Where to find sensible sound 'project horses' without breaking the bank?!?

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CherryB

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Hi
i have just taken on a new yard and have 3 spare stables. I am looking to get a couple of 'project horses' to work with in my spare time around teaching etc and eventually sell on to nice homes.
Does any body have experience of good places to go to find sensible sound horses without breaking the bank! I have max £1000 to spend on each and would prefer something between 14.2 and 15.2. I dont want anything too talented just a honest pony club riding club type that can with work could make a nice allrounder.
I have been looking for autions and know a lot of people bring horses over from ireland however i wouldn't even know where to look!
Any advice much appriciated!
x
 
Personally, if you have the time and experience, i would get a ex racer, always sold off cheap and you can always turn the round as they are so willing.
Otherwise it will have to be 3/4 yo unbroken!
 
To be honest I think your best bet is with ponies as they are cheap but parents will pay well for safe well broken pony, otherwise its just luck. I was given with a 2 year old ID for nothing because no one wanted, it had rubbish conformation but a lovely temperment and was very easy to break, I have just sold it and made a bit of a profit :) I wouldn't go near anything in auction unless it was a youngster. I think its often a case of who you know not what you know!
 
I used to have an ex-racer but moved onto cobs as i like them chunky lol! The home where he is now is doing dressage with him, and well iv heard. He was sound as anything and passed a 5 stage vetting. and considering he was a racer his feet weren't that bad (not great still haha)

If you get an unbroken one you could get a real bargain and you would be starting from scratch and wouldn't have someone else's bad riding and schooling to correct.
 
Thanks for your reply Dianchi
i have had an ex racer to retrain in the past and had so many problems with keeping him sound enough to compete/ sell and ended up losing a lot of money on him through vet bills / remedial farriey etc etc! Im aware i shouldn't stereotype ex racers as he was a lovely horse but i would prefer to go with a native x and as i already have nutty TB's!
 
Thanks everyone, i am thinking of going more down the pony / cobbier type route as very much agree that safe ponies are much easier to sell on that the crazy but talented ones!
Although i have a lot of experience schooling and bringing horses on i dont have much experience breaking, and as i will be mostly doing the work on my own i would rather one that is at least backed or broken and turned away.
I think i will just have to keep my eyes open, think i will try and avoid sales untill i have more experience.
 
Last year I paid £1250 for a well bred 4 y/o Irish Sport Horse, who'd been broken a week, from Ireland. Cost me £250 to have her shipped over, breeder had some cheaper too, mine has a lovely temperament, and I would definately go back to Ireland again. The breeder showed me some more expensive (but had done more), but I went for the bargain blank canvas, and she has turned out to be fantastic. PM me if you want details of breeder. :)
 
For me it would have to be an ex-racehorse. In no other industry could you find such a huge pool of potential talent being sold at sometimes ridiculously cheap prices. One of mine is just 15.2hh, cost just £1000 and came straight from racing, he's been a lot less work to get going than other breeds that we've had professionally broken, the amount of re-schooling he's had to have has been minimal, and he has a fantastic temperament.
When I was looking for an ex-racer I just e-mailed some of the local trainers describing what I was looking for and one got back in touch. I think that's probably the best way to go about it, and make sure you ask why the horse is retiring from racing.... and have it vetted...
 
Thanks, i am considering ex racers but im just so worried about soundness due to past bad experiences! i spent so much on my old ex race horse who was only 6 trying to get him sound (and he passed a vetting!) and ended up selling him at a big loss as a companion / happy hacker.
 
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