When buying a horse what would you compromise on?

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silverstar

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Im looking for a new horse and havent had much success so far. So I am wondering what issues you would compromise on and what issues you wouldnt.

I think Im maybe being too picky but aside from the essentials such as catch, clip, shoe and box, I also need a horse that hacks on own and in company and is good in traffic, doesnt rear, buck or nap and has no vices.
 
Not to fussed with the odd buck, dont like BIG rears, but if it was just small ones i'd not mind to much, napping can be trained out, aslong as it could be caught and was good in traffic with no lameness i'd probs go for it (at a not so stupid price....)
 
I comprimsed on the no vices and bought a cribber (twice!). It doesn't bother me, and does less damage than door kickers/fence eaters, would do the same again! :)
 
When buying Toby and Goli we compromised on experiance and did the work ourselves. instead.
I wouldn't mind a cribber i dont think to be honest as long as it didn't eat all the post and rail fencing!
 
What about widening your size range? I was looking for something a little bigger than I had before and ended up with something smaller! Would not swap him for the world now though! :D
 
i would deff stick to the good to catch clip etc.. wouldnt be too fussed about the bucking as long as they arent huge and are just a couple. deff stick to the good hacking and good in traffic but i wouldnt be to fussy with vices as they can be stopped. :)
 
I don't care about vices, manners, or whether a horse is good to clip or catch.

Vices I can ignore, and manners and clipping can be worked on.

As for catching, put any horse in a dry pen for a while and (simplifying things a bit) it will come to call if it wants to eat.

What I absolutely don't do are ridden horses that are nappy. If it won't walk away from the barn then I am not interested. Cross them off the list straight away, ditto unregistered stock, unless it is going to be very pretty.

For my own, rather than flippers, I may even compromise on colour, a bay or chestnut is acceptable, but only if it does the job I want it to do.
 
Keep an open mind. I have a 14.3hh Arab mare, bought from a friend. I would never have viewed her from an ad, as I would have looked for something bigger and younger. (She was 11 when I bought her). But-she has turned out to be the absolute horse of a lifetime. I wouldn't choose a nappy horse.
 
I would compromise on age, sex, colour, breed, height....

I would not compromise on not safe in traffic, not hacking on own, a bad loader and not tying up.

I have recently bought a new horse, and in my mind was looking for an tall and elegant coloured to show, but have ended up with a 15 hh irish hogged black cob instead. I can still show him, albeit in different classes, but he has a temparament to die for and so far has proven to be everything I wanted - just smaller and under a different physique!

Good luck in your search!
 
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I'd compromise on age, colour, sex, vices, ground manners, catching, clipping, loading. Wouldn't budge an inch on napping, rearing, steadiness in traffic.
 
I agree with others really- I would compromise on vices- they are a symptom of stress anyway and shouldn't cause big problems. Catching I don't worry about, you can teach it to do this by not getting wound up and not feeding it unless it comes; not getting in the lorry can be a major pain, but again can generally be overcome by being patient and feeding it in the lorry, plus not driving like Jeremy Clarkson once you have got it in there ;). I personally would not buy a horse I couldn't trust in traffic, as you can be dead before you have resolved this one...
 
I wouldn't dismiss any horse as long as it's sound and safe to ride. I don't like to see a cribber or windsucker, those kind of vices can make it difficult to find a livery who'll take it.

I shouldn't of bought my mare to be fair as she was a real handfull, scarey and quite dangerous at times.

But with a lot of time, tears, effort, patience and never giving up on her on my part, has produced a fantastic little fun mare, with masses of talent and of whom I'm soooooo proud of.

She's my best pal, I love her to bits and I trust her 100% and who by the way, I wouldn't sell for all the tea in China.

I didn't like her when I first saw her!
 
Wanted a hacker, would not buy anything that did not hack out alone, what did I buy, the world's nappiest horse.
Wanted a horse who had no vices under saddle, what did I buy a spinner and rearer.
Wanted a horse without stable vices, what did I buy a wind sucker
Wanted a school master, what did I buy a horse that needed rebacking, had no brakes and little steering

So I guess I would compromise on most things, when we met Cappy it all went out of the window, I have never even considered selling him, he has a home for life. He is awkward, quirky and at times downright grumpy but he is ours and we love him.

The only thing I would not compromise on is horses with a history of laminitus or kickers.

FDC
 
I think the main thing I would not compromise on is health issues (eg laminitus etc)

I wanted a under 15hh - got 15hh2"
Schoolmaster type - Hugo needs a LOT of schooling!

But other than that, I think he's what I wanted! But even if he's not, I love him anyway ;) xx
 
What the OP has put down is what I would expect in any normal horse - lack of any of those attributes would be a problem horse UNLESS it is a super competition horse that really performs or that it is so cheap that you can take a chance.

But for a normal all round, enjoyable horse they are just what any normal horse should be like, although when looking at adverts I am amazed at how many will not hack out on their own.
 
I'd compromise on pretty much anything if I thought I could manage the problem or could cure it with time and effort, providing it was the perfect horse in every other respect and the price was right.

Problems with catching, clipping, loading, bucking, rearing, napping I could work with, have no problem with Laminitus as it can be managed and the horse kept sound. Cribbing, weaving wouldn't bother me as I believe they are stress related.

The only thing I dont think I'd touch is a horse dangerous in traffic. One thats not good because its not been exposed to traffic wouldn't be a concern as I keep my horses on a working farm and they get well used to big vehicles without leaving the paddock as they drive by all day long.

Looks, colour, sex, breed all mean little to me, so these points are very easy x
 
My mum and I both sold our horses when we were pregnant at similar times (another story completly) So when both our kids were at an age when having a horse would be easier we decided to get a share. Something she could hack, bit of schooling and do low level dressage. Something i could whizz round a bit of small jumping as id done upto foxhunter but not as brave once id had the daughter. We were looking for a native type cheap to feed, could chuck in the feild if kids were ill and hop back on after a week off and wonder down the road without any livelyness well. Also chunky 14-15hh so kids could sit on and eventually grow into!!
Well we ended up with a 1/2tb 16hh, spooky, i ended up jumping newcomers again, needed to be kept in work 6-7 days a week other wise would buck like bu**ger, and needed quite a bit of food, but due to temperement was a juggling act!!! We ended getting another for the kids LOL.:D

We both loved him and we had great fun and wouldnt have swapped him for the world, sadly we had to sell him due to my divorce and my mums husband been posted elsewhere!!
The pony i still have but shes out on loan as daughter outgrown her so i now have another one!!
 
dont mind horses that are tits to hack. i hate hacking anyway.

am not a mare person and greys aggravate my OCD so wouldnt have either of those.

wouldnt mind stable vices, only thing i wont compromise on is talent/potential and soundness. wind noise, sweet itch etc are ok but wouldnt take on something with old injuries to legs.
 
Colour, sex, age ( to a point), vices suchcas cribbing.

In short as long as it was able to live a happy life with what I would like to do with it, then there would not be much I would insist on.

Although would rather not have a cob, would even consider that if it was perfect :), joke, I love them really
 
I'd insist on a good temperament and passing a vetting. Couldn't be too big as I'm pretty small so wouldn't want anything much over 16hh. I wouldn't want anything over 8 years old. In terms of education, that really wouldn't bother me as long as they had the temperament. Colour, gender wouldn't be an issue, although I couldn't have a stallion for practical reasons. Cribbing, weaving wouldn't bother me. I think the secret is to look at each horse as an individual and don't make your mind up before you've seen them. I once said that I'd never buy a chestnut TB mare - guess what one of the horses I now have is??? And I adore her!
 
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