My non-warmblood is a park-bred arab and WB is 100 times more “stupid” spooky than the arab. Both will spook at a bunny bolting out in from of them but only the WB will spook the 8th time we go past the same darn rock!
I’ve had both since they were 2 and started them both the same, with all the walking trails, ground driving and tagging along to shows “for the experience”.
That’s a very broad generalization of the WB breed to say “WB is 100 times more ‘stupid’ spooky”. Like I said earlier, WBs are typically in different situations then say other more “accessible” breeds.
I understand from your perspective that you have both a arab and a WB and you find that the WB fits the “stereotype”. Well in my personal experience, the BEST trail horses and hunter pace horses I’ve ridden were both WBs…and I’ve ridden A LOT of different breeds and types of horses. So who’s right if we both have different experiences that contradict each other?
I think that some breeds have different general characteristics but each horse is an individual just like people. Different experiences, handling, medical care, and the horse’s personality shape the general behavior of a horse.
Good thing I wasn’t generalizing then 
, I was specifically talking about MY experience with my horses.
AltersAreUs didn’t say all WBs were 100 times more stupid than all Arabian Horses.
They said their WB was 100 times more stupid than their Arabian Horse.
Sorry, I read that as all WBS. I didn’t see a “my” in front of WB so I read it as all in general.
Although I understand that there are fabulous horses out there who just can’t stay sound jumping, in my experience, the older with maintenance horse has a longer life jumping X-es with beginners than trying to do dressage. Dressage is circles and tight turns, and is basically a lameness exam.
And yes, the ads for horses jumped into the ground and then sold off at age 20 make me stabby.
I read that incorrectly, I didn’t see a “my” in front of WB so I read it as “all”.
Sorry for the confusion, yes it would have read clearer with a “my” or “the” in front of the WB.
Totally agree. Not all horses are cut out the be trail horses. Its a skill that has to be trained just like any other. If dobbin is retired from jumping 2’6 because his feet are hurting and is getting arthritis in his joints, you can bet he is not going to be a happy trail horse going up and down rocky hills.
General comment. As far as ISO ads, I would assume they are going to skew unrealistic because if the buyer had a realistic requirement and price point they’d be more likely to find what they want on a sales site. It’s when people can’t find it that they start posting ISO.
These breeders could be looking for inexpensive stock to use as surrogate mares, you never know.
I’m actually not sure that this is true in a lot of cases now. A big part of my trainer’s strategy, when horse shopping for clients, is to post an ISO on Facebook. Of course, she writes it (obviously with input from the client, but grounded in her opinion of a good fit), and if there are any want/need/budget discrepancies they get worked out before posting. She regularly winds up finding horses that are not yet being marketed because the members of her network see her post and know that they can rely on her to 1) accurately represent the client’s riding ability, 2) bring a client who is ready to buy now, and 3) avoid the silliness of “we want an unpaid month-long trial while we ride it six hours a day and yet still expect it to vet perfectly before the end.” But she posts on Facebook because, quite frankly, what’s on the sales sites is generally also on Facebook and what’s on the sales sites is often still there because it isn’t quite what it says on the tin.
I saw the ISO that @foursocks referenced as well and can confirm it’s a) real b) posted by an adult and c) on a large, well-trafficked group. I would say that the ISOs there span the gamut of connection to reality, with most of the ones posted by the client trending more towards the majikal unicorn end of the spectrum.
I agree, but most rescues won’t do it. They are either lead by, or funded by, people who think that life should be preserved at all costs. It’s not practical and it’s frequently not kind, but there you have it.
Many of the FB ads I’m currently seeing are ISO for basic, sane w/t/c horses for older riders, which can take a joke and maybe pack a kid around as well. Not even for jumping. I think most of the best-known websites tend to skew more to the showing crowd. The FB ads can also be from trainers who might not have contacts for people selling older mounts or mounts stepping down a level. (In other words, clients looking for a horse, but riders who might not be in their “top tier” of clients.)
I’m an adult amateur that recently found my new horse (just arrived Monday!) from an ISO FB ad. My trainer is not on social media and had exhausted her network of connections. The seller of my horse reached out to me via private message. I actually got some of my very best leads this way. I think most sellers can probably tell which ones are serious buyers with realistic expectations and which ones are not based on the wording of the post. When used properly, ISO ads can be extremely helpful.
That being said, I’ve seen my fair share of ones that made me chuckle 
.
Yes and my pet peeve for responses to ISO is, “what’s your budget?”. Just tell me what the damn horse is listed for. I’m not gonna spend an hour combing through replies of people trying to justify $10-$15k for barely backed green beans when I’m looking for a humble, experienced husband horse because I told you that’s what I’m willing to spend.
Yeah, that’s the first thing that came to my mind too. Though as someone who went through pregnancy I would not put an unsound mare through that, especially one with back problems e.g. kissing spines or a dysfunctional limb. That extra weight is no joke.
Regarding rescues and euthanasia, a horse we owned was one step from being on the meat truck when we got him. We owned him twice actually. My husband sold him to a couple as a shared trail horse and we thought all was well, we knew where he was and he looked like he was doing well. A few years go by and I was looking on craigslist, this was before FB, and I see an ad for him looking fit and healthy. We called and went to see him. The picture was from when they first bought him because the horse before us was almost unrecognizable. He was very thin (about a 2 to 3), full of lice, his feet were way overgrown, and the look in his eye was he didn’t care if he lived or died. We took him on a promise to pay and brought him home. His teeth were absolutely the worst so had that taken care of immediately and treated him for the lice. It took about a week before he realized he had come home. The happiest moment was when I saw him romping out in the pasture with a new friend. Sadly, he didn’t live too much longer in retirement but he knew he was loved and cared for to the end.
I wonder what percent of trainers do this for their clients. I would be THRILLED if mine did. I’ve asked and offered to pay for her time to post and respond, and then of course I would pay her the hourly fee should we go try one. I would think it was me, but she has 2 more clients looking for horses and she hasn’t done it for any of us.
One thing I always find funny is when people ask for all of these things for no money and then add that they will provide a really good home with lots of treats and good vet care and such. I feel like they are hoping someone has the perfect horse and it’s very cheap (for some reason) but worries it won’t be taken care of, so they make sure to include that reassurance. “Oh, I was concerned that selling my amazing 17.2hh, athletic schoolmaster for 4k would have it end up in a bad place, but this person swears they will give it good vet care, so that’s a relief!"
Someone asked me for a price on my gelding last week. I told them $80K, but realistically I wouldn’t let him go for less than six figures because 1) he isn’t actually for sale, but stupid money is stupid money 2) I’ve had him 10 years and 3) I don’t know if I could find a reasonable alternative for less.
They replied, “We have a budget of 50, but we love him and it would be a really good home.”
It took everything in me to not reply, “Well, I also love him and he’s had a great home for the last decade.” Like, WTF.
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