I Feel Ready to Buy, But Am I Really? Help Appreciated!

[Mochi]

I've been thinking about buying a young horse off and on for several years, but now I want to really research it all out and get advice as to whether this would be the best step for both me and a horse. I would really love some help with this one!

I have been riding for 6 years, and I have competed since 2013 in show jumping in both local and regional competitions. I jump up to a meter at my school at the moment. I have ridden varied breeds and temperaments. I am a confident and respectful rider, I have ridden horses that need a very quiet rider and lazy horses who need pushing. I have also ridden a variety of young, although broken horses, ranging from 5 to 8 years old. In my experience France (where I live) does not emphasise any importance in hacking, but I have hacked, done a little cross country, and ridden a couple of dressage tests at home, while competing in jumping and hunter jumping. I have several older experienced friends and professionals that can guide me in training. I am 18 and finishing up high school, with no further plans for the next 5 years.

For my current needs I was looking for a foal or yearling that I can train in the basics before getting more technical in a couple years, by that time I will be out of school completely and have more experience. Something sporty with which I can compete in low level jumping (up to 1 meter) and dressage, I prefer big horses, so around 16 hh is great.

I recently found a 10 month old colt Paint/KWPN cross that is absolutely perfect for my purposes. I have yet to contact the owner as I want to get as much advice as I can before potentially wasting the owner's time, but the ad says he is very social and well handled.

So my question is, should I take the next step? This would be my first horse, but I have taken care of horses as well as riding them for my entire teen life. I personally feel inadequate to successfully train under saddle at this point, but I'm confident that I am up for basic training/groundwork challenges. Does my experience qualify me as ready to train or should I wait a few more years? I myself feel up to the task, but I want to make sure I'm not lying to myself. Thank you for your input!

 

[be positive]

You may well be ready and still have a few more years to gain more experience before starting what is currently a yearling under saddle, there is no reason to think you have to do it alone, do consider getting a pro to help you when required.
The main things to consider before buying such a young horse are, a) do you have somewhere suitable to keep him where he can live with a group, ideally out most of the time? b) it is a long time to wait before he can be out doing much, you may feel you are happy not riding your horse for the next 3 years but it is a huge commitment in time and expense that buying a horse ready to go can sometimes be a better option.c) he may be "perfect" now but it is very hard to know what he will really be like when he matures, your ambitions may change so may your direction in life and he may not be the horse that fits into your plans or you may not enjoy riding him when you get to that stage.
I don't know many people of your age that would opt for a foal or yearling rather than a riding horse when given a choice, the cost of keeping them is much the same if they are at livery so I would say think very carefully about it and maybe look at what you could get if you expand your search to older horses.

 

[Mochi]

You may well be ready and still have a few more years to gain more experience before starting what is currently a yearling under saddle, there is no reason to think you have to do it alone, do consider getting a pro to help you when required.
The main things to consider before buying such a young horse are, a) do you have somewhere suitable to keep him where he can live with a group, ideally out most of the time? b) it is a long time to wait before he can be out doing much, you may feel you are happy not riding your horse for the next 3 years but it is a huge commitment in time and expense that buying a horse ready to go can sometimes be a better option.c) he may be "perfect" now but it is very hard to know what he will really be like when he matures, your ambitions may change so may your direction in life and he may not be the horse that fits into your plans or you may not enjoy riding him when you get to that stage.
I don't know many people of your age that would opt for a foal or yearling rather than a riding horse when given a choice, the cost of keeping them is much the same if they are at livery so I would say think very carefully about it and maybe look at what you could get if you expand your search to older horses.

Thank you for responding! In regards to under saddle work I do have a professional who can help me, but I'm not sure I won't 'mess up' even with guidance.

I really preferably would have him at home, but you bring up a good point that I have not seen more than briefly spoken about elsewhere online. If I have him at home he will have no other horses to be with. My family owns a smallholding with a few sheep and three cows, while I know that this company can suit older horses, I have a feeling it would be detrimental to a youngster? I have two local riding schools where I might be able to keep him if that is the case, but one if very expensive and the other would be on a friend to friend basis, as I don't think they board. While I had a young horse I would still be out with my school riding and competing, so until such time as I was riding him, I don't think I would baulk at such a long wait. However this isn't my purse I would be paying out of, so an older horse is still something to consider. In regards to c), I have thought about this quite a lot. As to his temperament I have not seen him yet and there's always that maturing factor. What I like about this horse is that in my area he shouldn't be hard to rehome should I have to, so financially I believe its worth that risk, but I'm assuming it could throw him off track to change handlers?

I have always been more interested in the breeding/training/competing of young horses rather than riding at a school or even owning an older nice all rounder. Quite frankly with what I have around me locally, riding at a school is getting a bit boring and I only see myself continuing on this path for another year or two before stopping, which is why bringing up a yearling is appealing. Its a very new side to what I am doing already, which I'm excited about, but want to proceed with caution.

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer!

 

[SpringArising]

Do you really want to start paying for a horse who you won't be able to ride for four years or so?

If you saved livery cost per month (about 300 euros for a decent place + plus vet, farrier, hay, bedding etc.) for four years, you could buy yourself a great horse!

The cost of a horse you can ride and one you can't are the same, so you may as well get something you can enjoy. Have a look on LeBonCoin.

 

[Mochi]

Do you really want to start paying for a horse who you won't be able to ride for four years or so?

If you saved livery cost per month (about 300 euros for a decent place + plus vet, farrier, hay, bedding etc.) for four years, you could buy yourself a great horse!

The cost of a horse you can ride and one you can't are the same, so you may as well get something you can enjoy. Have a look on LeBonCoin.

You have a point livery wise! While that is true, my concern is the up front cost of purchasing an older horse. From looking around on websites like LeBonCoin (that is actually where I found the colt lol) I can get a nice older experienced horse for around 3000 euros. We are in the middle of renovating our house so a price like that plus the cost of taking care of it would be most likely too much all at once. Yearlings vary a lot depending on the quality, but there are nice ones for around 1000 euros. Once I am out of school I will be working part time and at the moment can afford most daily costs of a horse. With a price like that I can pay back my parents and still care for a horse.

I really don't mean to sound argumentative at all but it occurred to me that it might. I do apologise if it came across that way, please correct me if I am wrong in any of my thinking! I just want to do this right.

 

[milliepops]

It's good that you are seeking advice, I think the posters above have covered the main things and I would strongly recommend that you follow BP's advice about finding somewhere to keep any young horse where he can have other horses for company. I have a horse that was kept on her own for several years and it had a really negative effect on her, it's really not fair on a herd animal especially while they are young.

If you decide to go ahead with it, definitely make sure you have access to good support from knowledgeable people on a very regular basis. Or be prepared to send the horse away to someone to be broken in and ridden away when the time comes. Although it's nice to do it all yourself, it can be a very challenging time even for an experienced rider and it's essential to have some help while you get started.

I'm helping a friend with a young horse at the moment, she has kept her own horse for many years but it's her first youngster and I think it's been a big surprise to her how challenging it can be to start a horse that knows absolutely nothing. It's essentially a kind straightforward horse with a sweet nature but it's still throwing up plenty of difficulties, they all do, so it's not always terribly enjoyable

 

[Equi]

I would never recommend anyone get a young horse of any type and keep it alone at home. Sorry.

 

[Mochi]

It's good that you are seeking advice, I think the posters above have covered the main things and I would strongly recommend that you follow BP's advice about finding somewhere to keep any young horse where he can have other horses for company. I have a horse that was kept on her own for several years and it had a really negative effect on her, it's really not fair on a herd animal especially while they are young.

If you decide to go ahead with it, definitely make sure you have access to good support from knowledgeable people on a very regular basis. Or be prepared to send the horse away to someone to be broken in and ridden away when the time comes. Although it's nice to do it all yourself, it can be a very challenging time even for an experienced rider and it's essential to have some help while you get started.

I'm helping a friend with a young horse at the moment, she has kept her own horse for many years but it's her first youngster and I think it's been a big surprise to her how challenging it can be to start a horse that knows absolutely nothing. It's essentially a kind straightforward horse with a sweet nature but it's still throwing up plenty of difficulties, they all do, so it's not always terribly enjoyable

Okay thank you! I will definitely looking to local places he could stay, as we certainly don't have room for another horse as company for a colt. Luckily there are many places within a 15 minute drive of us.

I wouldn't consider it if I didn't have people who could help, and I'm lucky enough to know a lot of horsey people. There are two riding schools where I go, one would most likely help with higher level jumping, the other would be a great guide in backing and groundwork, both are very experienced with young horses. I also know an English dressage lady with a couple of horses of her own, as well as a Dutch stud owner who relocated to France. So I think I will not hurt for help!

She sounds like she'll be a lovely mount once she knows what she's doing lol, best of luck to you and your friend! Thank you for your input.

 

[SpringArising]

I really don't mean to sound argumentative at all but it occurred to me that it might. I do apologise if it came across that way, please correct me if I am wrong in any of my thinking! I just want to do this right.

You don't sound argumentative in the slightest

But I just wanted to give you a heads up that during the winter months, when you're bending over backwards to afford a horse (in terms of both time and money), you may think "Why the heck am I doing this for a horse I can't even ride?".

What part of France are you in? Are you French or English?

 

[Mochi]

You don't sound argumentative in the slightest

But I just wanted to give you a heads up that during the winter months, when you're bending over backwards to afford a horse (in terms of both time and money), you may think "Why the heck am I doing this for a horse I can't even ride?".

What part of France are you in? Are you French or English?

Okay perfect. Phew!

You bring up a very good point, and its something I have thought and will continue to think about before deciding anything, even officially going to my parents with the request.

I am in between Angouleme and Limoges in the Vienne Departement, just south of Poitiers. I was born in France, though not in this area, but I am English. All the horsey people around me are either English or English speaking, and while I am not fluent in French I have a pretty good working horse vocabulary, so there is no fear of miscommunication.

 

[Theocat]

I do not think this is a good idea. Owning your own is completely different to riding in a riding school, and brings all sorts of extra pressures. Young horses bring even more stresses on top of that. They need particular set up (lots of company of a similar age). If the difference between buying a yearling and buying a ridden horse is 2000e, I suggest you save for six months to make up the difference, but something ridden, and see how you get on. At the same time, see if you can get some sort of experience with young horses. If, after a year or so, you really aren't happy, sell the ridden horse and get something younger.

But a yearling as a first horse? No. I do not think that is a good idea. Being blunt, you don't know what you don't know!

 

[Mochi]

I do not think this is a good idea. Owning your own is completely different to riding in a riding school, and brings all sorts of extra pressures. Young horses bring even more stresses on top of that. They need particular set up (lots of company of a similar age). If the difference between buying a yearling and buying a ridden horse is 2000e, I suggest you save for six months to make up the difference, but something ridden, and see how you get on. At the same time, see if you can get some sort of experience with young horses. If, after a year or so, you really aren't happy, sell the ridden horse and get something younger.

But a yearling as a first horse? No. I do not think that is a good idea. Being blunt, you don't know what you don't know!

Thank you for your input! You aren't the first to say this, so I will absolutely think about your point! You are right, I don't have a lot of experience with very young horses, and at the moment I'm looking into my options for gaining exposure. I have tried to get more riding opportunities outside of my schools, so I don't get too comfy in that environment and be naive when it comes to actually caring for horses. I volunteered for several months at a stud, as well as helping out friends and riding with them, but unfortunately around here thats about it. As to buying and then selling on later, my concern is that it would be difficult to rehome. I see a lot of good horses that don't get sold for months as there isn't really the market. We are an area of mostly cow and sheep farmers, so nobody really wants show horses.

 

[JJS]

As someone who has an 11 month old, I wouldn't recommend a youngster for a first horse. Owning one is a real baptism of fire, and even after having equines for the past eight years, I still wouldn't say that I was ready for it. Mine was a surprise baby, so I didn't have a choice one way or the other, but if I were in your position, I'd definitely be saving for something more established. I adore her, she's amazing, but boy is it a lot of responsibility to raise them right!

 

[Mochi]

As someone who has an 11 month old, I wouldn't recommend a youngster for a first horse. Owning one is a real baptism of fire, and even after having equines for the past eight years, I still wouldn't say that I was ready for it. Mine was a surprise baby, so I didn't have a choice one way or the other, but if I were in your position, I'd definitely be saving for something more established. I adore her, she's amazing, but boy is it a lot of responsibility to raise them right!

Thank you for your input! She’s sounds fun but like you said hard work. After consideration I have decided to wait another year or two before I buy any horse. We don’t have the land for one and I can’t afford livery fees. At the moment I have switched to a more competitive school, which now focuses on young under saddle horses and currently has a couple yearlings in the field. So I shall bide my time, save up, finish school, and gain as much experience as I can!

Thank you all for your advice! If there’s anything else I should know please don’t hesitate to post or message me, I’d love to have all the knowledge I can. ☺️