# People who get horses and leave them unbroken for years...



## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

Does anyone here do this? I'm looking online for a horse. The economy is so bad someone is likely to just want to get rid of the expense. I've been reading the ads and many people with a free horse have not broken their horse, sometimes to the point they do not even know how to halter! Can someone explain this? I think training to do every day things, standing for the farrier, haltering, etc is something you'd have to have. What do you think of this phenomenon?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

rydernation said:


> Does anyone here do this? I'm looking online for a horse. The economy is so bad someone is likely to just want to get rid of the expense. I've been reading the ads and many people with a free horse have not broken their horse, sometimes to the point they do not even know how to halter! Can someone explain this? I think training to do every day things, standing for the farrier, haltering, etc is something you'd have to have. What do you think of this phenomenon?


I can't imagine it, simply because of the danger in NOT teaching the horse to halter, lead, stand and so on. But, that would explain why the horse is free. I do understand when people have bought or bred a young horse, planning to saddle break him when he's old enough, and then the economy goes south and they can't afford it. That's a whole different story though than not teaching your horse the basics.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

When I was looking for a new horse I came across horses that were anything up to 10 years old and not broken because they'd been bought by people who'd underestimated how much work & skill it takes to do it yourself properly but had also not realized how much it costs for a horse to go into training and come out as a safe reliable riding horse - not just 'backed'
I'm afraid too many people are now able to buy a cheap horse to fulfill some dream they have had all their life but didn't do their homework beforehand and then for some reason refuse to ask for help when they need it


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

I know a lady who's horse is "broke" if you can call it that. Been ridden 5 times in its 8 years of life. Just an expensive and dangerous pet. Darn mare tried to kick bo in the hea, then I had to wrangle her and almost got kicked. Mare dose what she wants, when she wants and her owner lets her..


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

You know, things happen in life, outside of horses. People buy them for their kids, husbands, wives, whomever, then other things get in the way.
Horses are fairly self sufficient in that they live outside, can be thrown whatever they need to eat...
I have too many, I admit it. There was a market, now it is slim. I sold the ones that were marketable, now I have the rest. If I had to get a job in town, I would, to care for them, but then they would also not get trained, worked, etc., because all my time would be eaten up by my job and commute, and I STILL have to care for my family and house. 

Nancy


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

It is possible that people obtain a horse and then cannot afford the training that it needs. All that happens when a horse is untrained is that his future is guaranteed to be bleak. 

I have one of those untrained older horses that is an ornament in my pasture. I don't plan to try to rehome him because I assume that it will turn out bad for him. At least he is gelded.......

I did manage to get him halter broken. If I could not keep him, it would most likely mean that he would be killed. He lucked out by making it to my house. Most horses don't. 

PS: please don't bring me any more unbroke horses...........


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

A) people are morons, B) people have no idea what they're in for, C) because of that even if they try they usually mess up big time and have an even bigger problem, D) it takes a LOT of time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears to train a horse from scratch, etc, etc there are a million reasons, at least a lot of people bother to feed even if it's 15 lbs of sweet feed twice a day and nothing else. Sometimes just life happens too..

There are also people who genuinely just want a pet, which is very frustrating in some senses (read-people are morons) but if the horse is genuinely getting top level care isn't a bad thing in and of it's self. Just when you go to sell..

I got my horse for free. He was 13, extremely well behaved and very easy to handle, however aside from basic training had absolutely nothing. Not, at all, ready to ride. Now this horse physically and mentally has all the potential in the world but it doesn't change that he was 13 years old and not broke to ride. The original owner was going to put him down because he didn't want his sweet in your pocket pet to fall into bad hands.

He's now trained to ride, relatively green as far as technical stuff, but just as talented and wonderful as ever and the perfect match for me. He relates to people more than other horses and would rather hang out with you, he's just fantastic.

That's a reason to train your horse, even just the basics. So you don't suddenly NEED to sell and go "oh crap...".

If this horse had proper training when he was younger who knows where he would be now. Out of my price range! As is he is happy, we love him, and he has his forever home with us, so I consider it a success, but I'm sure there are plenty out there that aren't.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

My family and I snatched up our mare Eva precisely because we didn't want her to wind up as one of those unbroke unhandled pasture ornaments. She was a mustang that had been adopted and then received inconsistent training, but from everything I had seen of her I knew that she was smart and sensible. A year later she was offered to us -- if we didn't take her, she was going on Craigslist as a freebie. She needed consistent handling and training from someone who knew how to do it, and if she didn't get it she was likely to become one of "those" horses that stands around in a barren field and has some hay tossed her way every so often. I knew that she had the potential for so much more, and that she deserved so much more. A year later she's doing great under saddle, and in many ways is more reliable than our warmblood mare who has 10+ years more training and experience.

In short, it does bother me to see horses who have a great deal of potential never receive the time and training they need to become great. On the other hand I do understand and respect an owner who cares deeply for their horse but does not have the means (be it time, experience, money etc) to make their horse a successful riding horse. Sometimes the horse really isn't all that well suited to being a reliable riding horse either. I don't think that there's any excuse for being unable to catch and lead a horse, tend to its feet and groom it... but beyond that as long as the owner takes full responsibility for the horse's wellbeing, I have no right to judge.

Here's a recent photo of Eva and I:


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

some people buy them because they have the place to keep them. I had a neighbor that kept horses on his 10 acres. He had a barn and the horses were well cared for, they weren't trained or handled other than for the vet and farrier.

I'm not sure what you expect for free.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

No one who really wants to do the best thing for their animal would leave them untrained for years, but sometimes it understandable.

mostly I think people take on a project thinking it will be something they can 'bond' with, and hop on one day and have trained in no time. When Baby starts testing it boundaries the inexperienced handler starts avoiding handling the horse. they then either realize they need a trainer, but cant find the money, but determined that they will one day, the horse sits in the pasture indefinitely, until the owner needs money, or grows tired of an expensive ornament, or hurts someone. OR, the owner may convince themselves that "one day" they will work up the nerve to train them, which never happens.

some times its understandable. For example, if the owner unexpectedly starts a family, falls sick, etc, and the economy is so poor that rehoming the horse is difficult to impossible, so they hold on to it hoping that things will get better, they can train it later, etc.

Or even in the case of a very young horse that injures its self, say as a three year old about to start its training, and takes years to heal.


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

Those cute little "forever" foals they bred in their backyard are not so cute once they grow up.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Getting a free horse is like buying a used car that never had the oil changed, which was used a few times racing around and banged up. There is nothing FREE about a free horse. All of the those years as a pasture pet have trained a free horse to be feral in many respects, except they have learned to see humans as a free lunch bar, and to be disrespected.
Really, I would contact BO's at stables and see if someone has a show horse and is having financial trouble so they need to see it.
FREE HORSE=trouble


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Errr... don't really agree with that. 2 of my horses were free, the third very cheap. No issues whatsoever.

I get the sentiment of what you're saying but it's much more relevant to unhandled cast aways than free. Even the one that was free and not broke to ride, yes we paid 6 months at the trainers, but we would of done that anyways, since then he's been home and we haven't spent anything special on him. Well, he keeps on breaking but that's because he's accident prone and not anything relative to his health or conformation..just unlucky and not relevant to the point lol.

So unhandled horse with issues, yes, you'll end up spending a lot even if they are "free", but there ARE good free horses out there, you just need to find the right ones/situations.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

There are a lot of reasons people might leave horses unbroken. People get them like they invest in any sort of project, thinking that they'll break them for their kids, their husbands, a trail horse. Then for whatever reason, life happens and they get put on the back burner. 

I've known women who bought minis when they were pregnant, thinking they'd be broken by the time the child was ready to sit on a horse. That doesn't work out so well when you're changing diapers, soothing a colicky baby, or trying to breastfeed a kid who wants to nurse every hour! ;-) And maybe you get one of those kids who (*gasp*) doesn't like horses! Well, there goes that idea. 

I don't think it's fair to the horse to not have an education, as you're setting them up for failure the further into life they go. Lots of people would take a chance on an unbroke 2 year-old, but not many people are going to want to take that same chance on an unbroke 10+ year old animal. The animal winds up in somebody's back field until the day it's sold, given away, or put up for auction. Sadly, a horse without an education is a horse without much of a future, IMHO.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Mulefeather said:


> Sadly, a horse without an education is a horse without much of a future, IMHO.


Exactly my thought.


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## TrailTraveler (Jan 4, 2014)

Sometimes, people are backed into horse ownership. 

For example: "Hey, I need to find a new home for my horse, and you've got a lot of land. I'll give him to you for free, and he can keep the weeds down at your place." (Yep, I've heard that one.)

Sometimes, it's a well-intentioned (but naive) grandparent who bought a green horse/pony for his/her grandchildren, and it turned out to be more than the kids could handle (of course). So the horse/pony becomes a pasture ornament.

Here's another twist: My father was a doctor, and we lived in a community with a lot of Amish. In lieu of cash, they would often pay him in goods -- fresh veggies, pies, quilts (very cool!); and yes, not one -- not two -- but THREE ponies. Luckily, two were really well-broke, and the third was very young and very green. (We re-homed that one because he was a handful.)

We can't always know why it happened, and we can't always fix it. But I DO appreciate all of those who have the wherewithal to undertake training (and rehabbing) older, green or unbroke horses! Kudos to you!


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

I personally have dealt with this type of situation, my trainers mom has a now 7 yr old mustang made they've had since she was a baby who couldn't even be safely walked till this last year. She never left her pen because she would bolt at everything even though she had extensive groundwork done. This last Friday I put her first ride on her since my trainer has been working with her to get her broke to sell since her mom has far to many.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

I have 5 mares that are not broke to saddle. 4 of them will be but I am in no hurry. All of these mares were bought or thanks to my friend Dreamcatcher given to me.
One mare is broodmare sound only and 17.
All mine are halter broken and all of them except one stand for farrier. We will work on that in the near future.
I have enough horses to ride and more will mean the others will not be ridden as much. The young geldings and mares that are to be sold have priority. After they are gone then the 4 mares will be trained. Shalom


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## Lazulie Belle (Mar 17, 2014)

When you are buying it is certainly nice and generally expected to have a prospect with no behavioral vices. But if they aren't ground trained, it allows you to get more horse for your money- but then again you must train the horse yourself. If they have no ground training whatsoever, then it is most likely an inexperienced or preoccupied owner. Ground work is fairly simple to train a horse. The horse you are looking at may have gone through previous training but had a lack of physical handling afterwards. Then when the owner tries to handle a green horse without the experience needed, fear takes the place of interest. If the horse is free- it is most likely due to previous injury, total loss of interest, or cost. Be very VERY cautious searching for free horses. Sometimes you can find a gem and other times you will find a ruined animal. Be aware that some people also drug their lame horses so you may not realize any health issues upon a first inspection. Then you could have a completely crippled horse on your hands! it happens more commonly than one might expect


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

I think unbroken horses are pretty common. I've bought horses before with the full intention of bringing them along, but life happens. You get busy and you don't have the time to train, and you just put it off. Then a year or so has passed and you've done nothing. 

Saying that, I think all horses should be halter broken. It should be the responsibility of the breeder, and I'd be wary to buy a horse that wasn't halter broken, even though I have done so before. They wouldn't have had any real care throughout their lives.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

dbarabians said:


> I have 5 mares that are not broke to saddle. 4 of them will be but I am in no hurry. All of these mares were bought or thanks to my friend Dreamcatcher given to me.
> One mare is broodmare sound only and 17.
> All mine are halter broken and all of them except one stand for farrier. We will work on that in the near future.
> I have enough horses to ride and more will mean the others will not be ridden as much. The young geldings and mares that are to be sold have priority. After they are gone then the 4 mares will be trained. Shalom


Very good point. And you are a good example of "horses are not broke but are good to handle and in a good home so who cares". I think "broodmare sound" is an excellent point. While I'm sure the percentage of unbroke unsound horses is small compared to the whole, look at all the horses that are "broodmare sound" or "companion sound" that are basically required to be pasture ornaments.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Lazulie Belle said:


> When you are buying it is certainly nice and generally expected to have a prospect with no behavioral vices. But if they aren't ground trained, it allows you to get more horse for your money- but then again you must train the horse yourself. If they have no ground training whatsoever, then it is most likely an inexperienced or preoccupied owner. Ground work is fairly simple to train a horse. The horse you are looking at may have gone through previous training but had a lack of physical handling afterwards. Then when the owner tries to handle a green horse without the experience needed, fear takes the place of interest. If the horse is free- it is most likely due to previous injury, total loss of interest, or cost. Be very VERY cautious searching for free horses. Sometimes you can find a gem and other times you will find a ruined animal. Be aware that some people also drug their lame horses so you may not realize any health issues upon a first inspection. Then you could have a completely crippled horse on your hands! it happens more commonly than one might expect


Agree to be careful looking at free horses. Both of mine were through word of mouth (our elderly neighbor who could no longer care for hers(she has had a lot of training and isn't really applicable to this thread but was free), and the one that was going to be put down- the vet who refused was my trainers daughter and knew I was looking). Pretty much every horse is free for a reason. Even if the horse has the tip top care there is still a reason, even someone who is just not interested in the money won't put "FREE HORSE come and get it!" if they care about the horse at all.

If you are careful you can find a diamond in the rough, but you do need to be careful.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Many people around here have unbroke horses simply because they have the acreage and they like horses. Sometimes one of them gets a hankering to ride one, calls a trainer, (I have been one of those trainers), puts 60 days on a horse, then said owner rides it a time or two and then lets it sit in the pasture again until the horse dies from old age.


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## crazeepony (Dec 8, 2013)

That story reminds me of this horse. I think he was lucky to find someone who was skilled enough to take on a project and make it worth something. The thing about this horse is that she did not have to untrain someone's screw up- he was a clean slate. crazy horse video yellow - Bing Videos 
the written piece at the end of the video is long but worth the read. It is better maybe to leave a horse untrained than to do it badly or half-assed. I wish people would be honest with themselves and leave the training for those that are good at it. 
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=59303D8E359655A631E159303D8E359655A631E1


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

I have an 18 year old broodmare that was never trained for riding but she is certainly halter broke, stands very well for the farrier every 8 weeks, doesn't like needles but as long as she doesn't see them coming then she's ok with the stick and otherwise good for vet care, you can trim her bridle path with electric clippers and worm her without any restraints on her at all, she also loves baths and any other kind of grooming, she loads or at least used to it's been a while since she needed to. We always had other riding horses and youngsters that needed to be ridden so never put her under saddle. 

Since she's not saddle broke we've never expected or tried to sell her even though we're not breeding anymore. She's got a home here for life and having pasture ornaments doesn't bother me in the least.


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## DuckDodgers (May 28, 2013)

Yogiwick said:


> Errr... don't really agree with that. 2 of my horses were free, the third very cheap. No issues whatsoever.
> 
> I get the sentiment of what you're saying but it's much more relevant to unhandled cast aways than free. Even the one that was free and not broke to ride, yes we paid 6 months at the trainers, but we would of done that anyways, since then he's been home and we haven't spent anything special on him. Well, he keeps on breaking but that's because he's accident prone and not anything relative to his health or conformation..just unlucky and not relevant to the point lol.
> 
> So unhandled horse with issues, yes, you'll end up spending a lot even if they are "free", but there ARE good free horses out there, you just need to find the right ones/situations.


True. A friend of mine has gotten two free horses over the past several years. One of them was fantastic half of the time, and a bucker half the time. As in, buck your butt off bucks. The other was a nice OTTB that the previous owner took in from a bad situation, but didn't have time to put training on. He was turning into a really good horse that she was planning on showing hunters with when he developed a really bad infection in his eye. She's still dealing with this infection thousands of dollars later. Her free horse turned out to be fantastic, but no horse (free or $50,000) is immune from medical issues.

My barn manager has 6 horses that she keeps on the property, and almost never rides any of them. One of them is a gorgeous, flashy chestnut Arabian gelding that is barely halter broke and leadable. She calls him the horse with the greatest potential that she did nothing with- somehow ended up with him as a two year old, and now he's a 12 year old that has just sat in that pasture for the past decade. She's a very competent rider and more than capable of breaking this horse, but life got in the way. I consider it a shame that this horse never had anything done with him, but at least he is well cared for by her.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Yogiwick said:


> A) people are morons, B) people have no idea what they're in for, C) because of that even if they try they usually mess up big time and have an even bigger problem, D) it takes a LOT of time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears to train a horse from scratch, etc, etc there are a million reasons, at least a lot of people bother to feed even if it's 15 lbs of sweet feed twice a day and nothing else. Sometimes just life happens too..
> 
> There are also people who genuinely just want a pet, which is very frustrating in some senses (read-people are morons) but if the horse is genuinely getting top level care isn't a bad thing in and of it's self. Just when you go to sell..


 Agreed! There are some people I know who have horses strictly as pets and keep them until the day they die-there is no problem with that, horses are very therapeutic even for a non-rider and these horses live happy relaxing lives.

Unfortunately in my rural area there are even more people who get a horse just because they have a couple of acres and then end up completely neglecting the poor horse. They go into it as a whim and have no knowledge and the horse doesn't get basic care, shelter and feeding.
Then they sell it to the next ignorant hillbilly and that continues until the horse ends up at the local slaughter auction.

In my opinion, people who can't or won't provide basic training for a horse are just creating more of the sad unwanted kill pen creatures.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

I think there are two situations that lead to unbroken horses. 

A) Life gets in the way and for whatever reason there is no time, money or way to train the horse past a point. 

B)Somebody got in way over their head and never took the initiative to fix the problem. 

My BO for instance, has two unbroken horses. They have excellent ground manners but she's never had the time between clients and health issues to train them past that. In her mind they handle so well on the ground that she knows it won't be much of a problem to break them, or sell them to someone who can break them. 

A client on the other hand put a 18 year old horse in training who had never even been touched. Now they're surprised when it's taking 4 years to get anywhere with them and they're hardly green broke yet. 

I have more sympathy for someone who had to cease a horse's training because of factors other than: "I didn't know what to do with pookey". There's an unbroken four year old right now that if I had the money I'd take, he's barely been handled but he's not any worse for ware because of it. And I think that that's what mainly important when looking at free or unbroken horses. You have to really look and see if they're going to be the right temperament for you to try and bring back or take on.


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## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

I've been looking at retired thoroughbreds and one was never raced due to a knee injury and now is available for a home for free. A 300 dollar donation. Part of me wanting to get a horse, instead of just riding once a week at lessons is to experience the training aspect. I do have a ton of faith in myself for doing new things. Perhaps, I shouldn't! I do have some reticence about getting a rescue horse. The horse winds up being a piece of property with an encumbrance, in that I might not be able to sell them should my circumstances change and I no longer ride. That's just bs. If I've put in time and training for a horse and work it up to any place where it's got more value than it came to me with, I should be able to sell it. But, I am not getting a horse to sell. I want it to ride!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Who says we have to train our horses except those who are judgemental? Many people are fascinated with horses and are quite happy keeping them as pasture ornaments. To each his own. When you learn to be in the moment, hanging around a horse can be calming and that in itself has great value to the owner.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Depends on the rescue. My rescue, (QH, "Buster Brown", not registered) was dropped at the rescue by a frustrated man who was left with his dam (he was then a foal) bc his wife, the horsewoman, left home and divorced him. He didn't want the 2 horses, so he dropped them both at the rescue, along with 50 bales of hay. So...the rescue broke Buster Brown in.
No extra baggage, no racing career injuries.
If you want an athlete you should pay for a Vet check. OTTB's get pulled from the track bc their injuries prevent them from racing and often from any other horse sports, so be wary of this. Good luck in your search. =D


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> OTTB's get pulled from the track bc their injuries prevent them from racing and often from any other horse sports, so be wary of this. Good luck in your search


 maybe its different where you are, but up here, although you do have a fair share getting pulled due to injuries, there are other reasons as well. Some horses are just inconsistent or moody by nature, some too slow, some slow down as they get older, or cant handle the stress of such an unnatural set up mentally. Many that are injured can recover to be useful members of society, especially for low level fun competitions, or as pleasure horses.

anyhow, I have received free horses and had some very good experiences, so I would take someone educated that you trust and get a second opinion.


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## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

Saddlebag said:


> Who says we have to train our horses except those who are judgemental? Many people are fascinated with horses and are quite happy keeping them as pasture ornaments. To each his own. When you learn to be in the moment, hanging around a horse can be calming and that in itself has great value to the owner.


I do! It's irresponsible to the horse, if the owner has to give him up, who is going to take a completely untrained horse? You can't even TRAILER some of the horses I've seen online, so how are you going to move them? Sheesh...I am not a jerk, but I do believe in responsible pet ownership!


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

Well, I think to each their own. If you have to sell a horse that is unbroken you can't ask a lot for it. I say that as someone who owns a horse that is unbroken. She had a bad accident as a yearling and that combined with bad hocks means she had no future as a race horse or a pleasure horse. She is sweet, barely halter broke, leads and now stands well for the farrier without sedation. In the end, she is our horse, we feed her, vaccinate and have the farrier out for her so we can do what we want with her. Which means she is a pasture puff/companion horse. We know she has no value on the market and if push came to shove and we had to sell our horses. She would not be sold, she would be euthanized. The thing is that euthanizing a horse is a lot more expensive than selling a horse. You have to kill it and then get rid of around 1000 pounds of dead horse. It is also not something many people want to do because a lot of people do not want to euthanize a healthy horse. 

On a training side, sometimes it is easier to train an unbroken horse than fix a poorly trained one.


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## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

rookie said:


> Well, I think to each their own. If you have to sell a horse that is unbroken you can't ask a lot for it. I say that as someone who owns a horse that is unbroken. She had a bad accident as a yearling and that combined with bad hocks means she had no future as a race horse or a pleasure horse. She is sweet, barely halter broke, leads and now stands well for the farrier without sedation. In the end, she is our horse, we feed her, vaccinate and have the farrier out for her so we can do what we want with her. Which means she is a pasture puff/companion horse. We know she has no value on the market and if push came to shove and we had to sell our horses. She would not be sold, she would be euthanized. The thing is that euthanizing a horse is a lot more expensive than selling a horse. You have to kill it and then get rid of around 1000 pounds of dead horse. It is also not something many people want to do because a lot of people do not want to euthanize a healthy horse.
> 
> On a training side, sometimes it is easier to train an unbroken horse than fix a poorly trained one.


But you broke your horse enough to stand in a halter and get shod and vetted. Some of these horses can't even do that. I understand, actually that some horses do not get broken to ride. I do. But the other skills that a horse needs, for trailering, vetting and haltering, I do not understand at all. I'd have to be at my wits end with a horse to give up. Or too sick to move.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

Ha, yeah our mare will never ride in a trailer. She was literally born here and will die here. In the unlikely event that a trailer ride was required it would be one of those situations where we keep giving her tranquilizers until she loaded or died. The reason she did not get really good for the farrier until she was 14 was that life got really, really busy and there were other horses with more potential who needed work. There are lots of horses that are "trained" that require tranquilization for farrier, vet or grooming (mane pulling and clipping).

I don't think there is anything wrong with having an unbroken horse and trying to sell it. As long as you are honest about what it can do. I think what is worse is when owners or trainers claim a horse can do something and it can not. I would have had no problem if the trainer who put the first miles on two of my horses has told me that when flustered one does a mini rear and the other will buck. I was simply told the one needed a double bridle and to be lunged and the other was lazy. I would have appreciated a little heads up before I got on a horse and found out about these habits. I than got to spend a year working those issues out. You may not like the fact that these owner's lives got busy; however, at least they are honest about the horses skills. Think about how many dogs go to the shelter without basic obedience. That does not mean that people don't or should not adopt dogs.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

rookie said:


> Well, I think to each their own. If you have to sell a horse that is unbroken you can't ask a lot for it. I say that as someone who owns a horse that is unbroken. She had a bad accident as a yearling and that combined with bad hocks means she had no future as a race horse or a pleasure horse. She is sweet, barely halter broke, leads and now stands well for the farrier without sedation. In the end, she is our horse, we feed her, vaccinate and have the farrier out for her so we can do what we want with her. Which means she is a pasture puff/companion horse. We know she has no value on the market and if push came to shove and we had to sell our horses. She would not be sold, she would be euthanized. The thing is that euthanizing a horse is a lot more expensive than selling a horse. You have to kill it and then get rid of around 1000 pounds of dead horse. It is also not something many people want to do because a lot of people do not want to euthanize a healthy horse.
> 
> On a training side, sometimes it is easier to train an unbroken horse than fix a poorly trained one.


Plenty of vets will refuse to as well.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

rydernation said:


> I've been looking at retired thoroughbreds and one was never raced due to a knee injury and now is available for a home for free. A 300 dollar donation. Part of me wanting to get a horse, instead of just riding once a week at lessons is to experience the training aspect. I do have a ton of faith in myself for doing new things. Perhaps, I shouldn't! I do have some reticence about getting a rescue horse. The horse winds up being a piece of property with an encumbrance, in that I might not be able to sell them should my circumstances change and I no longer ride. That's just bs. If I've put in time and training for a horse and work it up to any place where it's got more value than it came to me with, I should be able to sell it. But, I am not getting a horse to sell. I want it to ride!


If you are looking for an OTTB make sure you have the knowledge/experience and a good trainer.

There are also a million that haven't raced simply because they are not cut out for it, or even some that raced and retired sound (though they'll still have that wear and tear obviously). If this horse has a knee injury I'd be cautious even for pleasure riding. Definitely think long term too... I've dealt with several older horses with knee injuries... it's not fun.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I had a friend that bought an OTTB. She thought that it was good that the horse just didn't have the drive to succeed as a race horse. She did not get a prepurchase exam. The horse ended up having to retire at a very young age because it had heart problems. That was the reason his first career was unsuccessful. A veterinarian or a veterinary technician that spent three minutes with a stethoscope could have heard that horrible murmur that the horse had. On a happy note, the friend pampered and petted the horse all of its life.


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## MyBoySi (Dec 1, 2011)

rookie said:


> Well, I think to each their own. If you have to sell a horse that is unbroken you can't ask a lot for it. I say that as someone who owns a horse that is unbroken. She had a bad accident as a yearling and that combined with bad hocks means she had no future as a race horse or a pleasure horse. She is sweet, barely halter broke, leads and now stands well for the farrier without sedation. In the end, she is our horse, we feed her, vaccinate and have the farrier out for her so we can do what we want with her. Which means she is a pasture puff/companion horse. We know she has no value on the market and if push came to shove and we had to sell our horses. She would not be sold, she would be euthanized. The thing is that euthanizing a horse is a lot more expensive than selling a horse. You have to kill it and then get rid of around 1000 pounds of dead horse. It is also not something many people want to do because a lot of people do not want to euthanize a healthy horse.
> 
> On a training side, sometimes it is easier to train an unbroken horse than fix a poorly trained one.


A few years ago it cost me $500+ to have an older horse euthed and disposed of. He was a free horse to boot  not saying he wasn't well worth it, what he taught my younger siblings while we had him was invaluable, it was just expensive to dispose of him once his time had come. Euthanizing a horse can indeed be very expensive.


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## dbarabians (May 21, 2011)

rydernation said:


> I do! It's irresponsible to the horse, if the owner has to give him up, who is going to take a completely untrained horse? You can't even TRAILER some of the horses I've seen online, so how are you going to move them? Sheesh...I am not a jerk, but I do believe in responsible pet ownership!


Horses are not pets they are livestock. Some are raised even here in the US for slaughter.
I do agree training a horse raises its value but not everyone has the time of inclination to properly train one.
There are horses here that were bought and ridden a year or two. Then turned out in pastures where they have remained for years. No vet, no farrier, no handling for decades. Would you prefer they were sold for slaughter ? Shalom


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## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

dbarabians said:


> Horses are not pets they are livestock. Some are raised even here in the US for slaughter.
> I do agree training a horse raises its value but not everyone has the time of inclination to properly train one.
> There are horses here that were bought and ridden a year or two. Then turned out in pastures where they have remained for years. No vet, no farrier, no handling for decades. Would you prefer they were sold for slaughter ? Shalom


No. I agree with the person who said to tell the truth. But don't you see, that when you are riding a horse for a year or two and then turning it back out in the field, you have trained it? 
BTW, any animal that is in my life is a PET....


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I think it depends on the quality of the training and the horse in question. I have a mare who I can and have left un touched for a year and when I get on she baby sits and takes care of me. 

Just because you regard YOUR horse as a pet does not mean EVERYONE else does. I respect your opinion but you can't expect everyone to share them. It is wrong to judge others for taking one course when you don't know why. A lot of folks on this board have had to face hardships in life that make horses take a backseat. You sound young (maybe I am wrong) and when you start facing other sides of the world where bills, jobs, family, school, or injury start to slam into you sometimes the most relaxing part about owning a horse is seeing it out at pasture and being able to afford that pasture. Life has a tendency to get really complicated really fast and when it does our priorities shift. Its not my place to judge those whose priorities have shifted from horses. If you have not had life shift and get complicated than you are either really young or really lucky.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

What gets me is those people that have those unhandled horses in pasture & decide they want them gone. They then advertise them for sale & want some unrealistic price cause they heard they had good bloodlines or are pretty color:evil: Generally they are lacking horse knowledge:-o,You point out that they lack training, need farrier care etc but they still hold out for that inflated price:shock: ..... then they aren't selling,so decide well maybe we should do something with them....so why not breed:-o & have a perrrdy baby for the kids.....the cycle continues


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

OTTB's usually have SOME training or race history. The industry uses them up and throws them away. It is FAR more likely that an OTTB will sustain an injury during training/racing that will lame him or her further down the road when used for jumping and/or eventing, which is very common.
Since hardly ANYBODY has the $resources to keep OTTB pasture pets, why do you want to encourage a person new to horses to buy damaged?...is it bc you LOVE your OTTB? I wouldn't give any of my DD's a damaged car, OR a damaged horse bc I know it would cost them money in the long run, and disappoinment in the short run. WHY do you think the ads for them say things like "lightly raced", " or "raced but sound"? We JUST had a thread about a possible OTTB purchase that had water on the knee. Either it was racing OR another horse kicked this one. Which do YOU think it was?
I think it's great when an OTTB, that isn't chronically lame or badly built finds a good home. I WISH all horses could have a good home.
What happens (here) is somebody is encouraged by such comments, buys a damaged OTTB, then quietly sells them and we don't ever hear about it bc they are embarrassed. Sometimes _that same person _could have gotten some HELP and advice and spent the money for a Vet check, and then DIDN'T waste money and time, bought a sound horse and is now schooling for a sport.
OTTB's are like Jaguars (cars), that spend a lot of time in the shop bc they make a lot of expensive lemons.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

"There are also a million that haven't raced simply because they are not cut out for it, or even some that raced and retired sound (though they'll still have that wear and tear obviously). If this horse has a knee injury I'd be cautious even for pleasure riding. Definitely think long term too... I've dealt with several older horses with knee injuries... it's not fun."

From my response to that.

There are plenty of horses that aren't injured... If the horse is sound, passes a thorough vet exam and you are aware the horse has wear and tear than whats the issue? I know MANY OTTBs that are older and doing well at suitable sports AND sound. Several of which raced a lot in their younger days.

Now for some OTTBs you'll find that good conformation has been put on the back burner for speed, but again, vet check.

I do agree that a horse with a bad knee should not be an option, however I disagree with Corporals post that implies the large majority, if not all, OTTBs have issues and cost money. Again, some do, so don't look at the ones that blatently say "this horse has a bad knee" and get a vet check, but other than that it's not this huge awful idea for someone to buy an OTTB...they'll be even more "thrown away" if everyone was scared of them and didn't buy them..


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

"You can't even TRAILER some of the horses I've seen online, so how are you going to move them? Sheesh...I am not a jerk, but I do believe in responsible pet ownership!"
******

And some horse are very good at outsmarting less experienced people by pulling the scared act or rebelling.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

There are situations that I can understand. I got my filly as a companion for my mare for a very good price. She came w no training, she couldn't even lead. However, the family I got her from had suffered a tragedy. They at least had enough compassion for her to sell her, but her complete lack of training was more than understandable - there _are_ circumstances. OTOH, I knew a lady once that seemed to collect horses and had no lack of funds. She rarely ever rode those that could be ridden, neglected their feet, did no ground work and even had one of her mares bred. _That_ kind of intentional and inexcusable inconsideration for horse's futures is shameful. However, my aunt kept a then filly that was out of my grandfather's favorite mare and sire after he passed, and never sold her for sentimental reasons, I suppose. For whatever reason, she was never trained to ride. They had plenty of other good riding horses, and plenty of pasture. So she spent her life a happy horse, never going under saddle. No harm done - again, there are "circumstances".


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

> Since hardly ANYBODY has the $resources to keep OTTB pasture pets, why do you want to encourage a person new to horses to buy damaged?...is it bc you LOVE your OTTB? I wouldn't give any of my DD's a damaged car, OR a damaged horse bc I know it would cost them money in the long run, and disappoinment in the short run.


 I'm not sure if you are addressing me or not, but I may as well respond. I don't own an ottb. Mainly because I'm short, and there arnt many in the 15hh range. I have owned them in the past and loved them. So why would I encourage someone to look at ottbs? Because my bo's best mare that she has done endurance on, jumped, rode in the mountains and generally worked very hard for 20 years was an injured ottb. Because my friend, who rides her horses HARD, has a 23 year old ottb that's chased cows, done barrels, endurance etc, etc, and she's owned him for 15 years, and he's never had a lame day in his life. I rode a mare that raced for years, came off the track and became a jumper for a decade, then I did endurance on her. she was never lame. I can go on. I would suggest anyone buying an ottb give them a thorough vet check, but I have seen so many that recovered from their injuries and went on to be sound for decades. Would I buy one for a very physically difficult job without going over it with the proverbial "fine toothed comb"? No. Yes, you have to be careful with any horse that was started early and worked hard. But I don't think it necessary to discount every ottb as a lemon, especially if the buyer is looking for low level or a pleasure mount.

we may as well add in all the other disciplines that start young and work them hard. So never buy a : western pleasure horse, Reiner, hunter, Tennessee walker, and so on and so forth. If they were started early and shown, they are lemons that should be passed over.


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

From experience, I too believe an older untrained horse is a loose cannon and a danger to others. With the economy slowly improving, I hope we see less of this.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Danny can you elaborate, because that statement seems VERY general and VERY untrue...

You said untrained, do you mean unhandled? Half wild?

Why is the age relevant?


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

Yogiwick said:


> ... because that statement seems VERY general and VERY untrue...


Well then nothing I say is gonna change your mind. You go ahead chum. Knock yourself out and try to train all the older unhandled or broke horses you want. :wink:


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## rydernation (Mar 12, 2014)

My point in this was to find out the reasons why someone would leave a horse untrained. I found a lady today who is looking for a person to play with her unrideable horse, it had a wobbling (?) disorder. So, a medical reason I understand. But I am not a fool and I'm not cruel. It is simply vicious to get a horse and leave it with no skills! When it won't be loaded, won't let you put a halter on it, won't let you get it to the vet, you have a major problem for that horse down the road. That is just irresponsible, unless the horse just can't do it!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

danny67 said:


> Well then nothing I say is gonna change your mind. You go ahead chum. Knock yourself out and try to train all the older unhandled or broke horses you want. :wink:


Well if you read my story I already have.

I didn't ask you to "change my mind". I asked you to elaborate on what you said...


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

rydernation said:


> My point in this was to find out the reasons why someone would leave a horse untrained. I found a lady today who is looking for a person to play with her unrideable horse, it had a wobbling (?) disorder. So, a medical reason I understand. But I am not a fool and I'm not cruel. It is simply vicious to get a horse and leave it with no skills! When it won't be loaded, won't let you put a halter on it, won't let you get it to the vet, you have a major problem for that horse down the road. That is just irresponsible, unless the horse just can't do it!


I agree, all horses should be able to be handled in a safe quiet manner. Being "tame" is important.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The definition of training is an open issue, a matter of opinion. eg. If you walked into my pasture and tried to halter a particular horse, he'd be gone because he's brilliant at outsmarting people. Yet when I go to get him, he starts toward me, not because I'm the one who feeds him, but because he choses to be with me. They both do. Would they walk into a trailer for a stranger? Probably not yet will for me. This has more to do with trust than training.


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## livelyblueyes (Apr 5, 2014)

I have looked into free horses myself before. Just a note but there is no such thing as a free horse. The cheapest part of horse ownership is actually purchasing the horse. That being said.. free horses come about for various reasons. Most of the ones I find available are 20+ yrs of age and/or have health problems/limitations. Occasionally it is training but normally in my case it has been the first two. Had I the space and the funds to do it I would likely have many more horses. As far as reasons for a horse not being trained a lot of that has been gone over. In a fair few of the cases I have seen it is a matter of the horses were trained but have not been handled aside from basic care (if that) and by basic I mean literally basic. Used to being fed and maybe having their feet done. My two are handled as needed. Sunny is occasionally ridden but for the most part my two older ladies are in retirement. They had a hard life prior to me getting them and are just now starting to really blossom. Sunny is completely riding sound and Ms.Pig imo is only suited to be a pasture ornament. Do not get me wrong she does ride but with her heart the way it is at most she gets a light ride ( not right now as she is due to foal any day). I have seen several of your posts and my best piece of advice is to hold off on actually getting a horse. Spend your funds on lessons in horsemanship ( this is not meant offensively so please do not take it that way). By horsemanship I do not mean squat about actually riding. That is a very small part of horse ownership. Go forward and learn teh day to day care from the ground up. I think after a while in just ding that without the reward of riding you may understand more about why a lot of horses are left untrained. It takes a lot of time and effort to train properly. I would much rather an untouched horse to deal with than one who has been screwed up ten ways to Tuesday from poor training. I do agree it limits a horse's prospects by not being trained. However, I do not see it limiting their happiness. Some horses love to be handled others would prefer not to be. Ms.Pig loves nothing more than to be right under you at all times. Sunny would prefer to just sit in the pen and do her thing. Does she ride? Yes ,she is an amazing ride. She even seems to enjoy it. She is just as happy not being messed with. SHe is not a fan of grooming but tolerates it with no problems. All in all I guess I am saying a horse does not have to be trained in order to be happy. They do need some training though to be safely handled.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

You mean like me and the ex's horse, which he dumped on me when he finally decided she was too much to deal with? 10 years old and only sort of knew what a halter was, and STILL unregistered! She is now 12, has the basics and her papers are in order, in MY name. Not yet broke because I am too old and brittle, and can't find a decent trainer to start her. It isn't ALWAYS the present owner's fault.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Two years ago, I would have said it is horrible to have a horse and not train it. Now... I learned firsthand how easily it can happen. Two years ago, I bought a 2 year old filly. She had basic manners, but needed to learn a lot under saddle. I Figured by now I would have a pretty nicely trained horse. Unfortunately, one month after buyong her, I was diagnosed with a very serious illness that keeps me in bef a good portion of the time. When I am able toget up, I'm very weak. I have only been able to ride her about 20 times, usually on trail rides. Working in the arena is just too tiring. So, at this point I have an almost 4 year old horse that is PERFECT on the trail, but doesn't know her leads and other important things. Eventually, she will learn. I am not selling her, and she will be with me for life. But people need to realize that life happens, and sometimes all you can do is your best. There are exceptions, but most people who have horses want what's best for them. Sometimes life has other plans.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Several years ago now, I had 10 horses that were offered to me or to anyone I could find to take them.

They ranged in age from 3 to over 10. Only 2 of those has supposedly had any training at all. The rest, which included stallion, did not lead, or do anything but exist.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

danny67 said:


> Well then nothing I say is gonna change your mind. You go ahead chum. Knock yourself out and try to train all the older unhandled or broke horses you want. :wink:



Sooo.....you don't KNOW what you meant?:lol:


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I would actually rather buy a horse that was untouched than buy one that some idiot had messed with and got into bad habits or owned by someone that believed that everything could be solved with a good whipping.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

I have just taken on a 4yrold that was almost unhandled and in 3 weeks got to the point of lunging with tack on and I hope in anouther 3 weeks to be on his back, hopefully be out showing in 5 weeks time. he has been so easy!

Compared to Reeco who I bought as an unbroken horse who had been showed, well handled and turned out to be very very difficult to break! It took 2.5 yrs. to get him rideable!

I'd far rather take on a completely unhandled older horse than take on a horse that someone else has tried to train and made a mess of it!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CheyRider (Nov 3, 2013)

Our very first horse was untrained and age 11 or 12 when we got her - reason was the typical "Let's buy a horse for the kids even though we don't know anything about horses and riding, and a 2-year-old is cheap so that's what we'll get". She threw them off two or three times, pulled them around trying to lead her, so they let her be. Would have been okay if she had had horse companions and a field, but most of her young life she was locked up in the warm stinky barn fed fat, and of course she was extremely hard to handle at first and had behavioral issues for the rest of her life. I've met quite a few other horses with similar life stories, and I have never been able to understand why people think they can just buy a horse, especially an untrained one, when they have no training in horses themselves. 
However, my mare was also untrained when I got her (or rather, I started her under the saddle, then I was offered to keep her), and I'm not that unhappy about her not having been ridden till age 8. She was kept fairly well, with other horses, lots of fresh air and room to move, so she's a few years behind in training, but healthy in body and mind, and I hope I'll have many years of unlimited fun with her. And I'm very happy I can be sure she wasn't ridden too early, or too hard. She was just too much of a horse for the previous owner (whom I know very well), so instead of messing her up, she opted to leave her alone. Smart choice, even though it would have been even smarter for her not to get this horse in the first place.


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## jackboy (Jul 8, 2012)

As already been stated would much rather get one that's never been touched then one that has been jacked up on another note I feel the same way about dogs what's the point of having one who just runs around and barks eats and poops and don't even get me started on those ankle biters


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Palomine said:


> Several years ago now, I had 10 horses that were offered to me or to anyone I could find to take them.
> 
> They ranged in age from 3 to over 10. Only 2 of those has supposedly had any training at all. The rest, which included stallion, did not lead, or do anything but exist.


I think this is the difference, a horse that is all but literally "neglected" (or genuinely neglected) or a horse that is WELL CARED FOR and has BASIC manners.

I think the first is an untrained horse and the second is a horse that simply has not been saddle broken for whatever reason.

While I have no issue with the second and think that most horses should have basic saddle training but it's not a big deal, the first I don't feel is responsible.


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## aureliusandoinky (Nov 28, 2013)

I didn't train one of my horses until last summer. He's 11 now, and we've had him since he was a yearling. We just didn't have the money! And me, only rider in the family, was okay with one steed instead of two. I helped train him myself though, and was the first one on his back. 

However, I don't agree with doing this AT ALL(leaving them unbroke). He had some bad manners from being 'left alone', but we were lucky that he was a kind, loving horse. He was well cared for, just not often haltered because there was no reason to do so. Once I grew a brain in high school I was determined to train him and a few years later here we are, and he is quite the gentleman. He loves his new job. 

I wanted him trained as a back up plan in case we ever have to sell, and I think riding a horse is a big part of the bond you form with them too. He respects me more now, and he sees me clearly as the leader. As a pasture puff, he thought he was king.


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