Horse Markets

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RidingAndDriving

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Hiya,

What do you guys think about horse markets?
My friend got her pony from there for 150!!!

Are all the ponies there cheap, because I would really like a one, but we can't afford to spend a bomb on purchase.

Also, do they sell tack at a cheaper price?

thanks
 
If you know what you want and look at things (both horses and tack) thoroughly and knowing what to look for then you can get bargains in both. However as always buyer beware.
 
I've replied to one of your other posts and I have a sneaking suspicion that you lack the experience to be buying a horse at market. Particularly if you want a "bombproof cob".
 
You absolutely MUST know what you are doing to even consider buying at a market, in the ring or outside it. If you go to visit one you will see what I mean. There will be a lot of very experienced people there, many of them trying to pull the wool over the others' eyes. There is usually a reason for horses going to market rather than being sold through adverts etc, although it is possible to get good ones, if you know what you are looking at.
 
Hi Ridinganddriving,

I do agree with Tinypony. I know that this is not what you want to hear from your post, but please bear this in mind.

If a horse / pony is worth, let's say, £2,000 the sellers would want that money and not sell at auction for a fraction of the price. Beware of the excuses for selling that are stuck to the pens. (Selling due to divorce......yeah right)!

If the cost of purchasing a full priced horse is an issue, then the cost of maintaining one is going to be difficult.

Most of the horses and ponies at auction are there because they have health issues, mental problems or need a great deal of schooling. Without the knowledge of an experienced and dedicated horse person theses issues cannot be dealt with. Unscrupulous sellers care more for their money than a strangers safety.

I have no doubt that some forum users will be reading this with the urge to blow their trumpet regarding their personal success story, but my reason for posting this is to avoid an expensive and disappointing journey. If you are looking to purchase, then look for a horse/pony which has been outgrown and has a history.

I would suggest that if you are new to the equestrian circuit, find a riding school to volunteer at and develop your stable management skills or part loan a horse to gain a good experience of what owning a horse entails.

I truly wish you good luck in your search for a horse, but be careful and don't let your heart rule your head.

xxxx
 
Ive bought from the market but I was looking for a project. One was a youngster and the other was a broodmare with driving and ridden experience. I bought her out back tho and did see her ridden (well some kid jumped on and walked about a bit). But you need to know what your looking at to be honest, horses tend to go to market for a reason however there are a few that are there because owner needs them gone quickly.
 
Yes tack is often cheap,but do your homework and know what to bid. I have recently bought 2 weanlings from Builth Sales (Brightwells). Lovely types.very cheap to buy too,but remember buying is the easy part, you need to buy feed, farrier costs,vet bills and so on. You also really do need to know what you are doing, but that applies when buying privately too.
 
As everyone else said, you need to know exactly what you're doing.
I bought my horse out of a selection shall we say, he's turned out to be the best thing I could've wanted (tons of potential, good manners, nice age, trainable etc).
But I knew exactly what I was doing, what obvious vices to look for and I still had two other very experienced people with me and the boyfriend (there to make me choose with my head not my heart).

I could've got this horse home and found that he had stable vices or internal problems. With markets, they will sell you a horse to make a quick buck weather the horse is healthy or not. There is no vetting or trails.
The sound of buying a cheap pony from a market may sound genius, but at the moment there are thousands of horses and ponies going extreamly cheap in private homes.

If you're dead set on a market horse, then take an extreamly knowledgable person with you and/or a vet if you can.
 
I agree that you can be lucky and get a good bargain. But you have to remember that most of the horses being sold at a market are there for a reason and almost all of them have something wrong with them. I wouldn't recommend you go there if you are looking for a 'bombproof cob'. It isn't unusual for people to end up with a permanently lame horse or an unridable problem horse. If you are not very experienced, please don't go and buy from a market. There are other cheaper options, eg loaning/sharing a horse if you cannot afford to buy a horse.
 
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