Our riding center had a wonderful big trotting standardbred mare that I used in endurance rides.
She liked everyone in the world, two or four legged and didn’t mind showing it.
Did I say she was wonderful?
She was wonderful.
If you like them, they are wonderful to live with and ride.
[QUOTE=Wayside;8663317]
I’m not new to horse ownership, but this is kind of a new and bewildering experience for me. :lol:
My wonderful Anglo-Trakehner mare passed away a few months ago. I’d owned her for 11 years, she was 21, sound right up until the end, but I opted to euthanize rather than put her through colic surgery when ultrasound showed an abdominal mass.
I still have her daughter, who (due to a bone cyst in her stifle) is on permanent pasture patrol duty keeping the coyotes away from my sheep, and a small hairy pony with Cushing’s, but no riding horse. It’s weird.
Previously I’ve owned an assortment of green and/or quirky horses. Most of which seemed to just sort of fall into my lap.
I’ve spent the last few years having very slow unambitious rides around the farm, though. Most of the time I was riding alone, texting my husband before I mounted and after I was done, and although my mare was hot and had a few quirks of her own, I knew her so well that I was very comfortable with that arrangement.
But between my solo rides and some chronic joint pain of my own, I’m coming to terms with the fact that my next horse will probably be boring. Okay, okay, maybe not boring, but quiet and safe. It feels a little bit like giving up, but I realize that it’s the logical choice to make.
Because I’m cheap, it will probably also be old and ugly, with a scrub tail and a head like a mailbox, but that part I’m very okay with.
And it looks like I’m actually going to have to go shopping. Although I keep closing my eyes and hoping, no new horses (suitable or otherwise) have appeared in my pasture.
Now, it’s not that I’m opposed to buying an appropriate mount, but I’m not eagerly anticipating wading through the bog of nutty sellers, flippers, and horses which may be underweight, lame, in ill-fitting tack, or plain old misrepresented.
Not being in a rush is serving me well thus far, at least. I keep looking at horse ads, and there has been a whole lot of “nope” going on. Might have one to look at on Monday, though, and I’m kind of nervous and feeling very out of my element.
I’m not sure I really have a question, since I’ve been around enough to know most of the basics. I wouldn’t mind a refresher, or suggestions to shore up my list of questions, but I think at least in part I’m just tired of talking to myself about this. My husband isn’t at all into horses, and my friends keep remembering how much work I put into my previous horses and suggesting things that I just don’t think I want to brave all by myself in an open field. :eek:
So, some actual person needs to say something vaguely relevant before I start leaving myself crayon-written notes around the farm. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Love your post! I’m in the same boat. I’m nearing 60 and though I sometimes think I’m the same rider I was at 25, my body tells me otherwise. I’m so sorry about the loss of your mare, and wish you luck finding a replacement.
My “boring” horse - my husband’s little QH mare is one we were able to buy because she was too slow for the gaming and western drill team stuff the lesson kids at the barn she was at before we owned her were into. She’d done parades, carried flags, etc. just wasn’t into high speed galloping for long periods of time!
My husband now rides her in English tack and has started to jump x-rails as well as ride her in the hilltoppers field out fox hunting. She is not at all what we expected to find for him as she’s younger, shorter and the wrong sex than our “wish list” for his “ideal” horse but she’s super steady. I wouldn’t hesitate to look well outside your usual discipline of interest. I don’t ride Western either, but horses are adaptable and at least where I am, some of the local western trainers start a horse with wonderful and solid basics that make it very easy to transition a horse to do a different job. Unfortunately - there’s also quite a few lousy trainers (in a variety of disciplines) so I’d rather get a horse that has had a GOOD start in some way rather than a poor one in my sport of choice!
You might also consider a Saddlebred - no, not the high octane leg waving kind but the retired buggy horses at Saddlebred Rescue. Lots of ex-Amish horses brought along by one of the most reputable rescues around. Give them a call, tell them what you wan and they will find it for you. They are very good at matching horse and purpose.
They can help you with transport too.
Good luck!
ETA: They can keep an eye out for more sport horse types or western if you aren’t into saddle seat type.
Do you live near any working ranches where there might be a still sound but not up to hard ranch work type of horse? I have had the pleasure of knowing 2 such horses in my life. They were the most solid citizens ever. They would think for themselves if they had to, but in a calm, not flighty way. They could problem solve-- I swear it! They had been exposed to a lot, were expected to deal with a lot when on the job, and were really intelligent, fun, and able horses both on and off the ground.
Both were quarter horse types-- if they had ever been registered anywhere, that information was long gone by the time I knew them.
If you are near somewhere that still has working ranch horses, and can find a contact, it might be worth looking into.
edited to add
Out of curiosity, I googled sales ads for ranch horses. I cannot post the links here, but a simple google search turned up loads of advertisements for ranch broke horses ( or so they say in the ad). If you have not tried that avenue it might be worth looking into.
There is nothing wrong with a boring horse. My idea is: boring horses go everywhere, boring horses do everything.
Hope you find your boring horse soon. :yes:
[QUOTE=Onetrickpuppy;8663462]
Love your post! I’m in the same boat. I’m nearing 60 and though I sometimes think I’m the same rider I was at 25, my body tells me otherwise. I’m so sorry about the loss of your mare, and wish you luck finding a replacement.[/QUOTE]
Thanks! It really is a mental adjustment, isn’t it?
I’m only 36, but I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hypermobility that wreaks havoc on my joints) and Fibromyalgia, and sometimes I just can’t make my silly body cooperate with me. Darn bodies and their limitations! :lol:
Thank you for your sympathy and well wishes.
[QUOTE=RiderInTheRain;8663488]
I’d rather get a horse that has had a GOOD start in some way rather than a poor one in my sport of choice![/QUOTE]
That sounds like a wonderful mare, and I agree completely!
Since I do all my riding out in the open these days, I have been focusing mostly on horses that have been on the trails, or done something other than arena work. There’s a lot that I’m still willing to work with a horse on, but I’d prefer not to deal with say, barn sour and terrified of trees.
I’m looking for one of those myself. I used to be willing to ride anything, but now I want something I can hop on and ride without getting nervous. I want to be able to just have fun.
[QUOTE=Wayside;8663411]
Totally open to an older horse. I have kind of a soft spot for the oldies, and I’ve brought home several over the years, though most of them were not for riding. The pony I own is probably in his late 20’s, though at 11hh, he’s way too small for me. I prefer to torture him with the grazing muzzle rather than my fat behind.[/QUOTE]
If you are open to older horses (which IMO is very smart) I think it is quite likely that you could find something that is quite pretty and accomplished, actually. Think a show horse that is at the point of needing an easier job, for example.
I have one of these now and would love to find him a situation like the one you describe. He is not at ALL boring to ride as he is very, very well educated, but he is very quiet and super safe. He is also a really attractive horse, and very sound. He is just at the point in his career where moving up the levels or jumping big tracks is more than I want to ask of him. Mine’s not for sale (though I’d love to find him a free lease) but I think there are probably a fair number of horses out there in similar situations. So I wouldn’t write off the possibility of finding a fun, nice looking horse to enjoy.
[QUOTE=oldernewbie;8663512]
You might also consider a Saddlebred - no, not the high octane leg waving kind but the retired buggy horses at Saddlebred Rescue. Lots of ex-Amish horses brought along by one of the most reputable rescues around. Give them a call, tell them what you wan and they will find it for you. They are very good at matching horse and purpose.
They can help you with transport too.
Good luck!
ETA: They can keep an eye out for more sport horse types or western if you aren’t into saddle seat type.[/QUOTE]
Thanks! It’s funny, I’ve definitely run hot and cold on Saddlebreds over the years. Met some really good ones, and some really nasty ones, and there wasn’t a whole lot in the middle. But I definitely wouldn’t turn down one of the good ones.
Breed is pretty much a non-issue for me, though I think it’s great that there are breed specific rescues that seem to be somewhat more reasonable with their adoption terms than some of the general rescues around here. There used to be a rescue in this area that didn’t believe in euthanasia under any circumstances, which was horrifying.
[QUOTE=Sunflower;8663579]
Do you live near any working ranches where there might be a still sound but not up to hard ranch work type of horse? [/QUOTE]
Dairy is bigger around here than beef, but there are a few places that do some ranch-type work. My farrier actually raises beef cattle, so his horses do ranch work, but he’s gotten out of breeding horses, and has only been training horses for his own use these days. He’s got way more connections in that scene than I do, though, and he knows I’m looking.
[QUOTE=shiloh;8663702]
There is nothing wrong with a boring horse. My idea is: boring horses go everywhere, boring horses do everything.
Hope you find your boring horse soon. :yes:[/QUOTE]
Thanks shiloh! Yes, I’m obviously being very tongue in cheek with the term “boring” - I suspect that I’ll actually have a very nice time if I find the right one, it’s just a big adjustment in thinking - finding a horse that’ll take care of me rather than one who needs fixing!
[QUOTE=Lucassb;8663732]
If you are open to older horses (which IMO is very smart) I think it is quite likely that you could find something that is quite pretty and accomplished, actually. Think a show horse that is at the point of needing an easier job, for example.[/QUOTE]
Thanks. I’d love to find something like that, a been-there-done-that kind of horse that’s ready to step down to an easier job. Which is probably another reason that I haven’t been too aggressive about checking out sales horses. I know that those kinds of horses often find their way to new homes by word of mouth.
[QUOTE=Wayside;8663752]
Thanks. I’d love to find something like that, a been-there-done-that kind of horse that’s ready to step down to an easier job. Which is probably another reason that I haven’t been too aggressive about checking out sales horses. I know that those kinds of horses often find their way to new homes by word of mouth.[/QUOTE]
I bet you can find one. Ask at the tack/feed stores, the local vets, etc. FWIW, I have had the same challenge on the other side of the equation trying to find someone who would enjoy keeping my older guy in shape !!
I had a beautiful STB mare for six years. We even broke 60% at first level dressage at a schooling show. She hated eventing though, I think because her canter just wasn’t very adjustable and she would get really upset jumping from a bad spot.
My current horse is a 7 y/o 3/4 TB 1/4 Hannoverian. I got him as an unstarted 4 y/o which sounds like a recipe for disaster, but he is dead quiet. Lazy even, which is fine with me because I need a kick ride. I think of him as a plain flea bitten gray, but everywhere we go people tell me he is beautiful. I like the way he looks just because he is so nice to be around and work with.
My boring horse is a 14 year old grade, probably quarter horse. I don’t know his early history. He has some conformation faults (sickle hocked) and some arthritic changes (verified by x-rays in deference to another thread 
) so that he requires a little maintenance but he is a good, solid, citizen.
He’s a fun ride for me but he’s also reliable enough that the barn where I board him was able to use him for riding camp last summer when my job made it difficult to get to the barn.
Good luck in your search. I’m getting older and enjoy my nice, safe, steady horse.
Look for a pony horse from the track looking to step down. Every single one I’ve met or messed around with has been a saint.
[QUOTE=Wayside;8663752]
Thanks. I’d love to find something like that, a been-there-done-that kind of horse that’s ready to step down to an easier job. Which is probably another reason that I haven’t been too aggressive about checking out sales horses. I know that those kinds of horses often find their way to new homes by word of mouth.[/QUOTE]
If that’s what you’re looking for, you should see about getting an ex-Amish horse. They’d be perfect. I don’t know where you live, but there’s a lot of Morgan, STBD, and Saddlebred types at auctions who aren’t “pretty” from hard working years and are at risk for slaughter.
My instructor’s STBD was one of them.
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