Fussy buyer, joy rider or genuine lack of choice out there?

[Ambers Echo]

Perhaps I am being unfair. Shame she didn't view Tobes when she had the chance in the summer. (She is local too!). He's not for sale anymore.

I am obviously impatient, impulsive or lucky as I rarely take long to find a horse: Jenny and Dolly were both first viewing ponies and I had put down a deposit on both before I even left the yards! I think I viewed 3 or 4 before Toby iirc but they were all truly awful. That felt like a long search but ir was probably only a few weeks!

 

[muddybay]

Where are people finding horses these days?
I have incredibly specific criteria that only ever return about 15 horses when filtered on H&H and HorseQuest, and that’s without adding budget into the equation! Searching on FB is a nightmare as you can’t filter ads.
(I’ve vetted 3 unbroken youngsters in 4 years, 2 failed, 1 the owner put the price up after it passed the vetting ?)

I used only horse quest and local dealers for mine but really struggled as I seemed to want what everyone else wanted! I did find my perfect one after 2/3 months by chance but never put out a wanted ad. Someone at my yard said some people just wait for a horse to fall on their lap!

 

[muddybay]

Without the Connie or gelding requirements a friend of mine with exactly that spec, a 2 hour travel radius from Cheshire and a 10k+ budget took a year to find a horse that was sound and would pass a vet in 2019.

We saw one lame horse after another, and had 2 vet failures on ones which we thought were sound, it was shocking.
.

I always thought people who had a bigger budget had less failed vettings but it seems to be the opposite I know someone who was willing to pay 10-20k and had 5 failed vettings. I did have one who seemed to have an ME type reaction to herpes I think and had to withdraw

 

[Renvers]

The phrase 'realistic budget' always sticks out to me, as you can take it either way. You either get people with budgets that reflect the current market rate for what they want, or you get people living in the past thinking they can still pick up a bombproof ridden cob with tack for £500.

That was what my bombproof pony cost my parents in 1985!

 

[Wishfilly]

I think willingness to travel is a huge thing, actually- there's a lady on my yard who was sharing and was looking for her own at the same time as I was looking. I'm not sure what her budget was, but she bought a companion pony not long after buying her ridden horse, so I don't think it can have been really tiny. However, she wasn't prepared to travel out of the county to view, so was very limited. It took her a lot longer to find one than me (obviously less time than this lady). Whereas I was willing to travel 3 hours+ to view.

However, the idea that she is actually a dealer looking for a specific type also does make sense.

 

[BBP]

There are also people like me who would be searching for Mr Right, instead of Mr Right Now. A nice horse isn’t necessarily the right horse, I need something about it that grabs me and says it’s my horse. It’s a lifelong commitment to me so a big decision. Might make me fussy but not a joyrider as I would only go to see a horse if I thought it was a genuine prospect.

 

[Spotherisk]

There are also people like me who would be searching for Mr Right, instead of Mr Right Now. A nice horse isn’t necessarily the right horse, I need something about it that grabs me and says it’s my horse. It’s a lifelong commitment to me so a big decision. Might make me fussy but not a joyrider as I would only go to see a horse if I thought it was a genuine prospect.

Completely agree. I’ve seen lots of lovely horses for sale in the last year (I’m window shopping rather than seriously looking) and I haven’t seen one that I’d want to try. Maybe I won’t ever find one.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Someone once told me that people who put up wanted ads are dreamers. People who are keen to buy respond to for sale ads.

I have to very much disagree with this. People generally do both. The biggest issue with wanted ads is the pain the backside people who don't read or ignore the criteria.
Wanted 14-15hh gelding, 5-10 years old
" I have a 13.2, 15 year old mare if you're interested " ????

It took me quite a while to find Rex, lots of viewings, a few not as described, a couple of failed vetting and I still didn't buy what I set out to ????

 

[spacefaer]

Every wanted ad I've ever responded to, the potential purchaser has either unrealistic expectations of what they can get for their money, or of their riding ability
Or they just like viewing horses on Saturday afternoons ??

 

[Lady Jane]

I know excatly who you mean - its a budget problem. One seller replied to her that she needs to have a more realistic view of budget

 

[muddybay]

I found it shocking when I was viewing how many people lie about their ability! One dealing yard were surprised I was a decent rider after having so many after lockdown turning up barely knowing how to trot

 

[Millie-Rose]

A friend was looking in 2019 in the 10-20k bracket she bought one pretty quickly which was not as described and had to go back within a week at the loss of a lot of money then had four failed vettings following that. She gave up at that point and has decided if one comes up by word of mouth she will have it but not bothered if not. In her case I think it was the type of horse she was looking at. She was wanting an alrounder to hack and lessons not worried about jumping or competing but retiring horse is a dressage schoolmaster working at PSG so a lot of things felt quite ordinary after that she tried but didn't like a few 5/6 year old ISH types that with my eventing hat on I really liked and would probably have passed the vet. The vet failures were all warmbloods working at medium or thereabouts and 10/12. The owners seemed to have fairly unconvincing reasons for selling and I suspect all had an inkling that problems were ahead and were selling hoping they would still pass a vet!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I wouldn’t necessarily write them off on that alone. I always find I can find tons of horses that tick my boxes when I’m not looking for one, yet as soon as I start looking I see nothing of interest. Last time around it took 8 months, hundreds of miles, countless lame/greener/shorter/taller than advertised and 3 failed vettings.

This time around I tentatively started looking in December, managed to view one before lockdown who wasn’t quite right, found one who seemed perfect that I almost bought unseen until they disclosed a dealbreaking issue as soon as I booked the vetting and have now potentially found one via word of mouth that sounds perfect on paper but won’t know for sure until I can view them. Other than that despite looking most days, there’s just nothing around that fits the bill despite a reasonable 5 figure budget. I fully expect it may be many more months before I find something suitable.

 

[PurBee]

I’ve never put up a wanted ad for a horse, but the things i have put a wanted ad up for was because the general market was not forthcoming with what i really wanted. So a wanted ad allows me to specify the ‘must be this’ - and generally because i have a specific want, im willing to wait patiently for months to find it so will more likely repeat post the ad.

With a horse, your wanted advertiser sounds like their realistic budget isn’t realistic maybe? More serious horse wanted ads ive seen will state budget like ’budget between 5-7k’.
But thats just a guess, i wouldnt let the amount of months searching put you off contacting them. You’ll get a good gut instinct once you start communicating if they’re not a suitable match for your horse.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I suppose it depends. I’ve never put up a wanted ad but I am the worst sort of buyer. I won’t pretend to like something if I don’t, and would only view things I think will be suitable. but I can (and have) tried horses that tick pretty much all my boxes, don’t put a foot wrong only to get off and go “nah I don’t like it”. Nothing to do with how the horse went or it’s behaviour/ability, but I don’t get the right gut feeling. Does that make me a time waster? In some peoples views maybe. But i can definitely see how I could be months looking for the right horse! (Though in reality it’s not taken me as long as that for my last two, think I tried maybe 8-10 horses before I bought Henry?)

 

[millitiger]

I’m always amazed on here when people struggle to find a horse to purchase or take months and months to do so- I assume they must be looking for a unicorn or don’t have the right budget.

Perhaps I’m lucky or perhaps less fussy than most, however whenever I’ve been looking for a new horse i find one in a matter of weeks.
I’m less fussed on colour, sex, breed, experience and very fussy on type, athletic ability, desire to do the job and a pretty face!
I’m also happy to travel quite a distance (with videos) and I know fairly instantly from when I meet the horse and from when I first get on, whether we gel and whether it’s a horse that will leave me smiling when I dismount.

 

[Lois Lame]

I feel the buyer could be genuine and just hasn't found the right match yet.

I've read on here that it can take time for a horse to feel right, but I like to have that feeling straight away.

 

[Lady2021]

I personally think it because people want a riding school horse that they can privately owned or they want bombproof horses. These types of horses rarely go on the market.

 

[Pippity]

It took me a few months to find Blue. I would have bought the first one I viewed if she hadn't failed the vet. After that, there were a bunch of lame ones, one 'suitable for novices' that nearly dumped the pro rider after the owner wouldn't get on board, one where the owner seemed dodgy as hell, and finally Blue.

She didn't fill my soul with joy the moment I climbed on board, and I'd decided against her after my first ride because she was so green and so shut down. But I couldn't stop thinking about her, so I went back, tried her again (riding a bit more decisively this time), and was already so fed up of looking that I figured I might as well get her.

I had a fair amount of leeway on my budget, which was based on what I wanted to spend, rather on what I could afford to spend. However, even tripling my budget, I just got exactly the same issues but a hand taller.

 

[tatty_v]

Found my first horse in a matter of weeks 6 years ago. Have been looking for #2 for over a year. Granted I’ve probably picked the worst year to try and buy but even I’m fed up!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I have a friend who is an upper level dressage rider with a very healthy budget. She's imported many to the USA over the years, and is a serious buyer when she's looking. She really struggled for a few months with her last purchase. Horses were (we're talking the high 5 figures) spectacularly failing vettings left and right. Just bad luck. They were all seemingly nice quality horses.

Just as buyers misrepresent themselves, sellers can to, so there's also that. Some people are also very picky, can be a few things.

I know a "trainer" (using the term very loosely) who always has wanted ads out because she wants a bombproof been there done that nice horse that will pack novices around a small course with no bad habits and sound for ...low 4 figures. Not surprised she doesn't find much.

 

[Widgeon]

I have to very much disagree with this. People generally do both. The biggest issue with wanted ads is the pain the backside people who don't read or ignore the criteria.
Wanted 14-15hh gelding, 5-10 years old
" I have a 13.2, 15 year old mare if you're interested "

Don't even get me started on this!! Oh dear you're bringing it back, I can feel myself starting to twitch. Then there were the people who advertised a 14.2 solid hacking pony, we drove hours to view and it was a 13.2 barely backed nervous thing that clearly wasn't suitable for even a competent novice.

 

[JGC]

My first three horses found me so I hadn't looked at any ads (the private horse of the son of RS owner, the horse of a clinician I went to regularly and a horse that I had shared previously who came up for sale when the owner moved countries).

My current horse, I found. She was the second horse that I tried. I had been heart-broken losing my last horse and had been half-heartedly looking at ads for about a year. I had been (half-)jokingly saying that I wanted an ex-riding school horse (i.e. had seen a bit of the world and very tolerant), older and pretty small and she fit the bill.

I have ridden hundreds of horses in my life (rode at a dealers for years) and can count on my hands the number I've felt instantly safe, happy and trusting on immediately and she was one of them.

She had a swelling above her eye, a bad back and a completely inverted frame and was wormy and grumpy, but underneath it all, she had solid conformation, wasn't lame (despite working a good few hours in the RS) and was sweet and still working, despite the bad back (ill-fitting saddle). The price reflected the problems and there's not a day gone by I haven't thanked my lucky stars that I found her.

The other horses I've had flew through five-star vettings, were very expensive and all need masses of money pouring into them, including training for me, massive health problems, new saddles, feed changes, physio and osteo visits etc. So I thought, I'm going to look for a small budget, with problems that seem fixable and I'll throw the rest of my money at the problems once she's home. And if it all goes pear-shaped, I'll be able to afford retirement and another.

I think I'm mad really! A complicated mix of extremely fussy but not in the way most people are ...

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I’ve never taken long to find a horse. First was the only one I saw, second took a couple of months one failed a vetting then I bought another one a month later. That was a mistake as too much horse for me so I swapped it for another horse at a dealers a couple of months later and still have him now.

Last horse I looked for two weeks then bought him. None have been perfect all have had their issues but I’m more than happy with my boys. I’m not sure the longer I looked whether the odds of buying the perfect horse with no issues was. It does my head in trying to work out whether there could be issues or not in the future. Apart from my oldie swap they’ve all passed a 5-stage vetting but that’s not stopped them having physical issues.

Temperament wise though they’ve all except one been great if a bit cheeky.

 

[Wishfilly]

I found it shocking when I was viewing how many people lie about their ability! One dealing yard were surprised I was a decent rider after having so many after lockdown turning up barely knowing how to trot

I'm not sure people necessarily lie (although I'm sure some do), but I think a lot of people who've only ridden in a riding school just don't really have a clue about how to state their ability when buying a horse- that's not a criticism, I just think people don't realise how different it is!