Would you buy from an advert like this??

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ChestnutConvert

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Things are starting to look up for me and eventually, although not right away, i'm hoping to buy a horse of my own after dreaming of it all these years.

If i was to come across an advert like this (i hope it's noone on here, not being personal just need advice!)
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/marketplace/classified/4-details-horses-for-sale_264080.htm

would you be tempted to look? I'm thinking for the future not right now, i won't have tons to spend but would like a general allrounder that could do some dressage/schooling.
I suppose what i mean is, is it possible to buy a horse/pony for a bargain price but one that is what it says on the tin?

Any tips on where took etc??
 
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I would personally but i have years of experience with young horses,
i dont know what experience you have but you would need to ring and find out how far the horse is with his schooling, in what areas does he need a more experienced, and are you capable of taking the work on and teh experience of dealing with a relatively young horse that reading between the lines does need more work.
Hope that makes some kind of sense
 
Makes perfect sense, i've gone through a checklist of all the things to think about but that list seems to be growing. Would also have another knowledgeable person to give me a hand. It's never going to be the cheapest thing to do, a bit like having kids, but if i get it right, it could make me very happy!
 
He definetly looks a lovely sweet horse, you can get bargain horses if you look around enough.
I bought my bargain horse for £400, she is 8yr old tb, very well bred, played polo, hunted and good in traffic, she is exactly whats written on tin.....why was she so cheap? owned by elderly gentleman with many horses and he could no longer look after them all properly, and shes a cribber (not a problem to me at all), definetly my gain! I am now planning on riding her across Wales this summer.
 
That's the sort of thing i mean, i can handle a small quirk as long as he/she is safe and fit for the job. Right time right place sometimes, will look as long as it takes no point rushing into it.
 
It is definately a buyers market and I would suggest that you try a horse at least a couple of times before you buy. Even ask for loan with view to buy if possible! Most young horses no matter how well behaved take a while to adjust to a new home. Good luck hope you find the perfect horse. x
 
i have had a terrible experience with a bargain horse that cost me £1100- to cut a long story short said horse was put down 9 months of vet bills etc later :-(

however no harm in looking, but keep ur wits (and vet!) about u
 
it does alarm me slightly that the advert is more about the owner than the horse!!! It doesnt even say anything about what he has done or anything at all about what he is doing???
Looking at the photos there isnt really a good one of him stood square - He looks a little oddly made front end compared to back end! also the only ridden photo is on the lunge (is that because of the rider, or the horse?)

Worth a phonecall. Maybe the seller is just a little unfocused at the moment.
 
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I would definitely look, but would ask them to email me more/ better pictures!!!

Would also ask in what way they are too inexperienced (nicely!!! Lol!!!), as they've probably created problems which you'll have to fix.

Horsey does look a nice sort though, I would Defo go have a look :-D especially for that price!!!
 
CadfaelSportHorse said:
Horsey does look a nice sort though
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Horse may well 'look' a nice sort (not convinced it does myself but that's a side issue) but you have no idea from 'looking' whether it's a bolter/rearer/serious napper/totally crock/on meds to disguise lameness etc etc. I maintain my usual stance - horses in that price bracket 99 times out of a 100 have something wrong with them, either physically, behaviourally or both. You may be that 1 in a 100 but you're not dealing with good odds.
 
Remember that the purchase price of a horse is not the be all and end all! Sometimes when you buy a bargain horse you actually can end up paying more for it in the long term!

Some factors to take into account are:

1. Schooling costs - if you encounter problems with the horse (rearing, broncing, napping etc), do you have the funds to have regular lessons, pay someone else to ride it or send it away for professional schooling? Or are you 100% sure you are capable of dealing with any problems by yourself? I've seen people claim that their horse is a bargain based on the purchase price, but actually they have actually paid out a fortune in schooling fees.

2. Vets bills - often horses with dodgy conformation/physical problems are cheap precisely because experienced people won't touch them with a bargepole. That bargain can prove very costly when it turns out to have navicular, kissing spines, broken pelvis etc.

3. Feeding and maintenance costs - chances are that if the horse looks poor in the ad photos it may need lots of grub to get and keep it looking good. Poor feet may mean more regular farrier costs etc.
 
If it was me looking, as it was 6 months or so back, I would definitely have called the owner for more info, no harm in that. It is a buyers market at the moment, with many horses looking for homes. However cheap a horse is though (if you find something you like), ALWAYS get a 5 stage vetting done, unless you know your horsey conformation etc etc very well. I had a cheap horse 5 stage vetted, and the vet found a massive heart murmour after exercising - something that may not have been picked up by just a check over. I bought a TB a few months later who passed his vetting.... although he is on box rest at the moment after a field accident....... typical TB's :rolleyes:.
 
If you were to look at him, you would need to be experienced enough to be able to bring him on as he is only young. Also, my advice would be to make sure you get whatever you decide to buy vetted, even if it is a bargain as it could save you a lot of money and heartache in the future.
 
Where to start..

Ok, as an experienced rider may turn around and say yes I'd have a look, you have to really consider how experienced YOU are for that particular horse.

A couple of things stand out about the description:
1. "I am too inexperienced to keep him myself"

He is a 5yo thoroughbred who is probably fairly green, and with a rider who isn't experienced enough to keep him - what does he do which she can't handle?

2. "Being sold at a bargain price"

Why is he being sold at a bargain price? A sound 5yo horse could easily fetch a bit more money than that. Yes the owner says due to personal circumstances but sometimes that can be said as a cover up for something underlying with the horse which they don't want to mention for a quick sale. (I'm not saying every one does this but I've had it happen to me and I know of others it's happened to as well!)

Also a couple of things stand out about the pictures:

1. There are no clear pictures taken of the horse side on.

This just could be as they haven't got any, or he may have bad conformation which they don't want to advertise.

2. There is only one ridden picture and that picture is of the horse standing still.

How often does the horse get ridden? There are no other pictures of the horse working with a rider on top - does he buck / nap / rear which is why they haven't got any more pics?

3. In the ridden picture the horse has a lead rope / lunge line on it.

Is this because the rider is nervous, the horse is 'naughty' or hasn't been ridden in a long time - safety?

4. Also in the ridden picture the horse has it's ears flat back with it's head raised.

Does it have some sort of back problem, teeth problem or tack problem? The horse doesn't look relaxed or comfortable with weight on it's back, but does without. Something doesn't seem right.. Even if the horse looks to be 100% sound problems can still be there.

The horse looks to have a fab temperament on the ground and the pictures taken with the children are a bonus as it shows he is very quiet.

However personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, let alone as a first horse.. :)

Problems can be covered up with bute or sedation - I got caught out with my first horse a big 'ploddy' cob. Turned out she was heavily sedated, was rocking the lorry she was in on the way home so much it was dangerous, and when we got her back no one could handle her. Not because she was scared / nervous, because she was boulshy and she knew her size. I should have realised - when we went to view her she was very quiet, and when I rode her down the lane they brought their other pony inhand with us for her to follow. When she went to a new home from us, she had to be completely professionally re-broken by a man as no woman was strong enough to put her back in to place when she wanted to take advantage.
 
PonyFeet10 said:
Where to start..

Ok, as an experienced rider may turn around and say yes I'd have a look, you have to really consider how experienced YOU are for that particular horse.

A couple of things stand out about the description:
1. "I am too inexperienced to keep him myself"

He is a 5yo thoroughbred who is probably fairly green, and with a rider who isn't experienced enough to keep him - what does he do which she can't handle?

2. "Being sold at a bargain price"

Why is he being sold at a bargain price? A sound 5yo horse could easily fetch a bit more money than that. Yes the owner says due to personal circumstances but sometimes that can be said as a cover up for something underlying with the horse which they don't want to mention for a quick sale. (I'm not saying every one does this but I've had it happen to me and I know of others it's happened to as well!)

Also a couple of things stand out about the pictures:

1. There are no clear pictures taken of the horse side on.

This just could be as they haven't got any, or he may have bad conformation which they don't want to advertise.

2. There is only one ridden picture and that picture is of the horse standing still.

How often does the horse get ridden? There are no other pictures of the horse working with a rider on top - does he buck / nap / rear which is why they haven't got any more pics?

3. In the ridden picture the horse has a lead rope / lunge line on it.

Is this because the rider is nervous, the horse is 'naughty' or hasn't been ridden in a long time - safety?

4. Also in the ridden picture the horse has it's ears flat back with it's head raised.

Does it have some sort of back problem, teeth problem or tack problem? The horse doesn't look relaxed or comfortable with weight on it's back, but does without. Something doesn't seem right.. Even if the horse looks to be 100% sound problems can still be there.

The horse looks to have a fab temperament on the ground and the pictures taken with the children are a bonus as it shows he is very quiet.
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Excellent post

I would definitely go and see it but I'm fairly confident, am on a supportive private yard and have a good instructor. I also have experience with younger horses
I think his price is low because he is a green TB, not the most desirable of horse to want (except to folk like me who can't get enough of them :D ) I also agree with the above, that there may be some underlying problem, so I'd get it vet checked and find out when it last had back/teeth done.
 
I would say that it is possible to get a bargain. But it would be the exception, and less risky if you are very experienced.

In your place I would actually buy the most expensive horse I could afford. A cheap horse costs just the same amount to keep as a pricey one and the rewards of a good horse are incomparable compared to the heartache and misery of a bad one.
 
Happy Hunter said:
it does alarm me slightly that the advert is more about the owner than the horse!!! It doesnt even say anything about what he has done or anything at all about what he is doing???
Looking at the photos there isnt really a good one of him stood square - He looks a little oddly made front end compared to back end! also the only ridden photo is on the lunge (is that because of the rider, or the horse?)

Worth a phonecall. Maybe the seller is just a little unfocused at the moment.
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^^^^^ this! Found it very odd that hardly and information of the actual horse was given!
 
PoppyAnderson said:
Horse may well 'look' a nice sort (not convinced it does myself but that's a side issue) but you have no idea from 'looking' whether it's a bolter/rearer/serious napper/totally crock/on meds to disguise lameness etc etc. I maintain my usual stance - horses in that price bracket 99 times out of a 100 have something wrong with them, either physically, behaviourally or both. You may be that 1 in a 100 but you're not dealing with good odds.
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Dont get wrong- I mean nice in himself, not necessarily to handle ATM.

But If I went and saw and liked him, unless it's a full on rearer (I don't mind bunny hops etc and fly bucks and so forth) I would make an offer, BUT I feel I'm competent and confident enough that if he's really been screwed about I'm more than happy to rebreak and start from scratch, thought I'd absolutely get him fully vetted first so I knew exactly what I was dealing with

If OP doesn't feel confident with this, I wouldn't look twice at such an advert
 
Absolutely terrible advert. Tells you almost nothing about the horse, what it has done and what it can do. The horse is relatively young, but it still looks fat and lacking muscles so I would bet it's been left in a field. Even at that price it's overpriced. If you want an untouched youngster you could do better, but from your description of what you would like this horse nowhere near fits the bill.
 
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