Shopping for a "boring" horse. Update post #115

[Wayside]

I think y’all have helped me decide to pass on the paint. While he might be okay for me to ride alone, one of the things that I really loved about my last mare was that she had so much “try” in her.

That “try” was what made me decide to take a chance on her all those years ago. She was a horribly inverted tightly wound neurotic mess, but when I managed to eke out one teeny little degree of improvement during my trial ride on her, I told her “good girl”, and could feel her give a huge sigh of relief, like “Oh, thank goodness, I finally got it right!” And I decided right then and there that I would take her.

[Tiffani_B]

I would also suggest you consider a Saddlebred. Something that’s 10-12 years old and been shown will be the most bomb proof, solid horse you’ll ever sit your butt on. They have huge personalities, love to work, and are very PEOPLE aware. They will not run you over, step on you, hurt you or react to any kind of stimuli in such a way as to endanger a person. I have two that I work myself, alone, every day. I ride and drive both of them and they are absolute gentlemen, safer than safe, super easy to work around. They let me do anything I need to without a fuss, and they’re smart enough that new things are easy for them to grasp. Don’t be put off by their show photos - even if they are high stepping, I promise you they are comfortable and smooth to ride and not terrified of everything they see.

[RJC]

OP, I’m local to you and I think what you want should be relatively easy to find. Are you watching the “Wisconsin Horses, Tack, etc for sale” page on Facebook? If not I would definitely take a look. I’ll keep and ear out for you as well.

[Wayside]

[QUOTE=RJC;8668428]
OP, I’m local to you and I think what you want should be relatively easy to find. Are you watching the “Wisconsin Horses, Tack, etc for sale” page on Facebook? If not I would definitely take a look. I’ll keep and ear out for you as well.[/QUOTE]

Yep, shouldn’t be too hard. I’m in a couple of local facebook groups (including that one), I’m just starting out being a totally miserly cheap skate because I’m not in any hurry. If I don’t find anything suitable in the “Did they really post a picture of that horse pooping?” price range with no strings attached, I’ll definitely expand my search.

After I have hay in the barn, though. Partially because I’m a worrier and I always feel better about my finances when I have a barn full of hay, and partially because while we have a neighbor cut and bale our hay, bringing it in from the field and stacking it will still be relatively time consuming.

And I’m really not opposed to an older horse, but the TB just dropped out of the running because it sounds like it can be a little spooky. Plus I’m too honest to pretend that I’m willing to commit to rubbing her butt with lavender oil when she’s in heat. :lol:

[RJC]

[QUOTE=Wayside;8668618]
Yep, shouldn’t be too hard. I’m in a couple of local facebook groups (including that one), I’m just starting out being a totally miserly cheap skate because I’m not in any hurry. If I don’t find anything suitable in the “Did they really post a picture of that horse pooping?” price range with no strings attached, I’ll definitely expand my search.

After I have hay in the barn, though. Partially because I’m a worrier and I always feel better about my finances when I have a barn full of hay, and partially because while we have a neighbor cut and bale our hay, bringing it in from the field and stacking it will still be relatively time consuming.

And I’m really not opposed to an older horse, but the TB just dropped out of the running because it sounds like it can be a little spooky. Plus I’m too honest to pretend that I’m willing to commit to rubbing her butt with lavender oil when she’s in heat. :lol:[/QUOTE]

Well, when a friend gave me two weeks to find her a low maintenance, forward, <11 yo, >15.2 hh, low level dressage horse for less than $1.5k, or she would buy the first thing that had 4 legs, appropriate or not (her way of dealing with the loss of her mare), I looked at a LOT of local horses in the “picture of horse pooping” range. I managed to find a 12 yo, 16 hh TB, who vetted so sound the vet was confused, then got the price down to $2k for a good home. She was instantly in love. There are some real gems out there if you look hard enough.

Just keep searching! I’d offer you my extremely sane and saintly mare (who doesn’t need lavender oil rubbed on her butt), but her maintenance is more than you’re looking to deal with. Ah well.

[Wayside]

Awww, what a good friend you are RJC!

One of my friends gave me a 11hh pony a few years ago. He’s absolutely darling, but has Cushing’s and foundered at some point in the past. I have him on pergolide and this really careful diet and schedule that my life kind of revolves around. So I’m not sure if she’s the good friend or I am, ha!

His issues are actually probably way more complicated than oily-butt mare, but I like science and there’s a lot more science involved and a lot less crystals and woo-woo.

And you will all be thrilled to hear that I made a mostly rational decision and bought…

A new pair of breeches. :lol:

[vineyridge]

http://www.newvocations.org/standardbreds/

[Bluey]

The kind of horse that you want are like gold here and cost about as much.
I know some of those, one in particular, not quite ten ranch horse, tall and moves like a TB, but is very smooth, athletic and extremely quiet minded, but he is not cheap.

Those are the horses everyone is looking for today, most people, full of good intentions to ride, just don’t ride that much any more, unless they are training and competing.

Even most ranches today can do so much more with 4 wheelers in most places, their horses don’t get enough riding to be well seasoned when young.

That is making those kinds of horses, that will stand tied to the fence half the day quietly dozing, then be ready to go calmly and get the job done, time after time, in all kinds of new situations, those tend to sell very high.
They are also a joy to ride.

I expect that you could possibly find a plain, nice trail riding horse, with trail riding skills but not others, very cheap, as those seem to be the kind that the economy is making people give up, it costs so much to keep them today.
Or retired racers, if they have the right mind, you can retrain them if you feel like doing that.
An already retrained one, well, there again the cost may be higher.

The older the horse you get, the more settled it should be, but also more apt to start having maintenance issues if not become unsound sooner rather than later.

Now is a hard time here to buy a horse, everyone that has them wants to ride them thru the good weather, then sell before winter sets in.
Maybe later in the fall you could possibly find more prospects.

[keepthelegend]

I bought a ranch horse from Arizona. He is a QH and buckskin and I don’t think I have ever loved a horse as much. We have racehorses and show ponies so he is definitely cut from a different mold, but I appreciate him so much. His manners are impeccable, I turn him out with many friends and then pull him away once every week or so and go on a huge ride around a 250 acre farm through woods, open fields, cows, etc. Never whinnies, never is fresh, never spooks. Seriously, look on ranchworldads.com if you just want an easy horse.

[Wayside]

[QUOTE=Bluey;8668957]

Now is a hard time here to buy a horse, everyone that has them wants to ride them thru the good weather, then sell before winter sets in.
Maybe later in the fall you could possibly find more prospects.[/QUOTE]

I’m actually really okay with that. Summer is nice for riding, but come fall I usually have a lot more free time. My son is back in school, barn is full of hay, lambs that aren’t keepers are either sold or in the freezer.

So I suppose I’m more in “keeping an eye out” mode than in the “desperately looking” phase.

Though I will take some lessons, hence the new breeches. My helmet is fine, but I hear that my special flavor of backyard barnyard fashion might frighten small children, dogs, horses, and, well, anyone with passable eyesight, really.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Wayside;8669036]
I’m actually really okay with that. Summer is nice for riding, but come fall I usually have a lot more free time. My son is back in school, barn is full of hay, lambs that aren’t keepers are either sold or in the freezer.

So I suppose I’m more in “keeping an eye out” mode than in the “desperately looking” phase.

Though I will take some lessons, hence the new breeches. My helmet is fine, but I hear that my special flavor of backyard barnyard fashion might frighten small children, dogs, horses, and, well, anyone with passable eyesight, really.[/QUOTE]

Taking lessons is always a great idea.

You may also just find your next horse while taking lessons, you never know.

[SharonA]

“what I really want is to be able to wander out my back door, hop up bareback, and go for a little walk. Not that I don’t want to tack up and go a farther and a little faster sometimes, too.”

The above is what I do on my smart, savvy Polish Arab mare, my first horse ever, and the best. Granted, she is now 26, but she was perfect at 17, when I was lucky enough to get her, too. She has sacrificed herself and protected me when I was too stupid to protect her (from hidden ice, from a sinkhole and, the other day, a slippery wooden bridge that she went down on but fought like crazy to protect me from hitting the ground). Glad to hear you have experienced “Arab enlightenment” even if you have been pulled away. I know you were being tongue in cheek about a boring horse, but, a smart horse who takes care of her rider (ie, Arab mare) beats a dumb jock any day.

[SMP]

Hi, just want to chime in that Racer Placers (based in Fort Atkinson but they seem to use a trainer out of West Bend area) was great to work with when I got my gelding from them. They will put you through an adoption process (and actually called my references, they were quite thorough and seemed to want the best home possible for the horses). My gelding was accurately represented in his ad, for better and for worse They focus on STBs but sometimes have other breeds.

[LilyandBaron]

Another happy STB owner here - I have two others for me, and wanted a third wheel when I moved them home. My OTTB is a quiet, wonderful mare, my AndyX is weird but I love him, and I wanted something that could keep them company but that my complete novice husband could also ride. Worked with the wonderful folks at the STB NV facility and got an amazing STB. I wanted gaited for hubby, but I could go trot/canter as well if I wanted to focus on that. Super cute, super sane at 4, and absolutely adore him. I’d never been around STBs before but I know I’ll look at them when my other two retire! I also love projects, but with a good brain - STBs were perfect for me (and hubby!).

[Wayside]

Well, it turns out that the Saddlebred fans won this round, much to my surprise. I just brought home a 9 year old chestnut Saddlebred mare.

Took her out on a hack as part of my test ride, and she didn’t bat an eye at the group of turkeys that flew out of the underbrush, or the neighbor barreling down the driveway with his truck. I wiggled around in the saddle a bit, patted her on the rump, and a few things like that, and the only reaction she had was to slow down once or twice. Easy enough to stop her in a snaffle.

Took a little prodding to get her into the canter, but it was more of a “Are you asking me to canter or just flopping uncontrollably?” question than a stubborn refusal.

She was comfortable barefoot even when I rode her down the gravel driveway.

Oh, and this was all while she was in heat, too.

So I had her vetted, and the PPE went really well. Vet loved her and kept saying things like “good ambassador for the breed”.

Obviously, I went ahead and bought her. She loaded onto the trailer like a champ, no hesitation at all, and no butt-shoving to get her into a position where I could close the divider.

And now she’s in my pasture, getting along with my other mare, and being mildly curious about (but unphased by) the sheep.

I took a bunch of pictures. Mostly of her eating, because introductions were so uneventful. But here’s one with her head up, if anyone is curious: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1177073179016139&set=pcb.1177076009015856&type=3&theater

[mayhew]

She is lovely!

[Wayside]

[QUOTE=mayhew;8728427]
She is lovely![/QUOTE]

Thanks mayhew! I think she does have a cute little face, but that was not on the checklist, just a pleasant bonus.

This very pleasant mare does make for a very dull update thus far, but I’m really hoping that everything stays nice and “boring”. :lol:

[Bluey]

Nothing like looking out there and seeing a pretty face.

Of course, disposition that fits what you want is best of all.

Those quiet-minded horses sell themselves, do they.

Looks like you are set now for years of happy horse partner.

[oldernewbie]

So cute! Enjoy her!!!

[Pocket_Pony]

Congratulations!!!