Sorry the filly didn’t work out. May I suggest a Saddlebred? There are a few places breeding them for sport if you want to google around.
Also, you might want to give Saddlebred Rescue in New Jersey a call. Nealia knows what she’s doing.
You can’t find a prettier, more people loving horse, in my biased opinion 
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I am very glad I did the x-ray. The breeder has been wonderful throughout the whole process. As soon as I send her my bank info, she will refund me,minus the vet expense.
I took one of my dogs to rehab yesterday and her knee has become unstable, so it is a TPLO for her. Definitely lowers my budget to $5 or under.
I am thinking maybe a nice Standardbred? I really want something with good strong hooves this time around, and the ones I have known have had nice hooves. I am open to a saddlebred, Morgan or large mustang if they fit the bill, but I expect the Standardbred to be most affordable perhaps? I do love the Canadian horses I have seen, but don’t want a 2024 foal, and most of the older horses I have seen are out of my price range atm. If I can’t find anything I can wait a while until I have more $$ to spend.
eta A horse that has the potential to compete at 3rd, novice eventing, hunter paces and trail rides is my modified criteria.
Do you have an Amish community nearby? I just bought a spectacular crossbred for very low 4 figures. I had attended a few Amish auctions but referred to buy privately. I was impressed by the quality of what I saw however.
I ended up going to the Amish harness shop and asking for referrals of who might have horses for sale and that’s how I ended up with mine. But believe me, it was a lot of work and driving to the community to talk to them since there are no phones. But it was the best decision I ever made and she is going to be a super nice horse. She is only two and has been driven but hasn’t been in the program enough to have any mental or physical damage. She has a super temperament and gaits.
I am in MA, so no Amish communities near by. I wonder if a road trip is in order. Were you able to do a PPE? I have bought plenty of horses without one but currently have a very low tolerance for risk.
I checked out the saddlebred rescue. I really would like a mare, (and my pony would really like a mare).There are currently no young mares. I may try giving her a call during the week.
This probably isn’t the response you’re looking for, but save for the “high level dressage potential” I just bought a 2 year old TB for well under your budget that checks all these boxes. I do the hunters so it won’t be a perfect comparison but I don’t see a reason why this one couldn’t do the 3’ hunters (which is fairly high level for your average amateur hunter rider) when he’s older.
I also have the $$$$$$ imported warmblood that did show at a high level for years.
The 2 year old TB is AWESOME. I was skeptical looking at tbs in the first place, but even a young warmblood was wayyy out of my budget. There were many TBs I saw that I watched or sat on for a few minutes and did not like because they seemed (to me) the more typical hot TB type. This one I bought is super cool. Total leg ride (spurs and dressage whip) without being super heavy in the mouth. Super quiet and not reactive or spooky about anything so I think he’d be a great type to take XC and do all the fun things. Most importantly though, I’m an amateur and I feel very comfortable up there - which is something I did not expect to find in a 2 coming 3 TB. Same with handling on the ground - he’s sweet and very sensible.
Oh and I think he’s pretty darn attractive! I’ll add a pic of him and my WB for reference 
Baby TB
Dutch WB
I do love a nice TB, your boys are lovely! I bought my current boy as a 3yo, who trained but did not race. He has been one heartache after another and he has typical crappy TB hooves, which seemed very nice until I pulled his shoes. I really want something with a really nice hoof that can be barefoot most of the time. I don’t want to be fighting with long toe/under run heel and thin soles. I know there are probably plenty of TBs with nice hooves, but I am honestly a little soured by my experience the last 4 years. (He has more problems than just his hooves, but it sucks he needs 4 shoes just to stand in the paddock).
pretty much describes a Morgan,
Yes, but a nice Morgan is out of my current price range.
This is my plan when I’m eventually shopping. I figure the Amish that are breeding for the community are breeding for sound and sane which IMO are the most important criteria.
I’m near several Amish communities and have been doing business there for years so I do have some contacts.
Can I ask what state you are in? What is the best way to find a good Amish horse?
eta my trail ride partner has an Amish bred Morgan. He is little though - large pony sized. She got him through a rescue.
I’m in Western NY. I know there are communities in central NY as well.
To find a good Amish horse you could go to their sales or Google Amish communities and visit. Ask around about horses for sale and you will probably get several possibilities.
Interesting. Maybe I will take a road trip. I can’t for a while though, as the dog needs to recover from her surgery first. I am not sure when it will be scheduled for, but hoping the vet can fit her in sometime this month. @NJRider, can I ask where you bought your horse? I will have to see which direction is a shorter drive if I decide to go that route.
Yes, I am fortunate that my vet was able to do a basic PPE since it was only 45 minutes away.
It too a LOT of work and even hand wrote some correspondence to communicate.
When the vet did the PPE, the whole family and little kids lined up to watch fascinated. It was so cute. Even the other horses in the barn watched!
Maybe there, the most recent (2019 and 2022) purchases of Morgan weanlings for us has cost the same as what we paid in 1989. All were high quality stock. None cost more than $3500.
However I do know the bloodlines of the latest two have skyrocketed in a value due to ours having been competed on a national level, they are half brothers. The most recent is now a 15 month old yearling that is nearing 15 h. He has grown proportionally without ever going through growth spurt
Might be a goodtime to send out some inquiries to breeders rather wait for them to list one for sale as they do have stock that they have kept thinking one day they will get around to working with “that one”. Daughter was given one of those after her three year was lost to a pasture accident. The mare is really nicely bred but the trainer never had the time to work with the mare as he was too busy working clients horses. Horse was five, never saddled but within three months won her intro dressage classes at a Class A show. Same mare this year won the mares division of Sport Horse in Hand at Morgan Nationals
Love that face! 
Do you have any suggestions on breeders I may want to contact?
Maybe not! I bought a 2 yo Morgan a few months ago (in Ontario) for under $5K (well under if you consider the exchange rate!) and he’s lovely. He will, however, be smaller than what you are looking for. If you are willing to expand your search to include under 15hh, there are some nice Morgans out there!
IDK, my current ride is a 14.1h registered paint and he is too small.
I would be very very cautious with the Amish horses… having grown up very near Amish country (Lancaster, PA) there is usually a reason they are moving them along. I’m sure there are some nice ones but I am willing to bet a fair amount of them come with significant baggage.
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