He is a really nice horse, 15 hands, 12 years old and kid safe. He gave me all 4 hooves and legs right away and let me move them in odd positions and wiggle the joints around.
I drove to Aachen for this and I'm getting really tired of these fruitless trips.
It was really hard to call her today and say I changed my mind, I'm not interested in coming out to ride after looking at photos. She wanted to know what I saw wrong with him, and insisted that he's healthy and has never been lame. I felt so bad, I couldn't express it very well in German, I told her it's nothing wrong per-se, it's just something I personally try to avoid. In fact some people like this characteristic but I am "shy" of it. (It was an abysmal conversation, I felt so bad!) Now she's probably stunned, fretting, and telling her (grumpy) husband, "She thinks there's something wrong with Kazimir and I don't know what the heck she's talking about!!" Ugh. Glad that's behind me!
I wanted to mention that I was impressed by their Winter set up. They bring the horses home from a rented pasture in Winter and keep them in the back yard in a small sand paddock/riding ring and stall. It was cozy and a nice alternative to the concrete paddocks most people have. They were wealthy (they apparently put a lot of money into their pristine property), and they said they order a truckload of sand every year for the ring. The odd thing is their bedding system. Straw of course, but they leave it all Winter. They don't clean the stall all Winter long - they just spread hay over the manure every day to make a "Thick, warm bed." OK then!
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13 comments:
Darn, sorry he won't do.
Um, too bad his tail was chewed off...but more wierd was his hind end!His feet, and stiffles! Looks to have v ery long pasterns too. Mine has those.
I'm certainly not a conformation expert...but that hind end...just ended!
Keep at it...you will triumph one if these looks!
KK
Interesting photos.... he looks prone to founder. Such a thick cresty neck! A big belly, too-short back, and not much power in the rear. I like that he has good bone... but I would be VERY wary of buying a horse that wears studs all the time?!! That is CRAZY...
The bedding thing... that's very traditional in Europe, there is a huge stable in Holland that does this... they just layer the straw on every day, and clean everything out once a month.
I couldn't say why but his conformation didn't do it for me in your pictures -- he looked quite good in the sale shots. That straw business... ewwww. I use straw in the winter for the horses but I clean it out - the wet and muck everyday and replace as needed. I also have straw in the chicken coop and goat shed and I use the European method there. I think the composting effect helps keep the animals warm. At least, I read that it does.
I am with Annette, I am not sure what it is, but, yeah, something is a put off....
Tara
I have no idea what's wrong, I'll take your word for it. But sounds like he had a very nice temperment. Hopefully he'll find a nice home.
I'm a conFORMation idiot. Tell me what's so horrible?
I'm usually thrilled when I notice that the horse is lame or missing an ear or something....
I can see why they have a saddle and rider on him for the sale photo. He's heavy in the withers and saddle fitting would probably be difficult. I also find it odd that he cocks his hind leg to rest it at such an extreme angle. As you know, Gabbrielle has lameness issues on and off, and the one glaring difference I see between her and my other horses is her stance while grazing. Her neck is shorter, so she has to spread her front legs really far apart, which puts pressure on her shoulder. You gotta look for little things like that and it helps to see the horse around a bunch of other horses so you can observe the differences.
You have to follow your instinct....bottom line it's a lot of money and your head and heart will know when it's the right one. Have a wonderful day!
Yep, those hindquarters are something else. If you don't mind me being blunt for a second they remind me of some of my attempts at drawing horse legs when I was a kid. They just kind of wobble in the wrong places if you know what I mean. ;-)
I've heard of deep litter systems before but that just sounds disgusting. That's asking for thrush big time.
Hang in there, hopefully the right horse will appear soon!
I wouldn't buy a horse with a cresty neck like that either!
I've heard of deep bedding chickens, and even (uncommonly) cows, but I'd never heard of it with horses. It does sound like a great recipe for thrush, but maybe not...
I see dropped pasterns...and I don't like the way his legs look from the knees/hocks down. In the first photo he even looks back at the knee.
He has a nice head though and from what I could see cute ears and soft eyes.
But the legs would make me run away, especially if the prices are so high in Germany.
The layered straw bedding is pretty common. I did that in my chicken coop for about 4 months while I was recuperating after my ACL surgery a few years ago. But I sure didn't like the clean up. The straw mats up so thick, you about need a crowbar to pull it all up!
~Lisa
You guys are great, you see things I did not see. I didn't like the deep pastern angles, that really scares me. But strangely I did not see a cresty neck. Hm, I guess I should look again.
Sweet horse, he'll make someone happy, but I don't know how the legs would stand up to hard work.
Thanks for your input.
He looks a bit camped out in the hind, he is long from the hip to stifle. cresty necks and weight issues can be fixed, as you know.
I dont see a prob with the withers, he actually will hold a saddle well if they arent to, prominent, which it doesnt look like they are.
You will find one!! The longer it takes the more money you can save!
LOL its a hard road sometimes.
I am going to take a freind to look at a Rocky Mtn. mare. She wants a gated horse that is quiet. This little mare is only 4 but she is a typical RM in personality is sounds like. They are known for that.
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