I think you've gotten lots of good advice about
horse height, now we can start educating you on horse age! Eight is by no
means to old to start endurance. In fact many people would say that's
about the perfect age because the horse has finished growing so no growth plates
to damage and it's brain is ready and eager to learn a job. There is
nothing wrong with beginning to work with a 4 year old either, you just have to
go much slower since the horse is still maturing. 4 year olds can compete
in Limited Distance rides. 5 years of age is the youngest horses can
compete in endurance rides. Just as with height, I would never let a
horse's age stop me from trying. There are lots of horses that don't begin
their endurance careers til even their teens and they do fine as long as they
are carefully and lovingly ridden.
Have fun; sounds like you're in love with the
bigger horse - that's a great start!
Thanks everyone for the advice!
Everyone has brought up so many good points. The horse in question is a
mustang. He looks a lot like an Arab to me. I can't quit
thinking about him! I think I'm going to have to go for it.
I believe he would be a great start in endurance for me. And I
think he's gorgeous.
I have a mustang now that is 14.1, and he
is the lean muscular type. He is built sort of 'arab-ish' too, but
he is already eight. Is that too old to take up endurance? I think
his talent will be as a hunter/jumper. This other gelding is four, which
is the right age to start working with an endurance horse, right?
Thanks for all the info. Reading
these posts gets me so excited about endurance, and helps keep me on track
with my goals.
A few years ago, I was in the market for a
replacement horse. My old horse had gotten old and passed away. As a 6 foot
tall, 170-180 pounds plus clothes and tack rider, (last couple of
rides we tacked out at 220-225. I am still trying to figure how my saddle
got heavier). I had always owned horses that were 15.2 -16 hands
tall. I was also partial to the well built horses too, 1000-1100 pound
range.
I had been away from endurance for several
years, and was really just looking for a trail horse. I tried out many
gaited horses, but didn't find the horse that clicked for me. My last two
horses had been an Arabian and an Arabian/Saddlebred. They had given
me 20 plus years of great riding. So I found myself going to the Addis
Arabian horse Auction in Oklahoma City. After studying the
catalog, I went from stall to stall looking for my next great riding horse.
I told my wife he would be 15.3 hands tall, about 1050 pounds, size 1 or 2
feet, 5 years old and preferably grey. One of the horses on my check list
was a 7 year old grey gelding who was standing in a stall with a big
hole in it. He looked like a 12 hand pony. The owner led him out and he
wasn't all that much better. He barely hit 14.3 hands tall He weighed
about 800 pounds and was narrow made in the front and back. Besides having
skinny legs ( 7 inches around?) his feet were size 000. My wife started
to walk away, but there was something in his eyes that I liked.
Later that day I saw him being ridden in the arena, and then saw how he
acted to be tacked up. Again there was something about him that caught my
eye. To my wifes surprise, I moved him up to #2 on my wish list.
Well you can guess the rest, He came home with
us. Along with another of my choices who was 15.1 and growing, bigger
feet etc etc. The second horse was a much better physical speciman in most
peoples eyes. But after one day of being around them both, I decided to
stick with my little gelding. He had never been on trail
and had spent his life not being a successful hunter jumper. After a few
months of trail riding, I realized he might enjoy doing enfurance . He
does. We bond well and communicate well as a team. When I see the
pictures of us at a ride, the macho/John Wayne part of me cringes. He
look so small and skinny and I look like a grown up riding the kids
Shetland pony. (see the July Endurance News Lighter side article, The
bottom photo is us.) . But look at his record. (KMA Chazz Piper). He is
doing great and we are enjoying the heck out of it.
If you were wanting to be a top National rider
and be on the international team, maybe you would need to be more choosy
about size and build. But my best advice for you is to find
someone whose personality you really like and select that horse
(assuming it is sound). The two of you will spend a lot of hours in each
others company, and you might as well enjoy being together.
