You Dont Always Need The Horse That Fits in Your Box... The topic of ex-racehorses. They seem to be popping up all over in various disciplines (even Western). Unfortunately, there is still a stereotype that they are all crazy!. Sure they were bred to run and be athletic and many of them prefer having a daily job to test their stamina... but there are PLENTY who could compete against a good ol Quarter Horse when it comes to the quiet/lazy/easy going personality. Here is a video of an ex-racehorse who went from being a racehorse to teaching this beginner rider how to ride, without any training in between. The young man was helping out at the farm where this horse is boarded. He just turned 16 and has always wanted to ride a horse. Well... you tell a barn full of ladies and you betcha this kid was on a horse five minutes later! The first few horses he sat on were big jumper show horses. He did fine and was not afraid of their size, but they only wanted to play babysitter for so long. Wally, the ex-racehorse in the video, has always been an easy going laid back guy and the best one on the ground. He was the horse used to teach the young man how to lead, put a halter on, bathing,etc. So, they thought well... lets try Wally. A few weeks later you have this video. His first horse show. (Again, leave it to a barn full of ladies and there was no going back for this kid!). He was still learning how to post/steer/check his diagonals all at the same time when he was suited up for his showing debut, but he did pretty well! This is just a reminder that you dont always need a horse that fits in your box taken from a text book list of what you WANT. You just need the horse that FITS with what you NEED. In this case, this stereotyped wild ex-racehorse fits for this young man who wants to learn how to ride. Would he fit as a world class dressage horse? Um, no. Could he be the horse in the barn that anyone can ride and he will do just about anything you ask? Yes. It does not always matter what breed, color, age, size, bloodlines, or past-job your horse had. Horses are versatile creatures. If you find a horse that is fun and does what you need to do, then frankly, who cares what it is. Many of us have seen all sorts of horses go thru Richs barn, every breed, size, and color, just like many of us have passed every breed, size, and color on the trail. If you come to his Cow Sorting or Obstacle Challenge events, guaranteed it is not only cow bred or trail bred 15.1hh bay QH geldings in the ring. You will see English horses, Warmbloods, Drafts, Ponies, etc. That is what makes riding so fun. Yes there are specific needs for a horse when you are competing, but if you are looking for a horse to just enjoy and have fun with... does it really matter what they are? The next time you are on the hunt for a new horse, open your mind to something outside of your box. It may surprise you what you can find! (Video of Sean Rafferty at his first horse show on Costello, aka Wally, owned by Mandy B.)
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:02:22 +0000
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