Would you buy this horse?

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dope-on-a-rope:)

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Hi all,

Just went to try a horse this week and he was perfect in every respect, exactly the horse that I am looking for apart from one thing! He's absolutely dead to the leg and was very hard work to get/keep going. I was given a short stick to ride with and he had a big square pad on so no chance of making proper contact to encourage him on with the stick. Girl who rode him for me did a bit better job than me (I'm quite unfit after not riding for a while) and he did go quite nicely - popped a course etc too, no probs. I hacked him up the road and he was a bit better but still had to be nudged on.

So, what would you do? Do you think this problem is solvable? :confused: He's ideal in every other respect with a temperament to die for!
 
I wouldnt let that put you off buying it if you like it, a problem like that is fixable not sure how but i know it can be done as friends pony was exactly the same but its now a little sharp thing
 
Depends really on what you want him for my youngster was really lazy but we got him to be more forward going eventually what type is he and age
 
No, I don't like lazy horses, so I wouldn't buy it.

But it is curable - I used to own a mare who was pretty dead to the leg. Spurs helped a lot, and I always schooled her with a schooling whip. Worked a lot on her flatwork and getting her to carry herself and become quicker off the leg. Also put her on tiger oats and other high energy feed, which helped too.

By the time I sold her she was much much better and quite pleasant to ride, but always had a tendency to drop behind the leg if allowed.
 
It is fixable, he just needs to learn to move from the leg. Also, it depends on what work he is doing now and if riders constantly kick him on. One thing to think about is, could he have been doped? I know its a bit mad to think it, but its something I would be wondering?
 
yes if that what you want, dead to the leg is curable. I trained with buck branigan 10 years ago and have been practicing horse behavioural training ever since.
 
Erm, having had to fix a very lazy horse with my last one, I wouldn't be in the mood to do it again. It means a LOT of hard work and patience, as in effect you are re-starting from scratch.

That said, the bond I had with this horse was so good once we'd sorted things - still breaks my heart I had to sell him.

Go with your heart xx
 
you dont say how old or what breed he is if he is young he may just need more schooling to get him to react quicker to the leg or if he lot older just could be his nature maybe he just needs a bit of fuel in him i would prefer a horse like that then one that shoots of everytime you put your leg on and invest in some lessons with your new horse so you both understand each other good luck
 
Thanks everyone for your responses! I'm looking for a quiet and sensible allrounder after returning to riding following having my baby last year. Would like to just be able to try a bit of everything if i choose but will probably in the main just be hacking and schooling at home. He's a 7 year old irish sport horse, has done a bit of eveything - good to hack and handle etc. I don't think he was doped - was being sold from a reputable yard anyway.......
 
Its sounds as if he is in a dealers yard, so two things to think about really, firstly he may not have been there very long is still adjusting and possibly been working fairly hard so they can put him up for sale having done as much as they can in a short period of time. This would mean he will be easier to change, in fact just having a regular routine and the same rider every day could mean you dont have to do very much about it.

The second thing is that many horses coming over from Ireland are much greener than they appear when produced by a dealer, find out as much as you can about his history and make sure you try it properly before buying and definitely get it fully vetted.
 
mines dead to the leg but lots of transtions perk her up a bit (and a showjump too lol)

If hes right in every other way then its a defiante do-able!

confidence is everything

mines very laid back (borderline lazy), but a whip and transitions may help....lazy/reliable can help confidence imo :)

good luck -defaintely get a vetting!" :)
 
If he's everything else you want, providing his steady nature is not down to something like Lami or being sedated - go for it they are easier to wind up than down and your safety as a parent is paramout;)
A nice steady natured horse would be far easier to 'pick up and put down' as opposed to something that 'has' to be ridden daily, especially when you are trying to fit riding in whilst having little ones around:)
Plus there is a good market out there for nice steady types should you in time feel he is still not forward going enough.
 
If he was what I was looking for, sure - it's easy enough to teach a horse to move off the leg sharply and I would rather sort those sorts of problems than some others (e.g. bucking fits!).

Wouldn't buy one if I was looking for a racehorse or an eventer though, so it does all depend what you're after ;) :D
 
I would, But then i enjoy schooling and bringing on. If you're ok with a few months of working on it then go for it, As it is usually fixable.
 
It sounds like this horse fits your bill perfectly, and remember that it is much better to have a slightly more sedate horse that one which is a pain in the arse (especially now you have a little one to consider!). You can gee him up with work and feed if you wish or perhaps just a bit of work in spurs will do the trick. I would much rather people were a little more content with what they find than always searching for the 'perfect' horse to find out that PH is a bit too high maintenance ;)
Good luck x
 
Thanks everyone, really appreciate your responses. He is on a dealer's yard being sold for someone else but only been there a week. Have been in contact with the owner so have had background history - he's just been used as a steady neddy hunter for her and as a babysitter for racehorses/trainer's hack! Think he's as genuine as they come and completely unflappable, so great when you think i'm going to have a young child running about in the not too distant future. Happy and able to put some work into him too but just hadn't had any experience of such a 'laid back' (lazy!) type of horse and wondered if there was light at the end of the tunnel! Felt so confident on him though which is great......and might even lose my mummy tummy in the process of getting him to get his butt into gear! ;)
 
I would rather have a slow coach than a speed merchant and mine was a slow coach on a hot day or warm weather. but nice cold day good as gold & could move.

Doped ? get it vetted I dont care how good the yard is. But sounds ideal.

If its a bit dead and you tapped it up with a whip and it didnt respond I dont think thats bad either...sounds like my old boy. I wanted to just hack and hack and it could move if it wanted to!

Good luck and if its perfect in all other ways I would buy it. Depends what you want to do ie showjumping or grand national then probably not your kind of horse.
 
Are you sure you want something more forward going if you want a steady temperament. Used to be at a yard where lady had tbx, used it for hacking. When riding was booting it every step. Constantly winging she wanted something more forward going. On the odd occasion it did walk out it terrified her. She was always saying she was going to sellhim & find something more forward going but steadier. Not very likely. Did sell him in the end to local riding school where he perked up & was a popular chap.She never found her ideal horse.
 
Be aware that if the dealer is selling it 'on behalf' of someone you have not got any of the usual comeback that you would have with a trade seller. It is in effect a private sale. On top of the vetting, I'd be asking the owner if they would agree to full vet history disclosure. I'd also find out which hunt he'd been out with and ask the hunt staff about him too...
 
Wouldn't worry me at all, obviously do all the vet/blood etc, easily trained out of being dead to the leg. Just a change scenery can help.

We bought a big horse that was totally dead to the leg even though he was a dressage horse. Yes he would go but it was like pushing water uphill in a wheelbarrow.

All we did was take the leg off him. We used a sharp set of spurs, asked once and if nothing happened the schooling whip was used sharply. It did not take long for the penny to drop and within weeks he was a pleasant ride.

Eventually he went on weight aids and thought aids but still stayed calm and soft, so I wouldn't say he was scared into going forward, it was just made clearer and easier for him.

Never nag a horse with the leg they just lean on it the same as they lean on the bit. My old instructor always said, ask once, maybe twice and then employ the ponyclub thump with a big set of spurs. Never failed, just remember to hook a finger in the breastplate !
 
If all I wanted was a safe, happy hacker, that made me feel confident, then yes ( ps looking for that sort myself :) )

If you dont mind a bit of a project and going back to a few basics , again yes.

As long as it was a genuine seller, and was hiding nothing, then yes yes yes :)

Go for it :)
 
It wouldn't be for me, too much like hard work. I like to look forward to riding. Did you enjoy riding it even though it was lazy?
 
Think my friend tried the horse a few weeks ago! Loved it but didn't buy as dead to leg and she is only small but bought another yard off the same yard and is very happy x
 
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