Lower the budget? Do I?

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indie999

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ok I have looked at a variety of hacking adverts visited etc etc.

What would you pay for a happy hacking horse road proof farrier etc

cant work out why some are £3k+ and then I look at £1200+(not one is with a breed society)& they are similar when I go to see them!!??

I think some sellers have hyper inflated prices, one I saw last week was £1200 now its £1900(we couldnt even catch it either).

So what do I pay for a happy hacker via private sale?

And what would a dealer charge on top for something similar?

I have sort of stopped looking as fed up wasting so much time looking travelling...I bought my last horse on 5th pony viewing. I must be up to 12+
 
Personally for so general happy hacker id pay £1500, £2000 at most.


This may be a lot lower than other people think though!

Depends on breed, past records etc though.
 
blucanoo1990 said:
Personally for so general happy hacker id pay £1500, £2000 at most.


This may be a lot lower than other people think though!

Depends on breed, past records etc though.
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Thanks very much. I was going higher but on viewing have decided that most are not worth more than £2K realistically. Most have not been in rosettes/shows etc

What would a dealer add on if I get asked my budget???£1K/£2K????Add on to above figure then.?
I am thinking of dealer for a while but the dealer I was recommended is no longer dealing!!
 
Going on what I paid in January for something very similar to what I believe you are looking for, I certainly wouldn't pay more than £2000. I don't think dealers are putting much on top atm. They are just glad to be able to sell.
You really don't seem to be having much luck,do you? Which sites are you looking on?
 
I advertised my 16hh 8yr old gelding about a year ago as a happy hacker sale. He is an ex-pacer and gets himself in a pickle in the school so I wanted him to go to a hacking home. He doesn't pace out hacking and is a lovely hack, great in traffic. He is also a great hunter although it was out of hunt season.
I advertised him for £2000ono and didn't get any calls. I would have included tack & rugs. I thought that was a reasonable price considering his age and he is safe, sensible and responsive but fun.
In the end I loaned him to a lovely bloke cos I didn't want to sell him too cheap to the wrong person.
In this market though I would've thought you could find something for £1500. Trouble is a lot of 'happy hacking' horses may be older or have injuries which prevent them from jumping so I guess it depends what you're willing to compromise on.
 
it depends on what you want really ,if you only wanted to hack you could get something really cheap that had an old injury thats ended there competitive life ,there will to loads out there somewhere
have you tried a charity got to be worth putting your name down

i have one for sale for £2500 but he could do anything really :) and im in no hurry to sell him ,i wouldn't personally pay more than £1500 for a nice hack
 
Depends if you want a 13.2 happy hacker or a 17.h happy hacker I suppose... Easily under £2k. Anyone asking more is having a laugh. I don't see what effect breeding makes to a happy hacker really.
 
I got my mare for about a third my budget, but I'd been looking for over a year. She is the best hacking horse I have ridden in years and nearly everyone on the yard is envious of how good she is. She is nicely put together and very pretty.

But she was cheap because she is young and had done nothing, she had only hacked once before we tried her and had never competed. She was also not good with the farrier.

She is improving all the time with the farrier and I am incredibly proud of her everytime we hack out. She will in time do more than just hack too.

She was worth the risk, if you are reasonably competent it might be worth taking on something that needs some work.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Going on what I paid in January for something very similar to what I believe you are looking for, I certainly wouldn't pay more than £2000. I don't think dealers are putting much on top atm. They are just glad to be able to sell.
You really don't seem to be having much luck,do you? Which sites are you looking on?
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You are absolutely right no luck at all! I am not in a rush and really need a ready to go, but at the moment even I am thinking IF I get a youngster that is just a bit green I could have lessons on it but I dont think I have the nerve or experience without help to do this! I dont want to ruin a good pony either.

But I am looking H&H/Horsemart/Horsexchange/horseads/ ponyclub/Preloved /my local saddlery shops/Dragon Driving. I have seen a couple of places plods and cobs/safe hacks but they are not local to me so unless I trec and take some time out to view etc which will be a day out. Every one says just stay local (and the amount of time spent so far I am now trying to stick to that idea). Oh looked on newforest site yesterday. Have I missed anyother sites?? I have tried to find out my local riding club too without much success. Should I try riding schools???I am sounding very sad now! Sorry as I am on here a lot! My sincere apologies!!!Thanks for all your help out there!
 
Honey08 said:
Depends if you want a 13.2 happy hacker or a 17.h happy hacker I suppose... Easily under £2k. Anyone asking more is having a laugh. I don't see what effect breeding makes to a happy hacker really.
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Funny I agree I dont care if its got two heads! When I got my last pony I was not going for looks just safety and hacking! He is not perfect but on the roads doesnt even wake up. People use to say to me is he old! NO just half asleep..BUT not all the time elsewhere!

Someone said to me oh you must have a good looking horse...ur no not for me...two heads is fine!!
 
Have you tried looking on Facebook? There are lots of horse for sale sections on there at the moment & some of them are constantly updating all the time.
 
Yep I will have a look I know if I click on the links you have to have an account I think so? I dont have one. Will speak to my kids and ask them to look.

Do I just do a search for horses for sale???? can you do it by area then?? Thank you v much but good idea.
 
If all you want is a safe bombproof hack who is good to catch, load, shoe etc where breeding/looks are not important then you shouldn't have trouble picking something up for £1500

However if you want all of the above but also something that is good enough to take to shows (even local level) or hunt/fun ride etc etc then I would say you need to add at least £1k to your budget.

Whereabouts in the country are you and how far are you prepared to travel? Im up north and would happily go and have a look at anything you found in my neck of the woods, to save you trawling a long distance for something unsuitable. Also what height are you looking for - I can always ask around.

Have you put a wanted advert up anywhere?
 
Yes you will need an account...why not have one yourself rather than borrow the kids, great way of finding old friends & keeping in touch with people :) anyway, when you do get on there search for Horse Chit Chat, Horses for sale, Horses & Ponys for sale under £1000....im not sure of your area but we are in West Wales so search for things in your area as well, we have Secondhandstuff West Wales where there are usually a few advertised. Its all a bit hit & miss & takes patience, but there are sometimes some nice horses advertised on there, some of the groups you will need to join to be able to see whats advertised, also to contact the sellers, if they havnt given a contact number you will need to inbox them, so it might make more sense to have your own account rather then use your kids. Good luck :)
 
I feel your pain Indie, I too know how difficult it is and the prices vary hugely. I like good dealers but the only problem with them is that usually the horses they have are very young and green with unknown pasts so if you want something safe and been there done it you need something a bit older and more established IMO, and tried and tested. I would think you still pay quite a premium at dealers with a good reputation and would be looking at £3 - £3500 although as above you really shouldn't need to pay more than £2k for an everyday hack. Wish you luck in your search - maybe when we're not trying so hard something will come to you through word of mouth or the good HHO people, I hope so x
 
Honey08 said:
Depends if you want a 13.2 happy hacker or a 17.h happy hacker I suppose... Easily under £2k. Anyone asking more is having a laugh. I don't see what effect breeding makes to a happy hacker really.
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Sorry what i meant was if it was a mare and of good breeding, the sellers would ask a lot more due to the potential for breeding it.
 
Indie999 where ish in the country are you as people may be able to recommend dealers yards in your area. There are always the good and the bad. But where we used to live I knew which dealers you could trust and which you would avaoid like the plauge ;)

Also what are you looking for as some are into ponies / cobs / ex racers etc?

Then people may be able to offer more guidance as to where to look.

I do agree young green things are worth a look - my mare was £750 when I bought her 2 years ago as a 15hh ish Arab x Cob 5 yr old only just backed with sensitivity issues ;) . But she is the most genuine horse I have ever owned and a total gem - paid 5 times that for a prev horse and he was talented but a far less genuine character!!

Good luck your perfect horse is out there somewhere :D
 
I had this problem a few years ago. I wanted a smart, sound hack and it had to be super-amazing in traffic because at that time I needed to go down some very busy roads (and over/under motorway bridges) to reach the bridleways.

I got fed up with horses not matching their descriptions, even their heights were often different from what was stated in the advert.

I was then told about a lady that sells very well bred arabs and PBA's that wont make the grade for top level endurance on behalf of their owner/breeder. So I went for a look and had a whole yard of super horses to choose from. To cut a long story short, I bought my super mare for a grand total of £1500. She was sound, sane, only 7 years old at the time and exactly as described. :D
 
Thanks for all the repsonses(AGAIN). Have just been to my horsey shops and nothing!!

Unless I have £6.5k!!!

I am in Herts/Essex/Cambs/Beds border(right on the boundary of the lot!! Any recommendations all greatly taken, more than welcome to PM).

Did start raising the height to widen the scope, but would prefer not to really. My current retiree is 14.1h and is built like a house! I wouldnt mind having an odd little lesson as I do have use of large menage. But I am a happy hacker 110%. Have been having some lessons just to sit on a horse and I have never been so bored in going round in 20m circles getting dizzy!!!!!!!!!!! urgh!!

Every day I am on the websites whilst my home is falling down around me..........and I should be dusting and ironing(you get the picture).
 
bakedbean said:
if you can get to Leominster Horse and Pony sales next friday 24th you will get a choiceof a few bargains..just what you are after and Warrented.
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oh no...I would love to if I had the knowledge but unfortunately not. We have similar Cambridge horse sales near to me. I have been twice...an experience. I do know someone that got a fab horse to save it from a worse fate and it was one an excellent riding horse but I think they were very lucky.
 
I think it really depends what you want to do on your hacks? I think most horses advertised as hacks probably have some sort of lameness issues or are older and can't handle much more than a walk or a trot in straight lines.

My idea of hacking however is a lot more than that!

Either way - I wouldn't be looking to pay much more than 2K.
 
Thanks I did have ahigher budget but when I started to look I thought it was rather a lot to pay £3k And higher for a hacking horse that wasnt even as described!Or was too green etc not traffic etc etc In fact it was the good or 100% traffic was the biggest incorrect thing in most of the adverts.

I do like to have a bit of a canter too but I dont go mad. A good walk trot and canter on my sightseeing round the countryside! Thats it. Wouldnt mind if it could pop a log so dont need showjumper international etc.

Wouldnt mind the odd lesson though although this really isnt essential at all!! And that is probably realistically at the bottom of the list..my old boy hates the school.

Its good to hear what price to pay thats good
 
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