There were a LOT of horses at the rescue, and they were all pretty sweet. The mare above is a 12 year old BLM Mustang named Skylar. She was STUNNING!
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| Stetson |
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| Tonto |
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| Skylar |
Leila was very sweet. She is "grade" but most certainly had/has Quarter horse and Arab bloodlines. She has been ridden over 50 times with a professional rider. She is 14.3 hands and has great bone conformation. Most of the rescue horses have "hay bellies" because they (the rescues) are trying to put as much weight on the horses as possible since they were starved and abused from previous owners.
Pro(s) on Leila:
Good bone
Has been ridden more frequently
Good conformation
Generally has good attitude.
Very pretty
Would be a great All-round horse.
Con(s) on Leila:
Tends to sometimes act "marish"
Introverted
Likes to frequently spook (Note these are not BAD spooks, they are usually just sidesteps and maybe a little bolt here and there).
More insecure
Overall I liked Leila, but I wasn't sure (am sure) if I am comfortable with a "marish" and spooky horse. Of course, the spookiness should go away over time, and the "marish" stuff could also.
However, I also found another horse who I like probably a little more than Leila. His name is Leroy.
Leroy is only two years old, and he is coming along nicely. Horses are't fully rideable until around the age of four. He should mature around 15hh. He is also a grade horse with Arab and Quarter horse blood. He has had over 30 rides with a professional trainer. He is already gelded, and is very, very sweet.
Con(s) on Leroy:
Young, hasn't had as many rides, would have to do a lot of training with him myself.
Hooves are low heeled and high toed-but that could just be a trimming problem.
Would have to wait longer to actually ride him.
Someone else also is interested in him.
Pro(s)
Extroverted, loves people.
Would have a strong bond with me if I trained him.
Perfect height
Good conformation
Good with other horses.
Athletic.
Curious about everything.
So, If I got Leroy I would have to wait longer to ride him and throughout the winter. He would need correct barefoot trims on his feet. Mrs. Tia would help me do a lot of groundwork and riding with him. She (Mrs. Tia) would also do the first rides on him when I get Leroy (and because I want to be a trainer also, this would be a great experience). Of course, if I worked for a long time with him then we would be very, very bonded and he could hopefully be my partner for many, many years. However, someone else also really likes him, so they may be a better fit and/or get him before I do.
My mom and I signed an application to see (and ride) both Leroy and Leila. We shall see what happens!!!
We saw foals to and they were so cute! They loved being rubbed all over. :)
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| Sleepy Leroy |
~CBL
That's quite a predicament. My concern about Leila is her height. You're what, 15? 16? How tall are you? While Leila is rideable now you could end up outgrowing her in a couple of years. But since Leroy is only 2 it would be quite awhile before you could do any serious riding with him. Do you have the patience to wait two years? I don't think I would. Hahahaha
ReplyDeleteI would LIGHTLY ride Leroy until next fall when he would be three and a half, then I would start riding him a little harder. I would most likely just do a lot of Natural Horsemanship with him because I know of the dangers of riding a horse who is too young. I am 15, but I am only 5' 3" and I prefer smaller horses. I am also done growing too......I have grown 1/8th of an inch in two years and I had a CAT scan a while back (1 1/2 ago) which said I was 92 % grown. I have absolutely no issue with smaller horses. Leroy should mature at about 15, 15.1 hh so he will be about perfect. :)
Delete~CBL
With both of the horses there are definitely pros and cons. With Leila I would be afraid of her becoming to pushy after awhile especially with being marish, but she is the perfect height. (14.3 isn't that small at all, just an inch short of 15hh) she has come along farther in her training and should easily become"Spook-Free'' Lol (Lots of desensitizing!) With Leroy I would just be afraid of you getting hurt, I'm sure you are an awesome rider but two year olds are very unpredictable. I would also be afraid of his hooves being high toed and low heeled. It may be the trimming but it could be the way they grow, If that's the case it could cause him some pain riding in later years. But, because he is young you can train him anyway you want, and the bond between the two of you would be unbreakable. If I were in your shoes I would take a test ride of both but from what I'm reading I would probably pick Leroy. Only because I can't stand pushy mares!
ReplyDeleteBut That's just my opinion. I say just go with your gut! If you don't know what you gut is saying then it probably isn't either of them. Once you find the horse for you you'll know for sure, you won't be second guessing!
Good Luck on your horse Hunt! I'm still looking for the perfect horse too.
Thank you for commenting!
ReplyDeleteYes, I am also leaning towards Leroy. I would have my five star Pareilli trainer come out once every other week to help me with riding and doing groundwork with him. I know two year olds are unpredictable, because I have ridden and trained multiple ones. Rusty, the Halfinger horse I ride now was two when I first started riding him, so I kind of know what to expect. I don't like "marish" behavior either. Sadly, I am very much so worried about his feet. I am going to have him vet checked and have a barefoot trimmer come and look at his feet during my appointment when I ride them both. We shall See!!
~CBL