Turning away a 4 year old

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Charcharbinx

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Could anyone giv me advice on what to doo....well...there is a horse i am hoping to buy, he is 4 years old nearly 5 but the thing is that im going to uni and i dont want to have him there with me...so my only option is to turn him away to grass until i settle in and get to know my timetable...and i could get my sister to ride him or walk him out on the weekend! Is this a good idea...as i know that horses begin to get attitudes at the ag of 5! But he is perfect for me and it would be my dream! Thank youu
 
IMO you need to create a bond with him and learn to trust each other, I don't think turning him away will do him any good, IMO he needs regular work.
 
Sorry to be blunt but I don't think you should even be considering buying a younster if you haven't got the time for him. Leave him for somebody else to bring on, there will always be another one for you when the time is right.
 
Just re-read your post, about your sister riding him. In my experience just being ridden at weekends is not enough for most 4 year olds, and it is likely to cause problems. Sorry!

However, at the end of the day, it is your decision.
 
It really depends on what the horse is like, you cant tar all 5 yr olds with the same brush. If the horse is been schooled properly on weekends by a very capable rider (obviously we dont know what experience your sister has) then yes that would be fine for a laid back type, but the problem you have is, you wont know exactly what this 5 year old is like to be able to judge if its the type of horse you can turn away because you wont get that chance to figure each other out. My 4 yr has not been ridden for 3 weeks (due to holiday/loose shoe/waiting for farrier etc) but I rode him this evening in the school and a little hack up the rode and he was a total gent, yet other horses be it youngsters or even older ones (fit or unfit) need regular work and can be more difficult without it.

Surely it is better to settle into uni, find out what time you have, then decide to get a horse...perhaps something older so you can be more flexible, a young horse like a 5 yr old I think needs to be in a routine and really at this age is the making or breaking off a horse, its an important time of their life, so you really need the time for them.

smile.gif
 
I wouldn't bother, you will be far to busy with uni to have a horse too. With hindsight if i had waited to buy a horse until after I'd been to uni I would have done - it was a right struggle to fit everything in and I ended up loaning my horse out for my 2nd year!
 
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