Buying your next horse

[Chuffy99]

This should be SO exciting but is now something that when we will need to replace our current superstar it will be approached with total dread
Even covering all the basics, homework (fbstalking), trialling, vetting, hopefully being able to check previous vet histories (no use when they have horse with two practices) it’s still a minefield
So perhaps this thread should be
How to buy the perfect, sound horse

 

[Abacus]

If anyone here knows that, they are keeping it extremely quiet...

As for how to keep one perfect and sound: maybe marry a vet (or become one). Bigamously marry a farrier. And a farmer. And a saddle fitter, physio, horse communicator...

 

[Gloi]

I love it but then again I do/did it differently, though I'm pretty much getting to the end of my horse buying life.
I always had an eye on breeders that I liked the stock of and kept a lookout at their youngstock. If I know I'll be needing a new one I normally had my eye on a few already and usually bought 1 to 3yos.

 

[Waxwing]

We sold our last horse in early December and are tentatively looking for a new one. I had arranged to view two but but both sold beforehand , one unseen. Having had lots of issues with one I purchased last year, despite doing everything possible to get it right (checking the dealers reputation online, having a five stage vetting, getting feedback from my instructor etc) and having to advise I would be instigating legal proceedings to get my money back I am very wary. I did get a full refund but despite advising the dealer of the concerns identified by my vet he went straight from my yard to another dealer at the other end of the country. They failed to sell him, despite reducing the asking price significantly and he then appeared on Horse Quest advertised with another dealer at almost double the price. I really want to buy in the next few months and have a realistic budget but I am not relishing the search.

 

[blitznbobs]

Buy foals - that is it

 

[Dexter]

Buy a horse thats doing the job you want it for now. Make sure its been doing that job for a while. Make sure the way its kept now matches how you are going to keep it. Buy something over 7 that's always been sound. Ideally over 10 if you can. Dont buy yourself an all singing all dancing competition horse if all you want is to pop round a 2ft9 course. Look for something that has good posture and muscle tone and learn how to maintain this. Learn the symptoms for PSSM and run from anything that is even a minor suspect. And don't EVER buy anything over 16hands.

When you get it home work it on as many different surfaces as you can, doing as much cross training as you can, keeping the horse relatively fit and with good muscle tone and posture. Make sure you have turnout in company in a decent sized field on a yard where the horses there seem happy and settled when you view.

Then pray, because while that's a blueprint for getting and keeping a suitable and sound horse, horses are idiots and like to break themselves in incredibly inventive ways!

 

[Caol Ila]

1. Start thinking about the process as your horse ages, believing wholeheartedly that you are hardass, cynical, that you've been in this game for a while and you will be the most careful, knowledgeable horse buyer the world has ever seen.

2. Reach the point where your old horse takes a downward turn and then buy the first cute two-year old you see. Who is unhandled. She is PRE which is like your dream breed so you don't care. You haven't even seen her move, but hey ho, she's very cute and very local (it's also lockdown with travel bans, so gallivanting around the country isn't an option). She is also pregnant, but you will not find this out until a few months into your ownership.

3. Old horse does not bounce back on spring grass, and you make that sad decision. You also decide that after she is gone, you will buy a riding horse while your two-year old (who you still don't know is pregnant) grows up.

4. Two year old turns out to be pregnant, a fact which comes to light the same day you PTS old horse. She has her foal a week after old horse dies. You put off your horse search because you have no idea what's going on. Still, mare and foal are healthy, so no major vet bills. Lucky you.

5. You still have no idea what's going on but resume your ridable horse search. Your two-year old foal proud teen mom has gone feral and cannot be caught. Your bar for a new horse is now low. Very low. Not pregnant, and you can catch it.

6. You view a mare and jokingly ask the owner if she could be pregnant. Owner, who has not had horse long, says, "The previous owner tried to put her in foal but they don't think it took." You decide to not look at any more mares.

7. You view an anxious ex-feral gelding, who at this point, is a lot less feral than your teen mom, and more importantly, he is cute. He's also a mouse dun Highland. He does not understand rein aids or steering in any form, and he has a complex about arenas (and a million other things, which you will discover). But he seems kind, and he's definitely not pregnant.

8. Of course you buy him. Why wouldn't you?

 

[J&S]

I agree with blitznbobs....... buy babies and make them into what you would like to own.....

 

[BBP]

Do what I did, see pretty colour pony on facebook. Buy it. ?

Only stressful bit was lack of communication from transporter shipping him over. 2 days of having no idea where or how he was.

I appreciate I have probably struck gold with him though, an unhandled youngster could turn out to be anything.

 

[fidleyspromise]

Foal buying is what I'm considering and then praying my mare doesn't require retirement for 6 ish years.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm dreading buying the next horse. I honestly don't know what I would have done differently.

• I went on FB dodgy dealers to ask if anyone had heard anything negative about the owner
• I researched her on FB (she goes by two names, the latter I only found out after purchase)
• I sent the sales video to two trusted friends (I'm not insinuating blame in the slightest, I was just interested in their thoughts) one said 'nice, he looks like your old horse' another said 'he had conformational traits that might be hard in a resale' but most horses do and the only thing I could see was that his hind fetlock looked a bit puffy.
• Spoke to someone on the forum that had enquired about him to get their vibe (to be fair they weren't totally sure of the seller after speaking with them) so I went to the viewing to determine if I could see any issues. The story they told me was totally plausible.
• I went a viewed him and asked dozens of questions, so did my partner
• I watched him tacked up and ridden by a pro rider
• I then rode him and put him through his paces,
• The pro rider got back on (on my request) to jump him.
• I then followed suit and jumped him also.
• I checked his stable (that water hadn't been withheld as this can make them dopey, that his willy wasn't sticking out in case he'd been doped , that the stable wasn't chewed in case he was a crib biter)
• I checked his passport at the time for all his vacs
• I checked his legs and feet very thoroughly
• I untacked him and brushed him
• Finally I paid £400 to get him vetted by a vet I selected independently and mentioned about the puffy fetlock and for him to have a good look at it. He flew the vetting.
• After it all went pear shaped I consulted two vets, both who watched the sales video and both of whom said he was sound on the sales video, not that any horse is 100% sound. The one told me that he shouldn't have passed his vetting given all his extensive issues.

So after all that I really don't know what else I could have done differently.
The only thing I would think about is not buying from a private sale. My first horse I bought privately in 1987 was a nightmare and was sold. Lari was also from a private home.

The five I bought from dealers were exceptional horses, with one I was planning on selling simply because we were mismatched, but the others were 'forever horses' the last one I had for 17 years.

 

[maya2008]

Buy a 3yo and if needed get backed professionally then ridden away nicely by a pro if you don’t want to do the baby stuff yourself. 3yo because someone else took the risk between 0-3 years of age, and you have a good idea of adult height and conformation at that point. Make sure it definitely hasn’t been started already and that once with you the start is perfect. An average, well handled, sweet natured horse/pony will be rideable and easy in 8 weeks in my experience.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

South Yorkshire police have just advertised a 7 year old they've had for 4 years.

I think the secret is to not be in a rush; they say the right horse finds you.

 

[Birker2020]

I think the secret is to not be in a rush; they say the right horse finds you.

The trouble is, when you are on a livery yard its hard not to feel pressured although I have to say my YO couldn't have been kinder and put her own horse in my stable/paddock as she was short of stables and was doubling up. But it was very good of her and it meant I didn't have to rush the process which in June/July/Aug 2021 was about 6 buyers for every horse for sale!

Good idea about buying a youngster but even they can have major issues, my friends horse was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis as a four year old, he was out of her mare she'd sold to someone who'd then bred him so she knew he'd not been hammered. He was pts as an 8yr old, she'd only sat on him a handful of times. Heart breaking, he was a lovely horse, as you can imagine she was devastated.

 

[TheMule]

I am so glad I can breed my own. Otherwise, I would only buy unspoiled 2/3 year olds to be done properly by professionals I trust and myself. Of course things can still go wrong, but it won’t be due to human error screwing up a nice horse.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

The trouble is, when you are on a livery yard its hard not to feel pressured although I have to say my YO couldn't have been kinder and put her own horse in my stable/paddock as she was short of stables and was doubling up. But it was very good of her and it meant I didn't have to rush the process which in June/July/Aug 2021 was about 6 buyers for every horse for sale!

Yep, that was my mistake, I felt I needed to make a decision because my YO similarly was keeping my stable for me. I said she could put one of hers in it and I'd pay because she was losing income while it was empty. She said she'd wait for me.

I ended up with an unbacked 3yo and I am not the person to take on this challenge. On the bright side I was completely aware I was out of my depth before I even agreed to take him. I did it because I know I have the support to start him and back him, he is getting regular lessons and coming on well. It also took the pressure off me. No one expects me to just get on and ride. Add to that, the people I got him from will take him back if it doesn't work out, even if that is 2 or 3 years from now. Some days are easier than others and I went in to this fully expecting to spend a lot on his education because I'm not capable to do it myself, but I do know what I want for him.

 

[Birker2020]

Yep, that was my mistake, I felt I needed to make a decision because my YO similarly was keeping my stable for me. I said she could put one of hers in it and I'd pay because she was losing income while it was empty. She said she'd wait for me.

I ended up with an unbacked 3yo and I am not the person to take on this challenge. On the bright side I was completely aware I was out of my depth before I even agreed to take him. I did it because I know I have the support to start him and back him, he is getting regular lessons and coming on well. It also took the pressure off me. No one expects me to just get on and ride. Add to that, the people I got him from will take him back if it doesn't work out, even if that is 2 or 3 years from now. Some days are easier than others and I went in to this fully expecting to spend a lot on his education because I'm not capable to do it myself, but I do know what I want for him.

Wish you all the best for the future. He sounds like he's in a smashing home.

 

[Dexter]

I'm dreading buying the next horse. I honestly don't know what I would have done differently.

• I went on FB dodgy dealers to ask if anyone had heard anything negative about the owner
• I researched her on FB (she goes by two names, the latter I only found out after purchase)
• I sent the sales video to two trusted friends (I'm not insinuating blame in the slightest, I was just interested in their thoughts) one said 'nice, he looks like your old horse' another said 'he had conformational traits that might be hard in a resale' but most horses do and the only thing I could see was that his hind fetlock looked a bit puffy.
• Spoke to someone on the forum that had enquired about him to get their vibe (to be fair they weren't totally sure of the seller after speaking with them) so I went to the viewing to determine if I could see any issues. The story they told me was totally plausible.
• I went a viewed him and asked dozens of questions, so did my partner
• I watched him tacked up and ridden by a pro rider
• I then rode him and put him through his paces,
• The pro rider got back on (on my request) to jump him.
• I then followed suit and jumped him also.
• I checked his stable (that water hadn't been withheld as this can make them dopey, that his willy wasn't sticking out in case he'd been doped , that the stable wasn't chewed in case he was a crib biter)
• I checked his passport at the time for all his vacs
• I checked his legs and feet very thoroughly
• I untacked him and brushed him
• Finally I paid £400 to get him vetted by a vet I selected independently and mentioned about the puffy fetlock and for him to have a good look at it. He flew the vetting.
• After it all went pear shaped I consulted two vets, both who watched the sales video and both of whom said he was sound on the sales video, not that any horse is 100% sound. The one told me that he shouldn't have passed his vetting given all his extensive issues.

So after all that I really don't know what else I could have done differently.
The only thing I would think about is not buying from a private sale. My first horse I bought privately in 1987 was a nightmare and was sold. Lari was also from a private home.

The five I bought from dealers were exceptional horses, with one I was planning on selling simply because we were mismatched, but the others were 'forever horses' the last one I had for 17 years.

He had an accident after you bought him though didn't he? As well as passing a vet and 2 others saying he was sound when you bought him? If I was his old owner and saw these posts which have now progressed to saying she sold you a knackered horse Id be absolutely furious and getting legal advice.

 

[Fransurrey]

If anyone here knows that, they are keeping it extremely quiet...

As for how to keep one perfect and sound: maybe marry a vet (or become one). Bigamously marry a farrier. And a farmer. And a saddle fitter, physio, horse communicator...

100 % agree. I did my homework, went through a very reputable dealer, had a vetting, tried the horse... None of that could predict a genetic condition (PSSM1) which only came into play when we tried to up the workload in earnest. I'd still recommend the same dealer, now. There's no way they'd have known with a 5 year old horse and they gave him a fantastic grounding in handling/travelling and so on.

Not sure I could cope with so many husbands...

 

[eahotson]

Decide that what you want is a 9yr plus gelding,a cob and between 14 14.2 hh.End up with a 4 year old mate who is now at least 15hh and still growing!!!! She is lovely though and my instructor is smitten.

 

[Red-1]

I wanted a 15.2 - 16.1 gelding, 7-12 yrs, to do minor competition stuff and hacking. Wanted something with verifiable form and wool on his back as I'm feeling my age and didn't want to do any 'firsts' in a horse's education. Also, absolutely didn't want a grey. Also, I would never buy without riding including schooling, jumping and hacking, let alone unseen!

Got fed up with Covid horse sale market!

Bought a 4yo from Ireland, unseen from the internet, no form, and grey to boot.

It has worked out, against all odds.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I'm really torn about what to do. My hope in an ideal world is current pony will keep on with a quieter work load as I juggle children and then be the perfect pony club pony.

Whilst she does that I'd buy a 4 year old connie from breeder. HOWEVER. My confidence is at rock bottom at the moment. So it's a toss up between buying someone's problems or potentially creating my own. If I did go the youngster route I would definitely pay for someone to school once or twice a week. Hopefully my confidence will have recovered somewhat by the time this becomes a reality as I have really enjoyed producing current pony. A friend said her confidence took a complete dive after having a baby and once they were a bit older it came back. Maybe it's my mothers instinct trying to put me off riding until Florence is older and doesn't need me as much.

 

[Glitter's fun]

So perhaps this thread should be
How to buy the perfect, sound horse

The only perfect horses I've ever known are the ones now dead, once time has misted over all the effort & heartaches.

Save up, a lot, & then some more. Take all the precautions you can then deal with whatever happens. Forgive yourself - ending up with a lame/imperfect horse isn't a failure its normal life.

ETA. I'm not just being parsimonious from a distance, I'm horse shopping atm.

 

[Tarragon]

I can't help you with this one. I have bought 5 ponies in the last 25 years. All under £750 and unbacked, none vetted and 3 bought unseen.

One 2 year old - a little cracker. Probably would not have been big enough but died in a tragic field accident before 5th birthday
One 7 year old - been a fantastic pony providing you did what he likes to do. Now 25 and retired.
One 2 year old - another little cracker. Would have been my perfect pony if he had only grown another 4 inches! Sadly sold on as lightly backed 5 year old and now loving life in perfect family home aged 17
One 3 year old - full brother of 7 year old (but 8 years younger). Thought it was lack of schooling at an impressionable age that meant older brother only did what he wanted to do, but shown that it was a family trait (and my poor skills!) Now 17 years old and retired as a very happy companion pony after 14 years of hacking fun
One 6 year old - unbacked. Only had him a year and still to judge. Bought to see me through my pony owning years as I am now 60 years old. He is the most loyal and kind pony and has potential, but I underestimated how much a pony who spent first 6 years on open moorland doesn't know! We are getting there under the guidance of a good teacher and I am finally becoming the sort of horsewoman I want to be.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I honestly think totally sound, perfect (for you) horses just don’t really exist. There are some veterinary and behavioural issues that are total no no’s (and I know it’s a minefield) but after that it’s making the best of what you have and working through the issues that bother you.

I think I’ve been lucky with my last two (touch wood) I bought my second horse 4 years ago when my old boy was semi-retired. My perfect oldie who died last October wasn’t really perfect but that’s how I remember him and not all the ups and downs we had together including various physical issues. It’s not been completely plain sailing with my current one because I’m not as confident as I used to be but at heart he’s sane and we usually manage to work through stuff. I’ve had to work on improving his physical issues too. I’m not in a hurry though and am much more relaxed these days about stuff and although I like competing at a low level I’m not that ambitious which helps when things are a bit crap.

I’m idly looking at horse adverts to see if I really want a second horse again as there are some advantages to having two together but so far nothing grabs me and prices are still high for less than mediocre horses.

 

[Ddraig_wen]

These days I'd probably buy a veteran or an untouched youngster. With the veteran i know they can do the job and that theyve got the constitution and soundness for what i want them to do for the years they've been doing it and and in theory an untouched youngster won't have been given hang ups by humans. I'm lucky I can breed my own, but I've been looking for something to see out the gap between my yearling coming up and my 28yr old now only doing occasional hacking. ( he's a twit if he doesn't do something). There's seems to be so many dodgy sellers and badly produced or rushed ponies about these days especially since covid.