Horse Shopping in Ireland

good luck with new horse she looks lovely, i think with the recession people are putting everything through the sale rings now, so looks ass if you have bought a stunner good jump too. Hope to hear more on the progress next year. Liked the report too very practical and true
 
lex2501 said:
Lot 49 looks really lovely - I hope he is affordable for you so we can hear more about him! Best of luck with your trip and please come back with a report - and a lovely horsey so we can hear all about it :D
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I can safely say now that I think he certainly isnt affordable for me... :(

But I hope there are some other nice ones there :)
 
LEC said:
I loved the Condios horse! If I were you I would email Morningside Stud and find out if they know of any on the ground at 4/5yo in Ireland you could maybe go and see?
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the condios horse stood out from the others - great attitude, lovely paces and super jump. But I spoke to the owner and that's what he's expecting to get - over 30k.

thanks, will try morningside :)
 
DD - Shes gorgeous. How much were horses going for. Would you get a nice youngster for say 3.5k? I dont think they'd have anything in my budget. Im looking currently and wish I could go over there.
 
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My Boss and I were talking about this the other day, we are planning a visit over at some point in the future, but slightly terrified I may end up buying something when I don't need another horse :D

Lovely mare DD, she sounds absolutely perfect :D
 
Cavaletti - for £3.5k you should pick up a reasonably nice horse (though it wont be the finished product) and possibly get it back to the UK for that price too. Most of the horses that go for upto 2.5k euro are average but the horses aorund the 3000+ euro makrk tend to be fairly nice with some promise.

About "auction riders". Most of those who ride the horses at the sales are young riders. Most compete in showjumping (as its the most popular equestrian sport in Ireland). I honestly think the skill level of the AVERAGE rider in Ireland is far higher than in the UK.
We dont really have the "happy hackers" over there - mostly because of the absence of bridepaths!! The majority of horseowners have ther own land (often farming background) and most people keep young horses - hence they develop their riding skills on numerous unpredictable sorts. Most people are happy to back and break their own horses ( which may or may not be upto your own personal standards!!). Overall, the standard of horse producing in Ireland is very high - not just with regard to the valuable horses.

And I can honestly say the vast majority of the English people I have met who have bought Irish horses (by enlarge from UK dealers) tell me their horse has been beaten in Ireland. NOT ONE of those had any proof nor any ctual knowledge of how or where their horse was actually produced over there. The thing is, they arent treated like pets to the same extent as in the UK and are taught to respect their handlers space.

Sorry, Il get off my soapbox now. It just really gets my blood boiling! :D
 
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I touched around 100 horses on the head and their ears and not a single one was headshy. They were all very happy looking over there stable door and pleased to see you. Out of all we saw one put its ears back in a grumpy way but not menacing and one went to the back of the stable when we came up to the door as seemed a bit wary but this was temperament and not a handling issue. I was impressed with how well they looked and how they were turned out.

As for the riders - they were superb. We said that we thought the main difference is that people in Ireland are really professional about horses. There is no rose tinted spectacles and frankly I love that attitude as that is how I like things to be. I can see why Ireland has lagged behind in dressage but why their sjers are a cut above. One of the kids was amazing - he cannot have been more that 10 years old. Great seat, lower leg and hands. Those ponies and some horses were placed on a perfect stride at every fence despite being green and slightly clueless.
 
Wow, I have an irish bred and produced horse (until she came to Measles ofc) who I think if I'm right came from Goresbridge. She is the most sweet horse going, not the slightest hint of any barbarity in her handling. Even my non horsey, farming OH said she has clearly been produced by very knowledgeable kind horse people :)
 
dieseldog said:
I went with LEC and came home with this
[youtube]ibQ2LDdLWpg[/youtube]

She doesn't have a name yet is a 5yo 16.1ish mare by Colin Diamond. Very sweet, affectionate, calm, easy to a fence and a nice jump. Not a superstar, but what I was after.

It was great seeing so many horses and not travelling miles and miles (well maybe a few!), being able to make a decision about a horse and if its not right move on to the next.

It seemed that nearly everyone there was not Irish, I didn't see anyone laughing at us because we were English either :rolleyes: There were horses going to Norway, Holland all over the place. It was really easy to arrange transport back too. If anyone does decided to go in future fly out the morning of the sale as what is supposed to start at 9.30 is more like 11, and it doesn't finish till late, so go home the day after your sale day finishes. We were only there the first 2 days as I didn't want a 3yo.

This is what she thinks of coming to England
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The sale ring - with a random horse in it.
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Outside scene
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Fingers crossed I like her when she gets home :D
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Me like your mare very much.
 
I personally have far more experience of welsh ponies being headshy, in fact all bar one of the welsh lot we have are funny about their ears! (not welsh bashing either by the way, I have a lovely welsh OH!)
Mally is a testament to irish handling, as far as I am aware there was barely any, but the stuff she was taught stuck! She never invades spaces, pulls away or barges, and obviously breaking her in was a doddle
 
DD - she looks lovely with a serious jump! Very exciting for you. I know someone who has had a couple of Colin Diamond's and they have both been lovely temperaments and very trainable - you will have a lot of fun with her. Look forward to your updates:D.

A couple of years ago I went over to Ireland with a friend looking for young horses - didn't go to the sales as wrong time of the year. Didn't buy anything but learnt a lot!! Think the sales are a safer environment!
 
Really fantastic report LEC, great to hear someone give a good balanced account of our sales!
Re handling, The vast majority of Irish horses are mannerly and unspoilt bacause we are less sentimantal about them. As a predominantly a breeding and selling nation, the turnover is high and I don't actually know any 'happy hackers'.
As previous poster said most of us are from farming backrounds, and horses are an extention of that. They are bred (in the main I like to think) for a purpose and to sell.
Untill I had broodmares I very very rarely worked with a horse over 5-mostly youngsters. A 6 or 7 year old was ancient to me then and you only really seen older mares, for breeding. In a weird way I though if it was 6+ there must be something wrong with it 'cos it wasn't sold!!
My two ex-broodies are the oldest animals my ED has ever worked on!! (although at 17 and 19 they are the oldest horses I have ever come across too!!)
 
My coloured girl in my sig came through Goresbridge Sports Horse Sales last year (bought by Emma Hinkley and I bought her from there).

Would love to go and watch one of the sales. But my mare is so great I hopefully won't be buying for a long time!! :) Absolutely no signs of her ever having been beaten or treated roughly either!!!!

Earlier in the thread someone asked about vettings. All the horses that go through Goresbridge are 5 stage vetted by an independent panel of Goresbridge vets before being entered in the sale.
 
Cavaletti, if you do decide you'd like to go, a friend and I would love to go (not buying) and would be happy to meet up and help you pick out a few you like etc. We're by no means experts but another pair of eyes might help :)
 
Although I have never bought from Goresbridge but I have bought 3 from Ireland through a horse finder out there who has now become a friend. What I love about Ireland is no one gets offended if the horse isn’t for you they simply say how about this one instead. I could have bought any of the horses I was shown and been safe, to me being safe out hacking is far more important than being well schooled (although some were both) Everyone is always so surprised at how well behaved the 5 year olds are but that’s because they are expected to behave.
I would agree that the general standard of riding is higher and I am always braver in Ireland, its like I pick up a bravery coat on the way in, because no-one makes a big deal I jump higher and I trust them to tell me a horse is safe. If they don’t think the horse is safe for you they will not let you try it. No-one cares about me having the perfect jumping position either as long as I don’t hurt the horse.
I love going out there and my 2 ponies are now having a ball with their new owners, giving them back the confidence they badly lost through bad purchases.
 
thanks for all the wonderful stories, buying from Ireland doesn't seem so daunting! Would like a nice thick hunter type, 3yo. What are prices like?
 
BoolavogueDC said:
Cavaletti, if you do decide you'd like to go, a friend and I would love to go (not buying) and would be happy to meet up and help you pick out a few you like etc. We're by no means experts but another pair of eyes might help :)
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Oh that would be great. Going to do some sums now.

Although I nearly bought one that had recently come from there but he had a the start of a wind problem.
 
For those asking about progeny of Condios from Morningside Stud (we are the breeder of lot 49 that you've been discussing), we have the following rising 4-year-olds for sale:

Dynamic m2s
(Condios x Ekstein x Landino x Voltaire)
2008 KWPN gelding
His sire, Condios, was an international showjumper that competed in top sport and is now producing international showjumping and eventing horses. In the 2011 WBFSH ranking of international eventing horses Condios has 10 in the rankings (he sired 90 progeny in the age group so his "strike rate" is very high).
His dam, Una Bella m2s, is the dam of the 2009 KWPN ISF Cup 4-Year Old Showjumping Champion & 2010 KWPN ISF Cup 5-Year-Old Showjumping Vice-Champion. The damline has produced an Olympic showjumper, multiple international showjumpers and approved stallions, and an international eventing horse.

Discovery Bay m2s
(Condios x Ekstein x Corrado I x Renomee Z)
2008 KWPN gelding
His sire, Condios, was an international showjumper that competed in top sport and is now producing international showjumping and eventing horses. In the 2011 WBFSH ranking of international eventing horses Condios has 10 in the rankings (he sired 90 ISH progeny in the age group so his "strike rate" is very high).
His dam, Wan Chai m2s, is a full-sister to the 2009 KWPN ISF Cup 5-Year-Old Showjumping Champion, Zorriola m2s. His second dam is the international showjumping mare Corniola. The damline has produced many international showjumpers and approved stallions.

Condios is ranked as the 42nd best sire of international eventing horses. (The ranking is being corrected and he should rise to 40th best when the corrected file is released nexct week by the WBFSH). 9 out of every 90 ISH foals born from 2001 - 2005 are international eventing horses. Plus he sired one for the AES so in total he has sired 10 CIC/CCI horses.

If you are interested in the damline of lot 49 (Cruising x Clover Hill x Bliss xx) we have a rising 2-year-old colt sired by Wang Chung m2s (our stallion ridden by Olympic Champion rider Eric Lamaze of Canada).
 
What an interesting report. It's good to hear a bit about how it works.

I would love to go...though I can just imagine bidding (and winning) on an earlier horse and then falling in love with another and ending up with two (or more!) lol!
 
I bought a lovely little gelding via Goresbridge a few years ago - he's done everything asked of him and been a gentleman while doing it.
 
update on lot 49:
At the Goresbridge "Go for Gold" elite auction of young eventing horses Cooley m2s (birth name Conor Cruise m2s) was sold for euro 28,000. He was the 5th highest priced horse in the sale and the second highest 4-year-old. (The highest priced 4-year-old sold for euro 2,000 more.) Cooley m2s is by Condios and out of Emerald Cruising m2s (Cruising x Clover Hill x Bliss xx). He was bred by Morningside Stud and was owned by Richard Sheane of Cooley Sport Horses.
 
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