WWYD schoolmaster allrounder vs potential dream horse?

Could you get some recommendations for her at all?

Personally in this situation given time to view both I would go for the mare, the idea that you will look to have a family in 3 years will mean that the older horse could be looking at retirement and if your children look to ride then you might be wanting something else to go on rides with them due to his age, in say 10years. However the younger mare in three years could be doing really well and you may then be able to enjoy her if she carries on with another rider but she is there for if you have time to pick it up again. Also in 10years time hopefully she would be nice and quiet for you to ride out with children and she could continue this for a lot longer than the older horse.
 
It doesn't sound like you are excited about the gelding so I wouldn't go for him as I also need to feel excited about my horse. But i also would never go for an unseen horse as the horse could be a great horse but there may not be that magic spark between you. I really believe in that speical soul connection.. There are many out there so keep looking and you will find something that just lights up your heart and makes you feel that excitement (that the mare made you feel) but also that you could view in person. If it's meant to be then the mare will still be there for you to view when you come back! Good luck, such fun times ahead :) x
 
Replying as a mum of two and somebody who has bought unseen .... go for the safe allrounder ... when you have kids most people end up selling anything less than 100% safe ... and then struggle to get back into it. You might strike lucky with the unseen mare but when you have kids you need a horse that can go for weeks without being ridden and still be sane when you get back on. Good luck 😊
 
I'm the kind of person who would take a risk but with this mare there seem to be a lot of unknowns. if you can't get someone else to see her( where is she?) then I don't think I would bother. I would go and look at the gelding and I would also keep looking when I get back. I too have kids and when you do have them your priorities change and you become more risk adversed!
 
I would say no not for a ridden horse and especially if you have plans to have kids in three years time. If so you want to make the next three years whilst you have less commitments the time you compete rather than potentially having to have your trainer school the horse for 6 months and even then it might still not be able to do what you want if it did not have the right temperament. You have got the risk that after 6 months you have to sell and look for another horse and have missed out 6 months of competing and also back to square one with horse hunting again.
 
This may be completely wrong and i might be putting 2 + 2 and getting 6 but the Mare in Suffolk is she called KIERA? :)
 
Last edited:
I was with the mare til you said she is 7. Could be nothing but I find that a little odd that she has done nothing really so far. My gelding is the same age and hasn't done much either but then he refused to work for his old owner. I have yet to have a massive problem with him but was lucky in that respect. And I also tried him a fair few times before he came home with me.

It could be a worthwhile risk but I would try to go and see her.
 
FestiveFuzz said:
Thanks for all your thoughts.

I've spoken to the owner at length but get the feeling they won't hold her for a week as they need her stable and there's unsurprisingly been plenty of interest.

I thought she was cheap for what she is but YO thinks she's not given her size and the fact she's unproven for her age (she's 7yo).

It's so hard to know what to do.
Click to expand...

If something sounds too good to be true it normally is just that. The questions I have are why is she for sale, why is she cheap, why is she unproven, what has she been doing between 4 and 7 and why the need to get her gone asap.

There will be interest in something that seems to be a bargain. Unless you can get someone to try her I personally think it is crazy to buy this type of horse unseen. A foal to 3 year old maybe but not something that is screaming (to me) problems. Have another read of her advert and read what is not mentioned/missed out rather than what is mentioned, you might think differently if you can read the advert differently.
 
For what you are looking for I'm afraid I wouldn't go for the mare. I'm certainly not any kind of expert but for her age I'd have expected her to have done more. I'm always wary of older horses that have done little no matter what the seller says.
 
Think its hard to advise someone else.For me being older and basically a nervous rider the school master would win hands down for me.I can understand that that would not be true of everyone though.
 
AdorableAlice said:
If something sounds too good to be true it normally is just that. The questions I have are why is she for sale, why is she cheap, why is she unproven, what has she been doing between 4 and 7 and why the need to get her gone asap.

There will be interest in something that seems to be a bargain. Unless you can get someone to try her I personally think it is crazy to buy this type of horse unseen. A foal to 3 year old maybe but not something that is screaming (to me) problems. Have another read of her advert and read what is not mentioned/missed out rather than what is mentioned, you might think differently if you can read the advert differently.
Click to expand...

Also OP this "there's been a lot of interest". Classic sales technique. They aren't going to mention any interest has gone nowhere because they want to push you into the purchase quickly.

My friend was buying a car recently. She told me the guy said she had to move fast, there had been a lot of interest.

Her funds temporarily fell through so she stuck to her guns of not buying it/rushing into it and all of a sudden he was "keeping it for her".

She then had the funds and he had sold it. This all took place over a couple of days and she had not asked him to keep it for her.

So while he had no interest and he thought she had money, there was loads of interest. As soon as he knew she could act fast he was keeping it for her and of course as soon as anyone came over with the cash he was not keeping it he was selling it. All sales tactics to try and keep her as a buyer.
 
I haven't read every post but just want to say don't let her breeding be too much of a factor in the purchase. If she's for riding and not a a broodmare then it doesn't matter except as part of future resale value for breeding purposes.

I know Nations Cups show jumping sires that have produced horses that can't jump a cross pole! All that matters is the horse you see standing in front of you, in terms of riding, not what's in her passport.
 
Irish gal said:
I haven't read every post but just want to say don't let her breeding be too much of a factor in the purchase. If she's for riding and not a a broodmare then it doesn't matter except as part of future resale value for breeding purposes.

I know Nations Cups show jumping sires that have produced horses that can't jump a cross pole! All that matters is the horse you see standing in front of you, in terms of riding, not what's in her passport.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. I knew a TB whose grandfather was a son of Mill Reef, and he had the worst front leg conformation I have ever seen - he would never have even begun race training and it was nothing short of miraculous that he was sound.
£3.5K is pretty cheap for a 7 year old anything, far less one with good breeding and "potential". Just because the seller says the owner has had health problems, that doesn't mean to say it is true at all. For all you know she bucked him off and they haven't had the nerve to get back on since. People tell all sorts of variants of the truth when it comes to cold hard cash changing hands. Even £7K wouldn't buy a young dressage horse with a few points on its record these days. If the mare was as good as she is being painted, the owner would have found a way of bringing her on. I would go and see the gelding, if you don't like then keep looking and maybe make a weekend of going to see the mare- but I would take someone with you who can look at her objectively because in your mind you can already see her in your stable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top