Going to view a horse this weekend - nervous and excited

Goldenstar said:
It’s a choice I would not drive a fair way to see a too small horse .
I think when I am buying the world is full of horses I have to be true to my base criteria and size is one of those .
There always compromises but in my view size can’t be one of them .
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We will agree to disagree.
For an immature horse this could well end up the perfect size.
Buy a 15.2hh 3yo and you might end up with a 16.2hh. Who knows, the gamble of buying young.
Ultimately it’s up to the OP - good luck, let us know how you get on if you do go.
 
ihatework said:
For sure, but they want 15.2 and are going to view a rising 3yo standing allegedly just short of 15hh.

Now, crap measuring aside, it would not seem unreasonable to at least view?
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OP words:
"I had wanted something to mature 15.2hh but had told myself that if it ended up at 15hh I’d live."

"Size worries me but it is difficult to see in photos just how much horse there is, if that makes sense. I’ve ridden 14hh ponies that I’ve felt ok on and I felt heavy on my 15.3hh thb gelding. That’s why I feel I need to see her first."

I don't think just under 15hh at rising 3 is the end of the world in that context. I appreciate OP doesn't know that for certain but if true she's only just under OP's minimum and probably still has a bit of growing to do.

ETA - Sorry IHW quoted the wrong post, meant to quote GS!
 
Tiddlypom said:
All my young horses (one bred, the others bought in) have reached their mature heights by the summer of their 3yo year, no matter how much I wished that they'd grow an extra couple of inches.
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Whereas all the horses I have bought in have put on a minimum of 2 inches and up to a hand from 3yo to 6yo.

That is, apart from my 3yo homebred, who currently stands 15.1hh and due to the law of Sod and just to spite me will probably stay that height 😜
 
Well yes so that’s a great reason not to drive to far for something that is not in your criteria .
BTW I write a list at the first of each hunt to keep me on track

ETA was tiring to quote Ceifer but it’s gone wrong
 
Tiddlypom said:
All my young horses (one bred, the others bought in) have reached their mature heights by the summer of their 3yo year, no matter how much I wished that they'd grow an extra couple of inches.
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Mine too and almost all the ones I know. Which means its a hell of a gamble. If the horse needs to be sold on then the OP is going to make a loss, unless the horse is exceptional. But exceptional horses are usually marketed as such and not sold as happy hackers. So again a hell of a gamble.

Its entirely up to the OP what she does. I am forever doing things that other people think are completely insane when I go horse shopping. I am by nature a risk taker, but equally I know that I'm taking a huge risk and am always aware of the potential for it all going horribly wrong and theres always a back up plan. I spend pennies on horses so there has to be an element of compromise. OP sounds like shes deviating from her original wish list, which she probably doesnt need to do as there are lots of PB arab youngsters who will make 15.2hh happy hackers for her more than sensible budget.
 
Goldenstar said:
Well yes so that’s a great reason not to drive to far for something that is not in your criteria .
BTW I write a list at the first of each hunt to keep me on track

ETA was tiring to quote Ceifer but it’s gone wrong
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From memory this is within the criteria set by the OP, young, quality type, pba preferred, the rest is a bit guesswork until meeting said youngster , nice nature, unspoilt, to make a good hack, allrounder, ideally to end up between 15 and 15.2, if this is not yet 3 it is very likely to make over 15 hands if the vendors have measured accurately.

There will be a limited amount of pba's available that will genuinely make over 15.2 and unless buying a mature horse the OP may have to take a bit of a gamble it will reach the desired, not required, height, a horse with a decent front and good movement will usually give a big ride, I would put that and temperament above an inch or two lacking in height.
 
Hi everyone

Thank you so much for the comments, really interesting and helpful to see the different views.

To answer a few question:

Height: 15-16hh ‘small horse’ category. 15.2hh ideal but flexible. Under 15hh for the type I’m looking at seems small. My thoughts on this one were that if she’s 3 in May, I could reasonably suppose she’d make another inch but I have something in my mind saying that I should be at least able to accept the height she is now just in case she doesn’t grow- although at under 3 I’d guess she probably will. She is currently allegedly😁 slightly under 15hh.

Age: I want something young, and am happy to back myself. I’ve been looking at 2-3 yo. I have a ridden horse and pony so am in no rush to have something else under saddle, and I’d like something to bring on- I really enjoy that part of a horse’s education.

Breeding: Prefer finer types, Arab x, Thb x, even possibly a Spanish type (I have worked with them previously). I had a great little arab in my late teens and would love to find something similar- pure fun.

Sarcoids: this was on the previous filly that I looked at- at £2k- not this horse. This horse, £3k, apparently is blemish-free.

Resale: Not important in that I would be keeping this horse as a family horse but I am a firm believer in ensuring that if anything happened to me, it would be the sort of horse that would secure a great home. Attitude very important.

Price: I was naively looking at a future eventer for myself when I had deluded myself into thinking I’d ever have the time and energy to compete again. All the horses I’m looking at are under this budget, so it’s more about understanding that I’m paying a sensible amount and getting the right thing.

Quality: I don’t require a world-beater or a showing star but I do want something without terribly creative conformation. I’m more concerned that it seems soundly put together than striving for extravagant movement and absolute correctness. This won’t be doing a huge amount of mileage. But nothing visibly defective 😋

And I prefer mares to geldings but it’s not a deal breaker.
 
LadyGascoyne said:
Hi everyone

Thank you so much for the comments, really interesting and helpful to see the different views.

To answer a few question:

Height: 15-16hh ‘small horse’ category. 15.2hh ideal but flexible. Under 15hh for the type I’m looking at seems small. My thoughts on this one were that if she’s 3 in May, I could reasonably suppose she’d make another inch but I have something in my mind saying that I should be at least able to accept the height she is now just in case she doesn’t grow- although at under 3 I’d guess she probably will. She is currently allegedly😁 slightly under 15hh.

Age: I want something young, and am happy to back myself. I’ve been looking at 2-3 yo. I have a ridden horse and pony so am in no rush to have something else under saddle, and I’d like something to bring on- I really enjoy that part of a horse’s education.

Breeding: Prefer finer types, Arab x, Thb x, even possibly a Spanish type (I have worked with them previously). I had a great little arab in my late teens and would love to find something similar- pure fun.

Sarcoids: this was on the previous filly that I looked at- at £2k- not this horse. This horse, £3k, apparently is blemish-free.

Resale: Not important in that I would be keeping this horse as a family horse but I am a firm believer in ensuring that if anything happened to me, it would be the sort of horse that would secure a great home. Attitude very important.

Price: I was naively looking at a future eventer for myself when I had deluded myself into thinking I’d ever have the time and energy to compete again. All the horses I’m looking at are under this budget, so it’s more about understanding that I’m paying a sensible amount and getting the right thing.

Quality: I don’t require a world-beater or a showing star but I do want something without terribly creative conformation. I’m more concerned that it seems soundly put together than striving for extravagant movement and absolute correctness. This won’t be doing a huge amount of mileage. But nothing visibly defective 😋

And I prefer mares to geldings but it’s not a deal breaker.
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Well you sound entirely sensible and realistic, so I’d say go with your gut.
Over a lifetime of owning the right horse a grand here or there pales into insignificance 😃
 
Asha said:
Why don't you ask to facetime them and have a look at her that way before making the trip
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FaceTime is a great idea. I’ve got lots of videos of her and some videos of her with her field mate and her owner so I can see she’s not teeny tiny but FaceTime might give me an even better perspective.

Faracat said:
What is the non-arab part of her bloodline?
How tall are her parents?
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Sire:
15.2hh PBA

Purebred Arab sire
PBA dam (QH on the dam’s side)

Dam:
15hh PBA

PBA sire bred in the Netherlands (looks to be a Dutch WB three generations back, and a paint on the dam’s side two generations back)
Purebred Arab dam
 
Sire:
15.2hh PBA

Purebred Arab sire
PBA dam (QH on the dam’s side)

Dam:
15hh PBA

PBA sire bred in the Netherlands (looks to be a Dutch WB three generations back, and a paint on the dam’s side two generations back)
Purebred Arab dam
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An interesting mix there and with those heights for her parents you would be really unlucky if she didn't make the 15hh that is your minimum. :)
 
SpringArising said:
How do you know she isn't spooky?

You need to be OK with the price as she is now, not "If she does the job you want" - at two I'm assuming she isn't broken yet, so she's not a 'nice hack/allrounder' - she's isn't an anything yet.

My words aren't intended to be harsh, but I think you're bonkers travelling 130 miles and spending 3k on a horse when really all you want is a hack!
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Re spookiness, it is difficult to tell but the seller feels she isn’t and she’s been exposed to quite a lot. I have videos of her on the road and she seems ok with that too. Obviously there are no guarantees, and the seller might be over-generous in her estimation of the horse’s attitude - I’m sure someone here will also point out that she might be doped - but I am only going to see her at this stage, and I feel that’s a risk we take with all viewings. An ad and some videos aren’t going to cover all bases.

In terms of the price, it’s higher than the last but not higher than I’d previously been considering when I was looking for a more of a competition prospect. The job I want is to be a nice, family horse with a good attitude and a willingness to learn. Again, I’m going to need to see her to feel that out- not something easy to tell from ads.

The end goal is to have a nice hack- if she did more, I would be thrilled but I think I’d be quite unlucky to end up with something not even capable of hacking. That sort of bad luck is equally likely to happen when I was shopping in the £5k bracket for a 2-3yo with a view to event (no Olympic intentions again) as it is in the garden-variety hack bracket. Bad luck does happen with horses, so of course it’s a risk.

And yes, unbroken. I tend to prefer my younger horses, I really enjoy the groundwork to saddle period. It’s such an interesting time in their lives, and there’s so much you can give them in a good basic education.
 
With the QH breeding I'd be querying PSSM. I'd imagine she probably hasnt been tested and the tests arent foolproof anyway, but have a good feel of her. Particularly the muscles in her hindquarters. If you find any muscle tightness or anything that feels hard or not quite right, then walk away/ Hopefully given the small amount of QH its not an issue, but I know so many people who struggle with PSSM horses that its something I am always going to check in future!
 
3k?! Wow.. thats a lot of money IMO for that. BUT saying that I've spent money on animals (not horses) that I fell in love with. If you like her, buy her. :)
 
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I think it sounds like you've thought it well through and know what you're doing - but you don't need me to tell you that, or to justify yourself :) But it's nice that you did, I found it interesting to read. People are well within their rights to think that it's too expensive, too far away, too much of a gamble - just as you can consider it none of those things :D I expect most people would tell me I paid too much for my horse - but I liked him, I had that much money, and I don't like to haggle..!

Good luck, and enjoy!
 
We have another thread running where someone has bought the wrong horse after wrong horse and the advice on there was to wisely work out exactly what you want and need.

The OP on this thread knows exactly what they want, is willing to travel and pay for it, so I feel that some of the comments could be a bit more encouraging.

Yes you definitely can get a nice PBA for a bargain price, but really 3K is not unreasonable for a well brought up youngster.

All I can say is good luck with the viewing. I hope that there are no lumps or bumps and that she is sound, good tempered, well conformed and trainable... and most importantly that you like her. :)
 
Tiddlypom said:
All my young horses (one bred, the others bought in) have reached their mature heights by the summer of their 3yo year, no matter how much I wished that they'd grow an extra couple of inches.
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Lol my horse bought as an unbroken 3yo at 17 hands a year later measured 17.3! Why is it always the ones you want to grow bigger don’t and the ones you don’t do .
 
There were a few PBA palomino youngsters on preloved I saw a days back, the vlacq stud in Wales also breed nice PBA and purebred horses you could give them a ring see if they have anything.

Have you looked on Arabian lines?
 
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