Another day, another viewing... (and another NR meet!)

ladywiththebaby

Active Member
Mar 6, 2007
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Cambridge
OK so today, Jane (as in Jane and Ziggy) and I went to Safecobs. Thank you again Jane! :biggrin: I've always fancied having something from there as people usually say good things about their horses and I know they have a lot of training to make them as safe as possible - bearing in mind that they are real animals with their own minds!

I had called Lia about Robbie who is £3500 - one of their cheaper horses. I don't have that much in my budget , particularly as he wouldn't come with any tack, would need transporting etc etc but I'm feeling so fed up and like finding anything safe enough for me to feel happy on is getting so hard I thought I'd beg steal or borrow if I had to. Anyway, Lia said Robbie wouldn't suit me (I explained how I tense up, lean forwards, and how I need something that will not react to my nerves etc) but that she had one who would. She bought him to train into a Safecob. Naturally quiet, naturally non spooky, naturally non competitive. 7 yrs old, piebald, 14.3, gelding. He's not finished his training and so is selling him for £1800 (she's overstocked). She describes him as green on the ground but not ridden. For example, he walks off after you've mounted, rather than standing until asked to move, and lagging at the end of the lead rope when bringing in. She really likes him though and if I don't have him she is going to take him off the market, finish the training and sell him for the £3500 - £4000 mark.

So, tried him today. Here's my report:

Good bits
  • I walked, trotted and cantered all on my own! I appreciate this doesn't sound a lot but there was no 'safe' school, this was out on a hack, and Jane didn't even ride him before me! Think back to last weekend when I had to be led even in walk and you can hopefully see what a big thing that is for me!
  • Lovely trot
  • Very quiet boy
  • Not strong at all, stopped the second I asked, needed a lot of leg to canter rather than taking off

Bad bits
  • He doesn't seem to know how to pick his feet up
  • I really didn't like how he wouldn't stand still after I'd got on. Taking a step is one thing but we were going all over the place and eventually Jane had to come and stand with us to get him to stop
  • When on the roads, he was generally fine. At one point a horse came galloping over to us at the exact moment a pickup towing a trailer passed us! He jiggled about abit, neighed really loudly but I guess not to bad. But later a motorbike came past (not a really loud one) and he really was worried. He definitely looked to his left and was about to run into the woods but saw the ditch and decided he couldn't. He then danced about a bit trying to work out where to go and suddenly the bike was passed us and he was fine again
  • He's in poor condition at the moment, you can feel his ribs and his spine is prominent. Jane says Ziggy was the same when she got him. He's only on chaff, sugar beet and oat straw as Lia can't get hold of any hay??

Lia had all her tack stolen over christmas so she only had limited tack. We rode in a saddle we think didn't fit and a bridle that really didn't! He was ridden in an American gag - is that quite severe? She was telling us she uses that as it makes the horse hold its head up and go nicely all by himself, or something? :frown: Can anyone tell me a bit more about it? For some reason Lia doesn't seem to like snaffles - Jane I can't remember what she said about them now?

Anyway, what do we think? Its so amazing for me to find something I'm happy to canter on, but at the same time I didn't like the motorbike thing or the walking off bits.

One option would be to pay Lia to keep him on for a few more weeks, but obvioulsy that all adds to his costs. How far do you think he would realistically come in another 4 weeks and is the last minute training likely to last?
 
You felt confident enough to canter him. I think that sayes it all.

Feet is a minor issue as long as he doesn't kick out. It is something you can work with. I had a horse where I couldn't touch his back feet without him lashing out at me. I sold him to a more experienced person.

I had a horse that didnt like motor bikes. When they were passing he spooked away, when it had passed he went straight to sensible again - like your cob did. He could of run off but he didnt. Your cob was in a scary situation and both you and he coped with it without you being bucked off or bolted with. He sounds great just a little inexperienced. And if you did your tense leaning thing and he still didnt bugger off then i would say give him another go. He sounds lovely.

:biggrin:
 
Some of the bits in your post sound a bit dodgy :ninja: but I think he sounds nice, but if you didn't go, 'yes I like him he is the one' then maybe he's not quite right? :unsure:
 
I wouldn't be too impressed with the sellers tbh :frown:

you might find that when he's full of feed he might be completely different but on the other hand you oculd buy him , have some lessons to help your confidence and he might be fab.

The moving off when mounting might be because of poor fitting tack/soreness? And it sounds like he was a good boy on the roads although again you might feel happier with something that feels safer to you?

I paid about £1800 for my green cobby but he came with tack, I wouldnt pay £3500+ for him.
 
I too would give him another go.

Feet not being picked up can be worked wiith - lashing out slightly more complex. If he is just stubborn and leans though you can clicker train etc to iron that out. The same with mounting. A period of no riding, invested in ground work working on those issues would stand you in good stead for ridden :)

As for the spooking - horses will always look for escape routes - its their nature. He sounded like he kept stead fast, which is a good attribute.
 
Oh I forgot about the feed - I would be concerned about that all. That said if you are reluctant to go with private sellers, then perhaps this will be the best option?
 
Do you do much road work, I would want something excellent in traffic for a nervous rider.

When in good condition/fit he could be a completely different animal.
 
I would be concerned.

I know its a long trip, but I would go back fir a second view before thinking about buying if your uncertain.

Would Lia do some kinfd of trial for peace of mind?
 
Ditto the people that mentioned that he could well change once up to weight, fit and healthy!

I once took a little gelding on loan cause I felt sorry for him. He was skin and bone, covered in mud fever with a sore back and terrible teeth. Once I got him fed, vet treated, physio'd and had the dentist to him he turned into the devil pony from hell and I can easily see why he'd been allowed to get into such poor condition.

I definitely wouldn't take on a riding horse, especially for a nervous rider, that isn't in great condition as you just never know what you might wind up with once it's up to weight and feeling well.
 
It would be another no for me. Just because you are not shouting from the rooftops 'I LOVE HIM'. When you find your horse, you will be over the moon and know you want him. You won't even have to think about it.

Personally, the moving off from the mounting block wouldn't worry me - as this is something that can easily be worked on. The picking up the feet is similar and will come with time. The fact that he got scared by a motorbike but didn't actually do anything is very positive for me - although this does depend on how much road work you are going to do. I never ride on roads and never will, so the motorbike wouldn't bother me.

What would bother me hugely is the fact that the horse gets no hay. And, the fact that the saddle and bridle didn't fit. I think that the seller should have postponed your visit until she had the tack sorted. I don't know anything about an American gag, but the word 'gag' indicates to me that this is a strong bit. I would want to try the horse in a snaffle and see how he goes in that. Also, I don't understand how a horse can go from being valued at £1800 to £3500 in the space of a few weeks/months unless he is being professionally schooled/being taught to jump etc. Fundamentally, I thought that Safecobs sold safe cobs. In my opinion, the traits of a safe cob are ingrained in the horse (e.g. non spooky, non competitive, quiet etc.). I don't think that these traits can be trained, they are just there.

I don't think that this is the horse for you though - keep looking. The one will turn up sooner or later.
 
echo what other have said - something just doesnt sound right - all the excuses from the seller would put me off a bit. I would also wonder why she isnt feeding hay!

Did you feel a little unsafe on him when hacking out?
 
Ditto the people that mentioned that he could well change once up to weight, fit and healthy!

I once took a little gelding on loan cause I felt sorry for him. He was skin and bone, covered in mud fever with a sore back and terrible teeth. Once I got him fed, vet treated, physio'd and had the dentist to him he turned into the devil pony from hell and I can easily see why he'd been allowed to get into such poor condition.

I definitely wouldn't take on a riding horse, especially for a nervous rider, that isn't in great condition as you just never know what you might wind up with once it's up to weight and feeling well.

Ditto the above on the weight, fit and healthy ting, have also done this and found I have a different horse after 6-8 weeks. But, If you didnt feel it, he not the one.

Just to add, I think you should give yourself a massive pat on the back for being brave enought to w/t/c on a hack on a horse you are trying for the first time, WELL DONE, thats a great step forward for you

Did you ever call TB1 to see what she had?
 
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Well, that fact that you werent nervous is fab - great to read that you cantered so a HUGE well done to you. Now, on to the horse - I think that if you're interested then go and have another look, not standing wouldnt worry me same with the feet - he's young and lacking in manners which is something you can work on. The motorbike i see as a positive - he could have dumped you and ran - he didnt so he gets brownie points for that.

The bits im not keen on are the tack - we're nearly into Feb and if tack is stolen xmas time and its your livelyhood - you're going to replace it as soon as - esp as this is a good time of year to get a bargin! A horse doesnt jump from 1800 to 4k in the space of a fews weeks with a few weeks training thrown at him - a 4k horse needs to have proved itself - IMO

I much prefer MySafeCobs - personal choice but their horses seem to have a longer training period - they are more expensive though.

I'd like to add though - you dont need to spend 4k to find a decent horse - word of mouth is the way to go again, IMO.
 
well compared to your last viewing i would say this is a definite possible!!

recommend a second visit before decision making.

the fact that you walk, trot and cantered out on a hack says a lot.

feet thing to be honest sounds trainable.

Moving when mounted - i managed to stop moet doing this very quickly by giving her a treat when i was on! sooooo depending on the reasons behind it i do think its trainable or at least you could get used to it! it obviously didnt put you off too much as you went and had a lovely hack.

With regards to traffic - ummmm whats your hacking like? will you be going in company? i think its something than can improve.

with regards to feed/condition....how bad is he? i meant like really underweight or just fractionally less than others? if hes not too bad then i cant imagine he would change too much, the fatter my cobs get the lazier they are! (obv every horse different though!)

ok so you didnt LOVE him...mind you i didnt LOVE moet the first time i rode her, i returned and rode her again and did love her that time!
 
My honest initial opinion? I'm a bit :ninja: about some of it.

OK...so she had all her tack stolen - She's a dealer, selling quite expensive (IMO over-expensive) horses, surely since Christmas she can pick up a few cheap saddles and some bridles and bits to tide her over! Exactly what happyhacker101 said. ;)

Also not convinced about the reason for her price-drop. The fact he is in poor condition and might well liven up when fed, concerns me a little.

On the plus side, you felt confident on him. :) :)

I SO wish transport from here to the UK wasn't so expensive! I'd make a fortune. For under £1000 here, you can pick up a bombproof cob, who will do what you want in the school, hack out, go through the middle of town on market day, and pop fences. And pull a cart. And tolerate all manner of farm machinery. We've not found a horse here yet who has ANY issues with traffic.

I wonder if Lia will still warrant this horse, as she has yet to 'train him into a safecob'....does this mean he's NOT yet classed as a safecob? Does this affect your rights as a buyer? Just something that crossed my mind.

Glad it went better than the other day though! :D
 
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