Horse Crazy by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Page A
Authors: Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Tags: England, Horses, UK, Royal, New Zealand, Riding, horseback riding, equine, hunter jumper, nz, princess anne, kiwi, equestrienne
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Somebody has to muck out that soon-to-be-nasty stall
constantly. And then put new bedding down. Somebody has to maneuver
him into the paddock, lead him back into his stall, mix his feed,
serve his feed, re-serve his feed a few hours later and generally
keep an eye on him.
There is a feeling that the people who own
stall horses tend to think that owners of pasture horses aren't
quite equestrians or true horse people. A definite snob-factor
exists with many people who stable their horses. Their feeling is
that only people who don't hunt, or who aren't training for
something terribly equestrian (and therefore terribly important) or
who ride "pleasure horses" would do such a sorry thing. Or maybe
the owners of plow horses.
In any event, you need to examine your wallet
and make your decision. To stall or not to stall? Then, choose your
horse accordingly.
Below is an example of such a check-list.
Some of these points may not be as important to you as others. You
may have special considerations you'll want to add.
The idea is to find out as much as possible
about the animal before you waste your time and gasoline to find
out he is not acceptable.
HORSE-HUNTING CHECK LIST
1. Is the horse safe? Safe enough for a
child?
2. How old?
3. How big?
4. Any vices?
5. Rides English or Western?
6. Does he shy much?
7. Is he pasture or stall boarded?
8. Is he easy to catch?
9. Does he stand quietly when he's tied?
10. What sort of bit do you use on him?
11. Does he jump? How high?
12. Has he ever been shown?
13. Who is your farrier?
14. Who is your vet?
15. Does he trailer well?
16. How long have you had him?
17. Why are you selling him?
18. Appearance?
It's usually important to ask why the person
is selling the horse. Although very few will come right out with:
"He bites like a pit bull and has a trot that'll rotate your
dentures," you might get some clue if there's a hidden problem.
For the under-$1,000 horse, the most common
reason for being sold seems to be that a teenager has outgrown him.
Usually, it's a young girl going off to college or getting married
with no longer enough time to take care of the animal. Sometimes,
the rider wants to move up to a better, faster, higher-jumping
horse and can't until she sells the first model.
Or, you could simply be the beneficiary of
someone else's bad luck. Once, a friend of a friend of mine broke
her arm on her well-mannered bay when a dog startled him at a
canter. Unnerved and unsure of whether she wanted to continue
riding, she decided to sell the horse and work it all out later.
Since she couldn't ride with her arm (and her confidence) in a
sling, the horse's stall board seemed a bigger drain financially
than it had seemed before. She sold her quite wonderful horse for a
fraction of his worth--and of what she'd paid for him. So be sure
and ask the question and then listen carefully for the answer.
In two separate cases, a rider came upon a
reason to suddenly quit riding: in one instance it was the case of
the intolerant (jealous?) new boyfriend with the horse losing out
and in another it was simply impatience with a new horse that
wasn't quite what he'd seemed prior to the purchase. In both cases,
the women--uninterested in waiting out the long period it often
takes to sell a horse: advertising, schlepping out to the barn to
meet prospective buyers, paying upkeep on the horse in the
meantime--both donated their horses to a nearby university riding
school. Perfectly good horses. Animals that each woman had paid
well over $1,500 for. Given away for whatever tax deduction such a
gesture usually allows.
Then, of course, strange as it may seem,
sometimes a rider will simply, inexplicably, grow tired of riding
as a hobby and want to be shed of it.
In any case, once you're satisfied that the
horse sounds like what you might be looking for, make arrangements
to ride him. Mention to the person you're dealing with that you
will want to see the horse ridden before you actually get
constantly. And then put new bedding down. Somebody has to maneuver
him into the paddock, lead him back into his stall, mix his feed,
serve his feed, re-serve his feed a few hours later and generally
keep an eye on him.
There is a feeling that the people who own
stall horses tend to think that owners of pasture horses aren't
quite equestrians or true horse people. A definite snob-factor
exists with many people who stable their horses. Their feeling is
that only people who don't hunt, or who aren't training for
something terribly equestrian (and therefore terribly important) or
who ride "pleasure horses" would do such a sorry thing. Or maybe
the owners of plow horses.
In any event, you need to examine your wallet
and make your decision. To stall or not to stall? Then, choose your
horse accordingly.
Below is an example of such a check-list.
Some of these points may not be as important to you as others. You
may have special considerations you'll want to add.
The idea is to find out as much as possible
about the animal before you waste your time and gasoline to find
out he is not acceptable.
HORSE-HUNTING CHECK LIST
1. Is the horse safe? Safe enough for a
child?
2. How old?
3. How big?
4. Any vices?
5. Rides English or Western?
6. Does he shy much?
7. Is he pasture or stall boarded?
8. Is he easy to catch?
9. Does he stand quietly when he's tied?
10. What sort of bit do you use on him?
11. Does he jump? How high?
12. Has he ever been shown?
13. Who is your farrier?
14. Who is your vet?
15. Does he trailer well?
16. How long have you had him?
17. Why are you selling him?
18. Appearance?
It's usually important to ask why the person
is selling the horse. Although very few will come right out with:
"He bites like a pit bull and has a trot that'll rotate your
dentures," you might get some clue if there's a hidden problem.
For the under-$1,000 horse, the most common
reason for being sold seems to be that a teenager has outgrown him.
Usually, it's a young girl going off to college or getting married
with no longer enough time to take care of the animal. Sometimes,
the rider wants to move up to a better, faster, higher-jumping
horse and can't until she sells the first model.
Or, you could simply be the beneficiary of
someone else's bad luck. Once, a friend of a friend of mine broke
her arm on her well-mannered bay when a dog startled him at a
canter. Unnerved and unsure of whether she wanted to continue
riding, she decided to sell the horse and work it all out later.
Since she couldn't ride with her arm (and her confidence) in a
sling, the horse's stall board seemed a bigger drain financially
than it had seemed before. She sold her quite wonderful horse for a
fraction of his worth--and of what she'd paid for him. So be sure
and ask the question and then listen carefully for the answer.
In two separate cases, a rider came upon a
reason to suddenly quit riding: in one instance it was the case of
the intolerant (jealous?) new boyfriend with the horse losing out
and in another it was simply impatience with a new horse that
wasn't quite what he'd seemed prior to the purchase. In both cases,
the women--uninterested in waiting out the long period it often
takes to sell a horse: advertising, schlepping out to the barn to
meet prospective buyers, paying upkeep on the horse in the
meantime--both donated their horses to a nearby university riding
school. Perfectly good horses. Animals that each woman had paid
well over $1,500 for. Given away for whatever tax deduction such a
gesture usually allows.
Then, of course, strange as it may seem,
sometimes a rider will simply, inexplicably, grow tired of riding
as a hobby and want to be shed of it.
In any case, once you're satisfied that the
horse sounds like what you might be looking for, make arrangements
to ride him. Mention to the person you're dealing with that you
will want to see the horse ridden before you actually get
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