Questions for if you've ever bought a "ready made" horse...

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wench

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And I'm not having a go at anyone that has ever done this! Just been debating about potential future horses!

All the horse's I've purchased have been old nags, or else ones that have been reasonably schooled at some point, then ruined. Hence wondering if at some point if a ready made horse would be best.

I am no great rider, and would be looking for a reasonably well schooled horse that will jump nicely. My ultimate aims are to get eventing, but anyway thats not the point of what I'm asking!

If you've ever gone out and bought a ready made horse, how much work did you do to keep him/her in the same state as when you got him? (Ie loads of lessons, or horse was impeccably behaved every time you ride him). Have you found that the quality of their work/jump as gone "backwards" if your not as good a rider as WFP?

I know these sound like stupid numpty question, I am no numpty, just curious!
 
I have had a couplel, not 100% ready made and they all have other strings to their belt now but I have had a lot of guidance and lessons along the way. The horse will only stay at a certain level without correct training for a limited time. You need to keep training and schooling them along the way. As the saying goes.... The horse is only as good as its rider!
 
I've bought a couple which were both superbly trained, great to ride, a real pleasure. Downside was that out of the saddle, they were as neurotic as hell.
 
2 years ago I took on a ready made horse, and discovered there is no such thing! You still have to learn to ride them!!
It's been a fantastic 2 years, but I have spent double on training than I have previously as my riding was on 'catch up'!
 
After years of working with young/green horses I got to the point where I no longer wanted to just bring horses on but wanted to go out and fulfil my own riding ambitions. I bit the bullet and bought a 'ready made' horse and it is the best decision I could have made. Whilst I had plenty of experience of dealing with whatever a horse could throw at me in terms of green behaviour to suddenly have a horse that was beyond this level and had lots of buttons that I hadn't used before I had to sharpen myself up. Whilst I had lessons with lots of brilliant instructors over the years they had all been very focused on the horse and to suddenly have a horse that was working well it highlighted my own weaknesses. I feel like I am riding at a totally different level to what I was before and caught up to speed with him within around 6 months - we successfully competed a half season BE and are now doing some winter BD and BS. I couldn't be happier with him and it is amazing to be able to build on where he was previously at - this is a level I have never been fortunate enough to work with a horse to. Don't get me wrong there have been hickups along the way - we initially went through a period of stopping dead show jumping due to me fussing and helping too much, he also initially tried it on with me to see what he could get away with and it took a really decent instructor to show me he was capable of more than what he was letting on. I honestly couldn't recommend it more.
 
18 months ago my daughter was offered the ride on a dressage schoolmistress who had worked up to inter1, daughter was previously riding her 14.2 pony at Novice level. She has had the most fantastic and the most frustrating 18 months with the most lovely horse. Fantastic in that she has learnt so much and had so many opportunities that she would otherwise never have had and frustrating in that she has had to learn to ride a very talented but quirky mare who still knows a lot more than she does!! It has taken many hours of training, but it has been so worth it and I would say she is only just really getting to grips with her - I know you are wanting to event so it is probably a different kettle of fish, but I would say go for it, just be ready to up your game/pay for training if the horse knows more than you do :-) PS daughter was only 13 at the time so needed lots of training anyway!!!
 
Yes, bought a ready made showjumper. Had lots of lessons and was really firm with myself - I had to make sure I rode properly and to start with, I was terrified I'd wreck him. It was a super decision for me, as it's allowed me to event at a level I've never been at before and my riding's improved a lot.

So yes, lots of work needed from me to keep him at the level.

Has his jump gone backwards? Well, a bit. He used to be well placed at 1.20 BS, whereas I am happy with a steady clear/4flts at BE Int (which is same height as first round of a 1.20 BS class, but does not involve bigger jump off, as equivalent BS would). He is more likely to have a pole down with me than with his previous pro, but normally only one pole. He likely has more "misses" with me, but that said, he had a total crash at a county show with her when I viewed him!

I'd say that even if his jump has deteriorated with me, it is not a material deterioration for what I want to do. Also, if I handed him back to his pro tomorrow, he'd likely return to his previous form immediately, so any poles/misses are more due to me, in that moment, than to my having wrecked him on a long-term basis.

I'd say you should expect some deterioration, and you should be prepared to work hard and to have a lot of good lessons.
 
It depends on the individual horse.

I was bought a professionally produced horse when I was 15. She'd been produced with a flawless eventing record up to Novice. Her dressage improved my own exponentially. However she'd been produced so carefully and thoroughly that she couldn't cope with an amateur jumping her. She panicked if she wasn't 'placed' or missed a stride - regardless of the size of the jump. She started refusing, which started a bitter circle of my confidence being knocked and so missing even more. No amount of instruction could help. I eventually got her right and consistently jumping again, but couldn't trust her competing and sold her on. She was fine for the first few months with her new owner, then descended into the same habits. She's now used for dressage.

So just a word of warning...
 
Charmin said:
It depends on the individual horse.

I was bought a professionally produced horse when I was 15. She'd been produced with a flawless eventing record up to Novice. Her dressage improved my own exponentially. However she'd been produced so carefully and thoroughly that she couldn't cope with an amateur jumping her. She panicked if she wasn't 'placed' or missed a stride - regardless of the size of the jump. She started refusing, which started a bitter circle of my confidence being knocked and so missing even more. No amount of instruction could help. I eventually got her right and consistently jumping again, but couldn't trust her competing and sold her on. She was fine for the first few months with her new owner, then descended into the same habits. She's now used for dressage.

So just a word of warning...
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Don't worry, I'm well aware of the above...
 
Ruby was probably what you'd describe as "ready made" - when I got her she'd been around Intermediates with Izzy Taylor and then another Junior.

XC, she probably was "ready made" - she's so much fun, and as long as you do the right thing, she does the right thing. SJ however she didn't have a great record even with Izzy, and I don't think it's got much better with me (and that's with weekly SJ lessons!) She's taught me how to ride better though, because you don't get away with things. Dressage she was a bit ropey, so we worked on it loads (weekly lessons) and I've learnt huge amounts because of it.

My advice would be that it's actually not that much "easier" - all horses have their issues, and you do have to learn to ride them. I think we found as well that we could only afford a "ready made" horse with some obvious issues. I think if I had the chance again I'd go for another straightforward willing horse that's only done a little bit (i.e. another Tam!) but the situation was that I was about to aim for Juniors so we wanted a horse that would go round Intermediates the next season.

Good luck with it - sadly it's not the lovely easy thing you'd think it is!
 
So many people buy a ready made horse and think they have it sussed... But no horse will continue to give perfection if it isn't asked for properly. Just letting little things slide or a few confidence knocks means they aren't the same horse they were when purchased
Saying that, I would love to have the budget to buy a made one- it would be nice, for a while, to be having lessons to live up to what the horse can do, rather than trying to make something of a ropey/green/almost ruined one!
 
Ready made is only as 'ready' as your riding is ready to cope with said horse....as all the other posters have said, they are great and you will learn loads from them but be ready to spend a lot on instruction to keep you on track. Horses that have been schooled/trained to a high level in any discipline know when they have a rider on board who is not so experienced and will more often than not try it on with the new rider to see what they can get away with.

I've loaned and ridden for other people for a number of years and earlier this year when I was looking to buy I thought about buying something ready made - I've had years of quirky horses and still ride them for other people now, they have been ruined more often than not somewhere along the way so I wanted something unspoilt. I therefore had 2 options - buy a baby horse, or a 'ready made' well schooled horse. I took the baby horse option and bought a yearling. Why did I do this? Budget was a big factor admittedly, I couldnt afford a horse with my boy's breeding after backing, way too pricey and I wanted the particular GP dressage stallion bloodlines, so had to go younger. But also one critical factor was that we will grow together, he will be tailor made to me almost rather than me having to adapt massively to a 'ready made'.

I'm using the time between backing him (he's 2 next year so still ages to go!) to improve my riding and become as good as I possibly can be before he is ready to be ridden. I'm still riding and schooling some of these quirky horses, but having lessons with 2 trainers (one PSG DR rider, the other a former rider at the Spanish High School who visits the UK a few times a year) to ensure I am improving. Next year when my finances are looking a bit better I'm also going to have schoolmaster DR lessons to start teaching me how some of the more advanced movements 'should' feel - I'm great up to Novice/Elem sort of level but beyond that I need teaching what I should be feeling, so when it comes to it years down the line with my baby I'll know how it should feel and what I need to look out for.

So I guess really it depends on what you are after - if you want something ready to compete instantly then ready made is not a bad way to go, you just need plenty of pennies for training to ensure you are up to the same standard as your horse. Alternatively if you are in no rush then a yearling/2 year old is a good idea, that way they've not been spoilt by anyone, and you can use the next couple of years to have schoolmaster lessons to get your riding up to scratch ready to take on the world with your baby horse!
 
Some times 'ready made-been there done that' horses have a lot more 'buttons' to press than an average horse. So what you think your asking them to do might be totally different to what they think your asking them to do,making the whole process a lot more complicated for the rider!
 
I would love to have a ready made SJer, a real point and shoot one, I think it would do loads for my confidence over bigger fences, instead of being the first one to do anything with a horse. Failing that, a ready made iberian trained horse who has lots of buttons to push, I wouldn't even need to compete, hacking and doing canter pirouettes to shut gates would be great! :D

One day perhaps.
 
Well tbh my idea of a "ready made" horse is not one that will go out an jump BE intermediate with any old numpty on them, something thats well schooled enough to say do a prelim test without trying to dump you, cart you out of the arena, and will work in a reasonable outline, and to jump a 90cm/1m course without too many hang ups.

Tried baby horses before... never again.
 
Which highlights the need to define what you want.

I personally wouldn't consider something to do a prelim on a ready made horse, that is a horse at the bottom of the ladder.

I think the main points still stand though whatever you buy, be that young, basic allrounder, higher competition - the horse will usually reflect the level of the rider, so by all means buy one without the 'history' but expect to invest in your own development
 
wench said:
Well tbh my idea of a "ready made" horse is not one that will go out an jump BE intermediate with any old numpty on them, something thats well schooled enough to say do a prelim test without trying to dump you, cart you out of the arena, and will work in a reasonable outline, and to jump a 90cm/1m course without too many hang ups.

Tried baby horses before... never again.
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I call this a "normal" horse, most that are properly started will do a prelim test in an outline and jumping 90 is within the abilities of almost every horse, again if properly educated they should have few hang ups, the rider still has to find the correct buttons and they are usually easier to find at the lower levels than once you move on up to BE Int types that may be more finely tuned and take a while to come down to a lower level rider.

I had a well produced Int horse in my yard as a schoolmaster, he really took the p** with his young rider for a while, I could get on and he went perfectly sweetly but went like a camel for her, it took many months before she found the right buttons and he became more accepting of her slightly inconsistent aids but in the end they became a real partnership, there were times we wondered if it would have been easier starting with something less educated and less opinionated but her riding really benefitted and she moved on faster once it all started to fall into place.
 
be positive said:
I call this a "normal" horse, most that are properly started will do a prelim test in an outline and jumping 90 is within the abilities of almost every horse, again if properly educated they should have few hang ups, the rider still has to find the correct buttons and they are usually easier to find at the lower levels than once you move on up to BE Int types that may be more finely tuned and take a while to come down to a lower level rider.

I had a well produced Int horse in my yard as a schoolmaster, he really took the p** with his young rider for a while, I could get on and he went perfectly sweetly but went like a camel for her, it took many months before she found the right buttons and he became more accepting of her slightly inconsistent aids but in the end they became a real partnership, there were times we wondered if it would have been easier starting with something less educated and less opinionated but her riding really benefitted and she moved on faster once it all started to fall into place.
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Echo this.....a horse that can do a half decent prelim test in an outline and pop a few jumps at 90cm/1m is not a 'ready made' horse, that should be pretty much any horse that hasnt had a dodgy past. Heck I can probably do that on the 2 nutters I'm riding at the moment, and they are definitely special needs! I think your definition of ready made is quite different to what most on here are referring to, we all thought you were looking for something schooled to a fairly high standard i.e. a schoolmaster type.

There is no reason why you shouldnt go for something that is at prelim/90cm level, that is a horse at the start of its education and by no means the finished product. But if you are looking for something of this ability, then you will either have 2 types of horse available to you - a young (ish) horse, between 4 and 6 perhaps, that is starting its education. Or something older; anything thats older than 6/7 and is only capable of getting around a prelim rings alarm bells for me as it will have had one/some/all of the following:
- minimal schooling
- happy hacker sort of life with the occasional bit of flatwork/jumping thrown in
- extended time off
- an injury causing said time off
- problems that have caused progress to be so slow

Understand you might not want a baby as they have their own challenges as well as rewards, but perhaps a 5/6 year old might be worth considering as they should easily be able to go around in an outline, do a sweet prelim and pop a small course of jumps. Older horses that are still doing this potentially may have issues and hence why they have not progressed further. Now there may be some exceptions where the owner just wasnt competitive hence why horse has never progressed beyond prelim/90cm but you'd just need to exercise more caution when looking at horses who are still at this level and a bit older if you want to be competitive yourself.
 
wench said:
Well tbh my idea of a "ready made" horse is not one that will go out an jump BE intermediate with any old numpty on them, something thats well schooled enough to say do a prelim test without trying to dump you, cart you out of the arena, and will work in a reasonable outline, and to jump a 90cm/1m course without too many hang ups.

Tried baby horses before... never again.
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ha after years of green horses, this too was my idea of a ready made horse. I thought I had nearly got it, Fi had done a fair amount of successful showing when I got her, but no jumping. I also soon realised what I thought was working in a nice light outline, was actually stuck in that position, hadn't got a clue how to stretch or take the contact OOPS

However she was still better schooled than previous horses.

We have our moments, as she can get excited and pretend to spook by cantering off with me. She is a little pocket rocket, who love nothing more than to gallop. However we have started novice tests now and I've only ever done prelim before so I am getting somewhere with her I couldn't get with the others. We have won so many ribbons and couple of trophys in our first season together
 
soulfull said:
ha after years of green horses, this too was my idea of a ready made horse. I thought I had nearly got it, Fi had done a fair amount of successful showing when I got her, but no jumping. I also soon realised what I thought was working in a nice light outline, was actually stuck in that position, hadn't got a clue how to stretch or take the contact OOPS
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This is so true...horse I'm schooling is a perfect example of this, has been ridden in draw reins for so long that he gives a fake outline to look 'pretty', he however is working incorrectly and not through from behind, and when you ask him not to tuck his nose under so much and relax the neck he finds it really hard. He feels very light in your hands so can easily fool you into thinking he is working correctly but when you are on the ground you can see he is not stepping through properly and evading the contact slightly by tilting his head a little.

So there is a cautionary tale even in just wanting a horse that goes in an outline....make sure you take someone who is a good enough rider (ideally an instructor/trainer) who can spot a fake outline otherwise you'll just end up trying to undo years of damage done by yanking the neck in with gadgets.

Urgh the horse world can be a pain....I know baby horses are not easy but they sure eliminate all sorts of silly things that can be done to a horse in its past!
 
I did and she is still the best buy I ever made. She had got up to intermediate but wasn't quick enough so sold on, I bought her from the next owner after they had had a foal off her. I bought her on the basis of her BE record and a photograph showing the then owner hanging on for dear life over a large trakenner.. And the mare kept going. Found out more from the breeder later and turns out that if you took this mare on, WW3 would erupt and she would have massive fights with her professionial rider and went over with her next owner. I, however, was besides myself with joy to end up with a gutsy horse who could seriously jump. I always treated her like the lady she was and she took me upto Novice before developing arthritis in her neck. (Suspect from the fall wig previous owner). She could be wound up easily and I learnt quickly how to back off and keep her calm. Horse of a lifetime and would love another gutsy mare like her.
 
I had a ready made horse when I was 16. He was amazing. He was mainly a showjumper and he was so slick and professional in the ring. As long as I rode well he felt like flowing silk to jump. No fence was too big, no turn too tight. He was also just so easy to handle and to take to shows and to hack and all that stuff.
However he was not that generous. He did not tolerate fools and he was HARD to ride on the flat. I fell off of him more than any other horse! He had a nasty stop in him if I placed him wrong and he also had so much scope he jumped me off a few times too. Not helped by the fact he would buck if I became unbalanced so if I was still clinging on on landing his subsequent buck would finish me off!
He was a true schoolmaster and he taught me how to ride. I did some BIG courses on him and tbh it's only now after 5 years of training my current horse that I am starting to knock on the door of the stuff I did with him.
My current horse who was a blank canvas when I started is more generous. He happily helps me out in situations where my schoolmaster would have said 'you're cr@p, get off'. I think it's the trust I have with him from doing all the groundwork myself.
It's too different paths I guess to the same outcome. I think buying a ready made horse is great but don't expect it to be easy. You have to learn how to push someone elses buttons but it can be worth it for the experience it gives you. I wouldn't swap my time with my old boy for the world.
 
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My friend bought a ready made well schooled horse about 4yrs ago. He was foot perfect for about 2 years and since then he has been quite sharp. His schooling is fine and u can still tell he's been well produced he's not just as reliable! So even if u buy ready made its no guarantee
 
I bought one from a not very good amateur. He was wonderful, perfect manners, sensible, reliable and consistent. He would never have been a world beater but I had a lot of success with him at BE. Sadly he is now retired due to injury and although I want another to compete, I don't think I would find another like him in a million years.
 
I've got one which not exactly 'ready made' in many of your eyes because he's still too young to be considered a schoolmaster type but is ready made in my eyes (every horse I've had previously has been an ex racer reschooled by me), this one has been beautifully produced by an international eventer & in his 1 season with that rider posted some very impressive results.
I'll add my tuppence to those saying it isn't the easy walk in the park I thought it was going to be. I'm having to REALLY work on my riding, no bad thing but I noticed that more than any horse before he has shown the faults & flaws in my riding - mainly because his last rider didn't have any!
Jumping wise I'm really taking my time to make sure he's confident with my more....urm....'wing it' approach to seeing a stride :D

Lastly (& the biggie for me) never underestimate the pressure you can put yourself under with a ready made horse. Everyone knows that there are certain members of the horse community who cannot escape the green eyed monster & will feel the need to comment & gossip about everything you do. It can be hard to allow your relationship to develop at it's own pace with the horse if you 're worried about what people are saying about you & how well ( or not !) you are doing with the horse
 
Frankly, i don't think there is such a thing as a "ready made" horse. There are well schooled horses, some are generous and will put up with a novice, some won't, but whichever way you look at it, you have to learn to ride them. However, the best thing about a well schooled horse is that it will give you instant feedback on your riding. If you are prepared to listen and your horse has a good temperament, then you will learn such a lot. If it doesn't have a good temperament, you'll also get instant feedback but the lesson might be painful. I have never ridden a horse that will go in a proper outline unless it is ridden properly but perhaps I've been unlucky!
 
kc100 said:
This is so true...horse I'm schooling is a perfect example of this, has been ridden in draw reins for so long that he gives a fake outline to look 'pretty', he however is working incorrectly and not through from behind, and when you ask him not to tuck his nose under so much and relax the neck he finds it really hard. He feels very light in your hands so can easily fool you into thinking he is working correctly but when you are on the ground you can see he is not stepping through properly and evading the contact slightly by tilting his head a little.

So there is a cautionary tale even in just wanting a horse that goes in an outline....make sure you take someone who is a good enough rider (ideally an instructor/trainer) who can spot a fake outline otherwise you'll just end up trying to undo years of damage done by yanking the neck in with gadgets.

Urgh the horse world can be a pain....I know baby horses are not easy but they sure eliminate all sorts of silly things that can be done to a horse in its past!
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happens more than we realise too. Luckily she is generous and a Tries really hard so it hasn't taken too long to get her going nicely in most situations. HOWEVER stiff and stuck will always be her default when she gets excited or nervous, and boy does that take some work then. Whereas with my green babies I had always taught them when the going gets tough you stretch and chill, much easier to deal with
 
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