Then I rode the enormous (17HH) Traber named Coin who was the kind of horse you could just drop the reins and put both of your hands in your pockets and daydream as you went through a busy part of town on the pavement.
There is a Traber for sale about 10 KM from here, a 14 year old little bay (tiny for a Traber) so I thought why not go see her. The more horses I see before buying, the better, right?
The horse search can be frustrating, especially when you put 1000KM on your car per horse. I can't say this visit was frustrating. It was more, WTH?-astonishment at sellers. Oh sellers. You decide to sell a horse and then just simply quit riding or doing anything with it the entire time it's for sale?! Don't you see how that might make the horse never actually sell, or perhaps sell for meat?
Trabers are cheap here but this one was particularly cheap. 1300E including saddle.
They took her out of the Winter paddock and pulled her holey, wither-crushing blanket off and there was a beautiful mahogany bay under it. Beautiful, but with a roachback and a typical Traber flaw - posty hind legs. Her ewe-neck is less noticeable due to her thick mane.
Rear legs are supposed to have hocks, not knees.
Shod all around, whyever for.
Usually people tell me what they like about their horses. The father of this girl was doing exactly that. "She's so buff when in work, bursting with muscle!" I said I can see that, she looks great being out of work. But the actual owner of the horse, this teenager, didn't say anything nice about her horse. It may be that she resents her, or never bonded with her, but the teenager seemed miserable to be showing me her horse.
The mare had been raced no one knows how long. The seller is her third home since racing. That's a lot of owners I think. What is wrong with her?
The sellers say their daughter is in school and has no time for her (and what about their other 4 horses?), that it's a shame for her to just stand around unused.
I asked if she's beginner safe. They replied absolutely not, because she's fast. Hm. Fast. What does that mean? I've heard this about two sale horses now. "Fast." I must assume it means unstoppable. Why would fast be a problem for a beginner otherwise? Unless the horse refuses to walk, ever, perhaps? That's just silly.
The teenage owner was letting the mare graze on the lawn and getting dragged around a bit. I took out my camera and got a little video of her complaining to her parents, "I can't ride her, she'll buck me off or act bitchy, I haven't ridden her in 6 months!" I said, "If that's so, we need to know that." It's not a good sign to pout in front of a buyer about how little you care to ride your own horse. Again, I wanted to ride Mara as much as I wanted to participate in a developer scrum but I did up until the day she sold because there was no way I'd sell her otherwise. Riding horses should be proven to be at least somewhat rideable.
At one point the girl yanked the lead rope to move the mare and the mare pinned her ears and tossed her head angrily. Oh, you have some attitude about people telling you what to do?
I finally came up and picked up her long tangled mane and saw a freezebrand underneath. How wonderful that they do that in Germany. I had no idea.
Her nose was jet black and her face was the most amazing mix of warm brown and black. Yes, I was swooning over color again, I admit.
But they didn't show my anything, nor groom the horse. Well, they showed me how well the horse knows how to eat grass on a lead rope. I was only there 10 minutes.
I said I'd come back when they are prepared to show her under saddle to me, with someone who is not me riding. I'm not sure I will though, because of everything I just typed.
Pretty girl, I hope so much she can find a forever home and not go to slaughter. There is definitely a prejudice against Trabers in this country.
How not to present a horse to a potential buyer:
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11 comments:
Here's the thing, though... I've spent a fortune getting a trainer to keep my horses tuned up while I've been busy, in ill health, etc. and while they've been on the market, and hardly anyone has shown an interest in purchasing them. I can't afford to keep this up, so I understand how some people's lives change in a way that doesn't allow them to ride or pay someone else to ride the horse regularly. For me, everything has to come together flawlessly for me to get them out. Most of the time I'm in too much pain to ride the spooky ones, so I choose to ride the rock. I'm having a good day today and would love to ride, but it's pouring rain outside and I've been on hold with customer support for an hour waiting to correct someone else's mistake, which is pretty much what I do full-time nowadays because of all the incompetent people in this world who can't do the tasks they are paid to do. Before you know it, the days just fly on by and suddenly there's a potential buyer at your barn and neither you nor your horse are prepared. There's nothing to do but say, "Oh well."
She's cute, with bad manners! Wait, was I talking about the horse or the kid? Who advertises a horse and then can't ride it to be shown? Sorry for your waste of time, but I guess it it good to keep looking.
she's cute but those hind legs would turn me away. I'm not sure if there are Quarter Horses where you are but they are great trail mounts and very sensible.
Can you fly back here and get the latest little girl they just put up for adoption at Greener Pastures? She seems perfect for you, and I want to see her go to someone who will take lots of photos of her and share her regularly, so I can live vicariously through them :P
https://www.facebook.com/139894092724138/photos/ms.c.eJxFz9sRAzEIQ9GOMuJhMP03FsfaaH~;PXMA2IMYM5rPHkB~_7gCnCCLrCPdMeOO3UWl0t6N8IZv~;BjAVUzN3ho2JxBC~_wCMEmqHCeTZ11v4WVIAhLsDmipRH3bLsALPS56AuRAj4M7w4uDcF5wSli~_gv7CEO3.bps.a.1003910939655778.1073741926.139894092724138/1003911332989072/?type=3&theater
It's amazing to me that that pushy mare is being listed for $3,000 USD. Just... just wow.
NM, I didn't ride Mara every day, but did my best, as you're doing. You're not just ignoring your sale horses because they're for sale.
Irish, I'm sure learning a lot shopping.
Teresa, There are QH here in Germany but they are even more expensive than Arabians, because they are considered a rare, new, foreign breed. I just did a quick check and the only three I could afford, one has PSSM, one is a cribber, and one has a bad leg so can't be used for much more than walking. It's unbelievable for me to see the prices for QH here. But that's OK because I really don't like that type of horse.
Becky, I read Aarene's facebook so I know about the horses she hopes will find good homes. They always seem so incredibly well built, and easy to ride. Like the one you referenced.
It's my dream to return home before I'm 50. Many things must work out perfectly for that to happen.
I've been curious lately, how is Caspian?
Um, I think I understood the word "buck" in the video. I'm sorry you had to spend gas for the horse, but then, you never know until you get there.
I used to go to the New Vocation website and look at their Standardbreds. That is a breed I would consider. There's another Standardbred adoption place in New Jersey, too I think. The people seem to do a good job of reschooling them. It seems that the SB's take quickly to being under saddle.
Onward!
She's a stocky, cute little thing. It's too bad her owners aren't doing her any favors by ignoring her while waiting for her to magically sell. I hope she finds a good home, but I'm not holding my breath. I thought from reading your entry that maybe the girl was trying to sabotage her sale. I've heard of young girls whose horses are sold out from under them by well-meaning parents, and they'll talk trash about the horse to try to stop the sale and get to keep their pony. But then I watched the video, and just felt agitated at everyone involved. Poor horse :( I think you're right in moving on with your search though.
Okay, those rear legs are REALLY wrong. But they are set on with cowhocks, so she can still probably move out just fine...but not fine enough for endurance, sadly.
Do the owners of Star Island and/or Coin have any Traber contacts they could share with you?
Gahhhhhh.
If I could teleport Pineapple to you, I would. We're going up to Canada in January to take more pictures and spotlight Greener Pastures. It will probably not help you, though...until you turn 50. How long away is that?
KittyBo, I didn't have to spend much gas, it was only 10 Km away and I drive a Prius: ) You are right that they take quickly to saddle, it's amazing how fast. They are so naturally calm (like TWH) they just seem to me, to be the perfect husband horse. If I could ever convince my husband to want a horse. Hey, do you know how I can convince him??? Please tell.
Dom, interesting what you predicted, but alas was not true, from the video, I'm so glad I took some video because you can't hide the emotion there. You said you felt agitated. I know you've been through so many sales before, but I must say these are the most ignorant sellers I've ever encountered. Poor thing indeed.
Aarene, the owner of Coin is one of the 2 drunk girls who gave me such an awful experience when I rode with them when I first got Mara and asked them to go slow, and they just kept, kept, kept taking off, and Mara was rearing and completely freaked. Never again. The owner of Star Island is not really a friend of mine, just an old guy who rides and when I finally asked him to ride with me and Mara (twice, we did), he was difficult to ride with. He's used to letting little kids ride Star Island and telling them what to do the entire time, so that's how he treated me. He would say,"CREEK! Don't let her stop, keep her going! Tree branch, bend down! Root, don't let her trip!" and such. It was non-stop directives, I'm sure you remember riding with that type. I'm just not comfortable going to him for any reason now. It would be just awesome though, to someday ride up to him on trail and have a good, sane trail horse. Then I may ride with him again. I'm 44 , 45 in May. Pineapple is such a better name than Fiddle's race name. HEY, did you notice, they freeze brand Trabers in Deutschland!
Uhh... no. Wow. I can't understand what they were saying in the video, but tone and body language says it all. Sorry it didn't work out. It would have been so nice if you could find a horse that close lol. I still have my hopes up for Mag. :D
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