Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Original poster

Brood mare to ridden

13 replies

CheshireDing · 13/04/2023 11:56

Can anyone give me their experience of taken a mare from brood mare to ridden please.

I have seen a lovely mare with people sat on her on the lunge , she is about 12 years old and has been a brood mare previously with the comment that ‘apparently she has been backed but just seemed a bit nervous when we put someone on her and we don’t have the time to restart’

My heart horse 20 years ago was an ottb brood mare (as too slow) and was amazing

not sure whether I am just having nostalgic feelings though 😬😆

OP posts:
TheSnowyOwl · 13/04/2023 11:59

Many years ago I had a brood mare that I broke in and had many negative comments about it and she was five. I wouldn’t have gone for a 12 year old.

The fact you are questioning it makes me think you don’t have the experience and confidence for this. So I’d say it’s nostalgic feelings. What is it that you are looking for in a horse?

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 13/04/2023 12:05

How experienced are you and do you have the money to throw down the drain if she is potentially unridable?
Why has her entire career been as a broodmare? Does she have breeding to die for and literally throwing amazing horses left right and centre (assume not if someone’s considered re backing her at 12)

If she’s no record of a ridden career id be really wary, either that she could get some really good riders off and they gave up (especially as she is nervous under saddle now apparently).
Or does she go lame the second she’s doing more than walk and trot in a surface and they never bothered investigating.
Either way she shouldn’t have been used as a broodmare but that’s a debate for another day.

How nervous is nervous, if she’s on a professional yard and they are struggling I’d be worried that you potentially have something that’s going to be problem after problem and then end up a lawn mower.
Personally I’d prefer to buy a nice 3/4yo that’s done next to nowt

Original poster
CheshireDing · 13/04/2023 12:12

Queen my old horse was a tb but this one is a Welsh with very good breeding. So not been on a professional yard like an ottb would have been.

She is currently with a dealer and they used to word nervous (which could make them honest or downplaying or course). I think more wondering why someone was above her, no bad behaviour though.

OP posts:
Original poster
CheshireDing · 13/04/2023 12:15

Snowy really I just wanted a replica of my heart horse. I bought her on a whim for £900 after she was stuck in a stable, she was too slow for the track so had become a brood mare, someone bought her at auction and was then too scared to ride her

I loved that horse, she just wanted someone to give a damn about her

i should probably remove my 20 year old rose tinted glasses 🤔😆

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 13/04/2023 12:37

My first question would be why is she a broodmare? So many unrideable mares are put into foal. If they are only showing photos of her on the lunge is this because off the lunge she is wild? Or needs to be lunged before being ridden?
Sorry, too many red flags for me here.

orangeflags · 13/04/2023 12:42

Ooh no. I don't think I would go there. I would imagine she was unsuccessfully backed, dumped in a field and put in foal repeatedly to give her a 'purpose'.

Original poster
CheshireDing · 13/04/2023 21:31

Twisty the seller just said that she has been backed by a precious owner but when they put a rider on the horse seemed nervous. They have videos of her out on the road so I don’t think she’s wild as such.

Yes I think maybe you are correct to Orange .

I might need to keep looking and ignore her lovely face 😭

OP posts:
orangeflags · 13/04/2023 21:32

Out of interest where is the dealer based? This is ringing bells

liveforsummer · 13/04/2023 21:54

orangeflags · 13/04/2023 21:32

Out of interest where is the dealer based? This is ringing bells

Sounds familiar to me too - I'm on a lot of selling pages as was buying late last year. OP this is a massive red flag, using riding age horses solely as brood mares if not a stud with a mare with amazing lines is a huge red flag. Seen this myself with a pony who came through my previous yard - similar description to yours. No way ever suitable as a riding pony and I feel so sad seeing her passed through so many homes and popping up for sale again as 'brood mare or project! as no one is fully honest as just want her off their hands. Not comparable with OTTB. You know at least they've seen a bit of the world, been ridden daily etc. in many ways the easiest ones!

Original poster
CheshireDing · 13/04/2023 22:09

She’s in Lincolnshire. Think i am going to keep looking at ours anyway

Thank you all for your comments

OP posts:
Ricco12 · 13/04/2023 22:21

I bought a 9 year old brood mare. She went from just backed to competing at medium dressage in 1 year. I then sold her to my sister who then went on to event her and was reasonably successful.

Absolute cracking mare she turned out to be.

Ricco12 · 13/04/2023 22:22

Mine had been imported from Holland and I bought her from a dealer 6 weeks later.

liveforsummer · 14/04/2023 05:01

If you have experience of OTTB and want to replicate your old horse then why not get another one. So many of them out there looking for homes you could afford to be fussy and state exactly what you're looking for and won't cost you the earth

New posts on this thread. Refresh page