Horse Shopping Sucks! Part 62748483828

[MadTrotter]

I know, I know…old news and nothing revolutionary happened but I have now found myself literally on the road to look at a horse only to have the agent call and cancel the test ride.

1. I’m pretty sure horse never existed or if it did it was off site. Irish sport horse priced about $7k below what you would expect, but a friend of a friend was the rider in the demo videos so I ignored reason and experience.

Seller kept evading when asked good times to see horse. Finally at 11pm she said horse could be seen 9am the next day. Well ok lady, called her bluff. I was on the road about 15 mins when she texted to say horse had been bought sight unseen. Sure.

2. Cute but unremarkable “American warmblood”. I asked agent if she knew breeding, she was unaware that American warmblood is kinda pointless as a description unless the horse went through inspection and registration. I don’t really care, I was honestly more interested in knowing, hey, this is an appendix, or half Morgan or whatever, which is more informative than “American warmblood” with no registration. Moving on…

I asked availability to try, she said horse has sight unseen offers already when I said I would want to PPE. I was trying to sound like a serious buyer by telling her I had my vet on alert to do a PPE, but no, there are all these mystical sight unseen buyers.

Third flag was, the horse has a PPE that is a year and a half old, that is available to view upon deposit, if I wanted that. I said I would call and see if my vet was available same day as test ride. Seller waited a day and then texted me to say horse had sold.

So two dealers, two complicated shady sets of tactics. I’m sure they sell horses, maybe even nice sound ones. But damn, is it hostile out there for anyone not wanting to take a leap of faith!

/end rant

Anyone have leads on something sound with a brain in the Hudson valley area for $25k budget? My husband would like to retire his 27 year old saint and actually jump again.

[LCDR]

A situation I have run into twice now is an owner wanting to sell the horse, but the barn owner/trainer sees losing a steady boarding income from an absentee owner and using the horse for her essons outweighing any commission money to be made, so comes up with strings of excuses not to show potential buyers the horse.

[TheJenners]

Or they suddenly realize as a seller that they underpriced the horse

[MadTrotter]

Honestly I would respect that more, if they admitted to it. “We priced the horse but owner wants to open up bids as there is so much interest”. Like a house in an overheated market

[TheJenners]

Yeah same. Did you reach out to the mutual friend for the Irish horse’s ad? That’s one I would be suspicious about too, they are stupid high.

[She_s_Pure_Gold]

Geeze, if you can’t find a horse with a good brain and can jump for 25k budget, I’m screwed when it comes time for me to shop I’ll be lucky if my budget is half that. Good luck, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

[MadTrotter]

Mutual friend did reach out…radio silence. It looks like friend of friend is featured on a bunch of demo rides so maybe it was like: you’re a lovely rider, come demo ride 10 sales horses, here’s your money, no more questions kind of thing?

[MadTrotter]

At this rate, I could’ve trained up something very nice from a green prospect. This is what I usually have done historically, but I have a new baby so decided to go the “easy” route. Honestly, my biggest issue is I was out of horses for years and made a move from west coast so I’ve lost a lot of contacts, and that’s how you usually get fair deals!

I think the biggest change is for this kind of horse, many owners dont seem to be prioritizing good matches/permanent homes, just top prices/fast sales. Used to be more trials, conversations.

[TheJenners]

@She_s_Pure_Gold

Geeze, if you can’t find a horse with a good brain and can jump for 25k budget, I’m screwed when it comes time for me to shop I’ll be lucky if my budget is half that. Good luck, I hope you find what you’re looking for.

@MadTrotter

At this rate, I could’ve trained up something very nice from a green prospect. This is what I usually have done historically, but I have a new baby so decided to go the “easy” route. Honestly, my biggest issue is I was out of horses for years and made a move from west coast so I’ve lost a lot of contacts, and that’s how you usually get fair deals!

Yeahhhh single income farm owner here, I can’t afford to dip a toe into today’s market for an adult horse. I bought a weanling two years ago that was 2500 miles away, developed a relationship with the breeder, and just entered a contract for another baby from her for 2024. It’s way cheaper for me to buy a baby, feed it for several years, and send to a trainer to get started. Plus I like babies. I know it doesn’t work for everyone because $board$ but the horse market is crazy and unlike the housing market, I don’t see it crashing because hay isn’t getting any cheaper.

@MadTrotter

Mutual friend did reach out…radio silence.

Eeeesh. If the seller wasn’t an Irish person and didn’t know the market, they probably realized they were grossly underpriced.

[clanter]

@TheJenners

I bought a weanling two years ago that was 2500 miles away, developed a relationship with the breeder, and just entered a contract for another baby from her for 2024. It’s way cheaper for me to buy a baby, feed it for several years,

this has been our method also but the distance has only been 1100 miles, the breeder has once coming this year from the same combination of our last weanling that I really really wished we had room for as these have been some very good horses that we have gotten

[TheJenners]

It works out when it works out, right? I’m hoping to get a very lovely baby in 2024, same dam as my coming 3 yo but different sire.

[clanter]

@TheJenners

It works out when it works out, right? I’m hoping to get a very lovely baby in 2024, same dam as my coming 3 yo but different sire.

yes it does, we have bought three young horses that each developed into outstanding individuals (well the youngest now is about eight months old but has already done more than most other horses)

The coming full sibling to our weanling I am interested as just what its price will be since all of the half siblings in this line’s value has quadrupedal.

Our first young horse was a long yearling who was Not what we were looking for but the filly just looked so impressive that we could not pass her up. She was left in full training at the breeding farm which worked out well for both us and the breeder as she developed into an all around highly competitive horse (but never did the discipline we had bought her for)

We just have found out rather than trying to ram the horse into what we desire at the moment that it has been best for all to see just what the horse wants to do. We just end up with piles of tack which makes life an adventure.

[TheJenners]

@clanter

We just have found out rather than trying to ram the horse into what we desire at the moment that it has been best for all to see just what the horse wants to do.

Truth! I want my 3 yo to be a fancy hunter, but if she wants to be a dressage horse then so be it… now if she really wants to be an eventer then I’ll hafta find a leaser because I’m not that person

[clanter]

@TheJenners

I want my 3 yo to be a fancy hunter,

our kids’ English Pleasure supposed to have been

[fourfillies]

Good luck. It’s crazy. I decided to wade in to the buy off video Wild West. Owner of first prospect kicked my PPE vet off her property when the horse didn’t flex. With the second prospect, advertised as RRP eligible, I spent three days and endless texts only to eventually pin down the horse wasn’t tattooed (or papered). Thankfully before a PPE.

[Elliot12]

Investigate the meaning of adjectives ie 1) spicy, 2) quirky 3) moody. I have learned that people’s ideas/ definitions can be totally different than yours.

[PamnReba]

The thing I’m seeing a lot of that I don’t quite understand is “Good under saddle but can be a little looky/watchy on the ground.” What exactly does that mean? I suppose it could be different for each person who describes their horse that way.

[SharonA1]

My peeve is when the horse is described as one thing but video/pictures are not related to the description. As in, description is “very correct after years of dressage” but the pictures/video show a tense/confused/unbalanced horse, or pictures/video are from several years ago. And seriously, how hard is it to get a good, recent conformation shot or two? And a couple photos of feet? Well, I know how hard it is. But if someone is serious about selling a horse, I think the seller should be able to manage it. So, I think I have just answered my own question.

[MapleBreeze]

I do but im not in hudson area.