Realistically, could you make any money doing this?

C

Coffee_Bean

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www.horseandhound.co.uk
Contemplating buying a 4/5/6yo, 13.2hh+ pony to break in, get started, take to a few shows, then sell on as a kids pony. I haven't a clue if this would work
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I mean buying it cheap as in under £900... but would keeping it 6 months toally outweigh the potential profit. What do decent kids show ponies go for these days, if they are relatively sane?? Has anyone done this sucessfully???
Any opinions good or bad appreciated
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We did this with a cob a few years back, we did make about £2000 on him (bought in October sold in February). However we didn’t do it again because once you have added up the costs (and we kept him at home, but still had saddler, back person, teeth, blah, blah) and mainly the time, it really wasn’t worth it. It’s the selling part that was the most difficult (didn’t help he was a traditional so we spent ages getting his feathers pristine), because we sold him as a novice ride (which he was) he got some right numpty come and see him.

I personally wouldn’t do it again, just too much hassle.
 
Hhhm, and my livery ain't exactly cheap.... however I could do with the experience with a youngster, and if things go the way I think they're going with my mare, i won't have enough to buy what I want, hence I'd be getting some experience, making some money, and wouldn't lose my stable.... not sure the folks would go for it though
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Any profit you make after buying and keeping pony is usually very minimal, if at all.
 
If you get lucky I think you could.

I bought a 12.3 welsh x from someone on my yard as he was being neglected etc, I paid £200 for him in november.

He's turned out to be a stunning little lad and is so much fun to ride, I'm sure I could sell him and make back the money I've spent on him so far without ever aiming to do so.

Although I could have just got lucky with my perfect boy!
 
I definitely think there is a market out there for good, ready-made ponies but whether it is profitable I wouldn't know.
Good luck, I'd say give it a go - you have to speculate to accumulate!!
 
Unless you have your own land and facilities i don't realistically see how anyone can make a profit selling the type of animal you are talking about. I thought about doing this a couple of years ago as i don't have to pay for my land/stables/school etc but gave it up as a bad idea for these reasons. Firstly, you could buy it and it go lame the next week, costing you even more expense, you may not be able to sell it quickly therefore minimising any profit you're likely to make and thirdly what if it isn't actually suitable to warrant a higher price tag. The animal you buy may turn out to have faults that you're unable to rectify and at first didn't know about.

If you want to gain experience then i would say go for it, but if you're wanting to make money then i'd say perhaps it's not such a good idea.
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I bought a 13.1hh chestnut pony for my kids... kept him a year, but they didnt ride enough to justify keeping him
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I paid £900 and sold him for £2300!!!

I did nothing to increase his value at all... but when you add up the livery at £20 a week, and all the other stuff that goes with keeping a horse.... I didnt actually 'make' anything, but he didnt really cost me anything for the kids either.
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Thanks benjis_girl that's really helpful
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Having been thinking about it, I may sell the pony with a higher price tag, and come out of it with a bigger lump sum as it were, but with the price of my livery, there is no way I would make a real profit on it. However as I am most likely not going to be able to afford the potential eventer I want as my next horse, hopefully my "forever" horse, we were thinking of me taking one on loan to play with while my budget builds... as I also desperately do not want to lose my stable at my yard.

I've been offered a 3yo to play with over winter, but am thinking this might be a better thing, if its 4/5 I could do more with it, its going to be similar costs, I don't lose my stable, I get experience with a youngster, and hopefully get a bit more money out of it at the end.

But you've given me some points there that I hadn't really thought of so thanks
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MQ- thats kinda the "profit" I'd hope to make on the actual price of the pony. My livery sadly, is more than double yours ( part livery
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) so in that respect, I won't be making a proper profit, however, technically you lose money on any horse from the moment you buy it... but if i can get the folks on board I think I might give it a bash!!
 
I bought a pally sec D 4yo without papers a few years back for £400, very green and had a reputation (which was just novice rider with novice horse stuff, there was nothing actually wrong with her). Turned her round in 8 weeks with some proper schooling, and sold her for £1600 to the first person to view. She cost me 1 set of shoes, 1 wormer, and £30 pw to keep, and the H&H ad.
 
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I bought a pally sec D 4yo without papers a few years back for £400, very green and had a reputation (which was just novice rider with novice horse stuff, there was nothing actually wrong with her). Turned her round in 8 weeks with some proper schooling, and sold her for £1600 to the first person to view. She cost me 1 set of shoes, 1 wormer, and £30 pw to keep, and the H&H ad.

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Wow
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Where did you find her??!
 
I bought a 14.3hh roan TB x as a 3 yr old for £610 and sold him for £3,500 (without tack) as a 4 yr old ( then 16hh)
Also bought a 11.2hh 4 yr old section A at the same time for £230 and sold him 8 months later for £1,100.
Both lived out most of the winter too so very minimal costs.
It can be done if you know what you are looking for and put alot of work in.
Teresa
 
She was on the same livery yard as me, parents has bought her for her pretty colour, for their novicey 13yo daughter who was frightened to death of her. They had a lot of people giving them advice about this "nutty" mare who took off with her, and refused to canter in the school...

They were planning to take her to Southall, I'd stayed out of it, but couldn't see her go there and go from bad to worse, so I piped up that I'd save them the drive, trouble and fees, and give them £400 cash for her there and then. They accepted and never glanced backwards.

She was just 4, just backed, didn't understand the aids and worried. She was actually a pretty easy little mare, I liked her.
 
it can be done, weve done over the years numerous times, the last one was a 13hh grey mare, paid £200 for her, weve got our own yard so didnt cost anything that way, she lived out all winter, cost me a rug £25, teeth £35, a vets bill of £70 and 3 or 4 trims which were free (great farrier), i sold her for £1300 which was cheap to a friend, if you can tell when you spot a real bargain not just something cheap it can be done, im lucky as i am good friends with a few dealers who generally only deal in horses, any ponies they come along on the way i get a phone call, ive currently got 2 welsh sec a's and another 13.2 pony which is an absolute cracking pony and i paid £200 each for them, it is hard work but it is something i love doing and i also pride myself on being honest about the ones i sell which has now given me the reputation of people ringing me to see what we have, good luck if you do go ahead, i find it very satisfying seeing them going to their new homes with happy smiling children
 
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