Re: buying without riding

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

April wrote:

"Also, for everybody, would you ever buy a horse you went to see in person,
that could be ridden, but didn't ride?"

My first horse was a complete handful (still is) and so, when it came time
for me to purchase my second horse, my first priority was temperament.  I
not only rode him, I asked the owner if I could "wind him up" a little,
because I wanted to see his reaction to pressure.  With the owner's
permission, I drilled him for half an hour.  I didn't beat him up, or
anything, I just insisted that he do what I asked, when I asked.  I did some
dressage first and then jumped him over various jumps.  I also rolled
barrels in his direction and showed him some spooky stuff in the arena, to
see what he'd do.  The next time I rode him, I took him out, jumped him over
a ditch and took him past a reasonably busy road and some barking dogs.  He
passed both tests, and I knew he'd be perfect.


The fact that he is a stunner to look at and moves like a dream was a bonus!


Tracey


"Preferring to start your own training *as if* the horse had never been
ridden?"

Of course, once I got him home, I had to do a lot of retraining.  This horse
had been ridden a lot in running reins, and lunged in side reins, so he
leant quite a lot on the bit, he was also quite spooky in new situations,
and so I did a lot of confidence boosting.  However, the most important
thing, the temperament, was sound, so the retraining was easy.


Tracey