Would you consider this horse??

sarahg83

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Ok so i have kind of picked a horse i like and really considering her, but tonight i decided to have one last look around.
Anyway i found a horse i really liked last year but with one disaster after another all the money i had saved up quickly disappeared and i had to start saving again. It was breed from a hobby breeder who seemed really nice, anyway tonight i have been looking around on the net, and the horse from last year is still up for sale. It was £2500 and is now £700. In her add she has said she has lowered the price because of new foals that have arrived.
I was wondering would you consider a horse that has A) been up for sale for so long and B) been dropped in price so much.
 

sarahg83

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Its a registered quarter horse, but she is 6 and only done ground work nothing else not ever been sat on. When i rang last year i was told she had been up for sale since she was 10 months old.
She was lovely when i looked at her last year, i took her out in hand on the roads and passed tractors and bikes and she was brilliantly behaved, but it just strikes me as odd that a horse can sit on the market for sooooo long and drop so drastically in price, other horses with the same sire born last year are selling quickly so i don't understand why this particular horse has sat so long, i wonder if i would be saving money and she is a great deal, or if im setting myself up for heartache. I would have anything i bought vetted.
I wonder if when she was born would put people off, she was born in oct, but i cant see that it would make much of a difference.
 

hayinamanger

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I would have to go and see her again. Big drop in price, but current market and the fact that she's 6 and not backed are all factored in. If you still like her and you can be pretty sure that no one has started backing her and messed it up, she could be a real bargain. Let us know.:)
 

Paddydou

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Sometimes horses just don't sell. There are several top horses that haven't sold and then been sent to riders so they have a job and come back with medals!

Go and see her. If you like her get her vetted and go from there. You could have just found your perfect partner for next to nothing!
 

lauraandjack

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Anything is only worth what someone else is prepared to pay for it!

There are 3 perfectly healthy, well behaved, sensible rideable horses on my yard that have been bought for well under £1000 in the last few months.

In my opinion a lot of horses are well overpriced! So if she is desperate to sell it makes sense to reduce the price. I suppose Quarter Horses are a bit of a minority breed in this country, so that would probably put a lot of people off.
 

Gypsycobs_xx

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I think if u like her you should really consider her, get her vetted and yeah just go from there. Can somebody tell me how to post like the first poster did, i'm new on here.
 

Bubbles

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I'd look at her again. But, before buying, please please please make sure this horse hasn't been a bodged starter that you will never get a saddle near. Good luck, oh, and offer her less, obviously :D
 

a kind of magic

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Who's the breeder? We have QH, might be able to shed some light. It is quite a niche market so I can believe the price if they need the space. Feel free to PM if you want to x
 

GTs

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My opinion might not be liked however a 6 year old who has had so little training is something I will always stay away from. There is no reason to have a horse this age who hasn't done anything, secondly unless they have an absolutely perfect mind set they are just too strong and hard headed at that age.

I honestly think the person who owned this horse for 6 years behavior is aberrant. A horse who is not safe and properly trained doesn't have the skills to be in demand which could lead it to be put in harms way due to no fault of its own. I also think horses thoroughly enjoy work and leaving it out in a field all day is no different than leaving a baby in a crib.
 

sarahg83

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Thankyou for all your reply's. I have not owned my own horse now for 10 years so this is a big deal for me, when I bought one years ago I was very lucky and found a really nice horse and my mum bought my second horse as a surprise and was very lucky again to find a lovely horse.
I have decided to take along a friend so I don't become blinkered into getting her, and my friend is very anti quarter horses so she will be sure to find any fault she can to put me off, she wants me to get a TB :D.
Will keep you all posted as to how it goes, here's hoping she is as nice as she was last year, I was gutted I couldn't get her, my car blew up, then my landlord put his house up for sale so I had to move, and then my washing machine went up the creek all in the space of 2 weeks so by the time I had sorted myself back out all my penny's for the horse were gone. :rolleyes: typical.
 

sarahg83

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My opinion might not be liked however a 6 year old who has had so little training is something I will always stay away from. There is no reason to have a horse this age who hasn't done anything, secondly unless they have an absolutely perfect mind set they are just too strong and hard headed at that age.

I honestly think the person who owned this horse for 6 years behavior is aberrant. A horse who is not safe and properly trained doesn't have the skills to be in demand which could lead it to be put in harms way due to no fault of its own. I also think horses thoroughly enjoy work and leaving it out in a field all day is no different than leaving a baby in a crib.

Thankyou, I was expecting a few to say this, and I totally see your point, this is what is making me a little apprehensive, I don't understand why you would be a breeder and then do nothing with the horses that don't sell, it makes me wonder what is wrong with her. :confused: Surley she would have been better off dropping her price last year so she at least sells as a 5 year old. She also has a 4 yr old and a 7 year old who have all done nothing. I wonder if she breeds for the "cute little foals" over prices them and from there they just sit, she has about 10 horses up for sale altogether but all the others are youngsters.
It also does seem a shame for a horse to do nothing for such a long time, but then I think maybe she will be unspoilt, she is used to the farrier altho she has not been shod, and she will load on a horse box, so there are some good foundations there. The main thing that worries me is that the horse will have become so used to lazing around the field as a horse of leisure that she will not want to work and protest loudly to having to do anything.
 

Jools2345

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My opinion might not be liked however a 6 year old who has had so little training is something I will always stay away from. There is no reason to have a horse this age who hasn't done anything, secondly unless they have an absolutely perfect mind set they are just too strong and hard headed at that age.

I honestly think the person who owned this horse for 6 years behavior is aberrant. A horse who is not safe and properly trained doesn't have the skills to be in demand which could lead it to be put in harms way due to no fault of its own. I also think horses thoroughly enjoy work and leaving it out in a field all day is no different than leaving a baby in a crib.

sorry but thats a load of c**p, my mare is 6yrs and just backed (was sat on and did 3wks work at three) i have found her much more focused and willing to work and feel i can crack on and get going with her rather than 10-15mins here like we did with her at three, she is physically much stronger and able to do so much more.

i see no harm in doing nothing at all with them under saddle till they are 6 or older, its far better than doing things badly.
from what the op says this mare has been led out, seen traffic and has learnt manners in hand -sounds perfect to me.

but op do you have the time, experience and support to back a horse from scratch?
if yes i would go and look if you like her get her vetted and if she passes discuss possibly a loan with view to buy, make sure you have the loan with view to but agreement and final purchase price written in a witnessed contract though.

biggest warning is don't take on more than you can handle
 

sarahg83

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sorry but thats a load of c**p, my mare is 6yrs and just backed (was sat on and did 3wks work at three) i have found her much more focused and willing to work and feel i can crack on and get going with her rather than 10-15mins here like we did with her at three, she is physically much stronger and able to do so much more.

i see no harm in doing nothing at all with them under saddle till they are 6 or older, its far better than doing things badly.
from what the op says this mare has been led out, seen traffic and has learnt manners in hand -sounds perfect to me.

but op do you have the time, experience and support to back a horse from scratch?
if yes i would go and look if you like her get her vetted and if she passes discuss possibly a loan with view to buy, make sure you have the loan with view to but agreement and final purchase price written in a witnessed contract though.

biggest warning is don't take on more than you can handle

This is the problem I am really struggling with, I had my morgan from a foal, so started him on my own and he was great, but that was 10 years ago, I also started my sisters horse that was a wild moor pony bought at auction and she turned out great too. But this was years ago, in my head I know what I should be doing, and I am probably slightly more sensible than I was back then, but I worry that when it comes to the crunch I will just be out of touch and bodge it up. I deffo have the time, this wont be a issue but I wonder if I will be biting off more than I can chew. I feel like I am almost getting back into this as a novice as its been so long. Errr so confused, just really need to make a decision and my head and heart are not agreeing right now.
 

Gingerwitch

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A local breeder to me never starts his big horses till they are 5 rising 6 - he says he wants them to have had time to understand their own balance before putting a rider on them, and he wants them to be mature in both the head and the limbs.

They are handled every day though - not just left in a field.
 

sarahg83

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A local breeder to me never starts his big horses till they are 5 rising 6 - he says he wants them to have had time to understand their own balance before putting a rider on them, and he wants them to be mature in both the head and the limbs.

They are handled every day though - not just left in a field.

They are handled, as far as I am aware she has lead her out around the roads, has the farrier to her regularly, has been in a trailer for a few short trips, is groomed daily and apparently she has done a bit of long reigning last year, so she has not done nothing, she deffo wont be totally feral.
This too me seems like some solid foundations to work from, but I just wonder why no one has sat on her, or worse no one is admitting they have sat on her and it has gone wrong.
 

somethingillremember

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I have to say I do believe in fate .... I have come into contact with hundreds of horses and only a handful have ever made me say " I do like you " . Its not that there is anything wrong with the others , but like people , there are people you know and people that are friends and thats what you want .... a friend . If its right the horse will be with you for the rest of its life and as with a friend she'll do anything for you and you for her . 6yo and not done much ? No problem . I feel we rush into getting horses backed and working , most horses dont mature (mentally and physically )until 5 yo and longterm irreversible damage can be done whilst they are young ( skeletal, muscular and mental ). I have a 34 yo , still happy and sound until 2 years ago ( jumped out of the field and did a tendon) , so no rush. Id go and view again , if it feels right go for it , its your decision. Good Luck.
 

sarahg83

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Ok just spoke to the breeder, im going out on Friday and have booked a B and B so I can see her again on Saturday.
Owner has said I can spend a couple of days with her to get a feel for her, and if I still like her after that I will get her. I think 2 days will give me a good idea of what I will be getting, and I am pretty sure a breeder would not offer this if she didn't think the horse would pass the test.
The saving I am making buying the horse means I will have extra money to spend elsewhere if I need to, or I can buy some nice luxury's for new horse I wouldn't have been able to afford right away. I thought I might see if I can find a trainer that specialises in youngsters to help me out when she first arrives so we have a good solid foundation together. (if I get her).
Very excited now, and really hope if she is not any good the horse I had picked will still be there, seems like horses are like buses wait for ages then 2 turn up at once. It does seem a bit like fate tho, I was so upset I could not get her last year as I had been saving for ages and ages and was just about to put the money down when everything went wrong, I didn't think for a minute the same horse would still be there a year on.
 

ridefast

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I would buy her, a cheap quarter horse! If she's got a good attitude and temperament, the fact that she hasn't been started yet wouldn't put me of, just means there's less worry about immature growth plates. Who is the breeder? May be in the market for one in a few years
 

ridefast

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This is the problem I am really struggling with, I had my morgan from a foal, so started him on my own and he was great, but that was 10 years ago, I also started my sisters horse that was a wild moor pony bought at auction and she turned out great too. But this was years ago, in my head I know what I should be doing, and I am probably slightly more sensible than I was back then, but I worry that when it comes to the crunch I will just be out of touch and bodge it up. I deffo have the time, this wont be a issue but I wonder if I will be biting off more than I can chew. I feel like I am almost getting back into this as a novice as its been so long. Errr so confused, just really need to make a decision and my head and heart are not agreeing right now.

I don't think you'll be out of touch. You might be out of touch as far as the latest fads and traditions and horse whispering techniques are concerned. But if you have common sense, good feel and can trust your instincts, you'll never be out of touch with horses. They don't read the how to books! Besides it sounds like this mare has a solid foundation already, got the basics in place, so it's not like you're starting from scratch. Take your time, get to know the horse and trust yourself and you'll know when it's right.
 

sarahg83

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I would buy her, a cheap quarter horse! If she's got a good attitude and temperament, the fact that she hasn't been started yet wouldn't put me of, just means there's less worry about immature growth plates. Who is the breeder? May be in the market for one in a few years

I will PM you the details but I want to go see her first, worried someone will beat me too her :D at that price I worry she might be snapped up, at the moment she is a bit of a hidden gem, I would never have found her if my friend had not heard of the breeder as she advertises on the most random web page that is completely unrelated to horses.
She does seem like a good buy for a fully papered quarter horse, as she is unspoilt it seems to make her a even better find.
But fear not as soon as I have been out to her I will PM you all the details of her, she has quite a lot of stock but their all much younger, and double the price.
 

Jools2345

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Ok just spoke to the breeder, im going out on Friday and have booked a B and B so I can see her again on Saturday.
Owner has said I can spend a couple of days with her to get a feel for her, and if I still like her after that I will get her. I think 2 days will give me a good idea of what I will be getting, and I am pretty sure a breeder would not offer this if she didn't think the horse would pass the test.
The saving I am making buying the horse means I will have extra money to spend elsewhere if I need to, or I can buy some nice luxury's for new horse I wouldn't have been able to afford right away. I thought I might see if I can find a trainer that specialises in youngsters to help me out when she first arrives so we have a good solid foundation together. (if I get her).
Very excited now, and really hope if she is not any good the horse I had picked will still be there, seems like horses are like buses wait for ages then 2 turn up at once. It does seem a bit like fate tho, I was so upset I could not get her last year as I had been saving for ages and ages and was just about to put the money down when everything went wrong, I didn't think for a minute the same horse would still be there a year on.

dont forget to use some of the money on a vetting
 

sarahg83

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I don't think you'll be out of touch. You might be out of touch as far as the latest fads and traditions and horse whispering techniques are concerned. But if you have common sense, good feel and can trust your instincts, you'll never be out of touch with horses. They don't read the how to books! Besides it sounds like this mare has a solid foundation already, got the basics in place, so it's not like you're starting from scratch. Take your time, get to know the horse and trust yourself and you'll know when it's right.

Thankyou that puts me at ease, a lot of it will be gaining the confidence again to trust what I am doing, but I plan to take it all very slowly and if I am stuck im not too proud to ask for help, which I think helps, from my experience it's the people who carry on regardless even when they know their doing it all wrong but are to proud to admit they need some advice that run into serious problems, and their are loads of great trainers locally who I can ask to come out if I run into any big problems.
I am hoping this will be a horse for life, so its not like I am going to be in any rush to get started, I will have all the time in the world. I am not in a rush to start winning any ribbons, or do anything amazing, I just want to take it step by step and see where it takes us. Maybe even find something new I have not done before, I have always fancied endurance so who knows what we will do together in the end, as long as were enjoying ourselves that's all im hoping for, the rest can be worked out along the way.
 

sarahg83

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dont forget to use some of the money on a vetting

Fear not :D I wouldn't touch anything I cant get vetted I have seen so many people watch their dream horse turn into a nightmare only to find out it all could have been avoided with a simple vetting. It save's so much money and heart ache in the long run its not worth buying without one.
 

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I'm all over the shop on this one. I agree with GT's on a few points. It's nothing to do with starting them early. It's more selling to the best home possible. 6 and not started isn't best for any horse up for sale. Not horses you can take all the time with because that's your program. She' s a breeder. So in the back of my mind I think not good enough to be bred. Obviously that is fine. But when you keep breeding there is supposed to be an endgame. Not sell the unstarted we just don't know what to with her mare to make room for more babies. Started means at least she's 6 and rideable. Again these are just my thoughts.

But then there's the whole dreamgirl side of me I like to keep hidden. And she says, must be fate! LOL!

If you're taking a TB friend and she likes her, that's probably a good thing. Many QH's can be more English riding types. So have a looksee and let us know!

Terri
 

sarahg83

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I'm all over the shop on this one. I agree with GT's on a few points. It's nothing to do with starting them early. It's more selling to the best home possible. 6 and not started isn't best for any horse up for sale. Not horses you can take all the time with because that's your program. She' s a breeder. So in the back of my mind I think not good enough to be bred. Obviously that is fine. But when you keep breeding there is supposed to be an endgame. Not sell the unstarted we just don't know what to with her mare to make room for more babies. Started means at least she's 6 and rideable. Again these are just my thoughts.

But then there's the whole dreamgirl side of me I like to keep hidden. And she says, must be fate! LOL!

If you're taking a TB friend and she likes her, that's probably a good thing. Many QH's can be more English riding types. So have a looksee and let us know!

Terri

Yeah this is how I feel, one minute I am dead cert that she is a good find, last year I totally fell in love, but now im thinking was it a lucky escape maybe it was fate that I lost all my saved up pennys and could not get her. Then the other half is telling me it is luck and fate that she is still on the market and I should just go for it.
My friend I am taking is the most sceptical person I could possibly find, I know she wont hold back on giving me her six pence worth, which is why I have chosen to take her over anyone else. She also really does not like QH so I figure she will find any reason possible for me to not get her.
She has bought some really good horses in the past, and bred some lovely horses too, so she knows whats she's talking about and nothing holds her back from speaking her mind, so she is perfect for taking along, I know she wont let me buy something worthless. She was reluctant to come along as she thinks the whole trip will be a waste of time, but a pub lunch on me has convinced her:D
 
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