Buying a foal/ yearling ... should I?

[Scotsbadboy]

So Im totally undecided on this but would appreciate peoples thoughts and experiences.

Im unbelievably fed up with this horse market at the moment so being between horses and without the best budget in the world i went to view a horse last night which i didn't even bother getting on BUT they did have lots of babies with a couple of stallions, mares and foals so i couldn't resist the urge to go in the field with the yearlings and this years weaned foals for cuddles and a couple of them are still for sale. They are nice ID/ISH types which is what I'm looking for but honestly am i stupid to think about buying a yearling and just waiting and doing it all myself? at least I'd know (in theory) what im getting if ive done all the work (with professional help as required) myself im on to a winner?

I have my own land and stables at home anyway so it wouldnt 'cost' anything to keep and i could potentially have two youngsters for company..... Oh i dont know, i rather like the idea but honestly is this the worst idea ever?

Right guys snap me out of this please or i fear i will be the owner of one or two youngster by the weekend lol

 

[scruffyponies]

Not sure if this helps, but honestly if you're thinking of getting youngstock, dont get 1, you need at least 2.

 

[Orangehorse]

But you need something to ride in the meantime. I bought a 2 year old that had been very well brought up otherwise I wouldn't have contemplated it. I knew he was good to lead, tie up, groomed, farrier and had tack on and been to a show. I had an older horse to ride that I sold when my youngster was backed and broken in. But people who school horses for a living earn their money. I wouldn't say no to you, you have to be aware of the pitfalls, and it is nice to ride an older horse when you are also breaking in and schooling a younger one.

I made plenty of mistakes and would have done some things differently with hindsight.

My 2 year old is 22 now, so I guess it was a success.

 

[eggs]

I have my horses at home and have bred a few foals over the years. Believe me it certainly doesn't cost nothing! By the time you get them to 5 you will have spent a fair bit and I was lucky in that I backed them myself with experienced help that was free. I kept my youngsters in a herd of similar aged youngsters with a retired gelding as their nanny in a very large field with big barns that were open for them to use.

Although all were handled in the same way some they don't all turn out the same. To be perfectly honest if I hadn't bred/bought as a foal a couple of them I would not have bought them as an adult riding horse.

The idea is always lovely and if you do go ahead be prepared for both joy and heartache.

 

[AFB]

If it was me I'd hold off, save the money you would spend (there will still be £££'s to spend despite keeping at home!) and buy something you know will suit down the line.

 

[katastrophykat]

Buy two. Or one and a young adult companion that can be firm but fair to the youngster.
I’m running a two year old on at the moment with a 17yo, 4yo and 5yo- all of them put the two year old in his place without being dangerous with him or injuring him, and they’ll all play with him when he feels like it- the four and five year old play together like colts! All of mine are geldings and it isn’t a bad mix.

I tend to buy young so I know them inside out before putting them to harness or putting my child on them!
This is my four year old- don’t be fooled by the pics, he’s had maybe ten or twelve weeks work spread out over the last year, I like to pick them up and put them down and not end up with something that ‘must have’ daily work.

 

[PatchyBabyHorse]

Buy two. Then if they grow up and you don’t like them you can sell them, then you’ll have the money.

 

[chaps89]

If you have no ridden horse, that's a long 2 or 3 years out of the saddle before you get on the current yearling. I think backing/riding a youngster is difficult enough/requires skill, quick reactions etc without trying to be getting back into riding at the same time!
So it would be a no from me unless you were to continue looking for a ridden one in the meantime anyway with this just as a nice pet for whilst you find one/to run alongside your ridden one. And as above, a youngster on its own isn't really a great idea.
Sorry OP!

 

[sport horse]

Buy two and keep them together and:

They WILL cost you money - vaccination, farrier, vat when they hurt themselves and believe you me they do!

When they are gwon up they may not be what you want.

When they grown up they will be inseparable and you will have a nightmare wokring one to break it in while the other climbs the wall of its stable or destroys the fence!

Buy one and leave it where it is for three years maybe otherwise go out and find what you want to rdie now .

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Agree with previous posts. I have a now 2.5yo who I've owned since weaning, but I also have an older ridden horse and the youngster has very much been left just to be a baby until this year when we've started doing a bit more groundwork. I'm not sure I'd have gone down the route of having a baby if they were my only horse as there's so much that can and does go wrong with babies, not to mention there's no guarantee they'll even be what you want if you do get them to the age of backing unscathed.

If you're planning to keep at home I'd suggest you go down the route of 2 youngsters so they have someone to play with and an older nanny/uncle figure to keep the babies in check. A baby on it's own would be a recipe for disaster (I can't even put into words how valuable an older horse is in keeping youngsters in check and helping teach them how to horse).

 

[ihatework]

Well as I have just bought 2 yearlings I’m possibly not in a position to comment!! BUT I’m not looking to ride anymore, so I’m not missing out on riding in the interim, when they start under saddle they will go to compatible riders - they don’t need to be big enough / small enough / quiet enough / sharp enough etc for me. They will be what they are and that’s that.

In the past I bought a yearling to be my horse. A very sensible purchase. Rode my other while he grew up, and when he was old enough to be my riding horse I didn’t really get on with him at all.

That said, at least you know their history and have the oppertunity to use the right people at the right time. But don’t underestimate how much good professional help costs at the right time if needed.

I reckon each one of my yearlings will cost in the region of a further 5k each to get to a well backed & ridden away 4yo, and that is assuming no major veterinary bills.

I don’t think it’s the way to go for a one horse owner who enjoys riding. Pop aside livery money each month, grow the pot and keep an eye out for the right one. At some point you will hit the sweet spot that you will have enough saved for what you want and you will get there quicker than waiting for a yearling plus with the bonus you will know if you actually like riding it

 

[Annagain]

Where are you? It sounds like what you're after is what I've just bought and I couldn't recommend the person I bought him from more highly. It's a long story but I saw one with her nearly a year ago that wasn't quite right and she kept in touch with me the whole time until she got Charlie. She said the moment she saw him she knew he was for me and she was right! They're not cheap but they're no more expensive than anywhere else. Charlie is 6 but if you were open to a four year old, that would probably be a bit cheaper.

 

[paddi22]

pros
- you will always sell on a nice draught type if they turn out not to be what you expected
- it's an enjoyable process and a great learning curve
- you have your own land

cons
- they aren't cheap to keep. my recent vets bill is for 1500 for dealing with a weird infection after a simple gelding procedure. mine live out very cheaply but they still cost for farriers, worming, vets, forage etc
- there is no guarantee they will survive uninjured to adulthood. I had one break a leg in a field. a friends one recently did a suspensory and looks like it will always be crocked. my farrier bred a gorgeous foal, traveled it from the stud unloaded it from the horse box and it ran straight into a fence and broke its neck. it is amazing the damage babies can do to themselves.
- you might not get what you expected personality wise for what you want it for
- you are not going to have anything to ride for YEARS ands even once backed you can't be out doing fun shows and rides for a good while
- you will have to ride out all the usual testing behaviour, greenness, bucking, rearing, testing behaviour
- to get them backed properly is expensive

chances are with Brexit/covid recession that prices will drop a lot and there could be a glut of horses for sale once winter hits

 

[JJS]

I don’t know that I’d recommend it, TBH! I adore my three year old, but if I’d had the choice, I wouldn’t have bought a youngster. She’s incredibly hard work, and I very much feel the pressure to do right by her. I also have no idea whether we’ll actually be compatible once she’s under saddle, which does concern me slightly!

Even with her mum, who I bought as a just-broken four year old, it’s been a long old journey. She’s just turned eight and has become exactly the sort of horse I’d hoped she would be, but as lovely as she’s always been, we did have a fair few baby/green horse issues to work through. I’m now enjoying her more than ever and am incredibly proud of the mare she’s grown into, but with the older horses I’ve bought in the past, I’ve been able to have all of those wonderful moments a lot sooner. I guess that she’s the horse I’d have bought in the first place if I’d had the budget for something already established, but instead I’ve had to make her. Satisfying, yes, but also a lot of hard work along the way!

(I say this with my sensible head on, but I wouldn’t swap either one of them for the world.)

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

If you're prepared to wait 2-3 years to ride if you bought yearlings then would it not be worth just hanging on for the horse Market to slow a little in a few months..??
If you are desperate for something equine shaped maybe consider fostering for a charity for a few months til you start looking again..??

 

[Brownmare]

I bought a yearling because I was fed up of fixing other people's mistakes and I didn't have the budget for a "perfect" made horse so it was either a project or a baby!
He is now 3 and has been a brat this year so I have left him alone and let my other horses put manners on him. I was going to back him this autumn but he has had another growth spurt and is looking lanky and gangly again so I may just leave him til Spring. He was meant to make 16.1hh but was 16.2 at last measuring and I daren't measure him now! If he gets much bigger I may end up selling him once he is backed next year....
Basically, what I am trying to say is that buying a youngster is a gamble. You may get what you want or you may not, and you won't know for a few years which it is, so unless you are prepared for that I'd leave it.

 

[Gloi]

Yes
I love having them from babies. There's nothing nicer than watching your new horse grow up.

 

[J&S]

There must be lots of 3/4 year olds, unbroken, who you could get started a lot sooner than waiting for foals to grow up.

 

[Xmasha]

The thing is, when you go and view youngsters/foals they do look easy, sweet /cuddly etc etc. But they dont stay like that for long. It is not a cheap option getting or breeding youngsters of any shape or form.. well not if its done properly. So my advice would be to think long and hard before you do. Consider :
1. Do you have the right facilities - stables/barns plenty of space /turnout
2. herd enviroment - ideally others of same age and older broodie for manners
3. Be aware that youngsters are suicidal , they will find ways of harming themselves
4. Can you wait for another 3-4 years before riding
5. Are you brave enough to bring on a youngster, factor in the cost of a pro backing etc
6. Handling them - they need to be taught everything

You can get all the way through until 4/5 years of age and find out that under saddle they are just not what you want.

Saying all of that, i love having youngsters. i love the wait,and the excitement of if they are any good /what i want under saddle. I also have the vet bills from when they've done something stupid. But id do it all again ( and i am ) it can become an obsession....

caveat - I do have something to ride in the meantime though.

 

[Maesto's Girl]

I am looking at buying a baby (weaning back end of this year - late baby!) but I do currently have one I am riding and competing, so it's a great time for me to look at buying a youngster. The reason I am looking at this is my current mare, I bought at 8 and she was a nightmare. Loading, head-shy, spooky - all things I want to be able to work on with a youngster before they get into bad habits as it's taken 3 years to rectify. I know, given this, I am more than willing to put in the time (and money!) to bring up the baby. I also know (very well) the parents, and siblings of the little lady so am happy to go to see her.

It's not been an easy decision at all. I have had to weigh up time and costs in my head but I have decided to go to see the foal on Friday

Good luck with whatever you decide
x

 

[tristar]

get a two yr old, and loan an older one to ride, so you will be busy handling the baby and riding the time will soon pass.

but only buy the best bred you can find, quality is everything as an investment

 

[MarvelVillis]

I think the horse market will start to return to normal in a few months, and like another poster said above, I'm sure there will be a big influx of horses for sale when people start returning to work and winter hits. So perhaps wait a few months and something suitable may come up.

That being said, I bought a gangly rising 2 colt last year and it was the best thing I did. I'd love to get a foal when my youngster is up and riding. As long as you consider the expensive, risk and time involved, and think it's worth it, then go for it.

I echo what others have said above - get 2 for company, or perhaps get one and loan/rescue a companion who would put up with a baby? If you miss out on the riding aspect you could keep a look out for something to ride/part share in the meantime.

 

[Nudibranch]

Either buy 2 or more preferably, send it to young stock livery to grow up. I know what you mean about being able to get what you want. That said, my previous horse was bought as a weanling. Super big Shire xTB, stunning, excellent conformation. Spent my time backing and bringing on although fortunately had another to ride at the same time. Pts at 7 with multiple issues, never having set foot on a surface, light hacking only.
I did subsequently buy a 3yo, because Dales mares backed and riding away are even rarer than hens teeth. But at least with 3yo plus you have less waiting for the riding, and if it does all go horribly wrong it's not 4 years wasted.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

Hmmm thanks all, much appreciated. Obviously when i mentioned cost I purely meant i wouldnt pay livery due to having my own land

I think (he says with some confidence) I am going to pass and just concentrate on upping the budget and finding a nice ridden horse as thats what its all about for me really

 

[windand rain]

I love rearing youngsters bu it certainly isnt cheap it costs about £1000 per year per horse not including livery or emergencies to do it right. However it is because I cannot ride anymore that I do it. I wouldnt do it if I was needing a riding horse

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Hmmm thanks all, much appreciated. Obviously when i mentioned cost I purely meant i wouldnt pay livery due to having my own land

I think (he says with some confidence) I am going to pass and just concentrate on upping the budget and finding a nice ridden horse as thats what its all about for me really

I think that's a really sensible approach (says she who couldn't be sensible if her life depended on it ?).

 

[Cowpony]

I love rearing youngsters

I read that as meaning you like youngsters who are standing on their back legs! Then read the rest and realised.....