Going to be getting a horse soon; need advise on how to pick right...

[res]

I'd rather look at conformation first if I am gonna be riding for a 25-mile race. Temperament is a great factor, but it's not going to make the ride comfortable for you or the horse. If the conformation can't hold up to the training then you are kinda shooting yourself in the foot.

My 36-yr old gelding was purchased solely for his temperament, to be my husband's horse. Conformationally, he looks like he was made of spare parts, and that is how he rides, too. I could sure walk him 25 miles comfortably, but no way would I ever trot him that far.... And his arthritis at this point is horendous, and he's never been ridden hard. It's just how he's made.

 

[cbnovick]

Hi Cari,
I owned and bred several Polish bred (Bask lines) several years ago...Arabs are wonderful horses. I am currently horseless...living in suburbia and raising a few kids etc etc! I found that there are definitely different strains if you will of types...some are stockier and some are more lean and racey looking...as long as they are even tempered and have good big round hooves, you should do well in endurance. Some of the part breds like Quarabs (half QH and half Arab) are very sound and a bit bigger built...best of both worlds! Probably want one that has a flatter gait without much front end lift (english park show types) as you want energy going into covering ground. great hooves and a strong back (nice and level with strong rounded croup/hip) will keep the horse sound and able to go the last mile carrying a good amount of weight too. good luck!
Cindy in AZ (-;

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Thank you guys for the info! Great to know!

I found a 3 y/o Gelding that I am absolutely in love with... unfortunately he is out of my budget right now so I guess I will keep researching and saving my pennies!

 

[Windrider]

Have you looked through Arabian Horse.com? http://www.arabianhorses.org/marketplace/Classified/Search_pas.asp

Sadly, I am not likely to ever have a horse again, but I like to go there and browse anyway. Seems like a place online to get ideas and make contacts. The classified ads there allow you to select for what discipline you are interested in. Many horses listed under endurance already have endurance experience. Like this mare I found right away, and relatively close to you! Not sure what your price range is, though.

http://www.arabianhorses.org/marketplace/Classified/pas_detail.asp?id=62562

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Draftsforsale.com is a good one too. They don't have only drafts, and there are a lot of draft crosses for sale that are sport horses.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Hey Cindy,

I just talked to a trainer that said Basks are extremely high tempered and hard to deal with, has this been your experience?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Have you looked through Arabian Horse.com? http://www.arabianhorses.org/marketplace/Classified/Search_pas.asp

Sadly, I am not likely to ever have a horse again, but I like to go there and browse anyway. Seems like a place online to get ideas and make contacts. The classified ads there allow you to select for what discipline you are interested in. Many horses listed under endurance already have endurance experience. Like this mare I found right away, and relatively close to you! Not sure what your price range is, though.

http://www.arabianhorses.org/marketplace/Classified/pas_detail.asp?id=62562

Hi there!

Yes I have looked at that site, I browse it often! Unfortunately most on there are out of my price range. But it sure is fun to look!

 

[Lone Wolf]

I think Arabians, Quarter Horses or Mustangs (my favorite but may be a little too wild) would work.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I know a variety of people who compete in endurance with everything from QH's, to appaloosas and thoroughbreds. I've seen people use paints, ponies, tennessee walkers, etc. Honestly, I think any well conditioned horse with decent confirmation can compete in endurance riding (unless, like another poster mentioned, you want to go to the very top level competitions. Though I still know someone with intentions of going to Tevis with an app and her app is excellent. I have no doubt she will kick butt!).

I wouldn't immediately choose a single breed to focus on. It's usually better to keep an open mind, even if you are mostly looking for arabs. If you want a larger horse with some arab blood, quarabs are a nice mix. After shopping for horses on many occassions, I've learned many lessons about horse shopping and usually end up with horses who are not the best looking, but have turned out to be amazing horses to ride.

An important note (which many of my horse friends fail to follow) is when you look at the horses, bring a horse knowledgeable person with you. Even though you have horse knowledge and experience, it is always best to bring a second (or even third opinion) along. If you are looking at a more pricey horse and are in the serious stage of choosing, consider a vet check (especially since you want a sound, athletically stable horse). Also, beware of horse dealers. I've lucked out a few times with dealers, but I knew what I was looking for and had experience dealing with them. A friend of mine had two bad experiences with the same dealer and the dealer was so smooth talking I couldn't even talk him out of buying the horses he did.

Another note, is you may want to buy a horse that is already trained rather than green. I think a common misconception is that it is better to buy a young horse so the horse will know you and your commands, but I've found that is not always true, especially since this will be the first horse YOU have owned in some time. Sometimes having to be responsible for the training of a horse can be very draining and ruin the fun of just jumping on and riding. I enjoy refining a green horse every now and then, but starting out in the beginning with a young horse with no saddle time can be exhausting and frustrating. I think you would be much happier with a trained riding horse between the ages of 6-12. You will still have many years with a horse that age, but they should be more mature and level headed (Out of the foal mentality, I mean).

It may also be worth it to spend a little more to get exactly what you want. There are a lot of free and cheap horses out there, but it can be difficult to find a diamond in the rough with that selection. Don't be afraid to spend a few thousand on a horse that is perfect for you. It will be WELL worth it in the end and still cheaper than ending up with a less expensive or free horse that needed training or has problems down the road. (Mind you, not saying there is anything wrong with a free horse, but I find it is more difficult to find a perfect horse when you are looking at horses people are looking to give away for one reason or another. I've gotten a couple great free horses, but I consider that luck more than anything else. I've also had some really crummy free horses with lots of issues)

Best of luck in looking! The shopping process was never really a lot of fun for me, but once you find a horse that works for you, the actual riding part is always a blast!

 

[chickenmomma16]

Hey Cindy,

I just talked to a trainer that said Basks are extremely high tempered and hard to deal with, has this been your experience?

Had to give my 2 cents. I have a Bask bred gelding and he is a high energy horse but he never tires out even at 19yrs old. He is not hard to deal with at all and he lives his life wanting to please his people. His main fault is he is very sensitive to pain of any sort so would not cut it as an endurence horse. Heaven forbid he should scratch himself! He has amazing lung capacity and recovery time, it does give him a "tank" look along with his nice short back at only 14.2hh but don't let that fool you. I also have a Egyptian bred stallion who has sired a couple endurance/extreme trail horses. He gave them super hard hooves, straight and strong legs, and a "Lets go!" attitude. Keep in mind that (IMO) it is easier to hold a horse back on the trail then always have to push them forward constantly.

When you go look at a horse try to get them out of the arena or their comfortable pasture it may give you a better idea what attitude they will have on the trail. Some things I would look for in an endurance horse would be this:

* short strong back, shorter back horses can carry more weight comfortably.
* GOOD HOOVES are a must! Make sure they have had no prior problems.
* Willing attitude
* No major conformation faults (as mentioned earlier)
* good legs
* comfortable ground covering strides
* a balanced build, neither uphill or downhill.




Bay horse is the Bask gelding and the black is our Egyptian bred stallion they were 17yrs old in this pic.