I’m so sorry to read this! I have missed if you posted updates, and we all hope you find a good fit!
Sorry Kaya, I’m not trying to respond to you specifically, but the site is making me on my phone…
My mom’s mare would have suited your wishlist except the purpose bred part. I’d suggest throwing that out to focus on the horses in front of you if you want under saddle, or look for babies if you want purpose bred. As everyone noted, the right situation always exists, just not always easy to find!
Bella is now 22, but we got her at 9. She had been a trail horse in the mountains most of her life, but also gave some lessons over crossrails. She is plenty athletic for lower level eventing, and surprised me with her talent for collection when I accidentally taught her piaffe. She had to develop a lot of strength to canter well because her canter has a lot of air time, and she is one who has zero self development of fitness. However, once she was fit enough changes were suddenly easy.
We bought Bella to be Mom’s final trail horse and she was good for that, but she was also super easy to train. She loved to swing through her back once she learned to, because she is motivated by her own wellbeing and swinging simply feels good! So, she never showed dressage - but in the right home she would have easily moved up the levels quite a bit, even if she would have been unlikely to crack 70 with scores.
If you are looking for a horse under 3 I think you can find it - but off the beaten path.
I would definitely look at Morgans. Depending on how far you’re willing to travel I would say there are several sport-bred young horses on the market right now. There are specific facebook groups like Morgan Horses For Sport that might have what you’re looking for.
The horse market has been hot but what I noticed while shopping recently is that horses with some mileage are being snapped up, but the younger horses are sitting.
I just got through the whole thread, and I hope the baby you found works out well! Once it’s all official and you have her there, please update with pics!
i have a $125.00 3yr old BLM mustang that comes with the best overstep i’ve witnessed outside of one molly mule i once met (with verrrrry long pasterns ), He’s equally overstep right and left. He has smarts and curiosity also. He is coming in for training today for month of December, then back out into the herd til Spring. He came in a group of 4 this past January '23 and they are all four really good prospects. The two older ones (6 & 7) will stay in all winter for saddle training. They are nice boys, but the two i’m most excited about are the younger two 3yr olds. (I used COTH in the selection process btw ). If you have patience and perseverance there are some pretty incredible mustangs out there. Both these two boys i’m thrilled about will probably be 16h, or very nearly. I think they have it all.
I’ve known a handful of mustangs. All had great temperaments, most had physical ability, and some were fancy, too. Yours sound like such fun!
So it was a busy weekend with some communication issues - disappearing emails etc, but we finally got a contract signed. Plan on putting a deposit down today, and getting a PPE set up. She is sporty, a nice size, and 1/3 the price of a nice warmblood filly, which DH very much appreciates!
I think I will have a lot of fun with her however far she ends up being able to progress.
Shout out to @suz for helping me find this little gem.
eta Thank you all for your help! The breeder is getting me information on a clinic she can take her to for the PPE, but if anyone knows any great PPE vet near Drummondville Quebec I haven’t set an appointment yet.
I am looking for recommendations for a reputable shipper (Quebec to MA) too.
Congratulations! She is cute, amd I like the mechanics of how the dam uses her hind end, which she seems to have despite hind legs of foals usually looking worse simply because it’s hard to bring stilts under themselves well
I think if I were to re-read the thread, I’d see you raised a foal before, so you’re prepared for some of the stages which happen - the brave, I don’t have to listen to YOU stage is a fun one if they have it… and there are typically some very awkward growth stages. But it’s still fun and worthwhile!
My Tundra was reputed to be Canadian Arab x and was just fantastic. Work ethic, athleticism, size, willingness etc. Just the perfect package in every respect.
Thank you. Yes I have raised several. They definitely go through some interesting stages :-).
Her sire is Papillon, who reminds me of a Freisian. It will be interesting to see who she most closely resembles as an adult. In any case, I will be happy to see her face every morning. As much as I would have loved a nice warmblood foal, I think this was a better way for me to go financially.
Ecclestone has a great reputation. And this time of year they should be travelling to Quebec from Florida and back on a pretty frequent basis. Getting fromQuebec to MA should be pretty straightforward.
Can confirm - I used Ecclestone and was really happy with the communication while my filly was in transit, and the condition she arrived in (she had to overnight at one of their facilities). It was a bit of an aggravation to nail down the schedule but I think that’s pretty typical for horse professions in general and it wasn’t really all their fault as we ran into a federal holiday on one side of the border as well. I would absolutely use them again.
Edited to delete vet report. Thankfully, my vet is working this weekend and read the PPE report on the filly. There is a couple of questions on her neck x-ray, that may or may not cause an issue in the future. She advised me to pass. I will follow her advice, as I have a very low tolerance for risk atm.
I am going to casually look, but unless something nice falls in my lap, I am probably going to wait until spring to really pursue a purchase.
I saw the report before you removed it, and it was a bit concerning, especially if you want to minimize risk.
Having a horse in the winter isn’t the most fun, so if you don’t find one until spring, you’re only missing out on cold, mud, ice, snow and other misery. Unless you live in a climate that is actually pleasant
I’m sorry she didn’t vet well That’s a bummer. I’ll cross my fingers that Spring brings you something that you’re really keen on that ticks the boxes you need!
Thank you both! It really sucks, but I am glad I was able to avoid a potential problem.
I think that’s a wise choice. Given her age, that vet report would concern me.
Oh, bummer! I didn’t see the report, but I do truly love that breed. There is a breeder in VT that seems to have lovely horses if you were interested in going that route. Three Folds Farm.
She recently moved to the former Water Tower Farm in Marshfield. I’m a huge fan of the breed, hard to believe they’re considered rare still.