Would this put you off buying a horse?

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Kate260881

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My mare is funny about getting her bridle on. I think she's had some issues in the past and having the bridle put on the traditional way is next to impossible with her (if you are very tall its just about doable but the stress just isn't worth it). Basically I undo a cheek piece put the bridle on then take the bit in from the side. This she is totally fine with.

However, if you were looking for a horse to buy would this put you off? It takes about 15 seconds longer to do than the traditional way. I'm thinking of selling her but it would be to a competition yard, not a happy hacker home (no point as hacking is the issue).
 
I don't think things like that are an issue at all tbh, esp if you're aiming at a competition home. Each horse has their own little niggles, I know mine does
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I don't think it would put me off for the right horse if that makes sense.

If she ticked the other boxes then I would still go ahead.
 
It wouldn't put me off provided I'd seen you manage to do it and had had a go myself but I probably would use it as a lever on the price.

My first Section D had this issue, amongst many others, but is now fine with being bridled conventionally - most of the time!
 
Narh, I bought one like that, took me 2 weeks to get a blooming bridle on him, because he was big he kept throwing his head up, anyway just kept patient and kept trying and one day he just let me put it on and since that day he never played up again....I can only presume some he may of been roughly handled or had his teeth banged on the bit at he previous home or previous in his life which made him a little bridle shy. I did ring to ask them about it and they said he'd always been a bit like that, but after that one time getting it on, he was fine ever since and never tried it again...but gosh did he put up a fight!

Also there was one down at our yard which I used to ride and he was difficult to bridle up, he's throw his head around and nearly knock you out, why I don't know, but a bit of patience but at the same time not letting them get away with it, as some crafty beggars learn if they rider gives in, there do it all the more) but now he's totally fine, you could put it on with your eyes closed.

Provding there is nothing wrong with the teeth and ears and you careful when putting and taking off the bridle, then I think ist something that you can easily deal with, often giving them a treat while bobbing the bit in also helps to stimulate saliva or even warming a cold bit.

So long as the owner is honest and shows the person that it can be put on then it wouldnt put me off if the horse was prefect in every other way but I would want to get to the bottom of why they are donig it, there is always a reason.
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Headly brittania is the same, cant get her bridle on the normal way, its done via the cheekpiece. I think its because shes got aural plaques.
 
My horse is a get to have his bridle put on and always has been. Have had him what, 14 years now and he hasn't improved and there's nothing we have done or anyone before has done that can have put him off. Think he just likes to have his 'fun'!
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He is fine once on and has no mouth, poll or back problems so no actually reason for him to do it. Think he'd much rather be bitless but as he has no manners in a headcollar I am not convinced it's an option!!!
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Our rescue pony that we got in december does the same thing, he doesn't like his ears being pulled through so we are starting to go down the path of taking it to pieces, he can sometimes be funny with having his headcollar on. So no i wouldn't be put off but would like to be made aware of it.
 
Mmm, well it probably wouldn't put me off but I did hear that the Fredericks couldn't sell Headley Britannia as she is headshy and they have to take the bridle to pieces to tack up. Now of course, she's priceless! But I think if the horse was good in every other way, it probably wouldn't matter unless you're aiming for the happy hack/novice owner market. You might get haggled down in price though over it.
 
All horses have their little quirks... some don't like their rugs on, some get posessive of their food!
I knew of a horse who you had to actually take the whole bridle aprt to put on in pieces, annoying but then he was a fab horse, so I would say yes annoying but certainly NOT the end of the world!!
 
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Mmm, well it probably wouldn't put me off but I did hear that the Fredericks couldn't sell Headley Britannia as she is headshy and they have to take the bridle to pieces to tack up.

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I was just thinking about that mare, she never got better either her whole career was spent taking the bridle to bits and putting it together on her head :s but as you say she's priceless and with competition horse's people are far more forgiving of quirks.

It wouldn't put me off, she will come better with time. Remember what she was like when you first got her, it was about 45 minutes and many head injuries just to get the bridle on!
 
If the horse was perfect in every other way, then no it wouldn't. But tbh it's a faff I could do without. I'm lazy.
 
I don't think it would worry a competition home, they are generally all quirky anyway! as long as you can get a bridle on it it doesn't matter how it gets there!
 
Ive just finished having my boy on a trial and have bought him now. He is a but funny with his ears, you have to loosen then bit right off then put it on and he is fine. It didnt put me off at all.
 
My mare was a nightmare to bridle when we got her - it was scary to be in the box with the agitated, spinning, headtossing diva - but now she opens her mouth & is just generally so easy I forget she used to be like that. Would not put me off in the slightest.
 
Yes it would completely put me off, even for a competition horse. but I'm thinking that my sister who is nervous about handling difficult horses would be the one I'd need to exersise said competition horse if I was injured/ill, or if running late at a show she'd tack up whilst I changed. Little things like that would get difficult.

In other circumstances it could be a different answer, but right now a definate no.

I do however think there'll be others out there who could deal with it fine, especially for the right horse.
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Hmm, yes, it would put me off. However most of my horsey friends wouldnt bat an eyelid at a quirk like this, esp if as previous poste mentioned, she ticked all the other boxes. Very best of luck if you do decide to sell.
 
It didn't put me off
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When I went to view Monty the owner had problems putting his bridle on and so did I for quite a while. I eventually found he would let me do it from the other side. My friend also said to try putting the bit in with the other hand than what I did normally and he is fine with it. He has always had issues with his right ear and the right side of his neck
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Have you tried using your other hand to put the bit in with or putting the bridle on from the other side?
 
It wouldn't bother me at all - its a much less annoying quirk than, say, not standing still to be mounted or refusing to be caught IMO.
 
No wouldnt put me off.
my 15.2 is an angel to tack up as long as you put your finger in his right hand side of his mouth to open it for the bit to go in.
My friends mum spent 20 mins at a show trying to put his bridle on whilst I went to enter, I came back and she was furious calling him all the names under the sun lol,
I realised I had forgotten to tell her to put her finger in the opposite side, ha ha
 
QR- not if the seller was honest with me and i wanted her as a comp horse- the way she moves/jumps/performs would be more of an issue TBH....
 
Thanks for all the replies (work got crazy and I didn't get a chance to check them till today). This has made me feel much better. As PS said she's already so much better than when i first got her, I used to have to the taking the bridle to pieces thing so only having to undo a cheekpiece is soooo much better! Haven't tried doing it from the other side though, might give that a go and see what happens. And if I do sell her I will be being 100% honest about her quirks, its just not fair on her or the new owner otherwise.
 
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