Buy vs. ’Make’ a Youngster

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Tickles

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What do you believe the pros and cons are of buying e.g. a (well-bred) yearling and bringing on vs. say a 4 year old are?

In this particular instance
- potential owner does not wish to ride (much) for 4 years (medical reasons) so would buy soon/later depending on decision
- youngster would live out most of the year in a small mixed herd
- potential owner has little experience with youngsters so the actual backing would have to be done elsewhere but potential owner has trusted trainers who’ve taught owner ground work in the past and would enjoy that part
- horse would be of a breed typically not well-brought up
- potential owner would prefer to end up with something happy to do a little of anything but has no particularly competitive ambitions

Speculative at the moment... but may be possible soon.
 
Depends how much experience they have with youngsters on the ground really. Sending away for backing is fine, but its the correct handling before thats important too. They might not need much in terms of time but still need someone able to teach them basics like tying up, standing, picking feet out, manners, baths & all the rest. Given the choice I would rather back & bring on a 4yr old that's been untouched than one that's been allowed to get away with murder & learn bad habits inadvertently. So really I think that's the major consideration, anything else is personal choice, except for if getting a yearling imo you should have other youngsters to keep it with, not just adults.
 
Good point about the company - there are normally 1/2 foals a year on the yard. Potential owner has little experience with youngsters but yard does as owner/breeder of the other foals is YM and lives on site.
 
I've done it both ways - but only had 2 horses, so not a wealth of experience!!

My first was bought as a yearling. Recently I bought a backed and schooled-on 4 yr old. I'm finding the problems for me we more with the second.

With the first one, I had done a lot of work, leading on the roads, we'd seen all sorts of animals, machines, roadworks, etc. We'd done shows in-hand, so had loaded regularly. I did get someone experienced to back him, but then when it came to riding him away, I knew him and what his reaction would be to anything and although I am FAR from a confident rider, the odd blip we had didn't worry me too much.

Now I have a 5 yr old, I don't know much about her past, and just as an example, we went to a show on Sunday and boy she totally lost the plot and scared me silly. It all seems such hard work with her..... and I'm constantly having to push myself to do things as I'm not enjoying it. I think she will get better, but this isn't how I wanted it to be.
 
I would 'make' every time and go for the handled but unbroken as long as knowledgeable and qualified support was there and the owner was willing to accept that to do it right that way might cost more ££ in total than buying a youngster that has been backed etc.

Why? Cos that's what I did and altho not perfect, my little mare (bought unbacked at 3 straight from her breeder and her mum's side) is far far better behaved and more sensible than the 6yo I bought as a 'first' horse a decade before (mind you I also went for a more sensible model this time!).

But I did have an IH/BHS qualified YO/RI and I was prepared to spend more in terms of her time and input than if I had bought a broken in youngster.

In a way (I am not a brave rider), I did better with a youngster as I knew I HAD to be brave for both of us, and that if I was she would be too, eg hacking alone as a green 4yo. Odd but thats the way it worked for us.
 
Depends how experienced rider the owner is.
The skill required to maintain / refine the 'buttons' on an established horse is very different to the skill set required to create them in the first place.
 
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