Just can't find a good hunter

[humph]

My husband will be retiring his 17yr old hunter at the end of this season and so we're looking for a new horse for him.

We bought one last year that has turned out to be brilliant and bold but he needs 2 as he's the master. We have been to see one horse who was lovely and fitted the bill, but sadly the vet felt he wasn't up to our heavy going. Other horses I have enquired about the people selling have been very honest and have said that they felt their horse wasn't good enough for what we need - this has happened 3 times!

I've been hugely impressed by their honesty. It has helped that on each occasion it turns out we have had friends in common with the person selling so they didn't want to sell us a bad one. I reckon people would like to sell him a good one so that word will spread that that's the place to buy good hunters. However, this is making it somewhat frustrating that there are no horses out there. Obviously we would rather wait and get the best horse than rush in, particularly since we have time on our side before next season. However, I think it's quite important to have the summer to get used to a horse before setting off to fieldmaster on it at the opening meet.

Has anyone else noticed a lack of hunters for sale? Is it just the worst time of year to be looking?

 

[CastleMouse]

Come to Ireland

 

[nicholls07]

ditto , irelands best ...

 

[Daisychain]

I had a fantastic eventer/ hunter which i advertised who is now sold, but to be honest it was all eventer/ponyclub people that enquired no proper hunting people, i think hunting people often just go to dealers and get ripped off from what i can see!

 

[humph]

I reckon Ireland has to be the answer - a good Irish thug will do the trick!

Sadly I seem to see so many horses advertised as hunters that have never hunted before - it seems people think that if their horse has not been hugely successful in other fields they'll work as a hunter.

Now need to persuade to him to pack his breeches and book a ferry to Ireland...

 

[RunToEarth]

Where are you based, my friend has one for sale, just hunted a full season, real sweetie out hunting.

 

[humph]

we're down in gloucestershire but quite happy to travel for the right horse. Below is what we're looking for...

Henry is slim, but he's tall so weighs about 12.5 to 13 stone.
He'd ideally like something around 17hh but would consider 16.2 upwards if it would cope with H's weight and our heavy going. (he used to hunt a 16.2 welsh cob cross who was a dream and easily up to his weight but with enough quality). Because of the going, it's quite important to have enough bone but equally to have enough quality to keep up front and scope to jump the hedges and ditches. Above all else the most important
criteria is boldness - something H can pull away from the field and clear a run of hedges whether followed by the field or not. Brakes would be nice but not to the sacrifice of boldness!

Would love to hear if your friends horse fits the bill.

thx loads,

 

[Nats_uk]

What age are you looking for and is Essex to far?

 

[humph]

Aged between 5 and 10 would suit us best. Under 5 and it may not be experienced enough and over 10 just leaves us with fewer seasons - we like to have our horses for life so the longer that is the better.

If a horse fits the bill we'll travel to see it but would want to know quite a bit about it before heading off up to Scotland say!

Another thing to add is that our country is made up of decent hedges with ditches in front or behind (similar to the blackmore vale) so the horse needs not only boldness but scope to stretch as well as jump high. I know it sounds like we're asking for the earth but we bought the perfect horse last year so I'm confident that we'll be able to find another one.

Thanks for all your help, x

 

[Daddy_Long_Legs]

Hi Humph, A friend of mine has a hunter for sale in Lambourn if your interested. Hunts with the VWH and at the moment is out with a pack in Wilts. Not sure which. Chesnut Horse, 16.2hh. He's 9. Did a bit of eventing as a 4 and 5 y/o. Nice horse plenty of buzz.

 

[jomiln]

We have a 17.1hhs, 8 year old that will be for sale. He has hunted over the last few months with both the Middleton and Derwent - jumps hedges, gates, post & rails for fun. Gone off on point etc.

If you are interested I can email a photo. I know that we are a fair distance from you but he is a nice stamp of a horse with a lovely attitude.

 

[humph]

Hi All, thanks for your responses. I really like the sound of the 17.1 horse and would love to see some photos - will pm you. The 16.2 sounds lovely but poss more suitable for me but i'm 6.5 months pregnant so have no plans on buying a horse! My worry is that if he's fine enough to event and only 16.2 that he won't be chunky enough to carry my husband for half a day over heavy going. Again, I'd love to see a photo cos if he were chunky enough that'd be great.

Thank you all so much,

Kate

 

[Horsey_Gal]

We have one that will be for sale, 16.2hh welsh cob X 7yo very scopey and bold, jumps ditches, hedges, walls, etc. Hunts regularly, loves it!

 

[humph]

Dear All,

I'm going to be offline til next weekend now so if I don't reply to your posts, please dont think that it's cos I'm not interested, it's just that I won't have access to a computer til Sat.

Please keep posting any tips or recommendations, or, even better, news of the perfect horse!

Thx, Kate

 

[humph]

Hi horsey gal,

have just tried to pm you but your box is full - I'd love to know more about your horse and would love to see some photos but I'd rather not put my email address out for all to view!

Don't know if you'd be able to make space for a new pm?!

Thx loads,

Kate

 

[cpendle]

Have you tried Jill Carenza at Stanton (near Broadway) - she does hirelings but also deals and brings lorry loads of really nice hunters over from Ireland. She's not cheap, but she has a good eye and usually has some lovely horses for sale.

PM me if you'd like her number.

 

[JenHunt]

I know of a hunter for sale, but we're up in North Yorkshire. used to heavy going, steep hills, jumps anything and is honest as the day is long - but he's only 6, and needs to grow into himself a bit.

PM me if he sounds like what you're looking for.

 

[Horsey_Gal]

Sure, have deleted some now, sorry!

 

[Daddy_Long_Legs]

Hi Humph, My friends husband used to hunt him before they split up and he was about 15 stone at the time. He's a good solid sort, maybe middle weight. I will get some photos for you.

 

[henryhorn]

I'd pm LEC, she has a super horse for sale. :grin:

 

[humph]

Hi All,

Thanks loads for your messages and your PMs - I've been away for a few days but am now back. Will crack on with horse-hunting now we're back so will be in touch.

Thx SO much for all your help and advice

Kate

 

[humph]

Well, I'm now feeling really depressed. I found out about a horse that sounded lovely and was really excited that it would suit my husband down to the ground.

It had a very good record eventing at PN level, being placed pretty much on every outing. The photos that came through from the previous owners really got the gastric juices flowing - it was such a beautiful horse. I know beauty isn't important in the hunting field but a beautiful horse still makes catches my breath. I had been told that the current owner bought it last year for 16k (more fool him, I thought) and, being a bit of a novice, has lost his confidence on it. It jumps fantastically but he just finds it too strong. As a result, the word on the street was that they would sell it for a lot less.

Anyway we got in touch with the owner and he spoke to OH and he was as excited as me about how suitable it sounded. I was in the background mouthing - ask how much and it turns out he wants £14k for it. I can understand that he wants that to recoup the inordinate amount he paid for it but can a hunter really be worth that much? He particularly wants to sell it to a hunting home rather than an eventer because it so loves its hunting. I can understand with its good eventing record it might be worth that much but is it worth that much as a hunter?

Very sadly, we have had to turn them down as we simply don't have that budget. A part of me is hoping that they might get in touch in due course saying they'd be prepared to drop it to, say £10k but do you reckon that's a pipe dream?

 

[Angelbones]

There is a website called hunthorses.co.uk - have you or anybody else tried them? They seem to have all the right credentials and on quick glance I quite fancied several of the ones they have on offer?

 

[humph]

Brill thanks angelbones, have never heard of that website, will give it a go now. Have had a look - certainly the right type of horse and think 1 in particular fits the bill so have got in touch about that.

Thanks for the tip off,

Kate

 

[Daddy_Long_Legs]

Jaysus!!! 14K that's steep.

 

[humph]

Dear All,

Thank you loads for your help. I hope, fingers very firmly crossed, that we might have found a horse for my husband this morning. He fitted the bill - up to weight, buzzy sort but gave the impression he'd jump anything you pointed him at. We're hoping to get him vetted but our vet can't see him for a while so now just pray that no-one beats us to it in the meantime.

Thanks all for your help and recommendations and I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.

 

[humph]

Aaaaah,

I can't believe we're having such bad luck! Having said to the owner that we wanted to buy the horse subject a 5 stage vetting, our vet had contacted her to arrange a time. She couldn't do the days he suggested so the earliest they could do would be a week on tuesday so we decided to ask a more local vet so as to speed things up.

She then rang me the following day to say that someone else had been to see the horse and that they had turned up with £1000 in cash and paid a deposit there and then subject to a 2 stage vetting, so the horse had gone.

At the time I was so shocked that I just said that I was disappointed but having been thinking about it I am really put out by how she has treated us. When i sold a horse last year, I cancelled future viewings once someone said they wanted him subject to the vet. Also having spent my life selling houses, in that situation, I would have at least given us an opportunity to either pay a deposit or increase the offer (we'd said we'd pay the full price anyway but probably would have gone up).

Anyway, a friend of mine who does a bit of horse buying and selling said she thinks the reason this woman acted like this is because she thinks the horse'll fail a 5 stage vetting, which makes me feel a bit better but I'm still gutted cos we really thought we'd found the right horse.

Anyway as a result, we're back on the hunt again. I thought buying horses was supposed to be fun, not stressful!

 

[JenHunt]

oh no! but i agree... sounds a bit like they thought he wouldn't pass a 5 stage vet.

 

[Zoobie]

I agree it does sound as though she got cold feet re the 5 stage vetting. Oh I really hope you find something soon .

 

[WJ3]

Hi, what kind of horse are you looking for?