Lack of 'Nice' Horses

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Young Rider

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I've been trying to find a new horse for so long and have seen so many 'average' ones now I'm begining to think that I might as well just give up! Everyone knows there's no such thing as a 'perfect horse' but by gum it seems hard to actually see a nice one nowadays.

The sales in Ireland are just not the same as they used to be either. Lots of very average nags with lumpy legs and all below 16hh. The breeding really is going down hill over there and it's begining to show I think.

Anyone else finding this or am I just REALLY picky?!
 
I've been lucky with Obie. He was bought from someone in Ireland. He's beautifully bred, talented and has a temperement to die for.
Keep looking.
I got my boy from a lovely dealer who gets youngsters from Ireland regularly.
I could give you his number?
 
Thanks Spider. I think that's gonna be they key: knowing the right people to ask and in Ireland I don't really know anyone. Yes, that would be great - do you want to PM it to me?
 
I have the unbroken version on what you're looking for :D
Sorry, I know that's not much help. It seems increasingly hard to find a straight-forward quality horse these days.
 
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Young Rider said:
Thanks Spider. I think that's gonna be they key: knowing the right people to ask and in Ireland I don't really know anyone. Yes, that would be great - do you want to PM it to me?
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Of course, he's on Horsemart so I could find one of his adverts.
He had a lovely unbroken dun ISH for sale a few months ago, he got snapped up within the day. All his produce sell extremely quickly as they're quality horses but reasonably priced as he wants a high turnover. I bought Obie on the 3rd day he was up for sale.
 
Know a rising 5yr old 16.2hh chestnut gelding for sale. Very nice jump (ready to go out and do Disco/1.05) good looking chap, well bred and moves well? He's in Staffordshire/Derby's and has been jumping BN's and been to some big shows without batting an eyelid :)
 
Keep looking, and you'll find one. My advise is to check all the sites twice a day, and ring up straight away and try and be the first to view, as the good horses, correctly priced seem to be selling like hot cakes!

I was looking for 3 months, and I worked really hard at it. I was checking all the main websites at least twice a day (H&H, Horsemart, Horsedeals, Horsequest, etc) and I had wanted adverts up, which are definitely worth doing, as I received a lot of emails with details of horses.
I viewed so many horses, travelled miles and spent £££s on petrol. Many horses were not as described, lumpy legs, iffy conformation, some were vastly overpriced, quite a lot of good sounding ones were sold by the time I arranged to view them, and I had 3 failed vettings - which were very disappointing.

......Then I spotted an outstanding advert and I rang up. The owners were surprised as they had literally only just put the advert on a few minutes before my call. I was keen to see the horse immediately so I didn’t lose out on this one, so I took the day off work, I saw the horse and he was A M A Z I N G ! I had him vetted, and he passed with flying colours, and now he's in my stable :D

We went for our first hack out this morning and he was good as gold. I now just wish our ménage would thaw out. I want to try and do the Chrismas dressage!
 
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Ha ha! It sounds as though I've been doing exactly the same as you - it's so annoying when you get mislead by people. i went to see on a long way away and when I got there they pulled it out of the stable and it was a shiverer!! I mean GRRRRR!

I've put a couple of whated ads up now too and have had some replies already so fingers crossed! best of luck with your boy!

x
 
They are out there! That said though I didn't think much of my mare when I first started riding her (was having lessons on her) and even when I bought her I wasn't 'Wow she's amazing' but she ticked all the boxes and was a sensible purchase... Since I've had her home I've seen someone else 'ride' her and was suddenly blown away by what I had bought.

In my lessons now we are accomplishing things I have only dreamed of being able to do - this from a horse I thought looked like an over grown donkey!

T x
 
I've always struggled to find the nice smaller horses (under 16.1hh!) Agree with the above advise... although tbh I ended up buying my mare through word of mouth. She had been advertised, but earlier in the year, and I wouldn't have rung up about her even if I had seen her advert as she wasn't what I wanted, lol!!
 
Thank you.

It is a nightmare. I was losing the will to live at one point thinking I would never have a horse to ride or compete on again!

I nearly convinced myself to have one who failed a vetting due to him being about to develop a bone spavin, but luckily I saw reason and didn't do it. Too much money was involved to be worth the risk of him not coming right. That one was a stunning horse, gaining 71%s regularly in novice, but knowing my luck the spavin wouldn't have fused correctly and I would have bought the worlds most expensive semi retired hack!

The wait was worth it for me in the end. I hope it will be for you too x
 
When I saw my gelding advertised, (it was on my lunch break at work) I called the breeder and she'd only submitted the advert 10 minutes beforehand!
He was about 7 hours away from me, but I bought him cos he was everything I wanted. Had the looks, temperment, paces and potential. She said I was the first to phone and she seriously had about 50 others phone her after me, one person offering to take him that same day!!

I think it shows how quickly the good ones get snapped up so keep checking throughout the day.
 
Yep I know what you mean, been searching for months. Ive not got a huge budget but beginning to think I'll never find a nice horse. However, the market is quiet at the moment. Im going to see two this weekend, tho not sure about one its a breeders and he has a few but will have a nose.
 
Im on the other boot...

I have a 'nice' horse for sale but becasue of his age people are put off. He is young for his age and hasnt done a lot- wasnt really worked properly untill 9yrs old- even the judges are suprised when I say his age! He deifinately has got years ahead of him but becuse of a number no one is bothered to even look at him! hey ho the right home will come along...
 
I know of a lovely 4yo 16hh (poss 16.1h) bay gelding for sale - he is from the same yard I bought my new horse from (eventing yard). He is also pretty cool - he has spots on his neck and head! :D
I liked him, not produced to sell and is pretty nice imo - pm me if you want more details :)

Horses are there - I also know of a very nice dun 15.2 - could be fantastic eventer, he is i think, 7 or 8- but could be very nice indeed, has won RDS smalls and has done IPC eventing :)
 
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I disagree. Both of my boys are from Ireland and both are fab! I have met lots of horses over the years who have been imported from Ireland and I am yet to meet a bad one...
 
there are plenty of cheap horses around .. tho they usually have an if, but, vice, quirk or confo issue. the odd bargain if you trek for miles. it really depends if your budget is correct for the spec you want/require. good honest well made horses still hold their value. potential horses tend to be realistic price, green horses are often worth a gamble. depends on your capabilities and facilities to turn a green/young one into what you want. Malvern horse sales often have nice green horses.
 
Know of a guy on my yard who has contacts in Ireland and imports to sell on. All quite nice and level headed types...advertises on here sometimes :) SW area. Have his number if of any interest, even if he doesn't have in what you want now, he could probably find you one. Nice genuine guy with references etc :)
 
Misinterpreted said:
Keep looking, and you'll find one. My advise is to check all the sites twice a day, and ring up straight away and try and be the first to view, as the good horses, correctly priced seem to be selling like hot cakes!
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Echo I found that anything advertised for longer than a week was a waste of time going to see. The last twice I was looking for a horse, first time 8yrs ago second this time last year, I ended up buying one that had literally only been advertised within an hour or two!!

All the others I spent £££ on fuel doing over 1000 miles last time alone!

so recent adverts only no matter how desperate you are!

Good luck shame your not over here

I got mine from Shannonequestrian.com He doesn't always put his horses on his website though

But I can really recommend him, a year later and Micah is EXACTLY what he said
 
I'm thinking of selling my chap but have sort of been hanging on because of Christmas & the bad weather. He is gorgeous (coloured WB) & bred to jump, but at 11 he's probably too old for you.
 
What are you looking for? Try breeder Susan Bach - Furze Hill Farm, Surrey. She has an array of very unusual youngsters! I know she did have a beautiful dun 3 year old filly with pretty impressive bloodlines - with lots of Trakehner/Hannoverian with TB in. (she also runs a horse transport company so would probably deliver them)

This is she...

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quite a nice dun though it will be a couple of years before she is mature enough to work from that photo.!! does your budget match your specification of horse? plenty of lovely horses around but not if you have a small budget,.. even in a recession.
 
Yeah she is unusual, that was taken not summer just gone but the summer before when she was 2, will be turning 4 next year so will be more than ready to go.
 
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