What do you guys think of these colts? Pics on page 3,6,7,8 & 12

[EweSheep]

Don't forget the sweet itch problem and hope it is NOT mange...that would be a tough work to get it out.

Anyway, do post when you have the time and let us know what's the vet's verdict is on the pinto. I agree that he looks older than two and your vet can tell if it is an older horse or not.

 

[patandchickens]

Can I ask, when you say "ride out", what do you mean? I ask because some peoples' idea of a trail ride is half an hour and they're pooped, some peoples' is 1-2 hrs of mostly walk and trot, other peoples' is 1-2 hours of fast trot and canter, and others' is "five hours and pack a lunch in case we decide to go longer".

Pat

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

VERY good question pat!!!!!

I'm a 1-2 hours and my butt's hurting. My friend is a 5+ hours and she's still ready to go, well, until I smack her off the saddle for suggesting to continue.

 

[danischi24]

I wish it was mange-that's so curable. Sweet itch isn't.
Riding out for me is an hour or two with speed depending on the terrain & training of the horse. It's usually done at a walk with canter on smooth stretches or up nice hills.

 

[patandchickens]

Yah, I'd take mange over sweet itch too (provided I had an area to quarantine), not that it's a choice you generally get to make LOL

To me, the QH is better built with fewer big structural weaknesses than the pinto, plus he's not got sweet itch, and I would not be riding EITHER of them for at least a year and really probably more like two. So personally if I had to buy one or the other (rather than keep looking), I'd go with the QH with no regrets in the slightest. Of course it's not me buying a horse, it's you; just sayin'

Pat

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

To me, the QH is better built with fewer big structural weaknesses than the pinto, plus he's not got sweet itch, and I would not be riding EITHER of them for at least a year and really probably more like two. So personally if I had to buy one or the other (rather than keep looking), I'd go with the QH with no regrets in the slightest. Of course it's not me buying a horse, it's you; just sayin' tongue

I have to agree with Pat on this one, with a caveat: The qh, according to those papers, is a yearling foaled in May, 2009, which is a lot younger than the pinto, but he IS the better horse, IMO. He'll just need more time. With that breeding, he will make a good, sensible stallion who will want to be your partner, not your adversary. Since working cowhorses cannot be very common in your part of the world, he may not have the kind of mind you are expecting.

Working cowhorses are a lot like working dogs--you teach them what they need to know and then you trust them to do their job while you do yours. If you approach them this way, they will go out of their way to help you achieve whatever task you are doing. They WANT to be your partner. They do not respond well to being nagged with reins or heel. Here in the States there are many what I believe are "technical riders", which is to say they decide exactly every step their mount takes. Dressage is a good example. But a working cowhorse operates more like a dog herding sheep. Once he knows the job, you offer direction but HE gets the job done with only occasional input from you. If you want an animal who is going to challenge your authority at every stride, a QH is generally the wrong horse.

HTH

Rusty​

 

[danischi24]

I agree.
So where I'm sitting at now is that the QH is the nicest but being too young & with me having livery expenses more than my rent, I will have to pass on a horse I can't ride soon. So I'll go look at the pinto tomorrow, do a flexion test, video it & we will go from there.

 

[patandchickens]

If the costs of keeping the horse is a big factor, I would SERIOUSLY suggest continuing to look (not even bothering going back to reevaluate the pinto's soundness), because I really betcha that if you start riding him anytime soon, it will not be long before unfixable problems start popping up. Age and *development* are two different things.

Really, how much would it kill ya to keep looking another few months or half a year?

Good luck,

Pat

 

[danischi24]

At least half the problem is that most horses are 5 times the price of these for quality the same or worse. I have been looking more than 6 months. These are the 3 I picked out during that time & at last, I went to go see them. It's a different market with different quality than the US. I'll be leaving in a few minutes to go take a video of him move & his soundness for the leg specialist.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Most likely, your best choice is to find someone who takes good care of their breeding stock, and from them, buy a young, healthy horse that is inexpensive because of something you can live with (like a little too small or not the right color for the breed), take good care of it, and just somehow force yourself to not ride it til it's old enough. And I'd say 3, not 2, is old enough. Unless you would rather have the horse wore out by time he's 7 or so.

Failing that, stop trying to do this on the cheap. Get a job, save up money for a suitable horse, and do without riding or having a horse for a while.

Personally, I seriously doubt that honkin' THING on that pinto's hock is going to be 'cosmetic only' over the longer term, even if he flexes good now. It has two strikes against it: 1. It's on a hock and 2. It's on a hock.