What’s a reasonable price for a youngster?

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bluehorse

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Just mulling a few things over…

I’m in a bit of a situation with my horse who I’ve always kept at livery, unfortunately over the last few years we’ve had to move yards quite a few times and he always seems to end up either losing his friends when they’ve moved off the yard or he’s been moved himself.

All the yards I’ve ever been on have been individual turnout, which I don’t like but that’s all yards seem to offer these days, and he’s frequently been without another horse directly next to him and, as in the case at my current yard, no ability to physically interact with other horses at all although they are in the same field. He hates being left on his own and I know he’s really craving proper companionship, he’s extremely sensitive and over time I am seeing him become more frustrated by this.

He has some soundness issues so doesn’t do much, I’m not really riding him these days although he’s not officially retired, we hack a bit but that’s about it. I just feel he doesn’t really have much of a life and his basic needs aren’t being met even though I put my heart and soul into looking after him and trying to make sure he’s happy.

The idea of getting a small companion for him keeps coming into my head, it would be easy to accommodate one at his current yard and it would guarantee he’s got proper company whatever the other horses are doing. I’ve been looking at minis, he seems to adore them, and although he’s a big lad I could easily manage one alongside him as he’s very grass restricted.

But then I start to think a mini is still another horse, obviously feed/bedding costs etc will be minimal but vets bills will be the same and probably the livery fee too. And with his soundness issues the idea has now popped into my head that I could just buy a youngster, I’d have something to work with on the ground for a couple of years and it would most likely be a more playful and interactive companion than a mini, which my horse would love. It would also give me my next riding horse when I do retire him, I don’t think that’s too far off.

If I’m being honest I’m not sure if I want another horse at the moment at all but I hate the way I’m having to keep my boy and realistically I don’t want to give up riding when I retire him. Moving yards is not an option and even if I did he could still be in the same situation again, as I can’t control yard rules and what other people do with their horses.

I’m thinking I’d like something 18 months to 3 years old, to make 16hh minimum but preferably bigger. Not a chunk but sort of middleweight ISH/WB/TB type, not fussed about specific breeding but just something relatively uncomplicated that’s capable of being a nice RC type once in work. I wouldn’t want something completely untouched, it would need to be well handled but that’s about it.

I know it costs money to get a foal on the ground but most of the youngsters I’ve seen advertised are competition prospects with hefty price tags, much more than I want and need. So how much would you expect to pay for the type I’d be after? And where can I look to find more ‘average’ youngsters for sale?

These are all just musings at the moment but it’s a slippery slope…
 
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What about a two year old out of racing? Would be cheap, already broken and seen the world but would maybe benefit from a year or so off ?
 
bonny said:
What about a two year old out of racing? Would be cheap, already broken and seen the world but would maybe benefit from a year or so off ?
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Thanks yes I had thought about an ex racer although not considered a 2yo. I’d be a bit worried they would already be a bit hammered at that age though if they’d raced? And again I’d have no idea how to find one…
 
I bought my rising 3yo from Adam Ferris in Ireland and have no complaints. As with any dealer that sells at the frequency he does, you win some you lose some, but he seems to be mostly honest/upfront. I would buy something that has good resale potential just in case it doesn't work out, you never know whether you will gel with a baby ridden-wise once they are backed. So anything you buy in Ireland will likely be worth more once in the UK, full TB aside. I'd go for a lighter build ID if you can afford it, pretty much always a healthy market out there for that type.
 
Well I wouldn’t buy a yearling for the job. They are still proper baby and benefit from baby friends, but a 3yo might be a potential.

How much will in all honesty depend on how nice it is and how much consideration and investment has been made by the breeder.

Coming into winter and with cost of living as it is, I’d expect to drive a hard ish bargain leaving a breeder at a loss, but realistically for something half respectable you probably aren’t going to get much change from 3.5-4k

If you are anywhere close to Gloucestershire then Tina Myles is constantly trying to sell her ever expanding headcount, so might be worth a look there
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
I bought my rising 3yo from Adam Ferris in Ireland and have no complaints. As with any dealer that sells at the frequency he does, you win some you lose some, but he seems to be mostly honest/upfront. I would buy something that has good resale potential just in case it doesn't work out, you never know whether you will gel with a baby ridden-wise once they are backed. So anything you buy in Ireland will likely be worth more once in the UK, full TB aside. I'd go for a lighter build ID if you can afford it, pretty much always a healthy market out there for that type.
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Thanks, did you buy unseen/from videos or visit?
 
ihatework said:
Well I wouldn’t buy a yearling for the job. They are still proper baby and benefit from baby friends, but a 3yo might be a potential.

How much will in all honesty depend on how nice it is and how much consideration and investment has been made by the breeder.

Coming into winter and with cost of living as it is, I’d expect to drive a hard ish bargain leaving a breeder at a loss, but realistically for something half respectable you probably aren’t going to get much change from 3.5-4k

If you are anywhere close to Gloucestershire then Tina Myles is constantly trying to sell her ever expanding headcount, so might be worth a look there
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Thanks yes, that makes sense, I used to live fairly locally to Tina years ago, I didn’t think of her so will have a look.
 
I brought my youngster Rabbit direct from his breeder as an 8 month old. I brought him with the end goal of taking over from my current pony Baggs who is 20 and showing signs that he needs his workload reduced (I'd happily retire him tomorrow but the monkey likes to create havoc if not kept entertained so light work is what it is aha!). So for me I want a generally nice all rounder, but with a slight heavier focus on dressage, but equally something that is happy to be left for a few weeks before being picked back up, as my work schedule can vary so I can't always plan several months ahead.

Price wise - it's a case of how long is a piece of string, how much are you willing to pay to get the type you are after, how much investment has been made by the breeder and how nice they are.

I don't mind disclosing this information - but I paid £6,000.00 for Rabbit. In that price he had all the panelling done - so that was colour testing, testing for diseases and conditions that Appaloosa's are prone to and DNA panelling done (Appaloosas are prone to PSSM, Moon Blindness and a few other diseases that can be passed on through breeding). He is bred from very good bloodlines, I got to go to the stud several times to ask many questions/get to know him before he came home and I was very specific about what breed I wanted (Appaloosa). I also checked out his siblings/other foals from the stud to see what they were up to and if they were doing the jobs that they were brought for etc. Furthermore, the price also included registering him with the various breed societies, a years membership paid on my behalf and also entitled me to take him showing if I wanted to before I brought him home.

Of course, I could have brought a decent 4 year old that was already backed and ridden away, that only needed a quick restart before I could get cracking, but after Baggs, I've had to unravel so many issues, I was set on getting a youngster - that way any problems that occur are solely of my doing (kinda terrifying typing that aha!).

Personally I'd say you need a budget of at least £4,000 to get something that is half decent x
 
Honestly the prices still seem mad to me.

Today I saw a 3yo welsh colt. Needs remedial shoeing to stay sound. Vet has offered joint injections.

£1500.

If people are asking that sort of money for their lame, ongoing vet bill, then I just despair.
 
I was in a similar situation and ended up buying a very level headed Connemara baby via a friend's connection with the breeder. However I moved mine from livery to grazing nearer home at that point, so I'm not paying for two on livery. It's working well so far, the yearling is sensible and pretty easy, and they get on well together. It makes me happy to see my older horse with a proper friend (albeit a slightly annoying young one) who he can play and groom with. So the fundamental idea is sound, I think!

ETA - re prices, do ring around, chat to people, be friendly and let them know what you're offering in terms of a home. I paid a relatively low price for an extremely well bred Connemara colt going into last winter, because the breeders' circumstances meant they really needed to downsize, and I was a friend of a friend, so something of a known quantity. If it wasn't for the opportunity presenting itself, I would never have chosen a grey or a Connemara, but he's so nice natured that we're getting on just fine together. And because I didn't pay mega-money I never felt too worried about the whole thing - if I hadn't liked him, I could have found him a new home who did.
 
I have just paid £1500 for a really smart mw yearling, recorded breeding to make 16hh direct from the breeder who has lost grazing and concerned about getting enough hay this winter. Lovely temperament and well handled. Bargains are out there especially this time of year.

ETA: have a look at Foals and Youngstock UK group on facebook, lots for sale on there
 
Jenko109 said:
Honestly the prices still seem mad to me.

Today I saw a 3yo welsh colt. Needs remedial shoeing to stay sound. Vet has offered joint injections.

£1500.

If people are asking that sort of money for their lame, ongoing vet bill, then I just despair.
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That’s so sad for the colt 😕
 
Jenko109 said:
Honestly the prices still seem mad to me.

Today I saw a 3yo welsh colt. Needs remedial shoeing to stay sound. Vet has offered joint injections.

£1500.

If people are asking that sort of money for their lame, ongoing vet bill, then I just despair.
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Was that on NFED? what is the point in keeping something with confirmation issues entire - frustrates me!!
 
bluehorse said:
Just mulling a few things over…

I’m in a bit of a situation with my horse who I’ve always kept at livery, unfortunately over the last few years we’ve had to move yards quite a few times and he always seems to end up either losing his friends when they’ve moved off the yard or he’s been moved himself.

All the yards I’ve ever been on have been individual turnout, which I don’t like but that’s all yards seem to offer these days, and he’s frequently been without another horse directly next to him and, as in the case at my current yard, no ability to physically interact with other horses at all although they are in the same field. He hates being left on his own and I know he’s really craving proper companionship, he’s extremely sensitive and over time I am seeing him become more frustrated by this.

He has some soundness issues so doesn’t do much, I’m not really riding him these days although he’s not officially retired, we hack a bit but that’s about it. I just feel he doesn’t really have much of a life and his basic needs aren’t being met even though I put my heart and soul into looking after him and trying to make sure he’s happy.

The idea of getting a small companion for him keeps coming into my head, it would be easy to accommodate one at his current yard and it would guarantee he’s got proper company whatever the other horses are doing. I’ve been looking at minis, he seems to adore them, and although he’s a big lad I could easily manage one alongside him as he’s very grass restricted.

But then I start to think a mini is still another horse, obviously feed/bedding costs etc will be minimal but vets bills will be the same and probably the livery fee too. And with his soundness issues the idea has now popped into my head that I could just buy a youngster, I’d have something to work with on the ground for a couple of years and it would most likely be a more playful and interactive companion than a mini, which my horse would love. It would also give me my next riding horse when I do retire him, I don’t think that’s too far off.

If I’m being honest I’m not sure if I want another horse at the moment at all but I hate the way I’m having to keep my boy and realistically I don’t want to give up riding when I retire him. Moving yards is not an option and even if I did he could still be in the same situation again, as I can’t control yard rules and what other people do with their horses.

I’m thinking I’d like something 18 months to 3 years old, to make 16hh minimum but preferably bigger. Not a chunk but sort of middleweight ISH/WB/TB type, not fussed about specific breeding but just something relatively uncomplicated that’s capable of being a nice RC type once in work. I wouldn’t want something completely untouched, it would need to be well handled but that’s about it.

I know it costs money to get a foal on the ground but most of the youngsters I’ve seen advertised are competition prospects with hefty price tags, much more than I want and need. So how much would you expect to pay for the type I’d be after? And where can I look to find more ‘average’ youngsters for sale?

These are all just musings at the moment but it’s a slippery slope…
Click to expand...
Doesn’t answer your question on price, but as a reality check, I was in your situation, thinking bigger rideable horse a better option than a small. Bought a yearling, ruptured a tendon at 20 months, then all sorts of other medical issues. Not rideable. Then bought a 19yo for a bit of happy hacking, who turned out to have a heap of mental trauma so retired. Then bought a 5yo who is buggered and not rideable (at least at this present time). So now I have two young horses with significant vet bills to keep for the next 25 odd years (I’m hoping one day I figure them out!), an old traumatised one who is just a pet. And now I have also got a pair of mini Shetlands, who are the lights of my life, bring so much joy and fun and I could happily have a whole herd of them!
 
BBP2 said:
Doesn’t answer your question on price, but as a reality check, I was in your situation, thinking bigger rideable horse a better option than a small. Bought a yearling, ruptured a tendon at 20 months, then all sorts of other medical issues. Not rideable. Then bought a 19yo for a bit of happy hacking, who turned out to have a heap of mental trauma so retired. Then bought a 5yo who is buggered and not rideable (at least at this present time). So now I have two young horses with significant vet bills to keep for the next 25 odd years (I’m hoping one day I figure them out!), an old traumatised one who is just a pet. And now I have also got a pair of mini Shetlands, who are the lights of my life, bring so much joy and fun and I could happily have a whole herd of them!
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Yes that’s similar to my own situation, the one I have now is only 13 and he was bought as my other two retired at similar ages, I really don’t know why I do it sometimes! I would love a mini, unfortunately I also still love to ride…
 
I bought my ID x Welsh when she was 2 unseen but knew breeder. Had a 2 stage vetting and paid £3500. She is now 5 and was lightly backed last Spring. She has now been diagnosed with hock arthritis and is in the process of having other issues looked at too. Looks like she will be a field ornament! I personally wouldn’t buy a youngster again!
 
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