Horse people, I want your input

[Remudamom]

http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1694195

 

I'm almost sorta kinda maybe possibly thinking about this gelding for one of the boys. I originally was looking for something he could get on and ride straight to cattle, but the prices are sooo high.

 

Pros- the bloodlines. Genuine Doc and Colonel Freckles are the grandsires. I've always wanted a Carol Rose horse, and this is about the closest I've come. Price is good. They'll even deliver for not much more. He's been ground trained using methods similar to ours. I've had some of these bloodlines before, and they are great cowhorses.

 

Cons- not started yet, but we know how to start them. But that is a bit of an unknown. Horse has no working experience obviously, but he sure is bred to cow. So far away I really don't want to drive up and look at him, but it isn't an impossibility.

 

Guy is sending more pics, so I'll see if there is anything glaringly wrong and go from there. HELP!! Tell me NO...........or go for it!

[simka2]

http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1694195

 

I'm almost sorta kinda maybe possibly thinking about this gelding for one of the boys. I originally was looking for something he could get on and ride straight to cattle, but the prices are sooo high.

 

Pros- the bloodlines. Genuine Doc and Colonel Freckles are the grandsires. I've always wanted a Carol Rose horse, and this is about the closest I've come. Price is good. They'll even deliver for not much more. He's been ground trained using methods similar to ours. I've had some of these bloodlines before, and they are great cowhorses.

 

Cons- not started yet, but we know how to start them. But that is a bit of an unknown. Horse has no working experience obviously, but he sure is bred to cow. So far away I really don't want to drive up and look at him, but it isn't an impossibility.

 

Guy is sending more pics, so I'll see if there is anything glaringly wrong and go from there. HELP!! Tell me NO...........or go for it!

 

I like his general look! I know very little about cow horses so I am probably no help :D. Will he grow into his neck and head a bit?

 

By the way...Where have you been?! :D

[Remudamom]

Where have I been??? WHERE HAVE I BEEN???

 

Riding of course, what in the world have YOU been doing? 8)

 

We had a great cool spell. Really I've been driving more than riding. Jedi is back in the pen of shame so she can lose weight. Someone is slipping meth or something into Fable's feed because when I take her out it's like that Hammy the Squirrel comic character. Fortunately the riding horses are their old stable selves.

 

I bet it's hot where you are!

[LittleIzumi]

I have a couple of little confirmation quibbles, but I ran in hunter/jumper circles so I don't know if cow ponies need different chops, lol. For the price with the breeding & supposed temperment, wow. Can I have him? :lol:

[Cindyg]

I liked the word "fearless" in the ad.

 

I would advise most families who want to get a horse for the boys to move on; but I know your family has the facilities and horse experience to train a 2 year old. And I know you'd have no trouble hauling him home.

 

If you can spend enough time with him to verify that he's really fearless, and if you like his personality, etc., I'd say, yeah, go for it.

[Remudamom]

Dh doesn't like his pointy butt. And I wonder if he'll be choppy to ride. But come on......for that price and with those two granddaddies right on his papers.

 

I am very tempted to take him sight unseen. Good thing dh is stronger willed than I am.

[LittleIzumi]

Dh doesn't like his pointy butt. And I wonder if he'll be choppy to ride. But come on......for that price and with those two granddaddies right on his papers.

 

I am very tempted to take him sight unseen. Good thing dh is stronger willed than I am.

 

Pointy butt & has a downhill topline, but the price is very nice.

[Journey]

I admit I am not a QH person but he looks like he's not put together very well. Downhill butt....will he grow into the downhill-ness and fill out with those GIANT butts that I love in QH's? Who knows. His neck is skinnier than my TB gelding's. He just looks scrawny in all the wrong places. I'm not sure he would be my choice, although I love the fact that he stands for the farrier, loads and is fearless....those things are key for me. As for a cow horse, Remuda, I think you can answer that question better than any of us on here. I thinky you likey so I thinkey you buy-ey!

[Ottakee]

Too bad you can see what he will look like in 2-3 years. He might fill out very nicely. I have heard that butt high 2 year olds will even out and fill out but I am no expert.

 

Can you wait though 1-2 years to really work him? I am more of the give them time to grow and mature before doing too much riding.

 

Horse shopping is SO hard. I might be looking for another horse as my daughter has now decided that she really likes my Morgan/Arab I got this spring. She rode him for a 2nd lesson yesterday and by the end was popping him over 2 foot cross rails. She wants him for her 4H horse.

[creekland]

I wouldn't worry at all about him being downhill as he's 2 years old. That's so common with 2 year olds due to the way horses grow. The lanky neck tends to be common too. The pointy butt will likely stay, but should fill out some with work. It won't likely get huge like many QH. His butt is just plain short. The really exaggerated pastern angle would concern me the most... Hopefully, he's just in the middle of taking a step. If not, I'd shy away from expecting to use him for much. That pastern - if a natural standing photo - won't take much. Shoulder seems nice. Attitude seems perfect. Price seems to reflect either the current market - or that pastern. Check it out in the other photos they send. I would have never used that photo for a sale ad.

 

Yearlings and 2 year olds are the worst to evaluate conformationally as they are growing and they don't grow evenly. I find myself wanting to hide ours behind the barn until they turn 3. Since we don't start training until 3 years of age, it sort of works for us! Since we sell ponies younger, sometimes we have to do the best we can.

 

I had an old timer tell me once that the best times to look at an equine for conformation are 3 days, 3 months and 3 years and not to look at them at all in-between. After years of breeding, I agree with him. (But that pastern - if an honest stance - won't change and neither will his butt become proportional.)

[tntgoodwin]

I don't know any centaurs.

[Remudamom]

And here's another concern that I accidently ran into on the internet. People are divided as to whether or not Doc Bar bred ponies are buckers. We've been discussing the difficulties of training these lines. Some of them say that Doc Bars are notoriously hard to break, but that once they come around you've got yourself a cowpony. Others say they don't come around. Third factor denies it all, swears they are top notch gentle. And the FOURTH group believes the buck (if there is a buck) comes from breeding to Poco Bueno mares.

 

When I was younger bucking was not the terror it is now, but I sure don't want it. Especially if my son is going to be on board, good rider though he is. Years ago we had a "blind bucker" that was my special mare. That means she would simply put her head down and buck, not caring where she went or if she ran into anything while she bucked. She never bucked with me once, but did serious damage to two of the guys. Dh finally forbid me to ride her (he had never once before or since told me I was not to ride a horse) but he said she'd had two strikes already and I wasn't going to be the third. We sold her as a bucker, and she did not come to a happy end.

 

So, here I am really wanting this colt, but not quite willing to take that chance. OTOH, if I don't buy him I'll probably see his name in the winner's circle, reining or cutting. %^$@*& Must talk to dh.

[Ottakee]

Too bad you can't decide on him in 2 years---let someone else break him out and see what he turns out to be.

 

I am a whimp and want the dead broke, bombproof, walk/trot horse for trail riding.........then again, I ended up buying an Arab/Morgan and spooks a lot.

[Cindyg]

Well, what did you decide?

[Remudamom]

Well, what did you decide?

 

Nothing. We did go look at a grade horse, buckskin, gelding, looks to die for, around 15.1. But something was off in his front end. I could find no soreness, no heat, picked up the foot well and let me mess with it, but something was off.

 

Owner's story was a bit fishy, and dh suspects the horse had been aced. We had to pass.

 

Ottakee, check your pms. A friend of mine has got a horse you've got to see.

[Journey]

That is the reason why we would always show up unannounced! The sellers would hate it but I didn't care. That way we could see the horse for who it really was...pulled out of the pasture and tacked and ridden....no chance for any "help" if you know what I mean. I love the "stories" sellers try to tell when they (and we) know their horse has lameness issues. Had a big name (for around my neighborhood) horse person try to sell us a mare that was obviously off in the front...this horse was for my daughter, who is a teen, don't try to sell me junk!

[creekland]

That is the reason why we would always show up unannounced! The sellers would hate it but I didn't care. That way we could see the horse for who it really was...pulled out of the pasture and tacked and ridden....no chance for any "help" if you know what I mean. I love the "stories" sellers try to tell when they (and we) know their horse has lameness issues. Had a big name (for around my neighborhood) horse person try to sell us a mare that was obviously off in the front...this horse was for my daughter, who is a teen, don't try to sell me junk!

 

We had a buyer call us while we were at a Pizza buffet after picking middle son up from his ACT test this past spring. They told me they were in our driveway with a trailer and were looking at the ponies - would we be home soon?

 

Fortunately, we were finished eating and rushed home. Yes, they bought a pony, but I still have REALLY mixed thoughts about this method. Most horse/pony people have a life outside of their steeds too. I don't want to have to worry that each time we go out for something someone might be at my place "looking at the ponies."

 

I've also had people call telling me they were "on their way" over. I prefer that.

[LittleIzumi]

That is the reason why we would always show up unannounced! The sellers would hate it but I didn't care. That way we could see the horse for who it really was...pulled out of the pasture and tacked and ridden....no chance for any "help" if you know what I mean. I love the "stories" sellers try to tell when they (and we) know their horse has lameness issues. Had a big name (for around my neighborhood) horse person try to sell us a mare that was obviously off in the front...this horse was for my daughter, who is a teen, don't try to sell me junk!

 

I did that too, and got a COMPLETELY different horse when I dropped by. :glare: Had an slightly "off" feeling before that, but wow. He turned into CRAZY HORSE when the appt wasn't made well in advance. My instructor thought he was doped.

[Journey]

I would never just stop by someone's house who has horses. I meant that when we were looking we would stop by the big boarding barns unnannounced and I would still do it if we were looking. My very good friend has a small farm and she says that people just come over any time and that really bothers her. I totally understand, that is her house and that is just rude. Never, would I do that. But you really do get to watch the horse "fresh" when you don't tell the big barns that you're coming. Sometimes it's almost funny.

[Ottakee]

We try to show up about 1/2 hour early. Often that is enough time to see what is going on.

 

I did have one place I went that the guy kept calling to find out EXACTLY when I was going to be there. The horse seemed to be a bit "off" and since then I have heard that he has a not so great reputation with selling horses.

 

I do have issues with people though that just stop in to see the horses with no warning, etc. I had one lady stop by and go IN the fence with our horses to see them when we were gone. Dh was home but he doesn't do the horses and had no idea. I just don't want almost strangers coming in the fence with our horses.

[LittleIzumi]

I would never just stop by someone's house who has horses. I meant that when we were looking we would stop by the big boarding barns unnannounced and I would still do it if we were looking. My very good friend has a small farm and she says that people just come over any time and that really bothers her. I totally understand, that is her house and that is just rude. Never, would I do that. But you really do get to watch the horse "fresh" when you don't tell the big barns that you're coming. Sometimes it's almost funny.

 

When I stopped by unannounced it was a fairly large operation, and only because the horse was "off" and we were suspicious. I don't normally do that sort of thing.

[creekland]

I do have issues with people though that just stop in to see the horses with no warning, etc. I had one lady stop by and go IN the fence with our horses to see them when we were gone. Dh was home but he doesn't do the horses and had no idea. I just don't want almost strangers coming in the fence with our horses.

 

This is what I am afraid happened with the person who stopped by our place when they said they were looking at our ponies. I didn't ask. I figured I'd probably rather not know. I'm just glad it all worked out ok. Our ponies are friendly and child safe in general, but...

 

With a large sales barn where you know someone is going to be there, I agree, it's different.

 

In our market many ponies sell on trial, so there's no reason to cover anything up. I realize other people/places are different.

[homefront]

My parents have a horse with similar bloodlines, and I adore that horse. As to your Doc Bars comment, the ones I know well have type A personalities. I have not know one to buck after the early years. You might want to see when the picture taken. I'm hoping it is a few months old because of the same issue mentioned above. The price is about normal in our area for gelding, so don't let that move you.