The woo that is horse shopping

[nuttychestnut]

I really should be excited that I'm in a position to purchase a new friend, but I am hating the process. So far I've had one fail a vetting, one get sent into surgery the day I was due to view, two lame at viewing and a few non suitable ones.
I've really tried to view all that are within a sane distance and my price range but I still can't find 'the one'!
I may be going against the grain as I really would love a mare, if she was chestnut even better!
My next options are to a) move up north b) become shorter (I'm looking at 16.2 and above c) give up and buy a rabbit or d) beg the husband to let me spend a few more grand!
You may see from my previous posts, I'm looking for a sane horse to produce through the level up to BE100 but I swear those horses just don't exist for £5k
Just needed a general moan as I think the yard is bored of hearing my bad luck or at least they like giggling about me nearly falling off!

 

[asmp]

Something like this?

http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=123412&query=retrieval

Although not a chestnut and I've no idea where you are so not sure what a sane distance is!

 

[Flame_]

I feel your pain. I'd travel anywhere in the UK to look at something right "on paper", but I can barely find any to view. I usually love looking for horses but this time I'm finding it thoroughly depressing because my last horse was as close to perfect as I was ever going to find and he died.

 

[kassieg]

If it's any consolation selling is just as bad !!! starting to realise why I used to hang on to horses !

 

[Deltaflyer]

Funny how when just window shopping there's always loads that match one's criteria, the minute looking in earnest starts there's very little. I think that's called S**ds Law.

Hope you find something soon OP.

 

[MrsNorris]

It's a nightmare isn't it.. I've only viewed 4 so far, but have phoned and exchanged emails/pic/vids about at least 30. Had one failed vetting, one lame, one nothing like the description and one which was so nearly THE one, but not quite. Feel quite downhearted about the whole thing.

 

[nuttychestnut]

No she is within a sane distance!! Maybe only an hour or so. Thank you. Will be calling later today

 

[nuttychestnut]

Something like this?

http://www.nfed.co.uk/cgi-bin/class...lay_db_button=on&db_id=123412&query=retrieval

Although not a chestnut and I've no idea where you are so not sure what a sane distance is!

Perfect!!

 

[Dazed'n'confused]

Can I join in please?!!
I'm beginning to think that nice, sane allrounders that are over 16.2hh, could do local workers, hack alone & not be lame, wonky, sarcoid covered don't exist!!
I'm struggling to see anything that I'd even ask about, but when I do the seller either doesn't bother to reply or can't be bothered to send a video (if it's near enough I would go look but if I'm travelling for over an hour I want to see it first!!)
Mind you, selling isn't much fun either...

 

[nuttychestnut]

flame I feel your pain. I had to PTS my last boy, he was never going to be sound and he was a dangerous field companion.
Before I let him go there was loads, now nothing suitable unless I had £7.5-£10k to spend.
Oh forgot to say I was basically held hostage by one seller! Wouldn't allow me to leave until they had forced me to ride a completely unsuitable horse!!

 

[asommerville]

Me too I drove 2 hours to see a horse that had no marks and had a big blinking sarcoid on its chest......then an hour to see one with no marks who was just backed but had big white scars down its withers and a fat leg Ho hum

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I bought a horse a dew months ago & it was quite difficult finding the right one. I found the biggest problem was descriptions of the horse & its ability being totally wrong. When I phoned sellers I would ask loads of questions to try & rule out worthless lengthy journeys but I still had them because the sellers were 'economical with the truth'. When you challenge the seller saying I asked you that on the phone & you said there was no problem so why didn't you tell me the truth? The reply I got was "If I'd told you that you wouldn't have come to view him"???????

Very happy with the one I bought, was described correctly, a bit over the top on his ability, he actually knows very little, but he's honest & wants to learn so I can live with that. He was priced correctly as well for what he was.

 

[Albertina]

Yep feel your pain!! I am having one vetted on Thursday and I will be gutted if he doesn't pass.

I too had my old horse PTS due to arthritis and now on the hunt for a new long time pal, but there is not a lot out there

 

[Kezzabell2]

Godness, does sound very painful! glad I'm sticking with my lame horse in hope that he will come right! at least I still get horsey kisses every day, even if it does mean I have to drive to the other side of town to ride someone elses horse until he's back in work!

 

[Luci07]

2 dealer reccomendations for you. 1. Irish horse imports Pangbourne, mainly 4 or5 year old green Irish youngsters. Basic yard, honest dealer who tells it as it is. Get 20 or 30 horses in at a time. Very very good at assessing what they have,and horses average 3-5k. 2. Shane Walsh, will prob be a bit more than £5k (6-8) but horses have been produced on. I bought my boy from Shane in July and am still smiling every time I get on him. He is exactly what I wanted.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I feel your pain. I'd travel anywhere in the UK to look at something right "on paper", but I can barely find any to view. I usually love looking for horses but this time I'm finding it thoroughly depressing because my last horse was as close to perfect as I was ever going to find and he died.

Poor you . I know exactly how you feel after my horse of a life time died of EGS last year. Horse shopping was miserable. I flew to Gatwick to view one which was crippled at 6yr old. There was no joy in it.

However I did end up buying my wonderful Daisy cob and she IS as good and I love her as much and she has mended my broken heart to a great degree, so hang in there, it is worth it. Nearly a year since my last one died and I still think about her most days and Daisy has really helped me get over the trauma. I hope you get as lucky as me (as lucky as you can be in the circumstance).

Sorry to hear about your horse

 

[Regandal]

If you like tb's, what about an ex-racer?

 

[Ormsweird]

See, I have done this all wrong. A week ago I bought a pony. I didn't go and see him. I didn't mean to actually buy a pony until a year later. I wanted a good, steady seen it, done it family pony for me and my daughter.


He's not. He's a five year old as yet unbacked fell, which is the only bit of what I wanted long term! But he's a lamb. My friend went and viewed him for me even. But she is at least a vet and he swam through her vetting of him! She came back bouncing from the viewing and we sorted out his purchase. She's bringing him on for me over the next year. So I have fallen into horse owner ship and watch with guilt as people struggle to find the perfect horse.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have gone down the wanted advert route on several occasions. I want to see a video, stood up without tack both sides and then ridden before I will even ring the vendor. Obviously this only works when looking for something very specific rather than an all round type, who can come in many disguises.

I advertised for a unexposed middle or heavy show hunter some years ago and the replies were so funny. Pictures of horses with rugs on taken at 100 yards away, and head shots over doors. I gave up going to see horses from just an advert after spending an entire day looking at 9 horses, all north of Cheshire, none of which fitted the respective adverts and the final one was so acp'ed I felt sea sick riding it. It was a December day, freezing cold and wet. The only highlight was the amount of chocolate I consumed in the car !

 

[kassieg]

I bought a horse a dew months ago & it was quite difficult finding the right one. I found the biggest problem was descriptions of the horse & its ability being totally wrong. When I phoned sellers I would ask loads of questions to try & rule out worthless lengthy journeys but I still had them because the sellers were 'economical with the truth'. When you challenge the seller saying I asked you that on the phone & you said there was no problem so why didn't you tell me the truth? The reply I got was "If I'd told you that you wouldn't have come to view him"??????? ]

God that's awful! I'm selling atm & I have someone coming to view at the weekend & I was so honest! I actually worry if I have missed anything. I would feel so bad if people travelled for no reason. I mean there's nothing you can do if the person doesn't get on with the horse but did they really think that if you viewed you would buy it just because you had viewed?!

 

[nuttychestnut]

At least it's not just me!
Stuck a wanted add up last night. Hopefully there are two promising mares locally that I want to see this weekend.
I saw a lovely and very well bred mare tonight, I really like her but her jump is massive! She very nearly jumped me out of the saddle. I need to mule her over with the instructor.

 

[nuttychestnut]

Yep feel your pain!! I am having one vetted on Thursday and I will be gutted if he doesn't pass.

I too had my old horse PTS due to arthritis and now on the hunt for a new long time pal, but there is not a lot out there

Good luck!!

 

[nuttychestnut]

2 dealer reccomendations for you. 1. Irish horse imports Pangbourne, mainly 4 or5 year old green Irish youngsters. Basic yard, honest dealer who tells it as it is. Get 20 or 30 horses in at a time. Very very good at assessing what they have,and horses average 3-5k. 2. Shane Walsh, will prob be a bit more than £5k (6-8) but horses have been produced on. I bought my boy from Shane in July and am still smiling every time I get on him. He is exactly what I wanted.

I've been to the first one, they are way to green for me personally. However I did discuss with my trainer I could buy one and give it to her for a month or two for intense training.
Visited Shane, but it was a few weeks since the last shipment arrived. Bloody honest, but nothing suitable.

 

[elliefiz]

Find a good agent abroad, get cheap flights to the continent and spend the day there. I go all the time, see absolutely amazing horses and at all sorts of prices. I have a great contact in Germany who I work with a lot who I would recommend to anybody and will find you whatever you require. Take advantage of the good exchange rate and make your money go further. Or else go to Ireland. I would find it difficult to buy in the UK to be honest after a conversation I had with an event rider who wanted 60k for a horse that had done a few novices!! People seem to have very high opinions of their horses here, rather than being realistic about what they are actually worth.

 

[nuttychestnut]

Find a good agent abroad, get cheap flights to the continent and spend the day there. I go all the time, see absolutely amazing horses and at all sorts of prices. I have a great contact in Germany who I work with a lot who I would recommend to anybody and will find you whatever you require. Take advantage of the good exchange rate and make your money go further. Or else go to Ireland. I would find it difficult to buy in the UK to be honest after a conversation I had with an event rider who wanted 60k for a horse that had done a few novices!! People seem to have very high opinions of their horses here, rather than being realistic about what they are actually worth.

I just worry that I would end up making an impulse buy on a horse of my dreams, the reality being I wouldn't be able to ride one side of it!!
I do understand that some sellers don't sell at the market rate. Plus they add extra for their potential!

 

[elliefiz]

I just worry that I would end up making an impulse buy on a horse of my dreams, the reality being I wouldn't be able to ride one side of it!!
I do understand that some sellers don't sell at the market rate. Plus they add extra for their potential!

I find the Germans the most honest sellers I have come across. Using an agent it tends to be studs with a mix of horses for sale that they have usually bred themselves and know very well. They will tell you straight up if something is suitable or not which I appreciate, I wouldn't buy horses anywhere else now! They breed for performance but like everything there are lots of nice horses that don't make the grade and make a nice, fun horse for someone.

A large factor that drives horse prices in the UK is that most riders and buyers of horses are low level hobby riders. Hence a horse that might do well at Grass roots eventing could have a price tag of 25k attached to it. In reality 99% of horses can skip round a BE90 or BE100 without too much effort, there's nothing in that which justifies such a ridiculous asking price. I saw on Facebook an ad for an ex racehorse, done some basic schooling, nothing to write home about and I'm sure the asking price was over 6k. That's just day light robbery! I really sympathise for anyone trying to buy in the UK unless one had a rather large budget or was buying a youngster.

 

[soulfull]

I'm shopping too. I've now seen 32 horses. Despite being very picky on the phone it's nuts the lies people tell. Over half have been lame, some either too nuts or too tense I wouldn't get on. Some much bigger than described.
one failed vet. Turns out I had a lucky escape as it's just come to light she was deemed as dangerous as a 3 yr old.
I've travelled 2.5hrs to say your story doesn't add up, goodbye. (Horse was lame too)

I nearly had another one vetted but luckily I video me riding, when I got home it was showing a few lame steps.

My friend bought the first one she saw, nice type from an Irish importer but turns out to be 4 not 7

I'm off to see 2 more today, was supposed to be 3 but 3rd one only has a field and too wet to do anything

I'very lost all faith in horsey people being nice and beginning to lose the will to keep searching

 

[OwnedbyJoe]

I'm off to show this to the other half... As an explanation of why there always seems to be a "spare" or two in the paddock...

 

[monte1]

When looking back in February, I spoke to both Irish Horse Imports and Shane Walsh- both really helpful but I ended up buying my boy from a more local dealer, Gavin Reilly, he was the cheaper end of his price range and pretty green compared to some of the others there, but i knew that when we got him and have done tons of work over the summer, he has been just as described and I am still loving him!

2 dealer reccomendations for you. 1. Irish horse imports Pangbourne, mainly 4 or5 year old green Irish youngsters. Basic yard, honest dealer who tells it as it is. Get 20 or 30 horses in at a time. Very very good at assessing what they have,and horses average 3-5k. 2. Shane Walsh, will prob be a bit more than £5k (6-8) but horses have been produced on. I bought my boy from Shane in July and am still smiling every time I get on him. He is exactly what I wanted.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

It's great to see recommdations for dealers who are honest. It would be fabulous to have this stickied for dealers throughout the UK.

The dealer I got mine from used to take a big lorry to Ireland and just choose the ones he wanted, so knew almost nothing about them. I was lucky my YO knew him, so I got a week's trial. The horse was sold as a 6 year old, two vets and a dentist pit him at a year younger and he was green as grass. Good job I had lots of support with him for the first year.