Can't help but get excited, but what to look for in a yearling?

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gill84

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After being talked out of breeding off my mare I've decided buying a youngster is the way to go.
My mare is 18 so plan being get a yearling, in hand show it, mess on with it, back it, train it up then when it's 5/6 and ready to go my mare will be happily retired.
The last time we bought a yearling was 15 years ago and that was my mums horse, I had no say in the matter. There was a little colt caught my eye last summer who is at a stud not far from me. If I'd had the money I'd have bought him at weaning but my sensible side told me to wait until spring.
I'm going to see him, and a few others they have next week but as its been so long since I bought a horse let alone a youngster, just a few tips on what to look for and what to avoid please???
 
As a yearling it is likely to look a bit ugly! Don't be put off by that as most of them go through very ugly duckling or awkward looking phases. Maybe ask if they have pics of when it was about 3 months - they say look at a horse at 3 days, 3 months and 3 years and going by my youngster, that seems to run true as in between he has been very ugly!
 
Ive read all about the mare and stallion and they both say they have excellent temperaments especially the stallion by the sounds of things. He's a little cutey on the foal pics, quite stocky and strong. There's a few pics taken last October and compared to his step brothers and sisters (if that's what you would call them) he's the biggest and best put together in my opinion.
He's also not been gelded yet. Is this something I should be expecting them to do or something I negotiate in the price? Is rather he was done before I picked him up, presuming I get him, because then he can recover in his own surroundings.
 
If he as both testicles descended and ready to go, then I am sure the breeder will be happy to have it done while he is still with them, but most probably at your expense.

Do you have somewhere to keep him where he'll be with other youngsters?
 
I've 2 options at the minute. He would either be going to keep a retired horse company or going to a livery yard where the owners have a few youngsters themselves. I decided before id even started looking that whatever I got, putting it with my other horses at our yard wasnt an option. Simply because we've a semi blind 31 year old who was traumatised enough when we introduced our rescue horse 2 years ago and it's not fair upsetting him again. Plus our rescue horse and my mare can be a pair of thugs and I would hate for the yearling to get kicked or bullied.
 
TBH it sounds like a yearling is not the best option for you.
The usual reasons to get one so young is either so you can bring it up or to keep costs down - neither of these apply if you are going to have it elsewhere or on livery.

Why not wait and get a three/four year old in a few years?
 
Well excuse me s4sugar but what's the difference between keeping it in grass livery, at a yard 10 mins from home that I pass every day on my way to and from work and keeping it at my own stables where I also visit twice a day before and after work???
Its going to cost me £10 a week to be on grass livery with other youngsters or the bare minimum to keep it on my own land where it'll upset our blind horse, have to live with old fogies and risk being kicked to hell by our chunky hell raiser cob?
 
It will cost a lot more than a tenner a week!
Vet, feed, farrier, worming all add up and would be a minimum of two grand to get to four.


Add two thousand to your budget and look what you can get in older youngsters.
 
Livery is £10 a week!! Of course it'll cost for worming etc that's all part of keeping a horse!! Don't worry about the expense love I earn a lot more than the average wage!!
I don't want an older youngster that someone's already perhaps influenced. I could afford to get one tomorrow if I wanted but I'd rather have a yearling that I can show and educate myself
 
I'd keep it with other youngsters rather than an older horse. I bought my baby as a weanling and he was kept with a yearling and my 15 year old horse. I would have rather he was kept in a larger herd, but he was kept at home and my acreage won't support any more. The older horse was PTS last year so now he is with the other youngster and no others and I am not entirely happy with this - he is happy as larry, but I am a firm believer than they are better in larger herds with youngsters and older horses so they learn herd dynamics and being a horse.
 
I agree zoon. Another reason why I don't really want it with my others. We've a blind in 1 eye 31 yr old, my mare at 18, mums at 17, an old pony of mine at 23 a skittish Shetland who's 12 and our rescue cob who is just so bolshy and I wouldn't want him near a youngster incase his naughtiness rubbed off or it got kicked. My lot have been a herd for about 10 years and i don't want to upset things.
The livery yard owners breed themselves so have a few youngsters and a friend of mine has his mare and last years foal there too. To me it would be better off there, with the owners youngsters, seeing the sights and other horses than stuck in a field full of my old cronies
 
I bought a yearling last year. My horse was getting older and more arthritic so I wanted to have something in the pipe line to replace him. As I was riding him less I had time to give to a youngster, and I wanted a breed that is hard to find at a 4 year old, so buying a baby seemed the way to go. I've had him almost a year and I have no regrets, so I would say ignore the comment about buying a 4 year old ... I don't think this move is about saving dosh is it?

My yearling went out with a small group of mostly oldies and one younger six year old that is very playful. He plays with the 6 year old all the time, and runs to the oldies if something frightens him, so I think his little herd works well for him. He does need the young one to play with though so I think your option of having your youngster down the road with others to play with is a good idea.

So you have seen the step kids ... has this colt got any full siblings? They might give you a bit of a clue? My boy has several full siblings so I spent a lot of time looking at pics of them at different ages and talked to his breeder about how she thought he would turn out, and which of the other foals he was most like, so I think I have a little bit of an idea what he might look like as an adult. Also if you haven't already its worth seeing the parents in the flesh. Don't forget also that they might take after grand parents so checking out pics of these is a good idea as well.

Good luck and go for it!
 
Definitely keep it in a stable herd of other youngsters if you can, ideally with an older unshod 'nanny' or two. It's the best childhood you can give them.

Re Looking at their conformation. They may well look like a work in progress with different sized body parts, but some things don't change. The angle of the shoulder and hip will stay the same, as will the set of the neck. Any offset cannons will be clear at this age too. However, don't be too alarmed if they are a bit bum high, cow hocked or toe out at that stage, as that may just be over long legs that are waiting for the body to catch up with them. If you've got any question marks over conformation, have a look at some adult relatives and see if you can see if there is a tendency for those issues to carry through to adulthood.

Temperament can be a difficult one to judge because if the horse hasn't had a lot of handling then it may be understandably wary. But what you're looking for is whether there are sparks of something that you can work with. Is he brave? Is he prepared to leave his mates? Even if he is in-yer-face friendly, does he show signs of learning from you? The old bedouins used to say that a horse gets its basic frame from its sire, but everything else from the dam. So the dam's temperament is very important.

You'll also want to check that any routine care has been carried out correctly. Worming/field management is very important with babies, as is proper hoof care.

Nb our yearling, now nearly 2, has cost us more in vet bills than any of the others put together. 1 x ran into a wall and grazed eyelid, 1 x infected chin due to hawthorn, and just lately one acute lameness that went as quickly as it came. Getting them to 4yo without too many near death experiences can be a job in itself. As they grow, their spatial awareness can leave a lot to be desired as they just don't know how big they've got, and they do get themselves into trouble.
 
Thanks for the posts spottyunicorn and estheryoung, I was started to feel like I was having my enthusiasm dampened.
Your right spottedunicorn
 
Thanks for the posts spottyunicorn and estheryoung, I was started to feel like I was having my enthusiasm dampened.
Your right spottedunicorn it's not about the money, it's about getting a youngster, educating it myself and at 5/6 year old being able to say I did that. I'm so excited ive even started looking at yearling classes at a few local shows.
Thanks for the confirmation advice from the 2 of you as well, I was worried I'd go and see this colt (although ive another colt and a filly to see at the stud too) and just be overcome with want without looking at the important details.
Have either of you shown yours in hand or did you just pretty much leave them to mature
 
Reading S4sugars post it would seem no one should get a yearling! I am sure she did not mean this:)

3 years ago my daughters horse had to retire to hacking and she was very sad and had no "goals" to aim for. We decided due to lack of funds to get a bit of a project. We had experienced help and had had horses for many years but never had a youngster. We knew we wanted a gelding and we could keep him with our elderly mare living out cheaply until he was ready to be backed.
It has been a huge voyage of discovery. We have had lots of help along the way - thank goodness - but overall it has been a wonderful experience. He is now rising 4 and is almost ready to back. Hopefully he will be backed this year and turned away for the winter and come into proper work next spring.
The time has flown and our baby bought to make 15.2 is nearer 16.2 and very grown up.
Having never bought a foal before we made a big point of buying something well handled and accustomed to leading/vet/farrier etc. He was 8 months old when he was gelded at his breeders after we had bought him. They kept him for a month after this so he could recover but we paid livery for this time. We paid gelding costs. We specifically asked the vet to check him for any obvious conformational faults and he was 2 stage vetted. We saw both parents and they both had lovely temprements. We also met his half sister and half brother at the same time.
There have been times when our lack of experience showed but you have already had a yearling so will be better than we were. The biggest thing is not to be too proud to take advice and to ask for help early so things do not get out of hand.
He cost peanuts and apart form "normal running costs" and the large vets bills for a huge laceration to his neck and a nasty foot abscess he has provided excellent value for money:D
Good luck I hope you enjoy him as much as we have enjoyed ours.
 
Didn't take my boy out last year, he wasn't looking in great showing condition ... He deiced to jump a wall (forgot to put the breaks on) and had to be stapled back together just a month after I got him, and 2 weeks after that got a tiny scratch on his inside back thigh and and his whole hock blew up .... so yes as Estheryoung implied they aren't too bright in the self preservation stakes but hey ho thats the joys of a youngster!

I don't think I would have had him out showing last year any way as mentally I think he needs time to mature, he wants to eat, play or sleep and isn't much interested in anything else. He also doesn't have any patience - I can't imagine him standing still in a line of horses ... which makes me have a lot of respect for folk who do have their youngsters doing this.

Rough plans are to take him to a couple of local shows towards end of this summer - possibly even just to have a walk around for the experience of the atmosphere. Though reading on this forum a lot of people say they don't show their 2 year olds as they look so ugly, so we'll see. Really just playing it all by ear with what feels right and how he reacts to things. He gets handled daily, comes in for a groom now and then but on the whole he just gets to be a horse. He would rather be with the other horses than me!
 
s4sugar said:
TBH it sounds like a yearling is not the best option for you.
The usual reasons to get one so young is either so you can bring it up or to keep costs down - neither of these apply if you are going to have it elsewhere or on livery.

Why not wait and get a three/four year old in a few years?
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Rubbish!! The OP is wanting a yearling to play with inhand show etc and be a forever horse so what difference does a few quid a week grass keep make?? I buy youngstock every few years play with them, handle them, show them, back them and sell them on as I'm not keen on the riding side of things, I don't do it for profit, hell it costs alot! But I do it because I enjoy it. I love the baby stage and my next buy will be a welsh cob colt foal!
 
Well said maisie06!!! That's exactly what I want to do. Without laying on a sob story im not long out of a horrific relationship and just want to take out some time for me and have a project to focus my energy on. He'll definitely have a forever home and I'd rather have the pleasure of producing my own horse than paying a fortune for a ready made 4/5 yr old
 
As said before, be prepared for yearling to be a bit disproportionate and ugly looking.. they all go through that stage! And insure that damn yearling the minute you buy it!!!! It will make every attempt to bankrupt you in vets fees. I bred my now 2yo and from the minute he could walk he made it his mission to give me a nervous breakdown. He's cost me almost 1k in vets bills for injuries that he's sustained between being born and turning two.. and he's off to horsepital tomorrow for scans and xrays on his knee following a previous injury which will add at least another £300 to that. It'll be a miracle if i can get this lad to 3 without bankruptcy :P
That aside, I've had both my boys from either weaning or the word go and yes its a rollercoaster but i love my boys to bits and they're well mannered, respectable lads because of the way I'VE brought them up. I think also it helped me back my 3yo as i knew him inside out and he trusted me thoroughly. Its trying at times, but so very rewarding. Good luck :D
 
I bought my previous horse as a weanling at 8 months old. Ditto the above re ugly bugger from the age of 1 to 2 :)
We did some inhand shows in his 2nd and 3rd year. Walked him out in hand so he ws used to traffic, streams, bridges, wheelie bins - the list is endless. He was bombproof by the time he was broken in.
Go for it, before you know it 3 yrs will of flown by and you'll be looking at saddles and bridles for him :)
 
I'm getting the feeling I'm either going to need a separate bank account or a whole load of cotton wool for my yearling!? Really? Are they that accident prone? Not that it puts me off but better have vetwrap and wound cream on hand I guess.
It's so long since my mums was that age I can't remember what she put us through. I remember she had a fungal infection on her face as a 2 year old. Her skin erupted in puss filled sores and all her hair fell out in crusty lumps. It was awful. Then she got a cancerous growth on her leg that had be removed with arsenic. Other than that and throwing a wobbler and rearing over backwards I think she was pretty accident free
 
Also need to prepare myself to look beyond the ugly duckling and see the potential by the sounds of things. If he grows up to have his dads looks I'll be happy
 
You'll be fine. Only problems mine had was an access in his foot, a virus - antibiotics cleared it up, gelded oh and two weeks at Newmarket as he had OCD in his hock and had to have 3 shards of bone removed :D.
His dad was a real cracker, his mum was nice but nowt special. I saw his two brothers, one a year older and the other 3 yrs older and they all looked different stamps.
 
carefreegirl said:
You'll be fine. Only problems mine had was an access in his foot, a virus - antibiotics cleared it up, gelded oh and two weeks at Newmarket as he had OCD in his hock and had to have 3 shards of bone removed :D.
His dad was a real cracker, his mum was nice but nowt special. I saw his two brothers, one a year older and the other 3 yrs older and they all looked different stamps.
Click to expand...
OK, this sounds like he had an abscess, a bacterial infection, not often treated with antibiotic, then it had to be gelded, then it had a conformation problem, is this a wind up?
 
Err - not all at the same time, Jeeze are you for real ???
Seeing as I obviously didn't make myself clear I'll explain......
Bought him at 8 months in the January UNGELDED. waited until the April as due to the cold weather. When the vet came out to do the operation he (horse) was a bit low in himself so vet took temp and few checks and decided he had a virus - sorry but as this was 16 years ago I can't remember details !!!!. Put him on antibiotics to clear up any bugs and then 4 weeks later he was gelded. At some point in his second year his back end started to look weak so vet out again. He was stabled 24/7 until I got him then he went out 24/7. The vets think this caused a growth spurt that his bones didn't keep up with resulting in OCD. Surgery was successful. Then shock horror as my obviously crap horse management he got an Abcess in a front foot. All this in the first 3 YEARS of ownership !

Satisfied Miss L Toe ?
 
Gill84 - Go for it. Sounds like you have a sensible plan ! I bought a yearling to keep my homebred yearling company so he had someone his own age to play with.
The only problem we had was when she first arrived. Just kept running through the fencing or jumping it. I had tried to intergrate her gently into the herd. But she had other ideas. She soon settled when she met the others. Shes been a super buy.
I specifically asked the stud for the one with the kindest temperament, as they know their stock well they helped me decide. shes still the easiest of the youngsters to deal with.

Good luck:D
 
Op- there's a lot of good advice already, just to add to the confirmation advice, try to look at as many yearling pics as possible, especially if you can also see pics of the same horse mature.
Just to show it can work at the other end of the spectrum to carefreegirls experience, I bought daughters pony for £10 as a sympathy buy yearling. Except for standard costs you expect for any horse & routine vets, she's cost us no extras. So far she's yet to even have a mild graze. (i'm now touching wood with both hands & feet lol)
 
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