Is no-one selling big dressage horses?

cptrayes

cptrayes

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I can't believe how much trouble I am having finding any big moving 3,4 or 5 year old dressage horses to look at that are going to mature at least 16.3 in their bare feet. I have managed to find one mare, but she's a real lightweight and although she might make the height she's never going to be a "big" horse. Doesn't ANYONE sell big young dressage horses? My budget isn't megastar ginormous but it's plenty big enough in this market. I could find any number of 16.1hh horses to go and see at under £10k - where are the 17 handers?????

If anyone knows, please let me know!
 
Well I think I may have to consider a trip to Holland at this rate. I was hoping to avoid it because the excitement of the trip would encourage me to pick the wrong horse!
 
cptrayes said:
I can't believe how much trouble I am having finding any big moving 3,4 or 5 year old dressage horses to look at that are going to mature at least 16.3 in their bare feet. I have managed to find one mare, but she's a real lightweight and although she might make the height she's never going to be a "big" horse. Doesn't ANYONE sell big young dressage horses? My budget isn't megastar ginormous but it's plenty big enough in this market. I could find any number of 16.1hh horses to go and see at under £10k - where are the 17 handers?????

If anyone knows, please let me know!
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Contact Jock Merriman http://www.jmsporthorses.co.uk/
He has a number of horses he imports from Holland and Belgium many chosen for dressage and showjumping with excellent breeding lines. He will also take you abroad to meet his contact and try as many as a dozen horses in one day. Its all on his website. The horse in my siggy is from him, grandsire Nimmerdor, 17,1hh, fabby paces, competing at unaff elem but could go much, much higher. Not for sale though!!!!!:) I went to him with exact criteria - 17 - 17.2hh warmblood gelding, aged 6-10, bay or black, white markings, good tempament, no BSJA winnings and nice paces. I was and still am delighted with my lovely boy six years on.
 
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I put a wanted ad out and got a very good response - problem was that i didn't put my budget on which was significantly less than yours!

I can forward you my offers if you'd like (PM your email addy) some VERY nice sounding horses that i didn't request photos for being too embrassed to admit the budget!

my ad requested a youngster 2-4 that must make at 17hh - and be a gelding with some substance (part bred heavy or warmblood)

the majority of responses were for warmbloods either from dressage or eventing lines.

from memory a lot were under your budget but didn't pay much attention as so over mine
 
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There's a poster on the BD forum got a homebred 16.3 rising 3 yr old she wants to swop for something smaller (I think she's 5'1 from memory)

This is her - I'm assuming you're a BD member? If not, give me a shout and I'll pass on her contact details

http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/forum/category/members_forum/326918

I've got a 17.3 - not a warmblood and 8 yrs old - but he could do dressage.....!! That'd be big enough for you lol!!
 
Thanks, I'll check out the contacts. I've tried Astrid and she hasn't answered my email and all her babies on her website are too small. I want a baby because I want my money to pay for the quality of the horse and not someone else's training :)
 
Depends on your budget but I have a 2.5yr old Friesian x TB that is 16.3Hh at the moment - so will be well over 17Hh when he's done - I think you'll need a parachute to get off him!!!!:D Very sweet natured too, nice compact conformation - pm if you'd like to see some pics and a video!:D
 
Raymond and Alistair Gatherum import some gorgeous BWPs in Fife, and Raymond's well known for his honesty in finding the right horse for the right person. Many of them go on to do SJ, but they have youngsters too which could be well suited to being produced as dressage horses.
 
Thanks guys but I live near Manchester airport and it would be easier for me to fly to Holland or Germany and see one of the big clearing centres with dozens for sale than to travel for one horse to the South Coast or far north of Scotland.

I'm pretty fed up with travelling to see horses which are supposed to be 16.2 to find out that they are barely 16 hands, I'm thinking of starting to insist that they send me a photo with a measuring stick on the horse!!! Why do so many people think that their horses are bigger than they are??

Alexart thanks for your post but the way my nutball went today I think I want something which is competition age in 2011 and your boy is too young....

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm about to go and research the cost of a wanted ad on Horsequest, it got such great responses for the person who posted about it.
 
May be worth phoning Rebecca Fallows of LG sport horses in Cheshire. I think they have a base in Holland so may be able to organise a trip across. They normally have big horses for dressage, just not sure what they are up to at the moment.
 
cptrayes, if you are willing to come to Germany do let me know, please -- my trainer has a number of horses for sale and they are all that size or bigger. (In Germany you'd have the opposite problem -- finding good horses who are on the small side!)
 
cptrayes said:
I can't believe how much trouble I am having finding any big moving 3,4 or 5 year old dressage horses to look at that are going to mature at least 16.3 in their bare feet. I have managed to find one mare, but she's a real lightweight and although she might make the height she's never going to be a "big" horse. Doesn't ANYONE sell big young dressage horses? My budget isn't megastar ginormous but it's plenty big enough in this market. I could find any number of 16.1hh horses to go and see at under £10k - where are the 17 handers?????

If anyone knows, please let me know!
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MEEEEE A 17.1 DUTCH WARMBLOOD however he is 6 years old.
 
Good leads chaps thanks. (DHI Santano is £15k - too much for me, but also too small, I've seen him) SS have two the right size and I'm waiting for a price. hannahdudey, PM me if you are within a couple of hours of Manchester and the horse is still a baby. Six is fine but I want the horse green so I train it myself, because that's how I get my fun.
 
My cousin is - he's 172.5 cm I think he's 5 but backward for his age..... only trouble is, he's in Italy.... want a flight out there if I find some more?? He's a German-bred WB
 
The warmth would be tempting Spacefaer! Can't really justify a flight for one horse though.

I thought I might just go mad and buy a pure Friesian, but I have been told by breeders/dealers in Holland that they are rare, with Friesians not usually making more than 169cm with good legs and they won't touch the bigger ones because of the quality issues.

LG's horses are twice my budget. SS have one close to it but still too much, waiting to see if they can come down before I tempt myself by going to see it. Meanwhile Alexart's two year old Friesian-x is a lovely horse, by the look of him and I am tempted to break my age criteria for him.....
 
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I've had a wonderful reply to my wanted ad on Horsequest - Just three words, "in your dreams", sent by Margret Mounder from an un-replyable email address. How sick do people have to be to write messages like that to a complete stranger? I feel sorry for her.

Luckily, I've had a lot more constructive help from people on here, thankyou, and from the advert. I have three offers to go to Holland or Germany where I am told that my budget will definitely give me a choice of horses which meet what I want. For the moment, though, I'm still searching in this country. Apart from the snow stopping me travelling to see a lovely big bay 3 year old, it's only the size causing a problem. I could have bought a dozen at 16.1hh. I can't blame the dealers for not importing the bigguns, the market sweet spot in this country is for the smaller ones and they need to turn them over to stay in business, especially in a dead market like now.

Still open to suggestions! I don't care how it's bred, by the way, just as long as it moves! I have seen some stunning Clydesdale crosses with huge elevation in the past which I'd be perfectly happy with (in fact secretly chuffed to have unconventional and English breeding.)
 
I'm surprised you are having trouble finding an allrounder in that age group and size range Penfold - have you tried Horsemart?
 
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