Toby_Zaphod
Well-Known Member
I think you need to decide what you want to do with or achieve with your horse first. Once you've decided that then you can set a budget to buy the horse. Many people say they don't want a 'world beater' but would like it to be well schooled, do a reasonable dressage test, jump round a small course & hack out alone or in company without any issues. They then decide on a ridiculously low budget for a horse like I've described & then moan that horse prices are too high & they can't find any that fit the bill. They don't realise that the horse that they've described is wanted by so many people & they command a good price. I'm not saying you are like this but to get what you want, tack, rugs etc included for £3000 may be a difficult ask.
To keep your costs lower you will probably need to buy a youngster & school him up yourself to what you want. If you have the ability to start off a youngster & get him right yoursel then that's a money saving option. If you would need an instructer to help you then you may find that once those costs are included then that may not be viable.
If the youngster option isn't right then move to the other end & get an older horse, one in his teens that knows his job & will be ready to go. Steer clear of any horses with ANY health issue. You don't want to inherit vet bills. There are enough healthy horses out there withiouyt buying a 'money pit'.
Either way you will need to take someone with you who is knowledgeable to help you view. They may see somthing that you may not & they will remain emotionally detached from the animal. Don't get on the horse until the owner or someone else has ridden it, jumped it etc. You don't know the horse & take everything the seller says 'with a pinch of salt' until proved otherwise. Also if you decide the horse is for you get it vetted. Some say they don't vet if they are only paying a small amount for a horse. That in my mind is stupid, it costs just as much to treat a cheap horse as an expensive one. If the seller trys to deter you from vetting then walk away. There can only be one reason for that & that is to hide an issue the horse has. Don't be attracted by a drop in the asking price either not to vet, again walk away.
Don't ignore dealers, ther are many good ones out there. They will have a range of horses to show you & you have more legal redress if things go wrong. A good dealer wants to keep his reputation so does not want to have any unhappy clients. Remember that buying a horse is just like buying a car & has just as many pitfalls.
Despite all this you should be able to find a suitable horse out there. You may have to find a little more money, the horse is the main thing, if some tack is thrown in then great but don't let that influence you. Good Luck with your search, take your time & you'll find the right one. I will be going through the same thing soon, having to find one for my sister in law.
To keep your costs lower you will probably need to buy a youngster & school him up yourself to what you want. If you have the ability to start off a youngster & get him right yoursel then that's a money saving option. If you would need an instructer to help you then you may find that once those costs are included then that may not be viable.
If the youngster option isn't right then move to the other end & get an older horse, one in his teens that knows his job & will be ready to go. Steer clear of any horses with ANY health issue. You don't want to inherit vet bills. There are enough healthy horses out there withiouyt buying a 'money pit'.
Either way you will need to take someone with you who is knowledgeable to help you view. They may see somthing that you may not & they will remain emotionally detached from the animal. Don't get on the horse until the owner or someone else has ridden it, jumped it etc. You don't know the horse & take everything the seller says 'with a pinch of salt' until proved otherwise. Also if you decide the horse is for you get it vetted. Some say they don't vet if they are only paying a small amount for a horse. That in my mind is stupid, it costs just as much to treat a cheap horse as an expensive one. If the seller trys to deter you from vetting then walk away. There can only be one reason for that & that is to hide an issue the horse has. Don't be attracted by a drop in the asking price either not to vet, again walk away.
Don't ignore dealers, ther are many good ones out there. They will have a range of horses to show you & you have more legal redress if things go wrong. A good dealer wants to keep his reputation so does not want to have any unhappy clients. Remember that buying a horse is just like buying a car & has just as many pitfalls.
Despite all this you should be able to find a suitable horse out there. You may have to find a little more money, the horse is the main thing, if some tack is thrown in then great but don't let that influence you. Good Luck with your search, take your time & you'll find the right one. I will be going through the same thing soon, having to find one for my sister in law.