Am I being unrealistic?

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coolio

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We have been looking for some weeks now for a first horse for our very tall 14 year old daughter who has outgrown her 14.2 pony. I thought we had a reasonable budget of 6k but can only seem to find very young, inexperienced tb types.

What would be a realistic price for a safe, first horse who has done a little bit of everything and would happily go off for a 2 hour hack around the farm without any worries.

Would like to do Pony Club etc.

Can't believe we can't find anything that doesn't have an issue
 
6K sounds about right! my first horse - 2007 - cost just under 6K and prices have defo dropped since then. he is a tb x, bought at 7 years old, done a bit of everything and very level headed. even been to pony club national champs!
think it depends just how specific you are being? what sort of issue? horses without an 'issue' are very few and far between!
 
I think you are looking in the wrong price bracket. If you looked at up to £3,500 I think you'd find plenty of 15.2 -16 handers who will do a bit of everything.
 
A couple of instances of the ones we have viewed after lengthy telephone conversations :)

Arrived at yard, horse sparkly clean, asked to see it trotted up. It reared, bucked and caught owner on the shoulder who letgo (not surprised) and took off, running around the farm for over 10 minutes. Eventually caught when it was puffing and covered in sweat. Daughter did try it but we were a bit put off.

Travelled 2 hours for a perfect first pony club/riding club horse. All great in the school, asked to see it hack away from yard. Very nappy and got extremely bouncy but still didn't leave the yard.

Did find one that was fab, never going to be a champion but temperament fab. Owner couldn't find another as nice so decided not to sell
 
What sights are you looking at have you looked at the pony club classifieds?
Also could you try a reputable dealer you also have alot more come back with dealers if horse isnt as described. i know alot of people are put off dealer but if you find a good one with a decent reputation that they want to withhold then they wont sell you the wrong horse. I got my daughters pony from a dealer and shes everything they said and more and she was also a very resonable price.
What area are you in?
 
I know of at least 2 people that can get you, or have what you want already - but they might be a fair distance from you (one is in Ireland, other in Norfolk/Suffolk). PM if you want their details.

As cptrayes said, change the search parameters - especially at the moment with it being winter it is very much in your favour
 
hollieeb said:
maybe you could put exactly what you're looking for on here so some people can do some horse hunting for you :)
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This is a good shout - there might be someone that is thinking about selling and you might be the perfect option.

It might be worth looking at loans as well and someone in Pony Club might know of an outgrown middle height horse that they don't want to part with
 
 
i just got my horse from bluepointhorse.co.uk, they have a new gelding that has just come in that I think they are advertising as a mother/daughter share type. Based on my new boy I couldn't recommend them enough!
 
Have you tried Safecobs? If you look them up on Facebook, they do a daily video, so you can really see what their horses are like on a day to day basis. My friend has bought two from them. Lovely horses both of them.
 
Try contacting your local branch of the pc - they will know of any horses locally for sale that could suit. Do you have a local instructor - again they may know..
 
coolio said:
Did find one that was fab, never going to be a champion but temperament fab. Owner couldn't find another as nice so decided not to sell
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I think this may be your problem. My horse is just what you describe but she will never be for sale as I have made her from a youngster and I will never find another like her. And the same is probably true for a lot of horses. When you get one that's just right, even if it's not amazing, you want to hold on to it. I'm sure the horse you are looking for is out there but it may take a while to find. Or you might have to settle for one that needs work in some areas
 
ridefast said:
I think this may be your problem. My horse is just what you describe but she will never be for sale as I have made her from a youngster and I will never find another like her. And the same is probably true for a lot of horses. When you get one that's just right, even if it's not amazing, you want to hold on to it. I'm sure the horse you are looking for is out there but it may take a while to find. Or you might have to settle for one that needs work in some areas
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I wouldn't totally despair my horse fits this bill and whilst I will never sell him I only bought him this year as his teenage owner wanted a break from horses and he was a 3rd of your budget but I did have him on loan first in case they decided they didn't want to sell and they saw how happy we were together and more or less halved his price.
 
There appears to be plenty on HorseQuest which fit your description and budget, and several on the PC website too...
 
Agree with other correspondent - 6k will probably see you overhorsed. Whatever you get is going to need time to settle and bond before your daughter can poodle off for two hours on her own. Although the trotted up one sounds like a nightmare!

Dealers jobs are to sell horses .. When you look at a private sale always ask why they are selling if the horse is so brilliant. Some may have genuine reason for sale, but establish that over the phone before wasting your time.

You have more protection in law buying from a dealer - ask around first but be smart about the things you hear.

Above all don't rush .... More time now, less pain later :)
 
You might find the superstar you are looking for if you look at cheaper ones. I have a fab horse who is a safe hack and done all rc stuff. Not a world-beater but does OK at rc level, and a reliable, safe hard-to-find sort. I put him up for sale only because I am pregnant again and won't have time for him. He's be too small for your daughter anyway but I am asking a LOT less than £6k for him as I want a fab home for him. He has a couple of melanomas and is a lami risk but there are plenty of people who are willing to take him regardless of this, as he's such a star.
So circumstance may cause a fab horse to come up for sale.

However it seems I may not need to sell him after all as a mother & daughter who live round the corner from the farm where he is kept are keen to take him on loan. In which case I will selfishly keep him forever and ever!
 
ridefast said:
I think this may be your problem. My horse is just what you describe but she will never be for sale as I have made her from a youngster and I will never find another like her. And the same is probably true for a lot of horses. When you get one that's just right, even if it's not amazing, you want to hold on to it. I'm sure the horse you are looking for is out there but it may take a while to find. Or you might have to settle for one that needs work in some areas
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^^^ This.
I was in your position a year ago and it is hard to find one that has done a bit, so is, say, between 6-8. There are a lot of youngsters, problem horses, or older ones with a bit too much wear and tear. You just have to look hard. I eventually found a 6YO but it took me about 4 months and many trips to see unsuitable horses. Good luck!
 
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