# Oldenburg Gelding - Dressage Prospect



## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

I went to go look at Dragon today, he is a 15 year old Oldenburg gelding. He's a free lease with the option to buy. I pay for board at my barn (so we can go trail riding with my husband and Java) and farrier. Otherwise, he'd be $150 a month at her house. The option to buy will be there throughout. The first lease contract will probably be for three months.

So basically I will be paying $200 plus farrier costs (he's barefoot) a month for him. I have all the tack and enough headstalls and I think they'll fit him without a problem. If they don't, I may look into buying a new saddle. 

He is a dressage horse by trade, but enjoys trail rides. She is getting into eventing and out of dressage, and he doesn't enjoy jumping. So Dragon hasn't been worked as much as he would like. He really hasn't been ridden on a regular basis for about a year, so these photos don't show his full potential. 

He's about 150 pounds under his normal weight, but regular riding will put him back up to that weight. 

Give me your opinions on the situation and critiques on the horse. Thanks!

P.S. - Ignore the hackamore. We couldn't find a bridle and bit that would fit his face, so we used what worked. I rode him, then the owner rode him and I took these photos. I am also aware (as is his owner) that his feet need to be seen by a farrier, he's coming out this week to do Dragon's feet. I also apologize for the dark photos. We went to look at him at nearly 9 p.m. so it was just getting dark.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

What is the breeding on this horse ???????


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

He is really pretty, and seems to be moving well. I like him. =]


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## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

i like him i think he is worth it.


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## Skyhuntress (Sep 9, 2008)

I really don't see this horse as a dressage prospect at all. He looks more as if he was trained western pleasure, and that can be extremely hard to undo. He's very much on the forehand. His ears appear to be back all the time. Now, if this was a young horse, I'd say, sure, plenty of time to fiddle around with and might be a training prospect. But he's not young. His resale value would be almost nil. 

The other thing I REALLY don't like is his croup area. His Sacroilliac area looks like it could be a bit problem for him; in fact it looks like he has a Hunters Bump. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the reason that he doesn't enjoy jumping is because it causes pain in his back.

Personally? I'd pass. I mean, if he's a free lease, and if you feel you can learn something from him, or just want something to enjoy, go for it, but I wouldn't sink much money into him.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

Spyder said:


> What is the breeding on this horse ???????


I believe she said he was out of Duel Glanz (sp?) a Hanoverian, and I am unsure anymore of his bloodlines. I'm not too concerned about lineage, since I am leasing and not purchasing.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

Skyhuntress said:


> I really don't see this horse as a dressage prospect at all. He looks more as if he was trained western pleasure, and that can be extremely hard to undo. He's very much on the forehand. His ears appear to be back all the time. Now, if this was a young horse, I'd say, sure, plenty of time to fiddle around with and might be a training prospect. But he's not young. His resale value would be almost nil.
> 
> The other thing I REALLY don't like is his croup area. His Sacroilliac area looks like it could be a bit problem for him; in fact it looks like he has a Hunters Bump. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the reason that he doesn't enjoy jumping is because it causes pain in his back.
> 
> Personally? I'd pass. I mean, if he's a free lease, and if you feel you can learn something from him, or just want something to enjoy, go for it, but I wouldn't sink much money into him.


No western pleasure training at all, he's just VERY out of shape and a bit underweight.

I am highly doubt I would purchase him, just lease until I purchase a another Quarter Horse (because reining is where my heart really is, and Java is a WP guy and too big for reining.)

I am looking for a horse that I can do fun, non-competitive dressage with and that I can take trail riding.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

If you like him go for it!!! It doesn't really look like a hunter bump to me... just under muscled.. Is that the owner in her saddle? Is that what she uses to ride him? It doesn't fit her well at all and she is perched on the back so he could have a few back issues from that which could take you a few months to correct if you have plans on showing dressage.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Sixxofdiamonds said:


> I believe she said he was out of Duel Glanz (sp?) a Hanoverian, and I am unsure anymore of his bloodlines. I'm not too concerned about lineage, since I am leasing and not purchasing.


 
I always have an interest in breeding and though he looked too fine to be all Oldenberg.

With the breeding you stated that is possible.

http://www.equiery.com/archives/StallionArticles/Duellglanz.pdf

Duelglanz is related to my stallion.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

Spyder said:


> I always have an interest in breeding and though he looked too fine to be all Oldenberg.
> 
> With the breeding you stated that is possible.
> 
> ...



I knew I was spelling that wrong! Give me AQHA lines any day! Haha!

I think I am going to ask her for larger photos of him when he was muscled. His neck in the photos that I have (they're TINY-sent from her phone, I think) looks to be twice the size. He got wormy while she was deployed and she's been trying to get weight back on him.


And your opinion on him means the most to me, so let me know!

ETA: Thanks for that article! It's interesting to know. I know NOTHING about Warmblood lines, so I just nodded and smiled and tried to remember his name.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

starlinestables said:


> If you like him go for it!!! It doesn't really look like a hunter bump to me... just under muscled.. Is that the owner in her saddle? Is that what she uses to ride him? It doesn't fit her well at all and she is perched on the back so he could have a few back issues from that which could take you a few months to correct if you have plans on showing dressage.



No plans on showing dressage. I'd just like to learn on a horse who has the ability to do so. 

Yeah, that's the owner riding in her dressage saddle. I'm not sure how often she uses it, as she mostly rides eventing now. 

I plan on riding him in an AP english saddle and my western pleasure saddle (eventually - he's too thin for it to fit him at the moment.)


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I think he's lovely...and definitely has the potential there. I'd say go for it; get some groceries into him, and in a couple months he'll be a totally different horse!


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> I think he's lovely...and definitely has the potential there. I'd say go for it; get some groceries into him, and in a couple months he'll be a totally different horse!



That's what I am seeing, so it's good to know somebody else sees that, too. Hopefully in a few months he is!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

I agree with SkyHuntress.


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## morganshow11 (Dec 19, 2008)

Skyhuntress said:


> I really don't see this horse as a dressage prospect at all. He looks more as if he was trained western pleasure, and that can be extremely hard to undo. He's very much on the forehand. His ears appear to be back all the time. Now, if this was a young horse, I'd say, sure, plenty of time to fiddle around with and might be a training prospect. But he's not young. His resale value would be almost nil.
> .


The owner said PROSPECT, not, that is what he was trained in. Which means he would be good at/for dressage


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I personally agree with Skyhuntress in that I don't see anything special about him or anything that screams dressage to me. But if you like him enough to lease him, then go with your instinct.


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## Skyhuntress (Sep 9, 2008)

morganshow11 said:


> The owner said PROSPECT, not, that is what he was trained in. Which means he would be good at/for dressage


No. He apparently is a dressage horse by trade, and if he had any degree of talent at eventing, you'd see some basis of dressage there as well. 

Sorry, I don't like him. I mean sure, if you just want to lease, go for it. I just think you could do better.


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## hotreddun (Jun 27, 2008)

I think it would be a fun free lease that could help you investigate your interest in dressage. And it is always good to ride new horses. I think I "grew" a lot as a rider when I started riding more than my one horse.


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## LiveToJump (Jun 19, 2009)

If your just looking for a free lease, then go for it, experiment with him.

But I agree with the couple of others who didn't see anything that great about him.
He really doesn't stand out to me as a Dressage prospect at all. I see no bits of Dressage training in the slightest. I agree that he looks more Western Pleasure in his movement and the way he carries himself.

But if your looking at him for pleasure then go for it. He has a sweet expression.


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## Sixxofdiamonds (May 7, 2009)

*UPDATE:* I decided against leasing Dragon. The reason being is that I couldn't bring myself to move Java from stall board to pasture board. So it would put Dragon's lease at $300 (plus farrier) a month. To me, that is too much to lease a horse that I would basically be conditioning. If it were less, I would probably do it no questions asked. 

So I am still keeping my eyes out to purchase a horse (although a reining horse, the idea of Dragon just hopped into my lap - I wasn't looking to lease a dressage horse, but there he was.)

I am finding NOTHING that fits what I want, but I'll be patient with it and see if later this year a few young ones will be up for sale, trying to be sold before winter feed must be paid for.

So I'm back in the hunt for a three year old or younger Quarter Horse.

Thank you all SO much for your critiques. They did help!


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