Buying a youngster

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silverstar

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Im toying with the idea (after reading the youngster post on here a few days ago) about buying a youngster as I cant afford the horse I want, a good allrounder. Ive never brought a horse on before. So what would you look for in a youngster, obv. temperament is important, how much would a 2yo IDxTB cost? Any other tips?
 
hi well i have 2 yr old tbxhanovarian i got her when she was 7 months old and my best advice is patience...dnt rush anything, shes able to do anything now trailer, vet feet and shes confident and not fased by much at all.....someone near me bought a youngster and she cant catch it its spooky etc, but she didnt let it be a horse.. rushed everything ..my advice get all the basics in place then just let them grow and be horses ! cheaper in the short term but keeping and feeding them for a couple of years or more before you can ride so its nt always the cheaper option but its such a rewarding feeling when youve done them yourself.
 
I bought a 2 year old last September, and I've never had a youngster before. Mine is very laid back, but I could tell that he was when I went to see him. I agree that you must take it slowly and let them be babies, but its great taking things slow, and building a bond with each oher. It's definitely a learning curve, but it's so rewarding.
 
I bought a yearling last year. He's now 21 months old and he's ace.
He's a Shire x TB. I purchased him for £1400 from the breeder. I saw both his parents. His dad is a 17.2hh dapple grey shire and his mum is a 16.1hh TB.
He's very laid back and only had one really naughty moment.
Downside is you can't ride them for a couple of years. It costs a fortune in rugs etc because they grow out of them so fast!!!
You have to think about if you are going to break him in or send him away? Do you have the facilities to bring him on?
Do you have the time to do the ground work...my youngster wouldn't pick his feet up, didn't know what a rug was and took a while to get used to being groomed.
But he's grown more handsome over the months, and is such a special man that i love to bits. I have such a special bond with my little man and I'm so glad i've known him since a yearling. My last horse i purchased as a 7 year old and i always wondered what she was like as a youngster!!?!!
I couldn't afford the 7k upwards for the horse i wanted and anything i could afford ended up being a nutter or nothing like the horse being advertised.
If you have the time, patience, money and you don't mind not being able to ride them for a while i would recommend getting a youngster.
 
i have three one year olds, one i have had since he was six months the other two from a year, i feel that we get more out of them than my older ones. At least i will know why they dont like something. I have no idea what my 14 year old has been through. People dont tend to understand why i have them, they are not hard work. If i was you i would go for it good luck
 
penfold said:
Im toying with the idea (after reading the youngster post on here a few days ago) about buying a youngster as I cant afford the horse I want, a good allrounder. Ive never brought a horse on before. So what would you look for in a youngster, obv. temperament is important, how much would a 2yo IDxTB cost? Any other tips?
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You can get an excellent bond by starting with a youngster - and of course you start with a horse that hasn't got 'history' (bad behaviours, unsoundnesses etc.) - as long as you buy from a reputable breeder and are prepared to pay a realistic price for a youngster that's been properly handled and cared for since birth! Such a youngster won't be 'cheap' - expect to pay £3,000-£3,500 for a nice youngster - but what you see is what you get!

A reputable breeder will be able to show you the dam, possibly the sire, and maybe some brothers and sisters as well. I have a couple of nice 2 year olds of that x - a couple of geldings and a filly. They're all good with the farrier and to handle in all ways and I have backed full brothers and sisters to them - so know the temperament well and how they're likely to turn out. Put it this way, I offer a substantial discount on our usual backing rate to buyers of my youngsters who want to bring them back here for backing - because I know how easy they are! ;)

Don't touch anything that's half-wild/unhandled at this age. For one thing, if they haven't been handled then they probably haven't been trimmed and wormed regularly - and youngsters who aren't well handled young are almost always more nervous and difficult to back!
 
Yougsters are very rewarding and you are starting off with a clean slate - not someones else problem! Whilst costs do add up I think you do have the advantage of 'paying as you go' as opposed a big lump sum to begin with. That said, I'd buy the best youngster I could. whilst price doesn't guarentee you anything a breeder who has spent £1500 + on stud fees and vets bills isn't going to be able to sell a correctly cared for and handled youngster for £1500 / £2000 so plan your budget carefully! There is also so much you can do off the floor to help educate your youngster which in turn will hopefully make him easier, quicker and therefore cheaper to break!
 
Also have you considered an ex race horse?


They are not all the nutters that people think they are and you can end up with a very good horse usually at a good price.

This is like taking on a youngster but they have some history and basic knowledge.
Hopefully no problems but will have a basic level of handling and ridden work with out starting totally from scratch.

Although with my ex race horses i treat them as youngsters but they progress quickly with out rushing them and also giving them time to chill!
 
You should go and look at a few before you buy to make sure you don't just go for a pretty face! Seriously, it is very easy to be swayed by flashy looks at that age as some go through various gawky stages so temperament should be your number one priority IMO. If you can buy from a breeder like Janet, so much the better but many two year olds are on the market through no fault of their own. I know my two foster boys (had them since they were a fortnight old and know their full breeding) that you might have seen on here in the past, fall into that category and one of them might suit you; you're very welcome to come and see them if you're near enough. Even if they don't suit it will be a rung on the learning curve for you and give you a better idea of what you're looking for.
 
I would also second the idea of an ex race horse.

My thoughts on the matter are the following;

a) You would literally be saving it's life!
b) It would be along the same lines of getting a youngster (yet it would of done some stuff already) but you could turn it away and slowly bring it back and restart it to your own requirements.
c) you would get a well breed horse for much to nothing
d) TB's can turn their hoof to anything and there would be loads to choose from
e) Did I mention you would be savings some ex race horses life??

Goodluck and don't discount one.x
 
Since I came back into horses I've only had babies (currently the tally stands at 13) and they are so rewarding. I do all the basic groundwork with them and then sell them either backed or just backed for someone with more riding skills than me to bring on.
I was pleased to see the so-sensible comment from legend22 about prices too. A great many people seem to live in cloud-cuckoo-land where youngster prices are concerned and seem completely incapable of realising the costs of breeding, keeping and hours of training involved. Speaking as a small breeder, I get fed up with people balking at prices for youngsters which actually reflect a loss for the breeder if you weigh up all the above.
I would be slightly wary of buying from a big stud as their youngsters are unlikely to be well-handled as they simply do not have the time and consequently the youngsters can be a bit of a challenge initially. I do not know how typical this is but is certainly the case in one sports horse stud that I know well. Their youngsters are kept on-site until the spring they become yearlings but not handled much in the meantime. In the spring when that year's foals start arriving the yearlings are transported off to a 100 acre field where they live with no handling until they are 3, then the ones that haven't sold are brought back to the main site and broken in. This is quite exciting for a while as you might imagine!!! They are bred to be competition horses (mainly show jumping) and are fine being loaded and competed but don't try and hack them out without an awful lot of work getting them used to the real world!!
 
I tried an exracer once hadnt long come off track and all he knew was legs on meant faster. It wasnt something Id like to repeat.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Its a lot to think about.
 
penfold said:
I tried an exracer once hadnt long come off track and all he knew was legs on meant faster. It wasnt something Id like to repeat.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Its a lot to think about.
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Dont judge type cast them as all the same though.

I currently have 3 exrace horses.

All very different to look at and in temperament but they are all fantastic horses.
 
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