Lindsay Grice's June Q & A Article

Q I am an amateur, looking for a horse to show at the novice level. What are some qualities that you think are important in the horse that I buy?

A. When I have a client looking for a horse I often need to remind them to shop with their heads and not their hearts. Colour, cuteness, or a fancy pedigree needs to take second place to some other more basic qualities - temperament, tolerance, training, talent and soundness.

I may suggest we live with a low score in one area if a horse is a real star in the others.

TEMPERAMENT I like to see a horse with a pleasant expression when being ridden and worked around. Does he pin his ears when the rider uses her leg or when another horse comes close by?  What about when I push him out of his comfort zone by asking him to do something new ? How does he tolerate a rider making a mistake?  Does he spook when I put an unfamiliar object in his path or ride him away from his usual schooling area?  A horse that is adaptable and kind is a treat to train (and, in the long run takes less time to train which is more economical!)

TOLERANCE. You take on a certain amount of risk buying a green horse with limited experience that has never been off the property. Although you can save some money buying a younger prospect, there is a possibility of an unforeseen quirk that only surfaces when the horse leaves familiar territory. With these horses it can take a lot of patience and many “field trips” before the horse is ready for a novice rider.

I consider it a bonus if I come across one that has been ridden or shown already by a novice. I know that such a horse is more likely to be forgiving of rider who is still learning. One drawback of a horse that has some mileage is that he may be likely to anticipate or have picked up some show ring habits. In this case it would be helpful to check out the horse at a show.

TRAINING I consider it a minimum requirement for a novice horse to have a solid understanding of lateral manoeuvres, collection and pace control. The horse should understand how to move his body parts in response to lateral cues from the rider’s reins and legs. He should be solid in his understanding of leads and transitions, as well as excellent ground manners.

With these basics in place, introducing other events like showmanship and trail come fairly easily.

TALENT Any horse you buy must have the talent to excel at the job you want him to do. Just as a football player won't cut it as a ballet dancer, neither will a horse that is built for  halter competition, necessarily excel as a western pleasure horse or as a hunter over fences. Many horses for sale are advertised as good movers so it is important to know how to identify exactly what that is.
A successful hunter must jump with a round topline  and his knees up. A western riding horse seems to switch leads cleanly and in unison rather than hop from one lead to another, and wants to travel consistently, without a natural “motor”.

Pick the event you wish to excel in and make sure the horse has the horse has the natural talent to do the job.

Training, shoeing etc have only a limited effect in improving a horse's natural movement, so be objective.

SOUNDNESS This is where you'll need the opinion of an experienced vet. Although he is unlikely to recommend whether or not you actually purchase your prospect, his examination will come up with some areas of concern. Do not be shocked at the vet's findings. Every horse has imperfections. Your job is to determine if you can take the risk of purchasing a horse with the imperfections you discover.
Depending on your budget, and riding experience, you may be able to sacrifice a high rating in one or two of the above categories. If you're an experienced rider, and plan on working on a project for several years, you may do very well with a horse with less mileage. If your budget can include regular veterinary maintenance, corrective shoeing and dietary supplements, a horse with some soundness concerns might serve your needs just fine. Do you need to resell your horse after a couple of years? You will need to be pickier about a favourable vet check. Are you a competitive rider with excellent timing? You might be able to work with an emotional or reactive horse if it is an excellent mover.
Define your needs, and don’t be an impulse buyer!.