Having a hard time deciding between two horses

[Bluey]

Once a big cutting horse breeder/trainer, had won the Futurity big, sent his two year olds to this colt starter and three were not going to make the cut, so he called me.

Very nice colts all, one about the best feeling colt, like riding a cloud, I ever rode.
He was so light footed, like a cheetah, you didn’t feel him move and he carried you along softly.
The trainer had five rides on him and said, that was the smoothest and spookiest horse he ever rode, he also loved him, but didn’t love his mind, was not sure he was all there.
Trainer would not ride him for me, said colt and him irritated each other, for me to try him and I did and yes, fell in love, will never forget what a treat to have sat and floated along on such a feather of a horse.

Now, I was taking care of Grandma, she was in her late nineties and I could not afford to ride a horse so spooky and quick that may jump out from under me.
I regretted that my better sense didn’t let me take him home, only bought his two brothers.
They trained well and sold a few months later, both to the same fellow.

The breeder changed his mind and kept the colt, he also liked him so well.
He had some of his cowboys ride him, hoping he would settle when he matured, but the colt never did get reliable enough to be safe for him to ride.
He was too much horse with that fantastic spook that left several cowboys in the dust regularly.

My point, some times we may love a horse that is not suitable for us and if so, we need to consider if we are in a place in our lives where we want to go there and take those chances, or take the horses we know are also very nice, but more suitable.

I think that mare may just be that more horse than the OP needs right now, as per her own words.

[SuzieQNutter]

The saying for you is a TB or an Arab should never be your first horse.

I gave hubby a TB as his first horse so don’t listen to me!

[Trot_On]

You really have answered your own question. With the gelding, you have said you felt confident, imagined trying a variety of horse activities and enjoying yourself. While you said the mare was a flashier ride, you did not feel good while riding her, and you imagined possible negative experiences with her.

If the mare is the anxious type there is a very good chance that she will be overwhelmed when presented with new experiences. You are looking for a partner that will have the same sense of interest in trying something different. When buying a horse you need to like/want the horse you tried out - rather then what you think it will be in the future. If it improves great, extra bonus. No harm in saying “nice mare for someone else.”

My empty nest, back to horse ownership after a very long break is a green OTTB. He Proved to have the mind I was looking for and thinks that foxhunting was designed just to amuse him. Bold, too smart, and versatile, with a genius for finding innovative ways to be unsound. Love my quirky child, but my last horse will not be an ottb. Nuthin wrong with a grey horse - just saying.

[funky_bunny]

@Posting_Trot

I’m going to raise one other issue that you didn’t address. The Azteca’s owner’s parents want to get him/her something “more suitable.” What exactly has been unsuitable about the Azteca? Sometimes in these kinds of situations, it can just be that the rider wants to do something different than what the horse is good at. For example, the rider wants to do jumpers while the horse is happier in the dressage ring or is maxed out at 2’6".

But sometimes, “something more suitable” is a code phrase for “the horse threw her several times, and we’re tired of going to the ER.”

Yeah, the Azteca is also no walk in the park. She said he hadn’t done anything dangerous with her, but was just hard to manage and she didn’t look forward to riding him. I could see that. He seemed green and confused by a lot of “buttons” I was looking for. He also steered like a drunk and kept looking for things to spook at, though his spook wasn’t bad. He and the TB seemed equally green to me, and she actually was much better behaved than he was. He felt like a funny guy, pony-ish and stubborn. She felt business-like and focused, albeit intense. I did go back to try the Azteca a second time today, and I hate to say it because it makes me feel that much more indecisive, but the TB was frankly an easier ride. I think I was just much more nervous on her because we were riding out in a cross country field (no fenced arena there), and because I built it up much more in my head. Now I think it’s more about her soundness and how hard a keeper she’d be. I wish I could just buy them both.

[Bluey]

@funky_bunny

Yeah, the Azteca is also no walk in the park. She said he hadn’t done anything dangerous with her, but was just hard to manage and she didn’t look forward to riding him. I could see that. He seemed green and confused by a lot of “buttons” I was looking for. He also steered like a drunk and kept looking for things to spook at, though his spook wasn’t bad. He and the TB seemed equally green to me, and she actually was much better behaved than he was. He felt like a funny guy, pony-ish and stubborn. She felt business-like and focused, albeit intense. I did go back to try the Azteca a second time today, and I hate to say it because it makes me feel that much more indecisive, but the TB was frankly an easier ride. I think I was just much more nervous on her because we were riding out in a cross country field (no fenced arena there), and because I built it up much more in my head. Now I think it’s more about her soundness and how hard a keeper she’d be. I wish I could just buy them both.

Sounds like after trying them again, she is after all your better bet, now that you have more to go by?

If you can’t decide, maybe as someone else suggested, keep looking?

[Scribbler]

Keep looking.

It sounds like the gelding is really green. He may not even be broke. Did the sellers ride him and show you his stuff?

It is very possible idiot parents bought child an unbroken horse and now need to ofload him onto another sucker. Run.

[shiloh]

After your last post, OP I am inclined to agree with @Scribbler. Who know what that kid may have done with him (or to him) that you may have to undo. Would either seller allow you a 30 day trial period? I think it might benefit both. The Azteca gets some time with someone who may give him what he needs (Thus making him more saleable if you pass on him later) and the TB might get a chance to prove herself both soundness wise and mental/job wise. Just a thought.

[funky_bunny]

@Scribbler

It sounds like the gelding is really green. He may not even be broke. Did the sellers ride him and show you his stuff?

The teenager did ride him for me and jumped some x-rails. He seemed new to jumping but willing. I jumped him a little bit as well and he was really cute. He stayed on the rail for her but was a bit counter-bent and looky, which is why when I got on I tried to keep him away from the rail and not use it to steer. That’s when the “drunk sailor” part came in. He steered much better in canter though and had a nice simple change, just a quick trot step and then back on his new lead. As for his confusion… I was trying to take up a teeny tiny bit of contact to keep him straight and bent to the inside, and also focused. But if I squeezed even slightly on the reins, he would drop anchor and come to a dead stop. So I do believe he was well broken for w/t/c, but nothing more complicated and he is bored and easily distracted without more to do.

[furlong47]

With that additional information, I would be inclined to keep looking.

[Scribbler]

Me too. A horse can be dead broke but green broke. He can be safe as houses on a trail ride but have no balance in the arena and no idea how to carry himself. Your Aztecs might be a good soul, but you have a solid year or two ahead of you teaching him how to trot a 20 meter circle in balance. I take it you didn’t ride any figures on him. You need a horse that’s already got basic ring balance and steering installed. Your ride as described sounds exactly like being on a very green horse. Keep looking.

[Malda]

@Posting_Trot

But sometimes, “something more suitable” is a code phrase for “the horse threw her several times, and we’re tired of going to the ER.”

What makes me ask this is that the horse was, as you say, advertised as “forward and not for a beginner.” Often code words as well.

This. Learning to “read between the lines” when dealing with sellers is a valuable skill.

Last time I was horse hunting I came across a really nice, calm, QH gelding. When we went for a trail ride the seller said we would only ride on flat trails through the neighborhood, the excuse being so I could see how he acted around all the house activities, no reason to ride in the hills. Red flag. The couple of times we rode down a short incline he stumbled badly. 90% of the trails I ride are hills and the seller knew this. Passed on him.

I think the OP should keep looking. Whenever I horse hunt I end up looking at over 70 horses. It can become tedious, but the right horse is out there.

Also want to mention that as a beginner, buy the horse you ride. Don’t assume you’ll be able to teach, or even want to teach, the things you need a horse to do. Buy the one who can do what you need it to do, now.

I trail ride. When I try out trail horses they have to leave the barn willingly and walk back quietly, the day(s) I ride it. I ignore excuses from the seller (he hasn’t been out for a few days, he’s never done that before, etc.) The horse isn’t doing what I need it to do, so I won’t buy.

[Abbie.S]

OP, from what you’ve let on it sounds like you’re a good amateur level rider with a solid understanding of the basics but not yet at the point where you have the skill or confidence to bring a green horse along with any consistency.

Until you get to that point, I’d be looking to buy something that knows more than you do. Neither of these horses fit that bill.

As an aside, as someone who makes part of my living starting young horses and restarting a LOT of poorly broke green horses of all ages, whenever I hear someone say they are thinking about buying a more challenging horse, I ask myself why, because typically if you need to think about it the answer should be “no”. If you’re ready for that caliber/type of horse, then you’re ready. If you’re not, you could be successful if you’re lucky but more than likely you’re setting yourself and the horse up for a lot of frustration and potential injury. That’s not meant to scare you (although it does typically hit at people’s egos), but more as a reality check from someone who has seen a rider “level up” with a horse before they were skilled enough one too many times and ended up getting the horse sent to me to fix…at which point it’s lot hard to help the horse.

There was a thread a few weeks back where the OP bought a horse under pressure because there were a number of interested prospective buyers and they were afraid a good horse would get bought out from under them. The horse ended up not being what they test-rode or what they were expecting based on info from the seller and that poster is now stuck trying to consign a horse that has a serious bucking issue. So I’ll say here what I said there: there are ALWAYS more good horses out there. Once the check is in the sellers hand and the horse is loaded onto your trailer, that’s it. If there is any question about a horse’s suitability for what you need right now, you should keep looking.

[Katie81]

I agree with a few other posters. I think you should pass on both and keep looking. If you really liked the TB mare, maybe look for an older TB that has already been restarted and needs a step down from their current job.