I’m not looking for the same horse to take me from 2’6 to 3’6. I was thinking just finding one for 2’6-3’ for next year. Than the following year finding another for the 3’6. I never thought one horse would do 2’6-3’6.
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859161]
I’m Located in MA. See the thing is most lesson horses aren’t able to go up to 3’6 my goal is to be doing Maclay level stuff by 2013. I can’t do that if i am an Adult at the time. I’m hoping if i can find something and be seen on the circuit that i will work my way up.[/QUOTE]
What horse show age are you? Are you aging out in 2013 or not?
Why isn’t your trainer helping you find a free lease/half lease?
Also, your OP does not make AT ALL clear that you’re looking for a 2’6-3’0 horse to lease for just one year with plans to then find another horse and move up. Nor does your OP say anything about whether you want a hunter, jumper, or eq horse. Any of the above would give you miles, different miles, but heck it sounds like you just need miles now.
That being said, you’re going to have a tough time finding that giveaway gimme gimme free big eq horse when the following year comes around. Unless you have the skills to MAKE one or make do with something quite tough. But again it’s not likely you’ll develop those skills in a year and go from a 2’6 rider who usually finds distances to a competent enough equitation rider that she can do the big eqs on a horse with holes/issues. Because it’s the horses with holes/issues or crossing over from another discipline that might be available.
Have you sat down and expressed this goal to your trainer? What does he/she think? Has he/she taken many riders from 2’6 to the big eq over the span of a couple years? Does s/he regularly take students out to show in the eq classes?
I haven’t told my trainer yet because i’m not sure what will be thought about a free lease. My trainer has taken a couple riders to the big eq. The big thing for me though is that there aren’t any horses in the barn that i would be able to afford that arren’t already leased or being used. All the kids in my barn regularly show in eq classes.
Unfortunately this is a sport biased toward the wealthy. I spent my youth on cheap half leases and lesson horses and got lucky with some free rides, but not with anything that would get me even close to showing regularly at the rateds. I got a lot of riding experience and had a lot of fun, but I couldn’t compete with the riders who consistently had their own fancy horse to take to all the shows.
Maybe instead of looking too far forward you might want to find a horse that you can enjoy now and maybe take to some local shows with a trainer. If you’re currently jumping 2’6", look for a half lease on a horse who can go 2’9"-3’. And I’m with SSacky on getting a coach - you won’t get far showing without a trainer at your level.
Don’t worry, there will always be plenty to keep you entertained on a horse, even if you don’t get there until later! There’s always a new goal to work towards, and it’s not all about showing.
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859181]
Most people tell the people without alot of money that they will never make it anywhere crushing what they really want most in life.
…
Sorry i get really aggitated when people suggest than without money you will never make it.[/QUOTE]
That’s because horses and showing cost money. A LOT of money. It’s not politics, it’s cold hard numbers.
And expecting someone to hand you one or the other, for free, and pay most or all of the costs, is unreasonable. I have three horses - one of which is certainly capable of the heights you describe, as a jumper, but I would never agree to the situation you’ve presented. I know it’s difficult to be young and limited; I’m in my 20’s and support these three on a shoestring, but you have to be realistic. While lesson horses might not get you to 3’6", you probably have a better chance of getting to 3’ that way.
1 Like
I could ride a jumper in the Equitation, all i meant was that i was hoping the circumstances could be that. I know the show world costs alot of money that’s why. I would be willing to heat what you would agree on and maybe that would be do able for me. It would probably make things a little tight, but if reasonable i could manage.
Then yes, there might be someone with a horse you could use. I’m in Oregon, so mine probably isn’t a likely candidate :lol: and I’d prefer to sell him anyway, but there is probably someone with a horse capable of 3’ somewhere nearer to you.
You might look at horses with alternative careers and not necessarily a horse that is already doing/winning H/J.
how about a working student position at your local stables…that might get your foot wet as some will let you show,ride different horses etc…
seriously fellow cothers i think op is just trying to find a way to get in the horse world on a small budget(which i know is very hard) and is just looking for insight on how and suggestions.
hope you find something properetiquette1
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859181]
Sorry i get really aggitated when people suggest than without money you will never make it.[/QUOTE]
Actually, I suggested that without money you will never make it in the bigeq. This is true.
BUT you can make it in the horse industry without money, its just difficult. It also depends on your definition of “make it.”
This summer I was showing on the A circuit in the 3’9’’ on borrowed horses. I was riding very very nice horses for free with the offer to ride others. I was showing sale horses. To me, as a college student who just wants to be in the saddle over the summer (I’m on the riding team at school) that was getting a foot in the door. I got my name out there, got a few contacts, and have something to work off of for the next summer.
What do you ultimately want to do? I think you need to be more realistic. If you want to be competitive at an equitation finals I would at 3ft finals and set that for a goal. You might be able to find a free half lease on a 3ft horse with issues (especially in this economy.) It won’t be easy, but it may be possible.
Do you want to work in the horse industry? If that is your interest I think a working student position is going to get you closer to that goal than any medal classes. Ask you trainer for suggestions, google show barns in your area, and email people. Reach out. That’s assuming your interested in one day being a pro.
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859181]
Sorry i get really aggitated when people suggest than without money you will never make it.[/QUOTE]
You can make it without money… but it’s a lot harder and it takes a lot longer. Moving from 2’6" schooling shows to 3’6" big eq is the sort of thing that happens when you have a really solid packer of the highest quality that you can ride 5 days a week. Which is generally the sort of setup you get through owning or a full lease.
By all means, you can get there without a lot of money, but it’s probably going to take some time. Free rides come in after you’ve shown yourself to be a very skilled and experienced rider.
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859161]
I’m Located in MA. See the thing is most lesson horses aren’t able to go up to 3’6 my goal is to be doing Maclay level stuff by 2013. I can’t do that if i am an Adult at the time. I’m hoping if i can find something and be seen on the circuit that i will work my way up.[/QUOTE]
Maybe not, but a lot of lesson horses can do 3’0 and at least build you more hope of finding a horse that can do 3’6
Might have been worth mentioning that the lesson horse I rode ended up taking me to the 1.0 and 1.10s on the A circuit and I was at a barn where maybe 3 of us were showing on the rated circuit, but he took work to get that kind of horse out of him.
I’m sorry, but there’s no way anyone less than the colvins/keneens are getting a nice bigeq horse for what you’re offering. You may have to look for a diamond in the rough. That awkward looking muttX that somehow lucked out.
Ok when your 15 is much simpler, if only is in your mind all the time. I would venture to say that most of us on this section had dreams just like yours at your age. Really I was the same. Zero money for this type of thing but I reasoned if only. And for those of us a little annoyed with OP, let’s just say I’m one of those thankful older people who is glad the Internet was not around when I was her age.
One poster has given you an example of what she’s doing with her career. She worked really hard. She may not have been an Eq winner but she seems to be carving out nice opportunities for herself.
I suppose at 15 it’s complicated to wrap your head around these things. It will get easier. But look at what you are asking for. Someone to give you a free horse. But it’s more than that, it’s a free horse with all bills paid bar showing. Now someone of my age thinks, she’s not in this at all for horses, she just wants some glory for herself. Because beyond board and the blacksmith, there are so many other expenses. And what if something happens to the free horse? Are you going to be upset about him or your lost opportunity. So even if someone did offer you a free horse I’m afraid your way of thinking would put a few people off. You say you can do minor medical stuff but you do have to face reality. Do you have equipment, saddle, bridle, ect or are you hoping that’s supplied too? Lots and lots of little things to ponder.
I think reality hit me at around 16. I then started working at the racetrack. My first summer as a hotwalker. So keen I was, I sent a CV into Pimlico. Just Pimlico. Somehow it ended up in an office in which a wonderful woman passed it on to a trainer. His first words to me were, no one ever sent a professional CV to be a hotwalker, laughing. Well what did I know? I just wanted to work there. My next summer I was a groom and after graduation I was a groom full time. But I wanted to gallop. Through a series of events I ended up on Wayne Lukas’s farm learning to gallop. First on the “ponies” then on babies for 3 years. I was never supposed to be any good. Kept falling off and every time I thought I was ready to go be a jockey my trainer and teacher upped the easy level and I would fail. But I kept going. Was an utter waste of time as a jockey and decided if I wanted to eat and pay bills I needed to do something else. So I spent a long time galloping some of the best horses in the world. It wasn’t the Maclay finals but it was pretty darn good. Along the way I worked for some BNT’s in the jumper world as well.
So I think I was 33 by the time I owned my own horse now horses. I have a nice jumper I bred myself and looking forward to watching her jumping again next year. That is fun for me now. Her ability is more than mine thank god so through her I can relive my childhood dreams. Oh yeah left out I moved to Ireland as well.
As the old saying goes, life is what happens when your busy making other plans. So OP become the best rider you can and make it fun. Do not let money be a reason why you fail in your eyes. You never know what the other paths have in store.
Terri
Forget your trainer. You need to be talking to your parents.
If she’s showing as a 15 year old right now:
15 in 2011
16 in 2012
17 in 2013
and then aged out in 2014. ETA: She said she wanted to be doing the Big Eq by 2013 because that was her last year…
To the OP: Maybe you could set your sights on the USEF Talent Search instead? Then you’d have until you reach your 21st birthday to move up and make a realistic plan. Although, it’s a bit of a different animal.
[QUOTE=Properetiquette1;5859091]
I need a mount to ride next year, it can’t be expensive. Maybe a free lease. Maybe a catch ride for the whole year. I need something to ride, but it can’t be too axpensive can anyone help me?
I need a horse that can go anywhere from 2’6 to 3’6. I don’t care if it’s a thoroughbred or a warmblood. Age doesn’t really matter as long as it can jump atleast 2’6. Height wise anywhere from 15.3 to 17.2
I know how to take care of small health things with horses
Riding skill wise:
I can canter, trot, sitting trot, sitting canter, Gallop, Shoulder in, Shoulder Out, Counter Canter, Lead change, Put the horse on the bit, Jump up to 2’6, I’ve done bending lines, i can jump full courses, i get my distances 99% of the time. If you want to know how I’ve done at shows in the past i can tell you that. I’ve been riding for 7 years.[/QUOTE]
Do you have a current show record?
Do you have video showing your abilities on a made horse, a green horse, a difficult horse?
I just can’t see what you are bringing to the table 
The only way I’d put you on my horse would be if the horse had major issues & I couldn’t afford pro-rides to sort things out or if I had a green horse that needed miles or a sale horse etc - in any scenario I’d expect you to put at least twice weekly lessons on the horse & pay for all show fees & carry excellent insurance …
Anyway, good luck 
btw this is really a “horse wanted” ad which should be posted in the Classified’s.
You CAN make it to the bigger stuff with little money, but as others have stated, it is very difficult.
If someone has a big eq horse, they’re not going to let it go for free. It just does not happen.
When I was 16, showing at 15, I bought a green (never jumped, never cantered undersaddle) horse and trained it up myself to show in the open and junior jumpers.
If you’ve got money to go trailer and show, then you’ve got money to board somewhere not too expensive and train your horse for a year or so.
Good luck. It is possible, but much more likely to happen in a manner which I did, not by looking for the impossible.
OP, I understand where you’re coming from as I was once in a similar situation (as were so many other posters.) What you’ll realize is that the predicament you’re in is fairly common. It’s tough, as someone who has been there, and is older, to hear (read?) your complaints without having an initial gut reaction that is not necessarily kind. But I hear you, and I think we can all agree that the money involved in showing at that level, and in making it to (let alone winning in) the Big Eq is a frustratingly large sum, but just because it feels unfair doesn’t mean it’s going to change.
Spectacularly talented riders can make it work, I’m sure, with a lot of time and effort on their part, but those are special cases. The chance of getting a free, or almost free lease on a horse capable of bringing you to that level is very slim, and chances are you’re going to have to be a heck of a rider to convince that owner that you’re going to take care of his/her horse. Maybe you will be, but it sounds like - if you’re only doing 2’6" now - you need a horse to teach you, not the other way around. And those horses are worth their weight in gold (and their owners know it.)
Luckily, you can learn a ton on horses that aren’t ever going to make it to the Maclay finals. Seriously, sometimes the less talented (or less well-behaved) horses are the best teachers, but that may require a slight revision of your goals.
None of us have seen you ride, so it’s tough to give advice. You’re young and have a few years left as a junior, which is awesome, but getting from where you are to the level you want to be at is tough even for the girls who have the money to take lots of lessons, ride phenomenal horses, and get a lot of show mileage. So when you meet some resistance here, it’s not snark and it’s not meanness, it’s just people who are looking at your situation objectively and saying, hey, you know, what you’re asking for is maybe not possible. Not definitely, but just, you know, maybe that’s not going to happen. If it does happen for you, you will be incredibly lucky. Please don’t feel entitled to it.
Lots of people without the odds stacked against them don’t make it that far. Maybe you’re an incredible rider, but make no mistake - the odds are stacked against you.
You’re not going to win any fans by complaining that it’s not fair. Life’s not fair. Make the best of it. Ride because you love to ride, ride any and every horse you can, and enjoy the learning process no matter how far it takes you.
If you’re serious about your goals, you really need to discuss them with your trainer. He/she will understand your financial situation, and knows enough to tell you how realistic your goals are, and give you advice and help in achieving them.
Good luck
Some of you think im stupid or something. I also hate that some only read the original post and onl that post. To start yes I do have my own saddle, a 4,000 one to be exact. I can also get a bridle its not that hard.
I cant stand when you sayi need to be realistic. I will try as hard as I am able to to reach my goal. Not the lame 3 foot goal all of you are throwing out there. But the 3’6 one rather. I will try till I bust my head open. Im not looking for sympathy im not looking for insight into the horse world.
Im looking for a horse, for those who didnt read the rest of the post im willing to consider scenarios owners want to offer. Or to board it at my barn where me and my.trainer could work with it. Im just saying that if I do that I cant really pay a lease price. And if I pay for the lease than I cant pay for the board.
To ride in the maclay I dont neccisarily have to ride at A shows all the time. I can qualify for regionals doing local shows. The only huge show I would have to do is regionals, and then finals if I make it
I have all my show stuff, high end boots, nice jack, ect. I have a good trainer whom has taught big eq riders, heck on of them was one that everybody wanted her horse. Most of you arent reading more into the post im willing to try stuff, or listen to things owners would agree on.
Well, you don’t need to be, but it’s far more likely you will reach your goals if you are.
I will try as hard as I am able to to reach my goal. Not the lame 3 foot goal all of you are throwing out there.
Here is where you start to sound like a child stamping her feet.
You’re not even doing 3 ft yet. But to you it’s “lame ass”.
That is not the attitude that’s going to encourage someone with a suitable horse to hand you the reins.
But the 3’6 one rather. I will try till I bust my head open. Im not looking for sympathy im not looking for insight into the horse world.
And you’ve been given a great deal on this thread. Sorry if it isn’t all what you want to hear.
