Bucketloads of advice needed!

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shaylux

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Apologies beforehand for a rather huge post!
Although I’m a confessed lurker, I thought that this would be the perfect place to seek some advice, as we don’t know anyone else in the area.

After a break from owning horses, I now seem to have fallen back in, headfirst. The last two years have been quite a struggle, with moving from Scotland down to the south west, and the beginnings of my daughters eating disorder. Somewhere, months ago, in the midst of trying to persuade her to eat something, I promised her a new horse should she regain weight to a certain target.
This really has been her ultimate motivator, and I believe that without this incentive we might not have made the progress we have so far. Although she still has a little weight to go before she hits the target, I’ve seen a new streak in her in the last few weeks, a desire to speed things up and push herself out of her comfort zone to gain the last little bit, so I’m starting to muse over what to do once we get there.

Firstly, as it has been a few years since we last owned horses, I’m clueless to the current market. From what I understand it’s a buyers market at the moment, which I guess gives me a little advantage. However I don’t want to jump straight in and buy first – both of our previous horses were kept on working livery, so there was plenty of support in keeping them. Her riding instructor, who was up to date with buying/selling and the market, also found them both for us.
I don’t think that this is the sort of Christmas puppy situation, where after a month the novelty will wear off with my daughter, and she’ll lose interest, however I do want at least a month prior to purchase, a test run to see if she can handle her own horse at home. As she’ll have an aupair, who’s hopefully done her bit with horses, and me (although it’s been 20yrs since I qualified as an AI and did all the training/competing), I don’t think she’ll struggle, but I’d feel so much happier with a month or two trial.

So, my options seem to be;
Short term full loan.
This would seem to be the easiest, yet I’ve had a quick browse and it seems impossible to find any decent horses on full loan for only a month or two – I know that this is quite a picky criteria, but I’m just not sure if I’ll be able to find anything suitable, that isn’t a share (I have nothing against sharing, but this is more of a trial to see if my daughter can handle the horse at home. A share wouldn’t provide the same effect). After the month or two we could go on to buy our own horse. This also has the advantage of getting my daughter back into riding after her break before looking for something.

Look for a horse that is for sale on loan with view to buy.
My difficulty with this is that the horses that I’ve seen on LVTB are few and far between, and often not what I’m looking for. Otherwise it would work well.

Look for a horse on sale, ask for an extended trial.
I’ve read plenty of things showing that trials are regarded as dangerous/not done, and as it would be a fairly long trial of a month or two, I’m not sure of my chances of finding an owner willing.

I’m just looking for someone who’s acquainted with the current market, willing to give me advice on which of these, if any, to follow.

Secondly, I’m not even sure what sort of horse I should be looking for. My daughter has been riding for a good while, although the last two years have been tricky and have only included a few lessons here and there. We’ve had two horses for her, the first was a big old tb which I was shown by her instructor and promptly purchased (who knows why I thought a 15.3hh would suit an 8yr old..), but he was a big softie and plodded around showing her the ropes. We then had a 14.3hh tb cross, who unfortunately was too strong and forward going and did mess with my daughters confidence.
Although she’s ridden for years, my daughter didn’t really step into full on competing, only the occasional round of small jumps. She always preferred schooling, or the odd beach gallop. We tried hunting once, which went down a treat (apart from that it was on her second horse, and despite an array of bridles and bits, my daughter had zilch control over the mare!)
I’m pretty certain that after getting back into the swing of things, having something that could take her round a XC course, or over a set of jumps and look after her would be a bonus.
So my daughter is now 15, she’s 5ft8, and although she would love a Spanish breed, or friesian, my purse is unfortunately not bottomless. I have a budget of around £4k to spend when it comes to buying.
I’m just after a little advice to where, and what I should be looking for, in terms of level/age/price/breed/temperament.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thank you! :D
 
I think you are unlikely to find a decent horse on such a short term loan, it seems to be hard enough to find a safe and sensible loan as they are usually valuable and people will be able to sell them or loan long term.
LWVTB is an option but again not so easy to find as the really good horses will sell quickly with no strings attached often by word of mouth.

I think in your situation I would put a wanted ad on Horsequest, be clear that a short trial is a requirement and see what response you get, people that have not yet put their horse up for sale, possibly someone about to go to uni, may be interested, the only problem will be if it does not work out they could be in a difficult situation, which is why people are reluctant to do this.

Contact local PC/ RC and ask around in general, you may get some interest or possibly a horse to ride/ share for a while to ease your daughter back into riding.

As it seems you will be keeping the horse at home you will need to consider a companion as many will not be happy alone, when I sell anything I always make sure the horse will not live alone and if it was going on a LWVTB I would not allow any horse to go if it was going to be on its own. So something else to think about, maybe your daughter would like to start with a non ridden pony to care for.
 
Hi - welcome to the forum. You'll get lots of great advice here.

With your daughters history you definitely want something easy and fun that is going to build her confidence and teach her. So a slightly older riding club type.

I'd avoid Friesians though - they are gorgeous, but they are a push back type of horse - so if you try to get your own way with them by pushing they just push/pull back. I'm 45 and so have the patience to spend 20 minutes calmly not backing down so my girl knows I'm boss, and then doing the same thing the next day. But I wouldn't have enjoyed that at 15.

You will also get more for your budget with a horse that isn't a fancy breed. Try the pony club website: http://classified.pcuk.org/category/for-sale/

Paula
 
Personally in your situation, i would look for a longer term loan, about 1 year, and keep the horse on DIY/assisted livery. This would enable your daughter to see if she really wants the responsibility of a horse full time, get her friends with other horsey girls and be more fun for her.

If after a year, your daughter is still keen, her levels of experience will have increased and you will be in a better position to find her ideal horse/pony
 
Personally I would buy rather than loan

Its been a long hard journey for your daughter and buying your own horse means you have more control over the situation, it could set your daughter back if she loans a pony and it is whipped away from her again by the owner (unlikely but possible)

I would look for a schoolmaster/mistress with a good reputation locally, maybe start riding lessons with your daughter now which will allow you to be in the right place regarding local horsey gossip as they are often sold word of mouth. This also gives you access to an instructor who can be a source of help and advice on what type of horse would suit your daughter

Horsey paragons are worth their weight in gold so in a year or two would be easily sold on if your daughter wants to move on to a zippier flash looking animal
 
I would suggest considering a long term loan. If it really does not work out the horse can go back. A horse that is easy and fun may be more your daughter's thing than one that is a great competitor. That way you can build up her confidence generally without her having to battle a more tricky horse. Also if she ends up going down the uni route a sensible loan horse will be easier to pass back to its original owners in a few years. She may enjoy it more if she is at a yard rather than at home so gets to meet more people.

These suggestions are just intended to give more options and obviously may not suit your daughter. What does she think about it?
 
Someone who is skint would probably do a 5mth full loan over winter, but you'll be unlikely to find anyone who would do 1-2mth over summer. TBH I'd just buy, you have enough knowledge between you all to cope and if you join the BHS you can get insurance, advice, discount price on books. You could do the BHS horse owners certificate too (you don't need a horse to do them). You could get a freelance instructor out for some lessons to get you started with your new horse. If you find you really can't cope you can sell the horse to a dealer if you haven't the time for a private sale. A decent dealer will be able to find a nice home for a good horse.
 
Thank you all for your replies!

I do think when we get around to buying, I'll also find some sort of companion somewhere. This could also be the 'trial' horse, and be bought first, though I'm not sure if the commitment to a companion is the same as a full riding horse.
I think I'll seek out the PC - and thanks for the website link, lots of those look fairly promising.
In regards to long term loans, although I agree that it would be sensible as we could cancel it if needs be, I don't think that I can turn around and tell my daughter now that it's not going to be her own horse, after she's worked so hard for this. Risking a loan which has a possibility of being cancelled by the owner, after she's bonded with it, may indeed send her backwards which I really do not want.

Thank you also for suggesting the local stables. I hadn't really thought of going around to seek local knowledge, but getting an instructor's view after seeing her ride would indeed help, as would some lessons before & after buying.

I did consider just going ahead and buying something, and then selling should everything end up pear-shaped, but I've been completely put off selling after having to constantly nag at the woman who bought our last pony to pay more than a 1/3 of our agreed price over the last year and a half. However if I could find a dealer, that may also work.
 
I would highly recommend horseworld - an option may be to get a companion first from horseworld (you will need to explain to them that it wont be kept on its own for long - or you could get 2 !!! hehe) and then after a couple of weeks buy your daughter her own riding horse. You may be lucky and find a riding horse from horseworld but its unlikely - with companions and ridden you can return them at any time if you dont get on with them so you wont be stuck with one if your daughter suddenly decides boys are more fun ! They only ask a small amount for companions. www.horseworld.org.uk

if she is wanting to hunt I would ask your local hunt if they know of any for sale - depending where you are west someset vale may be good - they are lovely and have a website including a "for sale" page.
 
I would suggest putting a wanted ad up on a few sites when the time is right for you. I have recently sent my saint of a horse on loan with view to buy but I would never have advertised him for fear of him ending up with a dealer, I looked for wanted ads where I thought the home would suit, although in the end he went to a friend of a friend. This type if horse is sometimes found through word of mouth
 
I would suggest sharing. There are quite a few people looking for someone to share their horse and pay towards keep. You are likely to get a better horse plus less commitment to start. I know its not the compldte answer but at least you could see how she gets on and may make some friends.
You say your last instructress helped buy your previous horses but they didnt sound ideal. Get in touch with your local pony club and just go to watch some rallies offer to help and you will find the right type of people to give you advice. Good luck
 
Firstly welcome :)

I don't think your first option will really work if I am honest. I would not be happy for my Horse to go away for a month and then come back. My reason being, is it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year for a Horse to fully settle (obviously depends on the Horse) So a month really isn't enough time to see what the Horse is really like. It is also very unsettling for Horses to keep changing homes.

What you could do though, is look for a short term loan and leave the Horse at it's origional yard. The owner can still see it, the Horse will be settled in its surroundings and your daughter can go up every day and do the jobs. If you like the Horse then put an offer in.
 
In regards to where I am, Devon, not too far from Exeter in the countryside, although I still have our horse box sitting around and am willing to travel a good distance to find the right horse when needed.

Thanks, I'll check horseworld out - I'm starting to think that buying a companion for a month or two, seeing how that works out (although it seems it may have to be 2 companions! or one on loan one bought..) is a good idea.
As you're all recommending checking out the local stables, I think I'll try and start up some local lessons if I can find a nice yard, with people who know the area and what's for sale. I'll pop a few wanted ads out too, if you think that I'll have a better chance of finding something that way.

In terms of price, am I likely to find something decently forward going, yet bombproof, that would hunt if asked, for £4k?
 
You should be able to get a really nice horse for that money. But do take care, take someone experienced with you, and have a full vetting. Often the asking price is subject to negotiation.

I actually got my girl through a wanted ad in Horsequest, so that is worth trying as well.

On the other hand loaning at a horse'scurrent yard does have the advantage that you aren't unsettling a horse with a move. These forums are full of people wondering if their horse was doped when they tried on it, when it's probably just unsettled by the move.

Paula
 
Lots of great advice on here. I would also suggest that you take up as many references as you can for any of the horses (loan/buy/trial etc) that you are keen on - call the hunt secretary, the local Pony Club branch or whoever it may be and get as much independent opinion as possible.

Good luck and do keep us posted - it sounds like your daughter has made significant progress already, and I look forward to hearing about her new horse.
 
I would phone up the local pony club and have a chat to their DC. At this time of year a lot of grown out of/going to uni horses and ponies come up for sale or loan - they will know which ones would be good for you, and also of local instructors who could otherwise help you look for one if you do go through the adverts route.

That budget should get you something very nice, especially if you go for something around 15h-15.2 that are often that little bit cheaper..
 
You may be out of the area for horseworld but worth asking (sorry didnt realise you were as far down as exeter) - there are also places like blue cross etc. I would contact local hunts and ask to go along as foot followers for the day - you can then ask in person and will probably get a better response once they know you are genuine etc - you may even be able to see a horse out hunting that someone is looking to sell on - I would have thought your budget should get you something very nice.
 
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