How much research do you do before buying?

R

Ranyhyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
21,273
Location
Funny farm
Visit site
I am a terrible book worm/researcher. I don't think I'll be buying until maybe at least Autumn - if not later BUT I am already researching, reading up like crazy!

I wonder if my tendancy to over complicate things is one reason I haven't achieved much in the past few years, I'm so busy reading up - and not busy enough DOING!

So are you a doer or a planner? Do you overthink or underthink?

Kitty
 
I research and investigate, I have always followed the maxim - fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It has stood me in good stead for many things, apart from when searching for my daughter's horse, I investigated about forty, looked at about 20, tried 5 and ended up buying the complete opposite of what we were looking for after she saw it looking over a stable door at her at a viewing for another horse. She fell in love with it immediately.
 
I think it's good to know what you want and doing a bit of research helps you to make/get to that decision but as you said, if you spend all your time with your nose in a book then you might me missing out on opportunities.

Horse owning and buying is a risk and sometimes you need a pinch of spontaneity otherwise you'll get too hung up on the little things which means you miss out on the bigger picture.

Remember that if you spend too long reading and thinking about the your perfect horse your making it harder and harder for any horse to live up to your expectataions.

I think it's great your reading up and this is helping you to know what you want but don't forget to take the plunge and go for it :)
 
The only research I actively did was join here and loan a horse beforehand. The loan didn't work out the way I wanted - the horse lived with the owner so she was always watching over me.

I was really worried about not knowing enough when I bought my first but I learn through doing activities rather than reading. Someone once said, you can never know enough about them but there's always someone to ask. Mine are both happy hackers so I took knowledgeable people with me to view both. I learnt through my mistakes with the first though which helped when deciding to buy the second.

I also think that you will never really know how suitable you are until you've got them home. Horses act differently with different people in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
Well this is it! I have looked at what I am looking for - that seems to be priced at £6k+ at the moment according to Horsemart and Horsequest. Don't get me started on how horses in the "allrounder" bracket at sat at similar prices to those in the "Advanced eventer" bracket :rolleyes:
However I have seen horses I think have potential for less than that - closer to the amount I have now, but I'm loathe to pursue it as I don't feel I have done enough behind the scenes yet!
 
I am a book person, so I usually turn to books and reading before I do anything. When I got my first horse I got the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship and the Vet Notes for Horse Owners which were both invaluable.

In terms of buying a horse I will also look up the competition history and I am really surprised at how many people will just take the owner's word rather than spend 5 minutes checking BD/BS/BE online to confirm! Someone I know was recently sold a horse by a professional (15k dressage horse) and she just took his word for the horse's competition record...quick look on BD reveals that almost everything he said was a fib! At 8 years old and after 5 years with a pro the horse hadn't competed beyond Novice and had never even been to the regionals - if she had spent two secs doing some research this would have become apparent!
 
There;s another conundrum lol But to be honest I too would like the ones with potential, I am an amatuer rider with some small aspirations - I think taking on something that is already achieving would be a bit of a waste for me really. Just in case I decided to just pootle along and do nothing!

People are saying horse prices are down - that I just can't see!
 
Y'see Booboos we are akin there! I love reading anyway and believe you can't ever really be prepared enough!

Just to add at this point, this isn't my first horse or my second or my fifth even - but this one is the one I want to stay with me for a long time (as the others were meant to, but TBH my needs changed, the horses changed - we were no longer suited so they moved on)

I guess that's why I'm being uber cautious this time, I want to hopefully get a horse I can enjoy for the next 10 years - rather than the next two, so I want to know what I'm getting.
 
I did a lot of research on prices, but as I hadn't bought a youngster to bring on before I took along a couple of more experienced friends who are better at spotting "potential" than me. One was a show judge so excellent on conformation/movement, which is something I'm not great with.

I picked horses to visit based on them being a sensible price and looking as if they were what I wanted. When we visited I stood back and let my friends evaluate the horse first without my emotions being involved. Only if they thought it was good did I then start considering if it was the horse for me.
 
Kitsune said:
I want to hopefully get a horse I can enjoy for the next 10 years - rather than the next two, so I want to know what I'm getting.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the way I shop for horses Kitty. Hence in many ways why my current girls are still perfect for me, but for Star being elderly and poor Be being LOU. :rolleyes:

To my family and friends I am renowned for how very picky I am when horse shopping, and they like to take the p out of me for it :p (that and my expensive tastes :o) but I have a strict check list which I rarely budge from, even the tiniest amount.

I'd rather spend several thousand on a horse which is 'perfect' for what I want, than something that is questionable or involves compromising on a factor/characteristic. I really don't want to find myself in a position where I have to re-sell because a horse is not quite what I'm after - it's too much hassle, emotion etc, and very definitely not for me. I know some people (me, when I was younger!) thrive on challenges/bringing on projects and selling them on, but I'm a sap who craves long term partnerships and straightforward horses that I can enjoy for years and years. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top