Horse Shopping...where am I missing?

HeresHoping

HeresHoping

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Hello :)

So, the boy I tried last weekend failed the vet and the lovely vet said to walk away. Am relieved but my God, it was hard to tell the owners. She was in bits.

I must have trawled through thousands of gee gees. I have discussed at least three hundred with various professionals. I have called a good proportion of that. And I've been to see a few. Now, though, it seems as though I am looking online at, and being notified of, the same ones I've already discussed/reviewed/dismissed over the last three months.

I don't think my criteria are too demanding: 5 - 9 years old, 16.00 - 17.00, bit of bone (preferably some Irish), no TBs, sound, 100% in the stable and out (imperative, have young children that don't always think and I don't have eyes in the back of my head), hacks alone or in company. My aim is to do a bit of BE - 90/100 - eventually. More, if the old bones can take it. Maybe it's my budget - £3k max.

I peruse:

  • HHO - I have notification emails; I also buy the mag as not every ad is online
  • All horsey FB groups in my area and neighbouring counties, including BSJA and BE
  • Horsemart
  • Horsedeals
  • Adhorse
  • Preloved
  • Prime Equine - usually far too high in price
  • Horse Radar - as above
  • Freeads
  • Horsedates
  • Horseandcountrysales
  • Derby House - also expensive
  • Pony Club - all very expensive
  • The Horse Exchange
  • Local tack rooms
  • - and at least 30 sportshorse pages liked on FB.

Of course, I also have an ear to the ground through various clients, including a physio and a stud farm.

Where else am I missing?

Thank you.
 
It's your budget .
You can find the horse you want at that price but you will have to kiss a lot of frogs to find him .
Up the budget and there will a lot nicer frogs to kiss.
 
Agree re the budget good horses are still selling for a good price. Can you be a bit flexible on age and or height? That would open a lot up to you. A 15.2 that takes up the leg can ride just as well as a skinnier 16hh

A low mileage 10yr old that fits all other criteria may be suitable. Is loaning an option if you cant find anything to buy?
 
I don't think your budget is unreasonable - I got my horse for just under £3k. She is an 8yr old, 15hh, clydesdale x cob. I found that I had to travel to find her though. I am up in Aberdeen and the longest journey I made when I was viewing horses was 4 hours away. In the end, I found my girl about 2 hours away from Aberdeen.

I dont think you mentioned how far you were willing to travel (apologies if you did) but if possible, maybe you could widen your search radius?

I also scanned local papers, adverts in tack shops etc.

Good luck - hope you find a horse soon!
 
Yes. I was beginning to suspect it was my budget. When I started looking it didn't seem so bad but I guess all the good ones went once the 'season' started. I will have to see what else I can squeeze.

I am happy to look at low mileage 10 year olds. I won't go smaller - I ride several horses currently belonging to others and my very long legs (I bizarrely have extremely long thighs when compared with others of my height) make those smaller than 16.0hh seem too small. My KWPN mare was 16.00 on the dot and I look at photos of us and think she's too small. I ride a doughty 15.2 ISH for someone and we laugh about my WF-P issues. I ride a 17.1 well muscled KWPN occasionally, and don't look over-horsed.

I am not expecting to go out and compete tomorrow. But, after three horrendous years, it would be nice to have something to actually ride more than once a month.
 
I did a search on Ask Jeeves, so I know nothing about if they're good to buy from or not, but have you seen this:

Gavin Reilly - Irish sport horses, from 14.2 hh up to 16.2 hh-ish.

Doug Aldred - Irish horses (doesn't say anything about what horses, ponies that is for sale on the site).

http://www.horses-sales.com/horse/92455

I only looked at the first two pages, a lot of them are Friesians, but some of those are above 16.0 hh, the "right" age, can jump (sorry, didn't think about if it was the "right" level) etc. http://www.horsetraderonline.co.uk/horse-finder.


If you would consider looking abroad:
In Ireland
http://www.allhorse.ie/browse/all-ads/listadds/horses-for-sale.html

http://www.irishsportequine.com/horse-for-sale/?type=Horses

In France
Equirodi/horses-for-sale/French Trotter (In Sweden Trotting harness racing is a much, much bigger sport than Thoroughbred racing, so there is a number of Trotters/Standardbreds in Sweden that becomes riding horses, and from what I've heard, in general, most of them are quite decent jumpers and have a calmer temperament than Thoroughbreds.)

Don't know if any of my links will help, considering all the sites you've already looked at, but good luck with your horse hunt.
 
Thank you. Gavin Reilly is a friend of a friend...he has an excellent reputation from all those I know of who have bought from him. I will contact him again - he didn't really have anything last time in my budget although he didn't think I was asking too much at that time. At the time, I was looking at slightly narrower parameters age-wise but I am wiser now.
 
You could find something that's green for that price and bring it on. Otherwise if you want something a little more established I think you should save up a bit more :). Any nice, sound, safe horse capable of BE that already hacks safely and has a bit of show experience is going to be 5k upwards.
A green 5/6yr old irish horse with a nice temp but hasn't really done anything around 3.5k?
Good luck
 
We have the perfect boy for you but again he's out of your price range :(

If I see/hear of anything suitable though I will keep you in mind

Good luck! I'm sure the right horse is out there somewhere :)
 
Is it the lack of bone for a TB?

Just had an email about some nice horses here in Norfolk for £3k... All TBs though.
 
Partially, Lolo. Thanks for the p.m.

It's not just that - I need something more robust all over, I think, for me. I had to send my TB to the big green pasture in the sky in March and I just felt that I didn't want to go through it all again in any shape or form. His issues are not confined to TBs - they could have happened to any horse - but far more likely to occur in TBs. All the horses I rode in my earlier equine career were OTTBs. We brought them on from a track career and did all sorts with them, so I don't dislike them. I just don't want a TB.
 
Hereshoping said:
Hello :)

So, the boy I tried last weekend failed the vet and the lovely vet said to walk away. Am relieved but my God, it was hard to tell the owners. She was in bits.

I must have trawled through thousands of gee gees. I have discussed at least three hundred with various professionals. I have called a good proportion of that. And I've been to see a few. Now, though, it seems as though I am looking online at, and being notified of, the same ones I've already discussed/reviewed/dismissed over the last three months.

I don't think my criteria are too demanding: 5 - 9 years old, 16.00 - 17.00, bit of bone (preferably some Irish), no TBs, sound, 100% in the stable and out (imperative, have young children that don't always think and I don't have eyes in the back of my head), hacks alone or in company. My aim is to do a bit of BE - 90/100 - eventually. More, if the old bones can take it. Maybe it's my budget - £3k max.

I peruse:

  • HHO - I have notification emails; I also buy the mag as not every ad is online
  • All horsey FB groups in my area and neighbouring counties, including BSJA and BE
  • Horsemart
  • Horsedeals
  • Adhorse
  • Preloved
  • Prime Equine - usually far too high in price
  • Horse Radar - as above
  • Freeads
  • Horsedates
  • Horseandcountrysales
  • Derby House - also expensive
  • Pony Club - all very expensive
  • The Horse Exchange
  • Local tack rooms
  • - and at least 30 sportshorse pages liked on FB.

Of course, I also have an ear to the ground through various clients, including a physio and a stud farm.

Where else am I missing?

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Def the budget I'd say. We picked up a good allrounder this time last year and he was up for £6500 and the literally had people waiting we couldn't even budge on price.

Here on H&H and also on www.horseradar.co.uk both have alert services stick your details on there save you the hassle!
 
Hereshoping said:
Thank you. Gavin Reilly is a friend of a friend...he has an excellent reputation from all those I know of who have bought from him. I will contact him again - he didn't really have anything last time in my budget although he didn't think I was asking too much at that time. At the time, I was looking at slightly narrower parameters age-wise but I am wiser now.
Click to expand...

Arthur looks nice
 
Hi,

I began looking after losing my boy in early Jan this year, with the same criteria as yourself, but no bigger then 16.2 and with a 6-12 age bracket and had to be 100% traffic alone and in company and with a maximum of 3k or 3.5 with tack, it was hard work, I sat on 27 different horses and viewed over 40 (i am very fussy!) but we found one, for just under £2.5 (we did a bit of haggling as she was originally 2.95 but had some old scar tissue and our vet wasn't worried)

So it can be done for your budget, as hard as it sounds, the right one is out there, if you want I could send you the details of a few people who I used who were helpful in finding horses within my budget that ticked 99% of the boxes, the guy I brought my mare off will shop for you if required as he is always reasonably priced and was really honest about everything he's based in East Sussex so I don't know if that's too far for you or not? If you want any details as I only completed my search four weeks ago, please feel free to drop me a PM

Best of Luck,
Speckleification
 
Well, after all your kind suggestions, I have actually found 3 more - all in budget - and have contacted. I am seeing one tomorrow from a previous contact; hopefully I'm seeing a rather nice ID x on Wednesday next week; and if the owners return my calls, I could see one that's a mile from my mother's on Sunday.

So, fingers crossed. Just have to convince my instructor the ID x is not a cob so he will come and see it with me.:cool::rolleyes::D
 
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