Buying a horse, do I have unrealistic expectations

Skib said:
Popular furball - I did laugh at your post. I am much more cheerful now having just returned from a sunlit hack with a sweet horse and lots of joyful canter.

Your post reminded me so much of my old share mare that I have adapted your ad. Hope you wont mind. She was the most precious, ultra safe beginners horse, otherwise she and I would not have been entrusted to each other. Worth more than £3000 anyway!
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Lol at the wardrobe being worth more than her - bless! Love it skib, and popularfurball. I'm now wondering what my horse's ad might look like!

greys, I think the horse in the picture looks like a possibility. horses who seem dead to the leg have been conditioned that way, but they can still feel a fly touch their back and twitch in reaction, so with careful work, I'm sure you could re-sensitize him to being more responsive. Maybe a life outside of the school would help him.
 
I think it does take a little while to find the sort of horse OP is describing, they are like hen's teeth and usually with a premium price tag. You probably do need to be prepared to accept some sort of minor issue or health problem to find it within your budget.

I was lucky to find my saintly horse after quite a bit of searching, but she did come to me with sweet itch. I was bemoaning this fact that it probably wipes half her value off her to my brother (who sometimes buy's Irish horses and sells them over there) His opinion was that a good honest sort like her he could sell every day of the week and double his money despite the sweet itch?

Apparently even more experienced rider's are now demanding 'safer' horses to ride in whatever discipline. I think a lot has changed over recent years with road safety issues and more hobby rider's taking up eventing and showjumping. They still want safety along with their higher aspirations, and why wouldn't they really?

Give us all your wish list OP - we LOVE horse hunting on here!:biggrin:
 
On reflection of my post greys - it's not meant to dishearten you - just that it is very difficult to read off paper whether a horse is suitable.

The auto immune would not be a lie - I just didn't mention it - she does have sweet itch too - two very seperate conditions.

I suspect he would liven up out of rs work and with some work from you. However if you don't have the "feeling" then you don't have it - you can't change that.
 
I wanted to say thank you for eveyone's replies, they have really helped me get a better perspective of what I think I need and what I probably really need.
I am going back to the RS tomorrow to have another try with Mr Plod, I have asked to see someone else ride him, then I have booked a lesson on him then I am taking him out on a small hack and we will go from there :running:
 
Personally, I think he looks lovely. I was expecting to see something that looks like it just stepped out of a cart.

I am sure, with a normal amount of happy hacker work he will not be Mr Plod. Yes his head is being pulled in, but there are any amount of dealers photos that you look at where that is the case - but I guess that is what people want these days.

Out of the school, on a hack that he hasn't done seventeen hundred times before, I am sure he will be a different kettle of fish - there aren't that many horses that are naturally unbelievably lazy - just an awful lot of horses that put up with their lot in life and seem ground down by it - which shows a good nature that can be worked with, rather than the attitude that mine has which would either get you floored or napped with!!!
 
Thought I would give you an update on Mr Plod, I have just paid my deposit :wavespin:

I am of course in a state of terror :redface:

I went to ride Boris again yesterday, had a lesson on him & managed to get a canter :smug: Then we had a little hack down the lane & he was really perky, ears really forward & very looksee at everything. We had a milk tanker squeeze past & a few cars & he didn't flinch. He watched some golfers & a tractor in the distance & strolled past a gate with 3 dogs going crazy ape with a little snort :angel: I felt very safe & he is a big cuddly bear, everyone on the yard was saying how lovely he is :inlove:

Thankyou all so much for your advice & thoughts on this, really appreciated. There will of course now be a 100 other questions elsewhere on the forum :unsure:
 
greys said:
Thought I would give you an update on Mr Plod, I have just paid my deposit :wavespin:



Thankyou all so much for your advice & thoughts on this, really appreciated. There will of course now be a 100 other questions elsewhere on the forum :unsure:
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Congrats ! Don't worry about asking questions -everyone on here will gladly offer you their advice :)
 
Brilliant news! When is Boris coming home to you? Delivery pics are essential and of course some with you with him and then on him....:D
 
Congratulations, I hope you have many happy years together. I sure he will be much more responsive with a 1:1 rider and will apreciate a real relationship with you.
 
Congrats!! :biggrin:

I was just about to say Middleton is 10mins from where i live so if you needed a test jockey i would of been happy to do so!! But i got in there too late hehe! :tongue:

I think i may have seen Boris last time i did a dressage comp there, very handsome boy!! :wub:
 
So glad you got to like him!
Can I just say about supposedly lazy RS horses. Horses are not lazy. They have no plot or plan to be anything but a horse and horses dont waste energy. They will try to conserve it. They do pick up habits in riding schools and get bored - but that doesnt mean they will instantly change character when ridden well. Every time you get on you have to make sure that the horse you are riding knows it is you and that you expect quick responses.
 
So pleased for you, I have just caught up on the thread and was waiting to get to the last one to add my comments about Boris. He looks lovely go and try again and hey ho you have and put some money down on him. That is brilliant.

I believe horse pick us not the other way around he will change when he comes home his personality will come shining through and with a good, loving, constant and knowledgeable home he will become the wonder horse you have always wanted.

I look forward to your updates and pictures. Fingers crossed for the vetting:dance:
 
Yay! That's great news.
I'm glad you've decided to go for Boris, he looks lovely.

Good luck with the vetting and be sure to let us know when he's coming home. (With pictures of course) I wish you years of fun together and I'm sure he'll be everything you hope for.
 
How exciting!

I bought my first horse over 15 months ago now (where does time fly) and I remember the panic feeling and butterflies in my stomach that I used to get every time I drove to the yard. I remember feeling very nervous but making myself just get on with it.

These days I don't feel nervous, but every single day I still feel as excited as I first did when I go to see him. I have a very busy life (I also have 2 young children) and sometimes don't get to ride him until 10pm, but whenever I can I ride everyday and I just love it. We are really starting to develop a bond and I have real plans to progress with our ridden work and become the very best that we can be.

This forum is great for supporting first time owners - I often ride all alone in the evenings and think of what my 'forum friends' might be doing with their horses at the same time.
 
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