Hypothetical how much / opinions / experience.

[0]

I am at uni doing a four year course.
Years 1,2 and 4 are actually at university and year three is a placement year where I basically have a normal job for 12 months. I am coming to the end of my second year and about to start my placement year.

When I started uni I took my horse with me but during first year I kept thinking that I wasn't really spending enough time with her (she was on full livery and I kept missing days of going to ride etc and she is very work orientated and I just felt it wasn't fair). The main reason for this was actually the partying, not the work - I felt I had to choose between the parties and the horses and I didn't want to miss out on the whole uni life which my friends were living so I chose that!! So at the start of second year I decided to put her on loan.
I think the break from horses has done me good because having had them forever I think I lost the passion a little bit but I have got it back now and miss having a horse like crazy. So my dad has agreed to buy me another because during my placement year there is no reason why I shouldn't have time for one because most adult horseowners have a full time job aswell as looking after their horse (and I will be away from this lifestyle and back to probably only partying at weekends!!). So this is fine, however I then thought that when I go back to uni for my fourth year it may be better not to have one again - It's the hardest year and I'll be back in that environment and I know I won't want to miss out (it will be my last chance ever to be a student and also to get a good grade whereas I have my whole life for horses!!). But if my dad buys me my new horse which is a "keeper" I will spend quite a bit getting something really nice (probably a 5 year old) and so wouldn't want to put it out on loan for my final year but don't want to keep it if i'll waste it and get it a year behind in it's education (and miss the young horse classes). So this is a huge dillemma for me!!
I don't know whether to make myself wait untill graduation for my dad to buy me my new horse (probably what I should do!).
Or I have come up with option 2 (but my dad thinks option 1 is the best and so has said, I can do 2 but if I do, he isn't being involved (except in the event of emergency - vets bills etc!). So option 2 is to buy something relatively cheaply, unbroken but ready to break, spend a year bringing it on and sell just before I go back to uni.
As I would have to fund it myself I want the proffit I make on it to cover the livery I have spent on it over the year. I have savings which I can use to fund the horse through the year (and buy it) but ideally I would want to be able to totally replenish them when I sell it (don't mind if I loose a little bit!! and my dad has agreed to cover my back in the case of disasters). So do you think this is possible, I am not bothered about making proffit, just breakeven?
Although I would want a dressage horse, I have decided that to sell on, I would make the most on a 14.2hh and market it as a RC/PC pony (I'm only 5'5" so this is ok). I would aim to sell it with rides to Prelim regionals (BD) (see end) and trailblazers jumping.
I have broken horses before and have been top 5 at the BD National champs with a horse I broke so I would do a good job!!
Do you think this is the sort of horse that would make the most and do you think the profit could cover the livery?

Since BD have made the prelim section for riders that can't actually ride Prelim, would I be able to qualify a horse for the regionals using that section if it was someone eligible for prelim taking it to the regionals? I can't ride prelim and in one year it would be too rushed to get the horse to a level I can qualify at I think.

Sorry it is so so long but any opinions on what you would do, if you think it is possible or just plain stupid

!!

 

[jesterfaerie]

I am also having a few problems regarding horses and uni as I start in october.

I would say wait until you can give the horse your full attention so that neither the horse or your work, is put into jepody (sp?) by the other.
But I do think your idea is a good one and I hope it does work out for you if you get your timing right.

 

[Tia]

I personally think the 14.2hh idea is the best....the only problem I can see is that you may not be able to find a suitable 14.2hh candidate for a low price. You may be lucky, I have been, and find a really super little one which you could take through the ranks and make a good healthy profit at the end.....although I have never had to pay livery so it would depend on your outgoings whether your profit was covering the cost of livery for the year. I can't see any reason why your wouldn't at least break even though - particularly if the pony was on DIY or kept at home.

Good luck - sounds exciting.

 

[Iestyn]

Wait and get one yourself once you graduate. In my opinion, unless you're a pro and you do it for a living with your own land and all, it's too much of a risk in buying something to bring on and sell. So much can go wrong in that time and you never know what the horse market will do - not a lot is selling at the moment. We've just started looking around and I'm ringing about horses that were advertised in January and are still for sale.

 

[0]

I knew you'd highlight the make or break factors

The livery is what worries me too!! If I were working near to home it would be fine, but i'm not and obviously the horse would have to come with me so would have to go on livery

.
As for getting a cheap starter, well.... When I bought the horse I have just put on loan (ten years ago!!) I got her from a guy who breeds competition ponies (he breeds for a hobby, shows them in hand, turns them out until they are 3, keeps the ones he will breed from and sells the rest). At times he gets overstocked and sells them quite cheaply because all he's bothered about is making room for more babies - he isn't actually overstocked at the moment but because I have stayed friends with him for the last ten years and always sent updates on mine - he said will let me have the pick of the ones he isn't keeping for £1,000 (They're £2,500 - £3k for everyone else!!) I know the new one isn't guarenteed to be a replica of the one I have but she is a STAR!! She's been to the nationals and winters, done BYRD's and is now in training for a spot on the FEI pony team and works at med/adv. med dressage. He has some which are related to her too!!
Mine:

 

[0]

If at the end of the year and the worst came to the worst then it could go home and be turned out for a year, then I'd re-start it - not great obviously as it would loose a year (but for genuine reasons) and other than shoes, wormers and teeth it wouldn't cost me - a risk still I know!!

 

[Little_Mare]

I have read and re-read this because I really want to say go ahead and get your "keeper" as that's what I did! However, your situation seems different to mine as I got a 3 yo, had a supportive mum to look after her at home and my uni was pretty close to home!

Sooo... I'd say go for the 14.2 as you'll probably be lost next year without a horse and less partying but do be prepared for making only a small profit (if any) if you're hoping to make back livery fees.

Have you looked around for good livery yards near uni where you could keep your "keeper" on full livery in your final year and just do the riding? I knew a few people at uni who did this and still managed to compete, work hard for their degree and have a social life! Try to bare in mind if this is an option that people tend to calm down a lot in their final year (less partying!) and you may have fewer friends around to lead you astray if they do 3 year courses...

Sorry if I've made your decision worse!

 

[0]

Hmmm, food for thought!!
I had mine on full livery in first year but still felt I didn't ride enough but I hear what you say about calming down (and according to my parents it's about time I did

).
My mum would be supportive but can't be as I'll be working near to uni which is two hours drive from home!!
Suppose if I got a three year old I would only want to ride it four times a week and not really competing in that first year. But then when I go back to uni, ideally I'd up it's work but i'm not sure it'd be possible!
Oh, what to do!!! It probably sounds like a stupid dilemma but I so want to make the right decision!!

 

[Tia]

[ QUOTE ]
I knew you'd highlight the make or break factors

[/ QUOTE ]

I just can't help myself LOL!!

I've been in this job too long methinks

.

Yours is lovely - if you can pick up the one he has for that sort of money then you at least have a better idea of what you need to make on it "done". Then obviously you need to find a yard which significantly comes under this price - then you can roughly work out your profit margin.

The trick really is to buy them, take them to a few shows and then sell them within a couple of months....that's where I let myself down LOL!! But then I have a different agenda - I buy mine as yearlings and then sell at 3 or 4 years old.

 

[0]

So do you think I would make more money by doing 2 or 3 horses through the year and turning them around quicker, rather than having one for the whole year?

Does anyone have an idea what a 5 year old 14.2 would sell for if it was a nice type, good conformation, paces etc. Done abit of everything (hopefully won a few BD's, done some SJing and probably expossed to a bit of xc), ready to go on? That is what ideally my horse would turn into!!

 

[Tia]

Yep that would be your best bet IF you can find them!!

Good quality 14.2hh's are generally a bit thin on the ground and when you do find them they are usually quite a bit more than the one you have been offered. Even a green or unbacked one if owned by someone "in the know" could set you back somewhere between £2,000 - £3,500 I would think. "Made"......well that is really a question of, how long is a piece of string. It all depends on how much you do with them and how successful they are.

Occasionally........you will find a little gem who happens to belong to someone who has absolutely no idea of what they have. These ones can be picked up for hundreds ..... but these are very few and far between, and you will not find these ones advertised in H&H - you have to look in the Freeads or the local paper to find them.

 

[0]

[ QUOTE ]
Occasionally........you will find a little gem who happens to belong to someone who has absolutely no idea of what they have.

[/ QUOTE ]
The thing is, the guy that I bought mine off does know what he has, but to me he will do a deal (not sure if more than one would be pushing my luck though!! But maybe not, I don't kno). But it worries me that although the rest are really nice, mine may have been a one off because she really is brilliant and in my mind I think that i'm thinking (?) I will get another just like her, which I may or may not - I suppose even if it is not quite as good i'd still be happy. They are all very nice. I'd get a 4 this year un backed probably gelding as although I prefer mares, I think it'd sell better. Although if there is an outstanding mare I'd choose quality over sex!

Thanks though, I will think about what you have said

 

[viola]

Hi, I read all the above with great interest. I did a similar thing to your 'option 2' when at uni but then I wasn't extremaly sociable

From the point of view of the person who loves bringing horses on I would say go for it and IF a pony ends up as per your plan I am sure you will be able to cover your costs. There seem to be quite a few people out there interested in good 14.2 all rounder.

I also thought, if you just want a horse for your placement year why don't you take one on loan for that year? Or, what about taking somebody elses horse/pony that needs producing/taking to shows etc, ride it and be paid for it? (I know the latter might not just jump into you

).
If you have a good competition record with your own pony/ponies you could be with a chance of getting a nice ride. Not everybody needs/can afford a top competitor to bring their horses on...

 

[0]

[ QUOTE ]
There seem to be quite a few people out there interested in good 14.2 all rounder.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, that's what I think - from what I can see of the market which is why i'd buy that rather than what I'd want!!

[ QUOTE ]
I also thought, if you just want a horse for your placement year why don't you take one on loan for that year?


[/ QUOTE ]
Because then I'd never get my livery back!!

[ QUOTE ]
Or, what about taking somebody elses horse/pony that needs producing/taking to shows etc, ride it and be paid for it? (I know the latter might not just jump into you

).
If you have a good competition record with your own pony/ponies you could be with a chance of getting a nice ride. Not everybody needs/can afford a top competitor to bring their horses on...

[/ QUOTE ]
This is something I haven't thought about, if they were paying it's keep and I got money to ride then I'd be quids in!! However, it would ultimately be there horse to make decisions about - I don't think I would do well having to answer to someone / work to someone else's agenda with a horse...... I want to do it my way.

Thanks!

 

[Little_Mare]

That's a good point about advertising your services! That hadn't occurred to me as I was totally focused on you buying but yes, there's certainly a market for it: again, I knew students who put up a adds in the local tack shop, I was really skeptical at the time but they got some good rides including competitions...

As for working to their agenda remember they're employing you for your experience so this won't nec be a problem, you're not "sharing"...

 

[viola]

I see the point about the livery!

As to having your own ways - I think it depends on what sort of people you deal with. I used to bring on young horses for a family who had money and wanted to be surrounded by horses. They left it all to me and only wanted to know how much needed to be paid each month. Once a horse was sold I also had a share. It was one of those perfect deals

But I completaly understand what you are saying because also had a very bossy owner who was a real pain!
Good luck whatever you decide

 

[0]

At this rate the year will be up before I have decided what to do!!

I wouldn't get it til after exams are over in June but I need to decide now so I can pick the horse for my friend to keep it - he sells them all unbroken the year they are four so he will be advertising this lot soon and I want first pick!!!!!
I got mine much younger though - I went to get a 4 year old but saw mine across a crowded field and I knew I HAD to have her

!!!!