Too particular??

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stormox

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Why do I keep seeing - here and FB - "why cant i find??" "Horse shopping ugh" "It seems impossible to get" "I want 15.2 + gelding to do BE 90 mother and daughter share" " 16hh cob wanted ".. "must be safe.. "
Well folks there is no such thing as the perfect horse, only one with faults you can live with.
Years ago we all got imperfect, green, young horses - and had fun making them into the best we could.
I just dont understand why people are so particular. Try a mare. Go a hand bigger. If its never jumped have fun teaching it over tiny obstacles.
Dont be too fussy there are loads of nice horses out there who just need an opportunity to shine - you might be surprised... and have a lot of fun along the way.
 
My friend is looking for a horse and her requirements are so specific and her budget is not large. I have found plenty of horses that would suit her that were a couple of inches bigger or smaller, the wrong colour, a year too old, one was absolutely perfect but she just “didn’t like him”. And then she’s moaning on Facebook groups that she can’t find anything. I must have found 10 horses in budget that would suit but they just didn’t meet the very specific requirements.

I’ve given up now, I really want to help her as she’s really missing having a horse but she’s not being at all realistic!
 
I sort of agree. I found my last one in 2 weeks. Is he perfect? No but I’ve had him two years now and we’re getting on just fine and he’s a nice personality. Spookier than I’d like and our journey is slower than perhaps I’d have liked but I’ve also had other life things to deal with so I’m pretty relaxed about it.

Buying a horse is a bit of a leap of faith and it rarely turns out how you expect I decided to be more ruthless and if something wasn’t working out I’d move it on pronto. I’m too old to hang about.
 
People are usually so particular because they know they have limitations in their own ability, a nervous person will not be able to cope with something flighty, spooky so they should look for one that is not, or at least find one that is generally sensible, well schooled and fit for purpose.

'we' may be able to bring on green, young, imperfect horses but not everyone has the confidence or experience to do so, what I do object to is them wanting perfection at a bargain price, if they are willing to pay for the work someone has put in to make it suitable then why shouldn't they be a bit picky, having colours they want is a step too far but ruling out one colour or type they are not keen on is fair enough, you spend a lot of time looking at them so there does need to be a certain amount of attraction or appeal it just needs to be realistic.
 
Lots more people start riding later in life, haven't had the experience of being in PC as a child, been around horses for years and can sit a buck, cope with a bit of a tantrum etc. These are the people, who when they post they are getting into a bit of a mess, H&Hs are quick to chastise because they've bought a young green horse. I totally agree that no horse is perfect and that we should not be too specific in terms of height, breed, age level of experience etc but I'm one of those people who like to be fairly confident that any horse I buy is suitable for the job that I want them to do. I then spend the next year discovering their quirks and personality and deciding if I can actually ride them. I am quietly envious of people who can take on a youngster and produce it well but sadly I see a lot of horses that have been spoiled and perhaps that's why it's difficult to find a well schooled and well mannered established horse.
 
I’m one of those late starters.

agree no horse is perfect and they all need work and time in various ways. If someone is being picky over insignificant things yet expecting perfection for no money, then that’s unrealistic. But if they’re willing to pay more, then I think they can expect more and be pickier with it. As long as they realise that even that schoolmaster may need work with a less experienced owner.

In my last search 5 years ago, I set out for an established all rounder and had a decent budget. Ended up with a green 5 yo but with the right character and trainability, and now have what I was originally looking for. It does take longer and it’s not as ’easy’ ofc but he’s a cracking horse.
 
Well having broken my back not long ago, when I'm looking next I will be very particular. I will not consider anything that's known to be sharp or spook or buck no matter how "nothing nasty" it is.
Being picky about a colour is ridiculous though, as is not considering a 16.2 horse if you were looking for a 16.1. Those people probably don't actually want to find one. A good horse is never a bad colour.
 
I think you can pay more but still have issues. I paid £7,500 for my current horse but he’s by no means perfect. I’m not gung-ho either nor talented and decided I’m not brave enough to bring on a youngster.

Least I’ve paid was £5000 nearly 20yrs ago for a 5yr old GB WB passed a 5-stage, issues started 6 months in, in retrospect signs at purchase had wobblers pts at 8 after 2 years of trying every kind of therapy going.

Paid £7,000 for 7yr old Dutch WB 15 years ago which turned out too much horse for me. Shipped on after 2 months and did swap for the horse I’ve had 15yrs a BWB and I adore but he’s not been straightforward either. Started of with heel shear, then sacro-iliac issues managed throughout his life, annular ligament operation at 19. Naughty streak.

Paid £7,500 for 9yr old previously junior SJ DWB horse passed 5-stage. Opinionated in some ways, a bit of a knob in the school, still learning to hack out without being a tit at every fallen twig (2yrs ) ?. Very lovable personality. Not entirely sure there isnt something physical going on. His canter used to go nowhere but that’s significantly improved. He’s not evenly muscled so we’re working on that.

I didn’t set out to get another WB but I guess it’s hard to get away from the type that you’re used to.
 
I really wanted a 'been there, done it' get on and go type but I've had to accept that, with prices how they are right now, my budget just isn't big enough.

So, although I wasn’t initially looking for a youngster this time around, I'm now open to the idea of getting a sensible youngster that I can, with the help of my brilliant instructor, mould in to a get on and go type.

I think its sensible to relax/bend the criteria a bit, as long as you are honest with yourself about your limitations and don't end up buying something completely unsuitable.
 
I see no problem with people wanting what they want, just so long as they are prepared to wait for it. If I want a 15.2 grey gelding, then I shall have a 15.2 grey gelding and I'll keep looking until that is what I get. If I'm in a hurry I'll just have to look at more horses if needs be.

The last time I bought a horse I looked at over 50, and I wasn't even that prescriptive, it just had to be between 15.1 and 15.2 and move in the right way for the job I needed it to do and be within the price range.
 
windand rain said:
Instant gratification in a throw away world. Problem as I see it is too many novices want the next valegro, big star when a native pony would be better. There are very few people who need a horse over 16hh and most would do better with smaller and better schooled
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Spot on. I don’t have too much of a problem with adults being specific about their requirements as we are capable of determining how much available time we have to school a horse and can be honest about our genuine skills.

However, I hate seeing the ads that start with “wanted for 14 year old/teen” and then goes on to specify significant performance achievements (must be jumping 1.4m etc, etc). Ads finish with “healthy budget for right horse”.

Are these parents going to buy their children a relationship and a job in the future?

Its all about instant gratification. Maybe post Covid things will change.
 
Silly Servant said:
Well having broken my back not long ago, when I'm looking next I will be very particular. I will not consider anything that's known to be sharp or spook or buck no matter how "nothing nasty" it is.
Being picky about a colour is ridiculous though, as is not considering a 16.2 horse if you were looking for a 16.1. Those people probably don't actually want to find one. A good horse is never a bad colour.
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I think a lot is down to budget: people can be fussy, but if they aren’t prepared to pay for it, then it might not be what they want. I keep seeing safe weight carriers going for crazy money.

I think for me, having had a coloured for over a decade, I’d quite like a non grey!
 
windand rain said:
Instant gratification in a throw away world. Problem as I see it is too many novices want the next valegro, big star when a native pony would be better. There are very few people who need a horse over 16hh and most would do better with smaller and better schooled
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Gosh, I genuinely have never come across people like this although I'm sure they do exist. Most people I know just want a safe, kind, well mannered partner that they can have fun on so they can follow their very modest dreams. There is a genuine shortage of nicely schooled, well mannered horses and ponies regardless of breed or size because if you have one, you don't tend to sell it.
 
Surely it is better that people are honest about their own limitations and what they can cope with, rather than buying a green horse without the skills to bring it on? That will often be miserable for both horse and rider and can end leading to a horse with serious problems and a potentially injured rider. Obviously you need a good budget for an absolutely "made" horse, but I don't think wanting something that has already been there/done that and proven it is safe and sane is a bad thing. It will probably take longer to find though.

With regard to gelding vs mare, you don't always know people's set ups. If they're e.g. bringing the horse to live with an established group at home, they may know a horse of the wrong sex is likely to upset the dynamic. Equally, people may specifically want a mare because they'd like the chance to breed in the future etc. Obviously by limiting yourself by sex, you're cutting the number of available horses roughly in half, so in theory it will take you twice as long to find something but I don't think this is unreasonable.

Height is also a tricky one- I am quite short with short legs, and I know I have a maximum height I am really comfortable and effective riding. If I had serious competitive ambitions, I'd probably be after quite a narrow height range really- because that would probably be what I felt comfortable on.

Again, with colour, if you have just lost a horse to melanoma, for example, you might feel you want to rule out greys. I do agree that a good horse is never a bad colour, but equally everyone has preferences and if you are spending thousands of pounds on something it is normal to want it to be aesthetically pleasing!

To be honest, I would rather people were realistic and bought a horse that works for them and they can cope with, and that works for their set up- but I do agree this means you have to accept that horse shopping will probably take a long time! And you do need a decent budget- obviously the lower your budget the more compromises you need to make!

I also do think horse shopping must be especially frustrating at the moment (I thought about it recently and decided not to because the market seems so fast moving and stressful), so I think it's fair for people to have a moan!
 
What gets me is some of the wanted adverts written by people looking for a loan horse. They often have a huge list of requirements, even down to breed and colour. I just find it amazing that people expect to get a horse for free and are so specific about what they want.

Lots of people buying horses are looking for a needle in a haystack. They want a flashy impressive looking animal that will hack on the buckle, school beautifully, not need riding every day to keep it sane, be well behaved away from home, have no quirks or vices, be good to do in every way, live out all winter, live on fresh air etc, etc..... and want to pay £3000 tops for it. If you have a 5 figure budget you can probably get exactly what you want. If not you probably have to accept that you will have to be prepared to compromise and be more realistic in your expectations.
 
Upthecreek said:
What gets me is some of the wanted adverts written by people looking for a loan horse. They often have a huge list of requirements, even down to breed and colour. I just find it amazing that people expect to get a horse for free and are so specific about what they want.

Lots of people buying horses are looking for a needle in a haystack. They want a flashy impressive looking animal that will hack on the buckle, school beautifully, not need riding every day to keep it sane, be well behaved away from home, have no quirks or vices, be good to do in every way, live out all winter, live on fresh air etc, etc..... and want to pay £3000 tops for it. If you have a 5 figure budget you can probably get exactly what you want. If not you probably have to accept that you will have to be prepared to compromise and be more realistic in your expectations.
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I got exactly that, and in the preferred colour, for less than £3,000.....but I looked at over 50 horses, and went to Spain (all good in my book).
 
Upthecreek said:
Lots of people buying horses are looking for a needle in a haystack. They want a flashy impressive looking animal that will hack on the buckle, school beautifully, not need riding every day to keep it sane, be well behaved away from home, have no quirks or vices, be good to do in every way, live out all winter, live on fresh air etc, etc..... and want to pay £3000 tops for it. If you have a 5 figure budget you can probably get exactly what you want. If not you probably have to accept that you will have to be prepared to compromise and be more realistic in your expectations.
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agreed

Lots of good points on this thread - with regard to temperament and education level etc it's better that people are realistic with themselves about what they can handle and what they are capable of. i don't think that's being particular, i think that's being sensible. But as others have said the easy well schooled horse is what everyone wants, so can command a high price. Expecting to find it for a puny budget is a bit daft.

I'm pretty unparticular, sound (or the potential to bring sound) and reasonably well made are my criteria when looking for a horse, my budget doesn't allow me to be any more picky. I've had great fun with the horses that have found their way to me but I can understand others not wanting to take the kinds of gamble I do, it takes a lot of mental and physical effort to sort some of the randoms out, and a fair bit of experience to know it will come right if you just plod on.
 
Why I went to the cob sales and watched about 4/500 go through the ring and bought one. Visited about 100 in their stables over the three days as well. Got what I wanted and well below the price I was prepared to pay and I’ll produce him myself so I end up with what I want.

People do want instant gratification but it’s not a recent thing. I got burned years ago with it. People want what they want and if they are prepared to wait and pay the price tag then great but it’s the ones that want the 5k horse for 1k budget that piss me off. Yes a horse is only worth what someone will pay but a good sane allrounder that will do most things without a fuss and be handleable and easy to do has had work put in. It didn’t just magically appear.
 
Bonnie Allie said:
However, I hate seeing the ads that start with “wanted for 14 year old/teen” and then goes on to specify significant performance achievements (must be jumping 1.4m etc, etc). Ads finish with “healthy budget for right horse”.
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What on earth is wrong with that? Good price offered for a made horse with form for a teenager.

Not everyone wants to bring on a youngster.
 
Cortez said:
I got exactly that, and in the preferred colour, for less than £3,000.....but I looked at over 50 horses, and went to Spain (all good in my book).
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Exactly. If you’re going to be really specific and don’t have a huge budget the compromise is that you need to be prepared to wait longer, travel further and view lots of horses to get what you want. Sadly these days compromise is something many are unwilling to do so they end up buying the wrong horse.
 
I have a physical disability so I have to be picky on what type of horse I buy. So that the horse isn’t to much for me. It does take time but I found one after awhile . You never no what’s going on in people’s lives they could be saying that for a good reason .
 
I love making cheap ones into something. Last one I bought was a £2k heffalump who arrived with 2 sarcoids and later turned out to have imperfect wind. He was also a complete gentleman who was competitive at FEI 2 years after being backed.
 
I think its a case of folk wanting something it says on the tin and they want it pre-made and ready to go.

Certainly I've experienced others that want say, an eventer one year for their kid and have over-horsed theirselves, sold it then want a worker for the kid the next month. Next year its outgrown it so they want something else again. Must be ready to compete the following weekend after it's purchased.... ;)o_O

Gone are the days of buying what you could afford and teaching it along the way. Much more satisfying for me anyway.
 
oldie48 said:
Gosh, I genuinely have never come across people like this although I'm sure they do exist. Most people I know just want a safe, kind, well mannered partner that they can have fun on so they can follow their very modest dreams. There is a genuine shortage of nicely schooled, well mannered horses and ponies regardless of breed or size because if you have one, you don't tend to sell it.
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Come to Surrey :) Honestly, I'm going to sound really naf because I'm only an average rider but any Prelim test you watch has a large percentage of middle aged women on huge WB's most of which need a good boot and told to get moving, but the rider's too worried about how they'd cope if the horse did actually get moving. They'd have a lot more fun on a nice Fell or Newfie.
 
I guess it all comes down to what you’re in it for. I like to buy green horses that have good basic foundations and get satisfaction from producing them for myself, not to sell on. I’d have no interest in buying a horse I could go out and compete next weekend (which is lucky because I don’t have the budget either!). As they say it’s horses for courses.

It does make me wince when I see big flashy horses being ridden by terrified riders who have bought a horse that looks the part but don’t have the ability or the confidence to ride it properly. This is pretty common around here and I often think how much more they would enjoy riding a horse that matched their level of riding that they weren’t frightened of.
 
I do agree there's a lot of joy in bringing on a green horse if you have the experience and facilities to do so- but not everyone has that, I still think it's better to be honest about your own capabilities and any limitations of your current set up. However, equally, if people are inexperienced, for the amount of help they will probably have to buy in, they could probably afford something better suited to their experience level.

I totally agree that you obviously need to be willing to pay a premium for this! People who want a made horse on a budget of <£2k are definitely dreamers and don't really understand the value of what they want to buy, and equally you do have people at the other end of the spectrum who can afford to overhorse themselves.
 
Upthecreek said:
With regard to gelding vs mare, you don't always know people's set ups. If they're e.g. bringing the horse to live with an established group at home, they may know a horse of the wrong sex is likely to upset the dynamic. Equally, people may specifically want a mare because they'd like the chance to breed in the future etc. Obviously by limiting yourself by sex, you're cutting the number of available horses roughly in half, so in theory it will take you twice as long to find something but I don't think this is unreasonable.
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Everything you say is absolutely true. I would add though that IME the number of people who genuinely need a gelding due to being on a 'gelding only yard' for example are absolutely drowned out by the number of people (who sadly have often been women) who are simply sexist towards mares and generally can't come up with a genuine, logical reason for feeling that way when asked. The sexism towards mares has been so deeply entrenched that it made me a bit miserable at one yard I was at for a time, basically trying to get me to sell my mare simply because she's female. She is genuinely the perfect horse for me and it is super hard finding the right horse when you are disabled. Add in the fact that she's chestnut too and the bigotry really ramps up.
 
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