Advice on buying a horse

[FitzFilly18]

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice from more experienced horsey people!
I am thinking about buying a 17 year old horse and I have a few concerns about this horse and horse owning in general.

I used to ride as a child and had my own pony but I would have always considered myself a novice back then, I never really had consistent tuition. Anyway over 15 years passed and I am back riding again. The bug has bitten and I want to have my own horse again. I am by no means an overly competent/confident rider but would love to have a horse for hacking out (mostly alone), a little bit of jumping (I have no interest in pushing myself to jump 90cm/1m jumps), possibly riding club activities and just as a general hobby and animal to care for.

The horse I'm interested in is a riding school horse, very well schooled but has been in the riding school for the majority of his life. So I suppose one of the things I'd be worried about is that he would be very anxious in a new environment without a lot of other horses and on being ridden out alone. I rode him out alone a few days ago at the centre and he seemed a little bit uncomfortable but he was very well behaved and did everything I asked of him.

Re having a pasture buddy, I have land to keep him on and I am very serious about getting a companion horse. Someone has offered me an older retired pony.

The second thing I am worried about is his age. I intend on having him vet checked. He is still used in lessons, cross country and even taken out for various other events as he is so experienced. A few people have asked why I would buy a horse of his age but again they haven't ridden him or don't realise how active he still is. Do you think it could be naive buying a horse of this age?

Anyway, long message but if you've taken the time to read it then I'd appreciate any opinions 😀 thanks.

Ps. Owner wont do trial period, I don't believe it's for any reason other than he doesn't know me from the sky above.

 

[concorde]

My main question would be if he is so useful in the riding school why are they selling him ?

 

[FitzFilly18]

I was told that they have too many horses and it's expensive to feed them in winter when they aren't making a lot of money

 

[be positive]

I was told that they have too many horses and it's expensive to feed them in winter when they aren't making a lot of money

When I first read your OP I thought it was going to be a horse you had ridden regularly in the RS and he was being offered to you in part because they knew you got on well with him, as it is not the case I would be more cautious about buying a horse that may change completely once he is living a quiet life with very little work, compared with being in a RS, may not be happy hacking alone and is 17 years old, the age alone would not put me off but the whole situation would make me suggest you look for one that has been privately owned that may be looking for a quieter life but has proven it will enjoy the life you offer.

I would also take the price into account, at 17 he may be worth more to the RS than he is on the open market, it is possible that they think he is starting to show his age, hence moving him on now before he either costs money in vets bills or has to do less work, potentially both, that would not rule him out for a private home but if he doesn't do the job for you would mean it would be hard for you to sell him on.

 

[Theocat]

I was told that they have too many horses and it's expensive to feed them in winter when they aren't making a lot of money

Indeed, but they aren't selling all of them - which means they want to move him on. I agree with other posters that they might be spotting signs he's slowing down.

I would also strongly suggest that you start off at livery. New ownership throws all sorts of things at you: it is most definitely time when having friendly, experienced people around you can make or break your whole experience.

 

[FitzFilly18]

Thank you for your replies. What you have said makes a lot of sense.

I guess a month's trial period would tell a lot really. Is it common for people to offer trial periods to strangers and if so what is the procedure usually? A friend recommended that I get a trial period with any horse but so far any sellers I've asked have said no.

re livery, I have looked in to livery and think that it would be great to have a support system but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to afford it. I have a knowledgeable neighbour who is offering to help me out.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'd go into this with eyes wide open........

Firstly, if you are considering hacking solo on a 17yo that's spent the majority of its life in the riding school then frankly you can forget it. He won't! He'll nap like stink and you'll have one helluva job to get him to leave the yard. So you'd need to think seriously about the type of riding you are going to do.

Secondly: as others have said, there will be a reason the riding school are getting rid of him. There are very probably veterinary/mobility issues developing which will cost you a lot of money in the very near future and/or you may even have to consider retiring him. You may find with a horse of this age that you will increasingly become limited in what you can do: I suspect that there ARE issues developing and the RS is fully aware of it, and are hoping to palm off a potential problem to anyone who comes along.

Thirdly, again as others have said - if you think a RS horse will be a nice Plod then forget it!! He's spent the majority of his life in a well-ordered life and in a routine where he's always had plenty of stimulus and work, in a busy bustling yard, and probably will not adapt well to a quieter routine where he's not in regular work, and you may well find your "nice quiet riding school horse" becoming a real nightmare both to ride and handle. I have a friend who does a lot of work/rehab with horses that have become difficult and are sent to her, and she always says that there are two types of horses that come to her the most, and they are (1) ex-riding school horses and (2) spoilt ponies.

For what its worth: my (veteran) cob came to me from a trekking centre: he came on loan originally but I ended up falling in love with him, so he stayed! He was 11 when I had him, and had never hacked out solo in his life, and I had a lot of issues to deal with concerning this. I had a professional to help me, and in spite of being a very quirky horse, he has been a lovely boy! We've come a long way together and we've got there! So an ex-RS horse CAN work: but I think you really need to have a punt on something younger TBH as you could be purchasing a very heartbreaking vets bill with this one........

Walk away would be my advice..........

 

[Theocat]

I understand about the costs, but to be to honest the costs of keeping a companion pony could easily cost at least the same as grass or DIY livery on a yard. At the very least, you should start on a yard while you get to know each other.

No seller in their right mind will give you a trial - it is too much of a risk. As he is at the riding school, though, if your heart is really set on it you could just pay to ride him three or four times a week? If you do go ahead, you MUST get a vetting done.

But honestly, I think you should keep looking, and seriously consider a livery yard to start with.

 

[be positive]

Thank you for your replies. What you have said makes a lot of sense.

I guess a month's trial period would tell a lot really. Is it common for people to offer trial periods to strangers and if so what is the procedure usually? A friend recommended that I get a trial period with any horse but so far any sellers I've asked have said no.

re livery, I have looked in to livery and think that it would be great to have a support system but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to afford it. I have a knowledgeable neighbour who is offering to help me out.

A seller is highly unlikely to offer a trial especially to go to a private home with limited experience, no other horses and no facilities, if you were based in a well established livery yard you may have a little more luck but in reality a trial is not going to happen unless you are lucky enough to find a loan that could be bought later.

I would also take a look at your budget, if you cannot afford livery for at least the first 6 months will you be able to afford an unexpected large vets bill, not all are covered by insurance, you need to factor in lessons, you may think you won't need them but often when you get a new horse things go a bit wrong and professional help may be essential, if you are buying a lower value horse it is not likely to come with decent tack or rugs, may need it's teeth doing, vaccinations etc. and don't forget the cost of keeping the companion which will still require routine teeth, farrier, may need some extra veterinary care as it ages, if the owner is contributing then make sure all expenses are covered otherwise the companion can end up costing as much to care for as the riding horse.

Having them at home is not always as perfect as it seems.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

17 is a sensible age for a RS to move a horse on,imo, young enough to find a good private home that doesn't want the horse to be fit enough to go out competing every weekend but still fit and well (if it is). A responsible RS thinks about the horse's future.
I have had a few former RS horses, they don't all go mad when the workload is reduced, some just breathe a sigh of relief!

Our first horse had been owned by a professional horseman and earned his living daily, that meant he knew his job inside out and looked after us without taking liberties. We kept him on a farm, with the farmer's daughter's pony for company but with no input from them. We were fine and so was he. If you have someone to support you and the right horse, I can't see a problem. Livery yards are not always the best place to keep your first horse, some YOs are crazy, some inexperienced themselves and some liveries are far too bossy.

 

[FitzFilly18]

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to reply.

The riding school where he is at the moment genuinely seem to care for their horses well, much more so than other riding schools that I have experienced,so I don't get the vibe that they're simply trying to get rid of the horse. The owner has also said that they are aware that he's getting older and that it's unfair to have three different people riding him a day. He also said that the horse has stiff days so I dont think he's trying to pull the wool over my eyes re the age thing. However I am very aware that even if the horse is in good health now, that could change very quickly due to his age/change in routine. And also, I am even more aware now thanks to your replies that he could find it very hard hacking out alone. I might just add that he is still regularly used for trec events if that makes any difference?

Re livery- I have 6 free acres of grass and a stable and I definitely can see that it would be great to have people there all the time keeping an eye out and to help if I needed a hand. As I said though I had a pony (not a very compliant pony, i might add) at home years ago and I never had any problems with managing him. It was the riding that I never fully mastered back then 🙄.

I would definitely continue lessons if i were to purchase my own horse. There is another riding school very close to my property. Re the companion pony, I can see how it could possibly be more expensive to keep this horse than the actual riding horse.

I have lots to think about- thanks again!

 

[Starzaan]

Having been an instructor in a riding school for many years, I would not advise ANY novice owner to buy a riding school horse.

When out of the riding school environment they just aren't suitable! I'm well aware there may be exceptions to this rule, but I would STRONGLY advise against it.

 

[honetpot]

I used to hold the local pony club sales list and have heard a few horror stories and my advice to any novice buyer is never but something that has been in a 'professional' environment. When you get home you will not have help when it starts pushing the boundaries, and it will. It may take a day, a week or a month but as soon as it spots it has wiggle room, it will. It knows more about novices than you do, its had three on its back most days, and can spot the signs.
Then there are handling issues. I have bought back and old pony that I used to own as a three year old. He is now 18, he has learnt exactly what to do to frighten someone so they stop. He has had four homes in the last two years. On the surface he looks a schoolmaster, butter wouldn't melt, but he knows the signs. The horse transporter that picked him up said the women gave her the rope and just about ran.

Then you are taking a herd animal that has had a rigid routine in to a six acre field with maybe a companion, coming up to winter. If I were it I would not want to be caught. Then I would not want to leave my mate, and my mate may be running up and down calling, so that will wind me up. Then how often are you actually going to ride after the clocks go back, in about six weeks?

I have been on a few livery yards over the years and most of the problems are predictable, to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Hope makes people think everything will go to plan, you are very lucky if it does. If it passes the vet, it will probably fail on flexion, I would pay full livery in the riding school and reduce it work load and increase its turnout until it almost what you would be doing, and find someone who rides to share the field with you. But I wouldn't sell it to you, they do not really care about the horse, the problems are predictable.