Window shopping....

I'm finding it hard to get particularly enthusiastic about any of them though. They all seem so ordinary. Amber was a class apart from everything I am looking at now which is a bit depressing. :( I can't imagine I will find any horse remotely in budget that makes my heart sing tbh. So maybe I should go for something totally different and get a dressage schoolmaster who will teach me to ride? Focus on getting good enough for Amber when she comes right.
 
Just to go against the grain...

Instead of buying a new horse what about loaning/leasing a competion horse that needs a step down/quieter life?

I'm not you (obv!) but in your position I'd want a really fun 2021 on something rideable and reliable that is ready to go out and do everything that I wanted.

Then with that under your belt, and if Amber didnt come back to eventing, you could use the experience that you have gained with a schoolmaster to bring on a youngster to go up the levels again with and with a loan/lease not have to worry about selling.
 
Ambers Echo said:
I'm finding it hard to get particularly enthusiastic about any of them though. They all seem so ordinary. Amber was a class apart from everything I am looking at now which is a bit depressing. :( I can't imagine I will find any horse remotely in budget that makes my heart sing tbh. So maybe I should go for something totally different and get a dressage schoolmaster who will teach me to ride? Focus on getting good enough for Amber when she comes right.
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Is it a horse to keep though? Or just whilst Amber may need time off? I reckon you need to know that before you are buying really, then you know whether to find something that makes your heart sing or find something that will keep you occupied.
 
Also Bear doesn’t make my heart sing but I don’t regret buying him at all- for what it’s worth!

I think the heart singing thing comes with time as with many animals. I’ve only just realised after 10 months or so that I really, really, really love my cat ???
 
HashRouge said:
But could you tell Amber was a class apart just from her ad? Sometimes you need to see them in the flesh ;)
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Amber was a dealer swap, sold from the field. Her charms were entirely invisible to me even in the flesh when I grumpily loaded her planning to bring her back into work and sell on as quickly as possible! Which shows how clueless I am in evaluating a horse's potential. Someone on here ( I can't remember who) said they could trell just from her picture that she would be good. If whoever that was is reading, please feel free to find another one like her! I can't believe I will strike gold twice in my life though. It has been a privilege to ride her.
 
Michen said:
Is it a horse to keep though? Or just whilst Amber may need time off? I reckon you need to know that before you are buying really, then you know whether to find something that makes your heart sing or find something that will keep you occupied.
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No it is not to keep. That's a good point. It's a) to keep me occupied, b) to keep me improving.

I have had to overcome a profund jumping fear to event and I do NOT want to slip back. A year out for me would set me back too much. I am very keen to keep learning and progressing. So the new horse just has to be one that I can learn with and continue improving on. So it really does need to jump. Even now I get scared again if I don't jump for a week or 2. I need to leave the ground very very regularly to stay confident.
 
Michen said:
I think the heart singing thing comes with time as with many animals.
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this is true for me too - Millie was my first utter heart horse and I never thought i could feel the same way about another horse, and then along came Kira, who I took quite a while to warm to but now love dearly even though they are basically opposites in almost every way.

I think there's a few things worth balancing - if you're looking for a temp project then it makes more sense to be objective and look for something that is straightforward enough to be fun along the way and easy to find a new home, and correct/quality enough to be worth the time and expense in the mean time.

The idea of a schoolmaster of one kind or another (buy or lease) is not a bad one and could give you a lot of pleasure :) and the girls, if they were that way inclined.
 
TPO said:
Just to go against the grain...

Instead of buying a new horse what about loaning/leasing a competion horse that needs a step down/quieter life?

I'm not you (obv!) but in your position I'd want a really fun 2021 on something rideable and reliable that is ready to go out and do everything that I wanted.

Then with that under your belt, and if Amber didnt come back to eventing, you could use the experience that you have gained with a schoolmaster to bring on a youngster to go up the levels again with and with a loan/lease not have to worry about selling.
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That is a very good idea! It's certainly an option to keep in mind.
 
Ambers Echo said:
I have had to overcome a profund jumping fear to event and I do NOT want to slip back. A year out for me would set me back too much. I am very keen to keep learning and progressing. So the new horse just has to be one that I can learn with and continue improving on. So it really does need to jump. Even now I get scared again if I don't jump for a week or 2. I need to leave the ground very very regularly to stay confident.
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I think this would make me lean towards a more established horse than something you need to develop from scratch. It could be lots of fun then :)
 
Ambers Echo said:
No it is not to keep. That's a good point. It's a) to keep me occupied, b) to keep me improving.

I have had to overcome a profund jumping fear to event and I do NOT want to slip back. A year out for me would set me back too much. I am very keen to keep learning and progressing. So the new horse just has to be one that I can learn with and continue improving on. So it really does need to jump. Even now I get scared again if I don't jump for a week or 2. I need to leave the ground very very regularly to stay confident.
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Ok fair- but you said you’d consider Unbacked and you are looking at babies- so doesn’t seem like the best combo?

I will only jump Bear if he is as bold and honest and easy as Bog was as a baby (jumping wise!!!). Otherwise I’ll pay someone to educate him so for me it didn’t matter with the jumping but this sounds like a big “must” for you. In which case what about something older, 12/13 a little cheaper than the 8 year olds but with lots of experience?
 
Ambers Echo said:
No it is not to keep. That's a good point. It's a) to keep me occupied, b) to keep me improving.

I have had to overcome a profund jumping fear to event and I do NOT want to slip back. A year out for me would set me back too much. I am very keen to keep learning and progressing. So the new horse just has to be one that I can learn with and continue improving on. So it really does need to jump. Even now I get scared again if I don't jump for a week or 2. I need to leave the ground very very regularly to stay confident.
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I don't want to be negative Nelly but... ?

As you know youngsters/green/just backed horses will (usually, always an exception) all go through phases of one step forward and two steps back. It doesnt sound like thats what you need right now.

I really think you would be better looking for more established horses, whether to buy or loan/lease, to get you trucking.
 
Also think you can find a middle ground. I saw a lovely looking grey Connie for sale (and sent it to IHW and be positive). It was nice looking, popped a fence, nicely bred. Even from the videos though I was bored and couldn’t explain why- it would have been super easy to sell on- the exact thing I needed!

But I figure it’s still a lot of money to keep a horse so it should still be something that vaguely excites you, and then saw Bear of course. Literally 10 seconds of video I knew he was the “one” I wanted to buy, but that doesn’t mean he sets my heart on fire!

It doesn’t need to be all or nothing I guess, if you intend to sell just find something you like the look/feel of and gives you a good feeling but no need for fireworks!
 
Ambers Echo said:
It is just that resale is harder for older horses so my limit was 10 - ie selling at 12 which seems to be a lot of people's cut off.
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I guess you need to think about exactly what you want, what you need, and where the 2 intersect :) it sounds like you want something to bring on and not lose money on as a result, but what you need sounds like something that already knows the job and you can basically hit the ground running (so to speak!) which may not make as much sense financially - but then keeping horses full stop doesn't add up financially for many of us ;)
 
Michen said:
Ok fair- but you said you’d consider Unbacked and you are looking at babies- so doesn’t seem like the best combo?

I will only jump Bear if he is as bold and honest and easy as Bog was as a baby (jumping wise!!!). Otherwise I’ll pay someone to educate him so for me it didn’t matter with the jumping but this sounds like a big “must” for you. In which case what about something older, 12/13 a little cheaper than the 8 year olds but with lots of experience?
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Yes I need to go one way or another. I really enjoy the early days - the groundwork etc. So I love babies. But then I do want to jump. I think I need to keep my options open and one day a horse will present itself and I will think YES! And off I'll go.
 
There's usually a few horses to be found who have done mainly hacking and jumping but need work on their flat schooling that might give you the balance of something to train and develop, but also a reliable jumper.
 
Ambers Echo said:
Yes I need to go one way or another. I really enjoy the early days - the groundwork etc. So I love babies. But then I do want to jump. I think I need to keep my options open and one day a horse will present itself and I will think YES! And off I'll go.
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Hehe. We are literally in the same boat. I’m just a few months ahead time wise. I LOVE all that stuff too, hence wanting a baby. It’s so satisfying. I haven’t ridden Bear for 6 weeks and can’t even explain how chuffed I feel just watching him blossom on the long reins and general life. Getting an older established horse to go out and do stuff on didn’t interest me in the slightest- I would rather be doing groundwork than going around an XC course.

You could get lucky and get a baby that’s really straight forward to jump and does both jobs, they are of course out there! Basil was one, so was Bog, I actually think Bear will be too! Just more of a gamble I suppose.

You could always continue SJ lessons at a decent RS, if you want the pleasure of bringing on a baby but to keep the jumping ticking along.
 
DabDab said:
There's usually a few horses to be found who have done mainly hacking and jumping but need work on their flat schooling that might give you the balance of something to train and develop, but also a reliable jumper.
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that's a good compromise too. also because I think Amber hasn't been the easiest hack? but she will need to do some presumably for rehabbing when the time comes, so be a good way to get the hacking confidence pot filled up :)
 
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