TWHs I may look at this weekend...

I am hoping to check out all three of these horses this weekend. My friend who normally accompanies me on my shopping trips as my "expert adviser" is unavailable so I thought I'd get your opinions...

None of these horses are show material, I know that, they just need to be sane, sound, safe trail horses. All 3 of them are in the $2500 or less price range, two are registered TWHBEA and the other is half TWH/half Belgian (and a bit overweight from lack of use). And yes, none of the pics are great for judging conformation, but this is all I have... I've tried to crop out the people for anonymity. :p

First, Dusty:


Next, Sandy:


Last, TWH/Belgian cross Bailey:


Bailey needs to be ridden several times a week, and taken off grain, to trim down a bit. The others look to be at a good weight to my eye. Sandy looks like the Barbie horse to me, might have to get pink tack! Dusty didn't appeal to me the first couple of times I looked at his ad, but he's grown on me.

All are described by their sellers as well-broke, smooth gaited, trail experienced and 100% sound. I plan to take test rides and have a vet check before purchasing any horse.

If anyone has opinions, comments or critiques, please share... They aren't my horses (yet) so I won't take offense if you point out something glaringly obvious that I've missed. I'm learning as much as I can about conformation but I know I still look right past some things that my friend sees at first glance.

Thanks!

Judging the picture only; I'd say the black one. He's a type I like and I love how he gaits with a raised back and low head. (I'd work on getting his nose forward and get his butt more under him, I thik that'd benefit both the smooth gaiting and his future health and strength.)

The others just don't really make e look twice at them. They might be good horses of course, but I'd go for the black, with the info I have.

Sandy needs more muscle and I'd say a little more weight. I get the feeling she'll get tensions/pain and start behaving bad if she's not trained with a good ergonomic carriage, and that she'll be difficult to train to calmly carry right and avoid tensions when gaiting. But I can't say why I think that.

I like Dusty the best, as well. Are any of them registered?

The only thing is that in the first picture of him, it looks like he may not be doing a running walk? I could be way off here. It looks a little pacey to me. I am still learning on this, so get a second opinion...

Have you got any pictures of the palamino mare moving? LoL, sometimes the way a walker moves will make or break your decision...

Agree - the black looks to me like it is doing a stepipng pace - outside legs are moving together (almost perfectly) - is difficult to get a smooth gait out of a pace. Can't tell if the others are gaited or not but the gait is the most important aspect of a good trail buddy - beauty and weight can be compensated for - a hard trot or pace is a problem that requires a professional. When you ride them and you bounce take a pass and continue looking for a smooth gaited horse. The time and money you spend up front is the most important - it can save you in the long run.

The first pic is definetly a stepping pace/pace, but the second is probably smooth sand less pacey. I have tons of pictures of Crow walking like that and he's ubersmooth at them. Anyway..you can train that y'know..in the second picture he has a raised back and decent frame, and his gait has impoved with that. With some more strength and I little work and speed I think he can get a good rack.

Plus I think he'll stay sound better than at least the one in the middle as she doesn't seem like a horse that works very well with her body, but gaits by getting stiff (judging by type and placement of the muscles). Of course that can be helped too but I think the black one takes less work.

The cross is overbuilt in the hind - it'll get hard for him to collect well and gait well, I think. He'll probably treat his back better when carrying people than the yellow one but I'm not sure about his conformation and abot his gait with that cross either. If he manages to collect and gait fast and smooth, he'll be an awesome ride tho. Powerful. If he's lazy by nature I think it will be dificult.

So I'd still say the black one.

Thanks for the advice! I haven't heard from the sellers about visiting any of these guys this weekend, so I guess I have more time to think about them.

I am going to a different farm that has 3-4 TWH that I am going to look at. If one of them works out I won't need to worry about these three! :)

^Cool, let us know how it goes! Take pictures if you have a notion to.

I love the second pic of the black one. He's way too high-headed in the first one.

Nothing a little work can't fix ;)

I'd have to say I like Dusty the best as well. But all 3 are cute!