Thankyou for the reassurance that waiting is the way to go
I hope you find what you are looking for in your price range. I would expect to pay $5-10K for a safe, sound, ready to ride, great on trails, good ground manners, clips, bathes, loads --the lower amount for a horse who is older, the higher for one that is younger.
You might look at the numbers again, and think about how much you saved not owning a horse for the last 5 years (for us, one horse doing nothing but living in the pasture we own is $3K a year --feed, vet, farrier, hay, labor). So you have saved a bunch of money ($10-15 K) by not owning a horse for 5 years. Maybe put some of that into buying a good horse?
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I agree with @Foxglove. The prices of horses (and horse-related expenses) have gone up significantly in the past couple of years, most notably post-Covid.
Your budget wouldnāt get you anything sound or sane in my area. Those are āit came off the track 5 minutes agoā, āhope you got a good eye for evaluating auction horsesā, and/or āit has 2 working legs and 1 good eyeā prices here. Just checking Canter, it seems the average horse is $2k+.
Personally, I would recommend saving your money to purchase something other than a project. Horses are always a crapshoot, but buying an already ridable horse is the best way to get back into riding vs. trying to troubleshoot a wildcard.
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Have you considered looking at the standardbred rehoming agencies? New Vocations, Trot Trot, Purple Haze, etc.
Many many Standardbreds are available for adoption and it sounds like they would be perfect for your ambitions.
And though they may be green, they tend to be sensible souls.
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Unfortunately i wasnt really in a position to save anything at all until a couple years ago. I was in a really bad place, and even had to file for bankruptcy.
Getting back into horses was a huge step in my mental health journey, and facing that im now probably going to lose that in my life again isā¦ depressing lol.
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Im definitely watching rescues, and have been around some offtrack standies, they generally are lovely horses. Unfortunately the only one i know of for that breed is over 6 hours away, and makes it difficult to get approved with their application process. Havent heard of the ones u mentioned. Im in bc canada
So far all the other rescues i follow just get in wildies, and the odd broke ones go FAST but im hoping to keep watching and get my foot in on one when they pop up
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OP, have you priced todayās non routine vet and remedial farrier costs? Thing with projects is they can end up costing more then a more known quantity type horseā¦all sorts of surprises with projects. Most with a price tag and when you can least afford it.
Take the money you would spend on another horse every month and save it, add as much as you can to it whenever you can. Enough crap happens with horses anyway, donāt start with an unknown with unknown health and behavior history.
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Yes i have.
And already have a vet and farrier lined up.
Ive had my fair share of horses and worked at a rescue so definitely know about unexpected turns. Which is why i dont want to dip into my savings too far so i have that cushion.
Im not looking for something unknown. I would never purchase something where the owner doesnt know the horses history, or without meeting and handling the horse.
Id just be looking for unbroke, and grade. Runs about 3-4k and i do them at 3k and thats top of my budget.
But yes, i think at least another year of saving and then reevaluate again and see whats on the market but whenever i see something pop up for sale in my price range my non logical side of my brain starts spinning. 
ā:dizzy: i do enjoy working with young horses but just unsure if thats what i want right now.
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Thats the one i mentioned.
They also require current vet and farrier references and i cant provide that.
And i think my fencing was an issue for them as well.
BTDT. Sending jingles to you and hugs, and hopes for a really ideal horse when itās time.
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P.S. I know BC is really huge but do you know @NancyM on this board? Sheās in BC. Might have some ideas. Just a thought ā¦
Hello. Iām thinking that you are up north like me? If you are 6 hours away from Greener Pastures? Just a guess. SBs are harder to find around here, finding them on the coast is more likely. I have several friends who are/have been involved in the BC standardbred industry, and can forward your phone number if you want to PM it to me. IDK if they can help you find something suitable, if it is an OTSB that you want.
Know in advance that, like the TB industry, owners and trainers have acquired their racing stock for the year, which is just beginning right now. They still have āhopeā that these horses are going to be successful, and economic. They are not for sale at the moment. Some may be later in the year, and more towards the end of the year, when they have proven that they are NOT going to be successful racehorses after all. THAT is when you will likely to be able to purchase one. But you neva know. They may have something that has disqualified itself as a racehorse that they have wintered because it holds a special place in their heart and canāt bear to let it go for dog food OR to a ārescueā, that perhaps may suit you, and they might sell to you. Not all racehorse people are hard hearted about their horses.
Know that if you get something right off the track, it will likely not have much experience at being a riding horse. It may not have been ridden at all. This may or may not be a problem for you, IDK. It may or may not be suitable as a recreational riding horse. It may or may not be sound or sane enough to be a riding horseā¦ thereās a reason why it is being ācutā from the racing stable. But injuries often heal up OK in time, and with care. Horses for sale from any racing barn are usually for sale at the end of the racing season, when it has become apparent that the horse is NOT going to be an economic racehorse that earns itās keep as a racehorse, Right now, spring training is just beginning, everyone hopes that they have this yearās superstars standing in their barn.
Know that if you do decide and are able to purchase a horse from a ārescueā (I call it āpurchaseā not āadoptā) that, like any dealer, there are risks involved. A friend of mine was looking for a suitable horse for a young green teenager to use as a pleasure riding horse, and I went with her to look at a horse available at a rescue. Had been an A circuit hunter previously. We arrived, and the horse was presented, in mildly poor condition. Being groomed. The horse was led back and forth. It was ataxic. Neurologically damaged. I reached up under itās mane, and there was a large lump on itās neck vertebra. A previously broken neck. A wobbler. This was NOT disclosed, the horse had been recommended as a suitable horse for a child. Trust no one. Money was going to be exchanged for this horse. And this is NOT the first or ONLY situation Iāve personally encountered from similar situations. Trust no one. I āpersonallyā prefer to purchase directly from the owner who has previously had a long term relationship with the horse, and has a reputation for straight shooting. The names I can give you are that sort of person.
If you are not specifically looking for a SB, other riding horses do come up as available to buy locally. Yes, they are likely to cost more, and may or may not be more suitable for what you are looking for. All I can say is wait and see. Advertise locally on facebook as seeking such a horse. Something might show up that may be in your price range. The āwildiesā available locally have a certain following. They are just horses, crossbred, and untouched as youngsters. Which can be better than being mishandled as youngsters. People are buying them at the auctions, getting them broke to ride, and sometimes selling them. Their value depends on a lot of things, including the quality of the work that has been put into them. If you get lucky, you might find a good one. I have a friend who likes them, and is making a career out of buying and selling them. I aināt that impressed with what Iāve seen, but always worth a look if the price is right.
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Hoping the right horse comes for you at the right time!
I recently came across a first time horse owner who was given a ārescueā that āreally just needed her own personā and was told mare was not even in her teens yet. Upon a full float, owner found out the horse was actually mid-20s. Mare also had a super fun habit of going all the way up when anxious or asked to do something she did not want to do. It is a very sad situation but really glad that wasnāt my horseā¦ I have heard these sad stories before but first time seeing it in person.
I did not get to read the original post before it was edited so I am probably missing some of the details.
@Corgi.equestrain, while you are saving, why not look into other ways you can get your horse fix? Volunteering some place or taking riding lessons?
Idk what happened to the original text !
That was supposed to just go at the bottom. Theres also some random extra tags??
I ride western not that it matters so please ignore jumper, eventing tags lol.
I owned horses for ten years and worked at a rescue as well as a trail guide took a break and now wanting to get back into it after buying my own horse property. am taking lessons but live rurally and starting back at work full time and wont have time for the 2 hour round trip anymore. And thats the closest one to me.
Im probably going to be saving up more but i dont think i could ever justify 10k on a horse ive had a perfectly healthy horse drop dead unexpectedly and i just cant understand how people riding for pleasure can drop that kind of money on the purchase where anything can happen.
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Anything can happen with any horse.
Sigh.
Even the crazy expensive show horses can randomly drop dead or hurt themselves.
I am sorry that you will not be able to make it to lessons anymore. Lessons on weekends are not an option?
Does your instructor know of any horses looking for a step down in work that could work out for your needs that maybe you could free lease on your property (pay all the expenses for upkeep and get the use of)?
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But on the other hand, a $5K horse could run up a major number of vet bills (or training bills) that the $10K horse wouldnāt. And might cost the same to care for, only the $10K horse is more fun to ride. Or the $10K horse might be a sound, sane barefoot square of a horse that can live on air and the $5K horse might need complicated shoeing, constant feed adjustments, a million blankets because heās a sensitive plant in the winterā¦
I do agree that every SANE person has not just what they can afford but also a certain amount where you think, āeven if I were rich, I wouldnāt spend that much on a horse,ā but the original figure you quoted in your edited post (I think it was $1500-$3K if I recall correctly), at least in my area, wouldnāt get you far for a riding horse, even an untrained or very young one.
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Yes i realize that. But personally im just not willing to spend that kind of money. Others are and thats fine.
I probably will take the odd one on a weekend, but my kids gonna be in daycare all week and i need to make time for her too 
she goes to bed early during the week so evenings is kind of my window for riding until she is old enough to go with me if sheās interested.
The woman im riding with mostly teaches kids and only has a couple horses that are even suitable for me, and only does partial leases on her property because she needs the horses she has for her lesson kids. She actually just downsized before i started riding with her and sold a horse that would have been perfect and in my price range. 
ā:dash: She is helping me look for something and knows most of the other trainers in the area.
She thinks i can handle something unbroke, and thats more of whats in my price range, but part of what im debating is if i want to make that commitment right now.
Unfortunately because prices are so high, $4000 is around āmeat pricesā at this point. Iām afraid of ever selling my draftX just because he weighs 1600+pounds and if anything ever happens to him where he canāt be ridden anymore, heās very likely to end up going to the meat man because they would pay for his large self. (Of course, I love him too and refuse to give him up.)
You MIGHT be able to find something in your price range at the right auction, but thatās always a big risk.
Iād suggest to see if there are any draft rescues in your area too. They typically understand that people want drafts for āhusband horsesā, and train them for trail and/or pleasure riding.
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