Evaluating a beginner trail horse, is this the right horse?

[MSP]

I am beginning to think finding the perfect horse is impossible so I am considering what I have in front of me. I am fostering a 7 yr old TWH gelding with option to adopt and wondering if he would work for a trail mount for my 10 yr old DD. He has a wonderful temperament, was ridden a little over 6 months and never spooked or offered any bad behavior. He has never had much training if any by a pro, just ridden on trails and maybe a little round pen work.

So how do I know if he will work out or is he just too green and young for a beginner? Does temperament trump age and training? What is flexible and what is a deal breaker?

I started out looking for a gelding, between 10 and 20 yrs with trail experience and an unflappable temperament. My DD is a beginner and she is only 10 and hasn’t ridden for 2 years. She took lessons for 4 years but because she was so young she only got to posting trot. She started to have fear issues and no longer wanted to ride. She is over those issues but just wants to pleasure ride and go on trail rides.

Your thoughts and experiences?

[_BrionesRider]

Honestly, no.

He’s only been ridden for six months. That is not enough time to really evaluate how chill he really is, what flips his switch, and how trail savvy he is. Without much training, I would not really say he’d be right for a 10yo.

There is nothing like a fall from a green horse to bring back fear issues.

[katyb]

My ten-year-old rode our four-year-old horse without any problems, ever, but I don’t think that is necessarily typical. (They are 14 and 8 now, and still trail partners.) Some horses are just born calm, though, and even without a lot of training will be safe. Others can’t be trained into being beginner’s horses. If I had ridden a horse for six months (really ridden, not around the block a few times) without any problems, I’d sure consider it.

[hosspuller]

I just retired my 20 YO steady TWH. New 10 YO horse is great but has not been exposed to the various trail hazards we encounter. Every new hazard requires a training session eg… bicycles !!

I would say your answer depends on the type of trail riding DD will be doing. Home trails that are familiar sure… but adding new places and new hazards is risking DD confidence. (as BR posted)

[katarine]

I would be tempted to say no.

but

I spotted a 2 YO QH whose owner was drunk at 9am on trail rides with 30-40 people on horses. that horse never missed a lick. I bought him as a 7 YO when I met DH. that horse was the same horse every day, without fail.

can you ride him and get a feel on him? put 30 days on him with someone you trust?

[cloudy18]

It also depends on how he rides with your DD on board. He may still be a calm horse or he may not. And does she feel confident on him? My initial gut reaction is to tell you to keep looking, but there are horses out there that just are that good even as youngsters. I would want a very broke calm horse for a ten year old with a lack of confidence.

[Countrywood]

he sounds like a wonderful horse. Why don’t you spend the money you would have spent on buying a different horse, on getting a trainer to ride him out and get him seasoned? If your daughter feels comfy around him and he has not done anything in six months, he sounds like a good soul , one of those born calm ones.

If your daughter has no interest in lessons (at least for now), and is timid, keep the trail rides local and slow paced. She’ll let you know if she’s ready for more. Also, as she is 10, as she grows up, a horse that is 7 now can grow up with her, or be young enough that you can enjoy him or sell him on if she ever loses interest as a teen.

[WildBlue]

I agree with those who said it could work with lots of vigilance, planning, and continuing training for both. If you’re hoping for something where she can go off alone or with minimal supervision over the next year, the horse really needs to be more seasoned.

The one thing I’ve seen is that many horses, even ones who’re really calm and sweet, reach a point in their under saddle experience where they can get a little cocky and need more experienced handling. It comes right between being so green that everything is new and they look to the person for guidance and becoming a more seasoned and trustworthy mount. It doesn’t sound like this guy has had enough exposure to be safely past that stage yet. Paying for a couple months with someone who makes good trail horses is a really wise investment.

[MSP]

My plan was to ease my DD back into riding in the arena until she has steering and brakes well under control. Then move to riding in the pasture, then riding in the pasture with me and my mare. Then move to riding around the neighborhood, down roads and around the nearby farm with me. I was hoping to have her ready for trailering out in a year or so but only if she is ready. This was the plan regardless of what horse I end up with.

I am riding this horse now, along with riding my own mare. He lacks proper steering and a good stop and seems lost without the leverage bit he was used to. I put him in a French link snaffle D ring and his lack of training became very apparent. He seems to hate the arena so when DD is on him they both get frustrated. So I would have to train him or send him to a trainer and maybe even my DD as well.

Riding out we have encountered dogs, cars, flags, garbage cans, lawn mowers and kids and all he does is look around. The rescue said he has never bucked, reared, spooked or bolted. They did a lot of trail riding with him down roads and around farms and through woods. He was ridden when he was younger and then given a year off to grow. Then went to a foster that trail rode him (teenagers) a lot for 6 months then he spent 6 weeks being reevaluated and trail riding at the rescue by volunteers.

This is the rescues video of him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2YDVRPo_Eg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2nbbM5HoT8

His breeding is a mystery and they have him listed as a Paso Fino but I think he is 100% TWH.

My biggest concern is time. I can’t spend 3 years finishing him before my DD can ride him. He would need to be ridden by her as he was being trained so DD can improve her riding as well. Is this a horrible idea or doable?

[katarine]

My biggest concern is time. I can’t spend 3 years finishing him before my DD can ride him. He would need to be ridden by her as he was being trained so DD can improve her riding as well. Is this a horrible idea or doable?

Get her another horse. You want her to learn how to ride with confidence, forwward and happy, not fiddling with training a horse who can out muscle her to go eat grass or rub his face and jerk her out of the saddle. She’s not ready for that. She needs to be having FUN and building her confidence.

[katarine]

I watched enough of both videos to say No.

she needs a trotting horse. She needs to learn how to ride- when he bumps up past a flat walk he paces, and he paces hard. That is an impossible gait to enjoy, she’s going to bob like a cork on the water. if he jumped up to a rack I’d say Meh but the only thing turning that horse is the bit in his mouth. He don’t know nothing.

Join Deep South Horse Network on Facebook, you’ll find a horse. It is not this horse.

[analise]

[QUOTE=WildBlue;7099075]
The one thing I’ve seen is that many horses, even ones who’re really calm and sweet, reach a point in their under saddle experience where they can get a little cocky and need more experienced handling. It comes right between being so green that everything is new and they look to the person for guidance and becoming a more seasoned and trustworthy mount. It doesn’t sound like this guy has had enough exposure to be safely past that stage yet. Paying for a couple months with someone who makes good trail horses is a really wise investment.[/QUOTE]

This, my horse did it too. He’s a good guy, but there was a point in there between, “I’m still learning things.” and “now I know things” where he would habitually get a little shirty at some point every ride. Nothing crazy, but the sort of thing where a timid child (which your daughter sounds like, OP, if she spent two years not riding at all and is now requiring you to ‘steer’ her back into it) could easily get intimidated or let escalate until it’s actually a serious problem.

Keep looking for the proven steady-eddy, they’re out there.

Where in Mississippi are you, I think I might know some folks who could help you out. (I’m originally from Vicksburg, we got my first horse from some folks up in Yazoo City who basically said she wasn’t ‘fast enough’ for his daughters who did barrel racing. But gosh that horse would ride all over everywhere with me and never bat an eyelash. I was about twelve at the time.)

[katyb]

I’d get her a stock horse type, with a mellow look and feel. I think the agitated feel of that horse will scare her, even if he isn’t really misbehaving. Seriously, if he doesn’t steer or stop well, with all the riding you describe, I’d be pretty concerned.

I have taken a TWH from bit with leverage to bitless with a transition time of about 30 minutes. It’s not that complicated.

[MSP]

Yup, those are some of my doubts and concerns. Last night he was very ruff to ride gait wise, usually he has a nice flat walk but I pushed him to move faster. I am now concerned about how DD could handle that. It certainly is not fun to ride.

I am split down the middle with him. So maybe I need to decide if I want my DD to have only 50% of the horse she could have. When I think about it that way it seems obvious, I wish he wasn’t such a sweet horse this would be easier.

[katarine]

The transition isn’t difficult, KatyB, I entirely agree. The issue with this horse is that bit’s ‘power’ is all that is turning him in the video. A little child cannot reef a horse’s face around ‘manually’ like an adult can.

[Lamb_Chop]

I agree with katarine and katyb. That horse knows nothing, and is being controlled by a leverage bit and nothing else. That’s not how you want your daughter to learn to ride. And that horse’s gait is NOT fun to ride, so your daughter is not going to enjoy it much, and it will discourage her.

Hold out for a better match. There are a lot of good horses coming on the market now- you will find a better match.

[katyb]

My little foster arab is a better match, lol. Too bad we can’t swap. (HHT doesn’t do out of state adoptions, though.) I have a QH mare that is our extra horse, and she has carried a bunch of rank beginners (never on a horse before type beginners) safely on trail rides. She just doesn’t have the energy/nerves of your foster horse. His anxiety and your daughter’s anxiety would be a bad match.

My son’s horse, at four, didn’t put off that sort of feeling. I agree with the other posters who said it comes out eventually - Jess has always been lovely, but 7 was her year of testing the limits a bit, realizing that maybe this riding stuff is a bit of work after all. I keep reminding my newbie riders (niece and nephew living with me) that they are, after all, horses, and never perfect.

[Countrywood]

I thought the horse looked cute and was not bothered by dog following and had a child riding to boot. He did have a lot of head action flinging it around, could be a teeth issue, or reaction to harsh bit. His walk was very lively and not “flat”, so he might feel a lot speedier than he really is.

An ideal mount would be a very seasoned pony, large pony, or small horse, probably over age 15. If she ends up not riding much though, they are harder to sell the older they get, so in fairness might have to plan for a permanent home if she loses interest or outgrows him.

[Amym600]

Nope, not a match. The steady eddy ones are out there. My husband rode very little, and only with a few lessons from me. I bought him an EX rental horse that when he finally realized we were his family turned from ride and get off me to come hang with me and be my friend. He was super slow. But I could ride the most reactive horse in the craziest country in an uknown place and that horse took my husband slowly through it all. His second horse was an ex ranch horse, ridden by owner and kids from age 3 until we bought him at 18. He really had seen it all. A bit speedier than husband’s first horse but still absolutely sweet and broke to death. That’s what you are looking for!

[candysgirl]

I’ll put in another, don’t do it. Sweet does not equal experienced trail mount suitable for a beginner kid.

Look for barrel horses stepping down. Look at some of the ranch horses or cutting or any of the using western disciplines. Those horses are BROKE. Heck, look for an endurance horse too. That’s all we do. Many of us are forced to condition on roads or less than ideal places. My Arab will trot down the shoulder of a road while semis fly past us. His ‘spooks’ are limited to a small half step away from something. On a trail he’s brave and will march over weird bridges, through water, under overpasses, etc. There are a lot of reasons endurance horses get ‘retired’ that have nothing to do with unsuitability for a kids mount. I imagine most of the ones who ‘wash out’ would make good kids mounts.

Join the AERC Facebook page. There are frequently horses listed for sale.

Look at some of the western barns. There’s a cutting barn nearby that turns out very sane, broke horses. They often have 4h suitable horses for sale because the kid is stepping up or going to college. If/when I have a kid who needs a horse, they’ll be one of the first places I look despite the fact that I ride primarily English.