Would you like to buy a 'made' horse...

ycbm said:
I'd love one, but where can I get a GP trained horse without taking a mortgage on the house?
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I did (for a pound), but My God has he cost me ever since! In hindsight, would I get a horse like him again, knowing now what I didn't know back then. Absolutely not.
I wouldn't be without this particular one though!
 
LeannePip said:
I pretty much have the same view - its all very fun sitting on a horse with all the buttons but i just get off and think ooh i can't wait till i can teach mine that.

I also take a lot of confidence from knowing i've put the training in, i know exactly what my horses limits and strengths are. I feel like having something already trained i wouldn't know and would take just as much to learn all those little bits as if i'd just put all the buttons there in the first place.

I'm also not the best rider so i probably couldn't ride something fully trained! At least if I'm doing the training my horses are quite used to me being a bit of a pleb, something more finely tuned would probably take great offence and my often unhelpful ness! I've spent a lot of time with people who have bought ready to go horses and i can't say they have any more fun than I do!

i also don't have the budget for that so as you say, its all pretty hypothetical!
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exactly this for me, lack of budget is I suppose the main driver, but the feeling of achievement when you teach your own horse something is wonderful.
plus i am not sure i could ride one side of a really "good" pro-trained horse ...lol
 
yeah, i prefer projects all the way. A trainer explained it really well by saying it was the difference between going into a shop and buy ing a cake, compared to learning how to cook from scratch and figure out exactly what ingredients are needed.

He said you can learn to be a 'proper' horseperson on ready made horses as you don't develop a deep enough understanding of how horses work and progress
 
Generally I like youngsters and doing it myself, I've had my main lad since he was a foal, he's now 8 and I've just bought another foal to be his successor.

My main lad was off lame for a little over a year and I had a partially made 7 year old we did not get along, I like knowing exactly how everything has been taught and that having the horse from a youngster means you know more about how they will respond to different situations because you've experienced them all with them. I fell off the 7 year old and broke my ankle and had 4 months off games, thankfully my main lad has now come sound before i knew that i was fighting between wanting to buy an unbroken youngster and the fact that with a recently healed ankle it would be far more sensible to buy something made.
 
LadySam said:
This is the kind of experience I'd like. Something where the horse and I learn things from each other, rather than it being more of a one-way thing.
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They've got to the point now where she is improving his way of going, and he is developing more muscle and carrying himself better - just because he knows all the party tricks doesn't mean that he is perfect!
 
Auslander said:
I did (for a pound), but My God has he cost me ever since! In hindsight, would I get a horse like him again, knowing now what I didn't know back then. Absolutely not.
I wouldn't be without this particular one though!
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I remember him, I think. Knee problem? Went to the wrong person before you?
 
I gave up buying 'made' horses two years ago and decided to go on my own venture of buying at 2.5 untouched and doing all the work myself. I don't regret it one bit. Since I unfortunately don't have bottomless pockets any 'made' horse I got was always talented BUT had some form of quirk. Would jump one day not the next etc and I got sick of the inconsistency. Once they've been through a certain amount of people of all different beliefs they pick up too many bad habits.

I have a 3,4,5 yr old now. The 5 is incredible, the 4 is getting their and the 3 well, he's a bit of a rouge but not a bad horse. I am very much amateur and my 5yr old is jumping age series alongside some of the best 5yr olds in the country so I think you can achieve that without a 'made' horse it depends how hard you want to work. If I had loads of money I would probably buy a grade A up their jumping 1.40-1.50s to give me the experience without having to worry I was hindering the horse too much but I would add this to the string of young horses not replace with it. The chance of me having that money is next to none unless I win the lottery though so will carry on as I am! :)
 
Can I get a half made one?

Something that's done, say, up to Medium, so I can know what it feel like to ride some movements properly before trying to school my uneducated beasts? Sometimes it is the blind leading the blind, so no wonder we get so confused!
 
I would these days, but then I need a safe, sane, sensible horse as I really need to minimise the risk of hitting the deck as I have a slipped vertebrae. I've spent most of the last 10 years on youngsters, or in one case an ex racehorse that needed completely reschooling so now I just want something I can load up, take CR or go do a couple of tests with.
 
ycbm said:
I remember him, I think. Knee problem? Went to the wrong person before you?
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No - suspensory desmitis and spavins, plus behavioural issues (he used to sling people off the second they got on him, and he was meant to be a schoolmaster for previous owners clients to learn the advanced movements on!)
He had a very nice life with both his original owner, and the person I bought him from, but I think he likes his current life best! He's currently awaiting a scan, as he may have done a tendon, which I think is going to be the end of his working life, but he's a great pet, and deserves a happy retirement.
 
Depends what you mean by made. I wouldn't want something super fancy. I've had a lot of different characters over the years. First one was a saint, second was generally OK but would go fully up if scared and would take off occasionally, third was a lazy, spooky IDxTB, fourth was a cheeky young Connie who bronced, then had a Welsh D who I got as a five year old who bucked for England and was a general nightmare for a while (turned out to be my favourite one yet), then bought a five year old sweet little project mare who was lovely but again very green.

I've said before that whatever I got next would be point and go for a nice change, but it would need to have a bit of something about it. I ride a little forward going Cob mare ATM who is so easy it feels weird!
 
Tiarella said:
I went out to buy a ready made horse as I just don't have the time or the will power to train a horse in this stage of my life....so I bought a 4yo Connemara. Thankfully he has read the text book and lived before so it's like riding an established 10 year old!

If I were to buy again I'd still look for an established horse, riding club level as I have no competitive aspirations.
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This! I went looking for a riding club schoolmaster ready to go out and do some fun low level stuff. Came back with the great grey baby horse who couldn't turn right (with me riding anyway). But have had masses of fun learning the basics together albeit we are making glacial progress and my riding holds him back from realising his full potential, not that he cares a jot.

I'd love to have had an established horse, to develop my feel, although at the level I ride it needn't have all the whistles and bells. But they are like hens teeth and not cheap, so I'm content bumbling along 😊
 
spacefaer said:
Just thinking, friend of mine bought a "made" dressage horse - trained to GP, competing inter I. She was riding her own RC type homebreds at the time.

She has had a huge amount of fun over the last 2 years learning how to ride him! He knows his stuff, but is not push button - she's had to learn to push the right buttons.
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My experience is similar, my inter ii lad taught md so so much...they aren't necessarily easy to ride tho!!!
 
amandaco2 said:
My experience is similar, my inter ii lad taught md so so much...they aren't necessarily easy to ride tho!!!
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Mine uses his repertoire of party tricks as an evasion. Quite possibly the funniest Alf related thing I have ever seen was a friend of mine, who is extremely competent, getting stuck in passage. She hadn't asked for it, she wasn't even giving him the correct aid for it. He just decided that that was what he wanted to do, and she couldn't do a thing about it!
 
In my fantasies, where I have unlimited money and time (not to mention some talent) I would love a dressage schoolmaster to have lessons on and learn all the fancy moves. Meanwhile, back in the real world, setting aside constraints of time and money I have to admit I wouldn't be able to ride either side of it. And it would really irritate me to watch the person I would have to pay to school it to keep it supple and responsive achieving seemingly effortless elegance while I couldn't get basic correct work out of it! So I am very happy to stick with what I've got thanks!
 
My idea of "made" is one that's been ridden through the bucking/rearing/tanking off stages so yes, I'd buy one of those again. I'm not too fussed with dressage moves and don't want high mileage on said dressage moves.
 
what do you count as ‘made’ and when do you consider something no longer ‘green’ ?

Im currently having my first experience bring on a young highland and have done so from her being a complete blank canvass, an unhandled hill run pony that bought last year as a just turned 3 year old. Im not the best rider in the world and I suppose I have different reasons from many others looking for a high level competition horse. However it has been one of the best experiences of my life! She hasnt been straight forward to work with, although a lovely temperament she remained very reactive despite months and months of work and even now, ridden away W/T/C if I leave her for a few days she almost goes ‘feral’ again.. panics with the headcollar going over her head even. However, it’s a brilliant thing to have done and ridden wise I love that she is learning MY aids and My style of riding. She managed her first attempt at lateral work this week and turn on the forehand, it was an amazing feeling her to feel her respond and try to do as I asked. All I want is a nice RC level pony that hacks well, to do low level things on and a bit of showing and be a generally nice all round person.
 
i would love to take on totilas, i feel i understand where he is completely, i feel i could let him talk to me and show me what he wants i would love to sit on him and allow him to express his hot brilliance, brings tears to my eyes just thinking about him.

i feel that as i have trained many horses now, it puts me in a better position to buy a made horse ironically, because i would be able to evaluate whether the horse was what i wanted in depth, ie if it is classically trained and truly straight etc. and not just capable of the movements.
 
If you have the skill to bring on a young horse then that's wonderful but frankly I don't so I have always bought something older with some sort of competition record. Mr B had novice evented as a 6 year old and competed up to elementary BD with good scores. He'd been out and about in the world and tbh not a lot fazes him. I'm having so much fun on him, he'd got a FC fairly well established but I'd never done one. We are learning half pass together although most of the lateral work is well established and the quality of his work is improving all the time. He's taught me a good deal and is safe but he's certainly not push button.
 
Well firstly, I'd say that it's not always true that made horses are more than youngsters. P(C)arrot, a three-star horse, was one of the cheapest I viewed when I was looking. Advertised for half the price (literally, half) of some far younger, greener horses.

Secondly, by the time you get to the desired level, it is without a doubt cheaper to do it on a made horse. I was at my desired level (Int) within two months of purchase (having spent two months' running costs). If I'd bought a youngster, I'd have had more like a few years' running costs before I could have gone Int. So financially speaking, I think you get more bang for your buck if you can get straight on and go.

Of course that is only half the story! Other factors include: is the young horse capable of going up the grades; is it going to stay sound; and are you capable of producing it. With a made horse, questions 1 and 2 are answered and the third question is now "are you capable of riding it?". So there is more certainty.

Then the next aspect is very personal and you may only know the answer in hindsight. What do you want? I wasn't totally sure when I got Parrot, but my God, it's by far the best decision that I could possibly have made, by a long way. I've done stuff that I never thought I would do and I have had the time of my absolute life. I owe most of that to my fantastic, super, ready-made horse. This would not have been possible in the time frame with a younger horse and it may not have been possible at all with a younger one, due to the uncertainty I described above. It may be a once in a lifetime experience. So here's to ready made horses!!
 
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I always thought I'd want a ready made horse. But I didn't have the budget so I bought one to bring on. The whole process has been so rewarding. There's a massive sense of achievement in going out, doing well and knowing it is due to your own hard work.

I think next time I'd still choose untapped potential over mileage and experience. However, I don't think I'd start completely from scratch again. A bit of work put in is not a bad thing. I don't think I'd get the same enjoyment and satisfaction out of a completely made horse. But who knows...maybe I would, with the right horse!
 
I do hanker after buying a horse produced by my former boss...I spent the summer having lessons on 2 of his 5 year olds and they were wonderful! I suppose at 5 they aren't fully produced yet, but they'd both been so well started that they were a joy to ride. I think I would, if I ever had the money, buy something like that - professionally started and produced, but not completely "made".
 
Having spent a long lifetime making horses for other people to buy I am now in the strange position of getting the "last" horse, the one that I will ride off into the sunset on, and I don't want to ever again have to do all the firsts - the first backing, first ride, hack, trailer trip, show, etc. So my next/last horse will be well made, by someone who knows what they're doing. I had the enormous privilage of learning from some wonderful schoolmasters when I knew nothing, and there is no finer way of starting a riding life than experiencing how it should be done.
 
ycbm said:
Can you find me one?
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Sadly not - he's probably a one off!

I bought him in conjunction with my mother as a just backed rising 4 yr old, and we sold him aged 13 to my next-door neighbour, and I now teach her on him. When I had him with me to sell, I suggested to her that she had a sit on him, just for fun..... she ended up buying him - all 17hh of him, when she's 5'2 - and she's having an absolute ball!
 
Auslander said:
Mine uses his repertoire of party tricks as an evasion. Quite possibly the funniest Alf related thing I have ever seen was a friend of mine, who is extremely competent, getting stuck in passage. She hadn't asked for it, she wasn't even giving him the correct aid for it. He just decided that that was what he wanted to do, and she couldn't do a thing about it!
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I remember riding Welton Louis when he was at Talland and as an evasion, he would either throw in one time changes, or passage.... and you couldn't stop him at all - you'd be passaging round the arena, getting yelled at by Adam Kemp, and you were a complete passenger!
 
Auslander said:
Mine uses his repertoire of party tricks as an evasion. Quite possibly the funniest Alf related thing I have ever seen was a friend of mine, who is extremely competent, getting stuck in passage. She hadn't asked for it, she wasn't even giving him the correct aid for it. He just decided that that was what he wanted to do, and she couldn't do a thing about it!
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Lmao!
 
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