Would you get on a horse without seeing it ridden?

Bav

Bav

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As title suggests really.
After months of looking for a new horse to loan after sending back an unruly 17.3hh 4year old after a year of him having operations, I can't find anything!

I've been offered numerous horses with arthritis, that are severely overweight and laminitic or just unsuitable.
I got offered one last night that sounds what I'm after, I was completely honest with what I wanted and my experience etc, he's a lovely 17.1hh warmblood x that has previously evented, show jumped (but has gone stale) and is a perfect gentleman on the ground. But can be spooky to ride and owner has over-horsed herself.

I am guilty of getting on without watching them being ridden before (complete with hat and body protector) but just curious if it really put a lot of people off?
I know it does kinda put me off but owner has been very honest (or appears to have been) so far.

NOTE: last horse went back as he was a nightmare on the ground, I don't mind quirkiness to ride but they must have good manners to handle as my disabled mother (ex-rider) likes to groom every now and then.
 
Yes, I have in the past, a couple of horses I tried for loan and newbie at my old work.

Oh hang on a second, I did with my mare!! But was at a friend's yard who I trust and so I hopped straight on.

But I am a very cautious rider and I think a good judge of character so I wouldn't get on something that was likely to me a moron!
 
I did once, it was only a little 14.2 for my daughter, advertised as a childs pony, owner had all sorts of excuses why she couldn't get on, but we'd come a long way and I wasn't prepared to put daughter up, so I hopped on and was promptly bronked off!
No harm done, but I'm glad it was me and not my daughter. I was furious with the seller though, she had been quite prepared for my 10 year old to get on said pony and who knows what would have happened.
So to answer the question, no.
 
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hmm see id rather ride without seeing it ridden cos if it does something naughty while i was watching id be tense waiting for it to do it again when i was on board, where as when i havent seen it i can deal with whatever will happen without worrying about it!
 
I am slightly glad to see I'm possibly not the only muppet that would get on haha!
I know its daft but I do sometimes think the owner who is loaning needs to be more honest then a seller as the loaner is capable of sending the horsey back!

I have asked for him to be lunged so that I can see him move and she seems more then happy to do this! I'm normally a good judge of character with horses and will know in my gut whether to get on or not. But I do wait for the day when I'm wrong!
 
I did with Pie... He was just over from Ireland via a dealer of somewhat dubious reputation... 12 years on he is my horse of a lifetime and has taught me so very much.
At the time it didn't even occur to me he could be nuts / unbroken!
Nowadays I am slightly more cautious and would rather at very least have handled and faffed with horse first, and lunged in tack too.
 
Yes I have. My most recent purchase came from a family who'd just lost their nerve on him - he's big and they'd all taken a tumble. They were completely lovely, genuine people - they just didn't want to ride him.

Anyway, I bottled at the last minute so my husband offered to hop on. He hadn't ridden in 2 years but is fearless. He swung his leg over and I thought " this horse is utterly unbovvered!" ;-). I led him halfway around the school then let go, horse contined to happily potter. I told him to get off and I jumped on.

In defence of the family, she'd had trouble getting pregnant - bought him and 2 weeks later was pregnant. Your nerve does change when you have kids so I get her fear. The other rider was a young girl more used to ponies.

I had met the horse a couple of times before and he was a sweetie on the ground - so I gambled that he wouldn't come back and stamp on me.
 
From a different perspective, a few years ago I freely admit I overhorsed myself with a young 16.1 ish x Tb. He had never done anything wrong and was a beautiful horse. Just not the boy for me. I was honest to the lady that came to see him (and she traveled a long way as well) and admitted I couldn't ride him for her. If I had done so I wouldn't have done anyone any favours. But she got on him, fell in love with him and now events him. He went to a fabulous home. I just think I was lucky.
Now I stick to what I know I can manage and enjoy. Cobs.
 
I have in the past and also jumped on bareback straight from the field to ride up to a farm, while leading others when i was young and daft.
I wont ever do it again after a friend jumped on a horse she went to see having been assured it would be fine by its pregnant owner, the horse put her head first in to a wall and in to hospital, she got off lucky, badly concussed and broken ribs
 
yes,my big girl i took on loan without even seeing her in the flesh let alone seeing her ridden or even trying her myself! am i mad?, yes unquestionably so but it worked out and I still have the big lump 7 years later and now i own her.
 
I am strange that I wouldn't ever consider NOT getting on first? I've never had an issue - I just treat them all like an unbacked youngster. I have however put a foot in the stirrup, gone to swing my legs and felt the horses back dip, and got straight back off. I just got a bad feeling... Lunged the horse first and he bucked like billyo.
 
Nope. Last time a seller was trying to get me to do that I insisted they got on... and they got soundly and scarily bronked off, nearly smashing their head on the arena fence!
 
Not normally, no I wouldnt. But when I went to view M there was just something so nice about both him and the lady who was selling him. Before we even met the horses we were invited in, given tea and biscuits, shown pictures of the whole horsey family tree and made very welcome. When we went outside to meet the horses we spent some time meeting them all, I groomed and faffed about with M and then tacked him up, the groom was going to take me out for a hack. Just before I hopped on board the lady said "oh Im so sorry, would you like to see him ridden first" I replied that as long as she promised he wouldnt buck, rear or take off there wasnt much point, I wanted him as a hack and the only way I would know I felt safe and relaxed was to ride him. She promised me he wouldnt and to this day (touch wood) my little superstar hasnt put a hoof wrong. I just had a good feeling that day, I am super cautious about what I will and wont ride so I dont know what came over me!
 
Yes i have many, many times but im growing ever more cautious with age and im now quite reluctant to get on anything i havnt backed and broken myself.
 
not at a sales viewing no, did it when I was a teen only to have the pony go up and over on me as I swung my leg over. I was extraordinarily lucky to come away with only a concussion, a couple of unshod hoof prints and a bloody mouth where my teeth gouged out the inside of my lower lip and my cheeks and a badly broken hat.

I took a horse on loan last year without trying him but knew of him, he was an older RC type.
 
I went to see a pony for sale when I was 13 and the owner was too big, and her daughter who apparently rode the horse wasn't there, so I had to ride her. This was a horse I was looking to buy after having my confidence completely knocked by being overhorsed so saying that I was crapping myself is a huge understatement. But we'd travelled about 3 hours to get there so I had to get on. And of course the first thing the pony did was bolt off with me around the field a few times and the only reason she stopped was cause I rammed her into the fence.
 
noodle_ said:
i have done in the past yes...

i wouldnt now though no...been there done it...but never again
Click to expand...

Ditto. I did in the past (in fact I bought one horse and was gifted my last warmblood without even seeing them in the flesh let alone riding them), but after getting straight onto a very cold backed 4yo many years ago who then bronced me off on a number of occasions in the first year, I still have that horse and he turned out brilliantly in the end but I'd never put myself through that again now I'm older and it hurts far more if I fall off nowadays! I'm more suspicious nowadays too so I'd assume nobody wanted to ride it because it was a nutcase...
 
I did for the horse I had on loan... I took a risk. It was a fair old drive, and the owner met me there in full summer gear, having just come rom the park. It was turn around and go home or take the risk and get on. I thought horse looked kind so I took the risk. Normally something I would never, ever do! But I'm glad I did because I was lucky to have him for 2 fabulous years.

If he'd been for sale I wouldn't have, but I thought as he was up for loan there was little point in her pretending him to be safe if he wasn't.
 
Gosh I love that everybody has a different view point.
For those that have suffered an accident as a result I feel for you.

I really am in two minds. I am young(ish), so supposedly 'bouncy' and I have heard of the horrors. But equally I've helped back youngsters and been the first ever on. Hmmm, the owner has said she saw a pretty horse and brought him, but he's totally knocked her confidence in the school with his spooking and as a *cough* older lady no longer has the drive or confidence to really work him.

I might just go and watch him being lunged, tack him up myself, have a potter around on the ground and then decide. I have seen photos and videos of him being ridden and have been insured she's never come off. Like I say, why lie when If he's on loan he can go straight back again!
 
Normally, absolutely not, no. But I made an exception when going to see a horse for a novice friend. The owner had her 6 month old baby in tow (reason for selling) and was quite willing to hop on the mare, but couldn't realistically leave the child and I wasn't about to take it! The mare was utterly laid back to handle and exactly the same when I hopped on. It was very much a case of trusting the horse and making a decision in the moment, so what you're thinking of doing sounds sensible.
 
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