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Would you trade

  • Yes, I would trade

    Votes: 8 42.1%
  • No, I would not trade

    Votes: 11 57.9%
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Would you trade?

5K views 51 replies 17 participants last post by  Spastic_Dove 
#1 ·
Im thinking about trading my horse, duchess, for this horse named Oliver. He is a 11 year old, double registered quarter horse, gelding, a true 16.1 hands tall, buckskin with a big snip(ish), 4 white socks, he was broke western, and was western until 3 years ago, when this owner got him. She has done jumping and lower level dressage with him, he knows all lower level dressage. He has been there done that kind of horse, gone to many shows, was a trail horse for a long time. He is way more broke than duchess, has alot more training, the owner would still take a straight across trade, she really likes duchess. I have already went and rode Oliver, he liked me, and he is the knid of horse that either likes you, or doesn't, and he liked me. I would do barrel racing with him. He has a HUGE stride, and leaps into a lope. He has ALOT of power. So, i just dont know if i want to trade. I know he is way better broke than duchess, but he is also already 11, and duchess is only 7. Here are some pics of Oliver.
and here are some pictures of duchess, just as a reference.
 
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#3 ·
Um... I dunno.... LOL. I'm not much help. :roll:

I guess it all depends upon what YOU think. I'd be inclined to snap up Oliver. 11 is not old.

I don't know enough about your situation to give you a solid answer though.

What is your gut telling you???
 
#4 ·
My gut, says yes and no lol. I just like duchess, but i know we are going no were, so i think i will probably trade. He is going to someones place for the weekend so that they can try him out, and he either likes you or he doesnt, so im hopeing that he dont like her lol, but if he sells, then it was not meant to be.
 
#5 ·
Oliver was also a model, he model for the dynasty equine vet supply magazine, or its something like that, the lady had 10 other horses and they choose him, he gorheous in the summer time, still not bad looking in witner either lol. I went and rode him in December, so i have not be able to see him in a summer coat. but im told he is just gorgeous, and by looking at those couple pictures, i would say so.
 
#18 ·
Oliver was also a model, he model for the dynasty equine vet supply magazine, or its something like that, the lady had 10 other horses and they choose him
Sorry - that doesn't really mean a lot. A horse we owned (and bred) was used in print ads and on air commercials for a vet college. Just means horse owner knows the talent representative.

Doesn't pay much either.
 
#7 ·
Thanks, here are three videos of him jumping. He likes to GO, so she does have to hold him back, but he settles after a bit. Thats why she is selling him, she likes fuddy duddys lol, she also likes mares way better. I like horse that want to go, i dont like to stop and smell the flowers, i want to go adn be somebody lol. Here are the videos
 
#8 ·
I know less than nothing about jumping. He's Very handsome though.

You'll have to keep us updated on what you end up doing!!!
 
#10 ·
He is a beauty, there is no denying that but I really didn't like those videos of him jumping. It looked like a barely controlled runaway. If you did trade, you would have a lot of retraining to do before he was close to being show ready. Plus, taller horses generally don't do as well at barrels because their center of gravity is so much higher and they have trouble getting those long legs and long bodies collected enough to make the tight turns around the barrels. I personally think that you would do better with your mare, just give her more time. She is gorgeous. Does she have speed enough to be a competitive barrel horse? How tall is she? Plus, she has a fairly short back which should allow her to excel at speed and quick turn events.
 
#11 ·
By watching the videos, he doesnt look like he would be good for you because you said you want to do barrels. You can definetaly that he has the dressage going on for him, but his jumping is very sloppy. If you were a jumper, i would say go for it because his jumping can be fixed. but his headset will simply not work for barrels. Both horses are VERY cute though, good luck choosing :D
 
#14 ·
You can definetaly that he has the dressage going on for him, but his jumping is very sloppy.
Actually I see very bad dressage. Just because the head is down does not mean the horse has good dressage. He is pulled down behind the bit and avoids the controls in the actual jump anf on the flat between the jumps.

The OP has to make up their own mind but since I also own a dressage/jumper just like the owner of the 11 year old mu opinion is that he is not up to snuff in either discipline.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I can't see the pictures of Oliver, just the images of Dutchess and the videos of Oliver

What exactly are your plans with a horse?
Why does Dutchess fit these plans?
Why does Oliver fit these plans?
What are the cons of keeping Dutchess?
What are the cons of getting Oliver?

He is VERY forward, and the rider looks very hand-strong and seat-strong to keep him in line. If you are wanting to jump with him, please please try him over a course - you might love him, or he might scare you, it depends on your riding.

There is something about his movement that strikes me as off; his canter just doesn't seem connected front to hind. He does need more work on the whole slow issue haha

I would ask the owner exactly what he was modeling. When I worked for a dude ranch, my farrier (studying to be a vet, was working out of my local University) would ask to use a few horses as models for various things - I can't remember them all, but one was to show a hunter's bump (conformation fault); one was to show what a broken and healed leg looked like 10 years after the fact; another was to show the characteristic muscling of a horse with heaves.
So I would get clarification :)


ETA - your mare has a huge "engine" - have you tried her around barrels?
Has Oliver every run barrels? Has he ever been ridden western?
I was under the impression that barrel horses are generally shorter than 16hh, so they have a lower center of gravity so they can really dig in and push.. please please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
#13 ·
I agree with what everybody has already said.

I just wanted to add that when he is jumping, he swaps his leads A LOT. Now, I don't know if that is the rider error, giving him mixed signals, but... he definitely swaps leads.
Don't think that will matter if you are wanting to do barrels, but just a thought. He may not be as well trained as they're saying, or he is that well trained to where he is picking up on mixed cues.

I do like him, but he is quite a large guy to do barrels with.

Good luck with what you decide!
 
#15 ·
Barrel horses are generally on the smaller end (mine is 15hh) but bigger horses can do barrels also. :)
Just because he is quick, doesn't mean he should be a barrel horse.
Good barrel horses LOVE barrels just like any other sport. If he has been ridden western, I would try him out. If you can't do the pattern, do some western pattern work. Is he light on his feet? Does he use his hind end correctly? Does he respond well to your seat and legs? Can he do rollbacks?

He should be able to collect nicely and extend nicely as well. Good barrel horses should be sane and calm. If you got him, I think he may need a bit of work in the calm department.

Overall, I like him. I didn't really like the way he was being ridden over the jumps in the first video, but I'm not a jumper.

When you rode him, was it English or Western?

ETA: Oh, and about the leads thing...He should be able to stay on the correct leads during the pattern and doing a flying change when you change directions. It's not huge as it seems like a lot of barrel horses will end up figuring it out on their own because it is easier for them but I like to not have to worry about his lead when doing a pattern.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for all your comments everyone one. I rode him western, and he did excellent with me. He wanted to go, but he quit after i told him no and he walked calmly with me. He knows dressage he can do the Piaffe(?) i made him do it. He was started wrong. The person who started him "cowboyed" on him, he started him with a SHANK bit and big spurs and tried to make him into a reining horse in 2 months. So he tries to anticipate your cues, cuz he thinks there going to hurt. The current owner has come along way with him in getting him to stop anticipating. He still does, but will calm down very quickly, basically he trots and wants to just go. I know he is well trained though. He has had a lot of training, both western and english. He is also the type that you can take him to new places and its like he has been there a 100 times. Im not worried about his height, my barrel trainer had a 16.1 hand barrel horse that made arena records. He knows flying lead changes so that might be why he is doing that. Also, the owner is willing to just give him to me for just the price of transportation, if i want him. I am the only person that he really connected with. The only other person that he really connects with is Lindsay(current owner). He really liked me, and she feels that she owes it to him, to give him to someone that he connceted with rather than selling him to someone that he doesnt. She has a person that is willing to give her $2,500 and another horse in trade, and she would rather just give him to me. So, i could get a $4,500 horse for $200 or less.
 
#22 ·
Thanks for all your comments everyone one. I rode him western, and he did excellent with me. He wanted to go, but he quit after i told him no and he walked calmly with me. He knows dressage he can do the Piaffe(?) i made him do it. He was started wrong. The person who started him "cowboyed" on him, he started him with a SHANK bit and big spurs and tried to make him into a reining horse in 2 months. So he tries to anticipate your cues, cuz he thinks there going to hurt.
I would leary of this horse. From the sounds of it the owner is talking him up to be something that he isn't. Is she's owned him for a while these issues should have been resolved. The way it sounds/looks, it seems as though the owner has done a lot of poor training on the horse and is now just trying to get rid of him. If this is an honest to goodness problem the owner should have worked him through before even thinking about jumping him. I also have a hard time believe he can do a correct piaffe given his conformation and on the jump course he doesn't look like he knows how to correctly collect.

I would also be leary of her willingness to make deals, to me it sounds like she is trying to pawn the horse off. In my opinion I would skip him over and keep looking as from the looks of it you'd have to do a lot of retraining to get him to be a competitive barrel horse.
 
#17 ·
the only thing that im not sure about, is owning 2 horses again. I dont have a job right now, and here in Prineville, there are NO jobs pretty much. I have enough money right now saved up, but i got hay to buy this year and what not. So, im not sure if it would be better for me to trade Duchess anyways or get both and try and find a job. UGH, im in such a pickle lol
 
#23 ·
hum??? well i dont think she is trying to pawn him off, she wants him to go to a good home. She is very picky about were he goes. Whats wrong with his conformation? He rode good and everything. She has worked alot with him on his problem, and he is pretty much cured of it, he just likes to go. Lots of horses like that. I like horses that like to go. But maybe i will just tell her no.
 
#24 ·
I have until next week to tell her my answer. I...I dont know what to do. I really like him, and he really likes me. And it is a really good deal. He is a really nice horse, has a great personality. I know she is not trying to pawn him off, she is willing to give him to me, and turn down $2,500 and another horse, so i dont think she is just trying to pawn him off, she is trying to do what is best for Oliver. I know that he has a go problem, but all barrel horses do, well most. I like the fact that he is well broke, and has been to shows with all the noises and other horses and all the comotion. He does know the piaffe, she did it with him, and then i did it with him. I think thats what its called, the one were they hop in the air, with there back feet still on the ground, and they just do a little like pop up and turn or whatever, its something like that. Well, i dont know, im just AHHHH!! right know lol.
 
#25 ·
I did not mean to offend you but for someone outside of the situation working off this post alone there are a lot of red flags. In reference to his conformation there just aren't many QH that are built to do a piaffe. They just aren't structurally made for it.

Well a piaffe is a highly, highly collected and cadenced trot. It is an extremely difficult maneuver and you don't see many horses doing it. It is done almost in place. What you're describing sounds more like a rollback. Here's a video of a horse doing a piaffe .
 
#27 ·
A horse is only worth what people are willing to pay for it.

To me, Denny is worth a million dollars... to the next person though, he might only be worth meat money.
Okay, in read numbers. I bought Denny for $2500. I felt he was worth the asking price. Others say that I way overpaid on him.
I still believe that he is worth that, if I were to place him on the market right now I would probably ask in the $3000 range.
Chances are I wouldn't get that.

My friend's gelding was listed at $20,000 in January '06. By April '06 she had dropped his price to $12,000 (there were issues that I won't discuss here) - should the person who bought him at $10,000 think that she got a screaming deal? No, the horse had a few problems that needed to be worked out. The fact is that my friend couldn't get $20,000 out of him... so she had to negotiate a much lower price.

Price changes mean absolutely nothing. ESPECIALLY in this economy.

Just because he's listed at $4500 doesn't mean he's worth that; if you pay $200, he's $200.
Insurance companies would agree with me.

If this woman, who I am assuming you have no prior contact with, says that you can "have" him for transport costs, that is a HUGE red flag. It probably means that she can't get her asking price. It probably means there's something wrong with him.
When was he first put on the market?

If you are worried about owning two horses now, you will only fret more later.

I am not trying to sound condescending here, I hope you realize.. but the things you're saying about him really don't add up to me
 
#28 · (Edited)
Good barrel horses should NOT have a go problem.

I just want to point that out because you keep mentioning how much you like a horse that wants to go.

Just a pet peeve

From the videos, If you do get him, he is going to need a lot of arena type work before he is ready to be on a barrel pattern.

Is there anyway you can lease him? You said you don't have a job, and she apparently isnt out there to make money according to you. This way if something comes up, you don't have horses you can't feed.
 
#29 ·
Actually... i kind of like him. i think he needs some major work on the flat (and over fences), but if someone were to sell him cheap I'd probably take him on as a project. BUT.. that's me. I jump. And I see potential in there as a jumper. But as a barrel horse? I don't know a lot about barrels but I didn't think they were built like this guy.

He looks to me like he wasn't started well, rushed over fences, and because of it has some issues that haven't been dealt with. For example, his headset, she is NOT asking him to tuck. She's asking him to woah/balance and he's avoiding the bit by getting behind the vertical. That's a mikmar she's using, a bit popular amongst riders of hot jumpers. Some of them can be rather harsh.

My biggest question is, why is she selling him? No, basically giving him away to you? She just wants to find him a good home? RED FLAG! She looks like a very capable and talented jumper rider and I don't know anyone who takes their jumpers to go show all over the place and then gives them away unless they have a reason. And usually "a good home" isn't the whole story.

I don't know. If you were saying, I'm looking for a good jumper prospect I'd say, get a vet check and re-start him from the ground up. But for you wanting to do barrels? I'm leaning towards thinking you'll find a more suitable horse elsewhere. Can you take him out on trial or even a lease-to-own period? A lot will come out once you bring him home for a few days.
 
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