Tell me if i'm being stupid

[appendix100]

OK, so I am an older rider. I am fine with green/very green as long as the stupids (bucking, bolting, rearing) are gone. Would expect some shying in a young horse, & can manage that as long as it doesn’t result in one of the stupids. Had the “perfect” horse, but he got suspensory injury that he is not recovering well from, his competitive career is over.

Looking for new horse. Want to stay w/ AQHA. Looking for something that I can do RR & OF on. I have one I’m going to look at locally & if she works out I will be happy & done. If she does not, the next most viable candidate I have is a 4yr old (just) english type in TX.

Cons - only has about 30d riding on him. Was started late because he had kissing spines.

Pros - very nice mover, in video anyway looks pretty level headed, just started so he isn’t going like a crippled giraffe looking for truffles. Started very late for a QH, so more likely to not have issues from trying to be pushed into a futurity. Has had Sx to correct the spine issue.

Have just seen him, & just started talking to the owner. Don’t want to waste a ton of her time yet as the local horse makes more sense if she is as nice as her videos.

Question is this - am I stupid to even consider this horse? As green as he is, if I were to seriously consider him, I would probably send him to a local dressage trainer here for about 6m, but that is the most I can do trainer wise financially at this time. Then he would need to come home. He is beautifully put together, & actually uses his hocks instead of just dragging his hind end along. He was a stallion prosprect, but was shooting blanks, so he was gelded & is now for sale. Finding something in the QH world that wasn’t started at 2 & “broke” by 3 & crippled by 4 is a unicorn. If this horse had a year of training w/ the start he’s had I’d take him in a heartbeat…

[fordtraktor]

The KS surgery would put me off this horse 100%.

[endlessclimb]

“Had” is the wrong word. He HAS ks, and even if the surgery was done might not be right.

[OverandOnward]

@appendix100

OK, so I am an older rider. I am fine with green/very green as long as the stupids (bucking, bolting, rearing) are gone. Would expect some shying in a young horse, & can manage that as long as it doesn’t result in one of the stupids.

You sound like an experienced rider so I hope this doesn’t come across the wrong way, but if it does, better to hear it from an anonymous stranger than someone you don’t want a conflict with.

You must know that “green/very green” (especially “very”) does not match up with the stupids being gone. A) The stupids are never gone from a young horse (< 7 maybe); and B) especially not gone from green and/or very green.

No matter where you put the dividing line between the greens. No matter which horse, how started, or even 6m with dressage trainer.

If you are an appendix lover (your screen name) you know that these are high-energy horses. Think again about the level of safety that you want/need and the best way to find that in an QH or in any horse.

You have to shop in the right aisle to find what you really want.

@appendix100

Cons - only has about 30d riding on him. Was started late because he had kissing spines.

Sweetie put the url and the email/phone/text down, we are done right here.

Sometimes with these question-mark thread titles, the answer is "if you have to ask … "

Of course you are not stupid – but you are drawing a picture you want to see on what is almost a blank slate (not blank enough, though).

@appendix100

[Rationalization #1] Started very late for a QH, so more likely to not have issues from trying to be pushed into a futurity. [Rationalization #2] Has had Sx to correct the spine issue.

True and true.

But still does not make this horse what you say you are looking for – no stupids and sound.

My suggestion to a friend: Redefine your criteria to be consistent with the riding experience you really, truly want from your next horse.

I can relate because I’m in kind of the same space. What I used to ride and want – does it fit where I am right now? Some flexibility in my default assumptions and ideas is probably warranted. It seems to me that you might need a bit of re-evaluation, just reading what you wrote and what you implied. Reading between the lines.

It is easy for anyone browsing horse ads on the internet to become fascinated with a horse and start imposing our best ideas on said horse. If we aren’t buying, no harm done, it’s fun to imagine an ideal horse. If we are about to take on a massive ownership responsibility, we need a big reality check.

[NoSuchPerson]

@appendix100

Finding something in the QH world that wasn’t started at 2 & “broke” by 3 & crippled by 4 is a unicorn.

You’re not looking in the right places. There are plenty of lovely young AQHA out there that don’t fit that description. I looked at a few of them last time I was horse hunting and bought one.

I’m not saying that there aren’t lots of broken ones out there, and probably more of them in some parts of the country than others, but properly started and sound ones are not so rare as to be unicorns.

Try looking at Facebook sale pages that aren’t exclusively for AQHA but rather are focused on your discipline of choice or are AQHA sale pages but are focused on whatever discipline you’re interested in. There are, for example, a few Facebook sale pages that are for AQHA over fences horses. You might have better luck.

As for the horse you asked about, yes, I might buy a horse that had had KS surgery, IF: 1.) it was super cheap; 2.) it ticked all my other boxes; and 3.) if KS problems recurred, I could retire him or have him euthanized without much financial pain.

[2DogsFarm]

Stay local if at all possible.
For myself - also a (very) senior rider - the KS would be a deal breaker.
The distance would frost that cake.

[appendix100]

Thank you all. The reality check from people not enamored of the horse helps alot.

He is beautifully put together, & moving well in the video, makes it hard to be objective about the rest of it. Particularly as I am finding almost nothing in my area. Hopefully the local one I am going to see this weekend will be perfect & I will be done.

[fivestrideline]

Just tossing .02 in here:
If this horse was going, at least a year or two of work at the desired level (so, jumping 3’ or whatever), and was sound, the KS wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for me. As an owner of a KS horse, with no surgery option. With vet records, new images, and the right price, I’d look at one that was CURRENTLY going. But, 30 days and no idea if he’s actually going to be sound? No way.

It has taken my KS horse about 3 months of work (on several occasions) to hit the point where he starts to show signs of the KS bothering him. 30 days is nowhere near enough of an idea.

[PamnReba]

So sorry, didn’t mean to break any rules!

[OverandOnward]

One more thought …

… when a KS suddenly twinges a horse – and that can happen even after surgery, from another unfixed spot or from the surgery spot …

… the reaction can be an explosive buck. Maybe a whole series of them if the rider isn’t unloaded easily.

Just sayin’.

[goodhors]

Have to agree with others, the KS would be a huge NO to me. Why buy a horse with “issues” that may return big time? Being surprised with a buck when horse got a twinge, is like waiting for a cannon to decide to fire itself. Nope, no way he would come live here, not even as a gift.

[candyappy]

Many young horses never have the “stupids” especially if you take the time to do a little lunging , free lunge or let them burn off some excess energy free in an arena before getting on.

The KS would be a definite deal breaker for me.

[colorfan]

[quote=“OverandOnward, post:4, topic:780763”]
I can relate because I’m in kind of the same space. What I used to ride and want…is not where I am right now. This is me and still looking

I talked myself into a couple different horses, had to then rehome them both because my rationalizations did not materialize. took a loss on both, mainly because I didn’t sugar coat them to prospective buyers.

So much time wasted

I absolutely would not buy a kissing spine issue. Not as a young riding horse prospect.

[shiloh]

Add another nope to the list. And not just no - hell no even if you offered 52 bricks of gold to me if I took him. I can only think that the problem will get worse as he ages and you aren’t off to a great start anyway.

[NaturallyHappy]

When someone asks me to evaluate a horse that they love, but has what could potentially be a major problem, I always ask what the exit strategy for getting out from under one like that might be. That sometimes can put things into (financial, at least) perspective.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

Agreed with everyone else about the KS–you don’t want to pay money to have someone unload their “problem” onto you. It’s one thing if it’s your own horse already. Also, you already have an unsound horse you’re taking care of. Once you start to “collect” unsound horses, that’s big financial and emotional trouble.

Have you only seen a video? Because the fact the horse didn’t look ouchy might just mean that was a great video, little else.

[OverandOnward]

@shiloh

Add another nope to the list. And not just no - hell no even if you offered 52 bricks of gold to me if I took him. I can only think that the problem will get worse as he ages and you aren’t off to a great start anyway.

Whoa … for 52 bricks of gold I can take that horse and retire him to pasture somewhere. Send him over with the gold.

[Tha_Ridge]

@OverandOnward

You must know that “green/very green” (especially “very”) does not match up with the stupids being gone. A) The stupids are never gone from a young horse (< 7 maybe); and B) especially not gone from green and/or very green.

I work with a lot of very green young horses and cannot remember the last time any of mine bucked, bolted, or reared. It’s extremely reasonable to expect a young, green horse to be a kind citizen that doesn’t want to yeet its rider into oblivion.

[shiloh]

here’s the first one

[OverandOnward]

@Tha_Ridge

It’s extremely reasonable to expect a young, green horse to be a kind citizen that doesn’t want to yeet its rider into oblivion.

That seriously depends on what rider is on board. And what horse, what background they bring.

A classic YMMV situation. Not everyone has, or will have, the same experience that you have.

It’s not always a safe idea to conflate one’s own experience with the entire rest of the riding world. What if it doesn’t work out in the same way?