# Help with an eventing prospect purchase



## TimberRidgeRanch (Mar 6, 2012)

I dont know very much about eventing BUT do feel that the horse on top is more ideal then the OTTB A horse with narrow chest is one that doesnt have lung capacity as much as one with broader chest. Plus I like the top horses feet alot better. Great angle in the shoulder from what I can see. I just feel the top horse is a better canidate for eventing. JMO
TRR


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

Thank you so much for the reply TRR! I'm concerned about her narrow chest too, although she is listed as a winner on the TB race records. I want to get as much input as possible, from everyone. So c'mon peeps...whatcha think??


----------



## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

First horse is far superior to the second horse. First horse is a better mover, nicer bone and hs nice low knees and hocks. 

Second horse has bench knees, stiff mover with a short neck and a hollow back as a result of a short body over excessively long legs.


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

Bump for the evening crowd?


----------



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

How about for the dressage crowd?? Lol 

I like the mare considerably more than the gelding although she will require a lot more retraining. In the conformation pictures the gelding is upright in the pasterns and has a straight hindleg, where as the mare has better hindlimb conformation, IMO. Chest width has been proven to have nothing to do with lung capacity, plus with more conditioning and filling out it may widen with muscle. I also like the overall balance of her better than the gelding, she appears to be well balanced over all four corners.

In the riding videos their differences in personality and life experiences become apparent. The mare is quite a bit more tense and high strung while the gelding is content to plunk around on the forehand complying with whatever his bouncy rider wants him to do. The gelding would be suitable for an AA looking to by something to learn to train, where as the mare would be more of a project. However I think her movement, while tense, is better than the gelding if only that she is more active in the hocks and is not dumping onto the forehand. Plus she looks very keen to be jumping which is a plus in an eventer.

Pending a clean vet check, and if you think you are experienced enough to be taking her on I think she would be the one of the two to progress higher and be more successful as an eventer. I would also get some body work done on her as the track does put a number on their bodies. Race horses are generally the one kind of horse I advocate for a good chiropractor to look at.

Good luck!

ETA - This is totally just my opinion though!! They are two different personality types and it is important to pick the one which you think will be most suitable for you and having your trainer present will help you pick the more suitable horse for you. IMO just looking for the better eventer, I like the mare, but the gelding may be more compatible for you.


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

Thank you Anebel, your opinion on movement means a lot. Did you happen to watch the video of her over crossrails in her first show? It was about a month after the link I posted and I can see some improvement just in that month. What I like about her is that she seems sensible and not stressed about the jumps.

As for the rest of you lurkers....come onnnnnnn... please help me! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

bump..


----------



## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

I'm not an expert on conformation but here's what I see:

The first appears to have upright pasterns and also may be a little cow-hocked. 

The second, as you said, appears to be a little light-boned, but I like her legs better than the first horse's. However I like the first horses butt and neck better than hers, though I suppose they could improve with conditioning. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. 

I like the second horse's movement better. 

May I ask why you are looking at a horse that needs heavy contact and then another that needs light contact? I'm just curious.

Honestly I think both could work out well enough but the second seems to have more potential to me, I like the way she goes over the jumps, she seems to like them well enough. Choose whichever you like best and feel suits your personality and style.


----------



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Am I the only one seeing that the first horse is pretty badly sickle hocked?! Cow hocked, not really (toed out slightly, yes, which is ideal, but not cow hocked...cow hocked is MUCH more dramatic, with the hocks literally almost touching each other). Sickle hocked...yikes!


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

Cinder said:


> May I ask why you are looking at a horse that needs heavy contact and then another that needs light contact? I'm just curious.
> 
> Honestly I think both could work out well enough but the second seems to have more potential to me, I like the way she goes over the jumps, she seems to like them well enough. Choose whichever you like best and feel suits your personality and style.


I guess I just put that in there because I noticed it when I rode them. I wouldn't say I'm looking for either one. The mare is so fresh from the track that you can almost take no contact with her mouth because it means go, where the gelding never raced, so doesn't have that training. I would hopefully be able to get them both to a point where they are light in the mouth, but could take some contact... kind of a middle ground.

As far as what suits my personality....heck if I know! Sometimes I'm mellow, sometimes I'm firey.:? I was hoping you guys could point out a fatal/deal breaker flaw and make the decision easier. 

I really liked both. My trainer is going to ride the gelding on Friday to see if he has any spirit at all under there and to put him over a few cavaletti's to see how his brain works. That should get me a better idea. I liked how he did through the water. As far as the mare, you guys are right, she really seems to enjoy jumping and is unfazed by new things, even with her greenness. We are going to try to ride her again next week. 


Does anyone else see the sickle hocks Drafty pointed out? I'm just not that good at critiquing..


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I honestly think that the gelding is conformationally much better. I haven't watched the videos but Anebel knows a LOT about dressage so trust in her opinions on movement!

The gelding's hocks are not sickled, he is standing under himself in the photo. I'm basing this on the assumption that he didn't move between body shot and leg shot, and also the fact that in the body shot his legs are really far under him. It might be postural, or it might be conformational.

The mare has a REALLY upright shoulder which will limit her scope and reach some (I didn't look very hard at her proportions in the rest of the foreleg, it could well be made up for by other measurements), but if the gelding is tanking along on the forehand he will be more work to train into an uphill and correct way of going, so his movement may limit him significantly.

IMO if you really clicked with one or the other you would know which one was your choice. I don't buy a horse if I don't click with it. My gelding I looked at and thought, yep, he's my horse. And the same with my filly. But other people buy horses that they get along with but don't really have a real close bond with, and still others don't really care whether they get along with the horse or not. What's important to you? The performance of your eventing prospect, or the bond you have with your horse?


----------



## MicKey73 (Dec 26, 2010)

Bond definitely. But I think that comes with time and new experiences with the horse. I felt very bonded with Mick after having him just a few months, but it's nothing like how I feel now.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

OK. So if the bond is important, why not wait for a horse you have at least some click factor with straight away? It might take some time, I have a friend who was horse hunting for 18 months or more and is STILL struggling with confidence with the horse she bought, 3 years after buying him... but it might take no time at all. My gelding was offered to me within a week of starting looking, and my filly was the third youngster I went to see. I fell in love with a gorgeous part Welsh colt, but the guy upped the price to well outside my price range. I fell harder in love with my girl and put down a deposit on the spot.

Out of the two you posted, I do prefer the gelding, though like I said I haven't watched the videos. Conformationally he doesn't have a reason to work downhill, which says to me it's incorrect training and riding and not the horse's natural build and movement. HOWEVER, it's easier to work with a horse that already moves how you want it to, and conformation isn't everything. If the mare has the heart to jump, and moves well, then she's your pick. JMO of course.


----------

