# Feedback on these potential Dressage horses



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

LOL, another person continuing their search for a new dressage partner here.

I like this girl, she is younger, keenly priced BUT a long ways away so I wouldn't be able to try before I buy.










or this guy, a little more money, but a little older and further ahead in his training










or #3, I like this guy, started later, doing well, sounds like he has good potential, but quite a bit more money:wink:











What do you think?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Number one or number three. Number two looks a bit smallish and already is showing signs in his body of being ridden from the front to the back. His neck shape and the dip in front of his withers may be an indicator of this.

I really like number three the best, without a doubt. He's big, well built and really uphill. Is he like twice the price of number one?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

# 3 is 1 1/2 times price of #1, but a little closer and the right side of the border, so shipping would be easier. Once again a little far to go and try:-(


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, here's what I was thinking. I know that you are close to my age, and if I wanted to do a bit more serious dressage showing , I would want a horse that already has progressed forward some, since being older, I feel that I don't have as much time available to me to "mess around". I know that might not be a logical way to approach this, as the other side of the coin is that getting a horse with little training means that YOU put it on him and you know what's in there and what'a not, and what better way to use the years of your riding life than to train your own horse?

But, isn't bringing a horse across the border a big hassle?


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

A border crossing isn't to bad, I've bought up most of the haffies, just need a current coggins and health certificate, from a listed vet.

Then I have to pay import duties when they cross the border, and find someone who will bring a horse over.


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## IslandWave (Nov 25, 2009)

What kind of horse are you wanting to buy? One that is trained (if so, what level?) or one that you will train? How far up are you wanting to compete, if at all? How skilled are you?

My first impressions, without knowing any of the above, is that I like #3 the best. Seems to be put together well and I like that it's an adult amateur rider (I think!). I want to like #1, but I just can't say with the way they stood her up for that photo...

Side note: I'd be scared to death not trying a horse at least once before buying it. Eep!


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

I honestly can't find a thing to like about #1. And that's not a very good photo of #2.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

There aren't any good pics of #2, have asked for a video of #1, #3 looks like a sweetie


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## ChristineNJ (Jan 23, 2010)

Love #3!!


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

ChristineNJ said:


> Love #3!!


I agree!


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

here is one closer to home

Blue Roan Mare for Sale - Saskatchewan Livestock For Sale - Kijiji Saskatchewan


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

She is cute but she is only 15.2 hh, ideally bigger is better
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

I really like that indy horse, I would go try her before deciding to purchase any of the others you can't try! but out of the first ones i like number 3 the best!


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

You would certainly need to see her, she looks cute in the ads, but not one good pic to really asses her


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

new contender


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

I liked #3 best of the first choices,but that gray you just posted is certainly a looker, but you didn't say anything else about him. His neck might be a little thick? But maybe that's the angle of the picture.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

The grey is a very intersting possibility, I'm actually viewing him this week:wink:


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Bump for the new contender:lol:


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

A very short video of the new contender


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

Have to say I like the new contender. Of the first three I liked the third on the best. Number one looks like she has an incredibly short neck (but perhaps its just the angle?) and not much to look at in general. Number two (like someone else said) looks like he's been ridden front to back which be a pain in the butt to fix. The blue roan is adorable (I have a soft spot for blue roans lol) but without a good side view you really don't know what they look like without going to see him.

How old is the gray?


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

As was said previously, more information is needed on both what you are looking for and what these horses qualifications are to determine suitability. The new one looks green and will require a lot of training before I would consider him for someone looking for a horse to learn on (is he even broke?). The previous three I don't like any of them for a "teacher", because none of them are shown in the pictures doing anything. #2 is the closest to a riding picture and it looks barely ridable in it.

If these are the "best" pictures of the horses the sellers have.... I'd be walking right past all the horses in this thread.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

What am I looking for, well that is difficult, because I'm probably looking for a $15000 horse on a $1500 budget :lol:

I am new to dressage, just finished my second season, the first was successful, the second somewhat frustrating, I have been competing at intro and training at training level.

Part of me would love to buy a schoolmaster so I can concentrate on me, but a large part of me is very uncomfortable at that, so a safe greenie would fit the bill. I originally said I wanted something to go straight into training level next year, but the grey would have to go into intro with the aim of ending the season at training level.

He is broke, both western and English, but doesn't have a lot of miles on him. He is 6 years old, and 16.2 hh


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

Is there a horse you could possibly lease? Or a lesson program? I would personally save my money, or take out a loan or line of credit and buy something that is what you really want. With the training you'll put into the grey, and the uncertainty there that's a lot more than 1500, not even looking at the purchase price!

Good luck! I would suggest maybe talking to your coach about your goals, and what you want in a horse and have your coach help you look. Make a list of needs, wants and cants and check every horse against that list.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

No to leasing, and no way that I'm taking a loan to buy a horse, never have, although I have made instalments on one before.

I think I forgot to mention that the grey is 3/4 Andalusian :wink:, so I think that if he can get to level 1 or *gulp* 2 he would be a great investment.

I've been thinking about this a lot, if I bought a made horse and did well on it, I wouldn't feel that comfortable at my local club, where they are ordinary folk riding ordinary horses.

The whole thing about dressage for me is the development of horse and rider, and the only competition that really matters is being better than last time:wink:

So yes, I want a safe ride, but a sane greenie with potential would probably do well. IF, IF this guy seems suitable, we have already agreed a trial period, to make sure that we are going to suit each other.


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

I "learned" dressage alongside my current horse, and while we are not doing badly twelve years down the line, I spent a lot of time screwing her training up, having to fix it, then screwing something else up, having to fix that, and so forth. If you haven't a clue what correct impulsion, collection, bend, etc. should feel like, it's a long, frustrating road figuring it out, even just to get a horse doing Second Level well. I got so fed up I quit competitions and now just school and mess about with dressage for fun. Had I a schoolmaster horse and she a schoolmaster rider, we probably would have gotten much further but we were the classic case of the blind leading the blind. Eleven or twelve years is a long time to wait to have a horse who goes correctly! It was fine, though, and of course it has been enjoyable learning experience, or rather became so after I quit competing. 

I've known plenty of horses who weren't "fancy" but who were trained correctly and could teach you how to ride the movements and have the horse on the aids. None of the horses you have posted seem to have significantly more dressage potential than your appy, from what I've seen of the videos you have posted of him, nor do they seem to have more training in the discipline. If I was in your shoes and serious about finding a dressage horse, I'd be looking for something that had considerably more training than Mr. G and/or considerably more potential, and not be bothered with what the riding club thought.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Awwww look at this, found a picture of the grey as a baby, love the legs


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## AllegroAdante (Sep 28, 2008)

I personally like the grey - he's very handsome.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

What a cute baby he was!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I don't like any of the first 3 at all. #1 has a very short back, weak short and steep quarters, steep shoulder, short neck... doesn't do a thing for me.
#2 You can't tell much at all about confo, but I'd say there'd be a significant amount of retraining to do there to undo the undermuscle already there and incorrect way of going. 
#3 is the best of the bunch - generally you pay for quality. But if I were looking for a dressage horse I wouldn't even pause on his ad. 

The grey is quite nice, could see nothing on the video as it was terrible quality. But if you are able to go out and have a ride, I think he would be your best bet.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I would never buy a horse sight unseen. You need to take a trip or look closer. #1 has no heal at all which could cause problems as it gets older. Just because something is twice the price does not tell us anything. The 1st one could be 100.00


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

thesilverspear said:


> I'd be looking for something that had considerably more training than Mr. G and/or considerably more potential, and not be bothered with what the riding club thought.


I think most horses have had more training than Mr G seems to have had, bless him. 

It's not what everyone else in the club thinks, it's what I feel and think. It is a small group of people, most of us have ordinary horses who we are trying to make into dressage horses, and of course the have all benefited from the work we have done.





Kayty said:


> The grey is quite nice, could see nothing on the video as it was terrible quality. But if you are able to go out and have a ride, I think he would be your best bet.


The grey is the closest, and I believe the nicest so far, both good reasons why I'm going to go see him:wink: A better video would have been nice, he is near enough that I can grab some more video while we are there, and study him at my leisure.



churumbeque said:


> I would never buy a horse sight unseen. You need to take a trip or look closer. #1 has no heal at all which could cause problems as it gets older. Just because something is twice the price does not tell us anything. The 1st one could be 100.00


I have bought sight unseen before, when you are looking for a type of horse that doesn't exist in your area you either have to get very rich to pay for all the travelling to see, or you have to do a lot of talking, exchanging info. Having said that those guys were more breeding stock than riding horses.

Numbers 1 through 3 are officially off of the shopping list, #1 didn't supply anymore info when asked, #2, to far and to much retraining needed. #3, still like, but I want to go see the grey first


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

I like quite the grey gelding,but you'll have to see how schooled he is & if you want to take on more of a training project or find one that has had a bit more schooling.
I also just came across this ad,don't know if you saw it yet or not.
6 yr old TB gelding Dressage/ Jumper. Great X country prospect - Alberta Livestock For Sale - Kijiji Alberta


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Thanks for the link PP, looks a bit light in the frame for my liking.

I went and met number 3 yesterday and I really really like him, so at the moment I'm trying to see if I can make a deal on him


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Hope things work out That gelding is handsome,Andalusion X he should be good for dressage & they are usually pretty quiet level head.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

While I like this one the best so far, he does not have the natural suspension Andies tend to have so you will have your work cut out for you there.

I hope you have a decent trainer in your area.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Thanks for the input Spyder, while I agree that a little more evidence of natural suspension would be nice, I think we have to bear in mind that the quality of the videos is not great, and there is no length of time in any of the videos to really assess him.

I am fortunate that I have a good trainer not so far away, not only is she a successful rider and an accredited judge, she also has the ability to explain things so even I can understand them, and give me the tools and the confidence to progress. I'm sure you have already seen them, but if she can help me with this transformation..










I'm actually excited to see what we could achieve with a more or less untouched horse, he only has 60 days on him, so hopefully we will be starting from a blank slate, unlike Mr G where we had to first undo the issues he came with, before giving him a new outlook on life.

I also wonder at what level suspension comes in as being crucial to a dressage horse from a marking point of view, I would welcome your view on this one, I know you have a wealth of knowledge and experience there.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Golden Horse said:


> I also wonder at what level suspension comes in as being crucial to a dressage horse from a marking point of view, I would welcome your view on this one, I know you have a wealth of knowledge and experience there.



I have viewed your videos of your previous tests and the one thing that continuously shouts out at me is that while you have the appearance of correctness in your tests, your horse is going through the motion without actually putting in the effort.

In another words he is not enough forward and seems to be "holding back". Getting the head in the place you want is fine, but there is more to it than that.

An old judge that came from Germany a few years back told me in one sentence what changed my whole outlook and allowed me to progress beyond just getting a passable mark.

_"You need to ride your horse between the edge of sanity and insanity." _

He literally didn't mean real insanity but if you rode your horse to the edge of a precipice and HAD to MOVE so you would not go over...then only that effort ( from your horse AND you) will get you to the higher levels and the scores that you see in the 70's.

To get back to the point, if the horse had some degree of natural suspension, all of the above becomes easier.


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

My coach puts it as the horse needs to be like a herding dog, waiting eagerly for the next command at all times.

I do like the "between sanity and insanity". I'm icing my neck today from a bit too much insanity yesterday hahaha.

Especially with an andalusian you can't just put it in a frame and expect to get scores. It is very easy to make them tight in the back and choppy from riding front to back. My friend just imported an andalusian and although the movement is far easier to ride than a wbs, it is a struggle to keep his gaits "normal" and get him to stretch to the contact.

Good luck I hope you find something suitable!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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