So im trialing a horse tomorrow?

Question

and well. im not sure what i do.

my instructer isnt coming tomorrow shes coming if we want to try him again,

so when i get up on him, what do i do.

walk, trott, canter, jump??

Answer 1

Have you considered asking the owners to allow you to catch the horse. That way you can also check out his ground manners and check he's okay being tacked up.

We always ask the see someone ride the horse before we/my children get on. That way I see that they are quiet enough to ride.

Have the rider to walk, trot and canter each way. When they are doing this I'm looking to see that the head isn't nodding at trot and that a hip isn't dipping (these are both signs of lameness). I'd check that they horse can lead off correctly in each direction. Lastly get the rider to trot towards and away from you in a straight line, to check that he doesn't throw his legs out.

Then when you get on, ask him to walk, trot and canter each way. Does he feel balanced, and can he bend? Is he responsive to your aids, do his brakes work?

Then I'd jump over a couple of low jumps.

Just look for lumps and bumps.

Do you consider quietness most important? I do so even the prettiest horse must be quiet for me to handle.

Apart from that just relax take your time, and go with your instincts. We all want the horse that we are looking at to be good - but don't rush in, if this one isn't right there will be another. VERY BEST OF LUCK. i hope it's mr/miss perfect...

Answer 2

I also prefer to see someone else on the horse first, so I can evaluate his way of going. I do not want to arrive and find the horse already being warmed up though - so you may want to ask the seller to just leave him outside/in his stall until you get there so you can catch/groom him.

When I get on, I want to walk around a bit, try the brakes & steering. Does he respond to my legs & seat? Is he balky about going anywhere? Then I'll trot a bit - I like to trot in figure 8's so I can really feel any lameness. I'll do  a lot of transitions as well - trot to walk, walk to halt, etc. Then I'll canter a bit in both directions, maybe see if the horse has a lead change or not.  I'll probably do a few smaller jumps from a trot before cantering any.

If at any point the horse shows me that its unsuitable, i'll stop right there - theres no point in going on with a horse I know I'm not going to buy.

I also always ask the seller if they want me to cool the horse out, that way I'm not just handing they a sweaty horse & waving bye-bye!

Oh, toss your saddle & bridle in the car just in case - I've often gone to try a horse & found out there was no tack for it!

Answer 3

you should begin in walk to warm hes muscles up for about 5 minuites then begin in trot and once you feel he is listing to you and he has loosend up you should start to canter make sure you do this on both rains as well and if you feel comfertable then begin to jump x

hope this helps x

Answer 4

usualy when I go buy a horse, for I make sure they are structuraly sound, no confirmation falts, etc. Then I make sure they are gentle to pet, I will pet them all over, face, ears, belly, legs, etc. make sure they dont have any soft spots. Then I will look in thier mouth and look for jagged teeth, wolf teeth, etc. When I ride, I always first walk around, and see how it feels. Maybe toy around with the reining to test flexing ability, how easy it is to control where his feet go etc. stop him a few times, etc. then I move into a jog, and feel for evenness, and rythem. after a little of that, you may stop from th jog, switch directions at the jog, etc, move up into a faster trot and see how far he can really reach out. Be sure to play around a little with him and be sure he is still managable at the trot to stop, slow down, steer, etc. Then move to the canter. Dont canter him along time as if you are giving him a workout, maybe go a lap and then ask for a stop. You just wanna go long enough to see how he feels, and how easy he is to control, because if you dont end up buying him, you are leaving his owner with a hot horse to cool out. If he jumps, ask to set up some jumps, but only if you know how to jump. Be sure to ask the owner how high he is capable of jumping first. Take him over a few times, maybe raise it a little higher, and then ask the owner to ride him so you can see, have her walk, jog, trot, canter, stop, take him over the fences, etc. so you can see how he looks. You want to be the first one to ride him. If the owner instists that she rides first, the horse may be getting a little training lesson before you ride him. If you ride him first, you will be able to feel what he feels like while warming up. hope this helps!!