Buying a horse: head vs heart (talk me out of it please)

[Barton Bounty]

Would you like me to email you the spreadsheet I keep of every penny Dex has cost me since the day I bought him? That should deter you plenty...
(Spolier alert, it would have been cheaper for me to pay the mortgage on a £400k house with a 10% deposit this year, than pay for him!)

I couldnt keep one or more like, Im in denial

 

[Pinkvboots]

Would you like me to email you the spreadsheet I keep of every penny Dex has cost me since the day I bought him? That should deter you plenty...
(Spolier alert, it would have been cheaper for me to pay the mortgage on a £400k house with a 10% deposit this year, than pay for him!)

Why would you do that it's like personal torture

 

[Dave's Mam]

I still think of a pony that I trialled and loved, over 15 years ago, but didn't buy as it seemed so expensive, and I do regret it. There was just "something" about him!
I often wonder if my pony-life would have gone a very different way if I had bought this pony, and therefore not ended up with the Exmoor ponies I have got into instead.
Sometimes, I think that the reaction you can get when you meet a pony can be such a fundamental one, if you feel that there is something special, then go for it - PROVIDING (a) you can afford it and (b) you have the time for two! You can always sell him later if you are wrong, or circumstance change, but remember, it won't be his fault if he fails to level out.

But then you got Exmoors & look at the journey you've been on with them.

(Sorry OP, no help to you, but @Tarragon & Exmoors are a wonderful thing.)

 

[Shinx]

I had to google “cut and shut” because I had never heard the term before, and in reference to horses it seems to only come from this forum!

I don’t want to post to photo, but despite using the words “two different horses stuck together”, I may have been overstating it a bit. He’s gorgeous. But yes, he’s currently bum high at 3.5. It could be he doesn’t grow out of it, maybe, maybe not. I’ve just gone through the breeder’s instagram and there’s a photo of him from summer where he’s level, so it could just be he’s having another growth spurt, but there’s no guarantee the front end will grow to match.

It’s the way of young horses though. All of them are bum high at times in their early lives, so one photo isn’t enough to tell if they’ll be conformationally correct as an adult. Buying youngsters is fundamentally a gamble (buying any horse is, really)!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

My 3.5 year old PRE is currently bum high and I'm really not worried about it. He started to even slightly, but he's still young. He also went through the "table" phase, and some oddly narrow gangly phase. My last PRE changed in all sorts of ways between ages 4 and 7. I'd perhaps look at his parents confo and older siblings if he has any.

Story time:

Last PRE was bought sight unseen. I could not stop looking at his ad and videos. He wasn't anything spectacular, but a decent youngster (4). I had him vetted and then shipped over to me in Germany. He was the best horse I've owned thus far. In the years that I had him we did a lot, and came so far. I had zero regrets about purchasing him.

Current PRE, the 3 year old, has a lot of potential. I went to his breeders yard to look at 3 of his half siblings (yearlings at the time). I had zero interest in him based off of the ads and info I received beforehand. I got there and for whatever reason, he's the one I ended up buying I viewed the siblings that I thought I was interested in and said, nope. Nothing wrong with them and this horse was everything I didn't want initially!

Sometimes you're just drawn to them for a reason. My 3 year old is great, but it does take some mental resilience to do the young horse thing for sure.

Moral of the stories: if a PRE speaks to you, buy them!

 

[I'm Dun]

It’s the way of young horses though. All of them are bum high at times in their early lives, so one photo isn’t enough to tell if they’ll be conformationally correct as an adult. Buying youngsters is fundamentally a gamble (buying any horse is, really)!

yes, but theres tipping the balance in your favour with a nicely put together horse, or stacking the odds against you. I cant imagine you made this post over nothing

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Now I'm curious about what the horse looks like!

 

[Shinx]

yes, but theres tipping the balance in your favour with a nicely put together horse, or stacking the odds against you. I cant imagine you made this post over nothing

I ostensibly wanted to be talked out of buying a second horse, but have instead argued with every person advising not to do it I guess it’s like the coin flip test, it lets you know how you really feel! I’m going to sit on it regardless and not decide for a few days at least.

 

[Shinx]

Now I'm curious about what the horse looks like!

Once I make a decision, I’ll post a photo. I couldn’t bear any criticism of him at the moment but equally I don’t want to hear a chorus of “he’s so pretty” either as it will definitely sway me!

 

[Dave's Mam]

Once I make a decision, I’ll post a photo. I couldn’t bear any criticism of him at the moment but equally I don’t want to hear a chorus of “he’s so pretty” either as it will definitely sway me!

Wise move.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

To be clear, I was just curious. I am not requesting a photo by any means nor do I think that one should be posted.

 

[Shinx]

To be clear, I was just curious. I am not requesting a photo by any means nor do I think that one should be posted.

Oh no worries at all, I know I’d be curious also.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Once I make a decision, I’ll post a photo. I couldn’t bear any criticism of him at the moment but equally I don’t want to hear a chorus of “he’s so pretty” either as it will definitely sway me!

No one will criticise , they will see the potential he has, how about pming one of the ladies and asking their advice personally as they have one already. They will be able to say whether he is perfectly normal for his age

 

[Red-1]

I regret not buying an awkward looking cob called Daisy. I was helping a client look for their horse, and the client rejected her as she was so wiiiiiiiiide and... ugly! And slow. I loved her. I had no use for her, but regret not going and getting her, and that was about 10 years ago. I was devastated when she was sold to a riding school. At the time, I had competition horses and Mr Red dissuaded me.

My first eventer, I bought him in my heart from the advert. I couldn't afford him, but offered what I could. I had weeks of torture before they called back and yes, he was for me.

Buying a horse is as much like seeking a boyfriend in some ways (and not in others LOL). For me, there is a big emotional component. The horse could be prefect but if I haven't 'fallen' for them, then it simply won't be worth the cold mornings and unexpected bills. To me, they are family.

I'm glad you are going to view.

 

[Patterdale]

Awkward looking is one thing, but in certain breeds (and PREs are one of them, Connemaras another…) any slightly dodgy/upright/uneven hindlimb or hindquarter conformation would have me running for the hills.

These breeds are predisposed to hindlimb issues, and the youngsters with the straight hocks/steep croups/short loins/croup high seem to grow into walking vet bills.

So although you don’t want to post a picture, I’d definitely be getting some experienced impartial advice on this one before you make a decision.

ETA there’s some head for you

 

[BBP]

I travelled 5 hrs to view one, fell in love. I think I was in love from the first photo LadyG from on here shared with me. Video and real life trot up showed moving short in front. I saw it. Other people saw it and waved a red flag. I ignored and let my heart rule my head (grief purchase with a very pretty face ). Now I am unpicking the reasons for the restricted movement in front and finding a very uncomfortable horse. It’s hard and frustrating as I know there is amazing potential there to have a lot of fun together and I can’t access it straight away, BUT I can’t complain as all of the warning signs were there and I allowed my heart to decide.

But my heart still loves the horse, so I don’t regret it.

 

[Tarragon]

But then you got Exmoors & look at the journey you've been on with them.

(Sorry OP, no help to you, but @Tarragon & Exmoors are a wonderful thing.)

The pony was a dun Connemara pony ... very different!

 

[Sail_away]

If he’s a nice horse, he’ll still be a nice horse regardless of whether he levels out.
Having said that, my older mare is bum high and definitely finds work more difficult because of it. Still a good horse - she competes 1.20, will school an advanced medium test at home, but it’s harder work for her. She gets physio every 6 weeks as she gets tight behind the saddle. She’s also a completely different build to her half siblings so no guarantees there.
4yo is super uphill and life is loads easier, despite being much greener. Loads less prep in the transitions, naturally balanced, jumps in a rhythm etc.
So in your shoes I’d be considering what I wanted to do with the horse, and if his good points were enough to justify buying him even if he didn’t level out.

 

[IrishMilo]

I have to admit I'm slightly confused as to why you're questioning a youngster being bum high? It's very normal for horses to go through periods where they look horrendous, level up, go very croup high again, etc.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Dex is 4.5 and is still 1.5 inches lower behind than in front - they all grow in different ways at different rates

 

[FestiveFuzz]

My 5yo WB has just gone bum high again (which is frankly terrifying as he’s already 17hh+ ) So a youngster being bum high wouldn’t alarm me, though I suspect given your initial description of looking like two different horses put together and the price discrepancy compared to it’s peers there might be a bit more to it.

I guess in your shoes I’d reflect honestly on what drove you to start this thread and what outcome you hoped for. Whilst you’ve been quick to argue your “for” case it seems on some level you have reservations so I’d be digging into why and whether it’s just the usual cold feet or something niggling at your gut.

 

[dapple_grey]

I have to admit I'm slightly confused as to why you're questioning a youngster being bum high? It's very normal for horses to go through periods where they look horrendous, level up, go very croup high again, etc.

Me too. I wasn't worried about my youngster until I read this thread but now I am

 

[4Hoofed]

I had to google “cut and shut” because I had never heard the term before, and in reference to horses it seems to only come from this forum!

I don’t want to post to photo, but despite using the words “two different horses stuck together”, I may have been overstating it a bit. He’s gorgeous. But yes, he’s currently bum high at 3.5. It could be he doesn’t grow out of it, maybe, maybe not. I’ve just gone through the breeder’s instagram and there’s a photo of him from summer where he’s level, so it could just be he’s having another growth spurt, but there’s no guarantee the front end will grow to match.

It’s the way of young horses though. All of them are bum high at times in their early lives, so one photo isn’t enough to tell if they’ll be conformationally correct as an adult. Buying youngsters is fundamentally a gamble (buying any horse is, really)!

I’ve not finished reading all the replies yet but this. My big boy is a Suffolk, and I’d say even at times a 6 years old he would look vaguely bum high. At 8 he’s a strapping strong lad, evened out no issues, sound as a pound **touches a lot of wood** bar one abscess.

Personally buy the pony. sometimes a risk pays off and I think from the sounds of things you will always wonder if you don’t.

 

[dottylottie]

i think you knew we would talk to you into buying another, not leaving it there

i bought a 4 year old i didn’t need, with the intention of selling on after backing/producing, whilst other horse was being rehabbed. she’s still here over a year later with no plans to move her on, and actually it’s the best decision i made! she’s the most fun, versatile little horse, and really what i should’ve been looking for before i bought the one who was being rehabbed (sorry lily, you know you’re always number 1)

 

[Shinx]

Me too. I wasn't worried about my youngster until I read this thread but now I am

I’m sure you don’t need to worry! I’m not really that worried about the 3yo in question, either. It’s more than I’m trying to nitpick and find something (anything!) wrong with him so I stop wanting to buy him.

I’m in my happy place right now with just one horse. I sold my other one about a year ago and it’s been so nice only having the one. Two is so much work! I’ve almost always had two since I started owning horses as an adult and I feel like I’m on holiday with just the one.

Plus my current horse, while not perfect, does everything I want him to and does it well. His only flaw is that he’s a bit too short. So it isn’t like I *need* another horse.

So this colt needs to be really, really special indeed to go back to owning two, and I’m trying to stop wanting him.

That said, I’ve booked a trip to go see him again in two weeks, and so far today I’ve been good about not playing his videos on repeat. We’ll see how I feel after I see him again.

 

[nagblagger]

I'm surprised you can wait 2 weeks !

 

[Shinx]

I'm surprised you can wait 2 weeks !

I’d go today if I had the time off

 

[Welly Boot]

I'm not sure I'm going to help..... I have a 17 yo who is retiring... so bought a foal... he's now 2.... but I miss riding.... so in the process of buying a 4yo.... so DO IT DO IT

 

[PoppyAnderson]

I'm not sure I'm going to help..... I have a 17 yo who is retiring... so bought a foal... he's now 2.... but I miss riding.... so in the process of buying a 4yo.... so DO IT DO IT

I like your style!!