Viewing a horse... Who rides first?

PapaFrita

PapaFrita

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Personally, I think it makes sense, when one is viewing a horse, to see the owner ride it first. This is not just in case horse turns out to be a psycho, but I would generally expect the horse to go best for the person who rides it most. Course, owner might be a complete incompetent, but still.
I went to see a horse today with a friend. Owner didn't ride, nor was he asked to. This chap is a grade A showjumper and horse is up for sale for US$15,000 which is ALOT of money out her (much more than in the UK) Horse was lunged, then ridden (rather nervously) by my friend, then her instructor. He clattered rather alot of poles and I started to wonder whether he might not have jumped better with his 'dad' and whether his 'dad' was not doing him a disservice by not riding him himself.
When Antifaz was viewed, I wanted to ride him first myself, but was assured this was not necessary. Fortunately he jumped beautifully, but was quite grumpy for first 15 minutes which isn't is usual self...
What do you think?
 
I always like to see its owner/rider on it first. I hate riding horses I have never seen as you never know what they might do. Plus the owner should be trying to show the horse off to the buyer. Someone who sits on a horse for the first time is unlikely to get it to go at its best.

But saying that when I went to try my loan horse her owner didn't ride her, but I think thats because she no longer rides.
 
Definitely expect owner to ride it first. First you want to see how it goes, assess it from the ground - and see its capabilities as you shouldn't push it yourself first time you get on!

Secondly is the safety thing - need to see how it reacts and if its a nutter!
 
I would normally expect a horse to be ridden by it's owner first. Even where that is not possible (injured owner, owner lost nerve) then you would expect the owner to have brought someone in to ride the horse when it is offered for sale to potential vendors.
 
I always expect the owner/rider to ride the horse first...always! As I do when I am selling mine.
 
I always offer to ride the horse first when selling.
When buying I always get straight on. A horse can change a lot in the first 5 mins of being ridden, and it isnt always noticeable from the ground. If someone that knows the horse gets on first, it is very easy for them to disguise any tenseness/stiffness the horse may have initially.
 
We always expect owner/rider up first - many times have we walked away at this stage as the horse is not what is being advertised or it has not got the attitude that we are looking for. One horse was plain dangerous when being ridden by its rider so that was another one we walked away from!
 
I expect the owner to ride them first as you dont know what you are getting on, Saying that I got straight onto ben the one I got now and that hasnt gone so bad.
 
Normally I've had to hop sraight on due to lack of somebody to ride it first but I do like to ride first anyway for much the same reasons as Vicijp. When I went to try Olympic I would have asked DieselDog to ride first if she hadn't automatically hopped on first so I could see what he could do before I got on and acted like a coward and only jumped about 2'6"
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I would always expect the owner to ride first. Although, having said that, when we were trying horses before we bought Marius, my daughter was looking for one to jump and several times she got on first and jumped the horse because the owner was incompetent/scared to!
But I wouldn't!
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When I sold my horse unfortunatly I couldn't ride him first due to a bad back but this was explained fully to all potential buyers prior to them agreeing to view him. It did do him an injustice as I had done all the schooling on him and had been the only person to ride him in the 2 1/2 years I had him. The person that eventually bought him saw me ride him just before the decision was made after having ridden him herself 4/5 tims. I would like to think that this did sway their decision but I think they would have had him anyway.
 
def owner. when i was looking for my first pony we went to see one and i asked the owner to ride it to see how he went.

she then said theres no need to be scared!!
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i was actually quite offended and i think she only said it cos i was 11. she still rode him first though
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generally yes i would rather see owner ride it first. that being said in our yard if a strange horse comes in for selling usually a few of us sit up so we can get and idea of how they react to new people. one of my friends produces showjumpers and gets me in to ride the lot of them every few months just so they don't have a wee panic that its not him on board as he is the only one to ride them the rest of the time.
 
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