[Pony Fixer]

I traded my last horse (a 16 yo DWB cross, topped out at 3rd/4th level) for my current horse (an 8 yo WB, currently making the leap to 3rd) three years ago.

The horse I traded was a solid citizen--with some quirks--and a cribber. But he is an almost guaranteed 60+% down the C-line with a monkey on his back, has excellent ground manners and is an all-around good guy. I traded him because he was getting older, clearly wasn't going to go PSG, and this fancy young thing caught my eye. The woman I switched with wanted a horse for her JR rider (for which he would be perfect). She knew the horse well, and the younger horse she had was not suited for either her or her daughter.

I moved barns as we parted ways, and about 18 months or so later she traded this horse in a less-than-honest manner. Needless to say the current owner (who is a professional) used the horse for a student for a while, and with that student gone he has no job. And now he's 19 and has had not much interest for him for sale (well under $10K).

She contacted me yesterday and said I could have him back for free. YIKES!

He's a great horse. He's not for everyone (needs a confident rider otherwise he's spooky) and he "fakes it" easily but is difficult to really get through. He's 19. I board (but I've worked out a deal with the BO, so it would be reasonable to keep him for awhile). I barely have enough time for my current horse, but he's going to the trainer's for a bit to smooth out the changes, so I'd be horseless a few months anyway.

In a perfect world, I'd give or free lease him to a JR rider because I do honestly think he has a lot of years left and a lot to teach (this is not a sales ad, I haven't even accepted the offer yet).

Am I totally nutzo for even considering taking him back?

[snbess]

If you were in my area, I'd put you in touch with a friend of mine (AA) who would probably love to have just the kind of guy you're talking about. I can't believe you wouldn't be able to find a home for him with a very thankful AA or JR rider in your area. He sounds lovely, even with his "quirks". In the short term, you would have something to ride while your young horse is with the trainer.

[WrenTF]

If you were in my area I'D love to lease him - he's exactly what I'm looking for. So I'm with snbess - I'll bet you can find someone who would love to ride him.

[xQHDQ]

It sounds like you have everything under control financially. Take him back. I'm sure you will able to find someone for him with a little time. He sounds like he deserves to be taken care of.

[NOMIOMI1]

Unless you can find a good home beforehand I would not take him back... Really two horses in full board if you dont have even time for the one gets CRAZY (ask me how I know )

Ive been there... Done that... With hay on the rise its just not worth it IMO

About 700 dollars a month or so in training feed shoes or so (if you are on the very low end) and youve bought the horses in 10 months (assuming you could get 7k).

Its just not worth it to me.

Im riding a lovely horse right now (she never would) but if she offered him to me for FREE even I wouldnt take it being that I have my own and two horses is just SO much work.... I love him being HER responsibility and I ride him whenever I GET to it

[threemagicalmares]

If you take him back you can control who rides him. If he's sold or given away to someone else you have no say about where he goes. Not everyone is the kind of rider you would want him to go to and it seems as though you still love him and wouldn't want him to go to a questionable home. It sounds like you can handle the $$$, and since he's boarded you only have to ride him, not clean up after him. I have 3 mares, at my own place, but I'm retired so I can spend all day feeding and mucking and riding. I'm not sure what your situation is, but at 19 your boy does not need as much work as your younger horse, and may not need daily riding. Just work him into your schedule, and when your other horse comes back from the trainer start looking for an AA or JR who would love to ride him.

It is wonderful to have a horse to fall back on if one is hurt. My CWB mare was down for 2.5 yrs, due to a lameness situation, and if I'd not had the other 2 I'd have gone bonkers. Not to mention fat.

[MyssMyst]

If you were in my area, I'd love to have a horse like him. It's hard finding those schoolmasters, lol.

[slp2]

Absolutely! These solid citizen horses that have "paid their dues" deserve a good home when everyone else has passed them on. My beloved mare was getting older, and I knew it was too hard on her physically to continue eventing competitively. She doesn't owe me a thing--she has given me many great rides, and many memorable events together. So now it's time for ME to pay her back.

I bought a young horse and kept my oldie. It's been great! I still enjoy riding her, and riding two horses has improved my riding. She has had several wonderful leasers (young kids to older adults) and she is now teaching my hubby to ride! In fact, she pretty much has a "waiting list" for people who want to lease her if she is available. It has been a blast to see her take a pony clubber over their first cross country jump, or see the lightbulb go on the first time they get her on the bit. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And best of all, *I* have complete control over her care. I can pamper her to my hearts content and KNOW that she is getting the comfortable semi-retirement she deserves.

[netg]

Add me to the "if only you were in my area!" crew. I'm hoping to find a lease in the spring, and would be thrilled to find a horse just like him. I want something different from my horse just to improve my overall horsemanship skills, and something more trained so I can learn what I'm trying to teach my horse would be thrilling.

I hope I find your horse's twin in this area! (We also have horse property - I'm probably buying a too young to ride horse in the fairly near future, so a horse who would need to be retired in not too long a time would fit perfectly if I were actually taking on a horse for someone.)

Whether you take him and keep him or find him a new home - good luck, and I hope you get to have some more good times with him!

[Holly Jeanne]

Well, if someone had a mare like that in need of a retirement home, I'd be interested.

[cadance]

if I were you, I would take him back. It sounds like you're not that concerned about the $, and you'll need a horse for the next few months, so it seems obvious to take him, right? You could always charge for a lease, too once you got your other horse back..

[Petstorejunkie]

I think I remember seeing his ad a while back... dark bay?
I'd take him back and advertize him as a lease. At 19, whoever bought him would be his forever home, and what I've realized is not many people want that level of commitment.

[Mr.GMan]

OK--I will bite. What area? I may need a lease if we can't figure out why my guy is NQR. I think I remember you being in the area? See my location above....

[Heinz 57]

If you have any feelings whatsoever for the old man, take him back. I have one that is only 15 this year that I'm wrestling with over whether I should try to sell him NOW or just keep him for the duration. He's a similar type, though not as schoolmaster-y as yours, only likes certain riders and has some quirks but if you can steer and stay on you can probably get a ribbon out of him. He's ended up in a few bad situations before and I worry about what might happen to him.

Once back, you can lease him or find a qualified kid that deserves him. Clearly, if the current owner is a pro and has resorted to offering to GIVE him back to a previous owner, she's getting desperate and he's eating her bottom line. Time for him to stop getting passed around.

[Pony Fixer]

I think I remember seeing his ad a while back... dark bay?
I'd take him back and advertize him as a lease. At 19, whoever bought him would be his forever home, and what I've realized is not many people want that level of commitment.

Nope!

[Pony Fixer]

So my trainer says she is hearing about "free" horses almost daily--many of them nice. Obviously there is *something* about them (age, breed, maintenance, etc.) that makes them un-sellable, but there you go. This one is sound as a $, but cribs and is 19, so there it is.

This horse is not a perfect "schoolmaster". If you are a decent rider (which needs to be a given since he is spooky/lacks confidence), you can get good scores to Third. BUT, as I said before he can fake it, so you are going through the motions, not learning true connection/feel, etc. unless you really can dial in.

So therefore I would not say he "teaches" you how to ride correctly, which is the point of a schoolmaster. I am learning now with my new horse what connection and throughness really is, so re-learning my way up through 3rd. But I did learn how to navigate the tests, which is huge since the movements come so much faster as you go up the levels. He got me 2 of my silver scores, too, but that was with the old 4th/1, not sure if he could do that now.

Anyway, thanks for the input. I think he will be coming back with me, and if that does, I will post something for anyone who might be interested. I would most likely do a free-lease type deal. I also have to sit on him and see what has changed--it could be that he can't do that level at all anymore.

[Lord Helpus]

I think you should take him back. If not you, then who? Your old friend is in danger of being given away to ???? Could you sleep at night if you did not do anything now, and yet heard that he was in a horrible situation when he was 22 - 23?

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I turned my back on an old friend who had been good to me. -- Right now I own 4 horses and 3 are retired. I think that, when you buy a horse you need to be ready to be responsible for him for the rest of his life.

I hope this guy has many years left of being a schoolmaster. But when those days are over, SOMEONE has to care for him.

I can't trust that others will be as good to my horses as I am; I could never live with myself if I walked away from them.

Of course, I am be in the vast minority here. I just do what lets me sleep at night.

[bathsheba8542]

These solid citizen horses that have "paid their dues" deserve a good home when everyone else has passed them on.

THIS.

[RWR]

I think you should take him back too. I don't think you would have any trouble either re-homing him or finding a lease for him. I'd love to find a horse like this!

[NOMIOMI1]

Coth has a funny way of frying the poster and venting their issues with the situation on them...

To the people trying to make the OP feel guilty... You might as well go guilt trip the mail man for a package sent let by the sender.

Truly, the person who is in need of being guilted is the current owner not the OP who has another horse currently.

How rude people are to imply the poster doesnt love her old horse for not wanting to jump and take him back after she thought he already had a good home to begin with.

How secondly rude for people to assume that her saying that the barn owner would work it out with her for a WHILE means she can EASILY afford it, and saying she OWES it to the horse.