Realistic or Not?

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Kungfoo-hamster

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I have a budget of around £1000 for my first horse, and a similar amount to kit him/her out with tack and wardrobe etc.

Does that sound possible or am I living in rose tinted land?

My requirements would be:-

15.3-16.3
Under 15 years old
responsive and forward-going but VERY good brakes
Balanced paces and enough schooling to be able to handle a prelim or possibly a novice dressage test
Small jumping (nothing over about 3ft)
Confidence giver out on hacks, preferably happy to hack alone

I can handle a small buck/excitability and don't mind the odd bit of naughtiness, the one thing that I really struggle with is a lack of brakes and this would really put me off - I need to know that I will be able to stop! The converse of this is that I would not want something which was very lazy and a struggle to keep moving, I like to feel a responsive ride and something quick off the leg would be preferred

Does anyone have any thoughts on where I might start looking, or am I looking for the impossible?
 
I think with the market as it is, and the fact it is winter, you will be able to find what you are looking for budget wise.

A friend of mine has her horse for sale as she can't afford/doesn't have the time to keep him over winter and he is priced very reasonable (I was tempted myself!)

Good luck with your search.
 
You are looking for what everyone is looking for, and they are worth their weight in gold! I'm not very good at pricing horses but I'd think you'd be looking at paying a few thousand for a horse like that. One was sold from my yard in the summer that was basically as described; she went for £5,500.00. I paid £3,500 for a 5yo, minimal schooling, good jump but green, good on hacks but can be spooky and sharp.... prices have come down a bit since then (though wasn't that long ago) but I still don't honestly think you will get the paragon of virtue you describe for £1000. My friend paid that for a 5yo TB which was for sale because it had terrified the owner and was generally a complete s**t. It's taken her 18 months to get him turned into a nice horse, along with a small fortune in schooling and lessons (and she's an experienced rider).
 
So a £2k budget to include tack? I think you could manage it at this time of year but will need to be careful not to end up with something that turns 'spicy' in spring.
 
I'm sorry I'd be budgeting three times that... Decent forward going well behaved hackers who can jump and move OK are what everyone wants and are consequently more expensive.
 
Jumping is not the be all and end all - I am far happier with flat work and schooling, TBH.

Yes, my budget would be around £2k in total - I have had a look at Horsemart and the sales page on here, a quick check on Preloved too - I am wary of any FB pages as there are so many stories of mis-selling which concern me, but maybe I need to look there as well.
 
No reason you couldnt pick up an ex racer with those criteria, you might need to spend a bit of time looking and trying but they are out there. Last one cost me the price of a tank of diesel, he isnt a complete novice ride but there's not a bad bone in his body. He came from FB btw! Not my usual approach but sometimes they just find you.
 
As above on the horse

I'm afraid you will also need to up your tack and equipment budget if starting from scratch, for a decent saddle, bridle and accoutrements the costs are likely to be around (or north of!) 1,000 unless you are very very lucky. Even if you keep the equipment to a bare minimum you are going to need a couple of turnout rugs, cooler rug, headcollar, first aid kit and grooming brushes - these will soon all add up to quite a few hundred.
 
I also think you might be pushing it!

I've bought one for less than half that, but she is an unhandled youngster.
We've bought one £500 more than that who was spot on what your after (with regards temperament) but only 15hh and doesn't jump, so not a popular size and she was sold through word of mouth and it was 10 years ago.
We've also sent more than twice that on something that ticks all your boxes, but is as mad as a box of frogs and has more talent than what you're after. However we can always stop (bar hunting) and she is a fab hack, this plus her talent for jumping and dressage means she is worth the extra despite being slightly bonkers :D.

In my experience you get what you pay for, our only bargain was my show horse who we bought 10 years ago and yet she was still more than your budget :( sorry to be all doom and gloom....

x x
 
Wow you must all spend loads on your horses! There are horses that are forward yet bombproof for sale out there - the event rider I sent my boy to be backed with had two that would match the description for sale. One was £2500 including everything the new owner could need and the other £1800 but they would have taken an offer. You can pick up a lovely fitted second hand saddle for £350 and bridle for £100- 3 stable and two turn outs for £200 in total- swish rugs have an amazing sale on. They are out there- you just have to be cautious and try a number out.
 
I think you need to up your budget tbh unless your prepared to take on a project. What you are after is what everyone is after and there is always a market for good horses
 
I was looking for what you are looking for last winter and I had a £5500 budget but still couldn't find a suitable one!you could pick up an ex race and bring on. Your definetly looking for what everyone else is. You could also consider something older but I still think u would need more money. Sorry
 
shadowboy said:
You can pick up a lovely fitted second hand saddle for £350 and bridle for £100- 3 stable and two turn outs for £200 in total- swish rugs have an amazing sale on. They are out there- you just have to be cautious and try a number out.
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you CAN, if you are lucky, and it fits both you and the horse, but a more realistic figure would be 500-600 for a decent fitted second-hand saddle, and if your horse needs a wide-fitting, short panelled saddle you will have to search long and hard to find a good one second hand. There's also stirrups, leathers and a girth to go with the saddle and those are best new for safety reasons.
 
Thanks for all the replies. One point that has been raised is the incidental equipment. I am not starting from scratch, as I have a share pony at present and I have purchased a number of items for him over my time sharing, including a turnout and stable rug, two bridles and bits, a secondhand leather saddle, with stirrups, leathers and a couple of alternative girths together with grooming kit and sundries.

I, obviously, would not be looking to fit the horse to my existing items, hence the need to buy suitable for my new horse - BUT some items may fit, and others could be sold second hand to fund the purchase of more suitable items (I was hoping the saddle would be a good part-exchange prospect for the fitter, as a low use, English Leather saddle).

I know it may sound as though I am ignoring the negative comments, I truly am not, I am considering them all and find all opinions useful and thought provoking - please keep your thoughts coming as it is very good to hear different opinions and views.
 
I have a £2k budget at the mo, and i`m struggling to find anything I like or that is suitable, I`ve decided i`d be better saving up for another month or two I think. I want something 13.3 - 14.1hh (but would go a bit bigger for the right one) age 7-12 (but again, would go a bit higher or lower if it ticked all the right boxes). Don`t want a mare (but would in not mareish and genuinely sweet) Don`t want a grey ... I`d like a middle weight type, not a lot of feather, that will be happy to do fun rides/hacking/pleasure/beach etc ... I am aiming to do a bit more schooling, but the priority is getting out and about :)

I`m sick of the sight of all the horse selling sites, and also the amount of sellers who lie lol ... Good luck in your search
 
don't write off Facebook adverts, you can get a lot of information about a horse from someone's profile

For instance someone was selling a pony here locally as bombproof and fully schooled and 'outgrown' and someone did some digging and found a photo of the pony as a sale purchase days earlier from the sellers Facebook profile - you don't have that luxury with other adverts!
 
I have never paid a lot for a horse but for a first horse, I would expect to have to pay nearer to £2000 and add tack etc on top of that. An experienced owner probably could find something within your budget but I would never advise a first time buyer to take the risk. My current riding horse was over your budget, she is bombproof in almost all situations but was in her late teens when bought,doesn't jump and had run away with her previous, novice, owner.
 
I don't think it's impossible for your budget but you might have to be in the right place at the right time

I sold a horse fitting your description a couple of years ago including tack and rugs that would have been within your overall budget. He wasn't a world beater, not flashy in the slightest but was a real gentleman, easy to do etc. & a nice temperament who could put a prelim/novice dressage test together and jump a course of about 90cm. The only issue with him was a slight lameness that showed up on a small circle but the vet was happy that it wouldn't cause his new owner too many problems with the basic work she wanted to do with him.

This horse would not have been for sale on the open market though - I was approched by someone who had seen us out and about and who had just fallen for him - lucky horse, he'll have a home for life with her as she totally adores him.
 
WelshD said:
don't write off Facebook adverts, you can get a lot of information about a horse from someone's profile

For instance someone was selling a pony here locally as bombproof and fully schooled and 'outgrown' and someone did some digging and found a photo of the pony as a sale purchase days earlier from the sellers Facebook profile - you don't have that luxury with other adverts!
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Completely agree with this! Facebook can be great for horse hunting with the added bonus of being able to do abit of snooping to check things out.
When I was looking for a kids pony I saw an add on fb looked/sounded fabulous but I wondered why it was so cheap and she was so desperate to get rid, I looked through her fb and saw several status' about how said pony was a nightmare, probobly a rig and couldnt be turned out with others! Sooooo glad I found out before viewing!
 
You don't say how experienced a rider you are - that makes a huge difference. There's forward going, i.e. not backwards, goes when asked, and there's forward going, i.e. accelerator stuck in the on position, often sharp. I'm not much good on purchase prices, as most of ours have been projects, but I reckon you'll need to spend a good deal more than £1-2000 on a decent allrounder, which is what you're describing.
 
smja said:
You don't say how experienced a rider you are - that makes a huge difference. There's forward going, i.e. not backwards, goes when asked, and there's forward going, i.e. accelerator stuck in the on position, often sharp. I'm not much good on purchase prices, as most of ours have been projects, but I reckon you'll need to spend a good deal more than £1-2000 on a decent allrounder, which is what you're describing.
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I am an adult novice, having been riding for around 3 years (the first of which was in a riding school, the remainder on share ponies). I have confidence issues relating to the fact that I know I don't bounce and I have a mortgage to pay..... but I can W,T,C and pop a small jump, and I have competed my share quite successfully in some intro and prelim unaffiliated dressage this year locally. I am less confident riding in open spaces and have only hacked out alone a few times, preferring to be out in company.

Never been cross country schooling although its something I would like to try, once I have the partnership and trust I need with my own horse. I doubt I would ever get to the stage of cross-country competing at any level, but I might be persuaded to have a go at a show jumping clear round or two. Oh, and I have also done some small local shows too.
 
Kungfoo-hamster said:
I am an adult novice, having been riding for around 3 years (the first of which was in a riding school, the remainder on share ponies). I have confidence issues relating to the fact that I know I don't bounce and I have a mortgage to pay..... but I can W,T,C and pop a small jump, and I have competed my share quite successfully in some intro and prelim unaffiliated dressage this year locally. I am less confident riding in open spaces and have only hacked out alone a few times, preferring to be out in company.

Never been cross country schooling although its something I would like to try, once I have the partnership and trust I need with my own horse. I doubt I would ever get to the stage of cross-country competing at any level, but I might be persuaded to have a go at a show jumping clear round or two. Oh, and I have also done some small local shows too.
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On reading this I would say you need to double your budget at the very least.
A decent safe reliable all rounder would start at £3500 in my experience. And that would be minus tack.
Obviously if you have/had the confidence to take on a project something a little trickier or an unknown quantity then you would be looking at the £1k mark. With another thousand for tack, rugs, transport, insurance etc......
 
In this area you would find something similar within that budget, especially if you aren't fussed about minor cosmetic issues or a teenager. I've seen a lot of reasonable looking horses coming up for sale the last couple of weeks that look to fit your requirements. Some areas are 'cheaper' for horses than others.

I think your tack budget is ok too, I had a brand new Ideal saddle this year for under £600 fitted, leaving you with plenty left for a few other bits and bobs plus you say you have a few things already.

Have a look about and see, if you can't find anything you are happy with then it might be time to alter your budget.
 
Kungfoo-hamster said:
I am an adult novice, having been riding for around 3 years (the first of which was in a riding school, the remainder on share ponies). I have confidence issues relating to the fact that I know I don't bounce and I have a mortgage to pay..... but I can W,T,C and pop a small jump, and I have competed my share quite successfully in some intro and prelim unaffiliated dressage this year locally. I am less confident riding in open spaces and have only hacked out alone a few times, preferring to be out in company.

Never been cross country schooling although its something I would like to try, once I have the partnership and trust I need with my own horse. I doubt I would ever get to the stage of cross-country competing at any level, but I might be persuaded to have a go at a show jumping clear round or two. Oh, and I have also done some small local shows too.
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See this can still cover a variety of ability and confidence ranges and this could be the difference.

My mum, for example, rode at the same riding school I did and therefore would have been classed as you are, an adult novice. She does fine with Topaz but the majority would not.

You need to really think about what you feel comfortable riding, forward going is good but far better to teach a slightly slower paced horse to move better off your leg than have one so sensitive you fear of sneezing, if you are remotely worried about stopping issues. My mum is as brave as they come and a cracking rider, she has zero aspirations to compete and so just 'just' needed a hack, but there are horses who are hacks that are happy to bumble round on the end of the buckle (Doodle my show horse) and then there are hacks where you need to actively ride them and keep your wits about you (Topaz).

If you are more happy being an active rider and not just a passenger then it is more possible to find a nice horse at a good price, because not 'just' anyone would want/ride them if you see what I mean.

Above all don't think you'll grow in confidence to match that whizzy cheap one as more than likely it will just whittle away your confidence than improve it. Good luck in your search I love horse shopping :).

x x
 
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