# 2002 OTTB gelding - potential purchase



## meganm21146 (Jun 6, 2014)

Hello! I am looking for a horse to add to my lesson program for intermediate/advanced riders looking to jump and show. I came across this ad and he seems like a nice horse but I'd love to hear what HF thinks about his conformation? Also, what do you guys think about his price? Thanks in advance 

This is what his ad says:

"Lucas (Jockey Club Registered: Ali Master) is a 13 y/o OTTB, 16.1 hh. Lucas is a bold, confident horse who loves to jump. Never ever stops. He would make the perfect jumper or lower level event horse. He can get a bit quick and therefore needs a confident rider, but very safe and honest. Lucas loves to hack out alone or in company and rarely spooks. He is very well behaved on the ground. Cross-ties, clips, bathes, loads like a dream. His only vice is cribbing but it is well-controlled with a strap. We took him to several schooling shows as well both jumping and dressage and he was very well behaved at different venues. Has also hunt paced with previous owner.

Horse Name: Lucas
Price:	$3,000
Location: Suffern, New York
Breed(s): Thoroughbred
Sex: Gelding
Height: 16.1 hands
Color: Chestnut
Foal Date: Jan 2002	
Pedigree: Sire: King of Kings, Dam: River Tower
Registrations: JC	- Jockey Club
Disciplines: Jumper (Trained), Eventing (Prospect)
Temperament: 4 (1=Bombproof, 10=Hot)"

































These are the only pictures I have of him until I go to try him out. Thanks!


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## khorses23 (Jan 22, 2015)

i dont know much about confirmation, but nothing bad really sticks out to me. i dont really like the look of his neck, but that could also be the way he is ridden and could change if ridden with a better, lower headset. i do think he is very handsome, and could make someone a nice horse. but i dont think he would be acceptable in a lesson program. just because the students are more advanced, doesnt mean the horse still shouldnt be quiet. he can be quick, which even for an experienced rider may be a little nerve wracking. he can jump all day long, too much "go" to be teaching lessons. and he has not been shown much. not good qualities for a horse to have that is in a lesson program. lesson horses are supposed to help teach and give the rider confidence. i also dont like the fact that he cribs. 

i also dont know you or your students personally, so maybe he could work for you! he does seem to have some great potential. even if you use him in lessons, i would have you or a professional continue to ride and train him. i would go take a look at him and see what you think!


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Very upright, weird hind end. Definitely would benefit from proper dressage training and riding. Would Probably like to learn how to relax and stretch down rather than carry his neck upside down. 

I think if you're looking for a low level horse, he's probably just fine.


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## KWPNowner (Sep 25, 2012)

He's pretty goose rumped, which makes his loin longer than ideal. His neck does look like he hasn't been ridden into the bit consistently, but certainly could improve with proper riding. His legs look clean and correct and his shoulder looks open and reasonably laid back. 

He looks like he's good with his front end over the fences and he sounds fun to ride! I think he'd be a great choice for a school horse to introduce riders to the jumper ring. I wouldn't care about cribbing, ime it's manageable and worth putting up with for a nice horse. His price looks very affordable to me.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I agree with the others. His neck looks undermuscled or something to me. But with some work i think that would improve. His hind-end looks odd, but as a schooling horse I think he'd be fine. He has a nice head, and nice clean legs. He looks pretty scopey over the fences. Price seems very reasonable, so I'd definitely go check him out. If you plan to use him for more advanced riders I'm sure he'd be suitable.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Good legs. Clean w good bone and straight fronts with big open knees. 
Odd stance with hind quarters, almost indicative off pain, with his loins looking tense. Neck tied in low and dip in front of withers indicating a lot of hauling back on the reins. Short coupled but a hint of roach or hunters bump (what is the difference anyway?)


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## Irish Treasure (Feb 1, 2016)

He looks pretty good.The only thing I'm a little worried about for lesson horse, he looks like he is over jumping in the pics which can be a scary thing even for more experienced rider but,good luck


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

I think you can do better for the money. Some intermediate riders are still quite timid and this fella sounds bit of a handful. I would keep looking. You can find a quieter type OTTB for a lot less money.

I googled the sire, he looks nothing like him so must take after the dam.


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## Kyro (Apr 15, 2012)

I'd keep looking as well. His conformation is okay, but I think he'd be too much for riders who are just beginning to know what jumping is about. They need a steady horse that will give them confidence. 

I remember myself when I had just started out - I got lucky and was given a schoolmaster who was calm, but still gave enough oomph to keep me on my toes, without shaking my confidence too much. I saw other riders put on horses similar to this one you mention here, but it was always a risk - would the rider manage the horse? Or would they get their confidence shaken up quite bad.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Big boned horse and his neck would look better with some conditioning but he looks to have a combination of that and a slightly roached back which could mean some past injury or kissing spine and a hunters bump which often means a sacroiliac injury
It says he gets strong and it looks like he hollows his neck and sticks his nose in the air to avoid the bit - that's a hard thing to fix and if he does that to run off it could scare a lot of student riders who are experienced on horses that do as they're told but not so much on those that don't
A good student horse should be one that helps teach not one that needs teaching and this horse needs a lot of teaching
The cribbing wouldn't worry me if the price was right to reflect it


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

LoveTheSaddlebreds said:


> Very upright, weird hind end. Definitely would benefit from proper dressage training and riding. Would Probably like to learn how to relax and stretch down rather than carry his neck upside down.
> 
> I think if you're looking for a low level horse, he's probably just fine.


How does


> He can get a bit quick and therefore needs a confident rider


 fit with learner riders?


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