trail horse in Northern Cal??

[morgan01]

I’m looking for a nice solid trail horse in Northern Cal. The Auburn area. I’m 54 years old and not as confident as I was when I was 20. I believe I have good horsemanship but if horse wants to really argue and start bucking or crow hopping, I loose my confidence.
I’m beginning to think there is no such thing as a good solid horse for everyone out there. Either that or I have the worst luck in the world!!!
Going back several years… I’ve had some good ones but they were either raised by us or I had the good luck in getting two from friends that were very good riders and the horses didn’t come with a ton of baggage.
Then I bought one from an stranger and she was a scary bolter! The one after her was gaited and never did trail and that was a total disaster. She was so scared on the trail and I found out that I didn’t like riding gaited horses.
Now I have a Morgan who is a bucker. I have worked with him for over a year now and I"m beginning to hate riding because of him. He is the sweetest horse ever on the ground and when all the stars line up perfectly (LOL), he’s great on the trail. But if not all is perfect for him out there, you have to be a pretty experienced rider to ride him. If he gets excited or sees alot of other horses, he will start into crow hopping or bucking. And yes, I have worked with trainers etc… I"m sure a real confident person wouldn’t have an issue with him.
That’s not the issue I’m having - he and I don’t mesh as a riding partner team. I don’t need another hospital bill on him.

I don’t even know where to begin to look now. I don’t trust people now. They will lie to sell a horse.
I have contacted a couple of trainers that I know to keep an eye out. I"m in no rush. But really… are there good horses out there that need a forever home??? Or do people just sell horses that have problems???
I just want to go down the trail. Walk and trot with an occassional canter. But I love to trot. I don’t mind spooking unless it’s constant (like my husband’s arab) or one that does 180’s on a regular basis. NO horse is “safe”. Anything can happen. But is there a horse for me out there???

We did horse transport for the Tevis this year and one horse REFUSED To go thru a water crossing. There were two this year since swinging bridge is burned. The horse blew up over the water. I don’t know the history of the horse and I don’t know if the owner knew this would happen because there is the major river crossing towards the end that is always there. But the horse had to be hauled out because it was not going to happen. His legs were scraped up from freaking out in the water in the rocks.

I’m beginning to think tho that people do not sell good horses… Yeah, I’m depressed right now I can’t afford to spend thousands either but I would give the horse an excellent home and great trail riding fun. We give our horses chiropractic care to make sure they are happy and pain free. We are good horse people but I want to feel safe… and I want to have fun again.

[Appsolute]

Well - I don’t know, people do sell “good horses” but not as often as they get rid of the bad ones!!

That said - in my experience, without a confident rider, or frequent tune ups from a trainer etc, many “good horses” develop into bad horses when paired with an overly timid or inexperienced rider.

There are very few horses who are “dead broke” and just stay that way year after year. Most start to “get away” with what they are allowed to get away with.

[morgan01]

well I can certainly get him back to the trainer for a tune up but doesn’t it come down to ME. Or maybe the trainer will catch him bucking and address it.

[Pocket_Pony]

Are you willing to take an older horse with perhaps some soundness issues? Maybe something that used to do 25 or 50 mile rides and/or compete in other disciplines but for whatever reason isn’t going to hold up to harder work?

How long/often/hard do you ride?

I’m not too far from you and have a friend who has a horse who is laid up right now and I don’t think will come back to his previous level of training, but he is a saint and an amazing horse. If you can manage something like that, it might be a conversation you could have with your vet. Maybe he/she knows of a horse in a similar situation.

[morgan01]

no. I don’t ride hard but I do I like to do alot of trotting. I had a horse with soundness issues once before and it was a nightmare. I guess it depends on what the issue is but it was one vet bill after another and a worry mess for me. I don’t deal well with stress We never figured out what the issue was and I spent thousands on the horse. She’d go along ok for a while and then go lame. She’d go all funky in the hind end. Chiropractor worked on her and she’d hold for a while but any amount of trotting would just mess her up. She ended up going to a wonderful friend of mine who still has her. She slowly trail rides her every now and then or when her timid friend comes for a visit and they go for short slow rides. The horse is now 21 and still has soundness issues if they do too much on her. Lately she just hangs out with the other horses.

[morgan01]

oh but that is what I was open for – an older horse that still has some go in them but maybe washed out as an endurance horse or is retired. Yes, that I would be open for!! But needs to be sound and good confirmation. My old endurance horse had horrible confirmation and I don’t know how she made it as long as she did. I actually retired her at around age 16 or so and then she became chronically lame but I wasn’t riding her anymore. Vet said that her one joint had fused and she wasn’t in any pain. We ended up putting her down at age 30 when she became too arthritic.

[Macimage]

[QUOTE=morgan01;7711955]
I can’t afford to spend thousands either but I would give the horse an excellent home and great trail riding fun.[/QUOTE]

I think part of the problem is that a great sound horse that has years of training invested in him/her will cost more than $1000-$2000 in most cases.

I would suggest saving the money that you are not paying in board for while and buying a good well trained horse. Around here you would be looking at around $5K.

@morgan01;7711955

But really… are there good horses out there that need a forever home???

There are many sellers that want a horse to have a great forever home, however, it sounds as though perhaps you expect to pick up a well trained valuable horse for less because you are offering a great home? Yes, some sellers will consider that and drop their price. However, other sellers that have these gems usually know their value and these horses often sell via word of mouth to great forever homes for perhaps more than you are willing/able to pay right now.

Do not despair, the right horse for you is out there.

[morgan01]

OH, I was thinking not spending more than 5K By thousands, I meant 10k or more. I don’t board, I have my own place. 5 acres. I hear what you’re saying tho. I don’t expect to get something for nothing. I know time, training etc. = money. I have probably sunk thousands into the horse I have now. Even my own training with him. He came with alot of baggage and that baggage is gone now except for his every now and then buck. And the one hard buck was my error in handling him. I know that. And I might be chasing a worse deal out there. Who knows… I’m going to keep my eyes open and ears open and if something comes up it does.
I’m in NO hurry.

[Macimage]

[QUOTE=morgan01;7712357]
OH, I was thinking not spending more than 5K By thousands, I meant 10k or more. I don’t board, I have my own place. 5 acres. I hear what you’re saying tho. I don’t expect to get something for nothing. I know time, training etc. = money. I have probably sunk thousands into the horse I have now. Even my own training with him. He came with alot of baggage and that baggage is gone now except for his every now and then buck. And the one hard buck was my error in handling him. I know that. And I might be chasing a worse deal out there. Who knows… I’m going to keep my eyes open and ears open and if something comes up it does.
I’m in NO hurry.[/QUOTE]

That is good to hear:). I guess I’m too used to folks at the barn we board at thinking they will get a great horse for a few thousand.

We can recommend a world class trainer in Bakersfield if you need a few months put on a good solid horse once you find one.

I sold the the type horse you are iooking for to a forever home several years ago to a fellow boarder in her late 50’s. He is the horse of her dreams. Here’s a pic of him before i sold him on a trail ride with a child to give you hope and let you know that some folks are selling the good ones:

http://studiodirectcosmetics.com/applejack&lucas.jpg

Just take your time and put the word out. A calm, willing and sane trail horse it out there waiting for your great home!

Good luck! I’ll be watching your thread to see how it goes.

[SharonA]

Well, my horse cost less than her off-the-rack saddle, and she is worth her weight in gold, so they are out there. I think you would need to stop looking in the Endurance world, though, and start looking for backyard barn steady-eddies being sold because their owners are going off to college, etc. Or, are there places in your part of the world where kids’ summer camps and dude ranches are selling their summer trail horses?

Also, this is just my less-than-educated opinion, but I would think that a horse who likes to trot is likely to be a horse that likes to move out and whose energy tends to go in an upward spiral (ie, the more they move, the more energy they have). Even a washed-out Endurance horse is going to have quite a bit of energy when he sees the trail, as he’s going to remember the days when he was asked to move out for the next 50 miles. A horse who is of a saintly temperament, on the other hand, is likely to not be hard-wired to trot alot.

However, I can’t help but want to encourage you to look further into why your Morgan is bucking and your husband’s horse is so spooky. Most Arabs (at least, the ones I know, including mine) don’t spook constantly. They might startle and stare a few times, but most enjoy the trail too much and are too smart and team-oriented to be spooking all the time. Might the two of you be just naturally tense/worried folks, such that this transmits to your horses? And the other thing is… if you are looking for a great horse with no issues, why did you get first a horse with such significant conformation issues that she had to be retired at 16, and then you got a horse “with a lot of baggage.” I think maybe you are a softie at heart.

Go find some nice older QH or draft cross who hasn’t spooked or bucked in known memory, and accept that if you want as quiet a horse as it sounds like you want, it’s going to be more walking than trotting down the trails.

Just one opinion, of course.

[chicamux]

I suggest you try to find a horse to lease wit option to buy. Do not sign a lease that obligates you to a pre-determined length of time. I should give you the option to return the horse to owner with a 30 day notice. this would give you time to really try out the horse and see if you are a fit.

However, what is a good horse for previous owner may not be a good horse for a new person, not right away, because it still is largely the person. It takes time to make a good horse. I feel it is years before I consider a horse really well trained although 1-2 years after being under saddle I may feel the horse is a good and predictable ride.

I found it can really work to advertise that you are looking for a horse to lease or buy and detail what you are looking for. You will get a lot of replies and some of them are “WTH were they thinking?” types but you will find horses to go look at that will be good possibilities.

chicamuxen

[morgan01]

[QUOTE=SharonA;7712454]
Well, my horse cost less than her off-the-rack saddle, and she is worth her weight in gold, so they are out there. I think you would need to stop looking in the Endurance world, though, and start looking for backyard barn steady-eddies being sold because their owners are going off to college, etc. Or, are there places in your part of the world where kids’ summer camps and dude ranches are selling their summer trail horses?

Also, this is just my less-than-educated opinion, but I would think that a horse who likes to trot is likely to be a horse that likes to move out and whose energy tends to go in an upward spiral (ie, the more they move, the more energy they have). Even a washed-out Endurance horse is going to have quite a bit of energy when he sees the trail, as he’s going to remember the days when he was asked to move out for the next 50 miles. A horse who is of a saintly temperament, on the other hand, is likely to not be hard-wired to trot alot.

However, I can’t help but want to encourage you to look further into why your Morgan is bucking and your husband’s horse is so spooky. Most Arabs (at least, the ones I know, including mine) don’t spook constantly. They might startle and stare a few times, but most enjoy the trail too much and are too smart and team-oriented to be spooking all the time. Might the two of you be just naturally tense/worried folks, such that this transmits to your horses? And the other thing is… if you are looking for a great horse with no issues, why did you get first a horse with such significant conformation issues that she had to be retired at 16, and then you got a horse “with a lot of baggage.” I think maybe you are a softie at heart.

Go find some nice older QH or draft cross who hasn’t spooked or bucked in known memory, and accept that if you want as quiet a horse as it sounds like you want, it’s going to be more walking than trotting down the trails.

Just one opinion, of course.[/QUOTE]

oh boy… where do I even start with this one or do I dare…
Ok… I LIKE TROTTING horses. I like high energy ones. That doesn’t mean high energy is crazy. Forward moving horses are a kick to ride. I would be miserable on a slow moving quarter horse. I could trot all day long. It’s hard to explain to some people… You could sit and relax and just ride the trot. A horse with no buck, you just go. Those are the fun ones.
Why does my husband’s horse spook and is he not relaxed. Well, he’s about the most relaxed person on earth on a horse. That is how the horse is. They are what they are sometimes. She was like that as a baby. It has a lot to do with the stallion that the mare was bred to. My husband’s mare’s brother is the exact same way. Some people just don’t mind that. My husband actually likes it. It’s not boring for him and he knows she’s not going to do anything “bad”.
Why does mine buck or hop sometimes… He can’t go on a real loose sloppy rein. He feels like he’s being left out to dry and fend for himself. He’s not that kind of horse. He NEEDS structure and rules and someone to look after him. I stopped doing that because I just got lazy with him. So the past several rides, I went back to guiding him, supporting him and he craves that. He needs to be told what to do all the time. I think it is his personality but I think his previous owner (I’ve seen her ride), hung him out to dry his whole life. He’s had to defend himself and that has been taught to him. You must defend yourself in order to survive.
You asked me why I got a horse with iffy confirmation. That was way back before I knew what to look for in a horse. Long pasterns (makes for a smooth ride but they will break down sooner especially and endurance horse, hoof growth - tended to grow LONG toe and no heel) I was not looking for an endurance horse at the time. I was just looking for a horse to just ride. Someone got me into the sport since she was an Arab and her temperament fit the bill. Her iffy confirmation was all in the legs/hooves. NOW I know what to look for but everyone has to start somewhere and I didn’t have a mentor to help me back then. So that answered that.
And why on earth would I get a draft??? I think I did mention I do alot of trotting. right?? hmm… oh well.
I get my Morgan scoped on Monday to rule out ulcers. Long story but he got sick when he first came to me and it all pointed to ulcers. Did well on the meds. But has not had any real symptoms since. Bucking is a symptom tho. But… it’s really hard and probably stupid to be posting on boards like this because you guys don’t know him. You have not ridden with me or seen him. So it’s unfair really for me to get good feedback and it’s hard for you guys to give feedback because you don’t KNOW the horse.
The bucking is not constant and most of the time it’s not a full buck. It’s a, weee kick out and not a true buck. That is coming from excitement and feeling good.
He’s done maybe 3 bucks in the past year and a half. But I’m getting a really good deal on the scoping procedure so I might as well do it and rule it out. If he does have ulcers and depending on how bad they are… that could have something to do with the “bucking”. Maybe on those days he’s not feeling well or hurting. Who knows… that is his only issue that kind of bothers me a bit.

[Macimage]

Arabs are my breed of choice:)! I love their energy and personality, however, they must be well trained and have a great mind.

Perhaps you could post a wanted to buy post or just watch the for sale section on http://forums.arabianbreeders.net/.

There are some very reputable folks over there with nice horses. You can probably find a been there done that older Arab trail horse with plenty of spunk that can still trot all day. However, be sure you double check reputations.

Good luck!
Joyce

[jenm]

A friend of mine from high school is a trainer in Shingle Springs. She is amazing and excels at working with difficult horses. When she has a project, she does everything with it, including cattle sorting.

She’s honest, has a heart of cold and I trust her 100%:

http://www.susanwirgler.com/

She offers horses for sale and they usually get sold quickly because of the experience she gives them while they are with her.

[Christa_P]

Have you looked at TBs or Standardbreds, especially STBs would probably work well for you.

[Belair]

There’s a facebook group for this area called Horsey Friends. It might be helpful as many of the members are trail riders, and horses for sale are posted as well.

[morgan01]

thanks for the trainer tip in Shingle springs Well, I’m waiting to hear back from my good friend that has my Rushcreek mare. LONG story but… I got her as a yearling from the ranch and I ended up selling her to my friend who was looking for her bloodlines and to just trail ride on. So I let her go. BIG MISTAKE!!! I took several years off from riding and when I got back into riding, I kicked myself for letting her go! To this day, I kick myself for it. She has a good home. But I talk my friend’s ear off about my horse woes now and she is thinking about sending her back to me. She’s 21 now tho. But still has go and is in great shape. They take her up in the mountains when her friend comes to visit and she does great. She was always a good mare. No spook, very good level headed little mare. I told her that I would take her in a heart beat. 21 tho… But she has low miles and no health issues. And even if I can get 5-6 years on a good solid horse, that would boost my confidence again AND I can have FUN!!! I think it would be worth it. I miss my girl!!!
I don’t know what I’ll do with my Morgan. Might place him, might keep him. If I can get my Hollie back and I find that I just enjoy riding her and I’m having fun again, I’ll find him a home. He won’t be hard to sell. Someone who has confidence and not put up with any crap, he’ll go just fine for them. I’ll miss his fast walk (on his good days). I went out today and didn’t have any fun. he was alot of work and he thought about doing something (not good) when he heard a fire engine truck in the background somewhere. I had to get off and walk quite a ways. Because I don’t trust him. I was just starting to gain confidence on him and then he bucked me off and now I have 0 confidence with him again.
He’s alot of horse or can be. Fingers crossed, I can get my Hollie back!!! I wish she was younger but…

[poltroon]

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, BTDT type trail horse in northern California, I’d suggest joining the group https://www.facebook.com/groups/Mendolakeequine/

Lots of basic horses come up there inexpensively. I can’t vouch for any individual one, obviously, but it seems like there’s a lot of outgrown kids’ horses, some ranches that specialize in making up such horses, and people who are giving up their horses for financial reasons.

[cutter99]

Have you had your current horse looked over by a vet? Does the bucking occur with another rider as well?

[morgan01]

horse has been vet checked and chiropractic adjusted. But… we are having him scoped on Monday for possible ulcers. Hard to tell if he bucks with others as he’s only been ridden by his previous one owner person and she said he has always done a kick out when going from a trot to canter (not all the time, just when he feels good). I had a trainer trail ride him once and he didn’t offer to buck. But he doesn’t do it all the time with me either. Just when excited. So I try and keep the excitement DOWN to a minimum.