How much was your horse?

[Elf On A Shelf]

The first pic is of Gray when he was worth approx £50-60k when winning his first few hurdle starts.

At this point he was still worth that money as a chaser. 30 seconds later he was worth meat money when he obliterated his tendon:

In his prime as a show horse, could probably have sold him for £5-6k if I wanted to at that point.

Now he is just a giant field bum who has some melonomas, including one on his side where your knee would sit, so he is fully retired.

 

[alexomahony]

The Chestnut was £800, the grey was given

 

[milliepops]

I love these threads but at the same time I do feel they might create a false perspective for novice horse owners (or prospective horse owners). Most of the 'pound' horses will have some big 'ifs' - behavioural problems, veterinary issues etc. All things which whilst might be worth a punt for the capable horse-person with the right set-up (and the finances for either big vet bills OR no qualms about PTS if things don't work out). Sometimes though people are just in the right place at the right time and get a horse for a nominal amount because the owner knows the person will give the horse a good home (and it is not a horse that would be easy to sell on the open market).

It would be interesting to hear a few more 'warts and all' accounts of the work people had to put in on these bargain horses. And also perhaps to hear about the ones that didn't make it ...

Most of the warts on mine are somewhere on this forum ? but broadly...
£2 welsh was supposed to be a "do up and sell" job but spent the first 9 months trying to kill me. It was only her cute character on the ground that made me keep trying. I set a deadline by which I hoped to see an improvement and after that I was committed to pts. Fortunately she started to come around just in the nick of time. Now an advanced dressage horse but it's been tricky all the way and she's unsellable really. I love her to bits but most wouldn't!

Free TB from the trainer did 12 months of reasonable retraining but is a medical write off (wobbler)

Cob x WB from rescue gave me 13 years of amazing times, she was complicated at times but generally fabulous. Evented to BE Novice and trained PSG dressage. I got very lucky with her.

WB from cheapo sales is another that did 12 months of promising work then we discovered an old injury that has ended her career. But she was bought with the intention to breed from her as she shares bloodlines with the mare above. So that's just happened quicker than expected.

Like I said, Swings and roundabouts! I am very very unfussy and just ride what comes my way, its the only way if you are going to spend peanuts. I'm also very patient, fairly confident in my abilities, have had a lot of experience and have a good support network. My approach would be a terrible one for a novice.

 

[HopOnTrot]

1. £1500: Not a bargain, had bi-polar and an attitude problem. When he was good he was AMAZING but you couldn't predict when he'd behave or freak out.
2. £800: Haggled down from £1200, the best money I have ever spent. Simultaneously priceless and worthless. She's an acquired taste but she ticks my boxes.
3. £600: Purchased from a charity and definitely not as described, I'd have dragged them across the coals if they weren't a charity, lesson learnt.
4. £900: Shaping up to be just like no.2, if not a little bit better. Husband was quite grumpy after no.3 so I bought her without telling him

No.2 is my dream horse, I wouldn't expect to replace her for less than £5k yet she has never been worth that!

 

[Mule]

The beast was free as he was born in a rescue centre. I fostered him before they changed their rules to allow ownership. I did give the centre a donation though and I buy some Christmas gifts on their website.

 

[Bernster]

Loving the stories that go with these!

 

[SEL]

this!
I would also say that although most of mine have been super cheap/freebies, that is for a reason, none have been the hop-on-and-go type and there have been some big old complicated projects going on. And some have gone wrong permanently. So it's not a brag, it's, um, a lifestyle

Precisely! I'm more of a one woman rescue centre really ? I can add the 13h pony to the freebie list if you ignore the fact her wind operation will have cost me nearly £2k ?

 

[Deleted member 150717]

Yeah, and here I was thinking my two were bargains... ?
To be fair, I think they still were - retired boy did his job perfectly and has earned a rest, and new girl is... just incredibly talented, and I am so lucky to have her.
In the spirit of the game, rescue.12 I know yours is a rescue so not much I expect, but he is certainly stunning now!

Thank you he was £350 from the RSPCA!!

 

[scats]

Bargain was my JA pony- I was given her for free.

Millie is my most expensive purchase- £2500. That’s huge money to me!

Diva was £600.

Others have ranged from £450 to £2k.

 

[Auslander]

I love these threads but at the same time I do feel they might create a false perspective for novice horse owners (or prospective horse owners). Most of the 'pound' horses will have some big 'ifs' - behavioural problems, veterinary issues etc. All things which whilst might be worth a punt for the capable horse-person with the right set-up (and the finances for either big vet bills OR no qualms about PTS if things don't work out). Sometimes though people are just in the right place at the right time and get a horse for a nominal amount because the owner knows the person will give the horse a good home (and it is not a horse that would be easy to sell on the open market).

It would be interesting to hear a few more 'warts and all' accounts of the work people had to put in on these bargain horses. And also perhaps to hear about the ones that didn't make it ...

You make a very good point, and it's important to stress that a horse that is sold for a pound, especially one like Alf, who was worth a huge amount of money on paper, is going to present challenges, whether they be medical, behavioural or whatever.
I haven't added it up, but I'd say I spent close on 5k in the 6 months I had Alf on investigations and treatment, and I still spend a lot on keeping him functionally sound. In the early days, I had to give myself a talking to every time I got on him, as he was not for the fainthearted. He was so screwed up that I had to lead him in a bridle and a lungeline for months - he knocked me over and trampled me twice in the early days. I've had him nearly 9 years now, and he is pretty close to perfect (in my eyes), but he isn't, and will never be a horse that I'd allow anyone to handle/ride. Things don't escalate the way they used to - but he still has moments that need professional dealing with!

 

[huskydamage]

Yeah I spent a lot more than £1! Good luck to people willing to take a punt though.
I spent a total of £5000 on my two so
You'd think they could look a bit happier about it ?...
Tbh the little girl, the years I've had her works out at £4 a month ?

 

[Cortez]

£800, 12 year old PRE stallion, bought to get him out of a bad situation (novice owner couldn't handle him, and he was lame). Solved the lameness eventually (HUGE sub-solar abscesses in both front feet that had probs been there for years, poor chap). He was days from being PTS as we initially couldn't figure out what was wrong. Was a super display horse for me for 8 years.

 

[McFluff]

The stories of those who have made good out of £1/freebies are wonderful to hear, but they are testament to the skills, patience, expertise, ongoing expenditure and the ability to accept that you may have to PTS if you can't turn things round, that you have all shown. Huge respect for that.

I suspect that my experience is more 'normal' - I bought my current boy for £5500 (inc vet and transport) and he was worth every penny and more. Even then, I've invested heavily in lessons, well fitting tack and time to get where we are now. I wouldn't part with him for the world.

The message for any novice is that the purchase price is the tip of the iceberg. The real costs come in the day to day ownership, particularly if you want to have lessons and expand your own skills.

 

[skint1]

My gelding (bay) was a £1. My partner paid for him hahah. I was lucky with him, he failed a vetting but I only wanted a low level riding/ happy hack so it was cool. He's cost me a lot in vet fees, he has arthritis and Cushing's so requires management but he's happy and I don't regret it.

My ID mare (chestnut) was £4000. I love her but I shouldn't have bought her for many reasons. She too is actually only suitable for happy hacking, I didn't ride her much before we started to have issues, but I always had a niggling feeling she wasn't happy, lots of head tossing and tail wringing. What I've found so far is she has hock/SI/back issues, currently having time off, just started doing some liberty work with her in the school which has been a lot of fun, she loves ground work and going out for in hand walks, but ridden wise she's just tense and unhappy, will figure it out when the weather is better!

 

[seamoth]

Well not me but I know of three £1 purchases recently
No 1 A two year old shire cross mare that was a surprise foal via a companion mare the elderly owner didn't want her so my novice friend took her on and four years later they make a wonderful couple.

No 2 My friend was looking for livery as was looking to buy a horse knocked on someones door was told that she had a teenage mare that wasn't ridden so she could ride her, a couple of months down the line she brought her for the nominal £1 owner no longer wanted to ride and just wanted a good home for the mare. Friend took the mare to Scotland when she moved so ended well

No 3 Was almost unbelievable my physio and also a riding instructor was offered a 6 year unraced thorughbred for the nominal because the daughter was no longer interested and they couldn't be bothered to go through the selling procedure. The horse is a dream, from giving a really good ride to also her three small children learning to ride on him.

I on the other hand have paid for all of mine but certainly do not feel hard done by have all been well worth the money.

 

[Jayzee]

I have only has one bargain; £300 on a 8yo connie that hadn't done anything for 4 years, was a bit of state when she arrived massive worm burden and horrendous feet. Turned out to be one of the coolest horses I've ever had, so brave and bold, still a bit quirky, but gave the best feeling. Sold her 2 years ago for a lot more. Would love to find a 16.2 version but very very tricky to find.

All my others I have paid a considerable amount more for!

 

[Chippers1]

My first pony was also £1! But I had him on loan and was then given him. His old owner still has the £1!
He was absolutely brilliant and we had many good years until EMS/Lami got him. His old owner out grew him but i'm short so it worked out





Current pony was a bit of a bargain, only £2750 for a connie. He does pretty much everything I want him to do, is safe and jumps (most things!) can be a little spooky but would be a perfect kids second pony...i could easily get 3 or 4 times as much if I wanted to sell him, but I never will!

 

[planete]

I was given a lightweight coloured cob when the trekking centre who owned him folded up, He was 18 and in very poor physical shape when I got him. It took me a month to cure him of mange and six months to put enough condition on him that he looked and acted normal. He went on to become my go anywhere do anything horse, from riding him to work in North wales then in Hampshire, to pulling a load of hay up a welsh hillside when we got snowed in, to hacking from north Wales to Hampshire over 10 days, then spending the next four years being a valued member of an RDA centre I gifted him to when my circumstances changed and I could no longer keep horses. He was a tough horse who could jump anything any time he did not like where he was causing me no end of hassle sometimes, he could read his riders at a glance, had no brakes across country but would not go within half a mile of a coloured jump. I vividly remember just managing to pull him up before he took me over a five barred metal gate across a bridleway lane. (I do not jump five barred gates!)

 

[blitznbobs]

I bought a 15 year old Grand Prix dressage horse for a pound - he had no issues and worked at that level for 10 years before he retired with hock arthritis - he was an amazing horse who you could put a beginner on one minute and then get on and be doing one times changes the next ... the woman who sold him to me can only be described as slightly deranged- he must’ve been worth a fortune but she didn’t think anyone else would want him!

 

[Libbygrey]

My horse cost £1700 as a very green nervous 5 year old. I've had him 10 years now and he has turned out to be an amazing horse. Hes so friendly now, easy to handle and He's a nice forward going ride. Hes not always straight foward to ride because he is quite sensitive but in general he wants to please you and he is never nasty.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Technically this one was free as well as my sister gave him to me when he was 5, but she did pay £4,500 for him as a 2year old colt worth every penny though his 17 this year and I wouldn't want to be without him.

 

[tiga71]

I have put my 3 on this thread already. Here is the story of my £1 horse, Tiggs.

I rehomed Tiggs when I heard that his owner was thinking of PTS. He was 7 year old, 16 h, liver chestnut, flaxen mane and tail Welsh D. I said to a mutual friend to give her my number and I would take him if no other option. 6 weeks later I went to pick him up with my trainer. Thank god my trainer suggested coming with me as he had to be loaded with a dually, a chifney and lunge line - I wouldn't have had a clue how to use a chifney.

On the way back, my trainer gave me a good talking to about how I needed to be careful, always wear a hat, gloves, and to be aware he wasn't like my other two. He wasn't aggressive but was incredibly anxious and would do whatever it took to keep himself safe from his point of view. I wondered if I had taken on too much!
He had put a few people in hospital but they were situations that were not his fault at all. So I wasn't worried he would attack me, but his go to was to run. He basically didn't want anything to do with humans. He had learnt they made him unsafe.

We put him straight in a 33 acre field with a mixed herd of 10. I had a great groundwork trainer supporting me and we just took everything very slowly. Had to cross the road to get to the yard so it was 4 months till I was confident enough in him to take him out of the field. In those 4 months we did a lot of leading in the field until he was happy leaving the herd, not rushing through the gate etc. Although it took time, it gave him to time to heal. He was sore, worried, untrusting. Being in a herd helped him no end.

I did everything with him slowly and keeping him under threshold. When he was worried, I went back to where he was confident and we kept working like that. He was terrified of poles. I moved a pole into the field and he was so anxious he couldn't focus on me even when we were 100 metres from it. So I just forgot about poles and worked on other things. Teaching him not to be worried about loading has taken 12 months and he is just about there.

It is now nearly 2 years since I got him and he is like a different horse. He knows I won't force him to do things he is scared of. When he is worried, he comes to me, he never thinks of running now. We are longreinging with tack and almost ready to get on, he is loading happily and traveling for outings (on hold now for Covid), he is happy, confident and curious.

He had so many issues but they all boil down to being put in situations he wasn't prepared for. He is a sensitive chap and it all became too much, so any small worry set him off. But he is naturally quite brave and I am so excited for our future adventures. Not that he hasn't caused some tears!

 

[sweets123545]

My horse was £700
Brought him as a 3 year old & he was unbroken. He has turned out to be a superstar. He is such a lovely boy. He is 6 this year we have a lot planned for our future together I want to do affiliated jumping eventually. He definitely has the ability and talent to
First photo is his first time out at another school. Bottom is when he was a lot younger!