It wasn’t so much that he was unrideable (my previous horse). We got around and consistently had decent ribbons, but it just wasn’t fun past the fifth horse show at 3’0”. At home, he was a perfect angel, but at the shows went kinda like a huntery freight truck. He was great for schooling in the ring, the warm up, and the flat, but o/f, I was doing 90% of the work just to get around. Since the behavior wasn’t exhibited anywhere else but the show ring, it was impossible for me to envision correcting it without showing more, which wasn’t possible due to my time constraints. While I could have invested in some pro-only shows, it ultimately didn’t make sense given that I wanted to switch rings anyway. He also did not do well with too much riding before showing (veryyy lazy). ETA this is my exact concern with horse #1, however I feel like he is overall better minded than my previous horse. For context, my last horse did exhibit this exact behavior in my initial trial when he was 5.
Say what? Leasing, the owner can call the shots, it remains their horse. But once you sell and officially turn over ownership, it belongs to the buyer, not the seller.
Heard of some usually young, inexperienced sellers trying to keep control of a horse after it was sold using complicated sales contracts but generally nobody buys the horse to avoid that kind of nasty mess. Or said owner is a minor and parent(s) are the actual sellers and sell the horse with no such conditions regardless of barn gossip.
That, the seller won’t keep the horse “forever” herself, but expect the buyer to?
Some kind of twisted logic that, alternate realities for her and the rest of the world?
if seller wants that kind of control, she needs to lease him only, not sell with controlling strings attached she herself is not willing to live by. 
Not only the height, but the width of the jumps is a huge factor. 1.10m jumps look massive. As a jumper who showed a hunter this past summer, I could step into the show ring on an unfamiliar horse because the 3’ looked tiny compared to the jumpers.
Personally…I’d go with #1. But I don’t know you or that horse. But a horse you actually enjoy riding is important, and growing with a horse is so rewarding and will likely show in your partnership. It’s so special. I did that - bought a 6 year old sight unseen, took her from doing the 1m in Europe to the 1.10 ammys successfully here in the US. Going on 7 years and she’s my heart horse.
There’s also nothing wrong with going the schoolmaster route. A couple factors to consider are maintenance on a horse with more miles, any bad habits, etc. but a lot of upside to their experience, too.
Sounds like you have some good options! Good luck, and keep us updated!
I would say 1, because I did buy exactly what you’re describing as #1. But it depends on your confidence as a rider and your access to a good program/trainer.
This is the most bizarre thing - I would never sign a sales contract demanding I cannot sell or lease the horse outside of X barn. That means YOU can’t leave X barn, too? Yeah, wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot pole. Right of first refusal is one thing, but that sort of restrictive language in a sales contract is unheard of.
In that case, I’d keep looking. Neither of the 2 younger horses sound like good candidates to be 1.10m horses for you that can dabble in derbies on the timeline you want, especially #2 with the swap. Keep in mind, the classics for adults are 1.15m, so, you need something with enough scope. I would lease something for now and keep looking. Especially while you’re in school and young!
There are sometimes 1.10 open classics (stinks for points, but at least it’s an option). There may also be a 1.05 adult classic and I’d have to read the prize list, but you should be able to cross enter? I’ve always just done the 1.10 open classic.
Or just show the rest of the week and skip classic day. When you’re ready to move up, I’d do a 1.15 “clear round” since those courses typically are really simple.
Ah, we don’t have those in my zone! It’s the 1.05 for the lows, or the 1.15 for the highs - but yes - you can definitely cross enter in my zone. Regardless, the 1.05m definitely rides bigger than a 3’ hunter class in my experience! Hence why I’d want the schoolmaster (signed, a true nervous amateur). 
I also bought option 1. (Husband steered me away from essentially option 3- except I loved the ride of option 3 but knew with a trainer’s help, I could make that horse over a few years.)
We’ve had our ups and a lot of downs (mostly downs) over the last year, but I enjoy him and am happy with my decision 95% of the time.
I’ll take the horse with the best brain every single time, (almost) regardless of age.
I agree that youngsters often start to get a sense of self in their 5-6yo years, but I’ve had a number of them that may have pushed the limits (gotten a little strong, tried to blow me off more), but when the starting point was “the best brain”, were still easier than 95% of horses out there through their worst time.
If you’re comfortable developing a horse and enjoy that process, then that would be my vote.
But it really depends on your short term goals. If you want to step up short term then the BTDT horse is a great way to do it. But agree with others that I would be hesitant to buy from someone looking to retain control of the horse after the fact. Doesn’t matter if it’s fully enforceable legally (most things aren’t post-sale), it can still cause a giant headache along the way.
Doesn’t help that I’m an American who often goes to Thunderbird (Canada) with even more variation. I just looked at the Thermal prize list and that’s where I saw the 1.05m adult classic. I’d have to read about cross entering, but I’d think it would be allowed? At least there are plenty of options in the jumpers!
If you HAVE to pick one, my vote is for #1, but to be clear I bought a baby when he was a few weeks old 3 years ago! It’s been so so much fun developing him, doing the YHS series stuff with him and watching him progress. He’s doing SO WELL now, and is about to have a few months off for the winter to just grow and chill. I can not wait to start him back up in the spring, as he’ll be 4 this summer and getting to ride him more is so, so exciting! I also have him in a fabulous young horse program with a fantastic young horse trainer, so have all the support I need with a baby. If you do not, or don’t want to wait/don’t really enjoy the young horse process, I wouldn’t buy any of the horses you listed.
You can cross enter between the regular 1-1.05 m and 1.1-1.15 m adults. I have seen cross entry restrictions between classics but not at Thermal IIRC.
Thanks! I’m glad it is that way, for horse & rider! My horse has fluctuated with soundness and we are in that range. Plus classic day is usually a little test, so moving down on classic day when trying to work back up in height is a nice option. Appreciate you looking up what I was too lazy to!
Didn’t actually look up. Just off memory since I do the meter adults. At Thermal when they run the meter open and non-pros back to back with the 1-1.05 juniors and amateurs they often don’t adjust any of the heights so the jr/am runs at a meter. But they will put up at least some for the classics.
Also the show office at Thermal told me that you no longer have to show in a class in the division or do a timer walk to do the classic, but I’d check that.
Ah got it…I spent the summer in hunterland on a sales horse and didn’t even need to think about all of this.
Maybe I’ll see you down there during DC!
I’ll be there 3 and 7 for sure (or as sure as you can be with horses) and maybe 10. At the moment the schedule has us exiled in the FEI schooling ring all three of those weeks so I’ll see how I feel about that after 3.
Usually in zone 10 you can cross enter to one adjacent division with the jr/am divisions. The non-pros that they run at Thermal have no cross-entry restrictions.
If I had to pick for you, I’d ask the owner about leasing #3 for a couple years until you figure out after college and not tied down.
Horses are important but building a good career to afford horses is even more important.
Well, ultimately it comes down to what your heart really wants to do.
Personally, I’d go for number 1, because I’ve never been all that into showing (and have never been able to afford a lot of showing), and I highly enjoy training youngsters.
Number 2 is a better choice if you want to go right into the show ring, but only if you’d definitely be 100% happy only being competitive in the jumpers if the swapping ends up not being “fixable.”
Number 3 could your best choice for the show ring, but that would depend on the reasons why it’s your least favorite ride.
Additionally - information about the seller trying to restrict what you can and cannot do with a horse after you buy it. I don’t agree to such things. But if you’re okay with that restriction, then NBD for you.
If you don’t want to risk not being able to fix swapping, you want the choice to sell again in the future, and you want in the show ring ASAP, none of these are good options and you should keep looking.
