was broken body and soul at the time and I scoured Preloved for the most broken horse I could find that had the potential to be a riding horse in the future. Enter into my life Rigsby, 15 yo,. just finishing 3 months of box rest for lami, rotation in 3 out of 4, stiff hocks from box rest, asthma, mallenders, not good in traffic and didn't box. Oh, and he tested in the hundreds for EMS and was borderline chushings LOL.

It was 6 months of concentrated rehab followed by increasing work. He is now 20, sprightly, fun, everyone loves riding him. He is mostly cob but with Friesian and is narrow and quick rather than wide and slow. He is now sound, fit, EMS controlled by diet, mallenders all but gone, asthma gone... He did dreasage with a +70%, but didn't enjoy it so we don't do that. Pocket rocket pony, who also adapts and looks after his rider.

Once I'd had him a year I added H to my stable. ID x Connie, 4yo, grey (blah!), bought unseen from Ireland. He is BEAUTIFUL. But thick! LOL. He can do dressage, jump, hack etc, but is the laziest beast! He actually moves well and can hunt, so that is also all good. He's hauled himself over a BN but effort isn't his most favourite thing.

Both have taught my novice BF to ride.

I think you'd have had fun on either of mine. Neither needs work to be sane. Both incredibly easy.

As for cost, one cost exactly 10 X the amount of the other. But everyone enjoys riding the cheap, cheeky pony one best!!!

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Red-1 said:
I had this. Mum was ill and I was her only LPA, the horse I had at the time was beautiful but needed constant work yet I didn't have the time to do that. She ditched me twice in 3 weeks, although that was my 'fault' if you like, but I sold as I couldn't be injured.

I was broken body and soul at the time and I scoured Preloved for the most broken horse I could find that had the potential to be a riding horse in the future. Enter into my life Rigsby, 15 yo,. just finishing 3 months of box rest for lami, rotation in 3 out of 4, stiff hocks from box rest, asthma, mallenders, not good in traffic and didn't box. Oh, and he tested in the hundreds for EMS and was borderline chushings LOL.

It was 6 months of concentrated rehab followed by increasing work. He is now 20, sprightly, fun, everyone loves riding him. He is mostly cob but with Friesian and is narrow and quick rather than wide and slow. He is now sound, fit, EMS controlled by diet, mallenders all but gone, asthma gone... He did dreasage with a +70%, but didn't enjoy it so we don't do that. Pocket rocket pony, who also adapts and looks after his rider.

Once I'd had him a year I added H to my stable. ID x Connie, 4yo, grey (blah!), bought unseen from Ireland. He is BEAUTIFUL. But thick! LOL. He can do dressage, jump, hack etc, but is the laziest beast! He actually moves well and can hunt, so that is also all good. He's hauled himself over a BN but effort isn't his most favourite thing.

Both have taught my novice BF to ride.

I think you'd have had fun on either of mine. Neither needs work to be sane. Both incredibly easy.

As for cost, one cost exactly 10 X the amount of the other. But everyone enjoys riding the cheap, cheeky pony one best!!!

View attachment 173006View attachment 173008
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Gosh, your boys are so handsome aren't they!
 
Would something Spanish/Portugese suit you? Little more substance to them than TB but a bit more height than a native. The ones I've known have been nice, a bit about them without being loonies. Possibly not so budget friendly though admittedly.
ID x TB might be another option?
 
spacefaer said:
This seems like a silly question but im going to ask it anyway

For my own horses I've always had competiton/performance horses. Ones with talent - over the years, I've evented to 3*, competed PSG - ridden some very good horses.

Time has moved on and I'm finding limited time and motivation to do anything other than fairly low level stuff. I'm physically a bit broken and have now got other interests too but dont want to give up completely.
It's taken some time to come to this realisation and it's not been easy.

Of my current two horses, I'm going to sell one and loan the other so will be looking for a suitable one for my new reality.

So my question is, how do I find one? I've only ever bought on talent and performance - actual or potential and I find i have no idea what I want!

Looking at adverts, I find myself torn between a sporty (non hairy) cob, a TB, and all types in between 🤣

A small budget doesn't help in this market either.......

Can anyone offer any constructive suggestions 🤣🤣🤣
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I would try PC/RC, some times people over horse themselves but its sensible enough for someone that is competent like you. If someone is having a bad time with a teenagers or money, you may find a type you like for a good price. If you can find one now and its not what you want there is a chance you can sell it on Easter or Summer holidays
 
Midlifecrisis said:
My new friend on our yard is mid 60s but spent her life competing. She has just bought/rehomed an ex national hunt horse at 12 years old and he’s an absolute super star. Independent, calm, well behaved etc and she is going to work on the flat with him and have a happy hacker essentially.
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That's essentially what I'm going to be selling. He's delightful but not as fond of jumping as I still am.
 
gallopingby said:
Ponies and pony types are frequently ridden by people who are 5’8” and taller, it all depends why you’re the height you are and the conformation of said pony. Good idea to have a sit on some different types. A native x will be cheaper than a registered highland or dales. Welsh cobs probably a little cheaper because there are more about. Quarter horses are great fun but also not cheap for a chunky type. Good luck in your search.
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Absolutely- I've seen tall people on ponies. I do love a good length of rein however and I'm not sure if I could cope with a pony length neck or stride...... amd definitely not a welshie attitude! Been there, done that in a previous lifetime!
 
Red-1 said:
I had this. Mum was ill and I was her only LPA, the horse I had at the time was beautiful but needed constant work yet I didn't have the time to do that. She ditched me twice in 3 weeks, although that was my 'fault' if you like, but I sold as I couldn't be injured.

I was broken body and soul at the time and I scoured Preloved for the most broken horse I could find that had the potential to be a riding horse in the future. Enter into my life Rigsby, 15 yo,. just finishing 3 months of box rest for lami, rotation in 3 out of 4, stiff hocks from box rest, asthma, mallenders, not good in traffic and didn't box. Oh, and he tested in the hundreds for EMS and was borderline chushings LOL.

It was 6 months of concentrated rehab followed by increasing work. He is now 20, sprightly, fun, everyone loves riding him. He is mostly cob but with Friesian and is narrow and quick rather than wide and slow. He is now sound, fit, EMS controlled by diet, mallenders all but gone, asthma gone... He did dreasage with a +70%, but didn't enjoy it so we don't do that. Pocket rocket pony, who also adapts and looks after his rider.

Once I'd had him a year I added H to my stable. ID x Connie, 4yo, grey (blah!), bought unseen from Ireland. He is BEAUTIFUL. But thick! LOL. He can do dressage, jump, hack etc, but is the laziest beast! He actually moves well and can hunt, so that is also all good. He's hauled himself over a BN but effort isn't his most favourite thing.

Both have taught my novice BF to ride.

I think you'd have had fun on either of mine. Neither needs work to be sane. Both incredibly easy.

As for cost, one cost exactly 10 X the amount of the other. But everyone enjoys riding the cheap, cheeky pony one best!!!

View attachment 173006View attachment 173008
View attachment 173007
Click to expand...
RIGSBY FAN CLUB RISE UP 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
 
Tiddlypom said:
For a try out of ‘types’ you could pop over to Cannock Chase Trekking Centre for the two hour experienced riders’ ride - they’ve got a number of the types suggested there. Good fun horses (40+ of them) and the riding is fabulous and all off road.
Click to expand...
I was thinking she should do a tour of hhoers myself 🤣
 
When I decided to 'downgrade' I realised that I needed to take the pressure off completely. I'm not very good at moderation and am very 'all or nothing' so asking myself just to do slightly less of what I was previously doing wouldn't have worked well for me.

So I just bought my childhood dream horses

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F5013FE2-ED4F-4EF4-8D8D-7F0BCDB18885.jpeg

Absolutely no regrets 🤣
 
FieldOrnaments said:
RIGSBY FAN CLUB RISE UP 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
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He has a couple of new riders. This one was on her 3rd ride with him, today. She remarked on how keen he was LOL.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7609383882617539862

ETA - Rigs now goes for basically an hour's walking save from 100 yds of canter and a short trot through the water, with a stop for refreshments at the pub. He is too small for everyone! But he enjoys the social so he is allowed out for that.

As soon as he doesn't enjoy it, he will return to proper retirement.

he is perhaps too keen for a small child, even at his age!!!!
 
I have a little cob x trotter who came up for sale 10 mins down the road a couple of summers ago. She is so fun - sparky enough I still feel alive but really safe with it. If she was 14.2hh she would be the perfect pony - she’s 13.2hh so in a rather dinky package!

I would totally recommend.
 
Height wise I wouldn't rule out something smaller. I'm 5'10 and "downgraded" to a Dales from a 17.3hh WB. She takes up the leg just as well, and wears half his old tack. Reins are x full, Scoot boots size 9...you get the picture. Admittedly she's on the taller side for a Dales but still only 15.1hh. I've had her since 3 and wouldn't change her for the world.
 
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If you want something that jumps it’s more a type than a breed. My little Dutch warmblood only 15.1 was a great jumper but no recorded breeding. ISH probably your best bet.
 
Mine have been 16.2 -17hh 7/8th TBs most of my life.
Not sure how old you are, but what I will say from personal experience is that hips that are in their 7th decade do not cope well with IDs or ID x TBs on a regular basis. They can cope when aforementioned horses are 4 or 5 years old, but as soon as they start to fill out, forget it! Also, the ID I had briefly had the neck of a bull......short and thick. I like a good front. length of rein and definitely don't like ears up my nostrils.

Many years ago I sold one of my hunters to a young thruster in Leicestershire as he was too much of a front runner for me. Roll on time and said horse was looking for a quieter life a short while ago and I now have him back, knowing that he will require some management/support. It was like putting on an old pair of slippers!
 
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Just in case you want a yellow one, mine are bred as follows:

Mim - 14.3hh - 80.3% Arab - very typical PBA lines on both sides with some welsh and thoroughbred way back in her pedigree. She's definitely a showing / flatwork kind of horse, and an excellent hack. She has Dutch breeding on one side and the other has UK palomino names like Legends, Shulay and Tylands horses. They are little horses though - barely above pony height and not much too them. They are a definite type - which I love - clever, engaged and absolutely stunning to look at but not sporty and without the range and scope that you'd want if you wanted to jump.

Miri - 15.2hh but stands tall for 15.2hh - 50% Arab, 50% quarter horse bred by Vorvas Hill Stud out of a show bred Arab mare and by a quarter horse stallion called Moonlight Venture. She has a lot of siblings out eventing at lower levels and generally having a lot of fun. They are super little horses. Some of the horses out of warmblood mares are actually very sporty. I'd definitely look at another if I wanted to jump again (previous injury keeps Miri grounded). You can look at them here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AksytNYiE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
 
spacefaer said:
Absolutely- I've seen tall people on ponies. I do love a good length of rein however and I'm not sure if I could cope with a pony length neck or stride...... amd definitely not a welshie attitude! Been there, done that in a previous lifetime!
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I'm a similar sort of height to you and I do have a pony that I ride quite happily (14.1hh Connemara, traditional type), and while I do jump her it is more of a fun-on-occassion type affair. She's too short in the neck and broad across the back for me to feel properly secure on her for more than just mucking about
 
DabDab said:
I'm a similar sort of height to you and I do have a pony that I ride quite happily (14.1hh Connemara, traditional type), and while I do jump her it is more of a fun-on-occassion type affair. She's too short in the neck and broad across the back for me to feel properly secure on her for more than just mucking about
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I agree!
I do though think spacefaer that it is possible to find a 15.2hh small hunter type that has the stride and length of rein you would enjoy (but probably not that cheap!!)
 
I don't feel great on anything less than 15.3. I used to ride huge horses and 15.3 still feels OK.

Sadly, Rigs is only 15.1. He feels far too small for me or most adults, despite having thick legs.

I would agree with @gunnergundog about an ID. H was quite narrow as a 4 and 5 year old but, now he is 8, he is thicker through the body. Still a good egg and fun, good length of stride and rein, but his width on well used hips is one reason I prefer Rigs! I have all but given up with the dressage saddle on him as mine has quite a wide twist.
 
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