Dressage people - thoughts please...

[icestationzebra]

If you were looking to buy a horse to do dressage with would it put you off if it wasn't out doing BD?

I'm not talking a flashy youngster, or anything to challenge Valegro , but a nice horse just starting Elementary (starting Medium work at home) that has done mostly unaffiliated dressage but with a couple of BD points for a brief BD foray a couple of years ago.

Would you rather see more points on a record or is it a bonus that the horse has lots of experience but only a couple of points so you would not be restricted at all and could add the points yourself?

Horse would be fit and ready to go BD tomorrow - there is no suspicious reason it hasn't been doing it apart from lack of £.

Views please!
Thank you

 

[SpottedCat]

At that level, I would want to see it entered up and be able to watch it at a busy show, or I'd want it to have a competition record in another discipline. Basically, I'd want some way to verify that the owner was telling the truth and that the horse wasn't a mad unridable lunatic at a show! Having done that, I'd then prefer it to have very few points so that a) it was a lower price than the equivalent horse with a record and b) I could do everything on it with no restrictions.

 

[kirstie]

It depends on a few things. If it is genuinely not been out due to lack of funds then I would be quite happy and enjoy going out ang getting points myself with no restrictions.
Of course, it could be a right little monkey and naughty out, hence the lack of points!

If the price was right, I would certainly risk it.
My horse does not have many BD points, that is due to my finances, not her talent or her behaviour. Hopefully that is about to change soon anyway...

If it is a nice horse, I would give it a punt.

 

[icestationzebra]

Interesting that you both instinctively thought there was a risk of naughtiness behind the lack of BD record. Exactly the sort of response I wanted to be honest - you are seeing things that perhaps I am not.

There are lots of dressage sheets to look at - decent scores 65-67% Novice and 63% ish at first Elem....

Does that change your view at all?

 

[Tempi]

I would want to see the horse out and competed at a busy BD show doing a novice and elementary test and then go from there. IMO unaffliated results aren't really relevant if you want to affliate the horse, i would want to see how it fairs under an affliated judge (i know you get affliated judges at unaffliated level, but its not always the case).

Thats my personal view by the way, every one is different!

 

[SpottedCat]

Not really in the sense that it is possible for a horse to be a complete pain in the neck at a show, then knuckle down in the ring. Now that's not a deal-breaker in and of itself for me, but I want to know about it so I can make an informed choice.

This sounds like the sort of horse who is aimed squarely at the amateur market, so I'd want to be certain that it could be dealt with by an amateur for two reasons, one so I could have fun if I owned it, and two so I could sell it easily if I needed to! No matter what guff people spout about 'quirky horses being talented' (which for the record I think is nonsense, I think their quirks are tolerated because they are talented, not that quirkiness = talent), when it comes to selling, the easy less talented horse will sell better than the quirky more talented one.

 

[kirstie]

Yes, if the horse has been out previously and done quite well then I probably wouldn't be too worried.

The way things are at the moment, many people just haven't been able to get out and compete as much as they would want.

At least you know the horse has been out and about a bit and hasn't disgraced itself!

 

[nikkimariet]

Wouldn't bother me, but I would request watching the horse ridden at such a competition and also to look through past test sheets. I'd have a really good search online for results.

Don't write it off as suspicious until you have a reason to.

Whilst Bruce has plenty of BD points he is not reg at mo, there was no point whilst I was at uni and I might be disappearing soon for a while again so there still isn't!

 

[ThePony]

I wouldn't care if it didn't have much in the way of a BD record, but it would bother me if it's only outings were at tiny unaff shows. Is the horse for sale near to you, do you perhaps know of any of the judges? If not you then maybe your instructor does? Some judges will chuck marks away, have blind spots to different faults etc. At least if the sheets are from listed reliable judges and at decent sized shows then I wouldn't be put off the lack of BD points at all, and would consider it a positive tbh. If the horse was being an arse then at least you would get a hint of it from the submission marks and judge comments on the collectives? Are there consistent things getting lower marks? I would want to be 100% sure that the basics hadn't been skipped over otherwise you'll be buying a decent priced horse that you will spend ages schooling at home before you can progress. A decently moving horse with an experienced rider should be able to pick those scores off fairly easily so I'd want to make sure natural movement wasn't compensating for getting the basic stuff established. On this theme I would also be wary if the horse was going elem in a double. Am def not a judge, but have been lucky enough to spend lots of time writing and it is very rare for a partnership at elem to be truly ready to go in a double. Often the basic way of going isn't established and the curb rein is relied upon far too much with resulting tension and lack of forwardness. Good idea of spottedcat, would see if you can go and watch it at a show, from walking off the lorry, being tacked up all through to going back up the ramp at the end of the day. A horse throwing a tantrum at any of the stages can really spoil your outing and keep you at home when you are ready to be out and about.

Good luck with your shopping, exciting stuff!!

 

[Thistle]

Hector had never done any BD before we had him ................

 

[kirstie]

I agree with the others that it would be helpful to see the horse at a show to see how it behaves.

That said, if the reason the horse is being sold in the first place is lack of funds and not been competed regularly then it might not be so easy for the seller to do this.

Then ISZ might miss out on a good horse...

I am probably too trusting and gullible and trusting but would rely on my gut instinct about it.

What are your feelings OP?

 

[SpottedCat]

Hector had never done any BD before we had him ................

But he had a competition record in another discipline and videos to show he was not a pain to deal with at a show!

 

[Thistle]

And also the bonus that I knew him and had been at residential clinic with him and Nicky a few years ago and also Nicky let B try him for a weekend at an EHOA clinic.

Actually he is a complete pain in the butt if you take him out with just 1 companion (mare) gets really stupid, neighing, banging etc. However he is a poppet on his own and Floss doesn't like dressage anyway.

I would certainly be doing my homework.

 

[ihatework]

It would depend on how much I liked the horse, how much the horse was up for sale for, where the unaff comps were and who was judging.

Some unaff venues & judges aren't far off BD standards. Others there is a huge difference!!!

I would want to see that the horse was able to perform in the ring in a busy & spooky environment, if you are interested I'd ask them to enter the horse for a BD elem on a ticket and see what the horse does, even better if they will let you ride a test.

 

[icestationzebra]

Wow thanks guys - all really really useful stuff. A couple of things I can answer - horse has never worn a double bridle not even to school in at home. Current rider is complete amateur, works full time and has the horse at DIY - does everything herself but does have lessons with a listed judge - but not what some people would regard as frequently. Lastly I do happen to know that it is a poppet to travel, handle, load and warm up.....

Lots to consider and take on board here - thank you all so much.

 

[MadisonBelle]

I never did BD on my horse as to be honest I have to work full time and ALL comps by me were during the week so that was my reason for never affiliating dressage! That and I did BE and BS(JA) as it was........... Sometimes it can be about affording the time as well as the registrations with BD........

 

[Baileysno1]

If you are considering buying the horse specifically for BD and want to be able to put him on the lorry imediately and get out competing, like ihatework has suggested request he goes out on a ticket and go watch or even better ride him yourself if the owners will allow, it is very much a buyers market atm and if he doesn't have a BD record rightly or wrongly people will write him off imediately. My boy has been advertised recently and if a serious buyer had made this request I would have gladly oblidged. Also the lack of points would be a positive for me, mine is now out of novice points so am forced to go Elementary eek.

 

[OneInAMillion]

It wouldn't bother me at all. Many people just don't have the funds to do it (myself included) so although I might want to be competitive at dressage there are venues around us that unaff up to Adv anyway so it wouldn't bother me!