how far does £1000 get you???

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clairefeekerry1

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just musing really!!
after spending many (many!) times this on a horse who broke down i will never ever spend that type of money again on a horse- i dont have it for one and two it rubs further salt into wound if it goes wrong.
couple of friends have never spent alot on horses and i never used to when i was younger. so what can £500-£1000 get you nowadays??? is it always going to be problem horse/unsound/evil???
 
My first pony was £250 and we never had a problem with him in his life, that said it was approx 17 years ago, but it depends on with you are looking for, a native type youngster with no vices and that is well put together can be got for £500 or even less. I have known people spend thousands on a horse for it only to have problem after problem. A high price is no guarantee to health temperament or vices. The horse I paid the most for I had the most problems with temperament wise.
 
You could buy 1000 of these:
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I bought him for £1!!
 
I think it always depends on what you're looking for. I've seen good horses with no vices go for £750 plus tack & rugs. I've also know friends spend £4,000+ on competition horses that have endless problems.

For me the easiest and cheapest option was to look for a share.
 
i bought one stunning Arab for £20 out of a meat pen and he was the best horse i ever had! did everything and jumped like a stag and never had the vet out in the 7 years i had him! thats what i call a bargain!
 
I paid £450 for my first girl as an unbacked 4 and a half year old, including her rugs, she has been foot perfect. My boy was £100 just backed. Niether of these are registered. And my baby is is a very well bred Section C who I bought as a yearling straight off the field for £100 from the breeder. I did get her mother to as a recently backed 4yr old £500. My friend now has her and is doing really well. Think it depends what you want and where you're looking. All of mine are welsh or welsh x :D
 
:@) He was a total bargain! When I tried him he wouldn't go out of walk ( Sept last year) which was a little embarrassing but thought we would have him anyway. He is now working at advanced medium at home and is producing some fab changes. He is also a total poppet to hack and in the stable and enjoys a bit of jumping. The best buy ever!
 
i wouldnt mind young/green/in need of schooling/tlc but i would not want to end up with insane/dangerous/bolter/rearer!!
plus side is i have lots of time and facilites to offer but on the other hand i would not want a problem horse. i did look at HEROS as always like to do my bit and help out if i can but found out their rehoming fee was £1500.
 
I used to buy project ponies for £500 (I always set this as my limit, makes it more of a challenge. I ended up with nice ponies to be honest, they were simply unbacked 4yo's that nobody had done much with. They were generally 13.2 - 14.2hh natives so very furry, hairy and usually fat creatures but that can very easily be sorted! Turned into fab little ponies too. For £1k, you could likely find a scruffy horse for that. As long as you're keen to back it yourself, IMO that's better when you're buying a cheapo horse because if its unbacked it hopefully hasnt been ruined already ;) I'd never buy a backed horse that cheap - must be something wrong with it!
 
I bought this boy in September... £1000 squids exactly! I did have to re-start him though, and he'd only raced before i got him.

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He is of course still very green, and is only 5 but is an absolute poppet. They are out there if you look hard enough :)
 
I paid 1100 a month ago for my beautiful little exmoor and his saddle. He's 10 years old, and just the best. Not a project pony just needs schooled as he did trekking and hadnt been in a year and a half. I'm so happy with him!
 
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You could get an ex-racer easily under 1000. Don't think they are all skinny, nutty and have bad feet though.

If you have a good eye you could also get a nice un-backed youngster.
 
Ive only ever paid £1000 for 3 of my ponies, two have been quirky, only as in forward goin needs confident rider but had hours of on them never been a problem, also had small children on them. just one had a tendon injury 2 year ago ive had 3 years fun on him xc up to 3ft, days hunting! I also have a 7 year old exmoor bought as a 4 year who I bought after had been broken in hadn't done anything but hes the most safest little pony . never spend anymore then £2000, recently bought 10 yr wbxtb, amazing horse not done anything competing wise but came 6th at first xc last year.
 
You can get a fab ex racer for half that or even less - real quality horses that are easy to reschool and make great comp horses or just allrounders.
 
Bargains are out there - a number of years ago circumstances meant I had to sell my horse, and because home was more important than money to me, I sold him for £100 including tack, rugs and everything else. He was probably worth 20 times that - well schooled, no medical problems and no vices apart from being a bit grumpy, great to hack, and trained for mounted games. However he was sold by word of mouth rather than advertised.
 
We bought an absolute poppet at the sales last month, 6yo reg. New Forest, green but sooooo willing - £600. Oh, and an 18 month old colt with some super bloodlines - £100.
 
For those type of prices you'd be looking at the sales or a dealer in my opinion. I paid £650 for my mare including delivery - price was originally £850 but dealer wasnt selling her as fast as what he thought he would. She was an absolute lunatic in the dealer's school so think it put people off. She's not phased by much and is a very trusting unspoilt 8 yr old. Ideal for rc activities.

Whilst she's lame at the minute (hoof abscess) she'll be worth her weight in gold. Dealer offered to buy her back for £1k in the summer if I didnt like her. She's a light weight cob x 14.3ish (if that helps).
 
You have to get lucky. I have a meat money horse and he is a lot better than I thought he would be but still has his moments! He is Danish Warmblood and was broken in July aged 7. It has taken a lot of patience and effort to get him where he is now and there is still a lot more to come.
Personally you pay on horses what you can afford to lose. If you cannot afford to lose it you get them insured. You look for as unspoiled as possible and as good conformation and temperament and it should work out if you are experienced!
 
Don't know where you are based, but if you're willing to pay the money and cross the bridge ;) come to Wales - lots of lovely lovely Welsh sport horses here for bargain prices, stood on the hills waiting to work. And they make superstar horses :) will turn their hairy Welsh legs to anything (and you can always clip the hairy bits off if you fancy a super-smooth pony ;) )
 
falaise said:
Don't know where you are based, but if you're willing to pay the money and cross the bridge ;) come to Wales - lots of lovely lovely Welsh sport horses here for bargain prices, stood on the hills waiting to work. And they make superstar horses :) will turn their hairy Welsh legs to anything (and you can always clip the hairy bits off if you fancy a super-smooth pony ;) )
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Agree with that one!!

I paid £500 for my Welsh D as a youngster. She only made 14.2hh ish but she's won at grown-ups BD/BE and BSJA and is a fabbie hunter.

On top of that, although sensitive she's very hardy and hasn't had a day of lameness (touch wood like mad!) apart from accidents and the odd hoof abcess.

I'm sure it's all about luck though, because as you know, I haven't fared at all well with my other Welsh D mare, as she's got the same problems as your horse :o(
 
I spent €3000 on cooper to try to get him right before i finally got really bad news and had to have him pts. ou can spend as much as you like, but at the end of the day, if they are not coming right, you are at nothing. I loved my horse soooo much, i'd have spent any money, but when the vet said, as a companion horse, he'd have our equivilanent of a constant toothache even on highest painkiller, i pts. poor fella. Depends on whats wrong, to be honest!!!
 
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