I found on a horse on a video that I am in love with. Price is very reasonable. Her breeding is my fav. If you have had any experience with buying from Martin Leh please send me a private message or post your experience. Thank you!
I have no experience importing off video. However everything Iāve read here suggests that many younger a European horses are not yet really broke to the standards a North American amateur would need and expect at that level. They are often quite green but ridden around by very good pros who can package them up.
I think the cost of living or exchange rate makes horses out of the Czech Republic more affordable. But I am not sure what regulations or registry are like. Horse breeding is quite regulated in Germany and Holland. The Czech Republic was behind the Iron Curtain until the late 1980s when the Soviet block fell. They donāt have the long tradition of well regulated warmblood breeding that people seek in Western Europe.
2 Likes
No experience personally, or with the name mentioned.
But a friend imported a 4yo from Czech Republic based on the video & horse is now 6 & doing very well.on the East Coast/New England circuit. Several Reserves to his name.
Credit goes to my friend, the rider - who is a very talented now-Ammy (had a small business training back in the early 90s, catchrode for some local BNTs & then AA trainers).
OP: if youāre interested, I can ask where the horse came from
2 Likes
Iād suggest you or a trusted friend/agent to at least go and look at the horse in person. I wouldnāt buy off a video again.
You can do a FB search with his name or ask directly for feedback on the US horse groups (I read recently good reviews about another Cz breeder there).
Nonsense, their history of horse breeding dated from before the Austro-Hungarian empire. Furthermore, agriculture (including stud farms) was high level priority to the commies. Iām not very familiar with the Cz breeding but I can only praise the Hungarian one - there guys know what to produce (see Gidran breed)
IMO it has more to do with the level of the average AA riding proficiency, because weāre still talking about young horses with their developing brains and need for continuous education.
13 Likes
Be careful. I know people who imported sight unseen from Czech and the horses turn out fine, but Iāve also heard many horror stories. Iād go in with my eyes wide open if you decide you really want to pursue it. Thatās to say, importing from anywhere can be sketchy, if you get caught up with the wrong people but especially so from the eastern european countries.
1 Like
Communism for over 50 years disrupted a lot of traditions and industries in the former Soviet bloc and other iron Curtain countries. I canāt imagine high end sport horses were a thing. The legacy of Soviet communism seems to have been a certain wild west atmosphere in the new economies. Iām sure there are sincere and competent horse people but Iād also expect more room for scams and incompetene than in say Germany or Netherlands.
1 Like
They were. As mentioned, commies took pride in their agriculture and they wanted to win against the westernersā¦badly 
there were enormous stud farms and extended selection with some wonderful lines. Good riders as well. You can imagine what many, state-owned horses meant for the sport in general and whoever survived passed the genes. The issues actually started with their transition to market economy - many horses died or weāre sold abroad.
Yes, absolutely one hould be careful in Hungary. But thatās not the case for M. Leh and P. Dolezal, or at least Iām not aware of it.
5 Likes
Ok, good to know that the Soviet bloc kept up the horses!
Iāve seen a few really negative comments on Peter Dolezalās FB ads. One was about spiked boots to make the horses snap their legs up for the identical pictures of every single horse jumping a big fence. Another said a horse he sold was neurological.
I have a thread somewhere about buying off video and there were some recommendations of reputable sellers. Not sure, but Martin Leh might be one. Iāll see if I can find the thread.
The biggest thing is the neurological horses. Itās easy to disguise in a vet check.
1 Like
Found the thread. Three COTHers have experience with Martin Leh, @hairystockings @Justice @carasmom
Good luck!!!
1 Like
The highest value export from soviet-bloc Poland was Arab horses. After the fall of communism, horse breeding became a private sector disaster as great state studs were broken up and expertise dispersed into a weak economy. Iām not certain how Polish Arabs are regarded theses days.
I suspect that the major difference between Eastern Europe Vs Western Europe studbooks is the size of their marketing machine and political stability.
The Polish Weilkopolski, for example, is partly derived from Trakehner horses left behind when the main herd was marched into what became West Germany to keep them safe from advancing Soviet troops at the end of WW2. Such details tend to get lost in peoplesā memories. The Trakehner is now a āGermanā breed but it developed in East Prussia, which was absorbed into modern Poland as international borders shifted.
9 Likes
Continuing the discussion from Importing from the Czech Republic off a video?:
My āgrandsonā is from the Czech Republic (though not Martin Leh). He is lovely & very amateur friendly. Quiet, calm, well-schooled, great ground manners, & very affectionate & cuddly without being pushy. Based on their social media, the farm he came from appears quite diversified in itās operations compared to what youād typically see in Germany or the Netherlands. Theyāve got everything: a breeding operation, Hungarian trick riding, huge leadline summer pony camps & up down lessons, junior jumpers, UL dressage riders, and 1.60+m pro show jumpers. For that reason, I suspect his training as a young prospect wasnāt as pro-centric as it would have been in Germany/The Netherlands.
That said, I have no clue if thatās the norm for the Czech Republic. He was imported by his previous owner, who also happens to be from a former Soviet block country. Based on my own background (I speak Russian & have traveled there & eastern europe) Iād imagine she is more confident dealing with the sales culture in the Czech Republic than most Americans would be. Not sure if she bought him off video. Iām happy to ask.
1 Like
Iāve seen a lot of his horses posted on FB and they look very nice - maybe too-good-to-be-true-nice, so I would also be interested in anyone whoās had experience with him / knows first hand whatās up.
1 Like
Iāve imported three now from CZ this year alone, albeit none from Martin Leh. Iāve been very, very happy with all three as investment horses.
As others have said, unless youāre buying a made, older horse (my most recent one is a 13-year-old 1.30m jumper), they will be green and less broke than the videos make them appear, but I donāt mind that ā greener means a lesser risk of nasty holes or bad habits to fix. At the very least, they usually have a lead change and a good idea jumping. Straightness and acclimatization to hunter jumps, in particular, are going to be the bulk of your āAmericanizationā work. If youāre realistic about those things, youāll be fine.
I have my U.S. vet review X-rays, and I reshoot any questionable or missing plates. My CZ horses have been sounder (often barefoot or just shod up front) than my import from another country in Europe, but that is an anecdotal observation. 
7 Likes
I donāt think you can generalize about a whole COUNTRY but I do think itās very important to talk to people who have bought from a specific overseas seller before. I encourage you to check on FB too. He posts a lot of horses there and people may be tagged when they sell, allowing you to find those people and ask how their experience with him was.
2 Likes
From who?
I bought a few from Martin Leh, I donāt particularly think he makes anything up about the horse but they are way greener than what appears in the video. And maybe not as quiet as you might think if youāre looking for hunters.
I bought one for Tyna, and it was spooky and kind of pissy. I was looking for an amateur horse for the hunters. They mustāve done something to it because when I got the horse home it sure did not jump the same way as it jumped in their video. Oh and she also told me It had perfect lead changes, ummmm no! When you would ask for Lead change it would literally grabbed a bit and run away. I was not happy with the purchase at all. Would not buy from them again. It was like smoke and mirrors. Also I did pay a medium price for it.
Which seller are you referring to here?
Peter Dolezal and Tyra are partners. Exclusive Equestrian Experiences
1 Like
