Think I found the one...also what do you think of him?

Question

I'm sure most of you are familiar with how I've been trying to find a good horse since Star, the paint I was originally going to buy, didn't pass her vet check. Well today, after riding lessons, my mom and I went to Bob DeLorenzo's stables and was going to see three of their horses for sale. I absolutely fell in love with Sonny, their registered paint (solid). He's 15.2 hands, big bulky build (built like a Quarter Horse), and is bay in color with a stripe on his face. He has a great personality, and even gives kisses haha.
I rode him (only walk and trot, didn't canter cause I hate cantering in a western saddle lol). He listed really good, and before I rode him the lady who was showing me him, rode him in a canter, and he know his leads.
Give me a minute or two to post links to the pictures and videos.

PLEASE tell me what your opinion of him is.

Oh, he's a 9 year old gelding

Pictures:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/RebelsDancingStar/sonny2031.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/RebelsDancingStar/HorseHunting012.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/RebelsDancingStar/HorseHunting011.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/RebelsDancingStar/HorseHunting010.jpg
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/RebelsDancingStar/HorseHunting009.jpg

Videos coming soon...still uploading all of them to youtube

Videos:
(please note, this isn't me riding him, this is the owner's daughter riding him)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo4D2fQH-Vw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtxjR3PpBmc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOfbicKeh0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67en0Oxplcg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR-PS60QOpw

Also, sometime next week or so we are planning to do a lesson with him (at the stables he at now).
PLEASE cross your fingers also, for we are going to be calling the vet (Teddy Mandack) and get an appointment for a pre-purchase!!!!

mainly English, but the lady did say he does English, just that she rides Western. Also it depends on the horse. If he's a better western horse than english, I'll switch to western riding

@Kelbid
I do plan on showing, but mostly pleasure riding only because I've never done shows before so I don't know if I'll like them or not. I won't do any big shows...just the small shows at the fairs.
Sonny doesn't belong to the DeLorenzo's. He's actually boarded there, and Lara DeLorenzo was showing him to me because the owner wants her to sell him for her. The real owner is selling him because she's elderly, her husband died, and wants to move close to the city to be close to her daughter.
I will be having a friend's opinion on him, and a vet's opinion on him also

@Bobbi
1) it's a snaffle bit
2) I noticed it occasionally, but not all the time
3) the owner has ridden him oustside, but since there's snow and ice on the ground we rod insidw.
4) Yes I did pick all his feet, and he was barefoot and seemed to have really health hooves
5) No he didn't, but I'll try to do that next time I go up to ride him
6) I did not ask, only because it wasn't the real owner, but if I still like him after the lesson I will be getting the owners number and ask her questoins about him
7) Hopefully the owner, but I'm not sure yet

@Questionable
I do know that owners lie and such, but that's why we'd do a pre-purchase exam on Sonny before we paid any money for him

@Lusitano
1) in what video or videos do you see him shifting his feet. His front feet don't go as high off the ground probably as they should, but then I don't see it really shuffling on the ground either. Again I don't see him really swinging his head back and forth. Could it be just the camera moving? I was shivering (really cold here) when I was filming. He didn't seem to be in pain or anything
WT? What does that mean?
2) Did you think his paces where heavy and shuffling? Though I'm not a good judge on the paces or anything, I didn't notice any shuffling or heave paces. Kinda heavy in the canter, but that's about it from that I saw

I'd bring my riding instructor out, but she's kinda upset at me for not purchasing Star, so my mom thought it would be best to leave her out of it.

I haven't seen the SSH yet, but the seller hasn't e-mailed me back about seeing him (we had to reschedual due to weather) and it's been about 5 days now :-p

@Bobbi agagin
His name is Sonny. He's registered, so I don't know if this is his full name or just a nick name

@Everyone who has been so helpful!
One thing I forgot to mention, which might be why the front feet is kicking dust and appearing not to be picking up....the dirt on the arena floor is abnormally deep. When I stepped on it, my foot sank down and there was dirt up to my ankles. Thought that might help.

I will take more pictures, and will get videos of me riding him, and outside also (depending on how the weather is). I'll get leg pictures and back shots, front shots, close ups and whatnot. I'll try to take at least 100 pictures of him.

I don't care, really that much, if the horse I buy can't do shows. I'd like to do shows, but it's something I could live without doing, or just borrow someone elses horse, and not use the one I own. I'm mainly looking for a horse that is pretty well trained, and can take me up as high as I can go and still be a great horse.

A friendly, loving, sweet personality is a MUST for me.

@Bobbi
1) I don't know why he's still on a snaffle a soft gentle bit for them? That's what I've always been told. And that's the type of bit I used on Star (the paint I was originally going to buy). I find that horses respond better to the snaffle...at least most of them.
2) His ears weren't really that far back. Isn't it when their ears are back that they are listening to you? Maybe I'm wrong on that.
3) I will try to ride him outside, if the weather permits and see how he does. And take some pictures and videos there also
4) I was always told that barefoot is better for horses, cause it's more natural for them. As long as you have a ferrier that can trim it correctly. I'll get the name of the ferrier and call him.
5) I'll have owner do that for me (stop to canter, and walk to canter) or I'll do it myself)
6) I'm using my vet, most vet's won't do a exam on a clients horse
7) That we shall probably have to wait to see with a vet's opinion.

@Bobbi again
The first link that you gave me, the one with all the western horses, the first one seemed to be shuffling his feet, is that just me? Or did you notice that also?

@Lusitano
He seemed to be lifting up his front feet okay when he was going by the camera (side view of him). It did look as though he wasn't lifting up as high as he should when he's coming directly towards the camera though. Did he "shuffle" the whole time while jogging? Or just part of the time?

@all4
Well the main reason why I ride English is because I HATE bouncy horses, and with engish saddle it's comfortable to post trot, where it's not so much in a western. As a saddle itself, I perfer a western saddle, just feels better (besides for a wintec pro dressage saddle which I absolutely love). If I bought Sonny, I'd use him as a western horse and such. No jumping (or very little) due to I don't like jumping in a western. As for cantering, I'll have to live with it in a western saddle. Maybe the reason why I hate it at the moment is because I don't have use a western saddle that fits me. They are all too big.

Answer 1

Couple of questions, then I will return and post an answer:

1/ What bit did she have in his mouth? You said a snaffle. He is supposed to be a 9 yr old finished horse, why is he still on a snaffle?

2/ Did he swish his tail every time she asked for a different gait or am I imagining things? I watched all of those videos again, and it appears to me as though he doesn't have resistance issue, to me, he has a pain issue (note, swishing, ears flat, appears heavy on front and lumbering, doing the least that he can do and comply) I love his eyes, I like what I see in them, and the head...attitude wise, and of course it's hard to tell anything much from these little short videos in a small, darkened arena, I think that he's giving all he's got..now, it could be that he hasn't been ridden and has lost some of the muscle and strength to do what he needs to be doing, but he isn't picking up his knees like he should...he is only getting from point A to point B, he isn't showing what you really want out of him for Western or English.

3/ Did either of you ever ride him outside that barn? It could be a detriment or it (because he is quite bulky) easier for him to move out there. I, frankly would like to see him hold his gaits as if he were in a class, not just for a couple of small trips around the little arena...plus, she was having to push him through that.

4/ Did you happen to pick up his feet and if so, any corrective shoeing or special shoes? I would think, that for a horse that someone is asking $5000 for, he would be wearing shoes, if for nothing else but to keep them in shape. I would love for you to talk personally with his farrier, alone.

5/ Did he ever take the canter from a standstill or from a walk or was it always from a trot? If a person knows anything about riding a horse in a canter, they can make certain that they take their correct leads, especially from a trot, so we really don't know what he knows in that department. I think that if I were showing what a horse could do, I would W/T (walk,trot) and canter both directions and stop cold. Then, I would show how the horse can/will pick up his canter (correct lead) from the standstill...that horse should be able to do that easily.

6/ Did you ask the people if they could/would furnish a vet record for him? I would really check his knees, he isn't using them, he isn't picking them up...He acts as if he is protecting them, or something on the front end..Are you using your vet or theirs?

7/ Are you going to be able to talk to the owner or just with those people who are brokering the deal? This horse really looks like he has a lot of sense and full of kindness, and is willing to give you all he has...I'm just not sure he has what it's going to take for you to go on with him, physically.

I wouldn't rule him out, but do your homework and don't get in a hurry and cut corners. Did you do a show/point search on the horse's registered name and number? Did they say that he had much of a show record or was he just the owner's sometime saddle horse? If so, then he just may not have the training and conditioning that is required to move like he should be.
Did you see a copy of the papers? How many owners has he had and how long has this older lady owned him? Note the prior owner, nothing wrong with checking with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwv2zckcDVM&NR=1

This link will show you, with explanation, what you should be looking for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKCVs8oDAUc&NR=1

This link is 2 yr old WP first cut in the class...some of them are so green that they are being ridden two handed, (which is legal in a 2 yr old class)...what I want you to notice is the way that they move...they either move well or they don't, and you can tell the difference by watching the video...then, go back and watch those videos that you have of Sonny, you will see what I mean. If these 2 yr olds can have the collection and the natural movement that they have, Sonny, even though he is more massive, should be moving more freely, like most of them are...You know how important that is in both disciplines...one more thing, then I will sit down and shut up: If he was sound as a dollar, confirmed by a vet/farrier and everyone else that knows him, he is, in my opinion, overpriced.

Answer 2

Amazing....I've got one here that could be his twin...same color but three white feet and a blaze instead of two white and a blaze.

I do see that he's packing a bit of weight...I also see that with his weight and flat kneed movement he's moving rather stiffly.
QH bloodlines do generate flat kneed movement due to the influence of thoroughbred bloodlines(nowadays) and he'll move better with the weight off and limbering up excercises....some QH also appear to move downhill and some have croups higher than their withers..........Dressage folks will react negatively to this....I don't care for it either.

Take some pictures of his feet /legs and post them!!

He is a cutie; get him vetted!!

Answer 3

well if you want my opinon i think that you should maybe check out some other ones becasue i didnt wait and i really wanted my horse named Sunny and he is a paint too and he is 15.2 hh and i just couldnt wait to have him and i didnt look at other horses and turns out that when i got him he had kissing spine and the owners had lied to me and said that he could jump (which he couldnt cuz of his kissing spine) and im not saying that all horse sellers lie but alot of them do because they want rid of the horse or they might put them on bute and some horses can pass the vet check but not be sound like my horse if you need any more help feel free to email me...hope i helped alittle

Answer 4

Will you be using him for anything other than riding for fun? Sounds like a good match--good personality, runs & listens well.. If you will be using him for competition, I'd have someone else come in & watch him do his paces & I'd listen closely to a vet's opinion. Also, do you know why they are selling him? I'd say he seems like a sweetheart & perfect for you, but check him out well now so there are no surprises later.

Answer 5

well, he looks a good solid bombproof horse, but he's either a bit lazy or super relaxed, needs some work on his headset & if you're planning on riding english make sure you ride him in that saddle & use the aids you were taught to use (most western horses are broke & trained w/slighlty different aids then english riders would & do use & the horse therefore needs to be taught those aids OR you need to learn to use the western ones). If possible ride him outside the ring to see how he is (on the trail, around cars etc). If you get along with him & he's suitable for what you want to do, the price is right then go for it!

Answer 6

He's beutiful
he's got good confirmation too.
He moves great. I think you found a keeper as long as he's suited to what you plan to do with him i would say he's in pretty good shape

Answer 7

Nice little Western Pleasure kid. Don't think he'd be suitable for any English equitation.

congrats, have fun.

Answer 8

I love him. I actually preffered him over the other mare from these people when you posted before. As long as he passes the vet check, I think you have found a great horse!

Answer 9

I have three amazing horses and I think that this horse is good looking. Especial if he is good around kids!

Good Job! :)

Answer 10

Yes you HAVE found the one.
That horse is amazingly beautiful!!