I haven’t read your previous posts or seen your video, so I won’t comment on your chances of retraining this horse, but focus on the horse itself.
This horse looks to be appropriately priced for its size, breed, sex, and ability. No amount of retraining will change those. Being more rideable might increase your market, but probably not the selling price. I don’t see any way you could make a profit on this game little jumper.
Now that I have seen the ad, I don’t even think the horse is a steal. It’s price for what it is… and it it what it is. A lowish level turn and burn kinda smallish beginner jumper horse with not enough good basics to double in the eq and not a starter jumper either. I would not buy this as a resale prospect even if I had a large budget for retraining/showing. It’s never going to significantly increase the value so as to be worth the investment.
[QUOTE=Stoney447;7447159]
Pretty positive the horse in that video is a mare, and the show record seems to be 1.0 meter and below. Not to say that she cannot go higher though…
Also, I would not say that the price seems to place her in a great resale range.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it’s a mare…I was just trying to be incognito and keep from offending anyone who knew her!
[QUOTE=bugsynskeeter;7447263]
Based on your previous posts, you will be way over-horsed with this one.
And I thought Conyers was too expensive to show at last time I suggested it?[/QUOTE]
It is, but the expense to show has nothing to do with the sale market there.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447462]
Yes, it’s a mare…I was just trying to be incognito and keep from offending anyone who knew her![/QUOTE]
Unfortunately (for us mare lovers), gender often plays into resale value for this type of mount.
[QUOTE=hj0519;7447395]
I’m going to agree that this probably isn’t the right resale project for you. You consider yourself a novice hunter/jumper rider and, I believe (correct me if I’m wrong), currently show your horse in 2’3-2’6 classes and don’t have a desire to go higher than 3’ (per one of your other threads). If all that is true, I don’t think a 3’6-4’ jumper is really the right horse for you.
I also agree with alibi_18 last question for you - ask yourself why you think you’re going to be more successful with this resale project than his current rider, who sounds to be a more experienced jumper than you.[/QUOTE]
IMO, this horse could be more valuable with the ability to be soft and supple. Or is her way of going typical of jumpers? Yes, she probably would be too much horse for me, and I get that. Just a thought!
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447473]
IMO, this horse could be more valuable with the ability to be soft and supple. Or is her way of going typical of jumpers? Yes, she probably would be too much horse for me, and I get that. Just a thought![/QUOTE]
She’s also quite small. Reselling one that size is difficult. I wouldn’t look at her as a resale.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447463]
It is, but the expense to show has nothing to do with the sale market there.[/QUOTE]
If you can’t afford to show her there, then it doesn’t matter what the sale market is like there. If I’m looking to buy a horse than can show at Conyers, I want to see it shown at Conyers or someplace that would be the same quality. IMHO.
Just to clarify-
No, there aren’t many jumper shows AT ALL near me, but, when I move out next fall for school, I will be in Auburn- big hunter jumper area. I don’t absolutely need to resell, and actually I would like something permanent for the jumpers and be able to focus on reining and dressage (67% in Training Level Test 2 this weekend!) with my gelding.
Perhaps a 14.1 hand green(isn) pony jumper with potential would be the project for me 
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447473]
IMO, this horse could be more valuable with the ability to be soft and supple. Or is her way of going typical of jumpers? Yes, she probably would be too much horse for me, and I get that. Just a thought![/QUOTE]
To be honest, I do not know if her way of going on the flat will affect her price very much. The reason that she would not be a resale candidate for me is that judging from the video and the pictures, and also due to her size, it would be too big of a gamble ability-wise. I could be wrong since I have not seen her in person, but I think she would be scoped-out beyond the Child/Adult jumpers…and I think she is already priced competitively for that market keeping in mind her size, her sex, and her breed and also considering her potential limitations on moving up from there.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447473]
IMO, this horse could be more valuable with the ability to be soft and supple. Or is her way of going typical of jumpers? Yes, she probably would be too much horse for me, and I get that. Just a thought![/QUOTE]
The problem is that you can not be sure you will get her soft and supple. Some horses just are not…and even with a TON of flat work…revert to stiff speed demons when jumping.
Absolutely horses can often be improved with good flat work…but to improve a horse over fences…I think it takes a rider skilled with BOTH flat work and jumping.
So no…I personally wouldn’t take on a retraining project for a more novice over fences rider…even if you could improve her flat work some.
And hands down…fixing and retraining is a lot harder than just starting with a blank slate or even restarting something just off the track.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447486]
Perhaps a 14.1 hand green(isn) pony jumper with potential would be the project for me :)[/QUOTE]
The market for even winning experienced pony jumpers is tiny. Probably a good idea to go to some shows when you get to college and get a first-hand look at the competition. You need a good reference point for what is marketable if you want to try your hand at resale projects.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447486]
Just to clarify-
No, there aren’t many jumper shows AT ALL near me, but, when I move out next fall for school, I will be in Auburn- big hunter jumper area. I don’t absolutely need to resell, and actually I would like something permanent for the jumpers and be able to focus on reining and dressage (67% in Training Level Test 2 this weekend!) with my gelding.
Perhaps a 14.1 hand green(isn) pony jumper with potential would be the project for me :)[/QUOTE]
It would surprise me if, in college, you find yourself with both the time AND the money to make up a resale horse like this (or even just make her up to be your own show horse). Maybe go to college first and see how things go before you decide to add a complication?
Thanks to everyone who replied, and you were all very kind!
You all have good common sense and gave unbiased, solid advice- exactly what I needed. She is too much horse for me and this is mostly just me wondering and mentally meandering.
This is WAYY off topic- but I and a friend are potentially heading to Ocala (Salt Water Stables) to check out a horse for her over spring break. Any other barns worth visiting where I could find either a green, willing hunter pony or a large quiet schoolmaster? There are a million barns there and I’d love some advice on where to go!
[QUOTE=vxf111;7447507]
It would surprise me if, in college, you find yourself with both the time AND the money to make up a resale horse like this (or even just make her up to be your own show horse). Maybe go to college first and see how things go before you decide to add a complication?[/QUOTE]
Yeah…I don’t think she’s the horse for me either. And I accept that. Since my parents are not paying a dime for tuition (full scholarship), they have agreed to pay for board and showing with the barn of my choice in college. So one horse is coming with me to school; the question becomes if it should be my current gelding or something with higher jumping ability. I feel that when I get on a regular lesson schedule, I will advance a lot quicker than I am now with maybe 1 lesson a month. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a resale- a keeper would be fine with me too.
I would wait at least a semester after you have been there before bringing a horse with you. Get the feel of college before trying to add too much at once.
I’m just saying-- go to school and settle in and see how things are before you add a complication. You may find that without a job and having to spend a lot of time studying you have less free time/disposible income than you do now. Also, my guess is that all horse-related costs will be MORE expensive in Auburn than where you are now. Board, shoeing, lessons, shows, etc. If you get a part time job it will cut into both your study time and riding time.
I rode in college (IHSA) but I would not have had the money or TIME to show or make up a green horse. I was either in class, studying, or doing my primary extra curricular activity from 8am until dinner time virtually every day (and I am a gunner and very efficient). By the time I got dinner in the dining hall and then changed clothes, got the car, and got out to the barn-- it was getting dark. I had time for a hack-- but I wouldn’t have had time to be TRAINING a horse. Every weekend I was either at an IHSA show or a debate competition. Showing would have been out of the question. AND… where would the money have come from? If I would have gotten a part time job, the riding time would have been eaten up by that. I’m just suggesting you spend a semester at school, settling in and seeing how the routine works before assuming you will have time for a show horse.
To go with what everyone has said about College, time, money, etc. You will learn new aspects about yourself. Things you didn’t know you liked or that you might really not care for something else after all. Tie that in to riding, you will get a chance to ride many different horses. Enjoy that experience and learn what you are looking for in a new mount. If you go horse shopping with your friend, looking for THIS or THAT. You will likely end up with something you hadn’t intended or might get talked into. Know what you want before you get a horse or you are setting yourself up for some heartache and trouble. Just a suggestion…
IME - college students who can ride at a decent level and who are willing, will have plenty of horses to work with. I could use one right now to help out with Horse#2.
I agree with others, wait until your in college, know the ropes a bit (how much will you need to study, how much time will you really WANT to ride, etc) before tying yourself down to a project.
[QUOTE=chestnuthunter;7447473]
IMO, this horse could be more valuable with the ability to be soft and supple. Or is her way of going typical of jumpers? Yes, she probably would be too much horse for me, and I get that. Just a thought![/QUOTE]
For the sake of discussion, I agree the horse could probably use flatwork and that every horse benefits from a solid dressage foundation, but that alone will not make a horse more valuable. In addition to the immense amount of work that would have to be done retraining, the horse would also need to be competed at the top level it was capable of/ready for, and that is out of your ability range at this time. That’s something for you to think about for the future if you decide to take on a resale project: taking a 3’6"+ horse and putting some flat work on it, then showing it at 2’ does not make it more valuable. That might look at a huge red flag to some potential buyers, because if it’s capable of 4’, why is it only jumping 2’? That alone might even scare people off or decrease the horse’s value if they don’t stick around long enough or you to explain it.
I agree with others that you should go off to college and get settled before you contemplate taking on more activities/responsibilities. College can be so, so fun and you can have some really great experiences if you allow yourself the opportunity. Don’t take on too much with the horses that you put your studies or flexibility (because you won’t have a whole lot of that anyway) at risk. Horses will be there in the future, and the more you learn, the more able you’ll be able to take on a resale project in the future, and one that’s better suited to your abilities at that time. I also agree it’s far easier looking at one that’s green and more of a blank slate than one that needs to be undone and then educated again.
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