Finally decided to sell my horse

[Cara]

After months of indecision on my part, and stubbornness on my DH's, we've come to the agreement that Lucy needs to go. He likes her but doesn't need her, I just can't get along with her and my 'pleasure' horse is more like a headache.

It hurts, I waited my whole life to have a horse of my own. The night we brought her home I was so excited I couldn't hardly stand it. I wore a path between our house and our horse pens going to look at 'my horse' every ten minutes. In the end my husband gave up and went to bed, and figured i'd sleep outside with her.

As he put it though, trying to gain confidence from her is like trying to learn to cook from Gordon Ramsay. She knows she can rule the roost, and having her remind me of that each day isn't doing either of us any good.

A couple are coming to look at her tomorrow, to use as a ranch horse. Hopefully it will be a happy ending for both of us.

 

[verlaj]

I sympathize with you - I made a mistake on the first horse I bought, which was for my daughter. She was sweet, but it turned out that she wasn't safe to ride. I knew better the second time - found a great horse that was a joy - patient, sensible, and well-mannered.

Good luck, and don't feel too discouraged. You will find another that will be a joy for you.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Had the same situation with my first horse that also turned out not to be a good match. I had waited my whole life to buy a horse, having to wait 'til I was an adult. It took me a while to finally make the decision but I finally sold him and got a good horse that truly was a pleasure not to mention a lot safer to ride.

 

[Cara]

Well thanks guys, I find it encouraging that you found the right match. I guess it finally sunk in that if i'm riding for pleasure, and the thought of getting on her gives me a knot in my stomach, it's a pointless exercise.

I feel like i'm giving up and she's winning, but then I don't want to ride 'potential' for the next 20 yrs.

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Quote:
You are only giving up on one horse - and you win! There is a wonderful horse waiting to be your perfect match - do not become discouraged.

Not every horse matches every rider.

The right horse is out there - you just have not crossed paths yet. When it happens, you will be so happy! And so will your horse!

 

[verlaj]

Cara - The first horse we bought bucked me off one day as soon as I put my weight in the saddle - twice. I was lucky not to be seriously injured. I had no idea what set her off. Decided it was NOT worth the risk to me or my daughter. After that, we found that really good , kind riding horse for my daughter. And when MY time finally came to get a horse for myself (after waiting my entire life like you!) a main selling point of the horse I bought was that he stood like a statue when I mounted. I had so much fear instilled in me by the incident with the first horse that it took me a while to regain my confidence, even though I had taken many tumbles in my life of riding horses.

It is not worth it to ride a horse that scares you or is unsafe or just plain isn't fun. You are doing the right thing - both for yourself and the horse. She may be perfect for someone else and there is a perfect one for you out there too.

9 years later and I am still riding the horse that stands like a statue when I mount him!

 

[Cara]

That makes a lot of sense to me. My DH thinks I am overly picky, I think a first horse or confidence building horse is the hardest kind to find. If you have it in you to tackle a training project, the world is your oyster. For me i'm not there yet.

I knew in my gut she wasn't the right one before we bought her. I just get a vibe off some horses that I don't like, and it doesn't seem to follow any particular rule. There are just some that intimidate me and some that don't scare me in the least.

We have a 2yr old filly that I love dearly, we will start her this fall but I think she will probably be too much for a while. My husband can't believe she has the quiet personality that she does, as she's bred to be extremely hot. That might change under saddle! She is a different story though, we get along much better and i'd be happy to keep her as a pasture ornament forever more if necessary.

We've talked it over and will probably take our time and look for something I get along with. Maybe that 10-15yr old gelding we had in mind to begin with LOL I'm to the point where I don't care if I ride a Welsh pony or a Percheron, just so long as it's amenable!

 

[onthespot]

AMEN! I have ridden a lot of hot ones but there comes a time when it is just time for a horse you can trust and relax with. Sorry about Lucy, didn't sound like a promising match from the start. I sure hope you find the good one you so deserve, and I hope the horse finds you. You sound like a wonderful home for the right one. (heck, even for the wrong one!

)

 

[CountryMom]

I am relieved for you and know this isn't going to be easy seeing her go. However, there are many more horses out there and I am sure you can find something to really be thrilled with. One that years later you will still wear that path to the barn/horse pens to visit your wonderful "pleasure" horse.

 

[Cara]

I hadn't thought of it that way CountryMom

Our 2yr old is a joy to see anytime, Lucy's become more of a thorn in my side and a reminder of what I can't do. She's also caused more than a few arguments around here. The right one will be a partner, not an adversary.

We have learned a lot from the whole episode though. In particular, i'm no longer going to ask my husband to ride any prospective purchases for me. It's irrelevant whether he gets along with it or not, if I can't then it's of no use to us. But there's still no way i'm trying out something that the seller won't ride first!

He does have some stipulations for the next one though ... no more mares! And if it's a Paint or Appaloosa, he's not riding it where anyone else can see

Thanks for saying that onthespot, that was very kind of you