Need some advice picking between two horses

[DollyDoll]

Yeah, my past two horses honestly left me with a tone of baggage. One wouldn’t stop no matter what, my last trainer would throw me into the arena and just say “Just point the horse and hold on, stop him against a wall once you’re done” so that led me into having a fear of fast horses or horses who are forward. Second pony we won a ton of things, from national championships to local circuits but the damn little devil liked to stop a lot. Taught me to have one hell of a seat but after he knocked me out once during a ride where he decided to be difficult I just sort of started to get scared of jumping high so when I started trying horses I just wanted to find my heart horse.

You’re 100% right, I can see your reasoning. What did you do to get confidence on higher fences?

[theresak]

I think you need to keep looking - I’d look for a slightly older horse who has experience jumping the highest you want to jump and is easy and quiet. If you want to jump higher but need something confidence building, then you need to be looking at horses that meet the criteria (and have a budget to match).

If you dream of jumping higher but really need to spend some time building confidence and someday move up, go with Horse 1. He may be able to jump higher, but you’ll need to time to determine if he can do it confidently, which may mean a trainer doing some riding for you. You probably should calculate this into your budget as well.

[DollyDoll]

Yeah I completely get what you’re saying. I guess I just wanted to talk to other horse people to see their perspectives and what they thought and I really appreciate your comments! Helps a bit to reassure myself

[DollyDoll]

Oh I have a trainer and he is 100% willing to ride any horse I get for me so that part is clear.

But on looking for more options… we did look but most were completely out of my price range, at least nearby the city i live in. I tried a mare that i loved, grand prix potential and amazing attitude and such a fun ride, but she was like 20k over my budget. We found two other horses who seemed to match everything except age, they were just way too old and wouldn’t really keep jumping high for more than 2 years at most and what I want is a horse that is still a bit on the younger side to last me at least 4 years but can be reselable later if I max out and older horses tend to not be worth much around my city sadly.

[mika0116]

This sounds like SUCH a cop out, but being on a horse I trust. My heart mare took me from being so anxious over even a .70 m oxer (yes, the first horse in pain made me actually terrified to jump more than a cross pole), to jumping solid xc style .90cm /1.0m in less than 6 months.

I rode a lot of dressage as a junior, and the heart mare was an absolutely cracking sensitive creature, she appeared to have a mutual preference for me being a quiet seated, soft but firm handed, rider. She was an absolute hell-on-wheels for a lot of riders, but really took care of me as we ‘clicked’ physically and emotionally.

Her junior after me had to ride her in a gag and she often left strides out. With me I could halt her in a 6 stride square in a rubber snaffle, and jump out in clean 3 strides. It was all about clicking physically and emotionally. I had a little saying on her martingale strap that said “I Got U” & she really, really did!

[OfCourseItsAnAlter]

@DollyDoll

What did you do to get confidence on higher fences?

Jump small fences until it’s routine and boring, then increase the height a little bit and jump that height until it’s routine and boring, then increase the height a little bit and jump that height until it’s routine and boring…

Gymnastics also help because things come so quickly that I don’t have time to get in my head between bounces and I can feel things just flow naturally.

[atl_hunter]

@DollyDoll

Yeah, thats exactly why age is kind of a factor in this. Sure they are by no means old and they will 100% still be jumping at the top of their game for at least 4 more years but I worry that since the first one has never done official 1.20 courses it might mean he’ll never do them or he might even get scared at the height. Maybe it’s my anxiety from having a horse that the second the poles got to 1.10 he would refuse and it would be a struggle to get him over them, but I just don’t feel like suffering with another refuser.

Is there a possibility to lease a kind horse to get you your confidence back so you can get around the 1.10 for a year or so and gain some skills and THEN find your 1.20 (and potentially beyond) horse? That would make a lot more sense to me. Get the steady eddy and reliable, but limited, horse for one year and upskill from there.

[DollyDoll]

I wish but leasing isn’t common in my city, most people around here believe if you want to move up you either buy a horse or give up. I just found out about leasing last year when I had started to consider selling my last horse and people recommended leasing a horse o here while I looked for a new one but I had no idea what leasing meant.

[Against_All_Odds2]

It sounds like you really want someone to convince you to get #2 but I am with everyone else that says you wont be unhappy with #1.

Listen to your gut, not what you “think” you should go with.

Welcome home Fin! Now post pics

[DollyDoll]

XD Yeah you’re right. Its just, in my head I KNOW the right choice objectively is #2 but I can’t help shake the fact that it just felt like me and #1 just clicked instantly.

This is him, he’s honestly one of the most gorgeous horses I have ever seen.
IMG_1404.HEIC (2.2 MB)

[173north]

I think the fact that horse 1 is the only one you felt safe to jump 1.15m on during your trials makes it clear that’s the horse you need. A horse you ‘click’ with and that makes you feel safe and brave is really special, and it’s the best possible horse to move up the levels with.

I totally get that you want the horse to have experience at the 1.20 level so that you aren’t learning together - so why not have your trainer take him to a few horse shows and show him in the 1.20m? If he’s showing 1.10, jumping 1.25 at home, and has done a 1.75 six bar, it sounds like a horse show at 1.20 is well within his capabilities.

If you two have a strong bond, he makes you feel safe, and your trainer can give him some 1.20 experience before you start showing at that level… I think you have a much better shot of moving up than with a horse that is confirmed at the level but scares you.

[AnastasiaBeaverhousen]

If your only concern with horse #1 is that you arent sure if it can do 1.3 then maybe you can arrange to have your trainer ride the horse over a course of higher jumps.

If the horse can handle the course easily then your question is answered.

I would not consider horse #2 . His personality doesnt suit.

Good luck.

[DollyDoll]

That actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe get my trainer to give him a couple of high competition courses that way when I want to jump high he already has a couple of them under his belt.

[DollyDoll]

Yeha, yeah you’re right. I could also ask for a video from the owner to give him a larger course.

Thank you!

[foggythistle]

I haven’t read all the replies, but my first thoughts were horse #1 for a confidence building. You need your confidence rebuilt at 1.1m before you move up.

Did your trainer like #2 because he was thinking that it might be a horse that he would want to ride? Maybe that horse needs more of a firm pro ride than you are able to give them.

If your goal is for you to ride the horse, and not your trainer, I’d opt for #1.

[endlessclimb]

@DollyDoll

I tried a mare that i loved, grand prix potential and amazing attitude and such a fun ride, but she was like 20k over my budget.

This is why you got the reputation of “try but dont buy”. Why on earth did you waste this seller’s time? That would tick me off as a seller, bigtime.

Between the two, I like number 1. Do keep in mind though - you are approaching the height where NO horse will be able to just take you around. A smart horse will refuse when buried (or left to take a flyer) to a 1.25m fence. You have to have a horse that will let you see and adjust a distance before you take on one that will argue with you about it. Horse number 1 hands down, for you at this moment in time.

[DollyDoll]

Oh no, that same buyer had a horse in my price range and I tried her, didn’t love her, and then he said if I would like to ride another mare so he could get videos of an amateur riding her to try to make her more sellable. I rode her happily, really liked her, and asked the price out of curiosity and boom, biggest price tag ever

Of course! I know i can’t just hang on, both my last horses taught me to ride or I’m going to fly off, and I would much rather have a smart horse that takes care of itself and me than one that just jumps without thinking. My first horse was like that and my broken elbow had a lot to say. I know there are horses that are super-automatic but they tend to be way out of my price range.

[DollyDoll]

I hadn’t actually thought about it that way… My trainer does like a more forward horse so maybe thats why he enjoyed the second one best.

[endlessclimb]

Riding because a seller asked you to and “trying a horse” are very different things. Thanks for the clarification.

[Renn_aissance]

When I was looking for my horse, I tried a wonderful jumper. On paper this horse was everything I needed. I was also shopping on a budget for a horse to move up with. He was going at the level I wanted to do. His holes- and any horse in my budget was going to have holes- were those I could live with. He was cute, too. But I didn’t know how to ride him. He was a powerful horse used to going in a different way than I rode. I did not feel capable of riding him. I did not buy that horse.

I ended up buying my fellow, who is magnificent.

Six months later, I actually ended up working for the farm that had Horse #1, and I rode Horse #1 a lot. By six months later, I could ride Horse #1. We got along great. I was now competent at his level.

But what would have happened if I’d bought Horse #1, and spent that 6 months riding him? Sure, maybe I would have learned how to ride him and figured him out, particularly if I had been at a farm where a better rider than I was could have kept him in training and taught me how to ride him. But I think it’s more likely that I would have spent at least three of those months being below his pay grade, undoing his good training while I learned to ride him, and ultimately having even more doubts about my capability as a rider and as a partner for this horse.

I don’t think that today, you and Horse #2 are the right match for each other. Maybe in 6 months it will be different. So you can either wait and keep looking and keep riding and find out if in 6 months a horse like him is the right match, or you can buy the first horse that you click with today.