looking at getting a horse as a free lease opinions please

[Oakroot]

I am concerned that they would let a driving newbie (I assume from the post) hook a cart up to a green horse. Driving is one of thee most dangerous things you can do with a horse. You take a dumb panicky animal and strap a weapon behind it, and you have a recipe for some serious accidents. I would not take this horse on unless you plan to do so with the help of a trainer.

 

[promiseacres]

Ok to clear some stuff up, 2 of my minis I am training to drive currently. 1 is 30", 1 is 37" so they won't work as a team very well, I have them each as individuals b/c of they're personalitys. I do have a foal due out of the 30" stallion this summer, so a potential team mate to him...we will see. So yes a team of minis is not out of the question for driving the family around. Yes I agree driving is dangerous. This horse was shown in 4H successfully in driving, I guess I see that as beyond green in driving, though yes it sounds like she's green as a riding pony. With my minins I am very familar with keeping horses on dry lots. We have 5 dry lots and I'm being a stay at home Mom, I can very easily rotate my horses on pasture for as many hours as appropriate onto pasture during the "grazing" season. My DH makes grass hay only for my minis. So that is the draw of a horse like this, even my sheep get very littel grain. I don't want any animal that needs pounds of any feed to keep their condtion. I did train a riding horse about 10 years ago and am very familiar with ground driving and introducing a cart. I do have local friends I can ride their horses.. but any try horse crazed person knows that's not the same. During college I not only rode ISHA (different horses to compete on , most I'd never ridden before) I worked a summer on a Peruvian farm helping a trainer and I also worked for a arabian/saddlebred trainer for 2 years. So while I "way" out of shape I'm not a newbie.

Emailed the gal (BTW she also had a very well broke 17 year old APHA mare she's willing to do the same with, but she's 15.3!) and we're going to wait for some nicer weather and she mentioned having a trainer out to evaulate the haflinger more. So that's where we stand. I know a free lease has potential to get nasty but I've had some issues buying horses then they dont' work out, then what do you do? You have to resale or trade, ect, tired of that cycle. IMO I don't feel a 14 day "trial" is long enough... plus not many people I know do those. As a 15 yr old I bought a really nice well mannered APHA gelding, got him home and he was absolutly CRAZY! They'd drugged him. NOw I know how to tell if they are drugged but... stuff still happens. They get nasty at feeding time, they have some odd habit that's not easily breakable or dangerous to my kids. Even if I go with an aged horse at this time which I'd be ok with for the right one it still could potentially have some "issue" that makes it unusable. The "right" 4 year old has potential to be a 4H when my kids are ready, to be a horse we could enjoy for 20yrs. According to the owner this mare has good ground manners that is a great start IMO.
Thanks again for the input.

 

[alsea1]

Sounds like you can handle whatever arises. If the lady is willing to just lease the horse, what the heck.
If it don't work out no worries