Urgh horse window shopping…

millitiger said:
I'm keeping half an eye out at the moment for another horse but resigned to it not happening.

I'd like one under saddle as already have 2 x 3yros to break next year.
However, I think I'd have to up the budget to £20k+ to get what I want, ridden, and even then who do I trust enough to give £20k to??!
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Have you tried Vere Phillips, expensive I know but has some super horses.
 
Like OP, I've been window shopping to see what's around and if there's anything that catches my eye to part with money for... But I don't really trust what I see. The ones that are in my budget are sounding too good to be true for the money, which makes me think there's a lot not being said after the waffley adverts. A few friends have bought ex racers, which I could do too, but seeing the bad luck they've had with them afterwards (so many physical issues now showing up), I've been put off. I bought a yearling to be my next ridden horse when she grew up, she didn't make the height I was told (no big deal though), and two weeks after me backing her, and her being an absolute diamond, she went arse over tit in the field and gave herself a SI injury, and just hasn't come back the same after a year off (she's just turned 5). So that was an anticlimax after all that time!
Maybe I should stick to buying the retired/rescue, non ridden ones like my lad, and just giving them their best, chilled out days, rather than thinking about riding again. Even he being sold to me as a non ridden companion, I wasn't told the whole truth and have uncovered a lot more issues than I was told about.
 
Yes the horse sales world is a very frightening place. I have seen adverts for animals that I know and that are a complete pack of lies. People seem to have zero morals these days.
I have a couple of 3 year olds I’m breaking to bring on, I don’t trust anyone to buy established and I have been in horses 40 plus years. I would be terrified of going horse shopping in this climate.
 
I haven't bought a horse for 5 years, have things got that much worse since then? You always had to be careful and go with your eyes open but it was possible to find some lovely horses being sold for genuine reasons.
 
Squeak said:
I haven't bought a horse for 5 years, have things got that much worse since then? You always had to be careful and go with your eyes open but it was possible to find some lovely horses being sold for genuine reasons.
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Yes. During covid prices rocketed and there were far more people wanting to buy a horse. It became normal to buy / sell unseen and unvetted, so seeing a quick profit loads of people were pulling unsound, retired, aged horses out of fields and selling them on either via dodgy dealers or themselves. Many came over from Ireland. It doesn't seem too hard to have them rechipped / repassported and the history is then lost. My own vet told me she vetted a horse with 3 microchips in. There's no need to buy unseen now, but so many people are doing so, especially novice riders for whom it's more important to know the horse is suitable. 5 stage vettings are expensive, especially if you start adding in xrays and for low value horses people think it's not worth it. This is fine if the horse can be a pet / companion / brood mare but most people that I see coming to grief are looking for a riding horse and have paid no attention to ongoing vet bills or the ongoing costs of a non ridden animal if they don't want to have it euthanised.
 
millitiger said:
Never heard of Desirous Horses, the name sounds like a Nigerian Facebook scam though and would (perhaps unfairly) put me off.
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That's what I thought 😂 but the page looks legit and is administered from the UK, I don't recognise the name of the owner which is a good thing as I have spent a lot of time on dodgy dealers fb pages.
 
Though I'm not meant to be interested in ANYTHING yet!

I need to move Felix and Lottie on first. But once I start looking..... Someone please talk me out of both those outfits.
 
Buy from auction. You have 48 hrs to try it and get it vetted. If they say its rideable it has to be traffic proof and so on. If it isn't or fails the vet you give it back and get refunded.
 
IrishMilo said:
I like this boy, and just round the corner from me. I'd obviously be gutted if someone wanted me to go and try it for them... 🤣 https://www.horsequest.co.uk/advertisment/356563
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That's a lovely and obviously talented horse. But it's only 5 and already jumping huge courses. Is that a good idea? Are big horses mature enough at 5 to have all that stress on their joints? Genuine question - I know nothing about competition horses.
 
I'm also in a similar boat as realistically I need to admit defeat and accept that my current 4 year old is just going to be too big for me to hold together with my dodgy leg. Bought him in July at 16.2hh with vet saying he'd finished growing and would only put on topline, he's now about 17hh minimum and still looking like he has some more to go. Whereas previous youngster didn't grow enough and only made it to 16hh on her tiptoes at 7. Maybe I should just give up on youngsters and get something fully grown... Anyone have any idea what a budget of around £20k can get you these days?
 
There's a dealer with a good rep in Carlisle with 2 Irish 4yo mares that look your type under assessment at the moment I tried to post a link but failed.
 
Ref 355803 on horsequest.

I know the seller, she used to be a livery on our yard and an excellent rider. She left when she went to Uni and is now back and hoping to set herself up in producing. Absolutely lovely person and very genuine.

This is a 7yo gelding, 15.2hh so looking more at the young rider, u18 market. He was double clear at Badminton Grass Roots. Under £20k
 
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