Views on buying a riding school horse

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Sorry same post as before but I forgot "school" - lol! (I'm sucha dimwit! :D)

Hi there, I am still looking for my next horse!

I have seen an ex riding school pony for sale who, apparently, doesn't do anything but walk when in a school. Is that just an over exaggeration or do these ex riding schoolers just switch off?

Anything I need to consider first before viewing?
 
MrsD123 said:
As this is the time of year when riding schools are busy I wonder why they are selling it, is it ancient?
Do you want a pony that only walks, i mean what sort are you looking for?
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He is a private sale, 10 yrs old. He came from a riding school initially. He only walks in the school but they don't believe in using whips...I do when necessary. Out hacking he is "perfect."

I am looking for a safe all rounder 14h2 plus. I have had my fair share of highly strung horses :)
 
MrsD123 said:
Could be he got soured off when riding in a manege, is that what you mean, if you like him I see no problem
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I could get him back on the long rein agani and wake him up. They aparently had an instructor out to get him going but not even that helped. Its ironic really i have just come from a highly strung TB, always bombing off and being a nutcase to something that wont move!
 
I've had two ex riding school horses, my mare that I lost in 2008 and the horse that me and my best friend own/share now. The current lad was quite a handful when we first got him, not naughty but tested his boundaries alot but I believe he would of done this anyway. He is very sensitive and prob wasn't best suited to a busy enviroment like that. He has turned into a fabulous horse and is adored by everyone who meets him! He is worried by men though as being a shire x he was used for all the male riders. He is much better with 1 or 2 people riding him xx
 
Oh and b was very dead to leg as riding school was very much kick, kick etc. With some help from a instructor friend this is no longer the case xx
 
I think if you are interested then go look. I have known plenty of ex riding school horses go on to be great one 2 one horses. Riding schools arent great for all horses and some just thrive on the one 2 one relationship.
Horlicks who I ride is in a rising school. She doesn't like it and would be a fab eventer type. When she's had time off and then brought back to work, she is totally different than when she has been ridden non stop by "beginners".
 
I'm on my 3rd ex RS horse - we've also had horses bought from private homes. IME the ex RS horses have been bombproof and sensible in almost all situations. They have been fed up of being ridden only by novice riders - I like heavy horses who seem to be used for men beginners mostly. They have taken quite a bit of riding to get them back to being enthusiastic and not evasive - they all learn all kinds of tricks to get out of work. But they have also been good at looking after novices when asked to. Whereas the private home horses have also learned all sorts of tricks but not necessarily the good manners that horses which have been handled by professionals have.
I'd suggest going to look at the horse and see what you think about it yourself -often horses behave differently for different people.
 
If he's been in a riding school for a long time and is slow he will have got used to following the one in front and may start napping or be insecure on his own. Ask to ride him out on the road on his own.
 
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