How much will I need for a new horse?

Flibble

Flibble

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Apologies first, I bet you are all bored to tears with these sort of posts.

Ok my lovely man who I bought as a 4 yo (now 17) is going away as a companion as the vet says he needs long term rest.

I would like a nice 16.1 bay (preferred color) gelding about 8 years old who has been well schooled will happily go Cross Country do fun rides a nice Novice Dressage test and a 2 foot 9 round of showjumping and will hack out on roads.

I am not an eventer or affiliated showjumper so something that was lovely but wouldnt make the grade for someone with more ambitions than me. I enjoy schooling but would like a horse who knows his job as my lad is lovely but the classic 'buy a young horse and we'll learn together' mistake was made.
I need to start collecting my pennies together although I dont intend to buy yet as I havent done any decent riding since last July and am now going to try and cram in some lessons before the answer to 'Does my Bum look big on this' is a resounding 'get off his knees are giving way!'.

I would be grateful for some realistic ideas on price alternativly should I look for a loan horse that someone has got to give up for a year but wants kept in work at a well run yard ?
 
Ive just bought exactly what you have described for £4000 inc good tack and rugs etc. I'm in the south and thats pretty reasonable for this area. He's certainly not perfect and has his quirks, ie can be very grumpy!! but all in all I think he was a bargain.
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People want £4k just for a happy hacker now so I think you will need to spend around £6-7k for a decent well schooled riding club horse. I have just bought very similar to your description he had started competing with fairly good results in XC, SJ and unaffiliated dressage at novice, for this it cost me £8000 even though I only want him for dressage!!
 
£4K - £6K sounds about right and should allow for some basic tack but you may have to put up with the comment on a vet cert (eg perhaps an ex show type horse with a scar or other blemish, etc.)
 
You can still get these for about £3500- £5000 now. They are more towards the £3500 end in end Autumn/winter when people juct cant be bothered/can afford winter- they are more expensive this time of year.
 
Oh Good you have all come up with numbers that dont frighten me too much. I am hoping to wait until the Autumn but patience is not a virtue of mine.
One pathetic worry I have is that if I dont rehorse myself I will get used to not having one and spend the money elsewhere plus its the only thing that keeps sanity between me and my partner. He loves having someone who clears off for hours at a time giving him some peace and quiet do you think I should make him pay half on these grounds ?
 
I'll just expand on my post a bit for you - to give you a fuller picture.

I was looking for exactly what you have posted you are looking for.

My budget was between £4-6k (6k was really absolute tops). I did not consider anything below £3.5k because I knew that they wouldn't have the experience I was looking for.

There were plenty of horses at this price range out there - and many of them ticked all the boxes.

I do think that I bought a very good horse for the money I paid - and think that he was a steel at the price. However, these horses are out there, you just have to look.
 
One issue is that last time I bought a horse 13 years ago I looked at a lot of um whats the polite thing to say 'Innaccuratly described horses whose owners had rose tinted glasses'. However when I bought the lad it took just one look and I must admit trying him thinking there must be something wrong this is too easy as I had decided he was right as soon as I got within10 feet of him:-).
 
I bought mine last August for £3k incl tack, he has exceeded my expectations in every way.He was unfit and carrying too much weight when I purchased him, but he just felt right.

He has now lost his weight and is very fit and now producing some fantastic dressage tests for me so I am very very pleased with him.

So yes there are still bargains to be had if you want to reduce your budget and buying a horse that isn't quite "there" at the time.But if you have a budget of £6k then I think you should find something nice, I would say its a buyers market at the Mo and many horses are not selling due to financial climate.
 
Ooh after all these estimates i think i shall sell my horse!
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hee hee (he's 17 but fits all those criteria!). Hmm, sadly I couldn't part with him though
 
I actually know of one for sale, he's on for 6500 but reckons he'd take an offer, he's a 16.2 WB by Catherston Dazzler, dark bay/brown, a real RC allrounder, not sharp at all but would carry anyone round a course of SJ at 1m, do a decent novice test, and really 'looks the part'! I think he's about 8. He's going on H&H this weekend I think but PM me if you are interested and I'll give you their number - he was bought for a teenager who had only been riding a year or so to go out and start competing but she lost interest. He's a nice looking boy I must say, and I'm not usually a fan of WBs!

Otherwise yes, I'd say £4k to £6k depending on area, breeding etc.
 
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Ok then Local papers,dealers h&h or websites ??

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Look everywhere. But decide beforehand how far you will travel. I decided that 2 hours away was my maximum.

I actually found Thumper in the local free ads - which was a fluke, because that was the one place I definately was not looking
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