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Used V. Un-used

Linda wrote:
> 
> What has his training been like? (or was it mishandling?  I HATE trying
> to fix other people's mistakes, especially when I don't know exactly
> what happened & the horse can't tell me in so many words.)

I've got one of each - a greenie, Mouse, who's had *nothing* 
done with her; and Provo, who'd done a 25 and a 50, who my 
friend sold to me when she concluded after a year of owning 
him that she didn't want to deal with his previous owners' 
mistakes.

(she went on to spend the money I paid her, on a very nice 
3 yr old with no-one's bad habits built in).

I've enjoyed working with both horses and both have been
rewarding. But, to be honest, when I'm up on top, I'm still 
happier dealing with Provo and his idiosyncracies, than
Mouse who has that built-in green-ness which means she
can blow at any moment for whatever reason (but, OK, a lot 
of that is my inexperience at dealing with green horses).

Provo has been a challenge, but, like a greenie, we've 
taken it really slow with him, and built up the layers.
He's still by no means perfect, but every little victory
is just that - a victory - and that brings me immense
pleasure. His achievements and steps forward are no less
important than Mouse's.

-- 
**************************************************************
Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
Repotted english person in Sacramento, CA 
http://www.calweb.com/~elsie

with Mouse (on her second set of shiney front shoes) 
and Provo (proudly supporting all-four feet's worth)
**************************************************************

---- Begin included message ----
linda,

if you had the chance to get an unhandled (mostly just un-"messed with") 3 or
4 year old, would you consider something like that? just a VERY hypothetical
question, that's all.

liz
----------
Subj:	 price (and value) of horses
Date:	9/10/98 11:26:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:	flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu (Flemmer, Linda)
To:	ridecamp@endurance.net

Good discussions regarding endurance horse prices.  I'm not a breeder
(professional or backyard), but I'm one of the consumers!  Here's my
take on this.  (For what it is worth, we're in Northern WV, away from
the cheap S Calif arab source.)

I'm looking to get a "replacement horse" next spring/summer as our guys
are not getting any younger (13 & 17).  We've decided to get a yearling
since he will be ready to start LD when we want to retire the older
gelding.

We are planning on spending $1000-$1500 for this yearling, and we hope
that we can find a nice horse with a good pedigree and great
conformation for the price.  At that price, I expect a registered arab
yearling who has been handled, had good medical care, decent pedigree
and conformation and sound nutrition.  Period!  That may already be
asking a lot!

I will let this yearling "be a horse" for a while in a 10 acre pasture.
I'll spend time working with him to train him for the future (my form of
relaxation).  I'll spend money to care for him (not a phenomenal amount,
but it ads up) for the next 3+ years before I can even begin to think of
riding him.  By the time I get to that point, I'll have spent around
$5,000 for him, and he's still unproven in our sport.  (If not more $
than that.)

Why don't I go get the $900 special down the road who is broke and a
"good endurance prospect"?  What was his nutrition & early care like?
What has his training been like? (or was it mishandling?  I HATE trying
to fix other people's mistakes, especially when I don't know exactly
what happened & the horse can't tell me in so many words.)

Why don't I wait & spend $5000 later?  I still get somebody else's
training on the horse, and their philosophy may not have been mine.  I
don't have the joy of saying, "He's mine, & I trained him."  I have the
luxury of enough space & $ to keep him for several years just to let him
grow.  What do I get in that time?  - the beauty of a youngster playing
in the pasture, teasing the "old men" (aka our geldings), bonding with
me, the joy of discovery.  (Remember that first scary stump, the first
drink from a fast stream, the first deer on the trail or first car
zooming past?!)

I see a good reason to buy a quality animal, but I enjoy the work that
goes into the young ones as well.  It is as cheap to care for a good
horse as a bad one, so why should I spend the same amount of money on a
older "prospect" when a younger "prospect" that will have more going for
him.  RIDING the horse is not the only enjoyment I get from them.

Linda Flemmer
Rambling, as usual.....
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