Buying horses- mini rant!

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joben

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Been looking for a young potential eventer for 1 year, he doesn't need to win Badminton but would like to be competitive at intermediate. There are 100's of suitable horses for sale but the prices have gone crazy- or is it just me? i've been looking at TB or TBx geldings, 4-6year old, broken but preferbly not done much competition work. the prices range from £5000 to £24000. I think 5-6k is a fair price to pay for a young horse with no competition experience but mostly when i go to look at the'cheap' end of the market there is some major fault- commonly really bad feet or lame! will i really have to pay £10k to get a half decent, sound youngster?
Next weekend I'm going to see a 15.2hh 5yo that has been brought from Ireland- apparently is going sweetly on the flat and over small fences, but nothing else- they are asking £7k, is it worth me going to have a look when, even if he is just what I'm looking for it's unlikely that i'll paymore than 5.5k?

Also, it really annoys me when people tell you that their never-been-out-of-the-yard 4yo has 4star potential- how ridiculous is this- or are we working on the idea that ANY horse has 4 star potential until proven otherwise?

Oh, and if anyone has a suitable horse for sale, PM me!
 
To be honest, I would be a bit miffed to waste my time showing you a horse and letting you ride when I want £7k and you won't pay over £5.5k! If the horses are selling at those prices (and presumably some of them must be selling) then that must be the going rate. There are always bargains to be had, but you need a whole network of people to look them out for you.

Why not look at some of the very old ads on HQ which show horses that have not been sold, and then call them to see if they would accept less. May be a better option than finding something you really like, but can't find the extra £2k or so to buy it.
 
I know of a good few youngsters for sale to event but they all start at 12k... 5 and 6yo's with comp experience though.... even the ones that don't have experience go for 7-10k... but these are well bred quality horses. In Ireland some 4yo go for 25K at auction. craziness.

Now a days I think you have to be lucky for a bargain...
 
But ARE they selling at that price- this is the really difficult thing to find out. I'm assuming that people are being greedy- do you think a 15.2hh with no competition experience should be priced at £7k or £5.5k? Or £24k?? It would be great if we could have a Whatcar? style pricing guide! (joke)
 
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Also, it really annoys me when people tell you that their never-been-out-of-the-yard 4yo has 4star potential- how ridiculous is this-

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I agree with most of what you've said but not the above comment, Hide and Seek was bought from seeing him on the flat and jumping at home - he was uncompeted, yet Lucy knew he'd be a 4* horse and she's just been proven right. Alot of pros can tell a 4* horse just by sitting on it a few times at home. I do understand its unknown until its out there doing the business though.
 
Starting a horse well at home opens up its potential, done badly 'issues' are set for life. those that start a young horse on its career deserve to be paid.
Sorry for little rant!
 
Being in the seller position currently, I can tell you its just as tricky on the seller's side!!

Vets are exremely cautious to cover their own backs nowadays and horses which pass full flexions before and after work, prove themselves during work and pass all tests still appear to be pulled up as their feet are slightly different sizes or at slightly different angles (we're talking minute differences here)

Having had many sucessful eventers through our yard, I can tell you that none of them were put together perfectly and none of them would have passed a modern vetting. Didnt stop them being sucessful though.....
 
if one of mine was veiwed by a messer like you, then i'd be very unimpressed!!!

if i put a price of 7.5k on them, then that is what i want.

so please don't insult sellers by pitching up for a free ride!!
 
We were in exactly this position a year ago, and were only looking for a high class all rounder. I think some horses are making this money but the majority are going for less.
You can only ring the more pricey horses and mention you are on a restricted budget. People may be prepared to talk to you at a later date if horse doesn't sell.
The alternative is to buy a horse from the breeder/stud which is what I would always do.
From your part of the world, I would ring Langaller stud, they may have some special youngstock, Langarth in SWales, and we had success with Jo Harris in Lydney who breeds lovely youngsters to go eventing. It may be worth trying Ann Basset, see if she has any youngstock on the ground, she's in S Dorset and one of two lesser know stallions stand on Dorset, like Wace, the stud there may have or know of some of his youngsters.
In my experience, for the sake of not having to prepare animals for sale people will drop their prices, and you can see other family members to get a feel for temperament.
 
Completely agree about over priced horses. We bought an off the track horse, and he's great, my record with him isn't great, but then neither is my riding, although my instructor once told us he was scopey enough (in the righty hands) to be an advanced horse. He came from Grace Muir at North Farm Stud, and I would highly recommend her, but personally I think aim to get a 3 year old (or maybe 4, providing it hasn't jumped), she has a stunning one in at the moment, called Little Eyecatcher, here is the link....

http://www.northfarmstud.com/rehoming.php
 
Christ! Please don't be so aggresive towards someone you don't know. I'm certainly not going for a 'free ride'- I have competely regularly at 3* level so don't need a 'free ride'. All I want is to pay a fair price for a horse. Just because you want £7.5k for a horse, doesn't mean you'll get it or that the horse is worth it.
 
BUT you should be prepared to pay it if you want the horse and that is what it is advertised at. Ok bargain a little but if I was advertising at £7.5, then I would NOT come down £2k!!!

£500 is more realistic knock down really.
 
Call the owner and be honest about your budget - if they are happy to sell at that price then fine. If you go without calling I am sorry but you are nothing but a timewaster.
 
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BUT you should be prepared to pay it if you want the horse and that is what it is advertised at. Ok bargain a little but if I was advertising at £7.5, then I would NOT come down £2k!!!

£500 is more realistic knock down really.

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thank you, nor would I.

and believe me, if my horse is advertised at 7.5k, then yes, it IS worth that, or i'd put it up at 5k!!!
 
If I was looking for a horse right now and I normally have a similar or if not less budget like yours I would do the following -

Ring Breeders/check out studs (winter is usually better for this)
Speak to all my friends tell them I am looking - very handy
Adverts at tack shops/feedstores saying wanted
Speak to local racing trainers to find out if they are getting rid of any that hate racing.
Visit the sales ring.
 
So would you say that on Horsequest for example that ALL the horses are fairly priced and all derserve the price that the owner has put on them. Do you think that there are no people out there that are chancing their luck and trying to get a bit more than the horse is actually worth.

I have got a budget of up to £12k so affording the £7.5k is not a problem- just think that for a 15.1 5yo that has done nothing, it is a bit steep
 
I've bought a number of horses for lot less than advertised. It all depends on how realistic the original price was and how desperate the seller is.
I'm usually faily up front about my likely budget, though I will exagerate a bit, if I think the seller is likely to move a sizeable amount on the price. There is no substitute for being there with cash, people can only say no can't they.
 
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So would you say that on Horsequest for example that ALL the horses are fairly priced and all derserve the price that the owner has put on them. Do you think that there are no people out there that are chancing their luck and trying to get a bit more than the horse is actually worth.

I have got a budget of up to £12k so affording the £7.5k is not a problem- just think that for a 15.1 5yo that has done nothing, it is a bit steep

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not at all.

but if you go looking at 7.5k horses and only want to spend 5k, then i'd be very miffed if you pitched up for a ride.

as i said, there are "sellers" and "sellers", equally there are "buyers".
 
When I was looking for a horse and I phoned one up that was out of my price range the first thing I said was my budget and we went from there.

BTW my sister decided to buy a new horse exactly like you have described in the £5k price range on Monday and it came home today
 
I'd be insulted if I advertised my horse for £7.5k and you offered me £5k. Though there are good ways and bad ways of going about it.

Most people start their negotiations by picking out all their perceived faults of the horse and then offering you a low price. Having been in this position, I've been so taken aback by their rudeness that I just want rid of them and won't consider any drop on price.

On the other hand, if that person seems the ideal new home for my horsey, doesn't insult it or me, and offers me a lower price, I'd consider accepting

So in a nutshell, there are ways of going about offering less for something you want.

Though it does pee me off when people say they can't possibly pay the asking price - well why did you come???

I'm astonished at how much prices have leapt up in recent years, and think that in the main, yes, most people sell their horses for these prices. I know of several that have been bought and sold recently for over £5k for Riding Club Horse or Pre-Novicer.
 
I totally agree about a '4 yr old that's never been anywhere is a 4 star prospect' you're buying potential that's all and it's a long way from 4 to Badminton! We went over to Ireland and saw exactly that and the asking price was 30k euros and it didn't even have it's legs on straight!

Why don't you go over to Ireland and have a look we went over through Rachel Wakefield's Irish Agent. We had a fabulous time, we'd been sent a DVD before we went to select types we liked and were then met at the airport, driven about and saw about 15 horses in a day all of which were the correct types and we ended up with 2 on the list and bought one. And the flights were only about £50 return! Have a look on her new website: www.uptowneventing.co.uk
 
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