Viewing this horse...cost...!

[Newtothegeegees]

So I’m off to view a horse in about a weeks time. The horse is 8 years old, a Spanish horse, and 5k.

What are your thoughts on this price?

Is this crazy talk?

I’m based in Surrey if this means anything?

 

[Starzaan]

It depends entirely on the horse. I bought my horse for more than that at the age of 6, but he was very talented and exactly what I was looking for at the time.
could you give us any more information to see if we can help? And are you taking an instructor with you?

 

[JennBags]

If you think it's too expensive then don't waste the sellers time by going to view it. It doesn't sound particularly expensive to me, but it depends entirely on what it's done, it's level of education, it's temperament etc. I would expect an average well rounded 8yo to be attracting anything between 5k and 10k and if it's handy then a lot more.

 

[ihatework]

5k is cheap for a good 8yo Spanish horse. Given you have posted in new riders I’d advise caution and take an experienced person with you to view this and any other horse you may view.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If the horse is a decent one it will be sold before you get round to viewing it in a week’s time. Good ‘made’ horses of around that age and with fashionable breeding are worth good money.

Horses with an ‘if’ are worth less.

 

[Leo Walker]

If the horse is a decent one it will be sold before you get round to viewing it in a week’s time. Good ‘made’ horses of around that age and with fashionable breeding are worth good money.

yup, this. at 5k and spanish at that age it will be gone. They attract a premium just for being spanish, they dont have to have done anything to get that sort of money.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

The only thing it does state is that it’s had a price drop and that it’s not ‘papered’. It’s for sale from a genuine yard with a website and lots of credentials.
I was going to go alone at first to see if I even get a feel of the horse. I don’t have an instructor to take with me. Also I’m currently on holiday and getting there in a weeks time is the soonest I can do..
The seller has implied she used to be from Spain as I asked if she had been ridden by children and she said she was based at a riding school in Spain so used to children around her. The seller then said she will tell me more when I view.
Now I’m worried she will be sold before I get to see her!

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Also regarding price it’s not that I think it’s too expensive it’s more like I don’t know what too expensive is classed at. So saying that’s about the right price for that age etc kind of sets my mind at ease.

 

[Leo Walker]

It’s for sale from a genuine yard with a website and lots of credentials.

This means literally nothing. The dodgiest dealer I know has a website and lots of credentials. The fact she wont tell you more about the horse and its had a price drop, is screaming red flags. I wouldnt be worrying unduly that this horse sells before you view it!

 

[ycbm]

The only thing it does state is that it’s had a price drop and that it’s not ‘papered’. It’s for sale from a genuine yard with a website and lots of credentials.
I was going to go alone at first to see if I even get a feel of the horse. I don’t have an instructor to take with me. Also I’m currently on holiday and getting there in a weeks time is the soonest I can do..
The seller has implied she used to be from Spain as I asked if she had been ridden by children and she said she was based at a riding school in Spain so used to children around her. The seller then said she will tell me more when I view.
Now I’m worried she will be sold before I get to see her!

The seller might just have told you, in dealer-speak, that a riding school would not let children ride her. If this is important to you, don't view until you clarify whether she was only livered at a riding school or whether she was used in the riding school. In general, on the continent, ponies are not used for children to learn on, they ride horses. If the mare was in a riding school and not had children ride her, that would suggest that she isn't suitable for a novice.

Please, please dont give in to any pressure to buy this mare on first viewing. If shes any good, she would already be sold, nobody needs to drop the price to 5k to sell a good Spanish horse in the UK. I was offered an Iberian last year reduced to that price that had been treated for changes on neck x rays!

 

[ihatework]

The only thing it does state is that it’s had a price drop and that it’s not ‘papered’. It’s for sale from a genuine yard with a website and lots of credentials.
I was going to go alone at first to see if I even get a feel of the horse. I don’t have an instructor to take with me. Also I’m currently on holiday and getting there in a weeks time is the soonest I can do..
The seller has implied she used to be from Spain as I asked if she had been ridden by children and she said she was based at a riding school in Spain so used to children around her. The seller then said she will tell me more when I view.
Now I’m worried she will be sold before I get to see her!

I think before you go looking for horses you need to do a couple of things 1) establish where you will keep the horse - Id strongly recommend a yard where there is a large element of support/services and ideally with a yard owner/manager who teaches
2) find a good local freelance instructor if the YM/YO isn’t an option.

Then get this person to watch you ride and help find you a suitable horse. A slightly more expensive way to go about it but a less risky way too.

Another thing you could do is join your local riding club, find the right one and there will be a lot of friendship and help at hand, the members should also have ideas about yards in your area.

Buying horses is difficult enough for an experienced buyer but for a novice it’s 10x worse and the industry is notoriously dodgy.

 

[Cortez]

A word of caution if you have not encountered Spanish horses before: they are quite unlike most UK horses and not usually recommended for novice riders. They can be hot and very sensitive, if you're used to this and happy with that sort of horse, then great. If it's not a registered PRE then €5,000 is perhaps on the upper end of what you will pay purely on the breeding.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Personally I would give this one a wide berth!

But if OP has the money to go to Spain for a "viewing", then none of my business!

Surely there must be plenty of decent horses to be had nearer to hand?

Or pop across to the Irish sales??

 

[Newtothegeegees]

It’s not in Spain. The seller just said it had originally worked in Spain.

 

[ester]

Please search the dodgy dealer groups and google for the seller.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Interestingly I notice the Farm is for sale. I wonder if this is why they want to flog all the horses? I’ve researched reviews on this place and it has great feedback. It’s also a riding school so lots of ratings about owners etc that are all glowing

 

[ester]

please don't trust reviews! that is bonkers!

 

[Theocat]

Newtothegeegees, what is your budget for a horse? If you can afford £5k for a first horse, that's great - but you will get more for your money (and probably a better fit) if you buy a riding club type of no particular breeding. You will be paying for the "Spanish" label (even unpapered) and that chunk of the money is better spent on the horse's experience and safety record.

I am sorry to sound like a stuck record here, but you really must take someone with you. If you get the right feel for this horse, what then? It would be very foolish to get straight on it without a knowledgeable friend assessing it first.

Before you start viewings, you also need a yard sorted out. You need to be ready to move quickly: if you find a decent horse, you want a second viewing very quickly, a vetting as soon as you can book it in, and get it home as soon as possible. Think in terma of 7-10 days to wrap the whole thing up. Yes, it can take longer - but generally, the really good horses go very, very quickly.

 

[AdorableAlice]

OP, if you would like to PM me the name of the riding school I will be able to tell you how reputable it is.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Newtothegeegees, what is your budget for a horse? If you can afford £5k for a first horse, that's great - but you will get more for your money (and probably a better fit) if you buy a riding club type of no particular breeding. You will be paying for the "Spanish" label (even unpapered) and that chunk of the money is better spent on the horse's experience and safety record.

I am sorry to sound like a stuck record here, but you really must take someone with you. If you get the right feel for this horse, what then? It would be very foolish to get straight on it without a knowledgeable friend assessing it first.

Before you start viewings, you also need a yard sorted out. You need to be ready to move quickly: if you find a decent horse, you want a second viewing very quickly, a vetting as soon as you can book it in, and get it home as soon as possible. Think in terma of 7-10 days to wrap the whole thing up. Yes, it can take longer - but generally, the really good horses go very, very quickly.

My plan is actually to continue my share on a horse and then start back at my original riding school for lessons. They are very reputable and the owner is well respected and a really nice woman so I think she would happily assist in helping source a horse for me.
You guys are the experts and I’m listening and taking your advice on board so thank you.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

please don't trust reviews! that is bonkers!

no I wouldn’t as obviously it could be a bunch of their friends leaving reviews however it’s a start that nothing is immediately thrown up via google or any other search that this riding school is dodgy.

 

[Starzaan]

OP I’m afraid I’m going to be blunt. These posts are worrying. As an instructor who far too often has to pick up the pieces when someone has over horsed themselves, it fills me with dread to hear that you still aren’t planning to take an instructor with you.
Good horses sell within a day. Bad and dodgy sellers all seem reputable to those who don’t know what to look for. If you are as baffled by adverts as your posts suggest then please please take an instructor with you.
I’ve ridden all my life and taught for many years. I still take someone with me whenever I view horses. I also wouldn’t sell a horse to a novice first time buyer who came without an instructor, but there are plenty of people who would take advantage of your inexperience and sell you a horse you couldn’t cope with.
Please have a think, find an instructor and make sure you have a full livery space on a reputable yard with good support so you can learn how to care for a horse without being dropped in it on diy livery with no idea what you’re doing when faced with lameness or colic or freshness or the like.

 

[Theocat]

My plan is actually to continue my share on a horse and then start back at my original riding school for lessons. They are very reputable and the owner is well respected and a really nice woman so I think she would happily assist in helping source a horse for me.
You guys are the experts and I’m listening and taking your advice on board so thank you.

This is a great decision. Ride as many different horses as you can, and you will be far better able to assess whether a horse suits you when you are in the right place to start viewings.

 

[paddy555]

The only thing it does state is that it’s had a price drop and that it’s not ‘papered’. It’s for sale from a genuine yard with a website and lots of credentials.
I was going to go alone at first to see if I even get a feel of the horse. I don’t have an instructor to take with me. Also I’m currently on holiday and getting there in a weeks time is the soonest I can do..
The seller has implied she used to be from Spain as I asked if she had been ridden by children and she said she was based at a riding school in Spain so used to children around her. The seller then said she will tell me more when I view.
Now I’m worried she will be sold before I get to see her!

before I went to see any horse I would know absolutely everything about the owner, everything about where it was kept and everything about what it had done. There are lots of people on here who could probably supply that info for you. I would take AA up on her offer. The seller "implied" sets alarm bells ringing. With a genuine horse I would expect to interrogate the owner owner in detail on the phone and I would want to know everything the horse had done and where it had been. 8 years of history should not be too hard to find. Also it's passport to see when it came into the UK and previous owners here if any. If it's a price drop it could well mean they cannot sell it. Before I went to see it I would know everything. I would also make it very clear to the vendor that you expect to see the horse ridden both in a school and outside at all paces. That way you will not end up looking at a horse with no reasonable trial facilities and no rider to demonstrate for you. Vendors are good at making excuses. Whatever you do don't get on it first. For 5k they should be able to ride it for you. I would also tell the vendor even before you visit you will be wanting permission to contact the vet to see the vet records and who is their vet. Also that the horse will be vetted. Do they have a problem with that and bloods will be taken to test for bute and the like. If they are not completely open and say yes walk away.
A reputable seller won't be implying anything, they will have all the info to hand over the phone. If the farm is for sale I would research that as well and find out why. Why would you want to sell a riding school and farm that has so many good reviews? They may be a genuine reason of course.

I would also study Cortez's advice very carefully. Is this a breed of horse you dream about or a breed you have the experience to ride? Sorry to be blunt but there is a big difference. Many people new to owning horses have ended up with a horse they want that does in fact turn out to be one with either problems of some sort or one they cannot ride at that stage in their lives. You are then left with 5k of animal.
It is very very easy for a first time owner to end up looking at a horse, falling in love, not questioning what they are told and ending up making a very expensive mistake. Vendors can see them coming.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Ok so I contacted the owner of the yard where I share my horse. She was really nice and advised me to have some lessons with her and then she can assess my level and advise me on a horse to buy. She has a lot of links and will be happy to come and view with me. I also told her I would like to stable my horse at her yard and it just so happens a space is coming available at the end of Jan.

I think I will contact the owner of the Spanish horse and cancel my viewing I’m being stupid and impulsive and probably wasting my time.

Thanks for the advice. Please look out for more of my novice posts in the future.

x

 

[Leo Walker]

Ok so I contacted the owner of the yard where I share my horse. She was really nice and advised me to have some lessons with her and then she can assess my level and advise me on a horse to buy. She has a lot of links and will be happy to come and view with me. I also told her I would like to stable my horse at her yard and it just so happens a space is coming available at the end of Jan.

I think I will contact the owner of the Spanish horse and cancel my viewing I’m being stupid and impulsive and probably wasting my time.

Thanks for the advice. Please look out for more of my novice posts in the future.

x

I think thats a really good situation to be in, so something positive came out of this anyway

 

[ycbm]

Ok so I contacted the owner of the yard where I share my horse. She was really nice and advised me to have some lessons with her and then she can assess my level and advise me on a horse to buy. She has a lot of links and will be happy to come and view with me. I also told her I would like to stable my horse at her yard and it just so happens a space is coming available at the end of Jan.

I think I will contact the owner of the Spanish horse and cancel my viewing I’m being stupid and impulsive and probably wasting my time.

Thanks for the advice. Please look out for more of my novice posts in the future.

x

You are SUCH as sensible, level headed person to ask for, and then take, advice like this. Well done you!

 

[paddy555]

Ok so I contacted the owner of the yard where I share my horse. She was really nice and advised me to have some lessons with her and then she can assess my level and advise me on a horse to buy. She has a lot of links and will be happy to come and view with me. I also told her I would like to stable my horse at her yard and it just so happens a space is coming available at the end of Jan.

I think I will contact the owner of the Spanish horse and cancel my viewing I’m being stupid and impulsive and probably wasting my time.

Thanks for the advice. Please look out for more of my novice posts in the future.

x

not at all stupid. very sensible to get some help and back up in finding a suitable horse. I hope it works out well for you.

 

[Starzaan]

I echo others above. If you are this sensible and open to taking advice, you will do well and hopefully find a perfect first horse. Well done you!

 

[Equi]

Anyone who says "ill tell you more on viewing" would be told a sharp tell me nothing more. If someone wants to sell a horse, really sell a horse, they will tell you anything you want to know immediately because they will want the horse to go to someone who really knows what they are in for.

Im glad you are open to opinions of the folk on here, they really are very knowledgeable. Esp the ones with the spanish breeds like Cortez!

Im excited to hear your future