Should I buy this horse??

Question

My mum and I went to view a horse yesterday and I took my instructor with me.

The horse was gorgeous, a chestnut gelding that is welsh section C X TB. He's got a white blaze and two white socks. He's got lovely floating paces in walk and trot and has competed recently in dressage.

I tried him in walk and trot, he was wonderful, really responsive and in front of my leg and really soft in the mouth and on your hands. The owner only had him in a snaffle and he was wonderful...however...the reason I'm unsure is because of his canter. You can stop him (eventually!!) but it is very strong, fast and rushed.

It was said to me that this could definitely be sorted out because he just needs to get a more balanced canter...it would take about 6months of lots of schooling but once it was sorted, I'd have an amazing horse for dressage, sj and XC...I just dont know whether it is worth taking lots of schooling and things on...

what do you all think...is it an easy problem to solve or not worth it?

Answer 1

if you like him a lot and it is just his canter that you would need to work on i would definitely get him. i know i have a 5 year old pony who ive been working on some things with and hes already getting better. when we would go down the long side of the ring he wouldnt keep his head straight and this was a couple weeks ago and now he always keeps his head straight

Answer 2

This horse sounds great, but you need to ask yourself a couple of questions; Why has the owner not been able to get a more balanced canter? Have you got the time and finances to work for six months with your instructor sorting out this problem? If the horse was 5 or 6, then I would say that the canter could easily be sorted, but at 10? think about it. Sorry I don't want to put you off but I think this may become a really big issue. Good luck.

Answer 3

Wow - he sounds lovely..

If you are prepared to do the schooling with him, go for it! If he is lovely in all other ways then its only a small thing to correct.

I personally love a fast horse! lol

Just think how much time you will save in the show jumps! Good Luck with him...

If in doubt keep looking around though and compare the others to him..

Answer 4

This stopping situation is not/doesn't have to be that big of an issue,.  Sometimes, it can be simply attributed to the lack of connection that the new rider has yet to establish with the horse, that the former rider had.  I have had several horses that stopped on a dime for me that would dribble down to stop for others...they pick up certain cues, either verbal, hands, feet, and/or seat...and there is no reason for you to think that this isn't the case with this horse...he seems fine in all other respects and if you break it down and not expect him to improve 100% overnight, I would think you have the makings of a pretty good match for you.  Just remember, whatever cues you provide for your horse to stop, BE CONSISTENT, and that's what counts...good luck on your new horse.

Answer 5

I know what that feels like cause i went to see this lovely mare but she was very headstrong not like your but still its not exactly fun!

Don't change Th bit whatever you do...lol they don always except!

You will just need to commit yourself to handling him buy working with the bit and doing exercises like trot walk halt and trot halt walk alot! He's sounds beautiful though!

Also when asking him to slow down don't keep pulling on the reins pull then release pull and release repeatedly. Use your voice alot and your seat!!

i hope i helped!!

Answer 6

The responses below are all reasonable, if he isn't very fit, he won't be brilliantly balanced.  However please be very careful if you are buying in the UK.  Make sure he has a valid passport and that the person you are buying the horse from is the last registered owner in the passport.  Look to check that he matches the silhouette in the passport and that his age matches up.  Get him vetted!! or get someone who you think is experienced to also look at him.  DON'T PAY CASH!!!!!!! it's completely untraceable and if things go wrong your stuffed! use a deposit and bankers draft or bank transfer or cheque.  Make sure you get a receipt with the full name and address of who you are buying from and the yard you have seen him at.  Make sure you keep the advert for the horse.  If you do this, even if things go wrong you will have a much better chance of being able to do something about it.  If they won't give you this information, walk away, they are hundreds of horses out there and any reputable person should provide this information.  Hope this helps.

Answer 7

i would say if your ready for the work yes it's worth it.  but if your not ready for the committment yet i would say no. really it's up to you

Answer 8

I would buy him, horses need to be schooled, on a regular basis  to keep them disciplined, my horse in canter was like going round a corner on a motorbike simply because she loves to canter,  now with just normal schooling, she is now perfect. You have only tried him once, when you get to know him better you will get to know his ways and be able to sort the problem out. good luck.

Answer 9

i think you should go for it.

it would really give you a great bond with your horse and would boost your confidence too.

my arab would always rush off into canter and wouldnt stop so i had to keep turning circles until she got tired, but i worked with her for about 4 months and eventually she got the hang of responding to my reins and slowing down when i told her to.

also, TALK to the horse, they may not be able to understand you but talking in a calm friendly voice will make the horse feel safe and comfortable and therefore will want to listen to your aids more.

hope this helped :)

Answer 10

If this is a problem you are OK with for now (i.e., not something that has the potential to scare the heck out of you until it's fixed) and you know you have a trainer who can handle this, then go ahead.  Just make sure you figure the trainer's time into his total cost.  Obviously you can't pinpoint just how long it will take him to relearn collection and sanity at the canter, so overshoot it.

A lot of horses who are lacking in balance, coordination, muscle tone or all of the above are simply in need of more work to help them learn to balance themselves and a rider.  They often tend to rush about all willy-nilly, because they lack the strength and experience to carry themselves and a rider at a consistent, collected, slower speed.  It takes strength and endurance to achieve collection, and if that is all he's lacking, then that is easily remedied.  Good luck!

Answer 11

as long as he has a good disposition and you get along with him, i think it would actually be better because it would challenge you a bit, and you will have a better relationship with him because he learned from you. i say go for it! good luck!!

Answer 12

If you are going to be working with a trainer anyways I think its worth it -its good bonding between you and the horse and it makes you a better rider and helps you understand your own horse more.

If you arent working with a trainer do you want to take on this responsibility by yourself? If you see him as the "perfect" everything horse for you after training it seems wise to go with your instinct to buy him.

Good luck he sounds gorgeous-gotta love those chestnuts with chrome!

Answer 13

I'm looking for a horse right now too. And gee I wish I could find a horse as good as you have found.

Happy Trails.

Answer 14

Generally I think that if someone needs to ask if they should buy a horse or not that the answer should be no, BUT...

I LOVE Welsh crosses and this must be a young horse.  It can take a Welsh a bit longer to mature than other breeds and it sounds like the only problem this boy has is a lack of maturity and strenghth.  It takes a good deal of strenghth to canter correctly.  I wouldn't think it would take 6 months unless he's really young.

If you enjoy training puzzles and watching horses mature then I'd really consider this horse.  However, if patience is not your strong point or you don't enjoy working on problems then I'd pass.  You know yourself better than anyone and it would be a shame to have a horse that you didn't enjoy.

Answer 15

I think it would be fine to get this horse as long as you have a trainer to help you w/ him. You didn't say if you were a beginner or experienced rider. If you were a experienced rider I think you could probably get by training him/her by your self, but if you were a beginner you should get a trainer.

Answer 16

This is a highly solvable problem as it deals with fitness. Especially as he has two really good gaits in the trot and walk. If he really suits you and he will turn into the perfect horse with some work, he's worth a second look. He might be way beyond what you could afford if he was good at all 3 gaits. The dressage work will help him learn to balance and carry himself immensely and you know he has the go for the other two phases, it's just a matter of harnessing it. It may take 6 months, may take longer or may take a very short time...this is something that really can't be predicted, it depends on his natural athleticism and attitude for learning new things. Now, if he doesn't care for being taught new things, then he may be very hard to retrain at his age. Can you go back and ask him for some exercises he hasn't done to see how his temper holds?? Basically, push him past his normal comfort zone. If he has a fit, he might not be so good for you. If he tries, then you have a horse that will be open to some decent training.

Answer 17

of course you can overcome this!! Once you've bought him it will be up to you to work and school this horse to perfection and in one way its almost more rewarding because you'll have had to put some work into this horse and not just have bought a ready to go horse!

All horses have their flaws and its up to us riders to work with them to overcome these! Id much prefer to have a horse like this, which is a bit of a challenge and needs me to work that bit harder to get places!

Go for it!!

xx

Answer 18

if you like him then go for it!

if you think you could sort out the canter thing then you should defo get him!

if you're not entirely sure, go back and see him a few more times before you decide. rid ehim each time, but him through all his paces, take him over some jumps, and try him in different places. eg. see what he's like on the road, or take him into a field to see if he is any harder to control out of the arena

hope you make the right decision in the end!

Answer 19

Every horse has some sort of flaw and unless you have tons of money it is virtually impossible to find the perfect horse but you have to make sure you are comfortable with the compromises you make.  

What does your instructor think?  Was it her that said it could be sorted out or the horse's owner?  Will you be having lessons still to get you and the horse working well together and to heolp with any issues?  

Your instructor knows your riding level best and therefore is the best to judge whether the horse will be too much for you to deal with.  It is a problem that could be caused by several things including poorly fitted tack, teeth, back, etc or could just be a case of reschooling.  If it is schooling then it could be a few lessons or it could be many months just depending on the horse and how quick and willing he is to learn.

You need to be honest with yourself over whether you will find it frightening cantering him or whether you are able and confident enough to go through the training with him.  If you are, then it will build a much better bond with him and the feeling of success you will have will be much greater but you and your instructor are the only ones able to answer that.  

Sorry I haven't given you a definative answer but it really does depend on your experience, confidence and ability.  

Good luck with whatever horse you decide on.