Westphalian Warmblood-How can i find out if she has ever been ridden? Please help!!

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b8xey

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Hi All, i have a Westphalian Warmblood Mare, 11 years old. She has a very sweet respectful nature. She is well bred, pink papered, branded, imported from Germany, her dad was a granprix horse ECU.
I have had her for around one year, i bought her with foal at foot and also in foal. I am trying to try and find out who may have owned her in the past, and if she has ever been ridden. I know who she was owned by previously to me, (whom i cannot contact)however she was kept as a pet by them, i also know she came to them from a very big expensive yard. There are no previous owners in her passport which is German, only locations from her vaccination records which are Cranford Northants and Mkt Rasen. i dont know why she was kept as mainly a pet, but i cant understand why she would not have been ridden in the past if she came from such a large yard unless maybe she has some sort of health issue or is a fruit loop. I have tried selling her as a broodmare, however if she would possilbley be rideable i would happily keep her. I have lunged her, free schooled her and she seems to have knowledge of this, though is a little nervous when lifting a saddle on her back.
I know i must sound stupid, but i really dont know how to go about trying to trace anything about her, or whether its worth the risk of going back to basics and seeing how she reacts. I really would prefere to know if she is or isnt rideable, if any one has any advice, pointers or anything i would really apreciate it!
 
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Find someone brave ;):D

No, really.. Start again from scratch, as you would do breaking a horse in. You will find out soon enough once a rider is on board and you gather up your reins and ask her to work etc.
 
did you have her vetted? that would rule out any physical reason why she may not have been ridden. Did you ask the people you bought her from why she wasnt ridden by them or they werent sure either? I would get he vet checked/teeth etc etc before you start then start as if you are breaking her to ride. No reason why you couldnt break her now even if she hasnt been ridden?
 
Hi, no i never got her checked with a vet etc, as i bought her for her first foal, which i know was probably very stupid, but as she was a quiet easy mare, it was not really an issue as she is so easy to be around.
That was one of the things i was going to consider doing, just to ensure she was physically ok, she is good with her feet, teeth and very very respectful, so like you say i was gonig to go back to basics and see how things go.
i just wondered if any one had got any pointers, or knew of a way i can find out anything before i risk getting aboard.
i cant contact the past owners, i have no details what so ever from them, bascially they sold her to my friend, who let me have her as she knew i would give her a home for life, so i cant cantact the first people my friend got her off as i dont actually know them, just know of them, if that all makes sense, thats why i know a little about her history and not alot!
Thanks loads for your help..
 
Ponyfeet10 - ive already lined up a brave friend!! lol, just joking aside i didnt want to risk anyone getting on her just incase she would lose the plot! she is a big chunky girl...
 
b8xey said:
Ponyfeet10 - ive already lined up a brave friend!! lol, just joking aside i didnt want to risk anyone getting on her just incase she would lose the plot! she is a big chunky girl...
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Just take it slowly, one step at a time. Perhaps pop some weight on her saddle but not that of a humans. Sand bag or two strapped to saddle.. let stirrups dangle and walk in-hand and then progress to lunging and long reining with it. See what her reaction is to that. If all goes well, have a rider lean over her.. then progress slowly to sitting up with feet in stirrups (A good neck strap is probably advisable as this point!). Then go from there :)
 
Well after two foals it is going to have to be a long process, i dont know the last time if ever she was in work, i was hoping to be able to judge if she has had a bridle on before when i put a bit in her mouth, and see how she reacts to that, if not i was gonig to start with mouthing her up, and really starting from square one, as then at least i will know she has brakes when eventually some one does get on!!
I can do some work with her while i do this and hopefully she will be a bit less nervy as well...does that sound anything like a plan?
Thank youxxx
 
b8xey said:
Well after two foals it is going to have to be a long process, i dont know the last time if ever she was in work, i was hoping to be able to judge if she has had a bridle on before when i put a bit in her mouth, and see how she reacts to that, if not i was gonig to start with mouthing her up, and really starting from square one, as then at least i will know she has brakes when eventually some one does get on!!
I can do some work with her while i do this and hopefully she will be a bit less nervy as well...does that sound anything like a plan?
Thank youxxx
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Yep, that sounds good to me! Sorry I did get the impression you had already had a bridle on her :o:p
 
I'm slightly confused, you say that you were given her as it would be a home for life, yet you also say that you would sell her unless you can ride her?

which is it>?


if you are a 'home for life' then pay someone to break her

if not then sell her as is, a broodmare
 
Pony feet10- no sorry, not had a bridle on yet!!! lunged in cavesson, and free schooled in the same, tried a saddle and a little nervous, did not do anything more as she was in foal.

Sorry if the post was confusing, i did not want to go on and on, i bought her as a broodmare, with foal at foot and in foal, and did not want to part with her, however we have lost a lot of grazing and so that is why i was going to have to sell her, she is a big horse and i was just trying to do right by her, and she dropped some weight with lack of grass, so originally it was a home for life but my circumstances changed. Tried to sell her as a broodmare as that was the only thing i can gurantee she had done. I would really like to keep her and try her as a riding horse, as she is a lovely easy mare. i have now managed to sell her foal, and so that has helped out with the grazing issue as i have one less now. i was panicking a bit coming up to winter with how much our hay has gone up and did not know how i was going to cope.
hope that makes sense and sorry if i was a little confusing.
 
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