What would you have done? Viewing..

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ngrace

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..a horse, travelled 1.5hrs, told there would be someone to ride him for me to show me as owner has lost all confidence since being bucked off as horses back was 'out'. The horse hasnt been ridden for about a month, since he bucked someone else off. He dosent warn you he just bucks rider off immediatley. I'm told he has only had a phase like this once before in 5 years and it was his back. This time he is in this phase and they cant find any problems at all.
So I arrive, have a chat, and it turns out rider isnt coming. Owner lunges horse but won't get on, I explain that because of what she has told me about the horse I would only get on if I see someone ride it first! She explains that she is unable to ride due to lost confidence. I go home!
What would you have done?

Long post, sorry!
 
I would have done exactly the same as you. If they arent willing to risk their safety then why would they expect you to compromise yours? Plenty more for sale out there.
 
Would have been very fed up - especially as you checked someone would be able to ride the horse. However, would have done the same as you & walked.... Not worth it. Obviously not someone available to ride for a reason...!
There will be another, just put it down to experience. Would still be pi**ed off though!
 
Completely out of order, I'd have asked her for some fuel money. Probably wouldn't get it, but it would have made the point.
I will never, ever get on a horse first. I stuck to my guns on this once, when the trainer was trying to persuade me to get on and go straight for a hack with her while she rode another horse. I insisted she ride first, so she got on in the arena, and was badly thrown within 5 minutes.
 
Tbh I wouldnt have gone in the first place having had experience of back issues and the unpredictable bucking.
Nevertheless you went and you did the right thing by coming home. Bit annoying and a waste of your time but better than a bad injury. Their time was wasted too. Not by you but by their own lack of organisation.
 
I would have got on but only because I have no sense not too :-) Always been the ginuea pig for people and should have learnt better but just cant say no! If horse is only for loan would it not be worth taking a risk on? You never know they may not have had a proper physio out for its back so it never really gets resolved and tack might not fit! You must have felt confident about your abilities in the first place to go look knowing what the horse has done??
 
I've always just jumped straight on horses to loan/buy but then there's never been a history of back problems. I'm used to jumping on top of a horse I don't know due to going to riding school so should know better really!

If I knew of back problems I wouldn't have bothered going tbh - as above, if he's for loan you have no guarantee that physio will ever arrive! She should get problem fixed before she invites people up!
 
i would always advise not to get on in that situation but i would have jumped on for a try- i am slightly nutty about getting on strange horses though!
 
Would have gone home. But I also wouldn't have gone to view a known loony in the first place personally.

One horse I saw bucked with his rider on, not badly, so I got on and he did it a little with me too. No way would I get on an unknown horse without seeing it ridden though.
 
I viewed a horse in similar circumstances. He was for sale, at well above meat money, I had breeding history but not for the last two years. I knew he'd been known to buck. I got there, she wouldn't ride him, I got on anyway as she was threatening to take him to the sales and I was trying to help avoid that.
Horse did a hell of a lot more than buck, I was hospitalised, she informed me whilst i was on the floor that horse had broken her ankle badly, hence won't ride it, and another rider refused to get back on as she'd been hurt badly too.
There's a huge moral here: if someone who knows him well won't get on, then walk away. As said before, this girl wasn't willing to risk her neck but was willing to risk yours.

I can ride again now, 5 months later, but I am in significant pain throughout the day and competing is a dream that I doubt will happen again in the near future.

PM me what you are looking for loan, may have something.
 
If the owner was not prepared to get up or had not got someone there to ride the horse I would make my excuses and leave.

You did the right thing I hate to sound old and boring but your safety comes first.
 
I think you did the right thing. I stupidly once got on a nervous looking 5yo who I'd been told was "cold backed" without anyone riding it first (owner was pregnant and the "groom" had cancelled...). Horse was clearly cold backed but it turned out ok in the end, bought him (he's the grey in my siggy) and never looked back, plus his cold backed thing stopped after a year! Wouldn't advise getting on a horse without seeing it ridden first though!
 
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