My Paint mare has a gorgeous big canter but in this situation, getting pushed to the fence in a paddock romp she would be doing all kinds of things to keep her balance and stop on a dime. including maybe dis uniting for a few strides or falling on the forehand in a pop stop.
But agreed on the bunny hopping. I saw some on a video of loose horses posted by a local trainer and it was very strange. Also a stock horse. Not sure if this is confirmation or injury.
My second Arabian had a beautiful canter but when she got excited, she would do what my husband called her “Pepe LePew gait”. Think Boing, boing, boing :lol::lol:
Well maybe she doesn’t have a sales video, because the mare has not been advertised.
Maybe the seller is in a very difficult place right now, and has not got the ability for a few reasons to get a decent video.
I totally agree with your rant however, I have enquired about a lot of horses recently, and it’s frustrating not to get a decent video. In this situation, it’s not a big deal, the horse is close enough that I can go look see, make decisions. Would I go if she was plain bay…well maybe, maybe not, thing is I would prefer a paint, so that why a friend thought to put the owner and I in contact. When I go see then I can “put bay blinkers” on, and look at her as though she were bay.
I’ve never ridden Western dressage and my only experience with it is scribing WD classes at shows, so I may be mistaken. I thought one of the main things separating dressage and western dressage was that horses weren’t all judged against a uniform standard of what a WD horse should move like, as long as it is carrying itself and moving correctly (ie no lateral walks, four beat canters, peanut rollers, etc.) certainly none of the WD horses I’ve seen compete move anything like traditional dressage horses, and that hasn’t seemed to be a factor in theirs scores at all.
I agree. The horse moves like a sewing machine. I would pass. Also , as mentioned, when the seller can’t be bothered to take a good video of a supposed performance horse working under saddle, what else can’t they be bothered to do for the horses training. Move on.
I don’t think I ever said she was being marketed as anything…I just asked what folk could see in a 10 second video. If she was being advertised and sold on the strength of that, I agree, I would most definitely pass. But this horse is not being actively marketed, so I don’t expect decent video, there is no claim of her being a performance horse of any type.
My question, was indeed prompted by the video, but more generally, and should maybe have been asked as “what does a lower level dressage horse move like”
Of the two horses in this video, the paint would be my second choice for a lower level dressage prospect. The other horse looks more athletic.
But it’s darn near impossible to tell anything about two horses cutting up in the pasture for a few seconds.
Based on the video, this horse would not be competitive in any lower level dressage. I show dressage and western dressage and come from a wp/sms/hus background and have owned some flashy Paints. The flashy will only bring more attention to that type of movement.
You can have both flashy and movement…just not with that horse based on that video.
While it is not fair to judge from that video, I have to say I like the bay horse better.
If you are looking at stock breeds then there are plenty that would probably work for you.
Don’t settle for a downhill post legged horse.
My trainer rides a paint for a student that was a former western trail horse, now getting ready to show third.
He naturally tracked up at the walk and triot, and had a good canter, but there was nothing flashy about his movement.
There are nice stock horses out there, A friend of mine has a cutting horse who doesn’t want to cut, but he is super cute!
If no one is promoting this horse as a performance horse of any kind, I wouldn’t buy it for myself. I might buy it cheaply and make a resale project of it if it checked lots of boxes. This one doesn’t do that for me.
But why buy any horse that’s just “kinda/sorta” for yourself as a competition horse?
Also, Paint is more than a color. If she is a registered paint and comes from a lineage of horses bred for color, then you are getting that. Those horses have not been my favorites.
My question… should maybe have been asked as “what does a lower level dressage horse move like”
If I were shopping for an inexpensive horse to do lower level dressage (Disclaimer: I know nothing about Western Dressage), first priority would be three correct gaits, as has been said above. Next would be suitable confo: level topline if not uphill, certainly no downhill build, not post legged behind, not long backed, neck put on correctly - have the conformational ability to stretch down and come onto the bit. Next would be some overtrack at the walk and trot, next some natural rhythm at the canter, next some natural suspension in the trot. I would insist on a good walk, as that’s the gait that’s hardest to improve.
I think you can find all that relatively inexpensively. There are lots of really nice Training/First Level horses that struggle with Second Level work and are not going to go farther than that.
I tend to be leery of stock breed horses for dressage prospects, as they tend to be downhill and not have much reach/stride. Or if they did have it, have had trained out of them.) I’d be especially leery of a stock breed that’s been trained in another Western discipline, as that training tends to make them very reluctant to accept contact or reach for the bit.
I have to agree. I look for a good sloping shoulder. The last thing I ever want to get on again is a straight shouldered, straight pasterned pogo stick gaited horse. Nice hind angles, long strides. Uphill. It isn’t hard to find, but the stock breeds don’t have it and I just don’t want to spend time hunting for minutuae among them looking for the exception when there are other horses with really nice gaits. Sorry to the OP, but this horse isn’t a contender.
Mine might be the dissenting opinion–but if bolded is your priority, then I would find something based on temperament first. I wouldn’t buy something without 3 pure gaits. You can find both! I think it’s not worth judging the horse in the linked video, because it wouldn’t’ be based on anything. If you want to PM me I can show you a really terrible video of my horse as a youngster cantering around a paddock with tons of tension, and I guarantee no one here would have advised I buy him based on that video alone. I can also show you a video of him cantering free and under saddle throughout the years–he regularly scores 8s on gaits.
Level 2 Western Dressage does start asking for collection, but it’s not the same degree of collection expected in regular dressage. I’ve been to some local shows with western dressage, have a few clients who compete in it, and have watched some level 3 and 4 tests online. I think a reasonably athletic stock breed, even one who is a little downhill, would have no problem with Level 2 western dressage.
Given the current situation, if this horse is right down the road, I’d just go look at it and see what it’s like. Maybe it really is a terrible mover, or maybe it’s got pure gaits when it’s relaxed and has a stellar temperament. I would’t advise you go drive 5 hours to see this horse without more video, but if it’s close, you’re just killing some time.
@Dutchmare433 she is just a short drive away, so I went to visit. She is a project for sure, I met my barn owner and one of the trainers there, everyone loved her.
Just waiting to see what happens next!
Fat ,teeth rattling, sewing machine.
That is great! So were you able to properly assess her gaits?
LOL, I had a chance to assess the whole horse, and as a package she is incredibly sweet, great fun, but yes, short striding and not a dressage prospect.
BUT
A definite prospect, she has a great mind, and a pretty colour, hasn’t been ridden in a year, and let my crash dummy, and myself try her out, in half a gale without any worries. If a deal can be brokered she will be coming to the barn, I will work with her, and either she will become a lesson horse, or I will take her over…She is one of those who has ‘something’ so we need to get her slimmed down, back into work and into a productive life.
Excellent! Have fun!
I had a horse made of spare parts with a great brain. His weak loin and odd hindleg angulation made collected work (yes, I know what that means) very hard for him, and the years of me farting around riding him with him strung out didn’t do him many favors.
Buy a well-put together horse that has pretty fluid movement, a strong loin, good angles. A nice mind won’t overcome a bone jarring trot. This mare looks thick and stobby and unlikely to be able to offer much bend in her middle. Cute, but not athletic.
@KBC if you do get her, I’d be very interested to see a decent video of her. I couldn’t say what she’s like at all from the very short video already posted. It would be cool to see what her gaits are really like when she’s not just messing around in turnout.
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