Horse for a 14yo - would you buy a showjumper that was

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measles

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a youngish, say 6-7yo with some potential but with this potential limited by budget, or an experienced older Grade A or B that was reasonably priced due to age and having found it's competitive ceiling?

Son wants the latter and I can see the sense in the hypothetical horse teaching him but am worried by age, potential health issues, being older and wiser and sharper etc

What would you do?
 
go for the younger one....
BUT
what do you want to do with the horse?
BSJA?
as im 14 i would choose the younger to bring on.....
im geussing he wants the more experience because he wants to do well and it is proven its talent....?
but i reckon that getting a younger one is better as hell be able to have it longer etc...
but its really up to you and which is a nicer horse etc!

also many Grad A/B horses with have restrctions on what you can jump with them- if he wants to start off small (if BSJAing) then you may find that difficult....
 
Depends on the rider i guess! I'm 15 and looking for my next, and am hoping for something in between the two
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I think that you should go for the younger one to bring on.
as perdy says, classes are restricted for JA's. you would only be able to do opens because if you enter a class that you are over-qualified for there is a hefty fine! good luck!
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I think it also depends how many riders the older horse has had. If it has had several different riders then I would go for it, but I once made the mistake of buying a horse that had only had one rider and my daughter couldn't get on with it at all. Also look at its record carefully, you dont want to inherit someone elses problems.
 
yh deffo. go for the younger one i reckon.....
you dont want an old one that youu have to be careful with its legs etc.
i think im fighting a losing battle against most people on here... everyone thinks an older one.. but doing 1.20m you dont want an old one.. you want something young especially if hes wanting to jump that height- he must be confident so go for the younger one lol
 
Good point judastree. However, there's always something to be interpreted and re-interpreted with printouts!

What would you think about an experienced horse who has always been with professional riders? Well mannered and knows its job as a result - or likely to be totally unforgiving to a younger rider??
 
Older horse.

Green on green equals black and blue!

I have a 14 year old daughter and however good she may be (or not!) I reckon they have a lot to learn from a schoolmaster at that age. The next one can be a bit younger once the child has a bit of experience and can teach the horse - they can't teach a horse what they haven't yet mastered themselves.
 
Impossible to tell without seeing, obviously, but on paper I'd go for the schoolmaster IF he can do the schoolmaster job - not every horse that's "been there, done that" is necessarily cut out for that position and/or will stay sound and sane doing it.

At your son's age you're developing HIM as a rider and he will struggle to produce a young horse to a level he has not jumped to himself. But if he gets good mileage on the older horse and learns how it *should* feel it will be invaluable to him in the future. From my own experience and from working with kids coming up through the ranks, I'd say a well made horse is a good investment in the long term future. I know there are all sorts of stories of people growing together with their horses but if you look at most successful careers there's a schoolmaster in there somewhere.
 
I have just bought 6 yr old tbx for my daughter who was 14 when I bought her.Shes 16h affiliated to 1.05m .Its lovely seeing them progress together.Our mare is very sharp but not mean and has now settled really well with us.As its winter I have been doing a lot of the hacking out she didnt hack out on her own before as previous owner /loaner didnt enjoy it.So much easier to teach a young horse new tricks.
 
We bought an eventer from a prominent professional, it went quite well to begin with and then jacked it. In hindsight the price was too good to be true. We later discovered that it had been advertised for double what we paid for it but had had a nasty fall schooling. I think gut instinct is a great thing and if it seems too good to be true it probably is!!
 
If you can find an older horse that's already done a bit of "nannying"
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that would be the best route. As I said, they can't all do that particular job, no matter how well the horse may have jumped for a pro. Someone in the US bought a WC horse for a twelve year old a few years back and it was disastrous for all sorts of reasons. But other GP horses have made the move down wonderfully and competed well into their 20s, often with managed physical problems which took them out of top competition but don't bother them at all at lower levels with more individual care.

Your own coach should be able to provide some input into what type of horse might suit your son best, both as something he can manage now and one that will teach him the right things.
 
I'd say it depends on the horse...and obviously the rider...there is no simple answer.

When i was 13 i moved onto horses. My parents bought me a 'schoolmaster' 15.3hh ex-flat racer. He was nearly out of Foxhunter, had been on the winning national schools team at Hickstead, and was virtually unbeatable against the clock. Problem is, he was also the most sensitive horse i have ever ridden in my life. My first experience of BSJA was Foxhunter....and if my memory serves me right we go placed first time out...which meant we weren't eligible for any more. In those days there weren't 'Open' classes...so my next attempt was a 1.30m Grade C class
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We had so many ups and downs, and i learnt so much....but would i recommend it as a route forward...NO!

The best horses we bought after that were 5yo IDx's that were ready to start BSJA (at Newcomers in those days !). We had some fantastic times with them...and took them to Foxhunter level and beyond. Never attained the glittering heights we did with the ex-flat racer, but had so much more fun
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What is your son into ? Is he in it to win it everytime, or does he want to (and have the talent to !) 'produce' young horses ? The answer to that question should make your decision for you
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If you buy an older horse, just be careful who has ridden it before. If your son is very good go for one that has had a pro on it, if he isn't and is likely to have the odd 'Amateur Moment' buy a horse that has been ridden by an amateur. If a horse has never had to think for itself it doesn't like suddenly having to do it.
 
Thanks again. With exam years coming up and a competitive nature I think that to keep him interested an experienced horse would be the wisest choice.

DeiselDog - your amateur/pro comments are very helpful and much what I thought too. However, I've not come across many straight amateur ridden very experienced jumping horses though I guess they must exist.

And I thought it all would become mores straightforward when we moved to horses
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Straight Amateur Horses do exist - but no one wants to sell them
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I nearly got one, just a shame the dealer sold me a complete cripple
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[ QUOTE ]
Straight Amateur Horses do exist - but no one wants to sell them
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I nearly got one, just a shame the dealer sold me a complete cripple
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[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, dear! I really can't face having an experience like yours or trailing around the uk looking at horses. Guess I'll just have to buy the one we're viewing this weekend regardless of what it is like
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I would have killed for an experienced SJer when I was 14, instead I had to bob along with the naughty ones
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I think he will gain a lot more having a GOOD Grade A, but GOOD is the operative word!
 
I quite agree Weezy, but it is so hard to tell how they will cope with a younger person. We also need a horse that is at least 16.2hh which is a lot of horse to ride.

Wouldn't you have thought that someone would want a 14.2hh version of the horse we want?
 
Def the experienced one - I am lucky enough to be riding several schoolmasters at the moment and I can tell you my riding has progressed more in the last three weeks than it did in the last three years I reckon! That is despite me having produced my horse from green 5yo to Novice BE in that time.

I wish I'd had this opportunity years ago!

I agree with what has been said about needing to make sure it can cope with amateur moments too though. Also, listen to your son - he's the one riding and at 14 is at a prime age to give up, so if he would prefer a schoolmaster, that has to count for something I think?
 
Glad to hear of your postive experiences SpottedCat. I just want to give him the most fun (fun, not necessarily success) that I can as I didn't have quite the same opportunities at his age.

He says he wants an experienced horse but then loved the more novice 7yo he sat on last week until the dealer said he wanted our JA pony and 10K on top! You've never seen a child being asked to dismount faster
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A experienced sound straight horse would be the best bet, however they are fairly rare and can be expensive.

Make sure it has a consistant record and good recent form.

I know of a 7 yr Old that might be coming up for sale, originally started out as an eventer, V Brave. Good recent form at premier shows jumping upto 1.30. Jumped clear at Hickstead in 6yr old in summer. Have a look for some older horses and if you do not find what you like pm me and I will put you in touch.
 
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