[uhlysse]

Hey everyone! I'm turning 16 soon, and my parents have been promising me for years that I will have my own horse by the time I'm 16. Much to my surprise, it's seeming like they might be able to make good on this promise! Today we went and checked out a facility in our area. It's a thoroughbred rescue, basically. The owner was super friendly and gave us a tour of both of the barns and told us all about all of the horses. For all of the horses she offers unlimited lessons for the first 30 days that you own the horse. She really wants her horses to be a good match for their riders.

I'll get right to the good stuff! :]

Harp- TB, 16.1hh, 5 years old. He has been on stall rest for a few months because he had an ankle injury, so he's got basically no muscle right now. She turned him out for us and he seems curious, smart, but a bit skiddish. I can understand why, however. He's been in a stall for months and not exposed to anything! I don't know if he'd be the best first horse choice, however. He has more of a quarter horse build and the owner thinks he'd do great with any sort of discipline, really. She thinks he'd be great for dressage because he's got awesome movement. She hasn't started riding him, however. :/ $500

Harp - a set on Flickr

(sorry, they only have one horrible picture of him.)

Might Brave- This is the horse that she seems to like the best for me. He's 4 years old, started over fences, and recommended for a beginner. She said he's a little pokey, but I honestly like that better than a horse that wants to run constantly. He has never been on the track, but was owned by someone who's husband wanted him to be a steeplechaser. But the wife insisted that he just didn't want to run. He's the most expensive at $3500, though. I don't really mind this. OH! One problem, he cribs. In the stall, at least. The owner says that when he was out in the pasture he didn't crib. I'm going to have to keep the horse on pasture board, anyways.

pics with kodak 203 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

(he is being ridden by their 13 year old daughter)

La Decadence- 2 year old TB filly. Never raced, 16.1 hands and her brother on site was HUGE, so I think she's going to mature to be 17+ The only thing I didn't like about this filly is how young she is. She had a super cute personality and seems very curious and intelligent. The owner claims she is great on the trail, super fun to ride, and has potential for eventing, H/J, dressage, polo, etc. I'd wait at least a year to even start thinking of introducing her to fences. She's $1500

107_2704 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!



A little bit about me: I took a year of saddleseat lessons about 3 years ago, but stopped saddleseat after showing twice and not really enjoying the disapline anymore. I took a few lessons at various riding places. I jumped a few times and really loved it! But then I found my friend who owned 2 OTTB's, and I rode several times a week with her for about 5 months. I got at least as good as I was when I rode once a week in lessons. Now I haven't ridden in 8 months. I fell about a year ago, and so my confidence isn't rock solid. I'm interested in jumping, trail riding, and maybe trying some ranch sorting somewhere down the road. I'm 5'10", so I need a horse that is tall. I'm really interested in natural horsemanship methods and I learned a lot from my friend on how to get a horse to respect your space and trust you, as well as desensitizing horses to various objects. I'd say I'm an intermediate rider? But I'm definitely going to take a few weeks of lessons(hopefully on the horse I am interested in), and then purchase a horse.

If you guys could just give me your opinions on these horses, that'd be great! I'd love some input on what you think of their conformation, too. :]

 

[Seahorseys]

I think by reading your post you already know which horse you have an affectation for.

 

[uhlysse]

Hehe...this is true..but I haven't ridden any of them! I'd really just love your guys' input anyways. :]

I'm pretty much the last person to go for with conformation, but Mighty's conf. seems pretty dang awesome to me. Something about his hind end seems off to me, and maybe his neck as well. But I'm not sure. And something about his face seems off, but I might just be seeing things. La Decadence is just gorgeous and super sweet...AHH! This is going to be hard. Help! :O haha

 

[megannnn]

#1. u probably want to ride as soon as u get ur horse. therefore this one would probably not be the best choice! you would have to rehabilitate him and condition him before you could do anything like jumping or anything intense. also alot of injuries come back to haunt the horses later in life. like cause problems later. and the fact that hes young and has this injury makes me suspicious. i have had problems with horses like this before. but if you do want a project or challenge this would be good. with a trainer of course.


#2.I personally like mighty brave.
and u said ur confidence was knocked and he sounds and looks solid to me.
i also like that he was introduced to fences at 4! which is a great age. not too young. i think he would be the best match.
and cribbing is something to be fixed. if he does stay inside. some of the best horses ive known have had to have crib collars on

#3. oh the 2 year olds. i definatly wouldnt advise this. i bout an unbroke two year old and it is HELL!!! hes very quiet but its hard to train. and the feelings are mixed. it takes alot of time and effort. no two days are the same. we have good days and bad!! it overall is usually hard hard work. but could pay off later.
but i would suggest a very experienced rider to train a 2 year old. as it is very difficult. iand time consuming especially if u r a teenager.


well theres my input! hope it helped

 

[megannnn]

oh and how high is might brave being jumped at ??

 

[uhlysse]

Thanks, Megan! I agree on all counts. I liked Harp, but dealing with an injury and green-ness won't really be worth the discounted price, I think. I'm not sure how high Mighty Brave has been jumped, and he is wearing a crib collar right now. The 2 year old has been ridden quite a bit, but I definitely agree. I'd prefer a horse with more experience that isn't going to flip out about stuff that 2 year olds tend to flip out about. haha.

So basically...just critique Mighty Brave, you guys! Or point out things about the other two if you'd like. Thanks!

 

[kchfuller]

Being that this is your first horse I don't think either 1 or 3 are even something that would be good for you or the horse. You want your first horse to know it's job and be able to teach you lots- as well as being solid. Number 2 looks like a cute horse and a "packer" but he is 4 so he has a lot to learn.

Is it possible for you to find a horse that has some more life experience? I am not doubting your riding ability but I think that would be best for you and whatever horse you get, also you can build back up your confidence. A young inexperienced horse is going to do nothing but harm to your confidence.

Do you plan to work with a trainer on a weekly basis? If you want me to help you horse hunt I would be more then happy! Let me know

PS... please don't jump a horse till they are 4 or 5 (i would air more towards 5) .. you need a SOLID flat foundation and to make sure they are done growing, my OTTB didn't stop growing till she was 5

 

[uhlysse]

Thanks, Karley! :] Yes, it'd definitely be possible to find an older, more experienced horse. I'd love some help hunting! We just went to this facility as it is close to our house and has great prices. It's got hundreds of miles of trails through wine country and tons of teens that board and get together and ride. I really like the atmosphere there! But they do have a lot of younger TB's. And I would be working with a trainer, but I'm not sure how frequently. I'd probably have at least one lesson a week. I'll PM you with more info on what I'm looking for and my area and things like that! Thanks again.

 

[megannnn]

oh and i love how mighty brave just takes it when the girl riding bounces around or kicks him. hes just like doo ti doo.
my horse flips if i kick him or bounce around. so that really really good

 

[dominoschica]

Lysieeeeeee!!

I'm so excited that it's finally "time". It seems like it's been forever.

I personally think that you would be better off finding a nice, big QH. Especially if you want something versatile in both English and western. Not saying TB's can't be versatile or do western but for the MOST part, they aren't the "ranchiest" horses out there, as you know.

But out of all those, Mighty Brave is the best choice in my opinion. Most broke, for sure. But I also know you can find something older with more experience and better broke for cheaper. Around here at these times, if you really wanted a TB, you can find one for waaaay cheaper. $3500 seems a bit steep.

If you like any of my horses, btw, let me know. I would give you an awesome deal. All the ones I have are on my website except for one AQHA gelding. And I will let you know if I get something in or hear of anything. What's the price range?

 

[uhlysse]

Thanks, Heather! That's what I'm thinking, too. My dad likes Harp the best, but I think he's seeing money signs. But my mom has talked to him and let him know that the initial cost of the horse is the least of their worries.

I'll definitely ask for your opinion on all of the horses we look at. And maybe we can bribe you and have you come out with us one day, too. :]

DreamHorse.com Horse ID: 1523808 - Arieoso

Do you like this gelding? I like just about everything about him. There are some videos and more pictures at this site:

Arieoso : $3,000 16 hand 9yr AQHA Gelding Dressage and Trail training - Welcome to SunShine & DayDreams ~ Horse Back Riding and Quality Horses For Sale - Powered by Phanfare

I'll definitely keep an eye on your website, too! :]

 

[kchfuller]

go ride him

 

[dantexeventer]

Definitely not 1 or 3. The two-year-old is, IMO, too young to even be ridden at all, and unless you have experience working with fresh off-the-track-TBs, you shouldn't get one. It won't be fair to you or the horse.
Personally, I think you should look for something that already knows what it's doing. That way you can work on YOU, and you can think about things like showing. That's not going to happen with a four year old, unless you're taking three lessons a week. You can find something awesome to lease or even something in its teens for very little money.

 

[SarahHershey]

Alright. You are going to hate me. I personally do not think you should buy a horse, especially if you haven't ridden in 8 months. Take lessons for several solid months at the disipline you want to ride in, and then slowly begin looking at horses, and make sure you take your trainer to look at the horses.

For a first horse, you do not need an un-ridden TB, nor do you need a 2 year old. You need a been-there-done-that horse, that will teach you, not the other way around.

green+green=DISASTER

I know I didn't give you the answer you wanted, but I have seen too many riders bite more than they can chew, one of my best friends being one of them.
She was in almost the exact same situation as you, and she bought an extremely nice, expensive, 5 year old horse, and now with all of her "un-training" she would be lucky to get 1/4th of what she payed. She is forced to constanly try to fix her horses problems, and has no time to improve her own riding.

Good Luck.

 

[equineeventer3390]

How experienced are you? Since it's your first horse I don't think you should get a young, green thoroughbred. There are ALOT of GREAT ottb's out there that are very sensible, quiet and that inexperienced riders can handle, but green horses are VERY VERY easy to mess up. Trust me, i've been there. I'm 18 and got a 3 year old from the track at 16. I have done all of his training and we've done well together but i've been riding since I was 6 and he was my 5th horse. I've ridden lots and lots of horses and while i'm not a professional I would consider myself an experienced rider. I don't know how well you ride, or how long you've been riding and i'm not saying because your 16 you shouldnt get a green horse, because I did, but i'm just not sure your ready for it, since it's your first horse. I would look for something a little older (6-12) that has done more.

 

[uhlysse]

Of course I don't hate you. :] I'm taking all of your guys' opinions, and I appreciate all of them! I wish I could edit my original post(can we?), because I'm really not considering the 1st or 3rd horse anymore. And I'm also not very interested in the 2nd horse, either. I'm looking for an older horse now that can teach me. That's why I linked to the buckskin quarter horse in my last post. The last thing I want to do is bite off more than I can chew and regret my decision.

I do want to take a few months of lessons before I get a horse. My birthday is in 4 months, and I definitely will not get a horse until then. I wouldn't feel comfortable purchasing a horse at this moment because I haven't ridden in so long.

Thanks for all of your help, guys.

 

[dominoschica]

If you go ride that buckskin, be careful!!!

When we were looking for a horse for Mark, we went to go see this gelding that that lady Sonja had that she said was great for beginners. We all rode on the trail, I rode that gelding. Thank god, because she told me to walk away from the other two and that he would be fine but he started rearing and all this bull....

Nothing against her and her horses, I'm just saying... be careful.

 

[SarahHershey]

Sounds like a great plan! And we want tons and tons of pictures and videos!

 

[churumbeque]

Are you looking for a certain color? You can get more horse for the money if you do not have to have a buckskin. I am a little confused by the post about young TB's the horses I saw in the links were older qtrs but I had to double check the breed because I thought the 1st one looked more like a tennessee walker

 

[uhlysse]

I'm definitely not looking for a specific color. That's really the last thing I'm concerned with. The buckskin is gorgeous, but there's no way I'd chose him over a better horse that was a less exciting color.

I know the horse market is down right now, as is everything else, really. I'd say our price range is under $3,000. I do live in california, though, where everything seems to be a tad bit more expensive(hay...agghh). How much do you guys think a good, seasoned, sound first-horse would be priced at in today's market?

Oh, and all of the horses in my links in the first post were TB's. I'm 100% sure of it. They were at a barn that is specifically dedicated to the rehoming of OTTB's. They're definitely not QH or TWH.