Can you make money from project ponies?

Gamebird

Gamebird

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This question has been posted a few times recently and sparked a bit of debate. I have a bit of experience in this area, but haven't really replied to any of the threads as I've had too much to say and not enough time to say it :o (yeah, no surprise :rolleyes::p). However I've finally put my thoughts down in some sort of logical order and have posted them here if anyone's interested:

http://e-venting.co.uk/?p=361

Hope it's interesting! :D Not the only way to do it, obviously, but it works for me.
 
That's fantastic! Al is potentially interested in going down that path when she's a bit more established and that is a really useful guide.

We used to do project ponies when Al was younger, and the same point applied. The skewbald cobby mare who lolloped at every fence in the same rhythm, coped with thousands of children running round her and needed kicking for fast and sitting up for slowing sold within about 2 weeks of advertising her. The beautiful, flashy pony took months to get shot of as she wasn't really that friendly nor easy!

Also agree 100% about ex-racers. I reckon we'd struggle to shift Reg if he was ever for sale (never!), and he's quite something. Bee might be easier if a pro/ someone like a pro wanted her as she does, but she couldn't be safely sold to most people...
 
Thanks Gamebird :-) that was really interesting & i really enjoyed reading it.

You are so right, it did make me laugh. I think that i've broken every rule (except 'No ex-racers) I've always liked having a 'project' kicking around the place but am hopeless at selling them on, have got two at the moment. Ones been here for 15 months but i do hopefully have someone coming to see him on Saturday.

Good luck with any future ones.
 
Thats really interesting! I was thinking of getting a project horse for over the summer.

I have a few questions though:
1) how do you stop getting so attached?
2) Do you just have areally good eye so as to not get anything with physical problems so they don't need a vetting? What about buying an untouched 4 year old straight out the field?
3) What kind of horses sell better? Like could you sell a heavy cob as an allrounder fairly easily or is it better to go for a more sports horse/ riding club type?
 
In answer to your Q's Rowy:
1) I'm not sure really, but they're always totally separate in my head from 'my' horses.
2) I've bought untouched straight from the field twice - a 4 and a 5yo. They possibly had a slightly longer turnaround - maybe 5 months - but the 5yo did a BE90 before I sold it. I quite like genuinely untouched, but make sure that's the case, not 'we tried to break it but gave up'. I have a reasonable eye for a horse and weed out anything with particularly bad conformation, feet, obvious sarcoids or sweet itch. I don't however 'vet' them as such but I do like to chase them round the field to make sure they're sound.
3) If I were smaller I'd buy 15h - 15.2 connie X's. Anything goes though really so long as the temperament is right and they'll do a job.
 
Good article. I used to do it yrs ago, except I mainly stuck to actual ponies, given that smaller jockeys for schooling are in short supply, so there seemed to be more of a profit. And far cheaper to keep so less of a risk. I'm currently toying with the idea of doing it again on a small scale with ponies under 12hh while daughter is small enough to ride them. There's a massive % difference in value between unbroken 4yr old small ponies, & ones that still need a bit of bringing on but have been ridden & been out & about with a small child already. Only problem would be daughter getting attached, so I'm hoping to go into it with a friend so daughter isn't involved with daily care. And from daughters pov, the sale price would cover any outings for the project, & we'd take her own pony along too, so it would give her more opportunity to go out than I can afford to do just for her own pony.
 
very good. Im the type that can pick up a cheap one, bring it on, win a bit then get too attached to sell hence a herd of mostly geriatric horses and ponies. Must toughen up!
 
and do ponies still sell for £3k or is it a case now of buy for £200-500 and sell for £2k? Im not very up to date of horse prices but keep reading how cheap things are selling for.
 
weebarney said:
and do ponies still sell for £3k or is it a case now of buy for £200-500 and sell for £2k? Im not very up to date of horse prices but keep reading how cheap things are selling for.
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i bought one a couple of years ago (for 600) and have just sold it for £3500 and could have got more but i got attached and wanted a 5* forever home :o
i didn't make that much profit on him as i kept him nearly two years but that was because my main horse pulled a tendon and has been off work so have been having far too much fun with the project

interesting article :)
has anyone any experience with selling colored gypsy cobs ? iv'e had the chance of one cheap but not sure if its worth my time :confused:
 
Interesting article and 3 things really jumped out me. Firm initial budget, a lot of work and selling on a horse that has a track and competition record. My YO sells on and I have seen how the horses that have the beginnings of a record and not just potential sell relatively easily. Even horses that have had the basics so say, been out for dressage, hunted and XC schooled and SJ are worth more with a couple of runs under their belt...
 
Luci07 said:
Interesting article and 3 things really jumped out me. Firm initial budget, a lot of work and selling on a horse that has a track and competition record. My YO sells on and I have seen how the horses that have the beginnings of a record and not just potential sell relatively easily. Even horses that have had the basics so say, been out for dressage, hunted and XC schooled and SJ are worth more with a couple of runs under their belt...
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Definitely, but be sure to give them a GOOD record, even if that means running them ever-so-slightly below their level. If their talents lie eg. in dressage it's pretty easy to get an AF qualification at Prelim, or qualify for the finals of a local show centre's unaff series. It's not hard to do but sounds good. It's a firm, checkable achievement.
If you've got a reasonable jumper a lot of show centres run unaff series where you qualify for a final, or you can qual for TB 2nd rounds quite easily and cheaply.
 
Having at one time made part of my living by selling horses, the absolutely key thing (after obvious stuff like soundness, rideability, conformation, temperament, etc.) is the rate of turnaround; I HAD to get things sold within 4 months or it really wasn't a viable proposition. I used to buy in January/Feb/March when people were anxious to sell and no-one was buying (i.e CHEAP!) with the idea of selling by April/May/June when people were starting to look. And NEVER keep anything over winter either.
 
I think the other thing to do is under horse yourself. Buy something well within your capabilities to significantly improve.

For me that means aiming for middle RC level, even though I compete affiliated myself.
 
Gamebird said:
Definitely, but be sure to give them a GOOD record, even if that means running them ever-so-slightly below their level. If their talents lie eg. in dressage it's pretty easy to get an AF qualification at Prelim, or qualify for the finals of a local show centre's unaff series. It's not hard to do but sounds good. It's a firm, checkable achievement.
If you've got a reasonable jumper a lot of show centres run unaff series where you qualify for a final, or you can qual for TB 2nd rounds quite easily and cheaply.
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Agreed .. And not over qualified either!
 
Very good article! It can be done if you are prepared to adopt the mindset that they are always for sale - I'm too soft and now have an assortment of pets that can't go anywhere. I also make the mistake of being thoroughly addicted to ex racers, and you can only lose money on those!

Actually, I'm not as useless as I suggest. Every year I try and find something like a 14.2hh (ideally coloured) stocky sorts in Jan/Feb (when people are really struggling through long winter), the "not quite a cob but not a sports type". They usually come to me fat and unschooled pets, they do a bit of everything with me, we tag them on the lorry with mine when we go anywhere and just ride them around or ride on a tickey, and everyone on the yard rides them, I sell them at the start of the school holidays fit and experienced - for a few years this method paid my hunt subscription, now I've sadly had to grow up and they pay electric bills instead! Find that "large ponies/small horses to take to the local riding club" is the best market even though I'm tall, the competition horse market is saturated as it is.

I still have my collection of beautiful thoroughbreds bought for between £200 and £500 - they are on paper worth a great profit if they were anything but ex-racers!
 
I have a super young horse that ticks all the boxes but the first one and would be a super horse for some-one if anyone would like more info.
 
An excellent article that will be of value not only to those who can turn around a project but to horses that might otherwise go to waste. Some excellent follow up posts too. Is it being cheeky to suggest some of these could be incorporated into your article?

The best piece of advice I ever got about selling was to sell when someone wanted to buy! Commonsense but how often do we hang on for some reason, then kick ourselves later for the missed opportunity?
 
Really interesting reading. Funnily enough I saw one of the posts recently and (if I'd had more time!) was going to post to say speak to Gamebird.

Of course your profit margin can be seriously depleted if your horse injures itself even a tiny bit...unless you happen to be a vet :D

I should also (from a professional point of view, sorry) draw everyone's attention to Gamebird's very last point on the article. Especially if you are posting on social media about your project pony that you have bought explicitly to make a profit on. ;)
 
Interesting reading! Thank you! Giggled at the numerous 'NO EX-RACERS.':D

I was given a welshie for free by a stranger. Welshie was lame due to an injury that had never been treated, I was told under no circumstances was welshie to 1) be rugged, 2) ever stabled or 3) ever ridden.
Once she was mine and I got to know her I found out -
1) she gets cold overnight in winter and benefits from a fleece
2) she gets bored in the field after about 48 hours and now puts herself to bed when she'd has enough!
3) she absolutely adores kids, cuddles and gets on with whatever they want to do

Got the dentist out - she'd never had her teeth done.
Farrier out - he said her feet were shocking.
Vet out - took a good look, we spoke to old owner about cause of injury etc. ended up on box rest.

Also gave pony a bloody good diet!!!

Pony benefited immensely from attention and routine. By the old owners admissions she hadn't been groomed in about a year!!

Pony became sound and stronger. Vet agreed that she was more than ready to be backed. Friends kids who'd never been on a horse before came and rode her. After 3 goes on lead rein we all felt happy enough letting them 'go solo.'

Pony is one in a million and takes everything one step at a time. We will be doing gymkanas and in hand in summer to get her used to showing.

I was told she was around 17 (passport also) and hadn't seen another horse for say 14 years.
Vet feels she is about 10/11 YO and dentist reckons she's about 14.

She was never intended to be a project but I'm considering selling her on August time. After all the months I've had her I doubt I'd make a penny, but it seems a waste for her to not be in a home where she can be a childs pony to her full potential!

If I do decide on selling her then I'll definitely set to do another accidental project :)
 
Great article and excellent advice, Gb! The trick, as you say, is to choose carefully and then do the work - all the work in the world won't add value to a horse that is unmarketable for some fundamental reason.

In addition I like the advice about intentionally underhorseing oneself. I see quite a few situations where people buy a 'project' because they feel sorry for the horse and/or feel they can bring something to the situation no one else can. They buy a horse that rears or bucks or runs off to 'fix' and sell. The problem is even if they do get the situation under control the seller is legally bound to disclose the history and most sensible buyers will then run a mile.

I think everyone out searching for a project should print the article out and reread it before they get out of the car when they go to see a horse. :)
 
Should also add when looking..do not purchase something with an obvious confirmation issue, such as plaiting. The hardest horse I saw my YO trying to sell was a 16.1 6 year old mare. Tbf she had been passed the mare to turn around after someone had completely ballsed up and I am not holding back on that. After 4 months horse was chilled, out and about and doing unaffiliated 90's..well. But she fell between 2 pricing brackets. Her plaiting meant her value was reduced and then there were a lot of idiots who couldn't ride a horse like her. Ended up being sold to a quiet and competent 13 year old who has high ambitions but not the budget!
 
Festive_Felicitations said:
Luci07 what is 'plaiting'?
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Instead of moving straight, the horse looks like it swinging its legs out in a circular movement. It can be front or back legs and the amount of movement can vary,. Sometimes in a young horse, good shoeing and management will change it as the horse develops but effectively it is seen as a weakness as the horse will put uneven pressure on its limbs. In this mares instance it wasn't pronounced and as she has improved muscular strength is straightening up anyway.
 
I would never buy a horse that plaits. I went to see one by Puissance which was naughty and it moved like this. I felt it had inherent weaknesses through its pelvis and walked away after getting it trotted up.
 
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