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I were looking for a potential Novice winner, maybe pop over the Training jump or 3’6’’ gymnastic, low-maintenance, and the beginner-ammy could enjoy, under 40k I would buy a 3/4yo, recently started, U.S. bred connemara. (Actually, I think this could be found for half or a little over, half off that total.) There are some lines that throw hotter types (I think of Grange FInn Sparrow lines, for example) who threw some very athletic prelim+ ponies, that maybe the timid-rider would struggle w/, but a majority of the ones I’ve started, at 30-60 days, the nervous rider can go canter about, hack out, have fun over a course. They have a bit more self-preservation than some other breeds, and I’ve placed a dozen w/ beginner riders who took them on to successful careers. The nice part, was that Yes they needed a professional program to continue to their competition goals, but the ammy could still ride the moment they brought him home. I could safely expect my 3/4yo ponies to go on a hack and bring themselves and their person back home safely. (Both equally important.) At 5+ those same ponies will probably meet/surpass that budget. But, I would think the 3/4yo is still found on a budget.
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Quoting myself to update that I stayed out of his way enough to let him jump double clear — and thereby win a blue ribbon plus a TIP award!
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So I have the 4 year old I talked about above. Had he spent the year and half he lived at home instead out on board I’d STILL be way ahead of what he’d be valued at today and STILL under the 40K original stated budget.
I ALSO have a coming 2 1/2 year old that I’ve been paying board on @ $200 a month (because I opted not have a mare on my place) and I’m STILL in line to have a really nice horse with a significantly greater value than what I have in her.
Sure it is not ideal not to have your own place and raise horses, and 5 years ago I would have agreed with your assessment. But now that I’ve done it? I’ve learned that while there is more risk involved there is also more potential reward. I wouldn’t recommend it for someone without some disposable income they can lose, and I wouldn’t recommend if the goal is ending up with a 20k horse. But it is significantly more doable than I thought it would be 5 years ago and more fun than I imagined.
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Added to that, I think for a lot of people buying a baby means giving up riding for years as affording two horses is out of the question. I tried it - I actually boarded a retiree while baby was growing up. Sadly, baby had major issues and I had to euth at age 7. It was heartbreaking and I didn’t event that entire time as a result.
So, if you can’t afford to own land, can’t afford another horse to ride, and can’t afford the risk of a baby not working out… buy a grown horse ready to ride!
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Sure none of it is “ideal”, neither is spending a year trying to find something in your budget. The reality is you CAN trade “money” for “time” and “risk.” Sounded like some folks here were looking for creative solutions for limited budgets. If you don’t have time and don’t want additional risk, pony up on the budget requirements of the market. The reality is that WAS my shopping experience and the OP asked for it. It’s not for everybody, but it’s for more people than you would think–we all aren’t boarders out here COTH-lindia,
I’m kind of curious, where do you think all the these trained grown horses come from? The current market is the first time I’ve really seen breeders and young horse trainers have an opportunity to make a little money. Event-centric breeders for a long, long time have really struggled and have been supplementing the expenses for the rest of us.
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And my shopping experience was different, and the OP asked for all experiences. I wasn’t saying you were wrong, I was presenting the other side of the coin for those non land-owning, less financially able people, who may be forced to sped a year looking for that one horse if they straight up cannot afford a fancier/older one. IMEX the time and risk seemed worth it to me too - even boarding. But it didn’t pan out because the horse had career ending issues, before the career even started. It sucked, and I’ll never repeat that.
Are you asking me? You seem to be saying I think breeders don’t deserve to get paid for what they do - is that correct? Not at all. In fact, to your point that “breeders for a long, long time have really struggled and have been supplementing the expenses for the rest of us” I think it’s not not realistic long term to fail to turn a profit on your product but that’s obviously not the fault of buyers.
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I just saw P Dutton posting one going Novice for $70k
Crazy prices!
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Is it really? There are really multiple markets that overlap and most of us aren’t in this one.
If it’s a novice horse that has strong upper level potential at 5 there are enough people interested at that price. These days UL horses have to start on that track pretty early. Many upper level riders are thinking if a horse is Novice as 6 year old you’re way behind. A good one once they get there cost something that’s at least a fraction of a million–IF someone will let go of it. So buy at $70K, miss out on a couple upper level years, take some risk…wow it sounds like I’ve heard that before.
Just a guess, but I would think many of the 4-YEH competing at Fair Hill this weekend are in that price range. They probably don’t start any lower than $50K. Mine wouldn’t and he just missed qualifying–but then he grew 3- 4 inches since January so he had a maturity issue he won’t have in 6 months. The 5-YEH? Yep, that sounds about right.
On further thought, Doug Payne after having his only top horse sold out from under early in his UL career has a business model that is a bit unusual for UL riders that some of you might find interesting. Realizing he would always have to rely on someone else to write a check with more zero’s than he ever could he has a different strategy. Each year he buys the very nicest weanling he can. At some point he sells a fraction to help cover on-going costs, but retains all control. The ones that don’t want to event get trained up and sold for good money as something else. So for $10-$15k purchase price, a bunch of sweat equity, time and risk he now has one of the nicest handful of up and coming horses of anyone out there and he’s guaranteed they don’t go anywhere.
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I mean, professionals are having owners buy them horses because they can’t afford them, how can ammies be expected to afford them haha.
I’m not against the prices, I think if people can get it then good for them. I regularly compete against $50-$100k horses. I would love to buy a made quality horse for myself but it’s not an option. I fully support anyone who can afford it and wants to do spend that kind of money, good for them. I would if I could haha
I just think it’s an interesting time. For years eventing was one of the disciplines where the market was never really that crazy, but that seems to be changing.
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There are decent horses out there close to that range. The Laws just posted a confirmed 4* horse with an injury that makes it more suitable for 2* for 50k. That seems like a great horse for the price to me.
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Looked for a horse for my husband (novice rider). Considered two types - schoolmaster or green with brains.
Criteria:
- Sound
- Backed
- Sane
- Husband can ride on day 1
- Will jump up to 1m courses sometime in the future
We looked mostly at fb marketplace and a little bit word of mouth.
Things we were ready to compromise on - some maintenance for an older horse, not perfect training (I have experience with green horses and training up to his goal level), green, not too big (both are under 6’).
Granted we are in ON, Canada but I found there to be quite a lot of options. The market is smaller than the US, but we were done with our search within a month or so.
We were gonna vet another horse (green but started OTTB with a good head on its shoulders), but ended up seeing the mare we bought as recommended by word of mouth.
We bought a 5 yo, pretty color 15’2, sound & sane, lightly started. Mid fours CAD. She’s a German WB cross with excellent hunter-y papers on both sides although the breed mix is a bit unusual. Smart, sound and sane, she went on to her first shows and got in the ribbons about 3 months after we bought her.
Only downside is less than-ideal ground manners and that she’s a pretty rude cribber.
We lucked out because it was a distressed sale by the barn owner who was trying to recover unpaid boarding costs and cared enough about the horse to not give her to someone who didn’t inspire confidence. She was not even listed on any of the typical channels.
Husband can ride her, but it’s not exactly smooth sailing. Very nice little show pony for me though. I think with more miles she will make an excellent husband horse and cart him around the 1m as he intended.
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Yikes. These prices just highlight that I can never afford something “made”.
I think the market is still quite “hot”, especially for the up-and-coming market.
I recently sold a lovely TB, that beat some very expensive horses on the flat for 30… because he didn’t want to go beyond training. He was a total amateur dreamboat (I would call it “boring”), but I had a heck of a time getting people to try him since I guess everyone is heading to preliminary and beyond.
I currently have my UL horse (15 years old) that Is advertised for low 5’s because he has some maintenance and injuries. He does beginner lessons and can bop around training level with his eyes closed… but everyone has been scared of his kissing spine (never been a problem) and suspensory that we rehabbed.
I mostly advertise on social media, and that’s where I’ve had the most luck buying horses for clients too… that don’t have huge budgets. We can find them, but we typically have to accept the horse won’t be absolute perfection… that it may need maintenance, has a thing for ditches, be plain bay (my favorite), and/or not have the most stunning pedigree.
I’m almost a month-in with my new boy! I think I commented October 9, so I was just about to start my own search after selling my young horse and pulling funds together to look for my “first Advanced-Horse”. I would consider myself an “Amateur-professional” Good enough to start my own young-horses horses for clients, less-experience at the upper-levels with one horse.
I have a short blog post about my experience shopping overseas - https://clairecumbee.com/2022/12/03/ireland-in-5-days-well-4-and-change/
The blog post mostly covers the trip in Ireland, but I detailed how much I spent in import costs, etc.
My biggest takeaway whether shopping stateside or overseas, as someone without “clout” or a “reputation” is to use an agent.
I think this gets a bad rapport because you feel that there is a cost initially in what you pay the agent or stories of agents benefitting from both sides. However, I think there is a price you as a “nobody” is going to receive cold-calling trainers and asking for prices, and what you as a buyer telling your agent is the max you can spend and having them call their contacts for potential matches. I did send a few private messages on my own, just cold inquiry, and the prices I received were very high for considerably similar horses that I was shown through my agent.
This was my experience, I felt that rather than convincing sellers to come to me, I had sellers want to sell to me, or the agent I worked through. I also was able to pick through a handful of options rather than feel the need to settle on one in addition, my agent knew more about my history and which horses would suit my type of ride and needs.
Very happy customer. I’ve been with my coach going on seven years, she helped me secure my first horse for free, who took me to my first intermediate, and now my second horse, I’m just pinching myself he’s in my stall.
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I also have two thoughts from my experience and from selling a few ponies for breeders.
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I don’t discredit the process above at all. It’s very expensive to produce horses and we all want as much as we can for our ponies to fund this venture. I know what the market is selling horses at. If I don’t know who you are, calling me about a horse, I’m going to give you what I know the market is fair to sell my horse at. If my horse has been sitting a few weeks, and someone who repeteadedly gives me business, might come back, I am much more tempted to work with them if I know I can sell my horse to a good home and in a reasonable time frame. (Maybe the first sends an offer, I’d think about, but it’s not the same pull)
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Second, I think I saw more quality horses “per area” than I could here in the States. Young horses who naturally were jumping big fences, one after another. However, were they as “trained” in an american way as horses here? no.(The ones that were, were out of budget and shown to a young rider with double the budget) So, I could see several scenarios where a horse with the quality of UL could be sold to someone without the ability to train them or receive a much greener horse. For me, this was where I was grateful for my coach/agent who helped me narrow which horses I could successfully produce.
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I totally endorse this, but I think some people are really down on draft crosses. (Funny how they become a “WB cross” as soon as they make it into a dealer’s yard.) FWIW my Belgian (cross? maybe? “of unrecorded breeding” as they say, I was buying on conformation and performance) was a lightly worked broodmare, is super-sane, spent this past summer foxhunting, is a surprisingly fancy mover, and had a four-digit pricetag.
To answer the original questions, I had been looking (North America and a few in Europe) for a sane ride big enough for me, athletic enough to event, and decently sure-footed. Pretty much everything else was negotiable. I have lots of practice taking ex-plow types and teaching them the finer points of riding, so being a little raw on that front was fine, but I’m trying to avoid horses that put me in the dirt on a regular basis at this point in life. Genetically she’s 50/50 on PSSM type 1 genes which isn’t ideal, but I know and trust the person who was hunting her over the summer and there have been no signs of an active problem.
As for surprises I was surprised by how much softer the market got over the summer, and even moreso recently. (I’m also occasionally surprised at how large my horse is, but now that I’m getting used to her I am instead surprised by how small other horses are!)
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I was just thinking about this thread the other day and figured I’d bump it now that I have my own datapoint to add! I brought home my new horse last month after about 2 months of casual shopping. My budget was around $20k and I was pleasantly surprised by how much buying power that gave me. I saw options that ran the gamut from green but well-started through to the upper-level horse stepping down to training level with some maintenance. There definitely seemed to be options to suit pretty much anyone’s needs in that price range without having to make huge compromises. Horses didn’t seem to be selling as fast as they were last year which took some of the pressure off. I did feel like prices were much more way more varied than they should be - it seemed like there were still several people demanding COVID-era prices that just didn’t match what the rest of the market was doing, and there were enough similar horses at more reasonable prices that the outliers really stuck out.
I had originally planned on looking for a packer type but that was veto-ed by my trainer, who thought I was majorly underselling my riding ability and would get more value out of something younger, both in terms of $$$ and learning opporunities. He was right (which is why I keep him around!) and I wound up with an awesome 7yo who’s green but has a good brain, solid basics, and scope to take me up to at least training level if not higher. I’m already having so much fun with him and I really like the idea that we (fingers crossed!) have a long partnership ahead of us.
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I just bought a 9 year old OTTB mare that ws 5 years off the track. Restarted, RRP grad, but still green to the job for $20K.
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I had an idea that I wanted a particular WB breed, that I could not afford as an already made horse. So while my two older horses were still rideable, i bought a foal. I won’t go into the specifics of her breeding here, but it’s quite impressive on both sides. She could be an eventer, show jumper, or DQ. I’m going to wait and see how she develops. Since I bought her, one of my older horses passed. The other is 18 and going strong. If he passes before my yearling is rideable, I will lease something else. At my age, she will be my last horse. She was not cheap, but I know I got a great deal. Her sister sold 8:hours after the ad was posted for 25% more than I paid a couple of weeks ago. I knew I wanted a WB foal, but I wasn’t expecting to buy something so soon. The opportunity presented itself, I have no regrets.
She’s really a sweet little dream girl. I work with her every day, and am enjoying it so much. I am extremely fortunate to have a trainer who breeds, trains, develops young horses, and competes in more than one discipline.
Sorry, no detail on breeding or price.
Love reading other stories. Just wanted to add the perspective of buying a foal. Certainly not for everyone.
Edited for many typos…
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