Conference noted::equitation

    Size is very arbitrary. I have a 13.5 hand pony and my 5'5 150+
    lbs wife rides all day. My sister inlaw had a 14.2 had 1/4 that
    was a roping and barrel champ with a 6'4" 240 lbs  lawyer on her.
      Find a very sound horse, and if possible lease it for a month.
    See if it has the personality you like, health, barn manners,
    (replacing stall walls gets costly)
    
    Carl

    Hi Linda,
    
    You mentioned that YOU took the mare out for a ride, and she
    was OK. But you really need to see how your daughter rides the
    horse. Horses are very smart and will quickly test your daughter's
    capability.
    
    If she was used as a school horse, call the stable and ask what
    she was like, and ask why she was only used as a school horse
    for 4 months.
    
    Age/size, really do not matter much for either your daughter
    or the horse. A horse should be able to carry 1/4 of it's weight.
    So if you had a 1000 pound horse, it could carry upto a 250 pound
    rider.
    
    You may want to have the animal vet checked BEFORE you buy it.
    The vet will check teeth, heart, breathing, eyes, ears, legs, 
    hoof soundness, overall condition, etc.. And it is sometimes 
    worth getting leg or hoof x-rays if the soundness of the animal 
    is suspect. 
    
    $1000.00 is a good price if the mare is sound and sane. 
    But remember, a lame horse at any price is not a bargain. And it
    costs just as much to feed a lame horse as it does a healthy one.
    
    My two cents,
    Tina
    

Also, if your daughter is currently taking lessons, have the instructor
watch her ride the horse (and maybe give her a lesson on it).  The instructor
should/would be able to give you some help in this department.  When your 
daughter tries the horse, make sure it's in the same situation as she would
normally ride it. For example, let her ride first, unless you are going to be
climbing on before every time she rides to 'work the kinks out'.  Will she
always be riding in a supervised environment?  If not, you want to be absolutely
positive you get a horse that *you* trust, and that is well broke and
bombproof. Remember, as this horse becomes more fit, and the weather gets 
cooler, the horse's temperament may change.  

How broke is the horse?  It's bad news to put a novice rider with a green horse.


Other options include maybe leasing or buying a horse that she has been taking 
lessons on.  (BTW, leasing gives you a relatively easy solution if your
daughter finds other interests.)

Kathy

    
    From the little info provided about Bridy, I don't see her as
    a match for a "novice" rider.  Age & size doesn't really matter,
    what really matters is if the horse and your daughter are a "match".
    Since Bridy hadn't had much attention or been ridden in 6 months,
    that may explain the "tight rein" required, or the spooky attacks.
    Bridy would need to be ridden consistently for a time (say, a month
    at least) to see what her >real< behavior is like.  Once she has
    been worked, she may turn into that school horse that was great with
    kids.  Or, maybe not.......
    
    You might want to consider leasing a horse for your daughter first.
    This way, if she decides that she doesn't really like it, or want
    to stick with it, then you just end the lease.  It can be difficult
    to sell a horse nowadays.......  
    
    

    
      Thanks to everyone's input so far...
    
      Leasing the horse seems to make sound sense.  It offers us several
      nice little benefits:
    
        1)  It provides us some time to get a vet in for a pre-purchase
            exam;
        2)  It gives Abby a chance to see if there is a 'connection', with
            no permanent strings attached;
        3)  It will give our household an opporutnity to better guage how
            much attention we can give to a horse with no permanent
            strings attached;
        4)  It affords us the opportunity to get to know the horse without
            being financially committed (long-term!).
    
        Unfortunately, we know of no instuctors in the area (north of
    Boston) and look to connect with someone.  All of Abby's lessons have
    been out of state, over the course of 2 summers.  Does it make sense
    to try to find someone to work with Abby and Bridey for a few lessons
    to see how they work together?  Can anyone suggest any names?
    
        We will keep you posted as things develop...
    Thanks again!
    
     Linda    

    Linda,
    
    I would suggest finding a nice quiet horse to lease for your daughter.
    If by chance she ends up with a horse that is too much for her, or 
    scares her, she may lose all interest in horses, or even worse get
    seriously hurt.  You should post the town you live in in this file,
    everyone who reads here seems to be very well connected to the horse
    world and I'm sure someone can help you find a stable that your 
    daughter could take some lessons and lease a horse.
    
    Linda

    
    
      Note to all:
    
         We live in Stoneham, which is 10 miles north of Boston...
         at intersections of Rts. 128 and Rt. 93
    
      LInda

    You could try Andover Riding Academy in Andover, they have a pretty
    large facility there and give lessons.  We bought a horse up there 
    years ago.  Maybe someone else in the file has more details.  

    Just like to tell you about my daughters first horse, who was also a
    novice...
    
    We bought a lovely 12 yr old appy mare ... very, very quiet...street
    smart, wouldn't spook if a bomb went off beside her.  But put an
    inexperienced (novice) rider on and many times the horse
    came home without her rider.  Oh, she worked out great in the end with
    some behavior reinforcement (on the child's part). The horse knew her
    stuff.  BUT, I fully believe that a horse will take advantage of a
    rider if allowed to and novice riders are just not experienced enough
    to handle a horse without instruction.
    
    So, please listen to the other replies....and if she really likes the
    horse makes sure she's trained enough to ride the horse.  Of course, it
    goes without saying....a helmut is a must!!
    
    As for size, I ride a 14h paint, about 850lbs...I'm 5'4", and my
    friends daughter rides her also, she's 5'8" and doesn't look too big.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Your daughter is very lucky!!!
    
    Caryl 

    Also, for instructors, Bob Crawford in Danvers is very good for hunt
    seat lessons (Roundabout Farm).
    
    Kris

Linda,

I suggest you get your daughter riding locally before even making the lease 
investment.  You need to get connected into the local offerings first.  It makes 
things a bit easier.  For example, Where will you keep this horse that you lease?
Will it be in you back yard or at a boarding stable?  If it's in your back yard, 
are you prepared for the work the horse requires? (feed, muck, turnout, exercise,
transportation)  If at a boarding stable, if you can, find one that gives lessons.
A good publication to pick up is the Horseman's Yankee Pedlar, available
at a tack shop near you (like the Andover Tack shop). Check your yellow pages
under riding acadamies.  Go to feed and grain stores and check their bulletin 
boards for advertisements.  

Once you get a list of places that give lessons, go check them out. Are they 
close enough to you?  Are you comfortable putting your child in their care
for the lesson?  Is your daughter under/over-mounted in the lesson?  Does the
instructor require that you wear a hard hat?  Does the lesson last the full 
time?  Does the instructor pay attention to the lesson?  Are they group lessons
or private?

Once you find a place to take lessons, (and maybe do so for a while, so your 
daughter gets 'back into the swing of things'), then ask about lease 
opportunities that might be available at that stable, and go from there.  

If your daughter were mine, I would get her taking lessons regularly first, to
see if she *REALLY* wants to ride, if there's a real committment, especially 
with the cold weather approaching (is she going to be a 'fair weather rider'?).
If there is then check the leasing.  Do that until you feel comfortable with the 
idea of ownership.  Note: this is the 'gradually increased expense' plan.  
Lessons you can just quit if they don't work out.  Leases you can back out of, 
but you will probably have spent something for equipment.  You will probably
still continue lessons (but you have the added benefit of being able to ride 
between lessons), so you have an increased $$ committment, and an increased 
time committment.  Buying a horse means owning another child.


kathy

    
    Arabians are very sturdy.  I have a 14.2h Arabian mare, and I ride her
    over all types of trails and environments.  I weigh 165lbs and she
    carries me with no problems.
    
    -John