Would you buy an ex-school horse?

[hackedoff]

Need some thoughts here - poss sale of my rave fave horse at the riding school locally. He is a 12yr old gelding, super safe in traffic but fizzy in the school, never hacked him out as stables is part of a city farm so no hacking experience with him. He has the sweetest temperament and is drop dead gorgeous :D a friend has advised me not to buy an ex-riding school and that he has a 'back problem'. What do you think? Should I look into it further or is my friend right? Has anyone bought an ex-school horse? was it a good or bad deal? I would be placing him out on DIY/part livery on the outskirts of town with good hacking.
Please reply!!!!

[T-bred]

Hi!!!!!!

Well I would look into it some more and if it turns out you really like him and really get along with him then go for it!!! I would find out more about his back though!!

Anna

[wildponies]

i don't think there's anything wrong with buying an ex-riding school horse, he'll probably be very fit as well if he's used regularly in lessons. You know the horse, you know what he's like to ride and by the sounds of it you've fallen in love with him already - it's really hard to find a horse you like and then takes ages to get to know it... you're already one step ahead. I'd advise that you get a vetting sorted and possibly an equine physio if required to check out this 'bad back' but i can't imagine that his problem would be too extreme otherwise he would probably be in serious pain whilst being ridden and would therefore not be suitable to be used in a riding school environment. Also if the vet acknowledges a slight problem with the horses back and you go on to buy the horse, then make sure that his problems are reflected in the price and don't pay too much for him just because you're determined to get him before anyone else does - don't forget other people usually vet horses too and will also be looking for a reduction in price if the horse is over-priced. hope that made sense, good luck and i hope everything works out :D

[Wally]

Get a 5 point vetting, and try him for a couple of weeks and see whether he is the same horse away from the school environment. Some school horses are not very brave on theri own, might be a bit nappy to start with.

Nothing wrong with an ex-school horse at all....depends which school, some riding school ex-horses I wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

[maverick927]

I own an ex-school horse and would I do it again? Well yes and nearly did last summer (if only we had a second stable).

I love school horses becuase they are well socialised (so Maverick was phased at seeing horses at shows) and most tend to love humans.

Maverick was for sale for £600 and that was when he wasn't even for sale, we just asked about him and I think that he was worth every penny.

[Showjumper]

I have wanted to buy a bunch of riding school ponies in the past, but they never got put up for sale.

Definitely get a vet check (back problems can be expensive!) and ask for a trial period to see what he's like away from the school. He will probably need less feed as he would be doing less work and you wouldn't want him too wound up. And he might not like hacking alone. But if you can afford him, and he's what you want, then go for him! :D

[Fuzz and This]

i own 3 ex-school horses!! the only problem with them though is that i couldn't bear to take them away from their friends so im still keeping them at the riding school that one of them has been there for over 15 yrs!

[LORRI]

i wouldnt because theyre fully trained and extremely safe it would get very boring but thats just me, i like a bit of challenge!, also when u go 2 sell it you wouldnt get as much for him because he was a school pony, this horse might be different though i shouldnt judge a horse by its backround, take him on a few weeks trail if you can and see how he is.

[Stella2]

Bare in mind that a lot of riding school horses do a high level of work. Some a couple of hours a day, but at some schools 'useful' horses will do much more. In any event far more work than the avarage privately owned horse and this has implication for its behaviour when that workload is reduced. They also often associate being ridden with negative experiences because beginners are learning on them and inevitably have poor hands and seat. Of course it can work out as others here testify, but for some it can be more problematic. Sometimes, feeling in better condition with their back done, well fitting tack, turn-out and less work, can lead to the horse having something of a 'personality transplant' and the well disciplined animal who knew his/her job can become one who is no longer all that cooperative. I know of a few people who have had big problems after buying their favourite school horse!

It could be great, but it may not be. As always in horses each case is very individual and the 'buyer beware'.

[Zingy]

Bought an ex school horse, turned out he had a back problem, though I didn't know it at the time. It wasn't picked up at the vetting - only showed up later. It took a long time (approx 18 months) and a lot of money (lost count, but was a few thousand) to put it right. Couldn't ride for over 2 years and thought I'd never ride him again. But I'd do it all again for a horse with a temperament like his.

So my advice is don't rule out a school horse, and any horse can have back problems. Sadly nothing comes with a guarantee. But if there's any reason to suspect there might be something wrong, ask yourself if you realistically want to take it on. Get a full vetting but also a check by a good physio/ osteopath before you buy.

[Sidesaddlelady]

My horse is an ex-school horse and a nicer gent you couldn't hope to meet.

However, some general points -

As to being fizzy in the school - he may not be suited to school work so might be better behaved with a sole rider.

If he's never been hacked out you don't know what he's like in traffic, which is a point to consider. Also, won't you get bored if all you can ever do is ride in the manege? Half the fun of owning a horse is hacking out.

Also, if he is a "star" of the school the proprietors may inflate his price. Remember, price is not necessarily a guide to skill alone, for example, I paid a fairly high price for my boy because of his common-sense and steadiness. Be prepared to haggle with confidence.

Stella2 has a point about levels of work and behaviour but obviously you would adjust his diet to the work he was doing for you.

Have him vetted even if you know him - there is alway a reason why a school sells it's good horses - try and find it out. Do NOT take the owner's word for it!

Think it over carefully and if you decide to go for it then good luck and happy riding.

[Alex]

I would certainly look into it more.
I would get him completely vet checked, especially that back problem.
Other than that, I would suggest that you see if you can trial him for a bit before you actually buy him - that way you can see what he's like when he's away from the school, and on hacks etc.

Generally I don't see a problem in buying ex-school horses - they can give you alot of confidence and teach you alot, BUT... each horse is different and you really need to find the right horse for YOU.

Good luck finding the horse of your dreams!

Love,
Alex

[hackedoff]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to see if I can 'own' him on trial for a month staying where he is and hack him over to the Common (about 2 miles from stables) a couple of times a week to see if he turns into a rearing monster when he sees open country and takr it from there. No idea on price! Will speak to stable manager on Monday and start to haggle........hope they havent sold him by then!!!!!
Thanks again for all replies.

[notpoodle]

@ hackedoff? which city farm ist that? not deen city farm, is it? i used to ride there until not so long ago!!! who are they selling??

julia
x

[rezbeck]

I own an x riding school pony and i think he is just great for me. He is my first ever horse and he is pretty steady . Although he doesnt like hacking out or going on the roads on his own. He is a typical riding school pony as he is a real follower. But i know that i can take various different people up to the field and he will let them on his back, as he is used to various shapes and sizes!

[Wally]

Lorri, we have the safest, the most boring, the most bombproof riding school pony in the world...but that's what he is.

If you like a challenge you can take him out by himself, if you can get him to the end of the track by himself you can have him!:D :D :D This is why he will NEVER leave us. He will retire and never be rehomed as he has MAJOR panic attacks when asked to leave other horses. Just because they are used in a riding school does not make them automatic.

Some riding schools have horses who are so well schooled I'd buy one any day.

Some riding school horses I have seen are far from "safe" and not really suitable for a riding school environment.

My "riding school horses" are not the average, well schooled they are, but....... ride them coarsely and you'll have your hands full.

[galadriel]

Originally posted by Wally
If you like a challenge you can take him out by himself, if you can get him to the end of the track by himself you can have him!

Which one? Can I try? :D

I would take one of Wally's ex-riding school horses any day, "boring" or not.

[amadeorider]

i bought an ex-riding school pony and she is perfect! you can end up with horses that have problems, like i found out the first summer that i had her that she had sweet itch. i think that riding school horses are good to buy because you can get to know the horse better before you buy it and you know that it is safe. i think you should get it checked first, like you would anyway but buying an ex school horse is no different to buying any other horse, except you know abit more about its history.

[Wally]

Poor Kvikur holds his breath if you try to get him to go out by himself. Panic doesn't even go there.

He won't go by himself, if you really, really insist he panics drops a shoulder and unless you have a very, very secure seat you are off.

I was riding him out in the hill rounding up sheep, all I asked him to do was leave Hákon and head off in the opposite direction to gather some sheep we'd missed. Just asking him to do this got a panic attack from him. It was all I could do to stay on....frankly I was shocked at his agility and ability to decant a rider if he felt like it.

So we don't ask him, he's 200% safe in a group, taking him out by himslef just upsets him. So as he gives us the Earth every day we don't ask him for the moon too.

Sadly Kvikur has been through lots of private homes due to his innability to go out alone. Both Frances and I are agreed that he is someone who will not go to another home, he will spend his retirement with us. I would HATE for him to end up somewhere where they didn't understand his little ways and upset him.

[makebelieve]

I find riding school horses very well trained and good for just about anything. Solo was a rescue and I don't have any idea about her background but I am getting papers in soon. You never know. The perfect horse for you could end up to be this one or possibly end up as a disaster.

Solo is my perfect horse. She goes english and western and jumps, has a loving, easy going temperament and is relatively young (4 and a half) with no health concerns. I would inquire about the back though.

[hackedoff]

Off to discuss it today :knees knocking: notpoodle -I think you know who it is !!

[LittleD]

Not that I know very much about this, but I used to ride a particular school horse quite a lot, and often thought that if he came up for sale he would make me, being a novice a perfect horse he is a gelding who was too fat, let you mount without a problem, went into walk as soon as you put leg on, would trot, canter at request and had quick response brakes when needed - he was used so much, like three hours a day probably 4/5 days a week and became so used to being ridden by riders of all levels almost lost his personality completely, he became like a robot horse.
Then he was taken off riding school duties and taken over by his owner who had found more time for him and a sharer - this sharer was a competent rider who decided to put him through his paces, he was lunged and lunged and in side reins, he was introduced to dressage moves etc he is now considerably lighter shows muscle tone along his neck and shoulders and has had a personality transplant the other side of it is that he will now canter off at the sight of a green field and now needs to by ridden in a Dutch gag - the sharer can cope but his owner can't control him, if he had come up for sale and I had taken him on,as a novice rider I don't think I could have handled him

[amadeorider]

it also depends what you want to use him for. my pony, when i got her, would only follow the horse in front. i had to re-train her for what i wanted.

[karen T]

I had my first horse for 18 years and he cam e from a riding school, he was a star but a challenge at times. When I first bought him he got so full of him self as he thought he was on his jollies doing so much less work, and bucked me off nearly everty time I rode him for about six months. Still i would not have swapped him for the world. The only thing I found was that he did not like being fussed, I think the constant faffing on with by all and sundry at the school really sickened him. Still we had 18 years of fun and he lived till he was 32 years old.
If I could wind the clock back and do it all over again I would.!!!!
Karen

[Esther.D]

Rupert was a school pony, but only when he was very young (he is only 7 now). He does have the problem going away from the others that other people mentioned. He also had a reputation of being really sweet and good in the stables, but when the girl before me bought him (when he was 5) he took advantage of her and started barging and nipping etc. I bought him a year later and he had very bad manners, however these are now sorted out and he is great.