Finding a talented youngster without spending £100k

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Kahlua

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Does anyone have any tips on getting directly to breeders to find talented young dressage horses that may be for sale namely in Germany, Denmark or Holland? I have rung everyone who has been recommended to me here in the UK but people either just don’t come back to you, or don’t have what I’m after. I don’t love to plaster my stuff all over Facebook so haven’t put out a “wanted” advert, but am part of pretty much every dressage group that lives. I have a very healthy budget of 5 figures, and thought I would find myself with a little more choice, but I’m struggling to bring myself to spend £60k on a 3yo gelding that is only on its 10th ride, and don’t have £90k to spend on a 5yo with a great trot but no walk.

I have poured over ehorses, ridehesten and sporthorses but everyone I speak to seems to be a dealer / go between. Now don’t get me wrong, if I could find the right dealer I would absolutely be happy to work with them, but the cost of horses through dealers I have spoken with are astronomical (see above). So any hot tips from those of you who have imported, and more importantly any names you want to pass on to me, feel free to PM if you prefer ?
 
What spec are you looking for?
Height/sex/bloodlines/age
When you say talented - do you mean nice and correct and with the training should make small tour, or are you talking mega flash?
 
shortstuff99 said:
Mount st John stud always have lots of youngsters for sale from top bloodlines and they're on the lower 5 figure budget. Or the Hawtins stud?
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I just assumed OP was on the continent, but have just searched their history and see they are UK based. We have some good studs in the UK producing decent dressage lines.

The 2 above for sure, but also many smaller studs.
 
There is a Facvebook page called British Breeders Group. You will need to be accepted but you could then see who is posting and contact them if you do not want to advertise. There are some excellent studs in the UK and I do hope you will find what you want. Sorry I am a show jjumping breeder!
 
Speak to Christian Heinrich, he’s super knowledgeable with great connections. I got my weanling via him, my good friend’s youngster also came from him and both have been even better than described. If I were in the market for another youngster I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
 
ihatework said:
What spec are you looking for?
Height/sex/bloodlines/age
When you say talented - do you mean nice and correct and with the training should make small tour, or are you talking mega flash?
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Above 163cm, mare or gelding, bloodlines not so important but warmbloods, age above 4yo. Correct basics absolutely and yes for my budget was hoping to get something reasonably flash but not expecting a World Cup winner ?
 
shortstuff99 said:
Mount st John stud always have lots of youngsters for sale from top bloodlines and they're on the lower 5 figure budget. Or the Hawtins stud?
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Thanks shortstuff, MSJ and Hawtins have gorgeous horses but was advised I could likely get more for my money overseas, although given my research as above my advisor may have been wrong ?
 
ihatework said:
I just assumed OP was on the continent, but have just searched their history and see they are UK based. We have some good studs in the UK producing decent dressage lines.

The 2 above for sure, but also many smaller studs.
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Would love the smaller studs names? Am more than happy to support UK bred but I have researched and am struggling and have spoken with a top rider here who suggested I look overseas ??‍♀️
 
sport horse said:
There is a Facvebook page called British Breeders Group. You will need to be accepted but you could then see who is posting and contact them if you do not want to advertise. There are some excellent studs in the UK and I do hope you will find what you want. Sorry I am a show jjumping breeder!
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Thank you for the suggestion I will look into it!
 
FestiveFuzz said:
Speak to Christian Heinrich, he’s super knowledgeable with great connections. I got my weanling via him, my good friend’s youngster also came from him and both have been even better than described. If I were in the market for another youngster I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
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Fantastic thank you sharing, I will touch base!
 
Kahlua said:
Would love the smaller studs names? Am more than happy to support UK bred but I have researched and am struggling and have spoken with a top rider here who suggested I look overseas ??‍♀️
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I wonder if the issue with buying overseas is the quality of horse you want is the quality that they want to keep for their national riders or will sell for a large price tag. British breeders are breeding top quality and wish to sell for a UK rider.
 
shortstuff99 said:
I wonder if the issue with buying overseas is the quality of horse you want is the quality that they want to keep for their national riders or will sell for a large price tag. British breeders are breeding top quality and wish to sell for a UK rider.
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You could very well be right, am more than happy to buy UK bred but as I mentioned I’ve either been totally ignored, been told a video will be sent and not or just not quite what I’m after.
 
There are a great deal of horses ages 4 to 6 with a decent dressage foundation, good breeding, and some flash for sale in Germany beginning at 25k. Possibly in the Netherlands too. Even Helgstrand Dressage in Germany usually has a handful of orses that meet this criteriafor less than 50k.

Even if I put your creteria into eHorses I get ~340 results (including the Direct from Breeder option).

So I'd really like to think it isn't so difficult, then again, I've been out of the Warmblood game for a bit. There are a fair amount of small breeders local to me that seem to have fair prices.
 
CanteringCarrot said:
There are a great deal of horses ages 4 to 6 with a decent dressage foundation, good breeding, and some flash for sale in Germany beginning at 25k. Possibly in the Netherlands too. Even Helgstrand Dressage in Germany usually has a handful of orses that meet this criteriafor less than 50k.

Even if I put your creteria into eHorses I get ~340 results (including the Direct from Breeder option).

So I'd really like to think it isn't so difficult, then again, I've been out of the Warmblood game for a bit. There are a fair amount of small breeders local to me that seem to have fair prices.
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You are totally right, there are a lot of horses on ehorses if you put in my criteria, but I guess we all have a different idea of exactly what we want, and I am being fairly picky as it’s the most I’ve ever spent on a horse. I have found two in the last few days on there to be fair.
 
I know of a small breeder with some beautiful dressage bred foals with fantastic lines, but exactly that, this years foals. Drop me a message if you change you spec & I can give you her details.
 
Kahlua said:
You are totally right, there are a lot of horses on ehorses if you put in my criteria, but I guess we all have a different idea of exactly what we want, and I am being fairly picky as it’s the most I’ve ever spent on a horse. I have found two in the last few days on there to be fair.
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I don't blame you for being picky when you're spending that much!

What exactly are your "picky points"... Out of pure curiosity.
 
CanteringCarrot said:
I don't blame you for being picky when you're spending that much!

What exactly are your "picky points"... Out of pure curiosity.
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Although I said I won’t rule out any bloodlines, because I honestly believe each horse brings its own merit despite its lineage, I do look for particular proven lines in terms of stallions that have consistently produced horses that make FEI (Don Schufro for example, I also quite like a Furstenball, Donnerhall etc).

Confirmation wise I like them leggy but more compact as I don’t quite have the energy to steer a 4yo titanic around an arena ? Built uphill and the neck coming directly out of the wither, a lot of horses have a “dip” out of the wither into the neck which can (note I say can, not can’t) make it difficult for them to make the poll the highest point. Not moving wide behind in the trot.

And then the really big thing, and probably the most important for me, but something I’m not seeing, is good movement but with natural rhythm. I watched a video where just slightly offside (I had to rewind the video to confirm because it was very quick), in order to get knees up around ears, there was clearly someone shaking a bottle with rocks in it off camera. I understand why this is being done, why people chase young horses with bags etc. but unless someone is going to be chasing me around a test with a bag than I want to see the horses natural, not manufactured ability. The rhythm is so important to me, because it’s not that hard to make a horse look quite flash by sending it around the arena a-million-miles-an-hour, but how does it look when you dial it down, is the hind leg still active, do the footfalls still track up, does the back look soft, is the tail swishing or swinging? I do look for the obvious good canter and walk, but if there is good jump in the canter and activity in the walk, with a hind leg that comes well under, and some adjustability (do they show a normal canter and a bigger canter for example) then it doesn’t need to have the biggest paces as some horses can find it hard to close as you get up the levels.

There are other things I look at too but this is already a very long list, and even when I read this back I didn’t quite realise how picky I am being ???
 
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