Wishful thinking about ability - why do people do it??!!

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no_no_nanette

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A friend has just advertised her 4 year old for sale - he is with a very highly respected producer, and because he is a very tricky chap but talented, they spent ages on a very detailed ad which gave loads of detail about his behaviour - he's a rearer -and made it absolutely clear that he was a challenge NOT to be taken on by anyone who wasn't VERY experienced, and adult! He was, of course, reasonably priced for that reason. In spite of the very detailed ad they STILL got endless phone calls and emails from young teenage girls who swore that they could manage him, also from adults who said things like "I used to ride, and I'm interested in getting back into it". If friend/producer had been unscrupulous, they could have sold him ten times over, and almost certainly had a very nasty accident on their conscience. Its been a real eye-opener to us about how naive many people are - you really, really can't take on a horse like him on the basis of wishful thinking. I find it really scary that people are prepared to buy a horse that will obviously be so unsuitable for them, and its going to end up in tragedy either for the person or the horse .... Do you think that there's anything more that the BHS/others should be doing to try and make sure people are more realistic?
 
It is completely ridiculous, when I was looking for horses I didnt look at any that said not novice ride as me and my dad were to share and he was a novice at the time. It works both ways though despite me being Very careful about what horses we looked at their were a few I wouldnt even let my dad ride as they were completely mad.

It is totally ridiculous people get so desperate for a horse they will look at anything!
 
It happens all the time, and unfortutately dealers see them coming and rub their hands with glee, or private owners are so desperate to get rid of their badly behaved horse they don't care who takes it!

I think it's hugely admirable that your friend and the producer have been so honest; if only everyone were like that.

I think it takes many years of riding and owning horses to realise how little you know, if that makes sense!
 
I am afraid that coming from outside, into the horse world very recently I see the same thing that you see in life generally. For the most part people are IDIOTS! and I think your friend has done them all the most terrific favour by not selling them his horse.

I too have see it the other way around and as a consequence a friend of my wife, who has owned horses for years, has a very unsuitable horse.

There is a thread elsewhere about owners needing to hold some form of licence or competency certificate before being allowed to own a horse, but this idea has little support.

In my opinion there are too many unsuitable owners being sold too many unsuitable equines. Your friend may or may not be exceptional, but I am afraid way too often 'money talks' and the idiot gets his/her way.
 
Dibbedy, I think you're right - I remember when my daughter was belting around doing team games in the PC, and all she wanted was a highly bred Arab .... I don't think so!!! At 23, she now knows better, and is very happy with her little Clydie X cob ...

The interesting - and really positive thing to come out of it - is that the producer has had so many people say to them how impressed they have been by the detail and honesty of the advert, that I think they will have gained quite a few new clients, and I'm sure its done their reputation a lot of good! So in a way it has paid to be honest ....
 
I try to downgrade my experience. Like I can sit out bucking/rearing/problems - but I know I couldnt fix them so I know a horse that does that isnt for me. Even after 13 years, numerous jobs with horses and even dealing with psycho stallions I am STILL a novice, always will be.

BUT I probably contradicted myself buying my current horse as he did a full on bronk in the road with me before I bought him, and went psycho when I lunged him - but I just hoped that was because he had been stood in a field and not really ridden so he'd gone feral and naughty. Plus he was very fat, so I did wonder what he would be like. In the first 4 months of owning him I hardly cantered him as he threw quite a few people (but surprisingly never tried it with me) and he was quite bad until I did come off and broke my ankle. But I know that was beacuse I took a now fit and excited horse who had only just gone back into a snaffle from a dutch gag and I cantered him in a 200 acre field past another field of horses next to an estate where they are known to shoot. My mistake and I would never have complained about it.

But anyhoo.....................I dont think riding schools always help as at our local they have ribbons and levels and you can get to intermediate without even having owned a horse, and to be honest its not that much you need to know. My RI said I was riding at intermediate level - now to me someone at that level is regularly competing and could start/break a horse - that is sooo not me!
 
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