Why is buying horses so hard???

Kat

Kat

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2008
Messages
13,168
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
I'm sorry I'm going to have a moan.....

At the end of last year my husband and I decided to buy a horse to share, something we have both wanted for a long time. I had always thought that when I finally was able to buy a horse it would be an exciting time.

Many months later we are both really disheartened with the whole thing. We have had so many false starts.

We were supposed to be having a horse vetted today and it looks as though things may have fallen through, the vetting didn't take place. We are so disappointed, so I've been trawling the adverts again and just can't find anything that catches my eye and fits the criteria.

Not really sure what anyone can say, I just had expected by now to have a horse to enjoy. Now I'm wondering whether we will find anything before the best of the summer is over. Can't understand how some people manage to have horses find them when they aren't looking and we can't find one when we are.....

Sorry for moaning. :(
 
What happened at the vetting?

What are you looking for? Maybe someone on here may know of something?
 
Your will find a horse soon enough, the right one will fall into your hands soon enough.
 
galaxy23 said:
What happened at the vetting?

What are you looking for? Maybe someone on here may know of something?
Click to expand...

The horse got kicked in the field the day before. Not sure whether we will be able to reschedule when she is recovered, I rather got the feeling that the seller was getting cold feet.........

I'm looking for something 16hh or more, of a sort of m/w hunter type, ID or IDx ideally but not essential. Age 5-10 ideally, needs to be sane without any nasty quirks but we don't mind doing some schooling and bringing on. Would prefer a mare but that isn't essential. Should be a good allrounder, doesn't have to be a world beater but we have both competed at our RC and want to be able to continue with that and go further in time, we hope to hunt in future and we will want to hack too.

So many horses advertised seem to either be quite serious competition horses which I think is perhaps more than we want or happy hackers that might pootle a dressage test or pop 2'3" occasionally.

I must sound really fussy, but after many many years of riding schools and shares we are really keen to move on.
 
It is such a shame we are out of your search area (Jct 6 M1) as the mare I was thinking of is a beautiful dapple grey, 8 yo. Irish horse. Very eye catching, up to weight etc.
 
Divasmum said:
It is such a shame we are out of your search area (Jct 6 M1) as the mare I was thinking of is a beautiful dapple grey, 8 yo. Irish horse. Very eye catching, up to weight etc.
Click to expand...

Sounds very much the sort of thing we are looking for but just so far away, we are really looking in mainly in derbyshire, but also nottinghamshire, leicestershire, staffordshire. The trouble is that the further away the horse is the longer it would take to us get out to see it as we couldn't go after work, it would also make it more difficult to take our instructor along.
 
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I know this feeling all too well. What happened to the one that you were considering re-vetting?

May I ask how much your budget is?

I'm looking at the moment too, and it certainly can take a long time to find 'the one'. Last time it took me 15 months to find one good enough; but she was worth it as she proved to be the best horse I've ever sat on... Sadly that makes her a very hard act to follow :(
 
Puppy said:
Sorry to hear you are having a hard time. I know this feeling all too well. What happened to the one that you were considering re-vetting?

May I ask how much your budget is?

I'm looking at the moment too, and it certainly can take a long time to find 'the one'. Last time it took me 15 months to find one good enough; but she was worth it as she proved to be the best horse I've ever sat on... Sadly that makes her a very hard act to follow :(
Click to expand...

We arranged the revetting (for today) and then she got kicked in the field so wouldn't have been sound for it.

Budget, is a bit flexible. We've been looking in the sort of £3-£4k bracket. Depends a bit on how much work it needs and whether any tack and rugs are included (as first time owners we will have to buy everything).
 
Oh I see, it was the same one :( What a terrible shame :( I shall be bearing your requirements in mind whilst I browse. Best of luck. I'm sure you'll find one worth the wait in the end :)
 
I sympathize with you :(

I always thought my search for my first horse would be exciting, but a few months down the line and I have yet to find anything that catches my eye and ticks the boxes. I was looking forward to having a horse by now and bonding, and having the long summer ahead to enjoy. But now I feel like I want to give up, I have now decided that maybe one last summer before a lifetime of horse ownership isn't so bad, so I am still looking but not rushing.

I have been sent lots of info on horses that could be ok, and if I wasn't being sensible I would rush out and buy them so I have a horse for the summer, however I am looking for the "one" and am going to wait for it no matter how long it takes. Hope you find a horse soon :)
 
 
Why is it that there are people out there that cant find nice horses to buy, yet there are people that are advertising nice horses that have had no phone calls!! I have advertised a lovely 5 year old and have not had one call, maybe i should advertise on loads of sites as see needs to be sold soon, but surely when you are looking you would check all sites ?
 
I know how you feel, I was finally ready to buy my own horse at the end of last year and was really excited but my god it was hard work. I went to see so many horses and all of them were not suitable. After 4 long months of looking I finally found my dream horse. I knew I was going to buy her the minute I set eyes on her let alone rode her. She's going to be with me forever now. It is very frustrating but keep looking and the right one will turn up. :)
 
RACHEL67 said:
Why is it that there are people out there that cant find nice horses to buy, yet there are people that are advertising nice horses that have had no phone calls!! I have advertised a lovely 5 year old and have not had one call, maybe i should advertise on loads of sites as see needs to be sold soon, but surely when you are looking you would check all sites ?
Click to expand...

Which site is she on? If she is in the midlands PM me the details.

I tend to mainly look at Horsemart and horse deals. Though I check horse hunter too. I don't bother with horsequest as you can't narrow your search very effectively.

Sometimes it is the search criteria that you put in that stops you seeing certain horses, for example on Horsemart you can search by price £3000 -£5000 so if your horse is £2900 you might miss lots of potential buyers.

By all means send me a link to the ad though.
 
HollyWoozle said:
Here is what I can find. I'm sure you've seen some of these or perhaps they don't suit... I just like searching for horses so trawled to see what I could find in your criteria.

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/advert/6_yrs_2_mths_16_1_hh_dark_bay_irish_sport_horse_derbyshire/100771

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/advert/7_yrs_16_2_hh_chestnut_warmblood_derbyshire/100503

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/advert/10_yrs_17_0_hh_chestnut_irish_sport_horse_nottinghamshire/100380

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/advert/11_yrs_16_1_hh_black_tb_x_id_cheshire/96464

Anyway, good luck and don't give up hope! :)
Click to expand...


Hmmm thanks some food for thought in there!
 
Katt said:
we are really looking in mainly in derbyshire, but also nottinghamshire, leicestershire, staffordshire.
Click to expand...
Thats half the problem. You may well need to travel further afield if you want to find one that meets your requirements quickly.
I live in northampton and my current horse came from Braintree, wifes two came from Slough and Stanstead. Daughters first pony came from Newcastle and was sold to someone in Bath.
Sometimes you just have to travel, then again sometimes the perfect horse is on your doorstep. Just depends how long you are prepared to wait.
 
I know a horse in the area which fits your description perfectly but he is a gelding and would be quite a bit out of your price range.
 
SJ_Superstars said:
I know a horse in the area which fits your description perfectly but he is a gelding and would be quite a bit out of your price range.
Click to expand...

Well if the owners suddenly feel charitable and drop the price significantly let me know! :D

I could stretch the budget a bit but not massively.
 
I do think by limiting your search area you are limiting your choice.

When i was looking i searched all horses that were roughly in the same area and went down to view them over a weekend - staying in a cheap b and b overnight.

It meant i saw 10 horses i had originally discounted and i did find a horse not just for me - but fora friend who was also looking who watched my videos and fell in love with one i decided to leave.
 
Vicki_Krystal said:
I do think by limiting your search area you are limiting your choice.

When i was looking i searched all horses that were roughly in the same area and went down to view them over a weekend - staying in a cheap b and b overnight.

It meant i saw 10 horses i had originally discounted and i did find a horse not just for me - but fora friend who was also looking who watched my videos and fell in love with one i decided to leave.
Click to expand...

The trouble is that they may not still be available by the time I have long enough to go and see them. I guess I could widen the search to include west midlands as well, that would be do able, but a trip down south when both DH and I are free would be pretty difficult to arrange.
 
See now I trawled the net looking for horses, considered travelling all over the place and everyone told me 'don't go looking for a horse, the right one will find u' and they were right. I just happened to mention to a client I was looking and she said hers was potentially for sale. After looking at a couple more called her up and he was mine - 10 mins down the road from where I live and only about the 4th horse I looked at! May be I was just lucky?
 
My friend was talking about selling hers, 16.2HH bay mare done xc and sj 5 - 10 years old (I think thats all right) She at uni so is finding it really hard to ride them, and give them the time they all need. (She has 5 at the min!!)

I could ask her if she dose want to sell, if you like? Then I could PM you her number. Horse is at Cutthorpe/Barlow area so well in Derbyshire :D
 
picolenicole said:
My friend was talking about selling hers, 16.2HH bay mare done xc and sj 5 - 10 years old (I think thats all right) She at uni so is finding it really hard to ride them, and give them the time they all need. (She has 5 at the min!!)

I could ask her if she dose want to sell, if you like? Then I could PM you her number. Horse is at Cutthorpe/Barlow area so well in Derbyshire :D
Click to expand...

Yes please!
 
LMuirEDT said:
See now I trawled the net looking for horses, considered travelling all over the place and everyone told me 'don't go looking for a horse, the right one will find u' and they were right. I just happened to mention to a client I was looking and she said hers was potentially for sale. After looking at a couple more called her up and he was mine - 10 mins down the road from where I live and only about the 4th horse I looked at! May be I was just lucky?
Click to expand...

yes people have said that to us too.

The first one we looked at seemed to be that sort of fate thing, turned up on trial at the riding school where we are having lessons at the moment and DH rode it in the only lesson it did before they decided it didn't suit and sent it back. Lovely RID, complete chance that we even got to see it and we weren't looking to buy at the time but after thinking it through called up the place where it was on schooling livery to arrange to go and look at it properly, and the owner blooming well changed her mind about selling!

Then one of our instructors old horses came up for sale unexpectedly sounded perfect and hadn't even been advertised. Tried to arrange to go and see her after seeing some photos and she blooming well changed her mind too!

Argh!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top