Can you make money from project ponies?

FF they're talking about dishing. :)


Or possibly rope walking or moving close/wide. The term seems to encompass any non-straight movement here. I'd agree very much for re selling. I do think for soundness, though, different gait abnormalities have varying effects on how the horse might stand up to different types of work.
 
Yes, I'd use plaiting and dishing differently. Dishing is swinging the leg outwards so when viewed from in front/behind the legs move through an arc away from the body not in a straight line. Plaiting is when the legs move underneath the body such that they look like they cross over as part of the stride pattern. I'd be less concerned about dishing than plaiting personally. I've only ever seen horses plait behind, but that may just be indicative of my lack of experience!
 
TarrSteps said:
FF they're talking about dishing. :)


Or possibly rope walking or moving close/wide. The term seems to encompass any non-straight movement here. I'd agree very much for re selling. I do think for soundness, though, different gait abnormalities have varying effects on how the horse might stand up to different types of work.
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SpottedCat said:
Yes, I'd use plaiting and dishing differently. Dishing is swinging the leg outwards so when viewed from in front/behind the legs move through an arc away from the body not in a straight line. Plaiting is when the legs move underneath the body such that they look like they cross over as part of the stride pattern. I'd be less concerned about dishing than plaiting personally. I've only ever seen horses plait behind, but that may just be indicative of my lack of experience!
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Ahhhh! Right thank you!! :D

I orignially read Luci07's post and wondered why/how plaiting a horses mane could be considered a confirmation fault! :cool: Before guessing she meant something else! ;)
 
Very very helpful, thanks. Can your next one be about where to look for a decent project for under £1000? :o I have two atm, but I have broken all of your rules - both ex-racers, both mares, both kept over winter. If I a) sell and b) break even on either of them I would be shocked.
 
Really interesting and not a subject I would normally read about. To be honest I have never ever considered this in any way shape or form, as I know we would both get attached to it. Mini TX has helped ride some of YOs horses who she has brought to sell on and has enjoyed it, but I think the day she asks me to buy her a pony as a project she will be told to spend her own money on it, that will put paid to it.

Someone who I know who will remain totally nameless bought an unbroken 4 year old for their inexperienced 11 year old child to bring on as said child thought she would enjoy the experience and mother would make money. It was messy and sad.
 
Holding said:
Very very helpful, thanks. Can your next one be about where to look for a decent project for under £1000? :o I have two atm, but I have broken all of your rules - both ex-racers, both mares, both kept over winter. If I a) sell and b) break even on either of them I would be shocked.
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As mentioned in the article, go look at horses in the £1500ish bracket and make a low offer- I bought a cracking 14.2hh pony advertised for £1800, bought him for £900, took him away that day as they had already bought the next horse and he was costing them livery, jumped a few senior double clears BN, sold him for £3700.
 
Holding said:
Very very helpful, thanks. Can your next one be about where to look for a decent project for under £1000? :o I have two atm, but I have broken all of your rules - both ex-racers, both mares, both kept over winter. If I a) sell and b) break even on either of them I would be shocked.
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Ireland, unfortunately.
Things are improving a bit though :)
 
I have kept to all the rules, except mine is an ex-racer. Problem is I like my TB's, I personally would have a TB over any other breed, and people who don't think this are, well, in my opinion, idiots :p

My last project was a ID which I got free, which was a 2 year old mare I got in October, with awful conformation, however I still made a profit, and she was ridiculously easy to sell. She had the best temperament ever.

Not sure about coloured cobs, I think its got to have good conformation, and be on the bigger side personally, but you can pick them up for under £50, most are just bred for meat, and there are loads about, maybe a bit like ex-racers, however it depends where you are in the country.
 
That's really interesting, thanks for posting the link GB. It made me think about what I should be doing with my youngster, never mind a project pony !
 
Great post OP, and I agree with it all! The only other thing I would say is that the least riskiest and easiest to sell type is natives. Yes, pretty showy types look lovely but I personally found natives will always sell, especially with some good competitions results behind them (not even particularily a decent level) - they can get same sort of prices as the pretty lightweights too IMO. But as you say, nice colours always help, I had a stunning native x pony with a flaxen mane and tail - I could have sold that pony 20 times over! I never spent more than £500 on ponies and sold them for £2,500 but TBH I did it purely for fun more than making money as such. They easily paid for themselves for the summer anyway. The only other thing to perhaps add to your list is don't buy ponies with vices - I took a risk on a lovely pony who windsucked, she was a top class PC pony but I couldn't sell her, everyone was put off by the vice so I ended up with her staying all winter - took me a year to sell!

When it came to where to buy them as some people have been asking on here. I did it differently from Gamebird - I put wanted ads in the local free paper and just sat back and let them come to me. I ended up getting the ponies cheap simply because people saw my ad, had some ponies on a hillside that they weren't doing anything with (you know the type of person) and so called me up wanting to make a quick buck! All ponies were got this way and I dont regret any of them, they all were lovely. You do have to filter out the calls though, I got quite a few calls from people trying to flog me their dangerous nutter ponies (I remember one that said she had a "fantastic" pony who bolted too often for her liking so it was going for a "bargain"... no thanks!). Ready to back is normally best I think.
 
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