Needing some friendly advice

[lcarter37]

Hi guys I'm hoping to find some good advice and recommendations of places to buy a horse in and around Hertfordshire, will travel up to 50miles out. I'm looking firstly for some advice as all my life I've shared a horse with my best friend but now I'm looking to buy my own. I have a lot of experience with all kinds of horses so this isn't a concern. I'm stuck as to whether or not I buy something young and unbroken to then send away to be back or whether to buy a young broken horse say 4-6yo. I'm looking for something I can make my own but has been well broken etc. Secondly I'm looking for recommendations of where people have brought good quality, well schooled show jumpers and the names of these stables/dealers. Thanks in Advance!

 

[Shay]

Thats a bit of a broad range - from unbroken to experienced competition horses. Might be an idea to narrow things down a little.

Are you definitely looking only for a dealer and not a private sale? Whats your budget?

 

[lcarter37]

Thats a bit of a broad range - from unbroken to experienced competition horses. Might be an idea to narrow things down a little.

Are you definitely looking only for a dealer and not a private sale? Whats your budget?

I know it is that's why I need advice! After having a horse for 7 years being ridden by two very different riders I want something that is completely my own how I like.
Im not completely set on a dealer I would go for a private sale if the right horse showed up but I was thinking a "dealer" or sales yard as if I'm travelling around it would be nice to be able to try a couple of horses while I'm there?

My budget is max £10,000 obviously anything lower is a bonus!

 

[Shay]

Sorry OP - I'm still not much clearer. You have a fair sized budget but no clear idea of what you want other than something you can actually own yourself rather than share with your friend. (I presume your friend actually owns the horse)

You will find it much easier to get a horse which can do what you want if you narrow down what you want from the experience. You need a clear idea of what type of horse you are looking for and what you want to do with it. You also need to be realistic about your level of experience, where you are going to keep it and what sorts of help you are going to have. If you go to a dealer's yard with a wish list as open as this then I'm afraid you are likely to get fleeced! Even if the dealer is 110% above board it is difficult if not impossible to source a horse which can do what you want it to do when it appears you are not really sure yourself.

What does your instructor say? They might be a good place to start. Not only will they have lots of local knowledge about what places are good and which perhaps not so much, they may also know of suitable horses for private sale. They know your level of experience and can assist with whether or not your aspirations are reasonable under the circumstances.

 

[Morgan123]

I agree with Shay that starting with talking to your instructor is your best bet and narrowing down what you want.
also, that you say you want one 'completely your own how I like' - but if you get an unbroken horse, their personality is not always obvious until a few years down the line, so not matter how nicely someone breaks it in for you, that's no guarantee that you're getting the personality that you like. Their ridden personality is not always the same as how they appear as unbroken four year olds!
Also, don't forget to allow a big chunk of your budget for lessons and schooling help - probably more important than what you pay for the horse in the first place!
It's not really clear what you want to actually do with the horse (other than showjump?). Anything else? What level will you be jumping at??

 

[chestnut cob]

You need to decide what activities you want to do with the horse first of all. Do you want to hack, do local shows, or do you want to affiliate to BE, BD, whatever? You also need to think about how tall you are, your build and weight. If you are 5ft2 and a size 6 then you don't want to be looking for a 17hh ID type. Equally, if you're on the bigger side then there will be smaller horses/ breeds you'll need to rule out.

What types of horses do you actually like? think about that along with what you want to do with it. Do you want a school master that you can learn from? If so then you'll need to look for something older. What have you been riding in the last couple of years?

 

[gallopingby]

You have a reasonable budget but need to clarify what you want. If you're looking at unbroken and sending away then you will still probably spend as much as you would on buying a broken horse. Decide what activities you want to take part in, if for example its show jumping and you are looking at unbroken you'll have a very long way to go before you can do anything other than bring on and the same with dressage. If you are looking for a nice ridden horse then you also maybe need to long wider - 50 miles isn't really very far to travel and there are a lot of very nice horses for sale in other areas that remain unsold simply because no one can be bothered to travel. There is a huge difference between sharing a horse and having sole responsibility - I do wonder if you are genuinely looking? If you want a jumper then contact some of the pro people local to you that are up and well established and they may be able to help or know of a suitable horse. Its worth while spending time just observing at shows/events. You'll get a feel of who's producing the horses, how they are treated and maybe also some to avoid! It may be a good idea to consider staying nearby for a day or two so you can go back a couple of times. In your area there will be more people looking for horses than further south or north. Remember you will probably get what you pay for and a genuinely outgrown horse will probably get you further than an unbroken or newly broken one if you want to compete. Also add in vetting costs anything from £300 upwards and full livery/breaking schooling at a minimum of £200 a week for at least a couple of months and probably more.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Could you tell us about the horse(s) you currently ride? Do you hack/compete/drive etc? Are there any new things you would like to try? Any certain behaviours that particularly unnerve you as a rider?

 

[9tails]

What do you want to do? How big do you want your horse to be? What sort of stamp are you looking for?