To sell or not to sell

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Kelly1982

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I had my gelding given to me bout 18months ago, I broke him in myself and he was a little star and didn't put a foot wrong.

I've always had my reservations about him as he was a bit on the small side and I'm used to riding big horses but told myself that if he turns out to be everything I want then size shouldn't be an issue.

BUT even though he has been a good boy and we've been out and done a bit of everything and I've been so proud of him for taking everything in his stride Ive still had my reservations deep down.

The past few weeks I have only been able to ride about 4 times a week due to work and he has gone massively backwards and it's now getting to the point I don't even want to ride him as it makes me resent him.

What probably doesn't help matters is that my mare is coming back into work and she is my dream horse so am now comparing them even though I'm trying hard not to. she has sacroiliac dysfunction so her ridden future is uncertain and I've tried and failed with her before so not just a simple case of selling him and keeping her.

I really don't know what to do with him?? I do love and he is such an honest boy but he needs a bit of work. I'm willing to put the work in IF I thought he was going to be what I wanted at the end of it but I'm not sure he is??

I'm also scared stiff of selling a perfectly sound horse and buying something that's gonna break on me 6 months down the line as that's also happened to me with the last 2 horses I've brought despite 5 stage vettings.

So what would you do? Work with him and give him another season as it's still early days or sell and get something that I can go out and have fun on now??
 
I think after eighteen months you would know whether he is your sort of horse or not tbh.

If you are not enjoying riding him then I would personally sell him on, he sounds lovely so I wouldn't imagine you will struggle to sell.
 
He is lovely and so genuine and that's why I'm so reluctant to sell as he is such a good boy but I just don't get the same feeling when riding him as I do my mare :(
 
If he's only relatively newly broken then I'd be inclined to hang on for a while. I have a little homebred that I didn't really enjoy riding for the first 2 years. I didn't sell him as I was emotionally attached. He changed so much over 2 years, thank god I kept him
 
You have started resented him and he has done nothing wrong? Do him a favour and sell him. You have had him 18 months, that is long enough to know if he's what you want.
 
Can you find someone to come and help you with the riding, you can keep him going and bring your own back in to work, sounds to me as though you just have too much on your plate, and as he is never going to be your dream horse, maybe you kinda feel the work you put in to him is wasted.
Or you could try something different with him, Le Trec or Jumpcross for example.
It really wont do him any harm to have a month off.
 
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MrsD123 my instructor is actually based on my yard and does a lot of breaking in and schooling so didn't know if it was worth sending him to boot camp for a week then maybe get her to ride him occasionally to see if that helps. He struggles with his canter quite a bit which I really feel holds us back and we was finally starting to crack it towards the end of the summer but he has gone right back to square one again which is what I'm resenting him for as it's not like he has been out of work completely, just not 6 days a week like he is used to.

The other option was to completely rest him until feb/march but then I worry I will just be back to square one right before the show season when i want to be out competing.

I don't want to give up on him as he hasn't done anything wrong, he is just green but he just doesn't give me that same buzz as my mare
 
He was backed beginning of October last year and ridden away a few times a week for a month. Then he had 2 months off work and was brought back into work in January this year.

He was given to me as he was too much for his old owner, he was a late starter and was gelded late and used to push her around a bit but I've never had an issue with him. He is as laid back as they come. My YO actually commented the other day about what a pleasure he is to handle
 
Ok, so he should be established enough now not to need to be ridden every day. Wonder what's happened to make him start going backwards.
 
In have no idea, it's almost like he is saying 'this is too much hard work so I'm not even gonna try'.

He has physio and saddler regularly (I'm probably a bit OCD on checks because of my mare) and his teeth were done 6 months ago so not a pain issue.

The only other thing I can think of is change of routine, he comes in earlier now and by the time I get there it's dark so maybe he thinks he should be having dinner and not working, I'm at a loss if I'm honest
 
Thinking about it the only time he has actually given me a good ride lately was last Sunday first thing in the morning when it was light.

I work 6 days a week so all other times have been in the dark but surely that can't be a factor??
 
Does he like jumping, I used to have to give my lad a bit of easy cross poles and things at the end of a session, he was very late developer and struggled to canter and to school, particularly as he was also a bit spooky AND he was scared of things in the dark, lol!
 
He is 10yo so growing shouldn't be the issue, unless it includes growing outward lol (must be the only owner to put her horse on a diet going into winter).

And yes he is def more laid back than I'm used to and is already on the highest oat based competition mix I can find.

My friend who has know me about 8 years now commented at the beginning of the summer that he is not my 'typical' type as he is so laid back.

My mare is excited by everything and loves her work. You put a jump up and she balloons it.

With him you put a jump up, he will jump it lovely but if your not there riding him forwards on landing he will just stop dead. He makes you ask for everything. And he will do it wen you ask but you have to ask if that makes sense.
 
Amymay I have been in the school quite a bit lately but would this cause his canter work to go down hill?? His walk and trot work are still lovely. Would of thought if he was bored his work in general would be slightly off??
 
He might be suited to RDA if he is as ploddy as you say, but really, I am someone who tries to find the right home for the right horse.
What about finding some pony mad kid to take over, but keep him where he is and have control over his lessons?
In the meantime I would have him checked over, might be a problem, is he cantering loose in the field, or will he only trot?
 
I wouldn't say he is ploddy enough for an RDA, and he gets really unsettled if new people ride him. He does settle down after about 10 mins but u need to be confident enough to ride him through it. He doesn't do anything naughty but his bum goes underneath him, his head comes up and he feels like he is going to explode. the explosion never happens but it's quite intimidating if u don't know him. Once he realises your no threat he is ok. Also at shows he can become quite strong, the stallion in him seems to come out so even though he is safe and laid back, I wouldn't say he is for a complete novice.

I think he would be a lovely all rounder, and my friend actually mentioned asking around the local pony clubs so is going to talk to her instructor on Wednesday.

He is happy to canter, it's just on the forehand and fast!!! You ask him to slow down by half halting or sitting deep and he just stops dead, there is no in between to work with.

And yes he happily canters round the field playing and canters over when u call him
 
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