buying the right horse HELP!

jodie :)

jodie :)

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21 June 2010
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hi everybody,
I'm new but registered because i'd like some help on buying a horse.
Basically i got a karen dixon schloarship at Queen ethelburga's college in york and i need a horse to take there for this september.
Soo... i've been searching for months, and tried about 12 horses. One of them i was in the process of buying but she failed vetting as she was 1/10 lame on 3 legs, the vet said she strongly recommended not buying her. I was gutted, i honestly can't explain how upset i was. since then, i've tried about 3 more horses and still the right one hasn't come along. the one this weekend bolted off with me, ive had one which wouldn't move and kicked my dad when i smacked it! (in the end i had to say that i didnt want to hit it anymore!) Ive tried ones that have just been too much for me and ones that haven't lit my fire. Am i being too fusssy?:confused: I am a good average rider with aspirations of doing some eventing etc... I'm looking for something 15.3hh+ about 7-10 yrs, not chestnut or coloured, done abit of everything, not fussed on the breed but i'm not keen on throughbreds or fiesty warmbloods. basically i'm looking for that horse that everyone wants! its like finding a needle in a hay stack though and i'm getting a little down? any advice or help would be very much appreciated and as i've been reading threads on here you can have a big bar of galaxy with extra marshmallows and a milk shake! :D:p
thanks so much for reading and getting this far xx
 
Unfortunately as you have said this the horse that everyone wants! What is your budget? I sure a lot of the nice people on here who like window shopping would look around for you.
Just out of interest why are you not interested in coloureds or chestnuts? I never though i would want a chestnut and about half the horses i went to see were chestnut because they were suitable for me.
I dont think you are being fussy, you need the find the right horse and you will know when you find it! Good luck in your search
 
Would you really not get a tb? There are some great places to get them and you can try as many as you want, you can get one at verying stages of schooling, plus they are ideal for eventing, and are well traveled. I have always had tbs and my last one was soo laid back he fell asleep on comp days. The one i am riding at the min is the perfect horse, she will jump anything, ride out in the heavyist traffic, and is a forward going ride but safe and doesn't pull.
 
My advice is that unless you have an unlimited budget, decide which points you would compromise on and which points you won't. Do you want a horse with a track record or one with potential but no history?

Don't settle for something cos you're desperate, if you think it's hard to buy the right horse, it's almost impossible to sell the 'wrong' horse again.

Vx
 
I'd say strip your list down to basics, get rid of any appearances and think about the qualities you want in a horse. You may even have to bend on age, some older horses have more energy in them than the younger ones. Don't give up and maybe go and look at a horse you'd never dream of owning. You might be surprised. It may also help you forget about the horse that failed the vetting, from the sounds of your post your seem still a bit gutted and might be comparing all the other horses to that horse. Good luck, keep going and the right horse will come along eventually.
 
thanks everybody for your replies.
ive got a budget of 5k max but that has got to allow for tack and rugs etc.
on the topic of colours, i'm just not keen on chestnuts or coloureds, just prefference really, i haven't got anything against them though :)
I've tried TB's and haven't had a good experience unfortunately, which has sadly put me off :( I'm not looking for a horse with a track record, but just something that has had some experience of everything.
The thing is i really don't want to get desperate and settle for second best :( xxx
 
Gotta stick up for the sensible TB's out there. Yes they do exist. Get to know the small racing yards - not the big ones and generally not the private ads if you haven't got much money.

Kind of an irony, but doesn't Karen Dixon specialise in ex-rachorses?
 
You have my sympathy I've been looking since october!

Can't help much, but I'd go and look at a few more to help you forget the failed vetting, it is hard to forget (had the same myself) but you need to put it behind you.

Forget the colour constraints you are just making things hard for yourself. There are some really super chestnut and coloureds out there, and you don't want to miss out on the perfect horse because it isn't the colour you think you want. If the horse is great you will grow to love the colour.

Lots of people on here are selling horses so keep an ear to the ground, I've heard about one or two that way.
 
To be honest if you want to event you may be shooting yourself in the foot slightly by not considering thorougbreds. It's difficult but try not to be put off by some bad ones. Some of them can be beautiful calm rides. I rode my instructors ex-racer once and honestly didn't believe she was one until I saw her passport. She was big, chunky and had elevated paces, and not at all fiesty and fast.

Another option, could you maybe consider smaller but chunkier? The larger native breeds may fulfil your criteria in everything but height (Connemaras and Welsh Ds often make 15hh+), yet they can make up for that in girth as they do take up the leg.
 
jodie :) said:
thanks everybody for your replies.
ive got a budget of 5k max but that has got to allow for tack and rugs etc.
on the topic of colours, i'm just not keen on chestnuts or coloureds, just prefference really, i haven't got anything against them though :)
I've tried TB's and haven't had a good experience unfortunately, which has sadly put me off :( I'm not looking for a horse with a track record, but just something that has had some experience of everything.
The thing is i really don't want to get desperate and settle for second best :( xxx
Click to expand...

You have to remember, all breeds have their bad ones, tbs are just like any horse, just with a bit of sparkle. As long as they have been well schooled, they will work like any horse. In fact the first horse i ever rode was a tb.
 
at the riding school i used to ride at, i used to always ride a TB, she was ace, but i've tried a few TB's which have been okay, but just really not my thing somehow? i mean if there was a lovely horse that was a TB i wouldn't be totally put off just because of it's breed :)
i've tried a 15.2hh and i looked big on that, so maybe smaller isn't the way to go...
what does anybody think of shireXTB or I.D X T.B? they're chunky but still athletic?
xx
 
I don't think you should go for breed or colour, you'll find it easier to think of the job you want the horse to do for you and then find a horse that fits that bill no matter what the breed/colour.

If I understand right, you want to event, does that mean you want an older horse that has the experience to introduce you to the lower levels Intro/PN/N, or are you looking for a young horse to bring on yourself? What else is on your wish list, e.g. hacking, good dressage, and what would you be willing to compromise on?

5k is a lot of money, but if you want to include tack and rugs this won't leave you with an awful lot for the horse. Saddle, bridle, a couple of rugs alone could be 1k to 1.5k, leaving only 3.5k for the horse. This may well re-define the kind of horse you should be looking for, e.g. young horse, TB out of racing with a bit of re-schooling, older horse (over 11-12).
 
yes, i am looking to do some eventing and want something that has done eventing and can bring me into it, rather than me bringing it on? I'd be willing to compromise the hacking aspect, i'm not much of a happy hacker, so if a horse doesn't hack alone or isn't keen on traffic that doesn't bother me. I'd also be willing to compromise on age but nothing over 13+, because i'm planning on having this horse for 2 years at college competing full time and when i leave i'd still like to be able to compete regularly without putting it on semi-retirement! :)
 
You know the age might be a place to compromise, I mean a 15 year old horse could have 4 years of serious competing still to offer and you might get a great schoolmaster for your money. If they needed winding down earlier than you wanted then you could look at loaning to a riding club home or something.
 
I agree, age is often a good place to compromise, but it sounds like you are open to compromise. Look for allrounders. I would be tempted to look at things that have talent and have been out a few times but don't have a huge track record as well. It's a long process, but the right one is out there for you.

How far are you travelling? It may be worth travelling further if you see one really good that is further away.
 
i really really symapthise. i have been looking for the same as you since november, and tried 26 horses at last count, had 1 failed vetting and several that didnt work out on 2nd/3rd visits. Ive discovered there are loads of horses out there for sale , but the good ones rarely actually come to the open market and are like hens teeth.

have a look at my last 2 threads-
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=376928

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=377951


i would say you either have to up your budget; or get something older, 13/14 year old maybe.... dont do what i did before and compromise on age the other way;) i ended up having to up my budget im afraid. Whatever you do, before buying anything i would make sure you contact riding clubs,pony club , local hunts, RI's etc and do some digging; find out about the horse you interested and its history.
 
nelle48 said:
You may even have to bend on age, some older horses have more energy in them than the younger ones. /QUOTE]

I have to fully agree with this one - having had my boy since he was 7 (and he's now 16), he is just as full of beans as he ever was. Additionally, the fitter he is, the better he performs (of course!), regardless of his age.

If you extend your age range to include horses up to 10-12, you've still got a good 8 years of competition in them and the price may well be within budget.

Don't forget the old principle of supply & demand - the age you are looking for is in high demand but not so much supply, hence the bigger prices.

Best of luck with your search!
Click to expand...
 
NeverSayNever- your new boy is beautiful! glad you've found a good one :)
i'm just relieved to hear that i'm not the only person who has struggled to find the perfect horse.
I think i'm going to take your advice and maybe extend my age range to 12/13, afterall if it does exactly what i want it to do, who cares about the age?
and my budget can't be extended, i got gifted the 5K from some very good friends and don't have any money of my own to back it up, i can only just rustle up enough money to cover the potential livery fees! :(
sometimes i wonder if the perfect horse will ever come along?:confused:
 
where are you looking and where are you based? There are loads out there to try... I suggest you set a weekend aside and go and see at least 4 a day - riding that many back to back you'll soon see exactly what you want.

Blitz
 
i was recommended a dealer up your way - judi thurlow - has some nice looking horses on website/ads, she was just too far for me to travel i have eventually found after looking at 10 horses the right one - she is 11 though - i compromised on age. She being vetted tomorrow (finger crossed all goes well!!!) Other than being over 10 she ticked all my boxes - i too was looking for needle in haystack but i had less money than you. it can be done but it is hard work which is why i was considering a dealer. - look her up see what you think - mainly irish horses. ISH types.
 
yes i know judi thurloe, i work sometimes at her yard when she's busy and needs help, she does have some nice horses, but ive ridden most of them and they aren't what i'm looking for. and ohh, well done, i hope it all goes well!
i'm based in harrogate, north yorkshire and i'm looking up north and midlands :)
 
The other good thing about an older horse is that you know it has done the job you want and stayed sound. Nothing worse than getting a relatively young horse that has trouble coping as soon as it comes into more serious work.
 
now i nearly decided to travel to look at that second one it was just too far in the end - but it looks really nice and took my fancy - the weaving didnt bother me - mine live out - give them a call?!
 
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