Can you give me some tips/questions to ask - going to try out new horse at weekend!

TheInnocentBystander · 2009-01-14T17:05:47+00:00

Hello there. I am goint o try out a 15.2hh Welsh Section D at the weekend to have on loan. He is 5 years old. I had my own ponies and horses as a teenager and young adult, had a break for 10 WHOLE YEARS and got back into riding about a year ago since when I have ridden regularly. I have got the bug again and want to have my own to look after, ride,school,muck out etc. I am going to try a Welsh Section D who is to be loaned out for a year. Any tips/advice/questions to ask the owner (we have spoken at length on phone already) would be very very gratefully recieved. I am so excited I don't want it to cloud my judgement I am going with a very experioenced horsey friend. Cooking tea so might not be able to answer straight away. Thanks horsey ladies!

Nekabu · 14/01/2009 17:23

This is all I can think of at the minute but I hope they're of use!

Why is he being loaned out for just one year? (because I would be wary of loaning a greenbacked youngster for me to put some miles on the clock before he goes back to the owner to be either kept or sold on. Though I have done that in the past and ended up buying the horse I was putting the mileage on!)

How long has the current owner had him and when was he backed?

Has he done any competing? If so, what?

Is he good to box/catch/clip/shoe.

Is he good to hack on his own/in company (first and last) and what is he like in traffic.

Does he have any vices? Weave/crib/box walk.

Has he ever been known to bite/kick/bolt/rear/buck/nap.

If he doesn't like something when out hacking, what does he do? Does he spin round and try to head for home, reverse, stop, shoot past, or what?

Does he have a passport and are his vaccinations (flu & tetanus) up to date?

Is he insured? If so, will the insurance be continued whilst you have him on loan or will you need to insure him?

Has he had any illness/lameness episodes. If so, what?

If his owner wants him back, what is the notice period and ditto for if you want to return him?

What is he like in the field in company (I presume you're keeping him on a livery yard?) and is he good to turn out/bring in and handle in the stable?

Is his worming up to date? What has she been using and when was he last wormed (should have been an Equest in December).

Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 17:41

Thansk for your answers.

Ths is what I know so far from owner:

The chap has had him from a foal, for his grandaughter. He was sent away to be professionally backed/schooled and since then it doesn't sound like he's done a lot (mainly schooling/polework but not much hacking out). He says he has been led out in traffic but not ridden too much in it (hmmn makes me wonder why....).

Granddaughter now off to Uni and he can't sit in the field for a year so is doing a years loan contract for starters, he said maybe more if it goes ok.

He has told me he has no vices, lives out with Geldings. He has passport
He gets sweetitch in the summer but no other medical issues.

You have other points I really need to cover when I go to see him though, I am wary as to what he has been doing since backed? Does he hack alone etc are good points and what does he do if he sees something he's not keen on etc..also re insurance/lameness/catching/shoeing etc.

What shall I do when trying him out? Any tips for that? Just walk, trot, canter circling, his transitions, polework etc? I don't want to plod about aimlessly and wish I had thought of doing something else!

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Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 17:43

I know the chap wants a proper contract drawn up which suits me. Is it acceptable to ask for a months trial first ( he will be living at mine).

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Nekabu · 14/01/2009 18:10

Are you up to confidently teaching a green youngster to hack out? That was not meant in any way to be a rude or funny question, it's just something you need to ask yourself. I was in that situation last year and, as the horse in question was a sweetie, did take it on but a novice horse will need confidence and balance from the rider as they probably won't have much themselves. I'm not suggesting for one moment that you aren't capable of balancing an unbalanced horse or reassuring it when it's having a wobbly or crisis of confidence as obviously I don't know you or how you ride! It's just something you need to ask yourself whether you want to do it or would prefer something more established. I also found the support of a good instructor and regular lessons to be invaluable in helping with mine.

If you're keeping him at home, do you have other horses? He may get stressed if he's on his own.

With regard to the sweetitch. Does he come with a Boett rug? If not, what do they use to keep it under control?

When you go to try him, and I cannot stress this enough, make sure someone else sits on him first! If they don't have someone to ride him for you, walk away, unless you are really, really sure you're not going to find yourself on something that goes off on one the second your bum lands in the seat! To try him, as you say, walk/trot/canter and poles if they're there and, if they have something you can hack out with, hack him out. In fact, if you're planning to hack him out at home you'll need to hack him out there. If they don't have a horse you can hack out with then they'll just have to walk out with you on foot.

Good luck!

Nekabu · 14/01/2009 18:10

Are you up to confidently teaching a green youngster to hack out? That was not meant in any way to be a rude or funny question, it's just something you need to ask yourself. I was in that situation last year and, as the horse in question was a sweetie, did take it on but a novice horse will need confidence and balance from the rider as they probably won't have much themselves. I'm not suggesting for one moment that you aren't capable of balancing an unbalanced horse or reassuring it when it's having a wobbly or crisis of confidence as obviously I don't know you or how you ride! It's just something you need to ask yourself whether you want to do it or would prefer something more established. I also found the support of a good instructor and regular lessons to be invaluable in helping with mine.

If you're keeping him at home, do you have other horses? He may get stressed if he's on his own.

With regard to the sweetitch. Does he come with a Boett rug? If not, what do they use to keep it under control?

When you go to try him, and I cannot stress this enough, make sure someone else sits on him first! If they don't have someone to ride him for you, walk away, unless you are really, really sure you're not going to find yourself on something that goes off on one the second your bum lands in the seat! To try him, as you say, walk/trot/canter and poles if they're there and, if they have something you can hack out with, hack him out. In fact, if you're planning to hack him out at home you'll need to hack him out there. If they don't have a horse you can hack out with then they'll just have to walk out with you on foot.

Good luck!

stickybeaker · 14/01/2009 18:11

I just wanted to say that my family have had a Welsh Section D for 15 years and we've had so much fun with him.

They're made of tough stuff!

Good luck!

Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 18:23

Thanks Nekabu - the horse I ride at the moment is a 15.3hh 5 yr old Chestnut mare, quite green all round but surprisingly ok in traffic as long as nothing 'surprises' her too fast (she tries to spin round/dive into hedges if so).

I have a private instructor once a week for a lesson and would continue this if I took the Welshie on. The 15.3hh Chestnut mare I ride is very well schooled though. She belongs to my friend and is very responsive and wonderful to school. It really does sound like this Welshie is greener and you're right, I need to think about whether I can bring him on as he might need.

I will defo hack him out in traffic (or get owner to first) when I go...I really need to know what he is like as we have a lot of (quiet) roadwork around here before getting onto bridleways.

He says he has a rug and stuff in food for sweetitch but can't remember the name.

Thanks for all your sound advice.

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Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 19:11

stickybeaker - Thanks! I've never ridden a Welsh Section D let alone owned one! They sound lovely though so can't wait for saturday. Just hope I don't go with rose tinted specs on. I have to remain realistic .

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Nekabu · 14/01/2009 19:12

As you are riding a green horse at the moment (albeit OK in traffic and well schooled, which we don't know if the Welshie is) then this Welshie might suit you well, especially as you have a good instructor! If you do like him, get a price (in writing) agreed before you take him on just in case you like him enough to want to buy him. Muppet here forgot to do that and when I decided I couldn't bear the thought of my loan going back to his (bit of a one) owner and wanted to buy him I effectively paid for the work I put into him as he was worth a lot more after I'd had him for a few months and his previous owner charged me accordingly!

Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 19:16

Thats a really good idea which I hadn't though of. Be like paying for a pice increase twice really. Good one.

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Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 14/01/2009 19:17

"price'" I mean not "pice". doh.

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frostyfingers · 16/01/2009 16:00

Can your riding instructor see/ride him - might help having a "professional" eye who knows you well.....

Nekabu · 17/01/2009 13:29

Don't forget to let us know how it goes!

Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 17/01/2009 20:24

Hi there, - An update for you. Went today and the horse was lovely, great temperament, very calm, good to catch, groom, tack up etc. But....and its a very big BUT, he was very very green. He has NEVER been out on the roads despite being 5, in fact it seemed like he had never left his field. I got on him and he was very shaky whilst being ridden in the field, not quite understanding what was wanted of him really. He needed alot of work. He has clearly not been ridden for a few months and was reluctant to be ridden and unresponsive/unsure of any aids that were being given. He wasn't naughty or anything, just nervous and unsure I think.

The chap stated he would defintely want him back after 2-3 years which made me reluctant as I would have put a lot of work into him to have to hand him back.

He also suffers terrible sweet itch. He had rubbed his mane and tail off over the summer which had grown back in tufts.

He had huge potential, and would be a great horse to buy and bring on. (The chap would not sell him).

So, I have decided I either have to a)loan a horse that is more experienced or b)buy one that I would then reap the benefits from.

Glad I went though, its almost better if the first you see isn't suitable I suppose as it now gives me a yardstick of sorts.

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Original poster

TheInnocentBystander · 17/01/2009 20:26

Thanks for all your advice though it was great, I wrote a list out with your suggestions on, the bloke must have thought I was bonkers, it was like 20 questions!

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Nekabu · 17/01/2009 22:48

I totally agree with you. You'd effectively be putting 2/3 years of schooling livery into someone else's horse which would then be going back to be sold. I view the 'would never sell' with extreme scepticism as what would he be getting him back for? He's been sitting in a field twiddling his hooves for the past 5 years and nobody's got him going, so why's there suddenly going to be this queue of enthusiastic riders when he comes back in a few years? More like he's not going to fix a price with you now as he knows full well that a barely backed 5 year old that's done nothing and has sweetitch is going to be worth very little, whereas in a few years time the market will have picked up and he'll have had 2/3 years of work in him.

There are plenty of horses available for loan, especially at the moment. Equine charities are bursting at the seams and they do have some nice horses needing a home. Or if you're interested in an ex-racer there's the www.thoroughbredrehabilitationcentre.co.uk/ they reschool them before looking for a home and provide back-up and help too.