ycbm
Overwhelmed
Can I have him if you don't want him? What an opportunity if you are interested in Haute École!
.
.
To Stallion or not to Stallion...
- Thread starter HedgePig
- Start date
Lurfy
Well-Known Member
Well that sounds like a really good first introduction and ride. It will be an even harder decision now I imagine because to me it sounds doable. With your background riding tb's I suspect you are a pretty good rider even though not "technical". You have a good instructor and support so if you have motivation, time and $$$ to invest in learning this style of riding go for it.
My mother grew up in Cape Town riding tb's and although not technical she was an outstanding horsewoman with natural feel. Good luck HP whatever you decide.
My mother grew up in Cape Town riding tb's and although not technical she was an outstanding horsewoman with natural feel. Good luck HP whatever you decide.
Fabled Thoroughbred
Active Member
Glad you’ve seen him & accumulate the answers from questions you had, good luck @HedgePig!!Good morning forum.
I have a busy day in real life to contend with but I’ll update this evening for those who are interested.
The short version for now is we met him. Caught him. Groomed him. Picked his hooves and brushed his face, tacked him up and walked him. Lunged him. Rode him and I was even fortunate enough to get him into a few levades. Look it up I had to.
It’s horsemanship in a methodology I am completely unfamiliar with. But extraordinarily enjoyable.
It became clear immediately that the handling of a stallion, while ‘similar’ (and I say similar because it’s still a horse with 4 legs) is considerably more complex in terms of handling and an almost relentless signalling to the stallion about who is in charge. But it was not rough or noisy. Just small little adjustments you can see him make that you don’t normally get from a mare.
I will say his level of vigilance or self awareness is stunning. Shocking almost. He misses absolutely nothing. And it feels as though you are under a reasonably constant scrutiny.
Equally he is gentle. Forgiving if you’re unclear on aids or signals and shows his frustration of you repeat the mistake.
Actually riding him is nothing like I have ever known. From a standstill, the smallest (and I mean tiniest) change in leg position from one side or another when combined with a nudge and you go from a standstill into a canter. On the correct leg. From a stop. There will be those of you reading this who may have horses like this yourselves, but to me it was completely unique.
All with an incredibly light snaffle. You change your seat (I got SLIGHTLY left behind on a single stride) and he slams to a halt.
This isn’t a Ferrari. This is a V10 Bentley.
Interestingly the livery actually know him and I have an initial call with the livery this afternoon.
For those of you who have been sceptical but objective I say thank you for your guidance. For those who seem to commit their time to coming in here and being unnecessarily cynical and sometimes rude, I won’t engage you know who you are.
To the MANY senior members who have DMd me with serious advice even if it’s been critical I say thanks to you too. And to the horse lovers like me who all think this is just mental, thank you for your enthusiasm it’s made this forum enjoyable.
I said that my partner and I were on about 30% chance of doing this, we had an extraordinary amount of information to gather and we’ll continue to do this over the next few days.
I have many answers to some of the questions I was asked, not necessarily through seeing it myself of course but practical stuff like if he’s been used to cover (he hasn’t), the option to geld if we buy him (it’s an option), how he has been socialised etc.
Thank you all again. Hedge
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Pictures, please! I would have no chance of ever riding such a stallion, go on, make us jealous! 🎠I’d be the one accidentally piaffing in front of impatient motorists wondering how to make it stop!
JanetGeorge
Well-Known Member
lol ,trouble is - they won't stop for a piaffe. Took the big hind feet getting to within 6" of the windscreen to make stupid lorry driver pee his pants and turn his engine off.
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
A friend’s gentleman’s hunter actually plonked it’s arse on the bonnet of a Jaguar when it got way too close. The owner of the Jag was unimpressed, the rider even less so at the sheer idiocy of the driver!
ycbm
Overwhelmed
I once looked around to see why my horse was getting twitchy going down a very steep hill, to see his tail lying on the bonnet of the car following us.
My language could not only be heard for five miles, it wasn't fit to be heard by a bunch of navvies!
.
My language could not only be heard for five miles, it wasn't fit to be heard by a bunch of navvies!
.
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
Hello Forum,
As we continue something came up that I realised hasn't been mentioned, insurance.
Can you please share your thoughts on the necessity for insurance, what to look for with an insurer (assuming its not against forum rules to provide some suggestions?) and what one should generally try to cover with an insurer?
Hedge.
As we continue something came up that I realised hasn't been mentioned, insurance.
Can you please share your thoughts on the necessity for insurance, what to look for with an insurer (assuming its not against forum rules to provide some suggestions?) and what one should generally try to cover with an insurer?
Hedge.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
You absolutely need 3rd party cover
Veterinary cover it depends, there are pros and cons and it very much depends on individual circumstances.
Veterinary cover it depends, there are pros and cons and it very much depends on individual circumstances.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
as ester said, 3rd party insurance is a must. i used to insure with NFU who were good at paying out. they are not the cheapest but my mare was accident prone so i did have a few claims. it really depends on your own financial situation and if you want peace of mind that you could treat your horse whatever came up...mine was insured until she was 19 when all of her legs had been excluded from cover and only colic was covered so i cancelled it as i wouldnt have put her through any surgery at that age....
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
some people seem to struggle to get cover at market value for really pricey horses. Or it's extremely expensive to do so. Just chucking that in.
I have some of mine insured for vets fees to provide a financial cushion should they need expensive care, but all are covered by third party, it's a bit bonkers not to.
I have some of mine insured for vets fees to provide a financial cushion should they need expensive care, but all are covered by third party, it's a bit bonkers not to.
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
Slightly worryingly the first 3 online insurers don't even cover stallions...I guess this means it is specialist insurance?
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
i think that possibly goes some way to support some of the reservations expressed about keeping stallions upthread 
it's not without risk! I am sure most of the decent companies would give you a quote.
it's not without risk! I am sure most of the decent companies would give you a quote.
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
I hit send and then found 3 insurers who do. All in the same sort of ballpark. So mild alarm over...i think that possibly goes some way to support some of the reservations expressed about keeping stallions upthread
Courbette
Well-Known Member
Sorry if this has already been covered but I currently share a (non breeding) stallion so thought I'd give you a run down of my experiences. I currently loan a lovely stallion who I took on as I have ridden and handled stallions on and off for the last 20 years. He is the first stallion I have ever handled completely unsupervised and I felt comfortable taking him on as he is generally quiet and hasn't covered. I would probably have come unstuck with him if I had had no prior knowledge of stallions at all.
In terms of schooling I love the extra intelligence and presence of stallions. I do hack him weekly however I am always very cautious as I'm aware a loose stallion has the potential to be a serious danger to himself and others and this extra responsibility took a bit of getting used too. I also struggle to find others to hack out with despite him being known as quiet and well mannered. Ditto competing at riding club level as our local clubs will not allow him although I know other clubs that do.
To handle he can have the odd quirky moment and I try to be careful never to take him for granted. He is stabled on a livery yard, the only livery yard I have ever been on that allow stallions. Generally we have a really good set up but I have to be extra careful when using communal facilities such as the wash box, horse walker etc to make sure I avoid situations that put a strain on his good nature. Meeting another horse unexpectedly when coming around a corner for example. We have also had the odd issue such as his field being swapped for one with, what I would consider, an unsuitable boundary given there are other horses in close proximity.
I really enjoy sharing him but as much I enjoy stallions in general I probably wouldn't choose to have another as I feel he is deprived of necessary social interaction with his own kind. I'd also love to be able to do more with him although this is very dependent on where you live. Also if our livery yard were to close I suspect his owner would struggle to find another due to his additional needs. Having said all this though day to day he is just like having any horse, just with some extra consideration needed.
I've been lucky enough to ride two lippizanners from the Favory and Conversano lines and they were both incredible. In my limited experience lippizanners are highly intelligent and require tactful and intelligent riders to match. I was able to have lessons on the two mentioned but they would of been too much for me to have ridden independently at the time and quite probably still. I have ridden PRE's and PSL's since and I would say the Lippi's were in a league of their own as regards brain power.
What an amazing opportunity! Hope if you do go ahead you update with pictures
In terms of schooling I love the extra intelligence and presence of stallions. I do hack him weekly however I am always very cautious as I'm aware a loose stallion has the potential to be a serious danger to himself and others and this extra responsibility took a bit of getting used too. I also struggle to find others to hack out with despite him being known as quiet and well mannered. Ditto competing at riding club level as our local clubs will not allow him although I know other clubs that do.
To handle he can have the odd quirky moment and I try to be careful never to take him for granted. He is stabled on a livery yard, the only livery yard I have ever been on that allow stallions. Generally we have a really good set up but I have to be extra careful when using communal facilities such as the wash box, horse walker etc to make sure I avoid situations that put a strain on his good nature. Meeting another horse unexpectedly when coming around a corner for example. We have also had the odd issue such as his field being swapped for one with, what I would consider, an unsuitable boundary given there are other horses in close proximity.
I really enjoy sharing him but as much I enjoy stallions in general I probably wouldn't choose to have another as I feel he is deprived of necessary social interaction with his own kind. I'd also love to be able to do more with him although this is very dependent on where you live. Also if our livery yard were to close I suspect his owner would struggle to find another due to his additional needs. Having said all this though day to day he is just like having any horse, just with some extra consideration needed.
I've been lucky enough to ride two lippizanners from the Favory and Conversano lines and they were both incredible. In my limited experience lippizanners are highly intelligent and require tactful and intelligent riders to match. I was able to have lessons on the two mentioned but they would of been too much for me to have ridden independently at the time and quite probably still. I have ridden PRE's and PSL's since and I would say the Lippi's were in a league of their own as regards brain power.
What an amazing opportunity! Hope if you do go ahead you update with pictures
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
Update for those still following and/or interested:
We met the livery/yard owner this week and spent some time down there taking a good look around and asking plenty questions. I will try to lay out my own 'take' on things given my limited stallion knowledge, in my own words and using my own understanding. As such and as always, criticism is welcome as long as it is balanced. Having thrown my toys out previously is would seem everyone is behaving nicely but anyone still on a mission to undermine what I am trying to learn here will simply be ignored. Any suggestion this is still some elaborate scheme or fantasist rant will be placed in my 'ignored/muted' list. This isn't a request to hold back, if you think I have missed something by all means let me have your thoughts. As always to those who have aimed to help even when the opinion is hard to hear I say thank you as before.
For the moment I am still cautious about giving all the details on the horse, I am still acutely aware that my own ignorance risks reflecting badly on the owner. Though I have sought his permission to share the information and he was happy that I did, I shall try to determine when this is most suitable to do so. We all have to start somewhere and this is far from a noob riding off into the sunset with his shiny new stallion. There are now several layers of support beyond the simple purchase of a horse. In this respect I must both acknowledge and thank several members in this forum for their points. Thank you.
So the yard is big, with a large livery section where a large number of horses and ponies are kept. Some for private owners and a mix for the pony club. I have to say having been on my share of yards in the past I couldn't help but notice that all the horses/ponies were in excellent health, clean and for the most part seemed quite 'fat and happy'. And by that I mean well looked after not actually overweight.
A quick google of the facility gave it a rather impressive 5/5 stars for every single rating but one. I know this is not empirical but its worth noting that they are held in high regard locally.
Then the yard has what was described to me as the 'private yard'. This is an entire set of boxes, away from the central yard down what is clearly a separate and deliberately private area. Fully enclosed and dry with large stalls, all clean and again the horses in excellent nic. I don't recall exactly but in the perhaps 10 horses in this section, 2.5 of them are stallions. I say .5 because one was gelded the day before.
A blend of pretty big warmbloods and a very pretty very big Freisan mare were on the line, with the stall in question the very last in the line. An obvious point of concern as raised often in here so far has been welfare and socialisation and without asking the questions specifically it was clear the stimulus, lack of stimulus or over-stimulus was something the yard owner was able to modify as the stallion would settle in. Daily turn out would be to a pretty large round arena which is grassed but needs to be cleared. Away from direct pathways and access areas but not so far away as to be away from something to look at if this was something he needed.
The place has a number of really big fields, well fenced and secure which are also good options. I believe options are good. My sense is the large enclosure for himself would be perfectly good. It is important to remember that he is already well-mannered, spends a lot of time at shows and events where he is kept around other horses and he has never shown any difficulty. Chilled, if you like. However, I haven't taken this as gospel for a more permanent living arrangement. Any suggestion that he would be shut in a stall 24 hours a day was dealt with before I needed to ask. I will say that if the question was about a 'normal' mare or gelding it would be an absolute no-brainer. The place is perfect.
Important (though I have said it already) is that the private yard already has stallions on the 'wing' so by extension staff are well versed and familiar with them. This for me is a significant factor. The other thing to store in the back of our minds is the yard not only knows the stallion but has kept him there, sometimes for several days in the past without any difficulty. I accept this is rather extraordinarily fortunate but it's a positive factor. Like many of you in here the yard owner seemed genuinely pleased for us that we should be offered the opportunity to own this horse, if a little surprised. So you aren't alone.
The yard owner also appeared genuinely keen to have him. Again not reading much into this, I may have misunderstood but given she knows the stallion it strikes me as highly unlikely she would welcome him into her working business if she had any doubt in her ability to manage him or his likelihood of him not fitting in ok.
Speaking from the heart I must accept that elements of what I might wish for a horse like this are not in my scope to offer him, I do not have a farm myself so I am obliged to seek out the best possible support for him as an alternative. This certainly does check pretty much all the boxes where his living conditions and welfare are concerned. I think it is also important to note that the current owner teaches classes at the yard at least 2 or 3 times per week so I can rely on their almost constant oversight as to his ongoing care.
Today I have spent a little time getting indicative quotes for having him insured. It started off a little difficult but having spoken to a large insurer I am comfortable that this component would be dealt with should it be necessary.
I don't wish to sound pessimistic, we are still quite some way from a decision, we have a few (what I call) reporting points on the event horizon that I need to see completed before we are in a position to make a decision, thought I would go so far as to say it's 50/50. It is a fairly relentless marriage between an obvious desire to make a success of this, versus a thoughtful and considered decision. I hope will understand this is far from a snap decision, we are really trying to make an informed decision. If we do this, I will be confident I have dealt with most of my concerns. If we do not do this, I will be able to look back and accept I understood why I did not.
Dealing with the question of my own obvious riding ability (or current lack thereof) the owner saw both myself and my partner ride him for several hours this weekend and he feels she is ready to start on him. I am not. (I shall try to hide my obvious grief at this!)
He is confident I am 'probably' ready but we have made an arrangement with the yard to provide a well-trained horse for me to ride for a few hours just so I get 'back in the saddle' on another horse without risking pulling him back too far. I think this is just good sense. As @Courbette just said a moment ago, this horse is quite honestly like riding an Aston Martin.
Thank you all again for keeping up with all of this. Hedge.
We met the livery/yard owner this week and spent some time down there taking a good look around and asking plenty questions. I will try to lay out my own 'take' on things given my limited stallion knowledge, in my own words and using my own understanding. As such and as always, criticism is welcome as long as it is balanced. Having thrown my toys out previously is would seem everyone is behaving nicely but anyone still on a mission to undermine what I am trying to learn here will simply be ignored. Any suggestion this is still some elaborate scheme or fantasist rant will be placed in my 'ignored/muted' list. This isn't a request to hold back, if you think I have missed something by all means let me have your thoughts. As always to those who have aimed to help even when the opinion is hard to hear I say thank you as before.
For the moment I am still cautious about giving all the details on the horse, I am still acutely aware that my own ignorance risks reflecting badly on the owner. Though I have sought his permission to share the information and he was happy that I did, I shall try to determine when this is most suitable to do so. We all have to start somewhere and this is far from a noob riding off into the sunset with his shiny new stallion. There are now several layers of support beyond the simple purchase of a horse. In this respect I must both acknowledge and thank several members in this forum for their points. Thank you.
So the yard is big, with a large livery section where a large number of horses and ponies are kept. Some for private owners and a mix for the pony club. I have to say having been on my share of yards in the past I couldn't help but notice that all the horses/ponies were in excellent health, clean and for the most part seemed quite 'fat and happy'. And by that I mean well looked after not actually overweight.
A quick google of the facility gave it a rather impressive 5/5 stars for every single rating but one. I know this is not empirical but its worth noting that they are held in high regard locally.
Then the yard has what was described to me as the 'private yard'. This is an entire set of boxes, away from the central yard down what is clearly a separate and deliberately private area. Fully enclosed and dry with large stalls, all clean and again the horses in excellent nic. I don't recall exactly but in the perhaps 10 horses in this section, 2.5 of them are stallions. I say .5 because one was gelded the day before.
A blend of pretty big warmbloods and a very pretty very big Freisan mare were on the line, with the stall in question the very last in the line. An obvious point of concern as raised often in here so far has been welfare and socialisation and without asking the questions specifically it was clear the stimulus, lack of stimulus or over-stimulus was something the yard owner was able to modify as the stallion would settle in. Daily turn out would be to a pretty large round arena which is grassed but needs to be cleared. Away from direct pathways and access areas but not so far away as to be away from something to look at if this was something he needed. The place has a number of really big fields, well fenced and secure which are also good options. I believe options are good. My sense is the large enclosure for himself would be perfectly good. It is important to remember that he is already well-mannered, spends a lot of time at shows and events where he is kept around other horses and he has never shown any difficulty. Chilled, if you like. However, I haven't taken this as gospel for a more permanent living arrangement. Any suggestion that he would be shut in a stall 24 hours a day was dealt with before I needed to ask. I will say that if the question was about a 'normal' mare or gelding it would be an absolute no-brainer. The place is perfect.
Important (though I have said it already) is that the private yard already has stallions on the 'wing' so by extension staff are well versed and familiar with them. This for me is a significant factor. The other thing to store in the back of our minds is the yard not only knows the stallion but has kept him there, sometimes for several days in the past without any difficulty. I accept this is rather extraordinarily fortunate but it's a positive factor. Like many of you in here the yard owner seemed genuinely pleased for us that we should be offered the opportunity to own this horse, if a little surprised. So you aren't alone.
The yard owner also appeared genuinely keen to have him. Again not reading much into this, I may have misunderstood but given she knows the stallion it strikes me as highly unlikely she would welcome him into her working business if she had any doubt in her ability to manage him or his likelihood of him not fitting in ok.
Speaking from the heart I must accept that elements of what I might wish for a horse like this are not in my scope to offer him, I do not have a farm myself so I am obliged to seek out the best possible support for him as an alternative. This certainly does check pretty much all the boxes where his living conditions and welfare are concerned. I think it is also important to note that the current owner teaches classes at the yard at least 2 or 3 times per week so I can rely on their almost constant oversight as to his ongoing care.
Today I have spent a little time getting indicative quotes for having him insured. It started off a little difficult but having spoken to a large insurer I am comfortable that this component would be dealt with should it be necessary.
I don't wish to sound pessimistic, we are still quite some way from a decision, we have a few (what I call) reporting points on the event horizon that I need to see completed before we are in a position to make a decision, thought I would go so far as to say it's 50/50. It is a fairly relentless marriage between an obvious desire to make a success of this, versus a thoughtful and considered decision. I hope will understand this is far from a snap decision, we are really trying to make an informed decision. If we do this, I will be confident I have dealt with most of my concerns. If we do not do this, I will be able to look back and accept I understood why I did not.
Dealing with the question of my own obvious riding ability (or current lack thereof) the owner saw both myself and my partner ride him for several hours this weekend and he feels she is ready to start on him. I am not. (I shall try to hide my obvious grief at this!)
He is confident I am 'probably' ready but we have made an arrangement with the yard to provide a well-trained horse for me to ride for a few hours just so I get 'back in the saddle' on another horse without risking pulling him back too far. I think this is just good sense. As @Courbette just said a moment ago, this horse is quite honestly like riding an Aston Martin.
Thank you all again for keeping up with all of this. Hedge.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
i am glad you are trying to get the best for him but i cant help my feeling that he would have a better, more natural life is he was gelded. is he only to go in a pen or can he go in the large field you are talking about? if he has never covered you will not be taking a pleasure away from him.... and it seems pointless to keep him entire if he is never to be used.......if he has such good lines i wonder why the current owner has not used him as a stallion.... do you know why? and what would the owner feel about him being gelded? i dont want to put a down on you as i can see you are thinking everything through but at this stage i worry that you will be taking on a horse which you will not be able to do the things you want to. i seem to remember you wanted to do a bit of everything and maybe this horse as a stallion will not be accepted at riding club type events...i am trying to think of all of the negatives for you... if it was me i would absolutely love a highly trained dressage horse so would want to have him BUT i would geld him, both for his quality of life and my peace of mind if i was competing....
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
Hi Splash I mentioned this elsewhere but given all the posts it's possible it got missed. The owner has no objection to him being gelded. None.
To answer your question as to why, I did ask the owner and his answer was pretty clear. He has been raised in line with the Spanish School in Vienna and they don't make any decisions about gelding until the horse is at least 8 or 9 years of age. Don't quote me on this but that was how I understood it. It allows time for the best natured horses to be identified and interestingly composition is a big part of it. I guess that the school is set up for stallions. (I don't actually know but I don't think they have ANY mares?) Its all they have. So there is no need to geld. He mentioned they might have several hundred stallions at a time and it would simply be an unnecessary cost. In my words stallions are sort of their 'thing'. Remember to date this boy has been his horse. He knows what he is doing and has a facility that copes with him. He doesn't need to geld. I may need to and this would not be a barrier though as I have said before, if I felt me taking him on meant he would likely need to have his nuts off, I am probably not a great option as a new owner. Others out there who can manage him just fine would probably be a better fit.
Also as other have made clear, gelding a horse can lead to a very obvious blunting in the behaviour of the horse. There will be serious riders out there who want this and have no desire to remove it. I am not in a position to make this sort of decision yet but for the moment I would not wish to geld him before I even get to know him. Seems a bit the wrong way around then I may as well just look for a gelding?
The husbandry question is one we haven't answered. He doesn't run with a herd in a field nor has he ever since being a colt. We aren't talking about a life of miserable isolation, right now he is kept next to a huge gelding with no issues. For practical reasons alone we need to keep stallions and mares apart, or we will have unwanted pregnancies. So this line of thinking means that every stallion currently kept is living a life of misery. I am not sure this is true? He's on his own all day at the moment (albeit in a big field) and doesn't seem to mind at all. Apparently he is fond of dogs and chickens.
The bottom line is I need to accept that he needs to be managed separately, but its not like he is locked away somewhere, the line they have identified for him is in a group of horses, just kept apart by a barrier for obvious reasons. Its probably more company than he is used to now.
planete
Well-Known Member
As a past enthusiast of classical riding, I am trying to imagine how I would react in your shoes, HP. Owning such a horse would mean a total refocusing of my riding aims and priorities and I would throw myself into learning to ride him as he is used to being ridden and forget about life with ordinary horses. It would probably involve blood, sweat and tears and I would be totally indifferent to my past pleasures of hacking and local competitions ( I could do that on any old nag after all!). Being a stallion is an intrinsic part of who this horse is and I am glad you will not automatically geld him if you take him on. Just my take on this, I am not saying it should be yours but I have had the privilege to know a few Lipizzaners and to ride a couple of dressage stallions and for me, the privilege of working with them would warrant many sacrifices.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
i wouldnt expect him to run with a herd but your earlier reply sounded like he was away from other horses and this post sounds better at least he is next to others and will have company when stabled.
Crazy_cat_lady
Well-Known Member
Its definitely starting to sound a lot more doable and you're doing extensive research not just rushing into it. It is great you are allowed to geld him if the need arises, at least you have it there as an option. It may be worth just asking round some of the yards just so you have a back up if you find issues arise with this one given the number of threads on here about dodgy yards. I'm not saying this one is but if you're stressed trying to move from a yard you hate but cant find any that will take him itll add to your stress. At least if you know at least one other in the area will allow a stallion you've got a fallback option
How near is it to your girlfriend's yard? Would she be able to keep her horse at the yard too, especially as she will be helping you with him to start with. It would give you someone to hack with but it will also make it easier for you both else you'll have to go to her yard for her lesson then go all the way to your one for you to both work with your stallion whereas you can just go from stable to stable if they are both at the same yard. You can ride together in the school as well if he's fine with other horses and she can help you while riding especially on the dark wet days you're not waiting around for one another
The owner seems really helpful it's great he's offering you a go on some Lamborghinis to prepare you for the Bugatti!
I'd be getting very tempted if I was you!
How near is it to your girlfriend's yard? Would she be able to keep her horse at the yard too, especially as she will be helping you with him to start with. It would give you someone to hack with but it will also make it easier for you both else you'll have to go to her yard for her lesson then go all the way to your one for you to both work with your stallion whereas you can just go from stable to stable if they are both at the same yard. You can ride together in the school as well if he's fine with other horses and she can help you while riding especially on the dark wet days you're not waiting around for one another
The owner seems really helpful it's great he's offering you a go on some Lamborghinis to prepare you for the Bugatti!
I'd be getting very tempted if I was you!
cundlegreen
Well-Known Member
I have a stallion here who I've owned for 22 years. He has always been kept on his own, in the field adjacent to mares/geldings. He is stabled next to mares. He worked until he was 18, and has always looked and acted a happy horse. He did have the tendency to jump out and attack geldings that he felt were bothering his mares. He has always covered, but sometimes only one mare a year. None of this makes any difference to his kind nature. In the past he has covered in the morning, then competed at a show the same day. It doesn't make any difference to him. However, there have been occasions when he has taken a strong dislike to a gelding and tried to kill him. He is the kindest boy you could wish for, BUT he is a full horse. All this should be taken into consideration. The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and the one in Jerez have large amounts of stallions, and they are all impeccably behaved, but they are boys living with boys. IME, it's not the stallion who is the problem, but the other owners who don't give consideration to how they should handle their horses around a stallion. I've had a girl in a lesson move her mare in front of my boy, and back her to him, then take umbrage when I request she give him room. This is the sort of thing you may have to deal with.
Equi
Well-Known Member
I think anyone following is now just getting interested. I have said i was in the NO category but frankly im slightly swaying. You've put thought and work into this, and the yard is what i would expect for a horse of this calibre. That helps towards a decision MASSIVELY. The only point i have to bring up is your GF...what is her view..is she very keen for you to get this as your horse or (and i hate to say it) is she really keen for you to get this horse hoping it will end up hers?
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
I have nothing to offer in terms of the stallion debate but just to add a consideration to living arrangements.
You say that if he went to this livery yard that he would have more company than he currently has..?? Fantastic but a word of caution to consider.
My loan cob is rising 10. He has always lived alone till he came here. Albeit a bit different to your situation as mine live out 24/7 but I very naively assumed that as he was used to living alone that leaving him alone while I worked with my other horse would be fine. WRONG. He has decided, as s natural herd animal, that he has wonderful friends and will not risk losing them at any cost. He is a bloody nightmare despite having been out and obtaining him a pet Mini Shetland (ok, ok I admit that was for me but shhhhhh 😳😳ðŸ˜). We are now having to look at getting a professional out to help give the boy a bit of help coping with the other horse leaving him.
I realise my situation is very different to yours but something worth considering when a horse has led a relatively solitary life.
ETA: He is considerably better at leaving the others than them leaving him 🙄🙄🙄
Good luck
You say that if he went to this livery yard that he would have more company than he currently has..?? Fantastic but a word of caution to consider.
My loan cob is rising 10. He has always lived alone till he came here. Albeit a bit different to your situation as mine live out 24/7 but I very naively assumed that as he was used to living alone that leaving him alone while I worked with my other horse would be fine. WRONG. He has decided, as s natural herd animal, that he has wonderful friends and will not risk losing them at any cost. He is a bloody nightmare despite having been out and obtaining him a pet Mini Shetland (ok, ok I admit that was for me but shhhhhh 😳😳ðŸ˜). We are now having to look at getting a professional out to help give the boy a bit of help coping with the other horse leaving him.
I realise my situation is very different to yours but something worth considering when a horse has led a relatively solitary life.
ETA: He is considerably better at leaving the others than them leaving him 🙄🙄🙄
Good luck
ycbm
Overwhelmed
HP if you're hoping to maintain some level of privacy about this, I think you need to realise that you've now given so many details, and because there are so few lippizaner stallions in this country trained by an haute ecole rider, coupled with pony club centres which have an haute ecole rider train at them, that it's now pretty easy to identify which horse, trainer and riding centre you are talking about.
.
.
Floxie
Well-Known Member
That's fair - but I got the impression (I may be wrong!) that this wasn't a COMPLETE PRIVACY!! concern but more of a... not waving it about scenario?! Plus he says he has sought the owner's permission to share, but is choosing not to just yet. I may be wrong or not making sense
But if the information is there, it still requires a little digging, as opposed to Hedgepig just outright banding it about.Although naturally since you've posted that I'm trying to dig haha!
(PS: why do you add a line break and a dot after your posts? I keep wondering..!) xx
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
My attempts at stalking may have been succesful, LOL.
Floxie
Well-Known Member
No, I can't find it either! Very disappointed haha
Very disappointed haha
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
I put ‘haute ecole stallion trainer pony club centre’ in google.
HedgePig
Well-Known Member
Hi Floxie,That's fair - but I got the impression (I may be wrong!) that this wasn't a COMPLETE PRIVACY!! concern but more of a... not waving it about scenario?! Plus he says he has sought the owner's permission to share, but is choosing not to just yet. I may be wrong or not making sense
Although naturally since you've posted that I'm trying to dig haha!
(PS: why do you add a line break and a dot after your posts? I keep wondering..!) xx
I need to be clear. If my original question had been met with objectivity I would not hesitate to share all. Instead I was called a liar, a scammer and a fantasist. Not once. Not twice. It was ongoing. I was compared to a storyteller who wanted to learn to ride by building a training school for TBs and my (almost) certain failure on this project was something people in here would look forward to. MAYBE 3 people came in here and called for calm. Not one person condemned it, instead I got explanation after explanation about why I should understand how fanciful this whole thing is and how I simply need to 'put up' with the abuse. Let me say again, some people have been horrible. I don't pretend to understand what people gain from coming onto a forum and being an arse, but they certainly hunt in packs in here.
You can quite honestly blame 2 or 3 posters for their rubbish attitude. I have had no apology (nor do I think they are the calibre of people to offer one anyway) for the initial hostility and so I am not about to bow to their curtain twitching and share all the details. Certainly not until I feel I want to, if at all. There have been a handful of members who I have been speaking with using the message function with whom I have shared pics of me working with the horse etc. Again, I worked out a long time ago that in here you're unlikely to please all the people all the time, and those baying for info have been the most critical. Its my right to enjoy a little privacy here and where I have felt it necessary I have spent rather a long time explaining what I have done, what I have learnt and how I might see this all work out. Its been quite some time and I am still here, taking and answering questions. Surely the work of a charlatan.
I accept I am operating in a tiny pool of possibilities. There aren't that many Lippi stallions floating about. If you happen to know the horse and owner maybe it will have gone some way to giving legitimacy to my question. I still need to decide if this is a good idea and if it will work. If others know the horse and owner (he is certainly well known by my account) then they are free to speak with him directly, I have made no claims to be anything more (or less) than I am. I'm a stallion novice. I need a lot of help with this and I am really grateful to those who have been willing to help.
As always though thank you for your interest, this whole thing is exciting as much as it is crazy. Hedge.