This is very much a thread for me to gather my thoughts; but feel free to offer some advice. I've never been in such a situation before.
I've been in the market for another trail riding horse for a little while now, as my mother and I are sick of sharing my old reliable Quarter Horse. We were looking for something quiet and reliable, something that is good with traffic, suitable for novice riders, and I had a preference for Standardbreds. I want something that goes without too much pushing, but that won't take off. I'm a 'capable' rider, but I get shocking nerves and tend to fall off more often than I should, typically in a trot or canter when my horse spooks. My back is dodgy already and, at 23, I really can't risk too many more falls, so I need something, well, 'bombproof', I guess. Suddenly, two Standardbreds have fallen into my lap that mostly fit the bill. I can't get either of them just yet due to needing to find new agistment, so that at least gives me time to think, combined with the fact that neither of these horses are actively for sale. This gives me the chance to ride them again.
Horse #1 is a 15 year old chestnut gelding, 14.3ish HH, $700 with free trial. Very compact, stocky legs, short back, so great for heavier riders like myself. Very good in harness, which I do want to get into, has mustered cattle, trail riding, been on roads, ridden and handled by children, and was for a moment a riding for the disabled horse. He can canter, but can pigroot. He apparently can trot, but when I saw him he only paced, and I also didn't see him canter. I rode him; his pace is comfortable. He is easy to control, needs some work on his reverse gear and is very stiff to the left. He has a laidback personality and doesn't seem to be bothered by much. At this stage, I've only ridden him in a roundyard; he was steady, going only as much as I asked. He has issues with flies which, in Australia, are everywhere. He needs to have a fly mask on at all times as the flies bother his eyes, causing them to run and him to toss his head quite violently.
Horse #2 is a 25 year old bay gelding, 15.1HH, free. Solid legs, a little less compact than the chestnut but still short backed and sturdy, and in VERY good condition for his age. Has done a bit of everything over the years, was a ribbon winner, and has been a kids horse. Has worked cattle once, but was nervy around them at first. Still has a LOT of go - paces full pelt, canter almost a gallop. Comfortable, easily controlled in the walk, but a little headstrong in the pace. Has been ridden into town without fuss. Had never played up on the current owner (a friend), but had a little "argument" with me as we were pacing back to the gate, him wanting to go fast, me wanting to go slow. I wouldn't call it much - he bounced in place a few times and skittered to the side. Unlike normal for me, I was perfectly comfortable and confident on him moments later. He has varicose veins beside his left eye, apparently only cosmetic and only swell when his head is down/grazing. He seems to 'forget' a hind leg at times.
My current thoughts are:
- the chestnut needs some work. I've never taught a horse anything and, though I've been wanting to try, I'm unsure. My mother adores him, I do like him. He's a good age, with plenty of life left in him. He's currently quite overweight, which would need to be dealt with - the saddle was slipping around everywhere, which could have contributed to my feeling of instability. We were also doing circles, which I'm horrible at.
- the bay reminds me so much of my Quarter Horse, personality and looks wise. He's a sook, and I'm a sucker for sooks. I'm comfortable around him. My mother is wary, for a reason she can't even explain. I'm concerned about his age, though he currently has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He's in good shape, still fairly fit, and if his 'worst' is what he did to me today, I'll be fine (though the saddle could have impacted - it was a size too small for me and was a fender, which I've never ridden in before but liked from the moment I got on).
At this stage, it looks like I'll be riding out on the bay this weekend, to see how he is out on the trails. Today was his first ride in a month or two, and it apparently takes him a while to 'get back into it', so I'm expecting a different horse. I'm planning to take my own saddle out, which should fit (should fit both horses, actually), so I'll know if it was the horse or the saddle that made me comfortable.
I'll be contacting the owner of the chestnut to see if I can do the same on him. I figure I can't really compare the two until I've taken them both out. If I can't decide after that, I don't know what to do. I've had a mild 'connection' with both horses. I'm drawn to the bay because he's so similar to my old boy, but when I started horse hunting, I wanted something different, the next step up. The chestnut is a bit bigger step up, the bay is a happy medium. I know horses can work well into their thirties, but I can't help but feel that the bay deserves to slow down, to not lug my fat *** around.
I've been in the market for another trail riding horse for a little while now, as my mother and I are sick of sharing my old reliable Quarter Horse. We were looking for something quiet and reliable, something that is good with traffic, suitable for novice riders, and I had a preference for Standardbreds. I want something that goes without too much pushing, but that won't take off. I'm a 'capable' rider, but I get shocking nerves and tend to fall off more often than I should, typically in a trot or canter when my horse spooks. My back is dodgy already and, at 23, I really can't risk too many more falls, so I need something, well, 'bombproof', I guess. Suddenly, two Standardbreds have fallen into my lap that mostly fit the bill. I can't get either of them just yet due to needing to find new agistment, so that at least gives me time to think, combined with the fact that neither of these horses are actively for sale. This gives me the chance to ride them again.
Horse #1 is a 15 year old chestnut gelding, 14.3ish HH, $700 with free trial. Very compact, stocky legs, short back, so great for heavier riders like myself. Very good in harness, which I do want to get into, has mustered cattle, trail riding, been on roads, ridden and handled by children, and was for a moment a riding for the disabled horse. He can canter, but can pigroot. He apparently can trot, but when I saw him he only paced, and I also didn't see him canter. I rode him; his pace is comfortable. He is easy to control, needs some work on his reverse gear and is very stiff to the left. He has a laidback personality and doesn't seem to be bothered by much. At this stage, I've only ridden him in a roundyard; he was steady, going only as much as I asked. He has issues with flies which, in Australia, are everywhere. He needs to have a fly mask on at all times as the flies bother his eyes, causing them to run and him to toss his head quite violently.
Horse #2 is a 25 year old bay gelding, 15.1HH, free. Solid legs, a little less compact than the chestnut but still short backed and sturdy, and in VERY good condition for his age. Has done a bit of everything over the years, was a ribbon winner, and has been a kids horse. Has worked cattle once, but was nervy around them at first. Still has a LOT of go - paces full pelt, canter almost a gallop. Comfortable, easily controlled in the walk, but a little headstrong in the pace. Has been ridden into town without fuss. Had never played up on the current owner (a friend), but had a little "argument" with me as we were pacing back to the gate, him wanting to go fast, me wanting to go slow. I wouldn't call it much - he bounced in place a few times and skittered to the side. Unlike normal for me, I was perfectly comfortable and confident on him moments later. He has varicose veins beside his left eye, apparently only cosmetic and only swell when his head is down/grazing. He seems to 'forget' a hind leg at times.
My current thoughts are:
- the chestnut needs some work. I've never taught a horse anything and, though I've been wanting to try, I'm unsure. My mother adores him, I do like him. He's a good age, with plenty of life left in him. He's currently quite overweight, which would need to be dealt with - the saddle was slipping around everywhere, which could have contributed to my feeling of instability. We were also doing circles, which I'm horrible at.
- the bay reminds me so much of my Quarter Horse, personality and looks wise. He's a sook, and I'm a sucker for sooks. I'm comfortable around him. My mother is wary, for a reason she can't even explain. I'm concerned about his age, though he currently has no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He's in good shape, still fairly fit, and if his 'worst' is what he did to me today, I'll be fine (though the saddle could have impacted - it was a size too small for me and was a fender, which I've never ridden in before but liked from the moment I got on).
At this stage, it looks like I'll be riding out on the bay this weekend, to see how he is out on the trails. Today was his first ride in a month or two, and it apparently takes him a while to 'get back into it', so I'm expecting a different horse. I'm planning to take my own saddle out, which should fit (should fit both horses, actually), so I'll know if it was the horse or the saddle that made me comfortable.
I'll be contacting the owner of the chestnut to see if I can do the same on him. I figure I can't really compare the two until I've taken them both out. If I can't decide after that, I don't know what to do. I've had a mild 'connection' with both horses. I'm drawn to the bay because he's so similar to my old boy, but when I started horse hunting, I wanted something different, the next step up. The chestnut is a bit bigger step up, the bay is a happy medium. I know horses can work well into their thirties, but I can't help but feel that the bay deserves to slow down, to not lug my fat *** around.