Finding a suitable loan horse

[Kimmy C]

I am thinking about part loaning a horse, say two or three days a week now that Della is no longer with me but I am beginning to realise that this is not so easy. Firstly I cant help but compare with Della, she was by no means perfect but in all the time I had her (24 years) she never ran away with me even if other horses around her did so for that I forgave her most things. Anyway the other day I tried a nice looking grey, 15hh 3" sports type horse whose owner guaranteed he was a good lad who was trustworthy. All I did was walk in the menage when all of a sudden he flipped and from what I can remember he jumped sideways, reared and then spun resulting in me falling off. This has put me off and wondering whether I can ever trust people who say that their horse is so called bomb proof. Will I ever get another horse that is guaranteed not to bolt off with me or not flip at the slightest thing? Dont get me wrong Della had her moments but she never tried to unseat me. I dont know whether to just go for riding lessons for a while.

Has anybody else experienced this and then got over their mistrust of others and then goen on to get their perfect loan horse?

 

[Dark Storm]

When you look at my horse Shadow, to me he's perfect, 99% I'd say, the one% is he doesn't like lorries very much and unless he trusts you, he'll tank off..
Now he'll let me do anything too him, but if anyone else handles him, he can be bargy and a bit impolite.. he runs circles around my sharer when being lunged, stubborn when she rides as in he makes her really work, and when she fetches him in, he takes her, or anyone he lacks respect in, for a 'walk'..
What i'm saying is, a horse can be as good as gold for his/her owner, but be a complete **** to anyone else, you have to earn their respect, once you've got past that point, the rest will follow, but unless you have that respect, you'll get no where with that horse, and you'll just end up going in circles

 

[Flipo's Mum]

I forgot how not knowing a horse could really impact on your confidence so much more - I had ponies for eight/nine years when I was a kid, I learn't every trick they could throw my way and was without a care in the world - they were by no means perfect. Coming back to it, I forgot that it took a long time to get to that place of almost psychic ability. Its been 21 months and I'm still not at a place where I really know my horse enough. He still surprises me with little tricks and turns. Its unnerving but I realise that every day I learn something about him and the knowledge will stand us in good stead for the future - its all part of the experience and I know in my heart that I will get to that place where I was when I was as a kid. It must be even harder for you Kimmy considering the length of relationship you had with Della, I admire that and hope you can find a way. After every fall I think we analyse it to death, working out why it happened, what could we do to avoid it, what it means for the future. I'm learning to accept that some things are just freak accidents and could have happened at any time to anyone and don't reflect on the individual horse being a nutter. Somehow that helps me. Sorry for wittering on, good luck mrs.

 

[Kimmy C]

Ahh thanks Flippo's mum. Im a lot older now too (and a lot wiser I think) but I will keep looking just makes me realise how much I took Della for granted.