Speaking as a husband and an unskilled rider, I bought (my wife "bought") me a horse that was 6 years old, 16 hands, superb ground manners, and had a soft mouth (good, because I prefer to have a very light hand on the reins). Seemed all the world to be perfect. I rode him weekly but never more than two hours at a time. About three months later, he decided one day to buck me off and launched into a rip-snorting buck session. I lasted as long as my skills allowed but wound up in the dirt. He proceeded to buck clear across the pasture to the fence line, grunting and snorting all the way like he was on TV at the rodeo. Somewhere along the way he stepped on his reins and bloodied up his mouth. SOB deserved it. I was lumpy enough - and scared enought - to not get back on. To make a long story short, we vet checked him to make sure there were no physical issues, checked saddle fit, feet, everything. Send him off to my wife's trainer where he bucked the assistant off several times. Clearly, this guy had lots of experience throwing people - he was a pro. The guy that sold him to us knew it, too.

Cut to the end...The trainer's assistant (and a good friend of my wife's) fell in love with him and, after pestering me for three months, I agree to sell him to her, despite the fact he once sent her to the emergency room she got tossed so hard. She believes that he can be "re-wired" and I think she's probably right but it'll take more time and brains than I've got.

I found another horse - this time a 20 year-old former team roping horse that is broke broke broke and peaceful. He's a little tight in the hind legs - 16 years of roping in competition will do that - and he's had an abcess or two on his front end over his lifetime. He ain't pretty, but he knows everything and tolerates me - even makes me look like I've got three times the experience that I actually have. I have to admit, he is sooo good, I'm beginning to really enjoy horses.

Moral?? Buy an old geezer that is well-broke and fairly sound. We husbands don't like getting thrown in the dirt by man nor beast. Get him a genuinely broke, peaceful horse - even if he's a little stiff and has maybe not the best looks on the block or has blown an abcess or two. I was advised to get an 18 to 20 year old and didn't the first time - big mistake. All the advise I'd received was good - buy old and well-used. He should neck rein, sidepass, lead change and all that jazz - it ain't the be-all and end-all but it is evidence that SOMEBODY put serious traing time into him. And that usually means somebody with knowledge and know-how felt he was worth the effort.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth.