Buying a horse

[Cara_Suarez90]

Hi everyone

I am new to this site. My name is Cara and I am originally from Colombia. I moved to England 4-5 years ago. My English is quite ok.

I've been riding for the last 4-5 years since I arrived England. I can walk, trot, canter and without stirrups. I started saltar (over the pole) a year ago.

Now I would like to buy a horse something like Dutch Warmblood. I usually ride 15-16 hh. I am quite alta (high) 175 cm.
I am not knowledge on buying horses but I do know Dutch Warmblood is a good horse born.

Some questions I like to know:
1) How old is the best to buy
2) How much do I need to spend on this horse? No bad horse. I am not professional horse sitter, but I like to have great horse like a professional.
3) I hope to use this horse as "trabajo livery" Anyone can use this horse but I will use this when I am riding.
4) What I do to find this horse? Magazine? Internet? They have people malos (no good)?

Gracias

 

[SilverLinings]

Welcome to the forum! Have you been riding in the UK, or just in Columbia? Have you had any experience of looking after horses? If not then you might be best getting some experience by helping out at a riding school, and/or by having a horse on loan (or sharing a horse) before you buy your own; this will give you a better idea of what type of horse is suitable as there are many other great breeds available aside from warmbloods (a type not a breed).

Here are some brief answers to your questions:
1) a slightly older horse with experience would be a good choice, around 12-14 years old means their temperament has matured but they should still have many more years of riding to go.
2) what type of 'professional' horse are you looking for? A professional competition horse will cost £20,000+++ depending on age, ability and experience. A good, reliable horse for hacking and riding club activities could be bought for £5,000-£12,000, again depending on exactly what you want.
3) do you mean working livery at a riding school? This would be where the riding school uses the horse for lessons for five or six days of the week and you can ride it on the other one or two days. They often don't allow owners to ride these horses at the weekend as that is when riding schools are the busiest.
4) Horses for sale can be found on this website (Horse and Hound), and there are other reputable websites like Horsequest too. If you are worried about being sold a 'bad' horse by a dishonest dealer then you can join one of the 'dodgy dealers' pages on facebook to find out the names of sellers to avoid.

I expect other posters will offer further opinions and advice. I would advice that you gather as much knowledge as you can and don't rush into buying your first horse but take the time to find the right one for you. Good luck

 

[ycbm]

Hi Cara, I think your best bet might be to work on this with the school that you plan to keep the horse at. We call it working livery. They will need to be sure that you buy a horse which is suitable for use in the school.

Don't get hung up on the breed, there are many breeds and crossbreeds that might meet your needs. Like any breed, there's a wide variety in temperament in Dutch Warmbloods and as warmbloods go, KWPN in particular used to be regarded as a bit hotter than average.

Good luck in the search and welcome to the forum.
.

 

[blitznbobs]

I echo the above. I love dutch warmbloods but there are so many differences from very heavy ones to extremely hot and sporty ones. Their movement can be too big for a novice. (You wouldnt buy a ferrari as your first car) an older school master that is kwpn could be a good choice but these are very pricey— can be upwards of 50k - it depends on the discipline you wish to enter or do you want more a general riding horse. Equally if you are planning on spending a lot of money do you really want this horse ridden by anyone that turns up at the riding school? Have a chat with your instructor and get their advice on what would suit you and your goals

 

[Cara_Suarez90]

Gracias

 

[Abacus]

I would only add, unless you are already a very good rider, please don't buy a horse that is 'professional' standard. For most amateur owners with a few years experience, you want a horse that is perhaps a little older and more experienced (aged around 11 to 16) and a sensible, steady type that will teach you (and is probably more use in a riding school). You often find that Irish types are good for this job, such as an Irish Sport Horse or Connemara (including crossbreeds) rather than warmbloods, although of course the actual horse temperament is more important than breeding.

Please take the advice of a vet before you purchase to make sure the horse doesn't have health issues. Good luck.

 

[Goofus]

My name is Cara and I am originally from Colombia. I moved to England 4-5 years ago. My English is quite ok.

I've been riding for the last 4-5 years since I arrived England.

Hi Cara,

Where in England are you and where do you ride currently? Often your trainer can help find an appropriate first horse to buy.