Cross Breeds

Will this ex race horse be good for a beginer?

I am looking for a good horse but I am very much a beginner I can only walk and do a posting trot. So I found this horse that's for sale the only problem is that she is a ex race horse but other then that she is a great horse! But my mom will not let me own a Thoroughbred especially one that is a ex race horse because of there need to run and all that. So click on the link and let me know what you think will this be a good horse for me or not? http://www.horseville.com/php/view.php?id=218041 btw my mom has been around horses her whole life and owned a horse for 7 years so she would take care of it until I learn how to.

Public Comments

1. Hi Sweet, Sounds like your Mom has enough experience to know what horse would be right for you. Too many people buy a horse because it is pretty, or there is something that catches their eye. Thoroughbreds can be a bit hard to handle at times, especially fillies. If you were my daughter, I would be looking for a good gelding that is a bit older since you are a beginner. You don't want to fall in love with any horse, buy it, and then be very disappointed because you find out it is not the right horse for you. Your Mom sounds like she is qualified to give you some good advice, and what to look for, for a beginning rider. Let her guide you and help you pick out the right horse for you. I promise, you will have a lot more fun and be willing to ride and take care of the horse if you don't start out being afraid of it. If you buy this horse and it takes off with you, or it is hard to handle, that will be the end of your interest. Take your time and you and your Mom look around. Don't settle for the first pretty horse you see, I promise, you won't be sorry. Good luck
2. It's really probably not a good idea. If the horse was a little older and had been away from the racetrack for a long time and was experienced with being ridden a lot, then you might be able to handle it. But it sounds like the horse is very young and doesn't know a whole lot. The info about the horse says that she might make a good jumper... that means that they haven't really tried to jump her too much... she doesn't have a lot of experience. And it says that she gets anxious at the races... that might mean that she'll be excitable when you ride it and that's not a good thing for a beginner. If you're only ready to walk and trot, then if your horse gets spooked and runs into a canter, will you be able to stay on? The fact that they're only asking $1000 for her means that they know that they can't get very much money for her because she's not that experienced. The horse needs someone with a lot of experience to teach her how to be calm and how to move in a frame while under saddle and how to bend and stuff like that. If you're just at the walk trot level right now, you need a horse that knows a lot and can carry around a beginner safely. That's not to say that you couldn't get a horse, even a thoroughbred who was an racehorse... but find one that's a little older and has been around a riding stable a lot. It's going to be a little more expensive and you sound like you have your heart set on this filly, but it'll be better for you as a rider and better for the horse. I know you think your mom is just being mean or over protective, but trust me... she's trying to find the best horse for you.
3. the main thing wrong with ex racehorses, that is, any horse that has been raced, is that they are inclined to be nervous and unruly because of the excitement and abrupt violence of the whole racing act. this is true of any animal or person that has been exposed to violent competition. you need a quiet, under Control, pleasure horse just for riding. if you are looking for a horse for some kind of competition it would still rule out an old racehorse. find a horse for what you require of it, a "spoiled" horse is just that and it take a good trainer with lots of time to unspoil one if he, or she, can at all. listen to your mother.