From: jlevy@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (janet.s.levy)
Subject: Chance at a Lipizzan
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 17:53:31 GMT
Keywords: Lipizzan broodmare

Remember when I recently asked you about the advisability of buying a
15 year old quarter horse, Rebel?  You were very helpful in
your advice, saying that he sounded like a good horse for me
and 15 wasn't really that old.  Well then I decided I shouldn't
be buying a horse since I only ride about once a week due to
my many other commitments and interests.  I started share boarding
on another horse near my home, and it has worked out well.

BUT now my troublesome friend (just kidding) has told me about a
Lipizzan mare who is available at a very affordable price.  Owning
a Lipizzan is a fantasy of mine.  I still don't know all the details
about the horse.  What I have heard is that she is 14-15 years old,
and has been a broodmare.  She was reportedly never broke to ride,
but is broke to drive.  We speculated that she was bred at Tempel 
Lipizzans, since they have had breeding stock dispersals periodically.
Her owner went broke and she is now at a large dealer about 3 hours
drive from where I live.  The shoer that saw the horse said she
was a biggish mare (maybe big for a Lipizzan?), a good mover, had
fairly clean legs, was very friendly, and was a bit skinny, reportedly
because they had just weaned a foal from her (I would check into this).  
She may be in foal to a Lipizzan, but that is an unknown at this point.

I'm intrigued, but still ambivalent due to my poor "horse attendance"
habits.  I should probably be a share boarder and not an owner.  The
last few years with my former horse, I really relied on the stables
to be looking out for his welfare; fortunately they did.  By the way,
any horse of mine is on daily turnout - no stall boredom implied.
I still feel that I was a negligent owner, though my horse was happy
and prospered.

Some questions that occurred to me are:

1. What is people's experience with changing a broodmare to a riding
horse?  Will she be resentful of work?  Will she be hard to train?

2. I was thinking she would be simple to break as she is already broke
to drive and is hopefully a calm individual as many Lipizzans tend
to be. Agree?  Experiences?

3. Are there any special physical problems associated with having
been a broodmare.  I remember something I read about permanent changes
in the pelvic area.  I don't remember the consequences, if any.

3. Do you agree that in her case it is unlikely that age is a factor
since Lipizzans are long-lived and this one has essentially no mileage
except she could have unknown pasture injuries?

I'm thinking that if she looks good, it wouldn't be that risky to buy
her since her price is low and a proven Lipizzan broodmare (assuming I 
get the papers - otherwise I may not go for it) would be resellable.
If she is in foal, I might end up with a good future prospect.  Of course
my commitment level is up to me to evaluate.  I used to be such an addict -
I don't know what happened.  I still think about horses constantly, I
just seem less motivated to ride.  One selling point is that I am very
interested in driving, have harness and a cart, and (assuming commitment
again) might be interested in looking into event driving.  Such events
as well as driving shows are cropping up more and more in the 
Illinois/Wisconsin area.

Sorry this got long.  Comments welcome.

Janet Levy
jsl@ihlpm.ATT.COM
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian