What would I realistically need to pay?

[millitiger]

Thanks everyone. My reason for a clean vetting is because with the cost of import you are already adding another 15k to it and I just want to try and at least start with something that doesn’t have a problem.

I probably won’t go for a Connie type again as nothing will compare to my current guy and I think I need a different ride.

Also don’t really want anything more than 16.2hh at the absolute maximum. 16hh would be better.

I’m not ready to buy at the moment, I would possibly do so if said unicorn appeared in the autumn (so I guess a couple of months). Spring would more ideal but if I found something sooner I’d keep it in livery in the UK for winter.

I need something super solid XC that really takes you to a fence. My current guy was basically born for XC and even though he was tricky in many ways when it came to filling you with confidence xc he was amazing and was never, ever green.

90 cm ideally established but something established at 100 would be better so I feel like it’s very within the horses cabability to help me out.

It’s dressage can be rubbish, the standard is so bad here anyway a 80/90 test that would be a 35-40 in the UK is sub 30 here and no championships etc to chase.

Based on this, I think you will easily find a horse within or below your budget.

I'd be more inclined to look for a nice, top level, RC horse or even something that has hunted a season or two.
Spend the extra £££ on having fun training with it.
Make sure when you buy, you really love the horse you are sitting on and the feel it gives, more than the CV.
It doesn't sound super competitive where you are and if you buy a horse with a good temperament, that delivers the feel you like, getting a horse to be 'easy' round a 90cm xc really isn't difficult especially with training

 

[twiggy2]

100% not endorsing this suggestion, but...here's a great book (for anyone, not specifically unhandled feral mustang trainers) on thr subject

https://amzn.eu/d/0i6Qrxgx

Started reading that one this week, very interesting.

 

[Michen]

If your top budget is £25k plus £15k import plus vetting(s)/xrays etc then local transport costs to/from quarantine and yards that exceeds £40k. That's roughly >$51k.

Is it really impossible to find RC all-rounder/low level eventer for <$50k in your state/America?

On a separate note thr QH x TB suggestion is a good one. There was a stud (Mendip?) making that cross here. There are some really cracking, useful sorts. I'm not sure why they haven't caught on over here.

Your (specific) relationship with a horse is so important would you not prefer to meet any prospects first? Whoever comes next is going to have big shoes to fill and I know how hard it will be for you. Wishing you thr best whatever you decide

The 15k to import includes transport to yard and quarantine. Bog was more expensive because a few things didn’t work as they should but I’d be in a better position this time with my own transport if something went wrong, to go collect the horse myself from LAX. So it’s more like 40k plus vetting. And honestly no you cannot get the quality of horse for that money here, that you’d get importing and buying in the UK. Every single one of my friends here who’s bought a horse recently has imported. There was a nice Connie for sale in Cali recently. No competing record. Just a green but nice little horse. 50k…

It’s really bizarre!

I guess I have never spent decent money on a horse and always bought off a feel personality wise and it’s kind of worked, I think ideally I’d livery the horse in the UK for a bit and go and ride it before importing to ensure it was what I wanted but I take your point. Maybe I just need to go to Ireland and actually shop for one.

I think you should be ok with that kind of budget especially going into winter.
I’ve seen this one recently

Connemara X Novice Eventer

<p>Beans has successfully been produced to novice eventing. He is a Connemara X by the stallion Centre Stage. He has really begun to mature physically and has strengthened up beautifully. He is fit, sound and ready to go! <br /> <br /> He is careful, quick thinking, enthusiastic and a safe...

www.horsequest.co.uk

I saw this one actually and really like the look of him. That’s exactly what I’d be thinking of!

 

[teddy_]

I think you should be ok with that kind of budget especially going into winter.
I’ve seen this one recently

Connemara X Novice Eventer

<p>Beans has successfully been produced to novice eventing. He is a Connemara X by the stallion Centre Stage. He has really begun to mature physically and has strengthened up beautifully. He is fit, sound and ready to go! <br /> <br /> He is careful, quick thinking, enthusiastic and a safe...

www.horsequest.co.uk

That’s a really smart little horse

 

[Michen]

I think you should go for something totally different and get a mustang from the BML sales.
Or as well as. I was stalking their auctions and some were selling for like $900. Would be such a cool experience!

Haha I’ve for sure thought about it. They are a real pain though you have to have special height fence and corral set up and all sorts for the beginning, not easy to do at a boarding facility.

I don’t think Bog was far off the feralness of a mustang when I got him and I don’t have it in me to do another Bog

 

[ihatework]

I think you should be ok with that kind of budget especially going into winter.
I’ve seen this one recently

Connemara X Novice Eventer

<p>Beans has successfully been produced to novice eventing. He is a Connemara X by the stallion Centre Stage. He has really begun to mature physically and has strengthened up beautifully. He is fit, sound and ready to go! <br /> <br /> He is careful, quick thinking, enthusiastic and a safe...

www.horsequest.co.uk

What a lovely little horse and he will be snapped up if there aren’t any major ifs or buts

 

[Michen]

Thanks everyone for giving me lots to think about. I still think I’ll end up importing something but maybe I don’t need to spend mega money on something with a proven record etc.

My friend just bought a nice young ISH from Jodie Amos for between 10-15k and has gone to pick to up from the airport! I don’t think something super young would be right for me but maybe if it had the right sort of brain.. although for the hot buzzy ride that I like I suppose it does also need to be more educated to prove it’s not completely crazy.

Gah I don’t know. I will keep an eye out for horses in the USA too. Definitely not ruling out some sort of Arab/qh/tb cross

 

[palo1]

Thanks everyone for giving me lots to think about. I still think I’ll end up importing something but maybe I don’t need to spend mega money on something with a proven record etc.

My friend just bought a nice young ISH from Jodie Amos for between 10-15k and has gone to pick to up from the airport! I don’t think something super young would be right for me but maybe if it had the right sort of brain.. although for the hot buzzy ride that I like I suppose it does also need to be more educated to prove it’s not completely crazy.

Gah I don’t know. I will keep an eye out for horses in the USA too. Definitely not ruling out some sort of Arab/qh/tb cross

It's so odd that nice horses are hard to come by in the US - I always imagined it would be relatively simple to find one! Personally, I would do an in person shopping trip to Ireland - nothing is guaranteed about any horse but there are some very decent young horses produced there and you could then import and get some training help/support as needed. Alternatively, if you put slightly to one side the eventing thing, surely there must be a nice Arab/Arab x somewhere...? Importing costs and potential hassle would bother me but if that is what it is then so be it...

 

[sollimum]

The 15k to import includes transport to yard and quarantine. Bog was more expensive because a few things didn’t work as they should but I’d be in a better position this time with my own transport if something went wrong, to go collect the horse myself from LAX. So it’s more like 40k plus vetting. And honestly no you cannot get the quality of horse for that money here, that you’d get importing and buying in the UK. Every single one of my friends here who’s bought a horse recently has imported. There was a nice Connie for sale in Cali recently. No competing record. Just a green but nice little horse. 50k…

It’s really bizarre!

I guess I have never spent decent money on a horse and always bought off a feel personality wise and it’s kind of worked, I think ideally I’d livery the horse in the UK for a bit and go and ride it before importing to ensure it was what I wanted but I take your point. Maybe I just need to go to Ireland and actually shop for one.


I saw this one actually and really like the look of him. That’s exactly what I’d be thinking of!

That's really interesting, thank you for clarifying. I knew horses were more expensive in the USA and had seen several smart ones on fb as 'sold to the US', I understand why now. Can you book a holiday to Ireland and try several.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Amber and Lottie are both Obos Quality and they are very similar: forward, scopey, keen, intelligent AND ALSO sane, safe, mannerly, trainable. I have heard he does produce horses with good brains and temperaments. Something like this?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/775646802543043/user/100040197717271/

 

[Ambers Echo]

I am sure you'l find HHO volunteers to go and try out smart, super nice horses for you

 

[feesh]

From what I can tell, translating to local ads, you're looking for a forward ride confirmed at training level that is suitable for an adult amateur, and your max budget is around $70k CAD. I admit I haven't really been following local horse prices lately, but I'm shocked that you can't find something suitable in the US. I didn't think the Canada and US markets were that far apart! Around here I'd expect that kind of horse to be... max $30-40K CAD. Possibly less, if being sold by a kid going off to school, or a few other not-disqualifying circumstances. If more, I would think it would be because the horse is actually a prospect for higher levels.

(The one thing I do wonder - where are you looking? Because around here, usually mostly the very top & bottom end of the market are listed on sales sites, and in general very few sales are listed that way. The vast majority of listings are in buy & sell equestrian groups on Facebook.)

 

[Michen]

That's really interesting, thank you for clarifying. I knew horses were more expensive in the USA and had seen several smart ones on fb as 'sold to the US', I understand why now. Can you book a holiday to Ireland and try several.

It really is completely mental what people pay for here. My friend viewed a horse a few months ago in Florida. It has been imported from the uk a few years prior and evented here since reasonably ok at 90 level. It evented novice in UK with patchy record. Nice looking mare, Irish.

80k.

 

[Michen]

From what I can tell, translating to local ads, you're looking for a forward ride confirmed at training level that is suitable for an adult amateur, and your max budget is around $70k CAD. I admit I haven't really been following local horse prices lately, but I'm shocked that you can't find something suitable in the US. I didn't think the Canada and US markets were that far apart! Around here I'd expect that kind of horse to be... max $30-40K CAD. Possibly less, if being sold by a kid going off to school, or a few other not-disqualifying circumstances. If more, I would think it would be because the horse is actually a prospect for higher levels.

(The one thing I do wonder - where are you looking? Because around here, usually mostly the very top & bottom end of the market are listed on sales sites, and in general very few sales are listed that way. The vast majority of listings are in buy & sell equestrian groups on Facebook.)

There is a reason all my horse friends here have imported their horses lol. It depends also on the kind of horse you want and how well rounded.

 

[feesh]

There is a reason all my horse friends here have imported their horses lol. It depends also on the kind of horse you want and how well rounded.

Gah! And I thought horses were getting expensive here.

 

[palo1]

Completely daft question here, but in for a penny and all that...where do cowboys, trail riders, kids and hunters get their horses from: the prices sound absolutely impossible for 'ordinary' people (not that cowboys are necessarily ordinary lol)?

 

[Michen]

Completely daft question here, but in for a penny and all that...where do cowboys, trail riders, kids and hunters get their horses from: the prices sound absolutely impossible for 'ordinary' people (not that cowboys are necessarily ordinary lol)?

So quarter horses/trail horses are different. But, a good quarter horse that’s workable on a ranch (not competition) will easily be 25k. A lot of them get sold at auctions.

Honestly have no idea how people afford good kids ponies etc. A lot of hunters seem to be ex racehorses on the east coast from what I’ve heard (though maybe someone from there can correct me). Hunting here is kinda shoddy and worthless.

I guess trail riders usually get a QH that’s not broke for ranch work and therefore not much money.

But EVERYTHING is more expensive here. So I guess people are used to it, salaries are higher and whatnot.

 

[Michen]

Example here, this has evented to 90. Mid 5’s so 50k. Not as educated as a British all round type horse IMO.

And don’t be fooled by an 18.2 dressage because the standard here is very much lower in that phase.

 

[spacefaer]

If you are thinking of buying in person in Ireland it might be worth talking to a Richard and Daisy Trayford. They were based in the States for years so know that world and have now moved to Ireland with excellent competition horse contacts. They do escorted horse searches.

 

[Michen]

If you are thinking of buying in person in Ireland it might be worth talking to a Richard and Daisy Trayford. They were based in the States for years so know that world and have now moved to Ireland with excellent competition horse contacts. They do escorted horse searches.

Thank you!!

 

[ihatework]

Example here, this has evented to 90. Mid 5’s so 50k. Not as educated as a British all round type horse IMO.

And don’t be fooled by an 18.2 dressage because the standard here is very much lower in that phase.

View attachment 143265

That’s not comparable to what you are looking for though. Obv without seeing the horse/video - a young horse of that sort of potential quality (looking at the breeding) wouldn’t be far off the equivalent GBP through the agents here.
Apples and pears

 

[Michen]

yes you are right! This is probably more comparable to what I want as a description. Nice looking slightly chunky grey. Same price.

And it’s imported because, that’s where you need to go to get one the horses here just aren’t as well rounded unless you REALLY pay for it. The competition ones tend to live in show barns and don’t do much hacking, maybe a loop around the barn for fitness. I assume the higher level eventers do their fitness somehow! At my last barn in Colorado (the show one) I was one of two people that properly hacked off property out of 20 plus horses.

So finding something that’s educated in that respect plus competed etc is tricky. I thought maybe the east coast would have more, there are a lot of TBs and I think the hacking thing is more common but again- mega money for something that’s not off the track and ticks all those boxes.

I guess if you want a TB or a warmblood you are probably ok here.





Same price.

 

[Caol Ila]

Morgan. Obviously.

 

[Michen]

Morgan. Obviously.

Are they gaited? Why do they stand weird lol.

 

[Caol Ila]

No, most are not gaited (there might be some lines that are) and they are trained to stand like that for breed shows. But they are the best all rounders. Smart, athletic, kind, and can he sharp or not depending on breeding.

 

[Ahrena]

I’d be very up for an Ireland shopping trip by the way…

 

[CanteringCarrot]

No, most are not gaited (there might be some lines that are) and they are trained to stand like that for breed shows. But they are the best all rounders. Smart, athletic, kind, and can he sharp or not depending on breeding.

I was about to say...

A friend has a Morgan with the most awesome brain and he is cleaning up at the lower level dressage competitions.

I've met some that were out eventing many years ago, and the local Morgan show had jumping classes.

I find that there are different types. Some are thicker, some finer, some with more knee movement, some with less, it just depends on their breeding. They're a great breed IMO.

 

[tristars]

How about ringing around a few Irish eventers to see what they may know as available from their circle and would have seen them out and about some are trainers dealers anyway, might might suggest Sam Watson, camilla spiers, as they are at the heart of things and not fringe dealers.

 

[feesh]

Are they gaited? Why do they stand weird lol.

Some are - and the saddle seat ones are trained to stand weird. But also, for their ability as eventers, check out Denny Emerson & Tamarack Hill Farm on FB. They were originally bred as all-around/do-anything horses: ride, drive, farm work.

 

[Michen]

Hmmm. I can’t seem to find many for sale. I joined a Morgan sports horses fb group a while ago but it’s not very active!