I want a youngster...but

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gill84

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I want a youngster preferablly that'll be a yearling next year to bring on. I've enquired about a few but why do the owners want full payment? Just me being over cautious or am I right in only wanting to pay a deposit until it's weaned in the new year? I don't want to pay that amount of money for something I haven't got or they could potentially sell on behind my back
 
How much of a deposit is reasonable? I'm still wary of parting with too much cash incase they pull a fast one or am I being far too cautious
 
Most i've seen have only asked for a deposit then full after weaning. Try ringing a few reputable breeders to see what they've got...Or you can always buy my beautiful yearling boy in my siggy! :D
 
In an ideal world I want one on loan with the view to buy then I can bring it on show it in hand back it etc and if it turns out to be a dud well I haven't wasted a fortune on it. A friend of mine did that and it turned out well for her but in these times most people want to sell
 
Deposit only until weaned. By paying for him in full you would be his legal owner & responsible for bills (vets, wormers) incurred. By paying only the deposit they would still be responsible. I would be very wary of paying full price until weaned.
 
I paid a 10% deposit and full price in cash at weaning. He was vetted just before payment and gelded immediatelty after. He then stayed there for another 4 weeks to recover before travelling. I paid a nominal amount for them to continue to keep him but I had him insured by then.

I would be amazed if anyone would loan a yearling with a view to buy as their handling and education would be down to you and if he did turn out to be a "dud" whose fault would that be?? Not saying you would do a bad job, but the breeder might feel they would have done things differently. On the other hand if you do a fabulous job then the horse will be worth a lot more - would you pay that???
 
If I were breeding good horses of show quality, I most certainly would not let a good foal go to any Tom Dick or Harry, particularly if I thought they were going to send it back!

The whole point of buying a young horse to show is that the purchaser has used his skill to pick out the good one, if you get one and for whatever reason it does not get HOYS qualified or whatever, that is part luck and part experience.

I had a good foal, and stuck it out till I found a suitable home, it was sold at a premium because it was a premium animal, the new owner loves her, and she has a home for life, she would be a good animal to show, but at the moment he is quite happy to bring her on as a nice ride and drive.
 
I take 10% deposit to secure the foal and the rest payable on weaning. If you chose to leave the foal with me for longer then you are responsible for livery bill, vets and insurance.
 
If you buy from a reputable breeder there shouldn't be a problem, their reputation will matter to them and you should be treated fairly. We purchased our ID foal from a well known breeder, paid about one half of the purchase price as deposit and the rest just before the foal was delivered. No problems at all, plus I am always able to ask for help and advice. The foal might cost a little more when you go to a well known breeder but the peace of mind makes it worth every penny.
 
Loan with a view to buy on a weanling? For long enough for you to back it (i.e 3yrs)?! Noone in their right mind will offer that! You'd maybe get a couple weeks trial if you're very lucky but noone will let you take their foaly, potentially wreck it over 3yrs and hand it back once it's unfixable!
 
I would never ask for the full amount for a foal either - I get a deposit to hold the animal which is returnable if the foal has an injury that will affect it or if it dies, the rest is payable on collection.
I never understand how or why someone would loan a youngster out - the animal can't be ridden for years and could easily be screwed up/neglected in the meantime then sent back to you as something that is useless and not through any fault of of its own, buying a foal is a gamble that you take, if it doesn't turn out as you want then you still have an animal that is sale-able and worth something to someone, it is just down to experience, buying from a reputable breeder will give you a far better chance of getting what you want and that is suitable for your needs.
 
gill84 said:
In an ideal world I want one on loan with the view to buy then I can bring it on show it in hand back it etc and if it turns out to be a dud well I haven't wasted a fortune on it. A friend of mine did that and it turned out well for her but in these times most people want to sell
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You have GOT to be joking! I'd happily take a deposit and hold it until weaning - but what you're suggesting would be crazy from a breeder's point of view.

Take it for HOW long - 3 years - until it's ready to back - and then once it is totally WRECKED, you turn around and say: "I don't want it!" What planet do you live on?? :rolleyes:
 
JanetGeorge said:
You have GOT to be joking! I'd happily take a deposit and hold it until weaning - but what you're suggesting would be crazy from a breeder's point of view.

Take it for HOW long - 3 years - until it's ready to back - and then once it is totally WRECKED, you turn around and say: "I don't want it!" What planet do you live on?? :rolleyes:
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where's that dratted like button?.......
 
Janet George if you've nothing productive to say then don't bother! You know my riding back ground and skills do you? You seem so sure I'd wreck it?! What do you I'm gonna do to the thing like?! I've backed horses for people and not wrecked them and took my mums horse from yearling to novice dressage and eventing level as well as county level showing! Thanks for your opinion but to be frank don't bother next time
 
And no obviously I wouldn't want a yearling on loan so waste my time and money on for 3 years I meant youngster on loan as in 3 or 4 year old. Some people on here are so bloody quick to get there unhelpful opinion across!!! As for the rest of you who were productive in answering my query thank you I did think some of the foals I'd looked at were expecting a bit much to want either most of or full payment til weaning. Think if I do go ahead with one in particular as mentioned Id make sure I got a reciept but would that still be enough to say out right it's mine once paid in full. Reputable breeder or not there's plenty people out there who could pull a fast one
 
JanetGeorge said:
You have GOT to be joking! I'd happily take a deposit and hold it until weaning - but what you're suggesting would be crazy from a breeder's point of view.

Take it for HOW long - 3 years - until it's ready to back - and then once it is totally WRECKED, you turn around and say: "I don't want it!" What planet do you live on?? :rolleyes:
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Thank you Janet, saved me the time.

And gill84 - if it only turned out to be a 'dud' after you'd spent a year or two backing/producing it, whose fault would that be? The breeder's?
 
gill84 said:
Janet George if you've nothing productive to say then don't bother! You know my riding back ground and skills do you? You seem so sure I'd wreck it?! What do you I'm gonna do to the thing like?! I've backed horses for people and not wrecked them and took my mums horse from yearling to novice dressage and eventing level as well as county level showing! Thanks for your opinion but to be frank don't bother next time
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I don't think she was saying that you would actually wreck the youngster, just that the dealer doesn't know that you won't. It would be a massive risk for a dealer to loan a youngster to anyone, because some people will bring them on beautifully and some will ruin them, and it's not always easy to tell what kind of owner they'll be until it's too late. I'm sure JG didn't mean any personal offence. :)
 
gill84 said:
Janet George if you've nothing productive to say then don't bother! You know my riding back ground and skills do you? You seem so sure I'd wreck it?! What do you I'm gonna do to the thing like?! I've backed horses for people and not wrecked them and took my mums horse from yearling to novice dressage and eventing level as well as county level showing! Thanks for your opinion but to be frank don't bother next time
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It's very productive - it MIGHT help drag you (kicking and screaming) into the real world! By the time a weanling is ready to leave home it has cost the breeder anything from about £2,500 - £5,000 (or more!) You want to pay a deposit and delay paying the balance for 3 years! The interest alone that the breeder would lose could be - even at today's rates - £300 (and if the breeder has a mortgage or an overdraft - considerably more. You may think you're God's gift to breaking and schooling youngsters - but how is the breeder supposed to KNOW that? Or KNOW that the youngster won't be injured (or worse) while in your care?

Why on EARTH should any breeder take that sort of risk?

Oh - and BTW - if you ask questions on a public forum you can't be too fussy about the responses you get (particularly if it's a pretty daft question!)
 
The OPs posting seemed to indicate that she wanted to select an unweaned foal, to be shown and if it did well, she would keep it, but if not return it, obviously that is not on, why would any breeder allow a horse to leave them without it being paid for, and if it is useless [for whatever reason] have it dumped back on them!
OK, a particular friend might be happy to hand over a young horse to you, but really that is because she knows your abilities, but you still have to decide to buy it, really the "loan with a view to buy" is for inexperienced owners to take on a mature horse, not unbroken youngsters.
No one who has gone to all the trouble of breeding and rearing a horse for three years is going to hand it over to someone, not knowing if they will ever see any money, and if for some reason things go wrong, the person will take it back to them, presumably asking for their deposit back!
 
gill84 said:
And no obviously I wouldn't want a yearling on loan so waste my time and money on for 3 years I meant youngster on loan as in 3 or 4 year old. Some people on here are so bloody quick to get there unhelpful opinion across!!! As for the rest of you who were productive in answering my query thank you I did think some of the foals I'd looked at were expecting a bit much to want either most of or full payment til weaning. Think if I do go ahead with one in particular as mentioned Id make sure I got a reciept but would that still be enough to say out right it's mine once paid in full. Reputable breeder or not there's plenty people out there who could pull a fast one
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You were talking about a foal and deposits so the general assumption was that you were looking to loan with a view to buy, because no-where had you mentioned a 3 or 4 year old.

I don't think people were so quick to put their point across, so much as you left out some details that were required if you wanted people to know you weren't talkign about a foal.

As for getting a youngster on loan with a view to buy, I wouldn't let mine go off on loan, simply because I wouldn't want someone messing my horse up and leaving me with an injured or unmanageable horse. This isn't to say I think I'm better than you or would do the job better, but simply that I wouldn't like to take the risk after the hard work of 3 years going into that horse for someone to perhaps get it wrong - especially if I didn't know them from Tom, Dick or Harry!

good luck with your search.
 
For a well bred foal from a good breeder with a waiting list then yes I wouldn't be suprised if they requested full payment before weaning, providing everything is in writing I personally wouldn't have an issue with it.

As for how they turn out, well how long is a piece of string, if you chose the foal rather than the breeder selecting the foal for you, then you live with what you've bought and paid for.
 
I buy a foal most years, usually from photographs, pay a deposit and hope for the best.
Its a gamble but do your homework and usually get it just about right :)
I expect to pay a third or so of the asking price, balance paid on collection.
That is the excitement of choosing and buying a foal.
however, some nice youngsters can be pretty one year and pretty ugly the next, again its the patience game with youngsters.

There are breeders out there who will lease youngsters to people to show but usually only if your reputation and results support this.

and as for loaning a youngster to break and bring on, i wouldnt , even if all goes to plan, the pony is on loan and can go back at any time and for all that work time and effort you get nothing.
 
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