Buying from Ireland... need help..

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ldlp111

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Well I am debating buying a horse/youngster from Ireland, OH and my instructor think i'm slightly crazy and think I will find something over here that I like. Anyway... I have been looking into costs of travel, so far taking my car seems to be cheaper but I can't workout if ferry cost is one way or whether that price includes return journey :confused:

Also got a few questions regarding travelling horse back etc, I assume travel companies will travel foals? :confused:
Is it easier to get a company to travel them rather than do it yourself as I assume you have to go to different parts of ferry port ? (hope that makes sense?) :)

Also is there anyway of sourcing the sellers of the lots to get pictures sent so I don't potentially make a wasted journey? :)

Any other help much appreciated :)
 
Ferries cost in the region of £240 return for a car so if your quote is much less than that then it is probably one way. It's usually cheaper to fly but then of course you will need a car to get about. It will have other factors such as how many people are travelling, it is cheap for people to come on the ferry, expensive to bring a car

Best to leave the transporting to the transport companies, will be cheaper than doing a return journey with a trailer or lorry.
 
Depending on where you are looking it may be just as cheap to fly in and rent a car...if your looking at duns/connemaras etc you could end up in the West -mayo and Galway (the Connemara region in Galway does have a lot of connemaras unsurprisingly) so Knock or Shannon are the closest airports...flying into knock/shannon/cork/kerry regional airports is usually cheaper than dublin as well..esp with the ryanair sales on...

If you are getting the ferry you will always be arriving in the east or north of the country.

Transporters will transport foals but they will likely be traveling in a group load. I would go with a transporter rather than bring a trailer though.

After Ballinasloe Horse fair (28th sept to 6th october) there may be less selection around however. A hugh amount of horses will be sold through the fair...its not just the travellers who sell there,there are plenty of quality horses moving through the fairgrounds and there will be lorryloads being bought at the fair and on the way the england in the in the next few weeks.

Id suggest going to the fair for a look see but its not for the faint hearted.There are some old pics from it a year ago on here http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...pics(warning-some-less-than-ideal-conditions)
 
If I were you I would check out www. Donedeal.ie it has pages of horses of all shapes and sizes added daily (possibly 50 plus). You can limit your search to certain counties and have a map so you can pick counties in the west or the east or wherever you want to go to. Its worth checking out for entertainment value if nothing else, great way to kill time!!! However as with everything let the buyer beware!
 
Hi I went over to Ireland and bought a connemara foal about 4.5yrs ago the best decision for me. Really posative expereince all the studs over there were very helpful there was no pressure just go and look and find one that takes your eye. What type of horse are you looking for ?

I went across with my horsebox and my brother for support and brought back on the fast ferry, it was quite expensive trip £700 time I factored in petrol and a nights hotel but it was part of the fun and will do it again in the future.

If you have never been to the RDS dublin horse show I would recommend that as a starting point or if you are after a Connemara you can't get any better than Clifden.

Do your homework with regards studs you want to visit and map a route, I went across for two weeks on a scounting mission and had a ball. In my experence the best horses don't always get to the sales and are snapped up privately and often in Ireland they have horses marked for sale in the show catauloges.

Previous people have mentioned its cheap to fly and I agree and its probably cheaper to transport back through a company, but I was slightly nervous at the thought of a foal been pushed around as only just had been weaned.

I now have 5 year old which I can happily hack out and we have a great bond, but it was tough at times particuarly foal to a 2year old (we can laugh now but it wasn't funny at the time).

Good luck if thats the route you take !
 
There is a registered Connemara pony sale on the 11th October in Cavan, catalogue will be online, 100's of lots. Transporters attend every sale and are ready to take everything and anything across to England. I would not advise anyone to just go to Ballinasloe, it's a bearpit and there are too many dodgy elements. I don't know if they are still doing it, but the Irish Horse board subsidises (or even pays in full?) the air fair of purchasers at the bigger sales, worth looking at the Horse Sport Ireland website to check if they are still doing this.
 
Hi thanks for all your replies, I have contacted quite a few people who have found me a few horses, but none that seem to make me think yes that one if you know what I mean, I won't be in the position to buy again for awhile so want to get it right :)
If I do go I will probably fly and rent a car seems the cheapest and quickest.
I am impatiently waiting for catalogues to be uploaded :o
Ideally I think a connie cross will be my ideal, looking for one to make approx 15.2hh ish, so if anyone has any good studs to look up let me know :)
I think they do still do a subsidy for travel but if I read right cavan only does it if horse makes more than 2500 euros. :)
 
I have bought 3 conemaras - one at Clifden, one via donedeal & 1 was the brother of the first one we bought at the sale. We bough the first two home in a trailer as we happened to be taking stuff out to our house anywhere and it didn't make sense to come back with an empty trailer, but by the time you have paid freight and checked I early as cargo etc it is quite a long and expensive process. The next time I paid for a transporter to bring him home (£300) but it was a bit of a nightmare and I would never use the same transport company again as he kept my horse for 3 wees and I was very worried I wasn't going to see him again!
 
Word of warning. If you are English, they will add money on to the price. I moved here, as i say two years ago. They hear an english accent and they see € signs. IF you have anyone irish, get them to buy for you. I bough a yearling this year, a filly, fully registered and papered and chipped for €60.00. Don't get yourself ripped off.
 
paganamber said:
Word of warning. If you are English, they will add money on to the price. I moved here, as i say two years ago. They hear an english accent and they see € signs. IF you have anyone irish, get them to buy for you. I bough a yearling this year, a filly, fully registered and papered and chipped for €60.00. Don't get yourself ripped off.
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That is exceptionally cheap even for Ireland.
A good quality dun connie foal/yearling is normally at least £500+

Word of warning op, a dun connie x is what a lot of people are after especially around 15.2 - you may have to pay more as these are very desirable and tbh quality ones are like golddust (and I live in ireland!!)
 
Well it doesn't have to be a connie x but that seems to be what most of the duns are, I wouldn't mind a irish draft cross but they tend to get 16hh plus :)
 
only_me said:
That is exceptionally cheap even for Ireland.
A good quality dun connie foal/yearling is normally at least £500+

Word of warning op, a dun connie x is what a lot of people are after especially around 15.2 - you may have to pay more as these are very desirable and tbh quality ones are like golddust (and I live in ireland!!)
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Round here, they are firing them out on the bog to be honest. people have no money to feed them. A dun, yes, they are more money because there aren't so many as the greys. but part breds are cheap, and i was speaking to a breeder only tuesday who told me he is stuck with loads this year. "over height" Connies which the english like (his words) he usually sells all of his really quickly, this year he has sold ONE, and he sells to england all the time.
 
paganamber said:
Round here, they are firing them out on the bog to be honest. people have no money to feed them. A dun, yes, they are more money because there aren't so many as the greys. but part breds are cheap, and i was speaking to a breeder only tuesday who told me he is stuck with loads this year. "over height" Connies which the english like (his words) he usually sells all of his really quickly, this year he has sold ONE, and he sells to england all the time.
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Ooo has he got any dun "over height" ones for sale? :)
 
I'm in Ireland usually every other weekend, if you pm me exactly what you are looking for I can have a look around for you. Also know quite a few of the transporters, different ones are based in different parts of the country so that may affect your choice. Know to a super 16hh 3 yrs connie x ID, grey/dun colour plus a few others. I'm next going over on Saturday morning.
 
Oh and if I bought one through a private seller, would you get it vetted and recommendations for vets please :)
Also does anyone from ireland know more about the stallions Gold and Silver and also the grandsire is Diamond King :)
 
sorry to jump in,but i have bought 2 horses from ireland and never been asked the question i have just been asked as i want another bringing over,it was i needed a vat number???? i do not have this as am not self employed so i dont get it at all.
 
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