Buying a young horse

[AmyP28]

Hi all, I'm looking for opinions on buying young horses. Specifically is it worth the risk and how much would you expect to pay? Background info: I'm looking for something around 15hh+ to do general riding club activities, showjumping, schooling, hacking, beach rides that kind of thing.

Can you judge a lot from a 3 year old connemara that's been developed nicely on the flat and out and about but has only done poles? I'm a confident rider with access to a sand school and transport, lots of knowledge of horses but not much experience with young horses. Thoughts and advice please! I don't have a huge budget but I'm prepared to put the time and effort in to mould my next best mate!

 

[First Frost]

Mmmmmm ... i have produced a lot of Connies and wouldn't touch a 3 year old that was anything other than maybe just sat on. They are slow to mature and can change a huge amount physically between 3 and 6. I have had 2 that have grown 3 inches in that time.
My preference is an unbroken 3 year old or a just started 4 year old. Slowly brought on goes further in the end and lasts longer.

 

[ihatework]

I think you can tell a reasonable amount regarding personality and temperament from a backed 3yo.

What you must take into consideration is that they will often go through tricky spells and you must plan in advance for how to handle things.

Young horses need plenty of down/playtime otherwise you will see frustration spilling into their ridden work. So good winter turnout imperative. Ideally with friend(s). Utilise heavily restricted stabled livery at your peril!

At times you will need confidence to work through issues. If you suffer from nerves / lack of confidence shelve the idea of a youngster.

It’s really helpful to have access to good nanny horses for hacking.

Regular instruction (doesn’t come cheap) is vital.

If you have one that ends up tricky/nervous travelling away from home then the time and effort to transport them frequently and train them through it should not be underestimated.

That’s not to say don’t get a youngster, just be aware of what you might be taking on!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

To the question is it worth the risk? I’ve had 3 horses all bought unbroken (4 and under) and all of them have either had lameness or muscle issues. It is extremely rewarding backing them though.

Saying that, I’ve friends who have bought youngsters without an issue. Possibly me with bad luck.

In the future I’ll buy something older.. at least you know it’s withstood some work but with that they tend to be a lot more money. Difficult one!

 

[ycbm]

If my friend's Connies are anything to go by, what you buy at 3 will bear little resemblance physically, except in colour, to the horse you end up with at 10.
.

 

[eahotson]

As someone who said she would never buy a young horse and then went out and bought a four year old.I wanted a 10 plus,servicably sound horse that had done some schooling.hacking and some low level shows,like my old boy when I bought him.That sort are like gold dust.Overall it has worked out well.Any problems I have had have not been down to her.She is very quiet though.Very laid back.
I would suggest that you buy with the advice of a good trainer and you budget for good professional help.

 

[Birker2020]

Hi all, I'm looking for opinions on buying young horses. Specifically is it worth the risk and how much would you expect to pay? Background info: I'm looking for something around 15hh+ to do general riding club activities, showjumping, schooling, hacking, beach rides that kind of thing.

Can you judge a lot from a 3 year old connemara that's been developed nicely on the flat and out and about but has only done poles? I'm a confident rider with access to a sand school and transport, lots of knowledge of horses but not much experience with young horses. Thoughts and advice please! I don't have a huge budget but I'm prepared to put the time and effort in to mould my next best mate!

Much of what IHW has said is what I would say. Personally, I wouldn't buy a youngster but if you are certain you have the knowledge, patience and confidence a youngster needs when they try it on then you should go for it. I had a five year old, who followed the death of my 14 year old Grade B SJ (who had never stopped at anything and was very obliging) and the youngster that followed caused me a very steep and unpleasant learning curve and not something I would ever want to repeat.
Plus the fact I only have a limited number of falls left, particuarly to my head.
I much prefer a ready made horse so I can crack on, something established and more consistent in its attitude. That's not to say an older horse won't try it on but a youngster is just too much for me to cope with and at least I don't shy away from that fact.

 

[Boughtabay]

Honestly unless you want a young horse for a specific reason, I would go for something established. What you save on buying a youngster you’ll have to spend on education (even if you do most of the work yourself). it can take a long time, be a bit of a gamble and a headache. Said as someone who specifically bought an unbacked 4yo with full history, because I wanted to know that if he broke down for any reason later on it was purely down luck not poor previous management (burned by my last purchase) … it’s been a slog, I love the bones of him and he’ll be a great horse (I think soon, he was looking very good the other day ) but it’s been a long time coming because he’s simply stayed much more immature than I’d expected for longer than I expected. He’s 6 now and still very green and it’s just as much the brains as it is waiting for the body.

 

[SpeedyPony]

Personally I wouldn't buy backed if I was buying a youngster- the backing is the easy part, the "teenage" years are where you'll have trouble if you're going to.
I like to back my own anyway though, that way I know a)how they were started/the education they've had and b)how they reacted/learn- which is useful in knowing how to deal with anything they throw at you further in down the line! I also enjoy the process and don't have any pressing need to be out competing, which is a major factor.
I would say unbacked or well established are the best options, but obviously that is dependent on having the skills/confidence to back your own.
As others have said, physically they change a lot as youngsters, so the animal you buy will look very different to the one you end up with. You also have the extra cost of frequent saddle fittings/new saddles.
I would be cautious of anything that has done a lot at three- hacking out nicely in the winter of their 3yo year wouldn't be too worrisome, but lots of time spent in the school would be a red flag for me- that said, perhaps I'm just over cautious and it will depend on how well-grown they were when they were backed.

 

[blitznbobs]

If i was buying a 3 year old I wouldnt want it backed unless I respected (a lot) the person that backed it and I certainly wouldnt ve wanted it to have jumped anything with a rider on. Quality youngsters arent bargain prices and if they have been started and are I would have to understand exactly why

 

[spacefaer]

I think I've been lucky that whenever I've had a young horse, I've also had an older one to run alongside it. Having a grown up one takes the pressure off the young one, so that I can give the young one all the time off to mature mentally and physically that it needs, whole still having a horseto ride. It's very easy to keep pushing on with a youngster, particularly if it's obliging, when it really actually needs a break.

 

[Irish Sally]

You'd be better off having some experience with green horses before you buy one. Do you know anyone that would let you ride a very green one? How soon do you want to be competing as well? With the youngsters your first shows are going to be jumping tiny courses. Would you be happy with that or do you want to start jumping a decent height straight away? You really need to enjoy the process of producing to enjoy a youngster. I'm not trying to put you off buying something young. They're so rewarding. Just really think about it before you buy one.

 

[Glitter's fun]

Hi all, I'm looking for opinions on buying young horses. Specifically is it worth the risk and how much would you expect to pay? Background info: I'm looking for something around 15hh+ to do general riding club activities, showjumping, schooling, hacking, beach rides that kind of thing.

Can you judge a lot from a 3 year old connemara that's been developed nicely on the flat and out and about but has only done poles? I'm a confident rider with access to a sand school and transport, lots of knowledge of horses but not much experience with young horses. Thoughts and advice please! I don't have a huge budget but I'm prepared to put the time and effort in to mould my next best mate!

Hello Amy, welcome to the forum.

I would only go down that route if developing youngsters is the hobby you are interested in. It is very rewarding but very different from a hobby of RC activities & show jumping.

There isn't a cheap , reliable way of ending up with a good 15hh+ jumper, otherwise we would all be doing it!


Ask yourself how soon you want to be doing the show jumping etc? It will be at least 3 years to get a 3yo ready for that. During that time you will still need to pay all the livery expenses, farrier, vets, insurance etc, and you will be mostly hacking, strengthening & some flat work, to begin with. You might find you are more on your own than you are used to, if your friends are off jumping every weekend. And of course it's a risk. You may not get the horse you pictured at the end of it.

A 3 year old Connemara that's done what you say has been started too young & you will never know how it was done or what corners have been cut. If you're sure it's a youngster you want, buying something completely unstarted would be safer, cheaper and only very slightly less work. I would even go younger again. 2 year olds are cheaper & you can be fairly sure that they are unspoiled.

 

[#jackofallmasterofnone]

For a first young horse I would buy something backed and riding away so you can at least sit on them and get a feel for them before buying. All the horror stories of bad backing etc etc yet if it’s just riding away and you can sit and have a little walk / trot around you will get a feel for how they are under saddle. Buying unbacked is more risky imo - no matter how much you do everything ‘right’ you can have a horse who is a doll on the ground and sharp under saddle or vice versa so it’s a total gamble.

3 rising 4 at this time of year I would be looking for backed earlier in the year left off for summer and just back to work now not jumping poles under saddle and certainly no jumping competitions.

Little bit of riding over winter then back out again. If buying so young be prepared for periods of no riding at all they need the breaks and they sometimes dictate when they come so you can’t always plan 100% when they will be needed. It’s so rewarding but I have found you have to comfortable with failure and confident enough to keep trucking if you hit a little speed bump a sense of humour also helps! Oh and patience!

 

[SmallPony]

I think I've been lucky that whenever I've had a young horse, I've also had an older one to run alongside it. Having a grown up one takes the pressure off the young one, so that I can give the young one all the time off to mature mentally and physically that it needs, whole still having a horseto ride. It's very easy to keep pushing on with a youngster, particularly if it's obliging, when it really actually needs a break.

100% agree - I have my older mare who I can just get on and go, and a 3 year old connie who I've gently backed over the past few months. He has had 4 rides under saddle and can walk and trot in the school, and is now having 6 weeks roughing off in a huge field with his mates before I do a bit of long lining around the village once a week over the winter to keep his manners good and so he doesn't turn completely feral! It's a win win for me as I can enjoy my riding with my mare and also no pressure to keep 2 going over winter!

OP - I spent a lot of time researching and looking at the market before I bought mine. So many connies who are produced to sell have done what I think is far too much for their age. Mine has grown from 14.1/2 to over 15hh this year and I don't think it does them any good to be properly "schooled" at that age when they are so busy growing and maturing. If I was you, I'd going and have a look at some 3/4 unbroken ones, and get a feel for if they are a nice person - you want a gut feeling of "this is a horse I can work with"

 

[MagicMelon]

I think you can tell a lot from temperament. I have usually always bought young horses, ideally unbacked or very green as Ive always found them less "damaged" than the one or two Ive bought "ready made". You know their history more so its easier and IMO less risk. I love bringing youngsters on, its a challenge but fun. Id think give it a go personally.

 

[SEL]

I bought my young cob just before his 4th birthday. He was backed & had been out & about seeing a bit of life - enough so I knew his brain was ok but not too much to have been trashed physically.

I took his 4th year pretty slowly and he needed that mentally & physically - he had some wonky growth spurts. We mainly hacked introducing him to life on the roads. 2023 was his year of turning 5 and we've been out to a few things now although that was VERY exciting to start with.

But I've had an older pony mare to ride too and that means I haven't felt under pressure to ride the youngster during his wobbly moments.

Mine is turning out pretty much as I hoped but my friend bought a 3yo warmblood to event - he's now 6 and demolishing 70cm whilst she's pondering whether he could have a career in dressage instead. He's bred to event but no one told him.... That's the risk you take with youngsters.

 

[bubsqueaks]

I think you can tell a reasonable amount regarding personality and temperament from a backed 3yo.

What you must take into consideration is that they will often go through tricky spells and you must plan in advance for how to handle things.

Young horses need plenty of down/playtime otherwise you will see frustration spilling into their ridden work. So good winter turnout imperative. Ideally with friend(s). Utilise heavily restricted stabled livery at your peril!

At times you will need confidence to work through issues. If you suffer from nerves / lack of confidence shelve the idea of a youngster.

It’s really helpful to have access to good nanny horses for hacking.

Regular instruction (doesn’t come cheap) is vital.

If you have one that ends up tricky/nervous travelling away from home then the time and effort to transport them frequently and train them through it should not be underestimated.

That’s not to say don’t get a youngster, just be aware of what you might be taking on!

Reiterate this.
Plus regular physio & saddle checks through all the growing/changing shape/developing muscle stages.
Currently going through this process with just backed 4 year old & never again will I underestimate the amount of training that goes into well schooled, well rounded horses, or the prices attached to them!
It can be a lot of fun, intrigue, reward, heartache, anxiety, - would I do it again - yes as have a 2.5 year old! But I do have the time, based at home, & money to input into doing the best for them.
If you lack time I defintely wouldnt recommend.

 

[SEL]

Reiterate this.
Plus regular physio & saddle checks through all the growing/changing shape/developing muscle stages.

I'm trying to not think about the fact he got through 3 saddles in 12 months as he grew into his cob gene pool!!

 

[Rachel18]

We bought two 4yr old connies, pretty much just been sat on 6 months ago. We had no experience with youngsters.

One has turned out to be the most wonderful nanny pony to take to shows accompanying our 13yr old who won't travel alone. He is pretty much foot perfect and is just wonderful. Doesn't bat an eyelid walking past all traffic, happily walks onto the trailer. I have weekly lessons which have been going really well. I can't believe he is only 4. The other 4 yr old has taken lots of backwards steps and I wouldn't trust him to take out, he has not turned out to be the pony we thought he was at this stage. He hacks nicely but that is about it. He may benefit from turning away for some time.

So we have had a totally 50/50 experience. I don't want to say don't do it as we now have a truly amazing pony which we pretty much know everything about in terms of his ridden history. I don't regret buying the other one, I would just say, we feel we have got what we paid for (we overpaid for the very sensible one and it has been worth every penny).

 

[maya2008]

I only ever buy unbacked youngsters. We buy for personality and general size/breed. They are completely a blank slate though and you never know what their aptitudes will one day be - that doesn’t matter if you want a sweet natured pet and are happy to adapt to whatever discipline they turn out to be good at though. My son is currently developing an interest in dressage, as current favourite pony has very flicky toes but not an ounce of talent over a fence!

Personality is set from foalhood pretty much - I have two foals at the moment, one bolshy and strong willed, one sweet and soft. They won’t change. Our current 2 year olds are very much still the personalities they were at weaning. One a loner, sweet and easy to handle, but less bold. One a confident little filly who is ever curious and keen to explore, frightened of nothing. You can counter the bad points with training/desensitisation etc, but they are still the same personality they always were!

 

[Puzzled]

Hi all, I'm looking for opinions on buying young horses. Specifically is it worth the risk and how much would you expect to pay? Background info: I'm looking for something around 15hh+ to do general riding club activities, showjumping, schooling, hacking, beach rides that kind of thing.

Can you judge a lot from a 3 year old connemara that's been developed nicely on the flat and out and about but has only done poles? I'm a confident rider with access to a sand school and transport, lots of knowledge of horses but not much experience with young horses. Thoughts and advice please! I don't have a huge budget but I'm prepared to put the time and effort in to mould my next best mate!

I sell a huge number of Connies and I’d only consider buying a 3 yr old if it was literally just backed and riding lightly at this time of year. If it’s already ‘developed on the flat’ I’d be concerned it’s done too much too soon.
Pricewise anything from £5000-£10000 depending on size, colour and quality etc.

 

[southerncomfort]

I prefer an unbacked blank canvas.

I bought my boy as a 4 year old direct from his breeder so I knew his full history and did all the work myself with the help of an excellent instructor.

It's been extremely rewarding though hard work at times. You do need a lot of patience and a sense of humour!

 

[maya2008]

Adding to the 3yo comment, if backed and trained professionally, they could well have come out of the initial six weeks working on the bit in all paces, and have done some arena hire to work in different places as well as hacking. It won’t be very established though and would easily fall apart with a rider who has no experience developing a youngster. Horses are also less able to directly transfer all their skills seamlessly to someone they don’t know, when they have been under saddle for less than six months. I have taken on recently backed ponies in the past, then had to do it all again (albeit more quickly this time) due to the upheaval of the move - new human, new field companions, new routine.

 

[sollimum]

I bought a 4 year old cob x connie this summer. We are still at the groundwork stage - he had already been lightly backed but I have gone back to square one and he has had another growth spurt. Hoping to reback him in the new year and then give him time off to grow on before re-introducing ridden work. He has a short attention span of 30 minutes and then just switches off. He is basically a teenage boy at the moment: very sweet, eats a lot, rests quite a bit, runs around the field with his friends and has a short attention span. I love him dearly, only time will tell if we are a match if not he will be a super pony for someone else and I will buy a more established horse.

 

[Polos Mum]

I bought a 15 month old ugly colt 6.5 years ago - for reasons that made sense at the time !

He is now a star riding club horse that I couldn't afford to buy - but it has taken a long time, lots and lots of professional input (probably the same cost just spread out over years!)
I didn't consider sitting on him until 4.5 years and then he had 6 months off at 5.5 y/o when he grew massively and everything got stuffy and uncomfortable.

If you are happy to leave 'proper riding' for c.3-4 years then a 3y/o might work for you - if you have the ££'s to spend on professional help when needed. You will also need a field of like minded companions to keep him / her happy. Single turnout or only with one retired horse wouldn't work for a youngster (IMHO)

Knowing what we know now about growth plate development I would run from anything under 4 that had been sat on - personally. Rough rule of thumb is 3 horse years to a human year, so a 3 y/o horse is equivalent to a 9 y/o child, 4 y/o horse is a 12 y/o child, 6 y/o is an 18 y/o nearly adult. My 9 y/o daughter loves PE at school but I wouldn't want her training for a specific sport at her age !!