Buying a young horse

[ecb89]

After many many years I am finally in the position to buy my own horse. I am looking at buying something Irish draught type. I have loaned in the past and currently ride at a riding school where I school the green and more difficult horses. I enjoy seeing them progress and seeing how much they can change. Then someone else gets on and ruins my hard work...
Would I be silly buying a 4/5 year old? There is another thread elsewhere about horses this age going through a Kevin stage.
I will be on 5 day full livery at a good livery yard with lots of help and support.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

I'm assuming you are thinking about a recently broken youngster that you will bring on. I don't think it would necessarily be silly, but it depends on you and depends on the horse. In my (limited) experience it's good to have eyes on the ground to help and support, and it's good to have another horse or horses to ride when you feel like you are making no progress with your youngster. However if you have a decent standard of riding, someone to supply constructive criticism and a hefty dollop of confidence, why not get a younger horse. Once horses get enough confidence they will start testing the boundaries. The degree of Kevin-ness varies from horse to horse.

 

[ecb89]

Not necessarily just broken, something with the basics established and already working quite nicely.
5 year olds are just that bit cheaper than 7 year olds.
My riding is a good level, I'm a secure and confident rider.
From what I already know of the ID breed they generally are level headed compared to TBs and warmbloods

 

[JillA]

TBH if you have to ask the question, no you shouldn't buy a green horse. Riding and schooling horses belonging to other people is a whole different ball game - in daily handling and management you are constantly having to establish and enforce boundaries, without that your young horse simply won't listen to you. I'm assuming you don't have an experienced support network to call on, otherwise why wouldn't you ask them the question?

 

[ecb89]

TBH if you have to ask the question, no you shouldn't buy a green horse. Riding and schooling horses belonging to other people is a whole different ball game - in daily handling and management you are constantly having to establish and enforce boundaries, without that your young horse simply won't listen to you. I'm assuming you don't have an experienced support network to call on, otherwise why wouldn't you ask them the question?

I have friends who have/had horses but they are my friends. As mentioned in my previous post I also have the support from a very good livery yard.
I asked the question on here for an unbiased opinion, it's a forum for such questions.

 

[JillA]

"Experienced" as in with young horses - not just general horse owners, whether friends or at your local livery. By all means ask questions but don't be surprised if you don't get the answer you want.
Can I ask how old you are?

 

[meg456]

someone that i useto know bought a 4 year old cob(they was told itwas 5) they bought as a novice ride and generally it was when havking on roads. they didnt try it in the school but would not ride in a field but if she had a more experienced rider he would have been a great pony, but the owner decided to sell and he is not doing great (also with a not so experienced rider) so i wouldnt say it is a bad idea if you think it would suit you good luck

 

[Jnhuk]

Since you have loaned before and if you are capable of bringing on young horses in their general handling and also in their ridden work and have the time to do things properly then I don't see why you shouldn't buy a youngster. You will also learn a lot from the experience in ways that you don't realise.

It really depends on what you want to do with said horse - young horses are always very rewarding and you learn from each one but it takes time to get there so if you keen to get out and about quickly and be competitive then buying a more established horse probably better than a green youngster.

Common sense and consistency in handling and not treating youngsters as pets or 'she/he is just a baby' is the key. Likewise being honest with yourself about your own skills and also knowing how you would react when your youngster hits any issues or starts to test you whether that being with schooling, out hacking or on the ground/in the stable.

The type of horse that you want is a popular type and a lot will also depend on your budget. Buying a young horse is not always the bargain it seems on paper....

 

[VikingSong]

I suspect some people ask questions on forums not only to get an unbiased opinion, but also because they don't want to appear as a "novice" or "green" to friends or unpleasant associates at their yard/riding school et al.

I used to know someone who would do the same because the people at her yard were, frankly, vile.

In regards to the OP's question: It's hard to give you a straight answer because I don't know you personally nor what your abilities are. I will say that if you do take on a youngster then I hope you have someone experienced with you who can help you every step of the way. ☺

 

[luckyoldme]

I bought a four year old this spring..I had a unique opertunity to break her in before i bought her.
I also had someone with a great deal of experience on hand to advise me, and now that she is out and about someone else to ride out with and guide/encourage us.
I have nt got a fantastic amount of experience, my other horse is 25 and was a total nightmare when i bought him...I had worked through his issues bit by bit and been enjoying hacking him out for the past 7 years.
It really depends on both the horse and yourself, In breaking the youngster i put no time frame on it and just took it day by day.I was fully prepared to get her sent away if i was out of my depth with her. It was challenging and rewarding. In taking my time we formed a bond and the day my bum landed on the saddle my husband bought her for me.
My older horse came from a dodgy dealer with a totally blank history. The youngster will hopefully grow old with me, and I know her full history..since she was an hour old....that counts for a lot!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

It's difficult to give you a straight answer without knowing your exact skill level and experience but what I will say is riding greener horses in a riding school environment where there will no doubt be staff also exercising and keeping the horse in-line is very different to owning your own youngster. I also don't agree that buying a green 5yo will necessarily be cheaper as you will need to factor in regular lessons (realistically you should factor this in with any horse but it's amazing how many people don't) and the possibility of getting in experienced help if you hit a problem.

That said, owning a youngster can be incredibly rewarding. I'd just ensure you have the necessary support system in place in case you run into the inevitable teething issues that come with a greener horse.

 

[Shay]

A new owner and a green horse - whatever its age - is not usually a good mix. And privately owned horses are very different from RS horses because of the different handling and management. You can get young horses with a very well handled and mature attitude. And older horses which are still very green. Don't get overly hung up on the age necessarily - the right horse is more important.

That said - in general terms I would always advise a first time owner to look for something more 8 - 12ish. You need something with good manners and boundaries already firmly established that will keep its manners through the first few months whilst you find your feet. Over-horsing yourself is something most of us have done at some point or another (or is we haven't yet we will at some point if we stick with horses). Its a horrible, heartbreaking experience and combined with your first experience of one of your own is something most people would be keen to help you avoid.

 

[oldie48]

Just seen this, but I think the best person to advise you is your trainer/instructor. Someone who knows your riding ability and who will help you but my gut feeling is that you should buy something more established.

 

[SEL]

I have a youngster - given to me - & to be brutally honest there have been many times when I wished I hadn't taken her on and I got something with just a few more miles on the clock. I'm far from inexperienced, but I'm in my 40s now and long gone are the days when I would sit and laugh as a baby decided to buck / spook / go backwards / panic etc.

Even if you've got support it isn't much fun asking whether there's someone around to babysit you out on a ride - when you know they'd really rather be going for a blast across the stubble field, but yours is still too green to join in. Worse is when someone offers and 30 mins into the ride their horse is performing somersaults and you're trying very hard to keep your baby calm!!

I've watched people box their horses up for fun rides this summer & thought how nice that will hopefully be next year. Mine would deck me if I took her now and it would likely set her back in her progress as well.

Don't get me wrong - the sense of achievement is great and I have an amazing bond with this horse BUT think about what you want out of your riding life first. Schooling a baby is a lot of work both on board and on the ground (I spent a whole week desensitising mine to rugs!) and sometimes it's nice to have something that already knows it's job and you can go have fun on.

 

[JanetGeorge]

You're a bit of a way from me - but if you can find a free day - come and spend it here. We'll see you ride a safe/older horse and - if we consider it's safe - let you ride some of the young horses not long backed that we KNOW are good. (All ID/IDx) And then give you a brutally honest opinion on whether you ARE ready to bring a young horse on. In my experience, a horse STARTED right doesn't get too much of the Kevins, unless he's taught to play up by the rider! OR, unless pain causes trouble (and THAT'S a whole new can of worms.)

 

[oldie48]

I wish everyone had this attitude. My friend who bought the 4 year old that was supposedly like a 7 yr old is still recovering from the broken collar bone, broken ribs and collapsed lung, having spent over a week in hospital and still unable to work. Dealer never responded to her and she's sold the horse for half what she paid for it. I just wish you could trust more people selling young horses because everyone would benefit, not least the young horses!

You're a bit of a way from me - but if you can find a free day - come and spend it here. We'll see you ride a safe/older horse and - if we consider it's safe - let you ride some of the young horses not long backed that we KNOW are good. (All ID/IDx) And then give you a brutally honest opinion on whether you ARE ready to bring a young horse on. In my experience, a horse STARTED right doesn't get too much of the Kevins, unless he's taught to play up by the rider! OR, unless pain causes trouble (and THAT'S a whole new can of worms.)