Brood Mares.....I have a question about them...

[Jolyn]

I saw a six year old brood mare on Craigslist for $500. She is a beautiful paint......She is not broke it says. My question is can she still be trained for riding and etc even though she is that age and hasn't had any training this far?

Not that i can get this horse at this time but for future reference.

Thanks for any info,
Jodie

 

[chickbea]

Ha - that's a loaded question!

Well, any horse can be trained at any age, but the longer a horse has been left to its own devices, the more bad habits you may have to deal with. You are also going to have to devote more time and energy to the task. It's not impossible - an old Morgan we had when I was a kid had only been trained for driving and pulling, and at age 20 he took on a new career under saddle and ended up loving it.
Also, when they say she is "not broke", that can mean a variety of things to different people. Is she not trained under saddle? Is she halter broke, at the very least (I would hope so...)?
Here's my personal opinion (because I can't keep my opinions to myself...

) - I'm always suspicious of anyone who is breeding a horse that has not proven that it can perform a purpose. When any animal is considered for breeding, the breeder should be devoted to passing on traits other than color and a fancy pedigree. To me, color is irrelevant, and so is pedigree if the horse is obnoxious, mean, dishonest, bites, kicks, etc., etc.
However, there is always the posibility that she is a wonderful mare who was injured in some way and she is now a brood mare because of that. One just never knows...

 

[patandchickens]

By someone who knows what they're doing, yes. However, be aware that the chances are pretty high that there is a *reason* she's being sold as a broodmare and not a riding horse, i.e. unsoundness.

Occasionally you run into legitimately sound mares that were put directly into foal production and never started under saddle, or were started but nothing else was ever done with. However, this is not common, and even when you do run across it, it's *mostly* that's ones with excellent pedigree and funky conformation (i.e. questionable long-term soundness), or excellent pedigree and questionable temperament.

By all means find out more about the mare, if you're shopping. You never know. But, don't get your hopes up too high, and be exTREMEly careful w/r/t having her vetted if she seems otherwise desirable. Caveat *very* emptor

Cheap ex-broodmares that become solid sound riding horses are not all that common, although probably a little more so in today's economy than in past years.

Best of luck,

Pat

 

[Jolyn]

Thanks to you both for your replies. They really helped.

 

[wynedot55]

yes that mare can be broke to ride.if i was going to break her.id have a knowlageable trainer break her.i doubt she has any bad vices or habits.since she has never been ridden.but remember even at 6 she will be greenbroke.itll take alot of wett blankets to make her a seasoned saddle horse.

 

[Their Other Mother]

One more thing-- If it sounds too good to be true, it usally is!

Pay for the best vet check and have a trainer with you. A brood mare for $500 bucks, maybe she is sound but throws problems.

(They sell horses on Craigs list?)

 

[Momo]

I would be very very cautious about a mare like this. A cheap horse is tempting but the purchase price is the smallest amount of money you'll spend on a horse in the coming years. (And if a cheap horse proves to be unsuitable - as they most often do - it will cost you a ton of money in training etc with no guarantees about the outcome. I've seen it happen many times.) I would advise you to spend more money to buy a broke, reliable horse that's a known commodity; a horse that you can love and enjoy and feel safe on. You might get lucky if you buy this mare. But it's a gamble I would not recommend.

 

[Cara]

I completely agree with Momo. My husband gave me a colt as a wedding present. $700 worth of training later, he is still not suitable for either of us and we just can't sell him. We can't even give him away. He is way too much for me to handle, antisocial and lazy. He is too small for my husband. You're far better off buying what you want outright and knowing what you're getting than taking a gamble, especially if you can't do the work yourself and taking the mare's age into consideration. Part of the problem with mine is that he was turned out for almost 4 years. Horses seem to reach an age where they could care less about being around humans and realize they'd much prefer to be their own boss.

 

[onthespot]

ya want a free mare instead? you can have missy. She is 11, green broke, toes in on one foot, slightly foundered, has had three babies.
She is really well bred, I mean REALLY well bred for a paint. She has Sonny Dee Bar, Barlinks Machoman, Triples Titan, Impressive, Yellow Mount, Croton Oil, Wallaby, Sonny Go Lucky and Sir Quincy Dan all in her pedigree, not too far back either.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

A lot of older horses who have never been schooled under saddle had that happen because the owner didn't have the time, ability, or was just plain scared of them. Lots of horses are just plain spooked by anything new--especially things they come across on the trail. The fact that you have to ask about this says you are not too experienced yourself. Green riders on green horses are just an accident waiting to happen--kinda like putting a 16-year old with a learners permit behind the wheel of a Ferrari. Save yourself a lot of grief and look for an animal with enough experience to balance your inexperience. It'll be cheaper in the long run.