Where are all the decent horses then?

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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So where are they??

Everyone says that its a buyers market at the moment, and so it should be at this time of the year.

But you just try to find anything decent, and you'll struggle.

Yes I appreciate I'm looking for what everyone wants I guess, but all there seems to be on the market at the moment is just sheer rubbish frankly!

So many horses out there are just totally unproduced and are nappy, bad-mannered, rude & bolshy, won't even allow you the courtesy of standing to be mounted for example.

Or, there are serious conformation issues involved which you don't see from the photo's on the ad, such as really wide flat-backed cobs which god-only-knows why someone thought to back them in the first place as they'd be far better brought on as driving ponies. Or something that's got a 17hh Clydesdale body on 14.2 legs plus a neck like a rhino.

Or there's just the sheer nasty like one I tried which went vertical as soon as it was asked to leave the yard, and no it had "never done that before".

Is it just me? Oh I dunno........ there SHOULD be a glut of decent horses around at this time of the year, but not here they ain't :(
 
You're in my area mijods there is a beautiful part bred welsh Pali on pure dressage south west Facebook page at the mo. I'm not sure what you're looking for but I'd be tempted if I was looking!
 
At my yard 😜
My little project pony is proving very good out hacking alone and in company, now planning so little dressage outings and a little snow jumping before she goes on the market.
 
Iwantakitten said:
You're in my area mijods there is a beautiful part bred welsh Pali on pure dressage south west Facebook page at the mo. I'm not sure what you're looking for but I'd be tempted if I was looking!
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Is that the 4yo?? Agree he is GORGEOUS - but I'm looking for something where the behaviour is a bit more established. Very tempting tho'!
 
Bernster said:
Urgh, you still looking? ,just be so annoying. Hope you find something soon!
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Thought I'd found a lovely little mare last week, Welsh D, same bloodlines as my old gal and she was in a riding school being used regularly so I thought she'd sail through the vetting no worries as she'd obviously been given a Riding School Vetting.

Just shows you never can tell as the vet spun her :( Diagnosed hind leg lameness, probably stifle but would need more investigations. YO not happy and argued with the vet about it! totally ignoring the slow-motion-video'd evidence which clearly showed it up. Not only rude but very unprofessional and didn't help an already miserable scenario. I'd been fully expecting to bring this little mare home and get out and about on her, sadly twas not to be. Gutting.
 
Feel your pain Mijods. I'm still looking and losing the will to live in doing so. I've looked at:

1) A 14.2hh that was more like 13hh in reality (and lame),
2) A lovely cob in the video, which turned out to be quite poorly - the video was a year old,
3) A big mare who was too quiet,
4) A lovely boy who came to me on a month's lwvtb but proved to be too sharp and spooky for me (still miss the little s0d despite being decked spectacularly),
5) A cob gelding being sold by a 'professional rider'. Said cob bronced when asked for trot by the pro and rider then refused to go any faster than walk :-),
6) A cob x mare - nice but too quiet and completely disinterested in life/people,
7) A nice cob - tempted but his walk was slow and a minor health issue gave me concerns,
8) Watch this space...

It feels like I've viewed hundreds and I'm becoming quite despondent.
 
Oh no thought you was sorted
Tregurtha Stud in Penzance have just advertised a nice mare on Facebook 15.2 black mare looks sweet.
 
Mijods, feel your pain. I'm looking in the same area as you. Actually I viewed that lovely welsh before you - lovely jump & hack, but felt something wasn't right behind, so didn't get as far as vetting. We should compare notes 😜
 
I'm a seller - and one fantastic little mare has been for sale for 7 months. Vetting has screwed it both times. Two tiny bald patches in front of the udder - vet has said: probably a rub - or fly bites - but MIGHT develop into sarcoids (one of these years!!!)

First potential buyer tried to knock price down by £1500!! (FOD) The second claims that - even exclding sarcoids anywhere on the body - insurance is the killer. KBIS would only insure - excluding sarcoids - at £1500 pa (for a mare priced to sell at £5,500!!) Allegedly some wouldn't insure at all!
 
I spent 6 months looking at overpriced, underproduced horses that had been recently imported from Ireland and then doubled in price.
All with some sort of health issue or conformation problem.

Finally I gave up and went to the September Performance Sport Horse sale at Goresbridge and have come home with a lovely 5yr ISH X for 1/3 the price you'd find in England, with a clean vetting
 
Rock and hard place really. How much is a well produced, sane, sound and correctly put together youngster actually worth ? How do you define the above ? for some it may be a forward going careful competition possibility for others a dope on a rope. It really is so subjective.

My Archie filly would fit many peoples ideal, lets put the figures together. Stud fee in 2010 was £450, raise the filly from 2011 to date, round figure of £1500 per annum plus £400 insurance premium. Broke her myself so nothing factored in for that. Entries, travel etc for the bits she has done furthering her education £500.

So I have invested around 10k over a 6 year time period and I have a very attractive lightweight cob or small hunter mare with desirable and proven ID blood in her. Very sensible, sound, willing and intelligent with lots of potential to be a riding club all rounder. She has the paces to go BD dressage. Good traffic and due to see hounds next month. She is also one of the rare younger horses that can be left and got back on without fearing for your life or needing a parachute.

She will never be for sale, however if she was what would someone pay for her. She is your 'decent' horse and fits perfectly into the old saying of - fools breed horses for rich people to ride. I am sure Janet George feels this all the time.
 
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JanetGeorge said:
I'm a seller - and one fantastic little mare has been for sale for 7 months. Vetting has screwed it both times. Two tiny bald patches in front of the udder - vet has said: probably a rub - or fly bites - but MIGHT develop into sarcoids (one of these years!!!)

First potential buyer tried to knock price down by £1500!! (FOD) The second claims that - even exclding sarcoids anywhere on the body - insurance is the killer. KBIS would only insure - excluding sarcoids - at £1500 pa (for a mare priced to sell at £5,500!!) Allegedly some wouldn't insure at all!
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TBH I think a reduction of 1500 for a horse with sarcoids is fair enough I have spent a heck of a lot more than that on getting rid Fatties sarcoids .
They can cost a fortune to treat and the problem is ongoing and your never free of them .
 
Is what we are seeing now partly the effects of the recession? A lot of responsible breeders who were producing nice sound useful youngsters cut down or gave up. Now those (non-existing) foals would be say about 5 to 8 years old - prime selling age.

I've ended up buying a youngster and spending lots of dosh on breaking and training. T'was the way to get my next 'forever' horse at the moment, but it's not the way for everyone I know.
 
Goldenstar said:
TBH I think a reduction of 1500 for a horse with sarcoids is fair enough I have spent a heck of a lot more than that on getting rid Fatties sarcoids .
They can cost a fortune to treat and the problem is ongoing and your never free of them .
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But this horse doesnt have sarcoids, just two bald patches that could be anything! People just are not willing to pay what it costs to buy a "made" horse.
 
But they don't sound like sarcoids at all do they and even the vet has said probably flies.
I bought a horse with a couple of small sarcoids and I got insurance easily but just had an exclusion, the cost was as normal as well (about £400 I think). I didn't ask for a discount on buying the horse either as I thought I was getting the horse at a good price anyway and they quickly went and not re-appeared.
Sometimes I think people can get way too picky when buying horses as there is always something wrong - its just finding the right "wrong" that doesn't worry the buyer too much. Not saying that's the problem with OP as clearly cant buy a horse that's failed the vet so significantly.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Rock and hard place really. How much is a well produced, sane, sound and correctly put together youngster actually worth ? How do you define the above ? for some it may be a forward going careful competition possibility for others a dope on a rope. It really is so subjective.

My Archie filly would fit many peoples ideal, lets put the figures together. Stud fee in 2010 was £450, raise the filly from 2011 to date, round figure of £1500 per annum plus £400 insurance premium. Broke her myself so nothing factored in for that. Entries, travel etc for the bits she has done furthering her education £500.

So I have invested around 10k over a 6 year time period and I have a very attractive lightweight cob or small hunter mare with desirable and proven ID blood in her. Very sensible, sound, willing and intelligent with lots of potential to be a riding club all rounder. She has the paces to go BD dressage. Good traffic and due to see hounds next month. She is also one of the rare younger horses that can be left and got back on without fearing for your life or needing a parachute.

She will never be for sale, however if she was what would someone pay for her. She is your 'decent' horse and fits perfectly into the old saying of - fools breed horses for rich people to ride. I am sure Janet George feels this all the time.
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Totally agree.
When we had no money and the kids were young we bought anything that had a good temperament and was sound and put in all the work our selves. It takes a good two years to make a nice young animal, most of which is just really basic, boring before you get to the exiting stuff. I would never not buy and animal because it was 'too slow', unless I was looking for something to race in the Derby. A few days out hunting usually helps it finds the gears.
I am now breeding quality, unfortunately one has a sarcoid, which has been successfully treated. Will I sell him for peanuts? No, I would rather keep him and the rest of him is very nice with a lovely temperament so he will be out showing next year.
 
live2ride said:
I spent 6 months looking at overpriced, underproduced horses that had been recently imported from Ireland and then doubled in price.
All with some sort of health issue or conformation problem.

Finally I gave up and went to the September Performance Sport Horse sale at Goresbridge and have come home with a lovely 5yr ISH X for 1/3 the price you'd find in England, with a clean vetting
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That's great it worked out so well for you. But Goresbridge, or any of the Irish auctions are not the ideal place for many amateur and leisure riders to buy. There are genuine, honest sellers but it's also a dumping ground for problem horses. Under a professional producer on the day, a horse may seem ideal until you bring him home, when behavioural issues can emerge.

I'm not knocking the sale, but it's important people know the pitfalls. For instance talking recently to a big producer, he said he'd just been in Goresbridge adding: "I took down two chancey horses and I left them after me there." In other words he'd got rid of two difficult problem horses, without selling from his own yard where they could be returned. That was the reason he chose Goresbridge so he could offload them.

Now professional horse people generally won't be caught out but the hobby riders won't spot the less obvious problems. Which is why in my book it's more a place for professionals. Plus it's all happening very fast there, you find yourself running from the arena where they're ridden into the sales ring, which doesn't leave a lot of time for trying them. Great for professionals who can make a snap decision, but for people who need time to make an appraisal it's not so suitable.
 
w1bbler said:
Mijods, feel your pain. I'm looking in the same area as you. Actually I viewed that lovely welsh before you - lovely jump & hack, but felt something wasn't right behind, so didn't get as far as vetting. We should compare notes ��
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Ooohhhhh........ d'ya know what, I rode her and felt she was very footy, no shoes behind so I'd put it down to that as she was doing a fair bit of work on stoney tracks. She rode out beautifully through what was basically a construction site (you'll know where I mean if the same mare LOL), but I wish I'd followed my head not my heart.

I will PM you. Betcha its the same mare, who the YO said had "passed a Riding School Vetting in the Spring". Yeah, right, so either their vets are blind (which wouldn't surprise me given who I know they are) OR this is something that's developed since she's been at the RS. A great shame, lovely little mare.
 
They are very difficult to find and it's also very difficult to find totally honest sellars. With regard to buying young horses, you need the skill, experience and time to bring them on properly and most of us don't have that. With "made" horses you will be lucky to find one for sale that doesn't need the odd issue ironing out and IME really good horses and ponies often move on by word of mouth, the best pony we ever had and my current horse both came this way and were never on the open market. I've bought from dealers and have been lucky that what I bought was pretty much what I expected but there are lots of horror stories around when people have been less fortunate.Buying horses is a bit of a nightmare really and when you have a decent one, people don't want to pay a proper price for it as they don't appreciate the amount of work that goes into getting the basics right
 
I found a lovely mare who (subject to Vetting tomorrow) will be mine :)

She has been up for sale for a couple of months and is an Arab so not everyone's cup of tea - but she is a stunner so has drawn attention from amateur riders who have not got on with her as they are quite nervous so she gets all "araby".

I rode her and didn't want to get off! She was lovely and takes the calmness from her rider. I even rode her somewhere she hadn't been before and as long as I was calm and gave reassurance, she was amazing! I think I went through every horse advert out there and only came up with 3 potentials so it's not easy....or quick!

They are out there...
 
What's a Riding School Vetting anyway, never heard of it - maybe a Stage 2? and it could well have passed back in the Spring.

What's your criteria again - maybe someone knows of something.
 
dixie said:
What's a Riding School Vetting anyway, never heard of it - maybe a Stage 2? and it could well have passed back in the Spring.

What's your criteria again - maybe someone knows of something.
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When I worked at a riding stable 20+ years ago, the vetting was listen to heart / lungs. Walk across yard, turn & trot back, distance of about 30'. Horse would have had to be missing a leg to fail.
 
I expect you are now starting to feel the effects of the much needed drop in breeding numbers. This is across Europe and a very good thing.

Add to this that to produce a well backed, ridden away and schooled young horse costs money - quite rightly equine staff should be paid at least the minimum wage so for an experienced person this is over £7 per hour plus employers NI contributions and shortly pensions as well. These costs have to be incorporated into the cost of the final product so get ready for produced horses to be more expensive - you cannot expect someone to do it for love.
 
Maesto's Girl said:
I found a lovely mare who (subject to Vetting tomorrow) will be mine :)

She has been up for sale for a couple of months and is an Arab so not everyone's cup of tea - but she is a stunner so has drawn attention from amateur riders who have not got on with her as they are quite nervous so she gets all "araby".

I rode her and didn't want to get off! She was lovely and takes the calmness from her rider. I even rode her somewhere she hadn't been before and as long as I was calm and gave reassurance, she was amazing! I think I went through every horse advert out there and only came up with 3 potentials so it's not easy....or quick!

They are out there...
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Ohhh...... GOOD LUCK. This is where I'd come to with the little mare referred to in my previous posts and that of another on here who saw the same mare. I just wanted to be with her and ride her! And couldn't wait to bring her home....... but she failed vetting.

Fingers and everything else crossed for you. I've seen two "must have" horses during the summer, both of which the vet spun :(
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Ohhh...... GOOD LUCK. This is where I'd come to with the little mare referred to in my previous posts and that of another on here who saw the same mare. I just wanted to be with her and ride her! And couldn't wait to bring her home....... but she failed vetting.

Fingers and everything else crossed for you. I've seen two "must have" horses during the summer, both of which the vet spun :(
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Thank you! I have everything crossed as she is perfect!
 
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