buying a foal advice

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itroteverywhere

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Hi everyone,
Just need some general advice really.

I'm thinking about buying a foal/ yearling, but never owned anything so young before. What sort of age is best for castration and how much does this cost/ is it better just to avoid colts and go for a filly (won't have to worry about turn out with mares this way). Also what would I need to sort out in the way of jabs etc? Anything to look out for in the buying process? obvs will get a vet check.

Any positive/ negative experiences anyone has had?
I'm sure I will think of more questions that I will then add on later! These are the first ones that come to mind!
Thanks
 
For many people the big problem with young horses is that they are best living in a group of their own age - please do not buy a foal or yearling and try to keep it with adult horses. I have seen some ghastly accidents when the young horse has been chased through a fence by an adult horse. Remember that they are babies and are not 'street wise' to keep out of the way. Never turn out with a shod horse. Castration costs from about £100 upwards. Vaccinations start at 6 months of age and are the same as for an adult horse.

Assuming that you can accommodate all the above, go for it. Be very clear about what you want the foal to be at maturity and choose accordingly. Ask for as much information as you want to know about the youngsters family - what they have done, their temperament etc. If this cannot be provided move on elsewhere!! There are plenty of young horses available do not buy anything without all the history and even more important, passport.

If you have never had a youngster before do ask the advice of an experienced breeder/producer. Most will be only too glad to help you.

Good luck!
 
As sport horse says you need somewhere suitable to keep a foal - preferably with other young unshod horses, definitely not shod adult horses. Good fencing and gates also - if there is something a foal can catch or injure itself on with the fence or gate it most likely will do at some point.

Flu and tet jab as with adult horses. They need regular trims from farrier - sometimes more often than an adult horse.

One thing to bear in mind when buying a foal is there are absolutely no guarantees - it may not mature as big as you want, it might not be suitable for the job you want, it might not have the temperament you want when it's an adult. In short buying a foal is always a risk.

Not trying to put you off - just something to think about.
 
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you could get either but if you buy a colt you have to wait till his "bits" drop and then it will cost you between £180-£300 to do it. i have an 18 month old filly she was 15 months when i bought her. they are very excitable and if they have never been away from mum then you may have a few problems. you have to do everything from scratch, handling, grooming, feet picking up, rugging up,traffic, farrier ext ext everything we take for granted with an older horse that has been educated for us you would now have to teach from scratch to a youngster, and it is not always plan sailing. also can you wait to ride for 2-3 years and what to do with it when it is time to break it in (cost of sending it away to be broke in) or time spent doing it yourself if you can? youngsters are very rewarding, the feeling you get knowing that you have made him or her into what they are is great, but youngsters are lively and strong and take alot of time and patients to train. and if you want a youngster you have to think if you can teach him/her all those things and more and if you have time to do it?

you are more than welcome to pm me if you want any advice x i hope that helps a little x
 
Before you buy yourself a youngster I think you need to ask yourself why you want to do this.

It is good that you are asking for advice but this is all information that is very easy to find out from a good book. Youngsters are not ideal for the inexperienced and as others have said, should ideally be kept in a similar age group.

As to whether to buy a colt or filly that really does depend on which you prefer. I normally get my colts gelded in the spring of their first year. I'm not too sure what you expect a vet to do with a possibly unhandled youngster but you should have a chat with your vet to see what they recommend.

Consider what you hope your youngster do so as an adult and look at their family line and what their siblings are like.
 
I bought my filly when she was a yearling (I was looking for an arab filly under 3 years old). I think that the main thing that caused me to buy her rather than a different filly was that I loved her sire and dam. I think that it is very important to meet the dam and also the sire, if possible. I also really liked my filly's attitude, (they show differences in temperament from a very young age) her confo and her breeding.

I didn't have another young horse to put her with but I have an elderly TB ex-broodmare and there were no problems introducing them to each other at all (see photo of introduction). Later on, when she was rising 2, I had a problem with my riding mare and I had no choice but to put them all together (see second photo). I had the mare's shoes pulled before I put her out with the filly and the TB. Again there were no problems and I was able to get the mare re-shod a couple of weeks later.

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*She had her first vaccination before she was delivered to me.
*She sees the farrier every 6 weeks.
*I have handled her every day. To start with I fed her in her stable as she'd never been stabled before and this was a good way to get her to like the stable.
*She has gone through a rearing phase and it wasn't a problem, but it could have been if I hadn't known how to handle it.
 
I bought my first youngsters this year, a 9 months old welsh section D and a 2 year old Dutch Warmblood.
Both were well thought out to be my and my daughters future riding horses, with out future plans for riding considered.

95% of the time, they are a total joy, but 5% of the time, they can be very testing.
We take so much for granted with older ready trained horses, the simplest of things we dont even realise they need to be trained to do.

You certainly need to be confident and not the panicky type, and have the patience of a saint lol.
Having said that, its very rewarding and seeing your horse grow is amazing.

I would do lots of reasearch before looking, so you really know what to look for, what to consider, and you will then be able to spot the bull S*it, its amazing how a horses mature height changes depending on how big the enquirer wants a horse to finish at!!
If buying from a breeder, you should have opportunity to meet the dam and assess the temprement, and see the youngster with others to assess how it interacts, ie is it bolshy and bossy, or timid and the type likely to be bullied.

They do the daftest of things at times, but are an awful lot of fun x
 
A may come off as harsh or rude, but it sounds to me like you may be a bit inexperienced to deal with a youngster right now,but it's good that your asking and want to learns.
Things to consider when buying a youngster
- conformation, breeding temperament. They may be young but that is no excuse of silliness - our foal all lead and walk nicely your side without messing around by the age of 3 months. They respect humans personal space and body language. You may think rearing is cute now, it won't be at 17hh!
- will it grow into the animal you want? If your 6 foot tall, don't buy something out of a 14.2 mare with a 15.2 sire, on the off chance it grows bigger!
- don't think it'll be a cheap fix to getting a well bred animal. Foals still require regular vet and farrier, will quickly grow out of rugs and head collars, and have a love of trashing perfecting good belongings. On top of this, the market may be poor but good youngsters are still worth a lot. My father didn't sell a yearling for less than £5000 this year!
- Appreciate that they need time to mature, if you don't want to wait the three or four years til you can ride, a baby is not for you!
these are just a tiny few things to think about!
 
We bought our lad last year. He was 8 months. He was very well handled and very sweet. He was bred by a lovely couple who bred one or two a year and they had them at home so he was used to tractors, kids, dogs etc. We looked at others but he was the one we "connected" with. The youngest horse we had had previously was 4 so this was a big step. We had support at the yard and people to call on if we needed help. He was used to leading/loading/farrier etc. and was easy as pie to catch. His bits had dropped but he was not "colty" at all. His mum was a lovely well bred TB and dad was a beautiful QH. Both had lovely temprements. All their horses were laid back and happy.

We agreed with them that he would be gelded at their place and stay until he was recovered. We paid in full and then paid a nominal livery for him to stay for a month. The last 2 weeks I sent my old mare (unshod native x ) to stay with them. They were introduced over the fence, he was then put in with her but in sight of his old field mates etc. 2 weeks later they were best friends and she was firmly in charge. I loaded them together and brought him home. The whole thing was untraumatic. They are blissfully happy together and although he is now 15.3 to her 13.3 she is still in charge!

He has been immensely rewarding but tries his luck at times! We may have been very lucky with him overall but I think his untraumatic transfer helped. His breeder keeps in touch which is lovely. Whilst we were inexperienced with foals we had had horses for over 15 years and had lots of experience to call on from others. I do not believe you need to know everything - just be prepared to take things very slowly and ask people you trust when you are unsure.

Our lad will be backed in 18 months as he was a very late foal - he has only just turned 2. If he needs longer he will be given another year. So it is a bit of a long game - but great fun.
 
Buying a foal or a yearling can be very rewarding, just like children you get to see them grow and develope but they need routine, boundries and consistancy. It also may cost you more than getting a three year old ready to back, and can you wait three years?
If you are on a livery yard is there a paddock where it can go out with a sensible oldie or a youngster? The right company is very important, in some ways a good oldie is better as it teachs them how to behave with them and you and puts them in their place.
Breed can be a factor as 'cold blooded' types are deffinately more easy to handle, I have a 3 year old Highland colt who is a gentleman.
My last foal was weaned at 3 1/2 months( cicumstances not ideal) but because he had a new mum to go to never looked back. One thing to worry about is worms. I don't know if I have just been unlucky but the last two have been riddled with worms and had to be wormed every 3 weeks.
So if you can wait and plan a head go for it.
 
I tend NOT to sell many foals - I prefer to run them on until they are a little older - because I worry SO much about how they will be kept as newly weaned youngsters. The last newly weaned foals I sold, I sold as a pair (a colt and a filly) to experienced horse people. And we keep in touch by e-mail and I see them out showing (they're 2 now - the colt is a gelding now, and the filly has been graded.)

While it's possible to rear foals with an older companion, it IS better for them to have at least one friend of their own age, and a quiet, older horse to help teach them both manners!

If you haven't had a youngster before, you would be better to start with a well handled yearling - or even a 2 year old. A reputable stud will be able to advise you on eventual size and suitability, show you the dam (and maybe the sire too), and show you other siblings.

You do need to get some experience of handling youngsters before you get one of your own. If you happen to be in the Midlands, feel free to PM me and you could come for a day and have a go at handling sensible youngsters under supervision. (Even the well handled, generally well-mannered ones can be a handful if you're not used to them!)
 
sport horse said:
For many people the big problem with young horses is that they are best living in a group of their own age - please do not buy a foal or yearling and try to keep it with adult horses.

Personally I have found that youngsters benefit hugely from being with adults, they need to learn herd etiquette, and they can't do that from other youngsters who don't know any better themselves. Yes, they do benefit from younger companions as well, but it is possible, with time and supervision, to integrate new youngsters into an existing group - see photo. The two Paint foals were not born into this herd but have been accepted and are very settled now

Be very clear about what you want the foal to be at maturity and choose accordingly. Ask for as much information as you want to know about the youngsters family - what they have done, their temperament etc. If this cannot be provided move on elsewhere!! There are plenty of young horses available do not buy anything without all the history and even more important, passport.

If you have never had a youngster before do ask the advice of an experienced breeder/producer. Most will be only too glad to help you.

Good luck!
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Good Luck
 
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Ideally they need company of their own age to blow off steam & play with. When they're weaned preferably with a reliable adult 'nanny' to show them the ropes of herd behaviour & manners. I've never bought a foal (4 youngest I've bought, which I did to get a horse of the quality I wanted for a lower price as she had been backed only 2 weeks when I brought her home) but have bred some, all still at home growing beautifully.

They need to know you are not their playmate (they can play very rough), but their friend & leader. They need clear boundaries (which will be tested), you can assume nothing & need quiet patience teaching them. They have no previous experience to base situations on, so may react differently or in a more exagerrated fashion than you would expect compared to older horses. You can assume nothing, & everything has to be taught from the beginning. In return the rewards are immense & the joy of watching them learn & grow gives a warm glow. When they stand patiently for the farrier, picking up each foot in turn knowing it was your time & input that allowed it to happen is great.

They are not an easy option, but if you can do it & are honestly the best home for a foal, then it is wonderful. I'm not backing mine until she is 5 (late maturing line), so from conception I will have waited 6 years to get to the point of riding (only 3 to go, over half way!).
 
I COULD have been one of the ones for it all goes horribly wrong. Thats being brutely honest. After many years of riding / loaning, I thought I would be fine taking on a youngster. Long story short I ended up buying a very mistreated youngster (vets unsure due to his condition and state but aged between 6 and 9 months) - he is now 12, unhandled, pathalogical fear of people, and an attitude similar to Rambo (and me having a 6 month old daughter and a pillock of a now ex!!). I originally intended to by an older horse, but my common sense departed. The entire journey has brough tears, frustration, pain, but eventually a finding of common ground, I dont think I would do what I did again, despite a happy outcome, in all honesty. Despite loaning/riding for years I was NOT equipped to handle him and anyone who asked me about doing similar without ALOT more knowledge, I would tell my full story, warts and all to! Having said that, we have come an incredible journey together, and the day my 11 year old daughter rode him down the road recently brought me to my knees in gratitude for the honestly that IS horses in general. It's not a story that will end up well sadly, he's developed ringbone, already has some other issues that have had operations, and will impact on him in his later years, and possibly result from his start in life. BUT having said all the bad... he's a cracking charecter, can be a pain in the butt, respect is something he doles out when appropriate. So is his affection. Overall message is REALLY honestly consider whether you CAN handle a youngster.
 
Meow-Kiss said:
A may come off as harsh or rude, but it sounds to me like you may be a bit inexperienced to deal with a youngster right now,but it's good that your asking and want to learns.
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You may be right in what you say, OP may be a bit inexperienced. However I have 20 years experience and much of that has involved bringing horses on, re-training etc, even though I had the experience, common sense and knowledge to be able to purchase and bring on a youngster, I still came on here and asked for an 'idiots guide' just to ensure I was right in the way I was going about things and I am sure as time goes on I still will :)
 
sport horse said:
For many people the big problem with young horses is that they are best living in a group of their own age - please do not buy a foal or yearling and try to keep it with adult horses. I have seen some ghastly accidents when the young horse has been chased through a fence by an adult horse. Remember that they are babies and are not 'street wise' to keep out of the way. Never turn out with a shod horse. Castration costs from about £100 upwards. Vaccinations start at 6 months of age and are the same as for an adult horse.

Assuming that you can accommodate all the above, go for it. Be very clear about what you want the foal to be at maturity and choose accordingly. Ask for as much information as you want to know about the youngsters family - what they have done, their temperament etc. If this cannot be provided move on elsewhere!! There are plenty of young horses available do not buy anything without all the history and even more important, passport.

If you have never had a youngster before do ask the advice of an experienced breeder/producer. Most will be only too glad to help you.

Good luck!
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Ditto all of the above. The last 4 years since my laddie came into the world and lived at a livery yard has been so stressful. It is imperative that their field companions are well chosen once they come away from mom.

You really need to research and find the best possible environment you can, it did work out well in the end as we had 2 youngsters together and a nanny mare who would tell them off and put them in their place when they became too annoying.

Good luck
 
Meow-Kiss said:
A may come off as harsh or rude, but it sounds to me like you may be a bit inexperienced to deal with a youngster right now,but it's good that your asking and want to learns.
Things to consider when buying a youngster
- conformation, breeding temperament. They may be young but that is no excuse of silliness - our foal all lead and walk nicely your side without messing around by the age of 3 months. They respect humans personal space and body language. You may think rearing is cute now, it won't be at 17hh!
- will it grow into the animal you want? If your 6 foot tall, don't buy something out of a 14.2 mare with a 15.2 sire, on the off chance it grows bigger!
- don't think it'll be a cheap fix to getting a well bred animal. Foals still require regular vet and farrier, will quickly grow out of rugs and head collars, and have a love of trashing perfecting good belongings. On top of this, the market may be poor but good youngsters are still worth a lot. My father didn't sell a yearling for less than £5000 this year!
- Appreciate that they need time to mature, if you don't want to wait the three or four years til you can ride, a baby is not for you!
these are just a tiny few things to think about!
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Again ditto all these comments especially about the foals rearing and also when they 17hh.
I am experienced with youngsters and I can assure you it isn't pleasant with 600kg of power waving their hooves at you as my youngster still did at 3 occasionally. I believe if you aren't that experienced you may be better putting your money towards something slightly older. It costs an awful lot of money to rear babies to get to the riding stage
 
Thanks for everyone's advice - it has been of invaluable benefit!

queenbee said:
You may be right in what you say, OP may be a bit inexperienced. However I have 20 years experience and much of that has involved bringing horses on, re-training etc, even though I had the experience, common sense and knowledge to be able to purchase and bring on a youngster, I still came on here and asked for an 'idiots guide' just to ensure I was right in the way I was going about things and I am sure as time goes on I still will :)
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I am experienced (used to work in the equine industry), and I have some experience dealing with foals. It is more the logistics that I am concerned about and need to look further in to.

OP sadly I don't live anywhere near the Midlands but thank you very much for the offer! I am definitely going to put some more thought into the pro's and con's though before i commit (financially speaking).

Thanks again :)
 
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