Talked to one previous owner.....

[MelissaH]

I reached the lady who was selling Dubie. Turns out she was selling him for the pregnant lady. He was her first horse as well.

He is very affectionate...although he is afraid of bags....blowing things etc....He needs work in that area...
She did mention that he is green but is easy to work with and was glad to hear that I would be boarding him at breeders and taking lessons. He has been on trails etc....

I remember when I drove up to the arena, he was loose in it and he was playing, and jumping and gassy:D . But as soon as you walked up to the arena, he ran right over. He seems to really like the attention of people.

Now I'm wondering about how green he is. He has trail rode. Just been a while since he has. When I rode him it was in the round pen while he was being led. I have never rode him out of the round pen. We are working on the lessons and eventually will leave the pen. I am reading ALOT of books.

I don't think he's green to the point where 6 people have to hold him down while I get in the saddle. Then I stay on for 5 seconds. He had no problem with me on his back.

Mmmm....

Here is link to another ad for him...
http://horsetopia.horse-for-sale.org/horseforsale.cfm/horse12054.html

[Kalypso]

Sounds promising...BUT i really think you need to ride him WITHOUT being led before you buy him!! I don't think a very green horse is what you were looking for!! :eek:

[MelissaH]

Yeah...I probably should. I would have wanted to be led on any horse because it has been so long since I have been on one

[Kalypso]

oh i see. hmmm...but, you still might want to give it a go on your own before you decide to buy him. Even if just at a walk. You need to know that the horse will behave w/out someone leading him.

My pony, Kallie, was fine with me, but when i first had her, i'd not have trusted her with ANYONE else! the only times I let my friends ride her was when i led her around...she was a perfect angel as she loved and trusted me...but would have probly pranced and been a pain in the arse had i let them ride her. So, it'd probably be safer in the long run, and save you from possible heartache, if you try him out off the lead line before you make a final decisions! :)

[Grace O'Malley]

Hi Melissa,

I don't want to be a downer, but if it were me I'd want to see that he's able to walk, trot, and canter in an arena with decent transitions and balanced through turns and large circles--with a rider who's comfortable with these exercises, but not an expert or anything. If you (or your daughter?) is going to be having lessons on him it will be a lot harder for you to learn if the horse isn't solid in his basics. You'll never be sure if it's him or you.

Of course it's your choice and love can conquer a lot (if not all) :p I've just spent many a frustrating lesson on horses that simply didn't know how to respond--even though they were fine to ride on the trail.

Good luck!

Grace

[MelissaH]

Hi Grace,

Ya know, they were using him as a trail horse. But he was also stalled for a year. I am willing to work with him. I am very good with animals.

Whats the worst that can happen.....:eek:

No, but really, I can always hire a trainer down the road.

I want to see him ridden by soemone else or me again.

[MelissaH]

But seriously, I think I can handle it. I have a firm but loving hand.
I just have to get out of that "scared" frame of mind.

[Kalypso]

Good luck with him, Melissa. I and some of the others on here know exactly how much you love this little horse that isn't even yours yet. I was just thinking that you might want to know he won't bolt/buck/rear with you, etc, before you go and buy him. NOT trying to say at all that you shouldn't, as I think you've already made up your mind anyhow! :D :D

[KarinUS]

When you say you were laid that doesn't mean that's the only time you have seen him in action right? I mean the breeder probably rode him for you in all 3 gaits so you could see him move under saddle, right?

[MelissaH]

No one told me how easy it is to fall in love with a horse.

What the heck is that all about!:D

I understand that I may be getting myself into quite a challenge but then maybe not. I am sure I won't be the first.

Too many of us have these dreams in our head of taming the wild stallion. Okay...he's not a wild stallion, but a young gelding willing to please. I have started buying books on training..etc. I have just recently purchased a great book called ' There are no problem horses, only problem riders.' It is so fascinating to try and put yourself in the mind of a horse.

I hear opinions from so many different people.

"don't get a young horse"
"get a old quarter horse"
"look at many"

But sometimes we follow our hearts, and by grace of God we come out alright. CHRISTY! I will keep you informed as to how my adventure goes.

As Nicholas Evans said, " He's not going to look back if you don't. They're the most forgiving creatures God ever made."

Godspeed:D

Okay...sorry..I am being a drama queen..

[MelissaH]

Karin...

Her ranch hand rode him. He needs to work on his gait. I am not experienced enough yet to go full throttle. That's why I will take many lessons with him before I go it alone.

I think I may be overblowing his abilities...or lack thereof. But I think I will have him ride Dubie again so I can really watch.

[MelissaH]

Afterthought....I just talked to Caroline (breeder) and she told me that Luis(ranch hand) takes both horses out everyday by himself on the trails.....

That makes me feel better. She has had him a little over a month now & he is really starting to look good.

Thanks everyone.....for putting up with me:)

[KarinUS]

Her ranch hand rode him.
That's excellent. Nothing wrong with that. We don't know Western riding much so I hired a college student to ride a potential purchase horse.
I just think it's really important that you do get to see the horse ridden. If you can't do it yourself it's fine as long as you got to are able to watch them ridden by someone else.

[Kalypso]

Originally posted by MelissaH
CHRISTY! I will keep you informed as to how my adventure goes.

Thanks much, will be here, as always :rolleyes: .... waiting!!

OH! and I had no idea that you'd seen him ridden by the ranch hand either! As Karin says, that's great! I was just afraid that the only time you'd "seen" him in action was when you were being led!! That makes me feel much better now! :)

[pengapenga]

I think it is great that you have spoken to the previous owner and also that you are going to see this horse ridden without leads. I don't think he is very green as they are taking him out on trails, so I think some good schooling under instruction will do both you and him a lot of good. Good luck with him.

A bit about my story. I too have just bought a young very green horse, he is a three year old friesian stallion, and I am also returning to the saddle after a long break:) It does not daunt me that he is young and green as I feel that it would be great to work together and grown together. I already feel a strong bond with Frits, it was a special moment when I went to view him as he seemed to be just as 'taken' with me and on further visits to him this bond is stronger, but enough of all that. Just wanted to say that for me, I am looking forward to further bonding and showing everyone how well we are doing. I am going to be using a lot of Natural horsemanship and also do clicker training.

So here is hoping that you will have the same positive experiences as I have had so far and I am looking forward to swopping expeeriences with you;) :D

[MelissaH]

Thanks Pengapenga....I recently ordred a free DVD with an introduction on the Parelli method. I watched it last night and it was very interesting.

What really stuck out to me was Linda, his wife. She had talked about being a young girl, 12 I believe, and getting her first horse. She said all they did together was go fast. She did not know the word walk, or trot. They had video of her just running the horse over hills, etc...at full speed. She got out of horses and did not ride any for years. When she finally decided to get back into it she bought a horse, and at 30 years old, for the first time discovered what "fear" was.

I totally related with that as I am sure many do. When were young, we don't know fear. But as we grow older we understand our own mortality. I think we need to get back to that place where there was innocence, but also posess a cautiouness.

Dubie will be boarded but I will bring him home. My corrals should be up next Friday.

[pengapenga]

I will have to get the free DVD, to learn a bit more about parelli. I was also going via the monty roberts way. Also have an opportunity to see Guy Mclean in action next month, will have to try to get there. Frits is arriving from Sydney (after his aussie quarantine stay)on the same dates as the Guy Mclean demo:)

I know what you mean about growing older and discovering fear:)

[KarinUS]

I know what you mean about growing older and discovering fear
Really? I know I was a chicken when I was a kid. Could have been because I had weird parents though. They were always worried...
Now with my parents off my back I am much less worried about killing myself... :D

[pengapenga]

my father was a worrier, but that never stopped me:D I used to hop onto horses that were just shy of being wild and with out a hard hat:D I would definetly not dream of getting onto one of them now:D I also used to work cattle bareback with just a halter but that was with Trouble who was my greatest friend as a teen:) He is the horse the africans called penga and they called me penga for riding him, so we were nicknamed pengapenga hence the NR user name pengapenga. Penga means mad in shona.

Sorry about the ramble, just in a talkative mood;) :D