What's a reasonable price for a project horse?

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I've got my first horse who needs someone experienced to bring on.

She gets spooky and tenses up sooo much in the school, gets herself in such a flap.

So I've put her up for sale, doesn't do anything daft like buck, bolt or rear, it's purely that I do not have the knowledge to help her with this.

She's hunted in Ireland, 10years old and hacks out just fine. I can't get her near a trotting pole without her thinking its going to eat her.

She is up for £1000, some people are telling me that's too cheap as she has bags of potential then others are saying it's over the top for a "project" horse.

I have no idea the going rate.
 
Guess it really depends on her 'end' market. If she will make a decent RC allrounder with a bit of work then that sounds about right. On the other hand if she has the potential to jump around Badminton and amazing paces then yes, too cheap. Your market may also be limited with a 10yo project - I've always taken on 4-7 year olds as projects previously; people may expect a 10yo to be fairly straightforward.
 
i was looking for a project a while ago - too many psycho sellers put me right off!!

i was going to pay 5/600 max. basically what i could afford to loose to buy it...

depends on the horse to how much to buy it al - its a buyers market - hence why i could offer stupid money as there was a lot of choice.
 
i would say that with things as they are currently project horses are going for what ever people offer for them-but for me a project horses would be one that is not currently in work or that current owner cannot cope with so are desperate to get shot off.

if horse is a nice sort and has potential maybe you would do better to get someone to bring on and sell for you
 
I think it depends on what you can get at the end of the 'project'- so if the horse is going to end up as a £2k max price, you won't want to spend more than £500 odd on it. If it will end up as a £10k horse, £2k is pretty reasonable!

Useless answer, based off what my limited knowledge :D
 
Dot2dot said:
Have you tried working through the issues? Having lessons on her etc.?
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The instructor came out, and before I even got on her said "get rid of her", then proceeded to box her into a square of trotting poles and scare her out.
Then made her fall over to scare her into doing what she wanted!

It's a long journey and I love her to pieces just can't find the right person to help me with me. If she went up for sale at least she might get a forver home who wants a horse to do jumping with etc
 
[deleted user] said:
The instructor came out, and before I even got on her said "get rid of her", then proceeded to box her into a square of trotting poles and scare her out.
Then made her fall over to scare her into doing what she wanted!

It's a long journey and I love her to pieces just can't find the right person to help me with me. If she went up for sale at least she might get a forver home who wants a horse to do jumping with etc
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It sounds like you had a bad experience then! Maybe try to find a more understanding but still well qualified instructor? If she's hunted she shouldnt be scared of trotting poles etc. Have you tried natural fences and poles?
Have you attempted to go back to basics? Lunging, long reining etc?
 
Dot2dot said:
It sounds like you had a bad experience then! Maybe try to find a more understanding but still well qualified instructor? If she's hunted she shouldnt be scared of trotting poles etc. Have you tried natural fences and poles?
Have you attempted to go back to basics? Lunging, long reining etc?
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Yeaaah lunged everyday, had her teeth done, going to get her back checked as it's full of knots from being so tense.

Going to play about with a couple of calming supplements to take the edge off.

Thanks for suggestions too :)
 
Get a different instructor for starters.


Can you put poles in her paddock? If so put them all over the place putting some in squares with a treat inside.

If not make lanes in the school & loose her with lanes, no poles and stop once she follows the lines. Next time put scattered poles half across on the ground. Work up until she will step over any pole. Then take out the lanes and put poles randomly. Don't ride her near poles until she will step over without a spook when loose.


My first pony had been overfaced and would not jump a coloured pole. Would clear a five bar gate out hunting and it took a long time to get him near painted poles. I did get him to walk over but never managed a clear round on him as he had to stop & look at any new pattern.
 
I think your price is pretty reasonable by the sounds of it, I would say offers above 800 just because the market has a lot of similar horses available, the horse does hack out after all and it is possibly just a confidence thing that you cannot help so much with as it is hurting your confidence too (nothing wrong with that!).

I don't know what the instructor was thinking but if you do try getting another one I'd have a good talk to them first about their approach. Just an open conversation about where you've got to so far should be good.

My horse was 'school sour' when I got her, so I just hacked her out when I could for about 6 months but she was essentially turned away because it took forever sorting saddle etc. It seems to have been what she needed though as I have started schooling now with the help of an understanding instructor.
 
I would say that a lot of people would be put of spending money on a "project" of that age, there are lots of youngsters out there for less and the amount of work to do would be similar. I would also add that your "instructor" sounds terrible and if you are able it may be worth trying again with a better one. Perhaps yoi could add your location on here and some nice folks would be able to recommend someone, alternatively sales livery can often work out well in these cases, again I am sure that some people here would have recommendations.
 
If sensible to hack out but doesn't enjoy schooling, I wouldn't market as a project horse, there are plenty of people out there who will buy something like that. I say that having sold one a few years back who would not school but was perfectly happy to hack out for hours - I had a queue a mile long of poeple wanting to try him and he sold for close to asking price of £1500 to first person to try him. He was older than yours at 16 too.

Good luck.
 
noodle_ said:
i was going to pay 5/600 max. basically what i could afford to loose to buy it...
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This. I've only tended buy project ponies rather than horses in the past (14.2hh's mainly) and never spent over £500 on them as unbacked. I wouldnt pay more for one already backed with an issue because its harder to reschool one than start from scratch IMO! I think the other problem you have is the age, a 10yo project will be harder to shift than a young one. I think most people looking for projects are looking for things to play around with for a few months and then sell on for a bit of profit and at 10, buyers expect it to have experience etc.
 
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