• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Horse for Daughter?

I

I Luv Herfrds

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
1,639
Location
Montana
Took 2 of our horses to get a trim and shoes on one and the lady who's place I go to meet the shoer has a 6yo gelding that is around 13 hands high. My daughter went into the round pen and lead him all around. He was very careful around her and never stepped on her or bumper her.
We got her to sit on his back as long as he didn't move. She sat on him 3 different times and each time she sat a little straighter and more relaxed.
She really wants this horse.
The asking price is $1200. Covers the cost she paid for him and the boarding.

Husband is saying no though.
we have been burned on a couple of broke horses so I can understand why he says no. Shoer checked his feet and other then needing a trim no signs of problems. Vet is going out there on Wednesday and I will ask him to take a look at him and give me his thoughts.

Horse has a kind eye.

Would you get this horse if the vet finds no problems? The lady is offering a 30 day return option.
Thoughts on this needed.
 
A little girl oughta have a horse! If you and your husband are experienced and competent horse people and will spend the time needed to teach your girl and her horse how to bond with each other, then i'd give him a try. It's like trying anything new. You get better the more ya do! And even when ya fall off, ya have a blast, if ya love it! But you'll never love horses if ya don't get on every chance ya get! I hope your daughter falls in love with this horse or another one soon. She will never forget it! :D
Horses, kids and dogs! Ya get out of them exactly what ya put in! :wink:
 
Thanks Leanin H will try to convince the hubby that this one is a better horse for her.
Our other horses are much taller and scare her.
 
A good horseman told me that short horses have broke more kids
arms than a swing set!!! :D :D :shock: :shock:

He maintains they don't have time to break their fall...
FWIW. :shock: :shock: :shock: :P :wink:

My advice would be (and I had a little girl that loved horses)
would be to get an older, been there, done that kind of horse.

6 is a bit young for a kids horse. There are exceptions tho.
What has this horse been used for? How old is your daughter?
Remember, you are trying to build a little girl's confidence and
putting her on the wrong horse won't do that. It will do the
opposite.

I used to produce horse shows for kids and I saw too many times,
mom mounted her kid on 'too much horse.'

So, just be careful. Check him out really good outside the pen. Can
you get on and ride him? You just can't be too careful!!!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
 
I think fasterhorses gave you some very good advice,and like she said there are 6 year olds that would make a good young girl horse,this may be one...go slow .
good luck

PS next time take your camera.
 
I totally agree with FH on this. Puttin a kid on a horse that's not experienced...been there done that....isn't the way to build confidence. But like she said...there are exceptions. But if your daughter is young, I don't know that I'd be willin to take that chance that the horse is an exception. Our 4H horse club instructor said somethin to a parent many years ago. And I just happened to over hear it. He said, "the age of the horse + the age of the child = 21" It's a good reference. Give or take a year here and there. But in general...an older horse for a youngster is always better.
 
My daughter is 7, going on 8 next month.

FH the other 2 horses we bought that we were told were "great" kid's horses were the most dangerous horses we have ever had on our place.
There was another girl there and she is a more experienced rider then my daughter and she got on this horse bareback with just a bridle and rode him around. She is 8.

We had hoped to go out there today to take another look but it will have to wait since it is snowing like crazy.
 
Old and slow horse , hands down!!!

You said she was even a bit tense just sitting on this one.


You and or your hubby needs to ride this horse and determine if it's ' kid friendly" as I'd not take anyone elses advice on it.
 
.....I'm with the ladies (and Haymaker) on this one............and Lilly's formula would work it about right........gotta be alotta 12-16 yro (and older) dead broke geldings out your way that would teach the girl to ride...............FWIW
 
There used to a 'code of the west' among horse traders. Whatever tales they would tell an adult, they would be TOTALLY HONEST about a kids
horse. Sadly, along with a lot of things, that code of the west has
all but disappeared. I'm so sorry you got stung with so-called kids
horses :cry: . Who would want to be responsible for a kid getting hurt because of a lie they told? These people have no conscience.

Pat Parelli says, "green on green=broken bones. That's a good little slogan to remember.

You have mentioned that this other little girl rode him around. Did she
ride him around in a corral or outside? There is a huge difference. If it
were me, I would ride that horse OUTSIDE myself, and with someone on another horse at one point and ride away from the other horse. See how
he handles that. Some horses really buddy up and don't want to leave
another horse. That's getting to be a pretty common problem. I see it'
more now than I used to.
(I went through a similar situation at one point with my daughter. Bought
the nicest little horse, when she tried him out, she rode him around with the little girl who owned him and she rode his buddy horse. Everything was fine. Got that little devil home and he would not go anywhere. The other horse was the leader. He never did get nice about that.)

And, make sure this litte horse yopu are looking at is good to ride with saddled, not just bareback. Believe me, some aren't. :shock:

I don't mean to sound paranoid, but there is so many things to think about when buying a child a horse. One thing, if you don't know the
horse, know the people you are dealing with. Or check around and find
out their reputation.

You just can't be too careful.

Again, good luck!!
 
Here are some pics taken this afternoon of my daughter with the horse we are looking at. She started in the round pen and then took him out of the pen and into the barn. we then walked out to a field. He was trying to eat all the grass he could and she would just pull on the lead rope and he would start following her again.


Horse41309008.jpg


Horse41309012.jpg


Horse41309014.jpg


Horse41309016.jpg
 
ILH....have YOU ridden him? Has your hubby been on the horse?


I'd get on the boy and ride the crap outta him, through or past every
" horse monster" obstacle I could find FIRST before I'd let her on.

I say this cause my cousin bought a horse for his daughter. It was the most dead broke acting thing I'd ever seen. In fact if he walked any slower gravity would have pulled him over. The girl rode him a bit but the Daddy never got on. The Dad and the seller were ol friends from HS. so seemed OK.

I was called to haul the horse home as I was closer with the trailer. We just about had to push/drag him on & pick up his feet to get him on. He was soooo sweet and seemed to be the ticket.........UNTIL...................


2 days later when Daddy got on the horse for the first time, << this was after he caught his daughter out trying to catch up the horse by herself :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I guess the sedative wore off but this thing turned into a man eater. He'd stand for saddle calm as kitten but then when it was time to get on.....it was fine . But, let you butt get settled in and all hell broke loose. Crow hoppin....squealing....would lay down and roll to get you off.....it was a mess.

Turned out, he'd just run and lap the pen, hours on end. He'd come in for feed and that how they caught him to saddle.

He got sold to some poor smuck!



. There are plenty of horses in the world....but this your daughter and there's only one of her in this world! :wink:
 
What is she gonna be usin this horse for? Just ridin out with the cows? or is she plannin on usin it for 4H horse events?

The reason I ask is. Because alot of people have horses that their kids have outgrown. They start out with an older experienced horse, and then their kid improves past the level of the horse. So if you talked to someone in the 4H club you might have better luck findin a true kid's horse.
 
No kola I haven't gotten on him yet. Husband refuses to step up on any horse ever again. (Stories for another time.)
Sounds like a mare we once owned.

jersey-lilly he will be used for theraputic riding and confidence building. I have looked all over trying to find a good kids horse around here and every person that has one has already promised the horse to someone else or is keeping them for the next generation.
Don't know about the 4-H yet.
 
ILH there are so many horses available today, I bet you can find one that fits FH formula better. That little girl is way to special to be trying a young horse on. IMO a couple years on an old pensioner would be worth ten times the money. Take care of her :)
 
nm we were given a 25yo mare last fall for my daughter. Even with the hay, senior feed, blanket and shelter she didn't survive the winter. Was also missing 5 teeth. :(
Hardest thing I ever had to do was tell my daughter that her horse died.

I already checked the horse rescue sites here, but couldn't find any horse that would work for her.

Everyone keeps saying there are plenty of horses out there, but where?
Buy private treaty from someone I don't know and get burned again? Buy from the lying horse trader I met? Buy from the dishonest sale barn?
At least this lady will take him back after 30 days if he is not working out and has offered to do tune ups on him if needed. She has worked with handicapped kids before and if she thought he wouldn't work she wouldn't sell him to us.
 
I'm telling you flat out...do not buy that horse until SOMEONE RIDES HIM and you see them do it. Get the lady who wants to sell the horse ride him and you watch, if nothing else!!!!!!!! You are buying a pig in a poke until someone rides him and you see them do it. If this lady is so sincere about this horse, why hasn't she ridden him to show you how gentle and well-broke he is?

And I'm telling you, gentle is a pretty color, and he appears gentle. BUT HOW BROKE IS HE? If he isn't broke well, for your little girl you have (another) huge problem on your hands. One of the worse things is a horse that was fed on a bottle. They are drop-dead gentle on the ground--actually dangerously gentle cuz they have no respect--but you get on them and start riding them, then you see all the problems that that drop-dead gentle creates.

I cannot stress this enough. SOMEONE NEEDS TO RIDE THAT HORSE before you buy him for your little girl.

And as far as getting your money back, easy to say, when you are selling a horse. A little different if you want to get it back. How about this, you take the horse for 30 days and then if he turns out ok, then you pay the lady. Or pay for half. I'm old, and I've seen just about everything as far as buying/selling horses. What we are ALL telling you here is to
protect your daughter. Please, please have someone ride him before you buy him.
 
Amen to what FH just said!!!!!!

Lil Lilly is 18 years old. And to this day, when we look at a new horse, I want the owner on it first. I wanna SEE how the horse acts. Even tho I know she can perdy much ride anything with hair, I want to KNOW how a horse is before lettin her swing a leg over.

We just got a new one the other day. And yes......she took her saddle, and a few headstalls and different bits to try on him. But....the fella that owned him got on him first. Lil Lilly watched, and when he brought the horse back she then got on, and rode. Didn't take but about two laps around a huge round pen, and she stopped him...took the bit outta his mouth the fella was usin, and put her choice in. His headset was much better with it, than the one the guy used. More relaxed, and responded much better. We've had him now for about two weeks. He's as calm as they come. But had that owner not been willin to leg up and ride him. I'da got back in the truck and drove home without him.
 
I strongly third what Faster Horses says too, and second Lilly's thoughts.

ILH, you do not, and I repeat, do not want your daughter hurt or killed. Or her confidence and like of horses forever broken.

It is your responsibility to protect her...I know you know that; so take proactive measures to do so. Buying a horse without someone riding it, is not doing so. Buying a horse that is too much horse for her is not doing so.

I went to college at Colorado State University with a talented, great ranch/horse gal named Lisa Cowan, from Havre, MT, which I'd guess is near your part of the world. From what I know of Lisa, her integrity is golden, and if she doesn't have a horse that is fit for your daughter, I think Lisa would know of someone who does.

One thing ILH, no price is too much to pay for a safe kids horse. I don't know if that is an issue or in this case or not. But I hear time and time again, I'm looking for a good, cheap kids horse...there generally is no such thing. Good ones are worth their weight in gold. You typically get what you pay for.

I was lucky to grow up on my Dad's old ranch horse Buck, and then graduated to a little "more horse" several times. Ol Buck was a grand ol trooper, who took wonderful care of me; his only fault was he was well over 16 hands tall, so it generally took some creativity for me to get on by myself. I :heart: ed Buck with all I had, and still have fond memories of the ol' cat...God rest his soul.

Good luck...maybe it would be good to take some time looking.

Cheers---

TTB :wink:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top