Pictures If I can’t go to Badminton....

Hmmm.... That’s pretty unanimous so far. Time for a list

Cons
Age. With young kids I think something I could just take out and ride would be ideal.
Height. I put a stick on her and she’s 150cm. I’m only 5’3” so it’s not the end of the world height wise, but I’d worry about my weight. I’m still losing baby weight, And am a few months off riding her but it would be nice to have something where I didn’t have to worry about it!
Conformation: I’m a sucker for a good shoulder and I’d say that’s one of her weakest points!

pros
That attitude. I don’t think an attitude like that comes around every day.
Price. She’s not old school ‘found in a field in Ireland’ cheap, but at sub £2k, if she stays as nice as she seems even if she isn’t a world beater she’ll be well worth it.
lockdown: I can’t go out competing anyway, so maybe this is the ideal time for a youngster?
height: gets to be a pro too- my arena is only 20x40 so there’s no point looking at big jumpers that wouldn’t be able to corner! And I do still like riding things that feel like ponies.
 
i am another who says keep her. temperament is so important , i think her shoulder looks fine, dont forget she has a lot of making up to do, she is still quite weak. she is likely to be over 15 hands, (just had to google as am old school) at least . you will be able to do all of the ground work and if you have a horsey friend available you could probably back her as well if she stays as calm as she is. i did similar got mine at 15 months and backed her myself with the help of books and a friend....
 
Keep her, absolutely. Buying a more established horse is such a mine field. It always seems like a lot and a long way to go with a youngster, but once you start making your way through training goals it really doesn't seem like that big a mountain to climb after all. I actually think youngsters often take less time in the first 18 months than a competition horse
 
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With a nice temperament it is not so hard to do a DIY breaking and bringing on. My NF had a bit of attitude and had to go away for a week (!) but by the time I bought the coloured filly who was just 3 yrs old I had enough experience to do the whole thing myself. I think she looks like a nice person and you should keep her. You could look for more perfect confirmation and loose the temperament. If you school her well in time she will change shape and get stronger. Best of luck, I'd love to be where you are again!.
 
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Vetting booked! I think it’s just normal nerves of making such a big purchase. I did a bit of stalking and found 3 full siblings, all of which are 15.1/15.2 and exactly my type of horse. One of them was for sale pre-lockdown (don’t know if he sold) so I don’t mind sharing his sales pic. The other two look very similar, and they’re all out doing low level eventing, which is what I’d like.
Thanks for talking me through my wobble! Just have to get through the vetting now!
 

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Passed the vetting! She’s slightly turned in on one leg but vet thinks a bit of rebalancing by the farrier will fix it. I’m going to give her a few months to mature before thinking of doing any work with her, and hopefully by then we’ll have her well handled and feet improved.
Does anyone have any books they recommend on groundwork with youngsters? I will send her away to be backed, but I’d like to make sure I’ve given her good foundations to build on.
Thanks everyone for helping me keep my nerve!
 
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