So I had a whole post all written out about all the different horses I am looking at, but then when I went back to this boys ad I had to stop and reconsider.
Lets look at this objectivly, I want to do endurance now, but I also want to do the conditioning on the horse myself. So where is the compromise?
If I truely wanted to do really well in this sport, THIS is the gelding to buy. Yes he is old, but he still has plenty of years of competing left in him. And who knows where I might be in 10 years anyway!
I still have moments of not knowing if I even want to continue my endurance horse search, and rather just work with Lucy with eventing again. But on the other hand I would LOVE if I could do both, or at least dabble in eventing with Lucy.
So enough talk! Who is this amazing horse you ask? Just take a look!
http://www.endurance.net/classifieds/classifieds/index.php?a=2&b=8163
His record:
http://www.doublejoy.com/erol/Individual/HorseHistory.asp
I talked with this woman briefly a couple weeks ago but she wasn’t interested in a least to own or payments. So I didn’t talk with her again until I saw his ad again today, so I e-mailed her again. Awaiting responce.
Sorry for the real post and not just pictures! I will post my pictures tomorrow!
Thanks!
3 comments:
I think this is the best of the prospects you have posted.
It is very doubtful that this horse is going to come to you ready to do a 50 miler....Looking at his record - he hasn't done a 50 since the beginning of 2007 (almost 3 years ago). All the rides since then were LD's with his last attempt 1 1/2 years ago (which he was pulled lame).
So I think you would end up doing much of the conditioning yourself. If you got this horse, you may end up being able to do a slow easy 50 in the spring (assuming he sin't lame, you ride him regularly etc.)
Even though many of those LD's are "top 10" - I don't look at this record and necessarily see an endurance (50+ miles) top 10 horse. He might be, but (as long as the lameness pull wasn't anything major) if I was looking at him, I would expect to be a middle of the pack rider with him. The LD's he's riding in (especially in this area) are not super competitive. *Everyone* pretty much understands that they are training rides. For example, if you look at Farley's record, She's doen VERY well in the LD's (because there's few people, most people aren't racing LD's etc.) and so far is a solid mid-pack horse.
I think that while you have a point what you are saying looking at his record, you have take into account his rider as well.
One of the main reason the woman is not keeping him is because he is too fast for riding with her daughter. So probably those LD rides that he has been competing in are the same ones as the wife and daughter are (he is the husbands horse). So his rider might be holding him back on those.
He did do quite well in the 50's he did before his current owners bought him.
The woman says that he is very forward and needs someone who can work on calming him down. That worries me the most, that he might be the run off at the start all excited and run out of steam half way through.
Thanks I'll update you on him and the others. Not feeling overly confident about the others, too bad the first geldings owner stopped responding.
Good points - I would have to go back and check with that in mind.
BUT - It's the LD's I'm referring too - just because he's doing well in the LD's doesn't mean he's necessariily a top ten 50 mile horse. I'm familiar with the LD's that they horse has done and most of them discourage racing, treat it as a training ride etc etc. As such, the rides aren't very competitive. So I guess my only point is that top 10 LD's in the last 2 years don't mean a whole lot as to the competitive-ness (I made up a word! I think...) when he gets back into 50's.
ALL THIS ASIDE - I do like him the best of everyone you posted and if he works for you in terms of price and terms, I think he's worth a look!
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