Hi everyone, can anybody help with my dilemma.
I have found the horse I am looking for ploddy, steady safe and quite sane but everybody keeps giving me different information. He is only four but i have seen examples of him in really heavy traffic, doesn't bat an eyelid, loads like a dream, not bothered by farm machinery etc etc but certain people say that they are usually like this when young but can change drastically by the time they are six or seven, turning into a veritable fruit loop, is this always the case?

The same can be said about any four year old.. I did know of a lot of four year olds coming from Ireland and cause they do things slighlty diff to us they did tend to be very calm etc....

Is there a reason you are after a four year old.. You will need to keep up with his education to keep him on the straight and narrow...xxx

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A Gypsy Vanner?? I LOVE these horses, always have!!! So so beautiful!!

Sorry i have no advice, i guess like MOM has said it CAN happen to any young horse. BUt i hope it all works out perfectly for you and your horse.

Can we have a photo. Pleaseeee!!

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LOADING CRAZINESS..
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99% complete..

(-: plɹoʍ ʎʌɹnʇ ʎsdoʇ ʎɯ uı uo ƃuıoƃ ɥɔnɯ os 'uoos ǝɯıʇʎuɐ ʞɔɐq ǝq ll,ı ɟı ʍouʞ ʇ,uop 'ʞɐǝɹq pǝpuǝʇxǝ uɐ ƃuıʞɐʇ ɯɐ ı

I would have preferred something older but have been looking for a long time, this was the only one that I have seen with a 40' artic whizzing past his nose with only a slight step back.
I have lost my confidence with a horse before today and this one looked ideal.
I do have a secret weapon in the guise of two friends who are much better riders than me and won't put up with any naughtiness, I thought a combination of all three of us would be good to keep him on the straight and narrow.
Do all youngsters become challenging? Or is there a slight chance my boy would stay the same?

I am not sure on statisics. But i do know of a couple of people where i am from that have had youngsters and never had a problem.

But i am not sure on the matter as a whole. Sorry i can't be more help.

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LOADING CRAZINESS..
████████████]
99% complete..

(-: plɹoʍ ʎʌɹnʇ ʎsdoʇ ʎɯ uı uo ƃuıoƃ ɥɔnɯ os 'uoos ǝɯıʇʎuɐ ʞɔɐq ǝq ll,ı ɟı ʍouʞ ʇ,uop 'ʞɐǝɹq pǝpuǝʇxǝ uɐ ƃuıʞɐʇ ɯɐ ı

All comes down to discipline,

(what are you gonna let it get away with... Prob nothing but some people aren't strong minded and little things sleep and they get bigger and bigger creating an eejit of a horse..)

Then there is feed..


(Don't overload it with feed, only feed it what it needs and unless your in real work.. eg; competions every weekend, stay away from Haylage... )

Don't bore it...

(Its a youngster so its mind will need stimulating)

If you can keep it on the straight and narrow and the three of you agree on methods I see no problem..

But I aint met the horse and therefor I couldn't say anything else..

Are you having it vetted?

And have you tried it more than once...

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I was once on a yard where a lot of these horses passed through, and generally they have wonderful temperaments, as long as they are not overfed and have some sort of stimulation, same as any horse. A horse that is good in traffic is a must on today's roads (especially with sat-navs sending lorries down roads they have no right to!)

Hope this turns out OK for you, and don't be too proud to ask for help if needed.

Thanks for all your help and advice on this one. I think it would boil down to time and experience in the long run. As I work 5 days a week + run a home not to mention being a novice rider, maybe I ought to keep looking for a while longer.

It's just he is so lovely and sane and steady at the moment I wish I could be more confident he would stay that way, best put my dream back in the cupboard again...............

Don't count him out yet. I bought my horse as a 5 year old from Ireland..turned out he was 3 (if that) but didn't matter one jot to me. Okay yes he was a 'problem' horse but certainly nothing dramatic and when they tell you an Irish horse is good in traffic they mean FANTASTIC in traffic. My lad can have a lorry, bus and tractor up his arse and he'll let them pass 1 foot away without looking. That to me is worth thousands of pounds!!

At 5/6 he did have a few mad moments but I doubt that was he age it was more likely he'd got used to me and because I'd started riding him at 4 (gave him a year off and rebacked him because no way was I riding him when I learnt his true age...unlike some people I believe 4 and over for riding horses). I know for a fact he'd been hunted in Ireland, driven and jumped all which I was horrified at learning at his young age but it certainly has given him 'balls' and I have great fun on him doing XC and jumping because he's as brave as they come, never refused anything (well unless I've wimped out and told him too!!).

I've had my boy 6 years now and wouldn't change him for the world, he'll be with me til the day he dies (or I do!) and I'd have absolutely no hesitation buying again directly from Ireland...in fact already looking for a baby to bring on.

Thanks, I have a lot of good feedback re this one. So that's it minds nmade up I'm going to see him on Tuesday.

Fingers crossed

Pats