Is it me or do some people want the world when buying a horse?

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Becki1802

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I was nosing through horse ads, as you do! & I saw this wanted ad - am I just being mean or is this totally unrealistic? Just wondered what people thought as I've met so many people who seem to be looking for the perfect horse which in my experience doesn't exist especially in horses (ponies are easier as genuine people sell them on when they are outgrown).


15 HH -15.2HH First horse required for 12 year old coming off ponies. Mare preferred 7 to 10 years old within 1 hour drive of XXX XXX. Must be laid back, not spooky or skittish, well behaved and must perform well when taken to new places. Must be experienced in show jumping and cross country and have good flat work or showing potential; must be fit/sound enough for competing straight away; good hacking out alone and in company; good with traffic, tractors, farm animals, dogs etc; must stand whilst being mounted and dismounted from the ground, be good to load; farrier, dentistand to clip. Forward but not strong. Must be capable of jumping 4 foot including fillers, water, ditches, hedges, drops and spooky jumps. Must be good in a mixed herd and not mareish as our yard has a stallion at times. No buckers, rearers, bolters, green or very high mileage horses. Must also be happy to be turned out on own. No allergies, health or mud fever problems.
Will be doing hacking, pony club and riding club activities, particularly showjumping, tetrathlon, cross country, hunter trials, eventing and working hunter.
Will be kept at small yard with stabling, all year round grazing, outdoor floodlit arena and excellent hacking next to UK chasers course. We are offering a 5 star knowledgeable home for life for the right horse. No dealers/producers and you must have owned your horse for at least 2 years and have competed yourself and be able to warrant behaviour and nature. Budget circa £3000.
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You do get horses that can do all that. But not at that price! And usually slightly older. If its doing 4' xc at 7 its either high milage or got potential to go further.
 
God Lord :eek:

I've actually been rendered speechless - is there really a horse that ticks ALL those boxes, especially "must be a mare that cannot be mareish as will be with stallions" :rolleyes:

Maybe if you buy with gold bulliens perhaps - I'm assuming there is no time constraints on looking for this perfect horse for £3k lol
 
I think if I had the horse described above the price tag would be about £8000-£10000! My youngster would have a £2000-3000 price tag & it bucks, doesn't jump 4ft (yet!) & is green as grass!

I would have thought maybe you'd get a golden oldie for that price but they rule that out too!!! Anyway made me chuckle & reminds me of
http://www.theequineagent.co.uk/
'The perfect horse for sale'
 
Why would anyone sell a horse like that if they had one?!

I see far too many ads asking too much, I've even seen someone asking for good horses for free :O
 
:D :D :D
............. and the horse would be named Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way!! LMAO at the thought that they would get a horse like that for 3 grand! Well, I suppose they might................ but it would be about 25 :D
 
Well if you don't ask you don't get, but I expect for that budget they will only get replies from liars with horses who fit the description perfectly.

You never know though.
 
Actually, I don't think that most of these requirements are over the top (except perhaps asking a bit too much in the jumping department for their price range). I'd require any horse to be well mannered for most of the time as a given.
 
Hmmmm if I had a horse like that I don't think I'd be selling it to a 12 year old coming off ponies. And definitely not for 3k! Sounds like a bit of a crazy mother IMO.
 
Fueledbyaisling said:
they could of just said 'Looking for a 15-15.2hh preferably mare Bombproof schoolmaster, budget £3000'
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This.

Not sure they will get the moon on the stick for that money, after all no horse is perfect. Usually you buy what you think you can work with, build up a partnership over time and then it becomes the perfect horse for you.

If I had that horse I wouldn't sell it and if I did then it would be around 10k and it would probably be sold via word of mouth!
 
I wouldn't sell to a mother like that. What a nightmare she sounds. Ok, we all want a perfect horse but her list fails to allow for the notion that horses are living sentient beings. Don't care if she has £3000 or £30,000.
Get the kid a bicyle.
 
Advert is fair enough but reading through it I was thinking more a £10-20k sort of price. not going to get a horse competing at 1.2m with no quirks for £3k.
 
Not an unrealistic set of requirements at all.

They are looking for a good all round schoolmaster - which will set them back a tad more than their budget. But - I know plenty of horses like the one they've described.
 
I think like horserider says it is concerning that there isn't any hint of compromise - I don't know many horses that have NEVER bucked or gotten strong that will fly over 4ft! & even if I had said well mannered horse, never say never. What about the period they are unsettled in their new home?! It concerns me when there appears to be no give & take! Not even on age or gender!!!
 
If it truly was a 5 star KNOWLEDGABLE home they would know how to

teach a horse to stand whilst being mounted and dismounted from the ground
be patient if a horse doesnt jump into a trailer with enthusiasm
manage it suitably so there were no health or mud fever problems.

that's just for starters!
 
Becki1802 said:
I think like horserider says it is concerning that there isn't any hint of compromise - I don't know many horses that have NEVER bucked or gotten strong that will fly over 4ft! & even if I had said well mannered horse, never say never. What about the period they are unsettled in their new home?! It concerns me when there appears to be no give & take! Not even on age or gender!!!
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Why should that make a well behaved horse buck?
 
Ok well not just buck... They might spook or any of the many other things this perfect £3k horse should never do!!!
Not to mention that this is not a nationwide search for the perfect & cheap horse!!
 
Becki1802 said:
Ok well not just buck... They might spook or any of the many other things this perfect £3k horse should never do!!!
Not to mention that this is not a nationwide search for the perfect & cheap horse!!
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I think you're being rather unfair to very many sane, sensible horses out there.
 
Nothing wrong with their requirements per se.

But it does wind me up when I see ads like this that are incredibly demanding and then have a ridiculous budget for what they want.

Horses like the one they want are like gold dust - finding something that combines perfect manners with serious talent, AND is the right age, height and gender - they'd be lucky to find something to tick all the boxes for 8k, let alone 3.

I do think there is often a tendency to be unrealistic about what can be got for a lower budget. Fantastic horses for 3k or less are out there, but you have to be prepared to compromise - maybe on age, breed - or a vice, or a quirk. It's very frustrating when someone comes to see a horse advertised at 3k, and then expect it to be everything that a 6k horse would be.
 
Sophstar said:
If it truly was a 5 star KNOWLEDGABLE home they would know how to

teach a horse to stand whilst being mounted and dismounted from the ground
be patient if a horse doesnt jump into a trailer with enthusiasm
manage it suitably so there were no health or mud fever problems.

that's just for starters!
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Well the point is they don't want to have to teach horses to stand or start off with health problems requiring management. I don't think that there's anything wrong with specifying all these requirements, they might strike lucky if say someone locally has a great horse they are having to sell due to circumstances but are very concerned where it goes.

As I said before, they are more likely to get calls from not-quite-dealers with "exactly what they are looking for" :rolleyes: but if they can sift through these and aren't in a rush, the right horse might just come up, especially if they actually do have a bit of scope to increase the budget, maybe expecting people replying to the ad to say, "I've got that horse but its a bit more money", to whatever budget they state on the ad. ;)
 
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xspiralx sums it up beautifully!
amymay - I'm not saying every horse will become a nut job but you have to be forgiving in the initial settling in period - any loving 5* home that I know would understand that! I mean their wording suggests it will be straight out competing & being 'perfect'!
Maybe you can demand all this with a 5 figure budget but it is still expecting a robotic horse!
 
Hahaha. Is it an April fool a day late? Yeah they might find one, but for £3k and within an hour of where they live? Mmmmm.

Sounds like they don't want to be waiting too long either, as they want something ready to go competing as soon as it arrives.

Well good luck to them, but if it was me and someone came up with that horse, I'd be very suspicious indeed.
 
Personally I think utterly bomproof and able to fly round 4ft without looking at anything with a 12 year old is pushing it. No mention is made of how well she rides. Especially as it has to be less than 10, a mare, and never be mareish (why not just get a gelding?) Yes its a buyers market, but perfection comes at a price, and it is higher than that even now,
 
I have a 14.2 version that fits that criteria, or at least did in her younger days, & is far from robotic, she just has a great temperament & knows her job. I've never sold her, but on quite a few occasions has gone off to comps & pony club rallies with kids she's not used to & (even though I know them well) & behaved beautifully. She's also stayed at a friends yard for 2 weeks, with people she didn't know & was handled & ridden by a competent 11 yr old who'd lost her confidence. I've also met a few others, if anything the over 14.2 ones are easier to find as they put you out of ponies. Only thing is, they go for a lot more than 3k if they fit that criteria.
 
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