Update on horse viewing

TheBlackMoth

TheBlackMoth

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 October 2006
Messages
8,116
Location
Regency England
Visit site
Hi

We went to see the chestnut Welsh today and it was quite an interesting viewing. Beautiful horse (well I am partial to the flaxen mane) but took off with my daughter before she could get her feet in the stirrups. It raced round and round about ten times with her before she finally managed to find the stirrups and slow it down.

It was quite a green horse and had only been ridden by one person for the last year (or so). To be honest, it was very like the horse we already have and we felt it would probably be quite spooky.

However, this morning on the way up there we stopped at a dealers near Whitchurch and rode this one.

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/AdvertRef/HM7...HorseDetail.asp

This leaves us with the dilemma of whether to get a horse like the above which felt like it would do anything you asked of it but has no experience in this country (has done Winter League in Ireland) or whether to get a been there done it one that has already got experience at BSJA. My daughter would prefer a horse that has the potential but hasn't been there yet.

Any opinions gratefully received.
 
Thats what we felt - it has potential - it's not scarily expensive and its jump was really calm - it corrected mistakes the girls made.

I have some video which I will put up when I can.
 
The first one sounds like my old Welshie! Selling her was the best decision I ever made, she ruined my confidence forever
crazy.gif

It sounds to me like you already know which type you like best - the second (grey) one. I think it sounds a lot more like a child's pony than a small adult's pony (like the first one) TBH.
 
It will be interesting to see the video, but in my opinion a 4 year old that has no exprience at BSJA is a bit of a risk. You are likely to find that it needs work to get it jumping up to standard, and even though you said it helped your daughter out when she was wrong, in the ring it might be a totally different senario.

I still think the way to go with a youngster that wants start BSJA is something with more of a proven track record. Thats just my opinion, but i know when i started BSJA it would of made life alot easier (and more fun) if i could of had something that took me round the track a little - it is also a *great* way to learn. No offense, but i think you could spend your money alot more wisely.
 
Now that grey is far more like it!! And so is the price, the age, the experience - I think it would suit you to a tee!
smile.gif
 
Thanks Tia - the girls are really keen - and here's a funny coincidence. When we said we wanted our intstructor to see the horse - the girl asked me who the instructor was - and when I told her - it turns out this is our instructors boyfriends yard and he owns the horse!!!!
 
I personally would buy something that has done a bit more. You aren't buying the chestnut are you? Go and sit on a few more horses. The grey probably came across as nice as the chestnut was so awful.
 
Your daughter (is she 15?) only has a year and a half left in juniors - it will take that long to get the grey upto a decent standard, yes when you come to sell it if it has all gone well he'll be worth more money, but your daughter probably won't afffliate him until next year which means you only have a year on ponies.

Enjoy the year.
 
I think that grey is a great buy in general, if I were looking for something small, I would snap him right up if he isas nice as he sounds.

However whether he is right for your daughter is another matter, DieselDog has made some very good points I think.
 
i think the grey is a much better option.

Are you saying it belongs to your instructor's boyfriend? If so she would be able to advise but I think its' better to buy from someone you kind of know.
 
Well not necessarily. These little Connemaras are pretty smart little things; they generally adore jumping, are good at it and move up the ranks fairly quickly in my experience. Yes perhaps not this year, depending on it's competence, but I would think it is very doable next year as a 5 year old.

Nuala could certainly make a good profit on this one as when she sells it will only be 6 years old and will have a proven competition history if all goes well and it shouldn't make much difference to the future buyer whether the pony has 1 year or 2 years of BSJA experience I wouldn't have thought.

I would have no hesitation going for this 4 year old but maybe I have different motives from a lot of people.
 
Tia - totally agree with everything you are saying, pony looks lovely and if it is straight a really good buy. The only thing is that it is 4 and even if it is a complete saint at that age it is only going to help her daughters out so much before it works out it doesn't have to. How much can you jump a 4 year old? There are a enough posts on here about not rushing youngsters.

Last night Nuala said that her daughter wanted to jump juniors this year, which was why they weren't going for a horse. If she is going to jump juniors she is on a limited timescale, and I would go for maximum fun rather than trying to bring a young pony on which she is only going to be able to ride competively for a maximum of 18 months.

If Nuala wanted a project, yes go for the grey. If she wants to go to shows and be competive buy something else.
 
Oh absolutely. I do agree with everything you are saying aswell - I'm just putting forward a different perspective for Nuala to mull over.
smile.gif
You know how often us fickle creatures start out with one idea to then fall into a different trail of thought....
wink.gif
cool.gif
 
Buying horses is a nightmare. You never know the right thing to do.

As I now have limited funds I'm trying to work out what to go for. Something older that I can get on and enjoy or something younger and cheaper that you bring on, but I'll probably won't want in 2 years time as it has reached its limit and jumped out of all the classes.
 
Well I think the grey could set your daughter up very well - depends how high she wants to jump really! She could potentially make a lot of money on that pony.
 
Buying horses is a nightmare no matter what your reasons for doing it. You'd think that as a buyer and producer of youngstock I wouldn't have any trouble finding suitable horses....nope I'm afraid that isn't the case for me either
frown.gif
. I have specific criteria and even though I live in an area with hundreds of horses for sale - I just can't find them with the bloodlines I want. It is sooooo frustrating!

The last one I bought was not really what I was looking for but I can see a nice profit in him so relented and bought. He's nicely bred just not the lines I want.
 
[ QUOTE ]
How about the option of leasing a pony to do a year of juniors and then move onto horses if the daughter is still interested - just a thought

[/ QUOTE ]

that was touched on in the last post on this subject, the challenge being that the owner will want a rider with proven competition results so as not to devalue the pony (although it may be that Nuala's daughter is in this position)
 
Thanks for your comments everyone. You have encapsulated the debate completely. This little grey is lovely and we could make some money on him. I do not have any real horsie knowlege but from what i am told both of my girls are good riders.

Abby was 15 this March and I believe (and could be completely mistaken) that she can compete at Juniors for another 2 and a half years. Please correct me if I am wrong - but if I have understood it correctly you can compete up to the year you are 17 on 1 January.

So this is the decision we have to make. Do we buy the grey knowing that it will take Abby maybe 6 months to get where she would like to be, but also knowing that we could make a little money out of bringing him on - meaning she could invest in a nice horse when she is ready to move on. Or do we get a been there, done it pony to take Abby straight into BSJA.

It's a hard one.
 
Taken from the BSJA web site

Junior Membership

Is available until the end of the calendar year in which the age of 16 is reached. For junior members who only wish to compete on ponies. A parent or guardian must also join as a Jumping or Non-Jumping member.

So if she is 16 next March 08 she can jump juniors until dec 08.
 
I think I am with DieselDog on this one although I do like the grey pony; looks a very nice type; has it been in the country long do you know?
It all depends if your daughter really wants to take the time to bring it on properly or would actually prefer a 'push and go' so she could enjoy her competing at the level she wants to do now.

One thing to watch is that you must make sure it actually is four, so many of the Irish ponies are younger or older than you're told. Also make very sure it has a legitimate passport not a tacky one; it would be great if it has the breeder's name and address in so you can check up on it further for your own peace of mind.
Also, please watch for strangles, I heard today that it is getting closer to here (5 miles) and that stemmed from an Irish import at another dealers so it might be an idea (and no offence meant to you at all, don't take it the wrong way!) to make sure you wash everything you have all wore today (including all footwear) before you go visit any more horses, even your own; you would hate to be responsible for spreading that anywhere! I must stress this is not a dig at 'your' dealer, nothing like it, but it's something to watch for anyone that goes to try strange horses especially where strangles is known to be about.

If it's the dealer I think it is, then you were just over the hill from me!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top