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Spyro--horse I am looking at today


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http://www.hiddenhorsehaven.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3228 Horse I am going to see this afternoon. These are pictures of him almost 1 year ago when he was bought by his current owner.

 

http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1171528 Here is his current ad.

 

In recent picutres he looks better. There is a long story to him but other than a brief time at the first place listed, he has been in the same barn for years. His owner wants a "girly girl horse". My riding instructor knows her from working with her and said she wouldn't lie about the horse as her horse knowledge is extremely limited that she wouldn't know HOW to lie about a horse.

 

We will see. If he looks good, we will pick him up Saturday. I was hoping to bring him home today but the roads don't look too good for hauling a horse today--ice on the expressways and 2-4 inches of new snow today.

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Well, I saw him today in TERRIBLE weather. It was about 15 degrees, snowing, blowing, etc. I think I like him. I only rode a few minutes and even had my instructor have a lead rope on him "just in case". He seemed fine to me but the footing was really bad so we only walked.

 

The current owner is VERY timid which makes him think that if she can ride him, I should have no trouble with him. She needed help just to get him out of the pasture and didn't know how to tack him up--which I did with no trouble.

 

My problem is that my instructor only trotted him a little bit and there was no place to lope him safely.

 

The owner is getting 2 new horses Saturday so she wants him gone by then and will lower his price to $1000 (down from $1500 last week). I need to decide if I send my instructor up to get him Friday while I am out of state or if I wait and try to see him again Saturday myself and then decide.

 

He does need his feet done and will need spring shots and a coggins.

 

The weather was TERRIBLE on the way home. The expressway going the opposite direction was backed up for 10+ miles. I was going 7mph on a 4 lane road that is normally 45-55mph for a while. NOT a good horse shopping day.

 

Decision time.

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Why is she selling him? Or more to the point, why is she REPLACING him with two other horses?

 

I am a little concerned about the previous owner's incompetence. If she doesn't know how to lead and tack up, I am a little concerned about what the horse has been doing for the past year. Most horses would get pretty snarky in the face of such incompetence. The ad makes claims about the horse that the owner couldn't possibly know.

 

While I truly admire your persistence, I am really sorry that you're doing this in all this snow. It's just so limiting to you -- not being able to ride out or do much of anything else. You're really not able to do a thorough evaluation, even though you're trying. Oh well. Big sigh. Keep at it. I enjoy reading your updates.

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Well, I guess if it was any other woman I would be very leery of just that thing. My riding instructor knows her though from working with her and said it is TOTALLY her to do something like this.

 

She honestly doesn't know much about horses. She told us one of the horses kept "charging the fence"---translation--when you open the gate he walks towards it.

 

She wants a mare so that she doesn't have to deal with the "fighting" (meaning touching noses and ear pinning) between the geldings. She said that Spyro was always being "picked on" by the other horses in the pasture yet he has no marks on him at all (kick, bite, etc) and all 3 horses were calmly eating together on the round bale when we got there and when we turned him back out in the pasture they went right back to eating together.

 

Her friend where they board owned Spy for several years which is why she knows more about him. Basically the current owner has just sat on his back for the past year going down the trails.

 

When I asked what type of saddle he rode in, she said "the purple one" and when asked what type of bit, "I don't know, but I think it has 2 pieces to it". She didn't know what a lope was but did know a canter and had no clue about a western jog but said he trots.

 

She wasn't really sure why I said we needed to trot and lope him before I bought him since all we really wanted to do was walk mostly on the trails.

 

I hate to say it but she is the dizzy blond type that doesn't know anything and really doesn't have a desire to learn it but will let others do the work for her and she will climb on and ride. She said the only time anyone came off him that she knows of was when they fell asleep while drunk on him.

 

I am still deciding but would like to see him again and ride more before I decide. I figure, if he sells first to someone else, then so be it and I will keep looking.

 

He was a nice size, seemed to be very calm for not having been ridden in months and then we took him out in one of the worst days of the winter.

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Maybe I should take a trip to TX to go horse shopping. 70 would be about 80 degrees warmer than what we are dealing with right now.

 

Here is the latest on my decision---I will NOT have the trainer pick him up on Friday. I might go and see him again on Saturday with her and the friend where I board him. I want to personally see him again before I decide to buy him or not.

 

Then we might swing by the lady with the Friesian cross as she is between the tack sale we are going to and Spyro. I liked his height and personality. He is the one I wasn't sure about saddle fit though.

 

Then there is the possibility of driving almost 3 hours away to see Paycheck, the 11 year old reg. quarter horse. He sounds great and has been a confidence builder horse for a timid adult rider after she fell off her previous horse and wouldn't get back on that one.

 

So, the drama continues. I told my instructor that all of my decisions and indecisions would try the patience of Job.

 

Thanks for following my saga.

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Well, If you come to Texas to horse shop, I'll introduce you to the trainer we bought Tino from. She has just been a dream to work with, even working with the kids every week to make sure we have a smooth transition. I know she has other horses that need need to find forever homes.

 

The weather here has been great. Dd has ridden every day before evening chores. Unfortunately, summer is going to be unbearable. This is our pleasant season.

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Here is the latest in this soap opera.

 

I called the lady back and told her if he was still available on Saturday, then I would come and see him then with my riding instructor and friend--both of which could lope him for me and give me a more non-biased opinion.

 

She wanted me to commit today by noon and I want more time. I guess if he sells before then, then we will keep looking, if not, I will have cash with me and maybe the trailer.

 

The seller's friend felt that I should have known in 15 minutes whether or not I wanted him.

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Don't buy the 15 minute thing. That's ridiculous. Yeah, it could happen, but it doesn't have to. I saw Sugar's ad, went to see her and brought her home all the same day, but that's the only time I've ever done that. I've also tried them for two weeks and decided.

 

I can't imagine someone giving you a deadline to decide. MAYBE a time period when the price goes up, like if they are going to continue training... but grief...

 

That would make me wonder why she wanted a commitment from you bad enough to push like that.

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Cindy,

 

We live outside of Houston.

 

Tino's trainer's name is Donna Sander. She was his trainer when he was racing, and she ended up buying all of his owner's horses when they fell upon hard times.

 

I have a friend with a trust fund to support her horse habit. She has Donna train all of her horses, and has known her for more than 10 years. That's where Tino was boarded, when my friend had the idea that he would be a perfect match for my 13 year old.

 

Donna wanted to give us a 6 MONTH trial period. We talked her down to 2 months. She won't cash our check for him until the 2 months are up, because she wants to make sure that everyone is happy first.

 

She is loaning us all of his tack, because she doesn't want us to "have to go out and spend a bunch of money". Last week, she spent 4 hours of her day off teaching my kids. We just got an email from her asking what day she should come over this week.

 

The horse is so calm, and well-trained that today, I let my daughter lead around a 8 year old, a 6 year old and a 4 year old. None of them had ever been on a horse before. He acted like a big old babysitter.

 

I really can not believe our good fortune to befriend someone so knowledgeable and generous.

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She is better. She is likely doing MORE than she should---like getting on a horse in a snow storm but I can't stop her. She actually looks great and sounds good so hopefully all is well.

 

 

The Friesian cross I was going to go look at again on Saturday has likely sold. That is OK as he was at the top of my price range.

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She is also sure they should get at least as much out of him as they did 2 years ago---when he was 2 years younger (he is 15 now) and the horse market was WAY better. Hay is scarce now, the winter is cold and with way more snow than normal. Young, unbroke horses, and nice ones at that, are going for $50 at sales.

 

She wanted to know for sure as she needs the money to pick up her 2 new horses on Saturday. They have to take out a loan today for at least part of the cost so she wanted to know.

 

I just figure, if he is there yet on Saturday, we will go take another look as we will only be 20 minutes away. If not, then, oh, well, we will keep looking. I didn't want to be pressured into a sale--and certainly not after only about 5 minutes of riding on poor footing in near blizzard conditions.

 

She just doesn't get why we need to trot and lope him before we buy him as "you just want to walk down the trails most of the time, right?" YES, but I still need to know what his trot and lope look and ride like.

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Don't get involved in any of her financing or timing problems! Either you like this horse or you don't. Either the time works out for you or it doesn't. Either you can agree on a fair price or you can't. But the fact that she needs money for 2 more horses on Saturday is irrelevant. After all the work you've done, don't let her pressure you into the wrong decision.

 

This horse may be ideal, but the seller sounds like a total flake.

 

I'm glad your trainer is better.

 

Ivan and I are going to a clinic tomorrow -- 5 hours from home! I've never trailered him so far!

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The owner got LOST on Tuesday going home from the place where she boards her horses and her best friend lives.

 

OK---owner just called me here while I am at the hotel and asked if my trainer was coming to see him TODAY???? I said, NO, but if he is still there tomorrow, we will come and see him again.

 

I think she is getting desperate to sell him. I will bring the trailer as I really think he will be what I want. I am just going to do it on MY time, not hers.

 

Someday I might even have a horse picture to post here.

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This is quite something. At least my trainer is very good at picking out good horses and finding faults quite quickly if there are any.

 

I figure that if he is still there at 11:30 tomorrow morning, then we will be there with the trailer and $100 bills. If he stays calm, rides well, etc. then we will load him up. If not, we will drive away with an empty trailer.

 

While I REALLY want a horse soon, I want the RIGHT horse, not just any horse. He is one though that caught my eye when he was for sale last year.

 

They started the price at $1800 at one point, then $1500 last week, $1200 this past weekend and she said she would go to $1000 on Wednesday but then later said not less than $1100.

 

She is supposed to pick up her 2 new horses tomorrow afternoon and doesn't have the money for them yet so she is really needing to sell him. I figure if he looks good, I will haul out 10 $100 bills and see if she is moved. He does need his feet done ASAP (our farrier is coming out in a week) and will need a coggins, etc.

 

Again, if my instructor did not know her and her personality (this is totally like how she was at work and life in general) we would walk away.

 

Good horses though can come from interesting places. He did look to be in good shape and weight though with no bite/kick marks.

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