Dollar Is Now Looking For His Forever Home

It turned out to be pretty easy to get Dollar over his worry about the cinch so we could get back to riding together. He is an exceptional horse with a very solid temperament. I have started to advertise him for sale and have been surprised to discover how many folks want a horse who does everything - for nothing. Part of me wants to shout at folks - you don't understand how much effort can go into helping a horse become trusting, willing; and ultimately safe. Admittedly, there are horses that are easier to train than some, and then there are those great horses that were handled by an inexperienced handler and learned some undesirable behavior; but the bottom line is, all horses have to learn to "be" with people and someone has to spend the time teaching them. Whether it is me teaching the horse, or me teaching people to teach their horse; horses have to be taught.

It takes time, knowledge, and experience to train horses; so if you only have 2 days a week and limited experience, it is going to take a lot longer to train some horses. While I completely support sending your horse to a reputable trainer; ultimately, it is you who will continue training your horse when they come back to you. The bottom line is that you need to know how to effectively handle your horse, especially when they are young and impressionable.

That is why I like to see folks who are just getting started, hook up with the well broke, older horses who have enough experience to keep folks from getting into too much trouble. Jack was the first horse I ever purchased and nearly didn't because he was only 4. I didn't feel I had enough experience to have a 4 year old. However, I enlisted the help of a young trainer who described Jack as 4 going on 12. What he meant was that Jack had a very sensible, laid back temperament and wouldn't overreact to any mistakes I was bound to make as a beginner.

While some breeds are characteristically known for being laid back or "hot"; breeding is not a surefire way to decide if that horse is good for a beginner. I have met horses of every breed that will be good for beginners - it really depends on their personality and handling.