Bringing on youngsters (4/5+)

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Destario

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Hi,

I always planned to bring on youngsters (pre-backed around 4/5+) but so far I just can't decide on what type to go for. My last attempt was a pony (13.2) who I got when he was 6/7 but I fell in love with him, and have only recently sold him him on to a lovely home on Jersey where he is winning and placing highly in every SJ competition he enters! He's now 14...so the whole buying to sell on didn't really work!

This time I am convinced that I will buy a youngster, train him up either as an all rounder or aimed more towards SJ (and XC if I can get access to facilities) and then pass him on after 1 or 2 years. I was planning on starting all of this last year, but I damaged my knee and was out of riding for 6 months, and no-one really wants to look for, buy and move a new horse in December when getting back up to full fitness!

So. The question: I'm looking for good SJ breeds (flatwork is important too, but I love me my jumping!) that stand about 15 - 16.2h (I'm really quite small, so anything bigger is difficult to handle from the ground unfortunately!) and most importantly, will sell well once I've brought them along and improved them...I'm willing to look at the smaller breeds, but only if I will be able to sell them along well...I'm looking for breeds with a little bit of fizz and excitement, something I can work with, not on...so, any recommendations would be much appreciated :) it's been a while since I last looked and before that I stuck to ponies (lots of PC in my area always looking for new ponies!) before I fell in love with my last one!

Thanks in advance,
Destario
 
If you want to buy and sell I would be thinking of going to grosebride or cavan in ireland and bringing a few unbroken/just backed to produce and sell. If you want to make money I suggest you sell within a few weeks and maybe months. You wont make a profit keeping them for years.
 
I'm not so worried about crazy profits, but I can't really manage to bring over from Ireland except as a last resort, and I don't have the time to back them at the moment which is a shame...I can probably hope to bring on and sell within a few months, but it's a way of riding and giving me things to concentrate on as I ride. Also tricking me into thinking it makes more economic sense :wink: so if I grew to enjoy a 3/4 yr old, I wouldn't mind playing around with him for a year or so before selling. The money isn't top priority at the moment thankfully.
I'm just not sure on which breeds are selling well at the moment really, I've been out of the buying/selling circuit for a while...
 
I have just been researching the market as was offered a swap for my exmoor mare and it appears that connie x's are very very popular and good jumpers and generally all rounders. Plus, they won't be huge and generally seem to have good temperments.
 
Not sure about breeds as such. I know things with lines like harlequin, luidam, burgraff (sorry if spellings out im on phone), Lord Z, lux z ect are popular and selling with SJers.

Something with a nice attitude, conformation, movement and jump will always shift but the market is slow at the moment.
 
Thanks! I've been thinking of going to the exmoor sales and grabbing a foal or two sometime in the future when I have more time, congrats on the swap! I'll be sure to put connies on, always good for young adults as well...it's really annoying being small, I can ride massive beasties, I just can't really do much on the ground, and it's annoying having to stand on stools to put a rug on or try and heave a saddle on, it's not fair to either of us!

I've been looking around at just about anything, well browsing and seeing what's out there, and there seem to be a few American Paint horses about (I just love them! And Appaloosa's but they sure are expensive!) but other than them looking gorgeous and a friend using one to ride Western on hacks, I'm not really sure how great they are with jumping...also Welsh xs (aww my first pony had some welsh sec A in him, crazy rodeo pony, best type to learn on I think!) but again, not sure of the market...
 
The breed is not important, unless you are really trying to specialise at top level, find well put together horses with good temperaments that have decent paces and bring on as allrounders, there will always be a market as long as they a fairly straightforward to ride, good to hack and can compete well at the lower levels affiliated. Your market then encompasses a huge area from PC/RC to hopefuls in all 3 affiliated disciplines, even someone looking for a smart hack may be interested and they often have the money to buy a decent horse .
 
I know of a couple of ExmoorXwarmbloods for sale. Both have been backed.
Lovely conformation and temperaments,sensible size,good do-ers. I reckon they would make super little competition horses when mature.
No idea on price though!
 
Ah yes, price! I keep failing and finding gorgeous 4 year old Appaloosas...not a good idea! Another related question: Connemaras tend towards sweet itch, [I am very good with sweet itch as my retired first pony (who I have had since he was 9) has severe sweet itch, so I know how to deal with it] and I wondered how badly that affected price if I were to sell on?

I love Exmoors, the smallest pony to jump the biggest fences was called Bruno - tiny Exmoor, jumped bigger than some of the horses at the yard, amazing! Do you have any more information on them? I was planning on waiting a couple of months when show season pricing went down a little before buying, but I may be able to manage something earlier or agree to have them held until I found space for them...
 
If you are small I would be producing 13.2-14.2s for the child competition market. Native cross is fine emphasis on manners, loads well and a responsive safe ride etc.

That's what I would be wanting if I were buying a ready made pony for my daughter.
 
I can't believe I didn't think of that! I fit on 13.2s well (short legs!) enough to bring them on and I don't weigh much so that is definitely something I'll look into :) thanks for the good idea! (a native would also help with the yarding - turnout rather than stabling)
 
If you want an Exmoor you could go to the Exmoor pony sales at Brendon in October. The recently weaned colts average about £50, fillies around £100 to £120. But there are older Exmoors for sale there too. The youngsters are, um, challenging (!!) but worth the effort.
 
I agree with ffionwinnie I thibk! You can do all the scary bits so they're nice and safe and ready for a child or teen to do their first comps :-) I would think its an advantage being small really! If 14-14.2 then can appeal to small adults too :-)

Connie cross for sure or a quality cob I think would sell well :-)
 
It is something that I plan one day to do, but I don't currently have the ability to house any foals or the necessary time for them, I will do in a few years though, then no Exmoor colts will running wild on the moors, I may just have to buy them all! :wink: but at the moment I'm looking really for pre-backed youngsters...

Yes, I really think I should look into that! Such a good idea, I'm pretty indestructible myself, and exceedingly hard to dislodge (thanks to my first pony aspiring to be a rodeo bull) and I know many people want a safe horse that's not ancient for their children!
 
I wouldn't buy a exmoor. I have one which I have produced and literally have had next to no people interested. Many people just think they are too small though they can easily carry 10stone. It's a Shame as they are so talented! An exmoor cross may be a good horse to have. Any native cross would be a good prospect.
 
Thanks rowy I'll keep that in mind, although I'm pretty sure that by the time I can get an Exmoor foal I won't have to sell it on, because there may be tiny people old enough to ride one by then (hopefully anyway, this is a long way into the future!)
 
I agree not an exmoor and prob not a pure native. You want something flashy. Not heavyweight but not a nutter. Snaffle mouth and easy for a child to ride.

I have bought this pony to bring in for my daughter. She is a 13.2 CxD.
3c6ac363.jpg

I reckon I could triple my money on her when I am finished with her as I bought her cheap from Wales. ( except I love her and if my daughter never rides her I don't care she is mine now lol)

If I were you I'd consider going to Wales because nice ponies are ten a penny there for a hundred quid. You could turn that pony into a 5000 pony with the right training.

I have already got the idea if my daughter is into it we could produce childrens ponies together as I have my own land so could buy some youngsters and run them on ;)
 
What about a Welsh D? They are fizzy, fantastic jumpers, and IMO - beautiful! You can pick up youngsters very cheep, and make a gross profit once you wish to re-sell.
 
Sorry...phone posted before I was done - grr! An example - I bought my boy as un unschooled just turned 5 year old for £1250. I have recently been told that now (a year and a month later) he is worth in the region of 5k.
 
I've got a spotty LW cob, prob welsh d x 13.3hh to make 14hands. 4yr old, backed, quiet and sensible but a blank canvas for someone who is prob for sale if you go down the pony route. He's going to make a superstar mum/daughter pc type with some miles on the clock as he's soo sensible, but still forward thinking. He hacks out with total novices and never puts a foot out of line, but he'll def go up a gear if asked. Is love someone to buy him and turn him into a superstar pc pony!
 
He sounds wonderful Dexter, spotty horses are the best! How long have you had him for? Piccies?! :D

I'm thinking the PC market is probably the way to go here as I am small enough to bring the larger ponies/smaller horses on :)
 
I'd say a connie or connie x, they always sell. Or a native x. And if you are light enough a sec b. They seem to go pretty cheap unbacked, even when good breeding. Too small for most adults or teens to break cos they're fine, & often too lively to dump random children on to back. So unbroken the market is limited to experienced parents with competent kids/tiny teens or tiny adults. And they are nice little ponies. With projects, I find the smaller they are & the less likely it is to find a jockey to bring on, the greater the profit.
 
I've never really liked the look of sec bs but as I'd just be bringing on it doesn't really matter what I like or I'd have a million Appaloosas! But waaay back when I competed ponies I do remember seeing many of them about...I'm not sure on the weight limit for a sec b - I hover around the 8st mark. My retired monster first pony was a mix but definitely had some cob and sec a in him (among other things) and I can still tack him up and take him for the odd road walk If I fancy (he's 12.1 and a half) and he's totally fine, he just has a bit of a bad back and severe sweet itch so he retired a few years ago as a companion pony in the field, which he loves!
 
My friend breeds show-jumpers and has a selection of horses from foals to unbroken 4yr olds......

Foals usually about £1.5k
2yo from about £2k
3yo from about £3k
Friend is open to offers

Bloodlines are from proven show-jumpers ie. Landgraff, Burgraff, Ramiro Z, Cavalier etc.,

My mare is from my friend and she jumps like a stag....... her bloodlines are Landgraff, Cor De La Breyere and Ramiro Z on the sire's side and King of Diamonds and Ballenvilla on dam's side.
 
That sounds wonderful Dana, some excellent bloodlines in there! I so want to have a look, but unfortunately I don't have the time or yard for an unbacked youngster which is a shame, but I hope in future to have a yard where I can have anything I want! So I'm really looking for backed youngsters, just to make it easier to house and work on them. (I do keep sneaking looks at unbacked younglings though, so many gorgeous ones about!)
 
Connies are very fashionable at the moment with a price tag to match, however I think the next big thing will be new forests, there have been some changes to the HOYS rules which will benefit them, they are also more reasonably priced and they can jump, and are suitable for small adults and children.
 
Thanks SO1 I'll have a look at those too...I do love seeing the foals running about when I visit the NF, lovely ponies...so far welshies, connemaras and New Forests are on the list to be searched...
 
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