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What Kind Of Horse

3K views 16 replies 15 participants last post by  equiniphile 
#1 ·
So Ill be getting a horse in the summer. And Im not sure what breed to get, there one rescue horse,i love for, i dont know what reason.. Thats him (;


BUt im not postivly sure on what Breed. Ill be Trail Riding a whole lot and riding bare back a whole lot, but ill also be jumping probly up to foot 6
 
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#6 ·
Well, if he's a rescue horse, that could explain his scruffiness...

OP, how long has the rescue had him, and what does he look like currently?

Honestly, once he gets to weight and condition, he looks like he'll be a decent looking little horse; If the rescue can test him out riding wise, and his ground manners check out great, I do not see any reason NOT to rescue a horse, even for a first time horse.
 
#7 ·
I manage a rescue barn. Unfortunately, many of the people that come in to rescue horses are beginners. We get the occasional experienced person, but not many. Rescue horses do come with a lot of baggage, and many people think that the horse will love them because they "saved their life". You have an agenda planned out for whatever horse you are getting. I can tell you that in my experience, I have not had a single horse come into my rescue that would be capable of going out to a home with those types of expectations. We have a rather indepth training program for horses and volunteers to get the horses ready to go to new homes with the average new horse owner. They come in with a lot of physical and emotional baggage.

Its wonderful that you want to rescue a horse, but I would recommend that you go with something that you know has a few more miles and you know it can teach you. Once you know more about owning and training, then you can use that knowledge to help rescue horses. Believe me, it will be much less stressfull and more beneficial to you and the horse than if you were to go into it with the mentality of "learning together". Proper physical rehabilitation goes far beyond food, the trickiest thing about rescues when they come in looking like that is being aware of the constant change and true behavior as their body starts feeling better.
 
#9 ·
One thing I have noticed about bringing a horse back from that condition, they may start out quiet, laid back, easy going, but as they pick up weight, they can get more and more energetic and become totally different horses.

Have you gone out and met the horse? Tried him? Been in contact with the rescue organization? It is very foolish to fall in love with a face or a picture.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Ok I'm going to disregard the horse you posted a photo of as I have already voiced my opinion on the matter twice on this forum as you seem to be posting very reguarly in everything about your 'need' to get a horse. As for "I am getting a horse in summer". Buying a horse isn't like going to the pet shop and buying a puppy. It takes a long time to find the right horse. it's not a matter of buying the first one you see. You will fall in love with most of them, but follow your head, not your heart. I have been looking for a horse for over a year. yes, I do have more specific guidelines for what I want than what you do, I am needing a quality competition horse, but I have a higher budget than you do, have looked at maybe 40 horses over the last year and still havent found 'the one'. I have had that many horses that I fully understand how difficult it is to manage them and afford them, therefore the last thing I want to do is purchase a horse just because I feel sorry for it, it will cost the same to maintain that a good horse will!

Enough said. Now onto breeds. Personally, I wouldn't want a beginner on a tb, because they DO have something in their brain that switches on at the most inappropriate of times, and when they panick they really go to town, even the quiet ones. There ARE good ones out there, but it's hard to tell. You never know how they might react to a certain situation.
If you want to have a bit of an alrounder, I'd be looking at QH's and also the cold blooded breeds, posisbly warmbloods but some have 'hot' blood in their system also, and tend to be quite a bit pricier.
A draught cross would be good, something that is nice and steady, not going to run off on you and that isn't the most agile of beasts.
 
#13 · (Edited)
^^^ Listen to that advice.
Trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way. I think the best thing you could do is start out leasing a horse. I really wish I had gone that route when I was first starting out. I've also had experience with rescues, and they are not a job for a 13 year old. I would also suggest getting a good trainer/teacher that can give you hands-on advice and steer you in the right direction in terms of finding a good horse for you and preparing you for ownership.

And lastly, I would stay away from TB's at first for the same reason other people have said. They all throw tantrums at some point. Even if you think you have a dead broke one, they can always turn into a different horse in half a second. My guy can be as placid as can be in one moment and a complete lunatic the next. I think you would be better off with a seasoned trail horse in its mid-teens. Even if you get a 15 year old horse, you can still get another good 15 years out of him.
 
#11 ·
Could I ask what this has to do with grooming horses. I truly agree with the advice Kaycee gave you. The first horse I went and looked at, ended up being mine. Sure there were plently of other horses that I could have looked at, but I knew Chinga before I got him and loved him to bits. But really I wouldn't reccomend it because you will be cruising threw ads of horses for sale (For some reason or another) and see a horse and think, if I'd waited a few more days. I could of had this wonderful horse.

As for what Kaycee said about TB's you may think you have a dead quite one, so do I at the best of the times but then he'll find something that he's seen a million times and decide its scary and then its called hold on for your life.

Also I would like to add, even for a TB he looks sevearly under weight. So unless you can afford supplements, ect then I'd seriously give him a pass. Chances are he might not be able to be ridden for a while because of his weight.
 
#12 ·
I think he looks tb. Obviously, he is also severely underweight. It is wonderful that you want to rescue a horse, but do keep in mind what others have been telling you. My tb mare was underweight when we got her, and while she had a sweet personality to start, once she gained condition a totally different horse emerged. I ended up having to sell her because of this, and she is still one of the most nasty horses I know to this day. If he is at a rescue, I'm sure they will allow you to visit him during the rehabilitation process. Once he starts feeling better, you should be able to get a better feel for his personality.
 
#14 ·
I got my dad a 21 year old tb gelding to learn on, having had him recomended by a close and well respected friend. I got him sight unseen from interstate where my mate used to live with this horse. He has the most super temperament, is a real sweet heart on the ground and under saddle when he's on his own. But put him in a group with other horses, and he turns into a nervous, excitable wreck. Even i struggled with him in with other horses. Definately not for a beginner.
And he's 21!

I'd certainly go for something like QH. Please. Don't crush your desire to have horses for the rest of your life by making one big mistake when you first start out.
 
#15 ·
Okay, I'll vouch for the fact that even though rescue horses seem oh so gentle and loving and easy going, once you bring them home and they start to gain weight they also gain confidence and attitude. That's what happened in the case of my boy. But I bought him with the intention of bringing a trainer out to work with us once a week. Are you prepared to do what you have to to help rehabilitate him? What about what you'll have to do to get him up to par to be a good riding horse with ground manners?

Rescue horses are not for beginners. They take time, patience, effort AND money. Which, seeing as how you seem quite young, you probably don't have the most of.
 
#16 ·
Rescues are rewarding, but extremely difficult to deal with, regardless. I rescued Sam last year in a horrific condition, and did some light riding once his weight was at a somewhat-reasonable level. It was like riding a bucking bull that occasionally didn't buck. He has great ground manners and is completely fine with children, but has some past trauma that makes him go up, down, and sideways when an adult mounts.

Rescues are not for beginners. If you have any confidence issues what-so-ever, a rescue horse can be a dangerous, if not deadly choice. A 'bad' (problematic) rescue can even put some people off horses and riding for life. The problem is that pretty much all rescues are problematic in some way, shape or form.

If you ARE set on rescuing (I'm talking to everyone here) there are some really great rescues out there where you can sponsor and even volunteer. Help feed, muck out stalls, or even just bring a load of hay.
If are are really, really, REALLY, set on having a rescue mow your pasture then I suggest a rehabilitated horse.
A good rescue operation should WILLINGLY tell you every con in a rehabbed horse, and of course, every pro.

I myself absolutely, 100% do not regret my choice to take in Sam, despite his issues. Rescue horses are scary, and certainly more dangerous than your 'regular horse'....but I'd be a flaming liar if I'd say that seeing that skinny, scruffy horse turn into a fat retiree didn't bring me total joy.
 
#17 ·
You know I rescued Lulu....that mini was tied to a fence the entire 5 years since she was born and got a flake of hay a day. No grain, no grass. The owners weren't the wealthiest, and I truly think it was wrong of them to have 12 horses on less than half an acre of land. All living in rusty tin sheds. We went to go look at a trailer, found it too far beyond our ability to put work into it, and we ended up buying the mini for $500 to give her a good home. She has no vices other than being an overall pain in the @$$, but what miniature, prego mare isn't? (Okay, someone's gonna get on and tell me of their docile, sweet prego mini mare rescue....) Anyway, she turned out alright, but if she'd been full-size and a riding prospect, she reeeeaaaaalllllly would have been green!

However, there ARE good riding horses that are in rescues, being put to sleep every day. The owner was moving, the horse was forclosed on along with the backyard pasture, etc. Not all rescues are aggressive and volatile! Many are, I'm not disputing that, but with information on the animal's history, you can judge his expected behavior. SOME of the time.

Good luck!
 
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