What to come along?
Here's one.
http://austin.craigslist.org/grd/1244478086.html
Hawk's Texas Ranger is a 15yo, 14.3hh Sorrel. He looks like John Wayne's "Dollar"! Ranger is fearless on the trail. He is set in his gait and super smooth. Ranger is an easy Keeper and is currently barefoot. This horse is 100% sound and ready to go!I think I saw him on another listing and his energy is too high. Like a 7.
But I was thinking if I got a gaited horse, my husband could ride him (Adam has a bad back) and I would ride Lily.
But then again, I hear gaited horses tend to leave quarters behind, which wouldn't work with Lily when Sierra and I trail ride. That's my experience with Rudy, his Paso just eats up the ground! Takes a solid trot to keep up.
Here's one:
http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/grd/1249096014.html
From a group called Hill Country Horses in Briggs. Supposedly they specialize in beginner horses. Anyone ever hear of them?
They actually have two, one's a mare (listed below). I think I'd rather have a gelding, but really, it's about personality.
River is a 7 year old Buckskin paint gelding. He stands at 14.3 hands and has a nice build. He's so friendly he will follow you around the pasture and he's super gentle. He is easy to load, trim, bathe, tie, saddle, bridle or do anything with. He stands calmly for mounting and is calm and relaxed when you are riding him. He was purchased a year ago in hopes to turn him into a barrel horse but this guy it just too laid back and would rather walk than run. So we've just been trail riding him. He will lope when you ask him, he just prefers slower gaits. He has never bucked and has no bad habits or vices. Current coggins, vaccines and had his teeth floated. If you want a super gentle horse without any issues, one that is flashy & unique in color, this horse is fantastic! Stays fat on hay alone too. Priced to sell at $2000 and won't be getting any cheaper!
It's weird. He looks a little like Canyon and that is sort of ... sad?
Here's the mare they have.
10yo APHA Mare “Charmers Gold Duck” ~ 15HH. Super sweet mare, ties, loads, bathes, and stands for the farrier. Super gentle disposition. Aria neck reins, stops well, backs, knows her leads, does flying lead changes, and rides bareback. She is started on the barrel pattern and is trotting and loping it nicely, she just needs to be hauled. UPDATE: We have hauled her to 3 jackpots and she is coming along nicely! A 9 year old rode her at a playday and they did fine together. She is learning the patterns and picking up speed! She is calm out on trails and is fine with traffic. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being bone lazy and 10 being highly spirited)...she is probably a 3. Aria is a super nice mare that is extremely smart and ready to continue on in barrels or any other discipline. She has no bad habits and has never bucked or reared, bit or kicked. 100% sound and healthy guaranteed! Vet checks welcome! You will never know she is a mare.....acts like a gelding! NO BAD HABITS OR VICES! Kids that know how to ride can ride her without any problems. She is super easy to handle! This is a great price for a mare with her looks, pedigree, handle, and disposition! Great barefoot hooves...no metal shoes needed! Very pretty lady with nice conformation and good bloodlines!Then there's this one:
I’m selling a beautiful Palomino Overo mare. Born 5/1/1996, so just turned 13 yrs old, and is 14.3h tall. Has been ridden by all levels of riders and does great. She’s had many years of trail riding in the mountains in Tennessee, and continues to trail ride for me on the road and around all sorts of things. No bad habits, kick, bite, buck, or rear. Doesn’t spook at anything and has no shoes. She gets a Barefoot mustang trim. Great with the farrier, vet, etc. Loads into the trailer like a breeze, even a straight load trailer. Has wonderful ground manners...Ties, clips, bathes. She’s a laid-back, slow mover for anyone who’s looking to take a nice relaxed ride, PERFECT for a beginner rider. Because she has been a trail horse all of her life, she excels in this area and prefers to just walk and trot. If you're looking for a faster horse that can lope or gallop on the drop of a dime, she is not the horse for you. She would work the best for someone just looking for a nice, safe, easy going trail horse, and nothing fancy or over the top like shows or barrel racing.
She is UTD on literally everything I can think of, and got her hooves done on 5/17. She really loves attention and to eat. She works the best off of leg pressure and used to know how to neck rein, so with a little work, she could easily neck rein again. She rides the best in a butterfly bit, or any SIMPLE snaffle. She will ride by herself or in groups just fine. She’s had a foal in the past and was a great mother, so she would also make a great broodmare for anyone who wanted to breed her. I didn’t own her during this period, but I do have a picture.
Her sire is a really nice money earning halter horse. Here is her online pedigree:
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/poco+goldenstep
She and her sire are registered with the APHA, and her Dam was registered in the NFQHA.
I like it when there's so much information. Feels like you are getting the whole story.
They all seem like wonderful horses.
Thing is I'm not sure how to go through this process. I'm completely gun shy.
Keep in mind, the last time I had trainers look at the horse, had a vet check, rode many, many times. Every trainer said he was fine. I had a 30 day out clause. Problems cropped up, but I didn't realize their extent.
Now I know better what to test - but didn't the trainers?
I wish I could know their history.
I just wish I knew someone personally selling a horse, knew their horse like I do Lily (who is doing well, but does have to be kept ridden. She gets buddy sour and has to be brought down to earth on occasion. We had a long round pen session last night after her being off for a couple weeks).
Sigh. Maybe I'll just buy a horse trailer.
Okay, okay. Discipline.
I want: A seasoned trail horse that I can trust, that's a little of a pocket pony, up to 15.2 hands, no smaller than 14.1. Western pleasure training is nice, but mostly neck reins, side passes, will lope if asked, but happy to trot all day.
I think I'll pass on gaited horses. Since Adam got his Harley, he's not much into horse back riding. And if all we are doing is trail riding, we won't do much bouncing. If we go gaited, I think we have to go ALL gaited. Does that make sense?
Any views on the subject?
PLEASE!!!!
:)
6 comments:
"Charmer's Gold Duck" caught my eye, and would be the first I would try out. I didn't like one of the paints because it has a pink eye. I've heard and seen those are problems, tear up easily. And I don't like how that looks, personally.
I think a gaited horse like a TW might be better to walk and keep pace with the QH's, but if Adam isn't a concern, just go with a smooth trotting QH. But I'll never buy a hard trotting QH again, no matter what. I'm going to insist that the trot be one of the hard to find, smooth trots that CAN BE FOUND in a QH. in fact, I'll bet that the trot I want in my next QH will effectively limit me to about 25% of the QH's out there, and then I'll apply my criteria from there.
I'd ask about side passing in these horses, if that's on your wish list. It'd be much easier to "refresh" a horse that knows how, than teach one from scratch, but it's not a deal breaker.
And I prefer geldings, and you pulled up a lot of mares.
In the end, it's a crap shoot. But I think you know what you're doing and you'll get a good one.
"Charmer's Gold Duck" is the right height. She is also not a dead head, based on the activities she's been tried in. And 3/10 in temperament is probably about right for you. She knows flying lead changes - I hope that means she knows her cues to do so, but that's pretty impressive and takes a horse with a good head. I want to see that. This horse sounds pretty versatile. I like her color and socks.
I'd ask why they're selling her. They didn't say she did anything badly, and that raises a flag. There is always something a horse won't do well.
Well, since you did everything right before, I guess you have to rely on gut instinct. I'd pay just as much attention to the people selling the horse as the horse itself. I know a breeder who contradicts herself so much that I just don't believe anything she says anymore. She says whatever serves her at the moment. In the ads, I'd pay more attention to the horse's activity record. If someone says a horse has been used for trail riding, find out exactly how many days. If they look at you funny and say, "He's been trail riding for 3 years," repeat your question of how many days. You might just find out that he was ridden on the trails once or twice a year for three years. That's a huge difference from riding every day or every weekend. On the other hand, horses can be over-ridden and then you have to worry about hidden injuries. I can totally understand how you'd be scared to make any decision in choosing a new horse.
I had a Missouri Foxtrotter that I rode endurance on and I loved, loved, loved him. BUT! And that is a very big *BUT*, his flat walk was around six miles per hour so to ride him with non-gaited horses meant that I was constantly circling or checking him - no fun for us - or the other folks were trotting or cantering to keep up with us - no fun for them. I don't recommend to anyone that they mix gaited and non-gaited unless you find a very slow gaited horse.
It sounds like you are taking a very safe approach. Just take your time and when you think you are in love, take someone else out whose 'gut level' instincts about horses you completely trust and have them try him/her out. Hey I just had a great idea!!! My nephew is one of the only horse trainers in the world I completely trust and he lives in Seguin! When you are ready and if you are interested in having him evaluate the horse for you, give me a call at 575-387-6894 and I'll hook you up! I would completely trust his opinion about any horse because I half raised him... ;) Carmon
TR: Someone else I talked to mentioned the pink eye too - that eyes can end up being as expensive to deal with as soundness.
I pulled up a lot of mares because that seemed to be what was out there in the temperment range.
They sell horses (here's the website http://tinyurl.com/mfmeab) and I get the idea they are big into barrel racing. I like the Dun and they dropped her price from 3k.
NM: Great point! I never thought of that!
Carmon: I agree, I think we have to be all gaited or none at all. Canyon always was a fast walker and that was hard enough to deal with. I will definitely give you a call - when I narrow it down. I'm anxious, but not in a hurry. THere are thousands of horses out there right now, and not many buyers.
I've got to agree with "Life at Star's Rest" about NOT mixing gaited and non-gaited horses. Unless you can find a very slow moving gaited horse, it's going to be tough to flat walk with your kiddo on Lily.
You have a solid mount in Lily, a QH, and it would probably be wise to stay with the QH family to match riding styles. You know what a tough time I have getting the QH's to keep up with Vaquero (paso fino)!
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