New Forests

Clodagh

Clodagh

Playing chess with pigeons
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I want a companion foal for my boy and am thinking about a newfie. I want somethnig cheap, cheerful, tough and that will be big enough for me to break when the time comes, so about 13.2 minimum.
I was wondering about the newfie sales, or are they really depressing? If I do buy there how do you get them home, are there transport companies around you can contact on the day? I don't want to tow my trailer to Hampshire if I can help it.
Ideally I would also like something halter broken that has hopefully been wormed and so on, are all newfies at the sdales unhandled?
Suggestions/advice much appreciated.
 
Pretty much unhandled!! You'll be lucky if it's had a headcollar on but I wouldn't expect to find "halter broken" it won't know how to lead!!

I think they worm them when they come off the forest, but I'd DEF worm thoroughly again!! You'll want to stable it for about a week anyway to do some basic handling (or you'll never get near it again! ;) )

Yes there are usually transporters there, although never used one myself.

They're not that cheap anymore by the way, At least a couple of £100.
 
Thanks for that. I can get a pony locally for less than £200...I thought they'd be about £100 but appreciate that depends on the quality.
Mmm will think on it. I like ther breed a lot.
 
It is not so unusual to find halter broken youngsters at the sales; in fact many of the commoners make a point of doing some basic handling in order to make better money. There are of course plenty that are virtually untouched.

I don't think there are that many people there who would be able to take you back to Essex on the day, although there are often people there who would be prepared to offer you lairage for a night or two so you could come back with your transport.
 
I think one of the sales has been on and I had read that some of the foals sell for as little as £30, the more expensive one are usually well bred fillies and mares. I myself bought a NF colt and he was wormed before I bought him however I wormed him again on arrival and he did throw a large amount of pin worms. It took me around 3 weeks to halter break him and for him to be confident around me, so even if you bought a unhandled one it really does not take that long to do. It just takes lots of patience and feed thats all it took with mine, he also out grew his dam and sire by a full hand so the feed paid off lol
 
The_snoopster said:
I think one of the sales has been on and I had read that some of the foals sell for as little as £30, the more expensive one are usually well bred fillies and mares. I myself bought a NF colt and he was wormed before I bought him however I wormed him again on arrival and he did throw a large amount of pin worms. It took me around 3 weeks to halter break him and for him to be confident around me, so even if you bought a unhandled one it really does not take that long to do. It just takes lots of patience and feed thats all it took with mine, he also out grew his dam and sire by a full hand so the feed paid off lol
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The 1st one of the year was today. I haven't ever known there to be foals at the 1st one. Usually yearlings and above.

I'm surprised to hear they were going for as little as £30? Where did you read that? I thought that had stopped years ago when they started controlling the breeding stock (the were the small runty ones too off the meat man. :( ). Certainly when I was last there 2 years ago they weren't nearly that price,
 
Was the second one of the year....
One I bought last year I paid £10.50 for. Got him home to find not only was he halter broken, but he was also well handled......unlike the other who was as mad as a box of frogs! Depends on what you are looking for. If you are not fussed by its breeding and if it has too much white for the main studbook, there are some little gems to be had.
Might pay you to hire a horsebox/trailer for the day and know you will be able to get your new purchase home!
 
It may be best just to bite the bullet and take my trailer. I hate towing it on the motorways but could go very early.
It may well be worth a look, are there any ways of finding out what they went for at todays sale?
 
galaxy23 said:
I'm surprised to hear they were going for as little as £30? Where did you read that? ,
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The last sale of the year (last november) saw the minimum bid removed. Most made well over that, but colts unless seriously well bred, make peanuts.
Last year I came back with 4. One I paid good money for ( a part bred), the other 3 cost me the grand sum of £38 guineas. Peanuts
 
Clodagh said:
Ideally I would also like something halter broken that has hopefully been wormed and so on, are all newfies at the sdales unhandled?
Suggestions/advice much appreciated.
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i bought a well bred fully registered yearling at Beaulieu Road today ...handled, haltered, wormed feet trimmed for 44 gns...thats £46.20

Forest ponies are THE best natives that, pound for pound, money can buy.
 
galaxy23 said:
The 1st one of the year was today. I haven't ever known there to be foals at the 1st one. Usually yearlings and above.

I'm surprised to hear they were going for as little as £30?
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Actually, the 1st one of the year was in May.....and no, foals wont be sold until Sept

and as for "as little as £30".....you could buy 3 for that...well Gns beacuse that what they are sold in...not £'s
 
Clodagh said:
It may be best just to bite the bullet and take my trailer. I hate towing it on the motorways but could go very early.
It may well be worth a look, are there any ways of finding out what they went for at todays sale?
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No foals today, but the yearlings seemed to be going for more than the three yr olds. Some big strong three yr olds as well, most of them went home :(
 
Fii said:
No foals today, but the yearlings seemed to be going for more than the three yr olds. Some big strong three yr olds as well, most of them went home :(
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A good deal of section A 3 yr olds went to France...collectively bought for very near 6k!...i would say that was good money personally.....

there was the usual dross...unpassported/chipped...but then, if the Commoners cant be bothered to chip/passport/halter their animals, then why should those who are prepared to bid?.....
 
I have bought 2 from there specifically to use as companions to subsequently break, bring on and sell, one who matured at about 13 hands and one at a full 14.2 - I paid around a tenner each for them - was a few years ago now though. The second time I went, I was chatting to someone (and this is the crucial part, because I don't recall if it was a verderer or an agister, and Im too stupid to know what the difference is without looking it up) but he said they (verderers or agisters) give foals away as they always end up with a few 'extras', and if I ever waned a foal again, to try them first. Im sure with a bit of digging and a couple of calls you could find out.

If you do buy at the sales, there will be someone to grapple a halter on and probably someone willing to transport for you. It's an experience! :)
 
How sad

When I last went (2/3 yrs ago) we went to the August one and bought a yearling. Only stayed for the registered NF section and nothing was going that cheap.

I know there are sales earlier in the year, I see the sales "starting" this time of year. Hence I said 1st.
 
Ooo it sounds a bit positive now!
Can anyone help specifically then with a bit of info, we had, years ago, a Brookshill pony. He was fab and a good height. I see there were ponies for sale today by Brookshill stallions, does the stud still exist?
 
Last time we went there was a pen full of the sweetest little donkey foals - very cute but man! They went for hundreds each!! My two little foresters, although they were just random ratty ponies of unknown breeding, were great fun and very easy to break in.

This is Jack (his foal slip is too tight because a teenage boy wrestled it on for me at the sale, and this was taken before I could get close enough to loosen it - he spent his first weeks in my parents stables, turned out in a tiny square of garden and chivvied into his box at night)

jackfoal2.jpg


And this is Beaker, looking fat. Both matured into nice safe allround ponies and both went off to become children's ponies.

beaker.jpg
 
I'd take your trailer with you. Having dealt with a number of Forest bred youngsters unhandled and straight from the sales, I would say they are well worth the effort.
Two of the ones I looked after were Rushmoor ponies, they had fantastic natures, were pretty as a picture and went on to make excellent 13.2hh and 14hh allround ponies.
 
tabithakat64 said:
I'd take your trailer with you. Having dealt with a number of Forest bred youngsters unhandled and straight from the sales, I would say they are well worth the effort.
Two of the ones I looked after were Rushmoor ponies, they had fantastic natures, were pretty as a picture and went on to make excellent 13.2hh and 14hh allround ponies.
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That prefix rings a bell, I am sure bought a Rushmoor colt - he'd come off the forest into a small stable, had the window and top door closed on him and had a slice of hay thrown at him occasionally - he was absolutely terrified of people, the first time I got a halter on him (or touched him!) was when we had him heavily sedated to geld - this was after living a semi feral life in my large field for far too long. He too went on to become a lovely, sweet child's pony. He was quite ugly though, black with a white blaze and one half blue and one very blue eye. I called him Frank (as you would).

Prior to sedation/contact with a brush!

frank.jpg
 
Clodagh, contact the New Forest Pony publicity group. They are organising a weekend down here at the end of September which is always interesting and takes in a sale I think as well as one of the round ups the ponies come in off the forest on.

It is well worth putting the feelers out with them anyway, not every spare foal gets put through the sales and they may know of some nice ones for you to look at. I own 2 best quality forest bred/run ponies, neither of which ever went anywhere near Beaulieu Road Sales.

http://www.nfed.co.uk/nfppg.htm
 
nativeponies said:
Ah...so will amend my reply....the guy who brings these types regularly to the sale breeds them..and expects high prices...always has done, so takes them home if they dont meet the reserve...
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Nowt wrong with that, especially if they don't even get their meat value.
 
there was the usual dross...unpassported/chipped...but then, if the Commoners cant be bothered to chip/passport/halter their animals, then why should those who are prepared to bid?.....[/QUOTE]

Everything that goes through the ring will have the necessary paperwork; they may not actually have a passport as not needed all the time they are on the Forest, but will have a temporary one to go to their new home with and new owner has to get their name put on. Something like that - there is special permission for this in the legislation.

The un-passported ones will be those selling illegally in the trailer park area under the trees. I heard that they go for much more money than those in the proper sale...
 
Ommadawn said:
The un-passported ones will be those selling illegally in the trailer park area under the trees. I heard that they go for much more money than those in the proper sale...
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no, incorrect.....those sold on "derrogation"..the ponies with white sales stickers as well as a lot number, DID NOT have either a passport or a microchip..which is now a LEGAL requirement for all stock sold after june 2009.....long anough i reckon, eh?

In fact..EVERY equine that i enquired about in the ttailer park did have a relevent passport...
 
Fii said:
Not all ,other wise they would have sold, :) considering how much it must cost to take them there and then take them home again
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Exactly..if they were meat prices they WOULD have been sold wouldn't they...so why the sad face?...would you rather them have gone for meat...or gone home unsold?...i'm not sure where you're coming from? :confused:
 
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