WelshD
Well-Known Member
It happens a lot here too, lots of top flight show horses and even ponies have owners like this, They do usually take a keen interest though
Wow! Things are VERY different in the US!
- Thread starter Leo Walker
- Start date
It happens a lot here too, lots of top flight show horses and even ponies have owners like this, They do usually take a keen interest though
Leo Walker
Well-Known Member
Thats a very fair point! I worked on an absolutely top class show yard for a year and we never ever saw the owners, and some of the bills for more than one horse were topping 5k. So not so different after all it seems :lol: But still not for me, and only a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage of people owning/riding that way, whereas in the US it seems to be much more common going by the replies on that thread!
sasquatch
Well-Known Member
Oh, I definitely have seen that side but not the same way in the UK - I have come across someone on another forum who's trainer had recommended they (a novice handler/rider) bought a horse for 30K that was a champion show horse. The trainer then told the novice they would ride/show the horse for them as long as horse was kept at their barn, and they allowed trainers children to compete said horse. The novice owner went to shows, paid for trainer to ride etc, had not sat on this horse once in 6 months of owning it, despite having bought the horse to learn more from and to start to compete with as trainer recommended it was a schoolmaster and a known champion/well placed horse in the circuit they were in.
I don't think it happens to quite the same extent in the UK, it seems to be more there are people who buy with the purpose of letting someone else ride and produce the horse but they can enjoy the other parts of ownership or someone will buy a horse, send them to a trainer/producer then take them back and sell on/ride themselves rather than buy a horse who is considered 'finished' on trainers recommendations as a horse to learn with and ride and compete themselves, yet not actually be allowed to ride their own horse as trainer/trainers children were riding and competing the horse!
I know if an instructor told me to buy a horse and then not let me ride it I'd be telling them to shove it! I know cases like above are probably in the minority, but it was a bit of a shock to see other people on the forum say the trainer wasn't doing anything unusual and owner was wrong to even think about questioning trainer!
atropa
Well-Known Member
I very sincerely hope that UK equestrian life doeant end up with this as the norm, at least not in my lifetime. If it does I'll just have to be the weird, poor exception to the norm!
Sussexbythesea
Well-Known Member
My sister lives in Virginia and nearly all the people I've met over the last 35 years of her living there are regular riders with regular horses keeping them at normal barns. They don't often do DIY because of working full time and the large travelling distances involved for most of them.
My sister mainly competed in Dressage and again because of distances involved a lot of Recognized dressage shows are stay overs running for several days of which I've gone to a few with her. Local schooling shows are often very low-key much lower than unaffiliated here and you don't even plait or wear show clothes to some of them. Hunter-jumpers and showing generally I believe is a whole other world.
I don't think it will be like the USA here anytime soon as our culture is so different both in and out of the horse world.
My sister mainly competed in Dressage and again because of distances involved a lot of Recognized dressage shows are stay overs running for several days of which I've gone to a few with her. Local schooling shows are often very low-key much lower than unaffiliated here and you don't even plait or wear show clothes to some of them. Hunter-jumpers and showing generally I believe is a whole other world.
I don't think it will be like the USA here anytime soon as our culture is so different both in and out of the horse world.
mytwofriends
Well-Known Member
We lived in the States for more than 10 years, and my daughters rode at a lovely low key family owned hunter/jumper barn. Yes, it was more expensive than over here, but nothing like the astronomical figures seen in New York/New Jersey.
There is a form of pony club too, however, which is much more like over here if you so choose. Way more affordable.
It was a wonderful experience for my kids. We were in New England where the weather is extreme. Mosquitos and heat with horrendous humidity in the summer, and potentially 6 months of sub zero temperatures, often with snow, in the winter. DIY would have been hideous so my choice was not to. The choice was there though.
Yes, good horses and ponies were mega bucks, and due to the nature of showing in the "hunters" at a top rated (A or AA) competition, that's what was required. But there were plenty of lesser rated shows too and cheaper horses would be perfect for them.
We owned an OK pony, who won or bombed depending on his mood on the day, and leased (per show) a swanky little pony who'd been on the circuit for years. She won a lot but hit a brick wall when coming up against the megabucks brigade (kids of movie and rock stars and owners of hotel chains for example!) They had strings of ponies.
But without the chance to lease, the vast majority of people wouldn't get a chance to dip a toe into this fantasy world. We did not have megabucks, so it worked well for us. It was amazing fun and our trainer is still a family friend now. My girls are beautiful riders and they have a skill for life.
As for braiding, I've had horses for decades and there's no way in a million years I could braid to the required standard. They were uber precision so a pro braider was the only choice for certain shows. Again, the choice was there for pony club type shows too, and my ugly braids would have been fine for those.
So yes, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but what is? Just different that's all. The horse I have now cost next to nothing and I keep him (apart from his meds) for next to nothing. Polar opposite, but equally as much fun.
Don't judge!
There is a form of pony club too, however, which is much more like over here if you so choose. Way more affordable.
It was a wonderful experience for my kids. We were in New England where the weather is extreme. Mosquitos and heat with horrendous humidity in the summer, and potentially 6 months of sub zero temperatures, often with snow, in the winter. DIY would have been hideous so my choice was not to. The choice was there though.
Yes, good horses and ponies were mega bucks, and due to the nature of showing in the "hunters" at a top rated (A or AA) competition, that's what was required. But there were plenty of lesser rated shows too and cheaper horses would be perfect for them.
We owned an OK pony, who won or bombed depending on his mood on the day, and leased (per show) a swanky little pony who'd been on the circuit for years. She won a lot but hit a brick wall when coming up against the megabucks brigade (kids of movie and rock stars and owners of hotel chains for example!) They had strings of ponies.
But without the chance to lease, the vast majority of people wouldn't get a chance to dip a toe into this fantasy world. We did not have megabucks, so it worked well for us. It was amazing fun and our trainer is still a family friend now. My girls are beautiful riders and they have a skill for life.
As for braiding, I've had horses for decades and there's no way in a million years I could braid to the required standard. They were uber precision so a pro braider was the only choice for certain shows. Again, the choice was there for pony club type shows too, and my ugly braids would have been fine for those.
So yes, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but what is? Just different that's all. The horse I have now cost next to nothing and I keep him (apart from his meds) for next to nothing. Polar opposite, but equally as much fun.
Don't judge!
AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
The horse in the picture was sold, by a top end dealer, in 2003 to an American client for £150,000 as a 'Hunter Jumper' show horse. At the time he was 9 years old, schooled to medium and jumping foxhunter in the South East of England.
In the period of time it took to arrange shipping he injured himself cosmetically and the sale fell through. I bought him as a dressage schoolmaster in 2004 for £8,500. I would think the dealer still has nightmares about the amount of money he lost from a few scratches.
The horse is 23 now and retired, occasionally I will use him to show a young rider half pass etc. His temperament is such that he can be ridden once a year and remain a gentleman.
The American client missed a trick, because all that was needed to cover his blemish was a little waterproof mascara and he went on to give me the best years of my horse owning life.
I had never heard of the hunter/jumper scene until being told and then reading about it, and it really is rather amazing. Only in America I guess ! The horse would have hated it, he has had a far nicer life with me and remains king of his castle and much loved.
In the period of time it took to arrange shipping he injured himself cosmetically and the sale fell through. I bought him as a dressage schoolmaster in 2004 for £8,500. I would think the dealer still has nightmares about the amount of money he lost from a few scratches.
The horse is 23 now and retired, occasionally I will use him to show a young rider half pass etc. His temperament is such that he can be ridden once a year and remain a gentleman.
The American client missed a trick, because all that was needed to cover his blemish was a little waterproof mascara and he went on to give me the best years of my horse owning life.
I had never heard of the hunter/jumper scene until being told and then reading about it, and it really is rather amazing. Only in America I guess ! The horse would have hated it, he has had a far nicer life with me and remains king of his castle and much loved.
Luci07
Well-Known Member
All I have seen with regards to the US and horses is how much the horses are. I often see on eventing pages an OTTB priced at $10,000 with a lot of potential. No training, just stopped racing and perhaps had a 3 week break. Am I missing something? Because I would assume there are just as many ex racehorses needing new careers in the US as there is over here.
exracehorse
Well-Known Member
Such an interesting thread
sweet lemon
New User
Probably about 15 years ago, in a quiet part of Canada away from the huge show circuits, I went horse-searching with a friend on behalf of our trainer. She wanted a sound, sane, schooled gelding that could jump around a 3' course. We couldn't find that for her $6000 budget. Well-bred weanlings go for $10,000 in that same area. For a finished horse that can place in hunters at the affiliated shows, you are absolutely looking at high five figures as a minimum; for the top shows on the big circuits, it's a six-figure price tag. When you're paying that much for a competitive amateur horse, the cost of braiding is hardly a burden!
And yeah, North Americans adore coloured cobs, which seem all romantic and magical over there. Makes me giggle now that I know how common they are here!
And yeah, North Americans adore coloured cobs, which seem all romantic and magical over there. Makes me giggle now that I know how common they are here!
BBP
Well-Known Member
I spent 3 years of my childhood riding hunter jumpers and we had the best time as kids. The 'local' show was over 3 hours away, and we would travel interstate to show a lot. My trainer or one of the other riders did all the plaiting, it was real precision stuff. We would camp there, sleeping in stables and bbq'ing every night, it was a fantastic way to grow up. If I'd known how much it cost my parents I might not have enjoyed it so much!
At 19 I moved back from UK to Canada and got a job as a groom for a hunter owner. He was a super rich guy who spent over $100,000 on each and every horse for his daughter, we had 11 horses, all imported from Europe. The last horse he bought whilst I was there cost him £250,000 for a 4' hunter (as in the jumps in the hunter class were 4' and you wanted a horse that would hack round in a nice even rhythm without ever breaking stride and making any rider look like a star, these are big money horses). It was a bit of a shock. These horses were turned out daily but into outdoor yards the size of maybe 4 stables, a couple got aced every time they were ridden. We did an 8 week show circuit winter series in Indio California and the number of horses you saw getting injected with various things over night was crazy. Braided would work overnight and sleep through the day and could earn. My friend braided around 15 horses a night at around $100 per horse (mane and tail/fake tail) and had no fingerprints as the friction removed all her skin. My trainer would show most of the horses when my boss's daughter was at school in the week but he wouldn't get on any of them til they had been ridden for at least an hour each in trot. If they so much as put a foot out of line he would jump off, throw the reins at me and make me trot them some more. I rode one lovely mare for nearly 2 hours before he would get on, just because she had an amazing engine and never tired, he was scared she would make him look bad. My boss's daughter would fly from Canada to south cal every weekend, ride and head home. She was a lovely girl and always wanted to help but often the trainer or her dad wouldn't let her. On the last day of the show her dad told her he wasn't paying to ship all the horses back to Canada and that he was selling them, even her favourite horse and best friend, who was a very troubled, unsound horse who needed understanding and excellent management. He sent 2 back up to Canada with her and the other 9 all stayed down with me in California after the show til they were all sold. It broke his daughters heart, and mine.
At 19 I moved back from UK to Canada and got a job as a groom for a hunter owner. He was a super rich guy who spent over $100,000 on each and every horse for his daughter, we had 11 horses, all imported from Europe. The last horse he bought whilst I was there cost him £250,000 for a 4' hunter (as in the jumps in the hunter class were 4' and you wanted a horse that would hack round in a nice even rhythm without ever breaking stride and making any rider look like a star, these are big money horses). It was a bit of a shock. These horses were turned out daily but into outdoor yards the size of maybe 4 stables, a couple got aced every time they were ridden. We did an 8 week show circuit winter series in Indio California and the number of horses you saw getting injected with various things over night was crazy. Braided would work overnight and sleep through the day and could earn. My friend braided around 15 horses a night at around $100 per horse (mane and tail/fake tail) and had no fingerprints as the friction removed all her skin. My trainer would show most of the horses when my boss's daughter was at school in the week but he wouldn't get on any of them til they had been ridden for at least an hour each in trot. If they so much as put a foot out of line he would jump off, throw the reins at me and make me trot them some more. I rode one lovely mare for nearly 2 hours before he would get on, just because she had an amazing engine and never tired, he was scared she would make him look bad. My boss's daughter would fly from Canada to south cal every weekend, ride and head home. She was a lovely girl and always wanted to help but often the trainer or her dad wouldn't let her. On the last day of the show her dad told her he wasn't paying to ship all the horses back to Canada and that he was selling them, even her favourite horse and best friend, who was a very troubled, unsound horse who needed understanding and excellent management. He sent 2 back up to Canada with her and the other 9 all stayed down with me in California after the show til they were all sold. It broke his daughters heart, and mine.