Horse Advice?

[Dogs6]

Someone offered to give me a horse today. A 6 year old bay gelding that has been backed, done some jumping and is now just standing in a field doing nothing. Apparently he is quite a sharp horse who needs a lot of riding and schooling.

The person that offered him to me specialises in breeding, training and selling show jumpers/eventers. The fact that he usually sells his horses has me slightly suspicious that there is something wrong with this horse but his niece who schools the horses and is a good friend says there isn't.

He doesn't even know me well but I've been helping his niece with a 3 year old she's working with and I've done a few jobs for him recently. He's seen me riding and jumping both the horses I currently ride and he was going to offer to let me ride one of his with the 3 year old to keep it calm but the 2 I ride do the job just as well so that hasn't come up again.

I need to talk to my mum and dad properly about it but I could just about to afford to keep a horse with what I make now but it would mean that I would have no money for anything else and I'm supposed to be saving for a car/insurance and driving lessons.

Any advice?

[Cali Mae]

My only advice is getting a pre-purchase exam before you get him.

[Dogs6]

Oh definitely! I wouldn't buy a horse without a vet check done by my vet! I've seen too much go wrong without that before.

I just wish I knew what to do! I WANT him but I'm not sure if I should or not.

[MafiaPrincess]

Where do you plan on going with your riding?

[Dogs6]

I want to start show jumping competitively and I'd be interested in eventing if I had the right horse for it. At the moment with the horses I rider I show jump at local shows but neither of them are really suited to jump competitively. One could if she wasn't 16 years old and the other does it because I'm asking him too but he's more of a hunter type and prefers solid fences. I'm doing it all on them at the moment just to get experience and practice! I also to a lot of hacking about as well but I adore jumping.

At the end of the day though it's just a hobby and I wouldn't die of disappointment if I couldn't do it as long as I have something to ride.

[joce]

If he described him as backed and started jumping I would just ASSUME that there are a million holes in the training and I would be restarting him. Would maybe be a great horse but likely not something that they have the time to retrain.

I'd think youd see the word green not just backed. Odd wording that jsut sets off alarms.

My gelding has been backed and thats about it. Miles away from jumping.

[crazedACD]

Originally Posted by joce

If he described him as backed and started jumping I would just ASSUME that there are a million holes in the training and I would be restarting him. Would maybe be a great horse but likely not something that they have the time to retrain.

I'd think youd see the word green not just backed. Odd wording that jsut sets off alarms.

My gelding has been backed and thats about it. Miles away from jumping.

I was thinking this as well while reading the op. Sounds like they got him to tolerate a rider, ran over some jumps, and threw him in the field. Especially since they say he is sharp...people uh, tend to mince words when selling a horse. I'm assuming it would be necessary to treat him as not broke at this point. He sounds like a bit of a challenge. Do you have experience with starting horses?

[Dogs6]

Originally Posted by Miakoda

I would sit down and make a list of very specific questions about his health and training, and definitely get a PPE!!!

Nothing in life is truly free. Just remember that.

Thank you! I wouldn't touch a horse without a PPE! Too many friends have had bad luck without one for me to risk it. Oh I know there's a catch somewhere. I'm just trying to figure out what it is.

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

The fact that you seem a bit uncertain about affording it makes me say that it probably isn't a good idea. Trust me, I'm there. Getting Tristan was a terrible idea for me financially, but I did it because I could make it work (barely) and I wanted it so, so badly. I'd worked and shown in the horse world for over 10 years and never had my own.

"Just about" affording it means "Holy $#it, what do I do now?!" when stuff goes wrong. It means deciding if you are going to pursue treatment for an injury/illness, and thus go into debt, or if you are going to not take care of a problem. I went from never carrying any debt to maxing out a credit card in a few short months when Tristan first got sick. I've dumped $1300 in a day on him. I took a different job because I could 'just about' afford his bills, but he needs more than that right now.

Whether or not this horse is the right horse is, in my mind, the wrong question right now. The question should be whether any horse is a good idea when you say you can 'just about' afford it.

Thank you! This is something I really needed to hear. If I don't keep him at livery I can manage easily (I haven't done all the maths yet but that is a large factor). I was thinking about him at livery when I was saying that. I do have savings for emergencies but it would have to be very serious for me to touch that because I know how fast savings can disappear! Plus in a real emergency my parents would help me if I needed it. Honestly there is nothing tying me too this horse. If I dont think that it's right for me to get it, it'll be a disappointment but I WILL walk away. I've learnt about getting in over my head. Id like to get him, of course, but sometimes you have to say no. I'd like to think this won't be one of those times but time will tell.

Originally Posted by crazedACD

I was thinking this as well while reading the op. Sounds like they got him to tolerate a rider, ran over some jumps, and threw him in the field. Especially since they say he is sharp...people uh, tend to mince words when selling a horse. I'm assuming it would be necessary to treat him as not broke at this point. He sounds like a bit of a challenge. Do you have experience with starting horses?

It could definitely be like that I'm sure but I'm helping them with a 3 year old at the minute and they do give them a thorough grounding before they even go near jumps. Oh I know what people can be like selling horses. I've been burned before. This time I'm determined not to let it happen. IF everything else checks out I'm going to ask if I can ride the horse for a few weeks before I commit to anything. I don't have very much experience starting horses but I have been helping with that 3yo and next week I'm starting to help a woman with her youngster as well. However if I did need to start him again there would be no shortage of people willing to help.

Thanks everyone for your opinion! I'm going to meet him tomorrow, ask a good few questions and see where it goes from there. Im willing to say no if he doesnt suit or I can't afford him. You never know he could end up having 3 legs, and be part donkey and that's why they're giving him away!

[BostonBanker]

It sounds like you are going into this with your eyes open, so good for you. I know just how tempting it is to realize you could have a horse of your own when you are used to riding other people's horses all the time. I am going through yet another round of "hey maybe this will work!" drugs with Tristan right now, so I'm probably a bit more on the cautious side with my advice. I just know that, as much as I adore Tristan and I will see him through his life - a big part of me knows now that getting him was the wrong answer.

[Dogs6]

It could very well be Joce. I'm good friends with the girl that starts them and she does a very thorough job with them but it could be that he's been dumped in the field since then and would need restarting. I'm going over there again in the morning so I'll be quizzing them more then.

I was just getting ready to leave when they sprung that on me and tbh I was just so shocked that I couldn't really think of much to say!