I can't find the right horse so should I buy a youngster?

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Smallhorses

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Right I am going to put it out there and see what comes back.

I am finding it difficult to find the "one" at the moment. There seems to always be something that doesn't fit my criteria. So, my YO and partner have both just suggested "why don't you buy a youngster and that way you can mould to your liking." To be honest, I hadn't considered it. I've done it before but unfortunately he didn't make the height I'd hoped so I sold him to the pony club.

I don't think i will ever have the budget to buy something that would be the "one" so this could be the way forward to eventually get the "one."

Thoughts.....?
 
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Well worth considering if you have the time and patience to produce. As long as you have a horse with a willing attitude and a kind nature it would end up very rewarding.
 
I would say go for it if you have the time experience to do it. Just remember it can be hard work and some days it can be frustrating. Also make sure you have lots of help around you. :)
 
Yes it can work, i wanted a section D for years, every one i went to see had issues, i bought a 9 month old filly in the end.
She will be whatever i make her, and the bond between us is very strong already.
The good think about youngsters is u dont take on someone elses mistakes, but then u have to have the time and patience to produce a nice horse, if u have this then I'd say go for it x
 
I think it might be the route I'd like to take. The older the better. Something two or three. I could even get a Skewbald (my fav colour don't moan at me :D!)....
 
My Two Pennies having been in the position of having a 3.5 year old bought for me so I could mould it into what I wanted;

Buy something unbacked (unless you know the seller and are happy that they will have performed a consistent, quiet good backing it costs a lot in time, emotion and expense to sort out a backing that has been done badly)and send it to the best person you can to do this for you. If I was in the UK I would have sent my guy to Janet George on here.

Do you have 100% certainty that you have the experience and confidence after your horse is backed to ride them on yourself, if not you are looking at paying someone to do this for you again it can turn out pricey.

Tack, equipment etc - My little one! has outgrown 4 saddles in the nearly 4 years since I have owned him, gone up 3 rug sizes and has needed to be bought all manner of, training equipment.

Do you have the patience to bring on your youngster slowly? making them into nice well rounded citizens takes time, do you have something else you can actually ride whilst your youngster is going through its growing up phase it can be frustrating when often all you want to do is get on and go out for a nice calm hack.

Mine was a laid back delight at 3 and 4 and then he hit, 5 and Mr Hyde made his appearance and he turned into a bolshy, pain in the backside teenager! he is only now at 6.5 starting to get his laid back side together again and it will probably take another 6 months or so till he grows up mentally.

Finally get any youngster fully vetted with a complete set of x-rays, mine has just been diagnosed with what I think is sidebone (x-ray confirmation tomorrow) and according to the vet he would have had the signs of it when he was a baby.

Would I swop him no I adore him and being with him since he was a baby of 3.5 I have grown very close to him and get an enormous kick out of something as simple as a good long lining session (before him I hated anything to do with groundwork or schooling) and am so proud that on the whole he is a well mannered all round "nice Person", all we need to get together now is lots and lots and lots of riding miles on his clock and lots of different experiences under his belt and I think he will be a total cracker.

Beware though this is not a cheaper way to get your horse of a lifetime unless as I say you are experienced enough to do it all yourself, if I add up all the training, vet bills, tack etc I could have well afforded that £16,0000 Fresian I was lusting after 4 years ago.

Would I do it all over again, yes but with with hindsight totally differently, and I defiantly would have vetted.
 
That's really good advice Chavhorse.

I have the time to do it. The yard I am at has indoor schools so i can keep going with it in the winter and I know allot of people who can help and support me. My YO also has three horses i ride already so theres no worries in not riding. I am not the most confident rider as of late - I keep saying this but my TB mare really knocked it out of me a few months ago. I used to be fine so i will need to get over that if i want to do this right.

I have done it before. It went very well and he was a superstar. Luckily though he was a dream to back and bring on. I didn't have him vetted though, looking back and from what you have said I will this time! :eek:

As for tack, I have allot of it from my old mare. Saddle wise I will have to consider this - second hand ones for now i think!

I need to think about this carefully.
 
I've just taken this route last November so I feel that I can give you a well balanced answer!!! This is long but please read it!!!

I was an experienced rider but a novice owner, I took on an 18 yr old anglo arab last year and this was my first horse I was solely responsible for. I then decided I needed something to have as an alternative should my old reliable boy suddenly become un-rideable for whatever reason sooooo my friend suggested I get a youngster. She painted a wonderful picture of how I would not have to bother too much with said youngster until he was old enough to lunge/long rein/ back so I thought it a perfect situation. I went to a chap she had purchased off before and got myself a lovely 6 month old colt.

He was delivered on 25/11/10 just before the bad weather hit us. I was excited but apprehensive as well. That apprehension has never left me and the excitement quickly turned to stress and anxiety!!!

I look back now and I really was not prepared for the fun and games of a youngster. You really do have to take each day as it comes as they grow up and change so fast and you need eyes in the back of your head!! The environment they are kept in might be alright on one day but then they test the boundaries and all of a sudden that environment becomes inadequate!!!

The first incident was when he went for an early morning wander into the neighbouring field to see the two cobs. The people who live on the yard heard all the upset and commotion (arab going bonkers as youngster disappeared and cobs not happy at the way newbie introduced himself!) so they ended up going out in their pyjamas at 0630am to put him back in his own field!!! A week later he was at it again only this time he went out into the neighbouring farmers field and cut his leg trying to get back in!!! I worked out that he was climbing through the electric tape!!!

Since then I've had other incidents where he has gone into the cobs field again (this time he crawled under a 3ft high rail to get out!) only this time he bust an internal gate off its hinges to get into the main yard where he got into the feed store and ate a dustbinful of Dengie causing Colic and a £200 vet bill!!! A week later he pulled a stock fence down just for the hell of it!!!

Other costly incidents have included two trashed energisers at £110 a pop and he also learnt the art of pulling the connecting cable off the fence thus rendering it incapable of zapping him!!!

Now he is not a bad horse- just a Houdini!!! He is very intelligent and needs to be kept busy, something which I didn't bargain on!!!

I have spent a fortune improving fencing, buying energisers and generally trying 'Olly proof' his environment. I've also had to seek the help of a professional to start his groundwork with him early- that coupled with the fencing, energisers and vets bills does not come cheap. Just because you buy a youngster it does not mean you will be able to mould him to what you want, as I found they still come with their own quirks and personalities.

I've had to measure Olly's escapades off against the fact that he is lovely looking, nicely marked, is not scared of anything, is a total sweetie to handle and he learns very fast!

If I've not put you off I'd urge you to think whether you really have the time, money and patience for a youngster. Is your yard equipped to have a young inquisitive horse running about the place? Is the fencing etc suitable, would he/she have company? There's so much to consider, I've learnt the hard way!! But I do love Olly the Wally and I would not part with him now, it's not his fault that an inexperienced Biff came and bought him!!!

If you go for it good luck and happy hunting.
 
"why don't you buy a youngster and that way you can mould to your liking."
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This made me smile. :D My filly (now three) has such a strong (*cough* pushy)personallity that I don't think that I will be able to mould her in any way, shape or form. :p
 
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This is what i did after looking for months and seeing horses that just didn't fit the bill so i got mine when he was 18 months hes now 4 and we are just starting up and i haven't looked back yet
 
Faracat said:
This made me smile. :D My filly (now three) has such a strong (*cough* pushy)personallity that I don't think that I will be able to mould her in any way, shape or form. :p
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Indeed Faracat I had the same thing said to me, I can laugh about it now!
 
I bought my first horse in december 2009, an 11 year old mare. However only six months into horse ownership the opportunity arose to purchase a just 4 year old unbacked youngster for a really good price.

So i did! On paper it should have been a complete disaster but it is completely the opposite.

I had him delivered and after a month i sent him away for professional backing. After three weeks (was all i could afford) i had him back and have been having him schooled professionally once a week and have ridden him nearly everyday since.

I actually sold my original mare in january so i could focus soley on my youngster and i am loving it.

He competed at his first dressage test last weekend, is jumping coloured poles well and hack out.

Would i buy an unbacked youngster again? Absolutely yes!
 
Smallhorses said:
That's really good advice Chavhorse.

I have the time to do it. The yard I am at has indoor schools so i can keep going with it in the winter and I know allot of people who can help and support me. My YO also has three horses i ride already so theres no worries in not riding. I am not the most confident rider as of late - I keep saying this but my TB mare really knocked it out of me a few months ago. I used to be fine so i will need to get over that if i want to do this right.

I have done it before. It went very well and he was a superstar. Luckily though he was a dream to back and bring on. I didn't have him vetted though, looking back and from what you have said I will this time! :eek:

As for tack, I have allot of it from my old mare. Saddle wise I will have to consider this - second hand ones for now i think!

I need to think about this carefully.
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Hi Please do really sleep on it then sleep on it again.

The thing that has jumped out at me is where you say your confidence has been knocked. I was in the same position following a very bad ridden accident when Vardi was bought for me, when it came to riding him I found what was happening was I was still nervous and he desperately needed a rider who was cool calm and totally confident to draw his bravery from. Sadly we were a terrible match and a complete mirror for each other me going "I have no idea what I am doing " and Vardi going what do you mean you have no idea neither do I" we would both then go WHAAAAAAA! and scare each other to death.

I am not saying it would not work for you but my advice would be to ensure your confidence is fully up to scratch again any young horse totally depends on its rider to give it confidence.

I am sending my guy over to my very laid back down to earth friend for six months because I know her attitude will be "ok today we are going hacking, now I know you will probably think at times you are going to die but the big bugger with you will look out for you and you may even enjoy it ok off we go" and that is what he needs right now, I am having daily lessons on a schoolmaster and my confidence is growing each day, I am very hopeful that in six months time the mirror will be a totally different one of "wow this looks interesting lets go pal".

Good luck with what ever you decide.
 
Its hard work but very rewarding, theres no feeling like being the first on board your own horse :)..... That said, theres no feeling like being bounced into the ground if theyre a tricky one either :(
Seriously its hard work, can be slow at times until thee penny drops into the slot and i feel you need to be a confident rider.
Its good youve got support, dont be afraid to ask for help if you need it and good luck in your venture if you go for it
 
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