lotta history in that name
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Without a doubt, #2!
Had a thought on the potential to be “bored” by a “push button” horse…
Anybody replace an older car with a new one lately? They are “push” button everything to make driving easier…how long did it take you to figure out why the dam thing was beeping at you and figure out where and what to tap, swipe, slide, tap, rotate or push to activate, stop or silence? But once you do learn, they are wonderful to drive and keep you safer then ever.
Good riders can make most horses look “ push button” and a heck of alot easier then they are as well. Since OP is an Adult wanting to jump a decent height and spread fence out of a decent, adjustable pace hopefully avoiding excessive falls and crashes? Nothing dull about that kind if “ push button” ride. IMO.
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The thing that people always leave out with push button horses, too, is you still gotta learn how to push the buttons in the first place - and there’s no better way to learn that than on those horses.
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I’ve thought that at different parts in my life, that I would get bored on a push button horse, and enjoyed riding greenies and challenging horses. But I had never been on a made horse. After sitting on a few I’ve realized they’re just as challenging because you can trust the horse to do it’s job and you get to worry about more nuanced things. Get the shoulder/haunch over just the right amount, create the perfect canter that gets the very best jump, work on an automatic release, lengthen shorten, do bending S curves, get the perfect distance consistently etc.
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Remind me to tell the story of the first time I tried to canter down to a big oxer on the aforementioned seeing-eye dog 1.30m horse and decided to hover and close my hip for the hunter gap.
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This is such a good analogy. Every time I ride my trainer’s “old” GP horse (not push-button, but close-ish), I’m reminded of in my first few lessons, I was playing around with piaffe, and upon coming out of it, immediately got taken for a GORGEOUS extended trot across the diagonal. Trainer was quite pleased. “You asked for it!” Yeah, but I didn’t KNOW I was asking. And then there was the mess of flying legs (mine and his) as we differentiated between the ones, twos, and threes.
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I would want to investigate #2’s record a bit more and figure out why he’s worried in combinations over 1.10 if he’s got scope to chip at 1.30+. That’s a potential red flag that he’s got some baggage. Which may not show up doing the job you are wanting to do, but I’d want to know more to make sure it’s not a too good to be true kind of price.
With more of a blank slate, you hopefully don’t get baggage. But it’s overall a harder job to be learning things more or less together. Especially when you want a confidence builder, these greener types are risky too even if they have good temperament.
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Where did OP say this? Just skimmed the post and couldn’t find it.
Look, every horse has a “thing,” especially as they age. My saint, mentioned multiple times above, will jump through fire through 1.40m or so, but if he’s a little fresh and you’re flatting around on the buckle, he will reining-horse spin your ass off so fast and then stand there and laugh at you… as literally as a horse can. That’s his “thing” and it’s never dirty or scary because a) he won’t do it with a beginner or a novice and b) he is all business when you’re jumping.
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I would buy #2 all day long. And, in fact, I did just about a year ago! I was on the hunt for the perfect horse for my mom who wants to trail ride and jump cross rails but could also double in either the eq or hunter 3’ ring for me. I found a 14 year old absolutely push button Trakehner with a record a mile long through the 1.20s and prelim level eventing who wanted a bit of a step down/teaching job. I got him for an absolute steal given his record and soundness, but he was definitely not an inexpensive buy. I’m sharing this because one thing I made a VERY conscious decision regarding was to perform a relatively limited vetting. Caveat 1) I had good industry knowledge about the trainer from whom he was purchased and had every reason to believe her in regards to his medical history and caveat 2) they released his entire medical history from the 6 years they had him. He had a long career, I had no illusions that he’d have clean rads, but I knew that he’d been sound for them the entire time so whatever was in there couldn’t be earth shattering. I also didn’t expect him to flex perfectly, either. He was about 4.5 months out from his last set of injections and I expected his hock flexions to reflect that. Decide what your tolerance is for maintenance and only radiograph the bare necessities! JMHO!
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This is what I did on the vetting for mine as well, so I’m in your camp. I don’t go looking for issues with anything I vet. 
My horse had been doing the job successfully for years—with NO maintenance (low-key ammy owner in Europe)—and had the record to support that.
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Quoting the post I was referencing in my last post above.
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Thanks, I missed that. Personally, given that OP hasn’t jumped much over 2’6", I wouldn’t think twice about that.
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Ok internet strangers, we came to an agreement on price for #2, he’s over my budget but they had been clear they were willing to do a lease to own and we agreed on what I think is a great deal. And now we’re scheduling a vet check.
I’m thinking about all the one million people I’ve watched purchase the horse for them in x years and how that often flops fabulously. Im going for the horse that’s right for me right now, life’s short right? And as I said before, I smiled so much when I rode him which is maybe the only thing that matters. In this crazy sport that costs so much money, be happy!
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Congratulations and fingers crossed! Please keep us posted.
Come back and update with pics and videos when you can! Can’t wait to see!
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Oooo congrats OP!!! You will be THRILLED to learn from a schoolmaster who will take you to new heights for however long your time is together. He will make you into the rider you want to be <3 share photos please!! How exciting.
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Fingers crossed he vets out ok! He’s sound at his job now, so I’m not expecting anything other than some age appropriate stiffness etc.
He’s such a good boy, if all goes well he’ll have one last career after me teaching my nieces to jump little cross rails and taking me on trail rides before he retires out my back window.
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I believe it is! Hope the vetting goes well!
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One step closer, spoke with the vet who has been caring for him for the last 3 years. Says he’s been very sound and she just started injections. Her only suggestion was making sure we keep him fit. That will be easy peasy because he’s too nice not to keep in work and when I travel the teens will fight over him. Still scheduling with a different vet to to the vet check and be thorough, but good news so far!
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