Georgian Grand?
I like Morgans but they tend to be really small. Most are 14.3 - 15 hands.
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Maybe itās just because I live in the SW, and we are looking down the barrel of a drought this year, but I feel like that coupled with the Freeze disaster rolling out in the SE, horse prices are going to start droppingā¦
Maybe not where you are though.
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I canāt imagine horse prices ever dropping in the NYC/NJ area. Barring something like another 9/11 happening.
Yay!
Today, I watched as the trainer rode this horse for the owner in canter to the right, Going across the arena (E - B), the horse thought he was going to go to the left but the trainer told him āno, weāre still going to the rightā. The result was freakishly balanced one-tempi change R-L-R. In a western saddle.
The horse is only 5. Drooooooooooooooooool. And he is a really beautiful horse with a gorgeous head. Just a few thousands in TX.
I easily qualified for first level once upon a time with an OTTB from TX who raced at Sunland Park, NM. We qualified at recognized dressage show whose rings were on the homestretch of Sunland Park. Getting her there from the stables was interesting because she went into the breezing position and wanted to run. But in the tests, when she knew she was doing something else, she was all business. ALL business. She was sold to a well known eventing trainer I did clinics with (we showed Novice) when I evented her. Girly-girl could move and jump. āguide me, but stay outta my wayā was her motto. 10-4, I told her!
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Many Morgans are wide enough to easily carry an adult and look fine. There are some lines that are 16+ hands.
But yes, +1 on the saddlebred option.
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A potential issue there is that anything that wide tends not to be able to flex & supple as easily. At least in my personal experience.
I agree Saddlebreds are worth considering. Dutch Harness horses, too. Though most of the latter Iāve met have come in from a rescue situation & required a lot of careful rehabbing & retraining.
DHH and DHH crosses are one breed you can find for a very low price in our area. If you have Amish or Mennonite communities near you, they are often a good place to look. In general Iām not a fan of the breed but we have had 2 or 3 exceptionally nice ones come though our barn for training, and I know a few people who have picked up nice ones at auction for a song.
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I agree. Iāve known a few that turned out really nice. You have to pay close attention to conformation. The super upright front end paired with the long/weak loin, very flat croup, and trailing hocks will have you pulling your hair out. Something that is more balanced in all respects will have a much easier time learning to drop the neck, lift the back, and keep the hocks under all at one time.
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Iām an arab person and Friesian arab crosses are going to be out of his price range, they are pretty popular right now.
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You have to be super careful with the DHH, they tend to go for a lot of money, DHH are big money makers for the Mennonites right now and a cheap one could likely be either feral, not registered, or have OCD issues. I have a trainer friend and she sells DHH and DHH arab crosses for 30k for saddleseat.
Although theyāre being marketed as warmbloods their conformation can be difficult to overcome for a beginner who wants to do dressage and not saddleseat or driving. Now, I did acquire a DHH cross that was cheap because it was a grade cross, small, and has 12 rides under saddle. It does have a straight shoulder but for the price of purchase for the owner it was the nicest moving horse they could afford for their money, was sounder than any of the OTTBs they looked at, and has a great brain.
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It sounds like the moral here is to be open to virtually any breed and just look at the individual. Horses that have been trained (especially trained poorly) in a very different discipline can be tough to retrain so you have to factor that in.
I have never paid a lot for a horse. For my low level dressage horses I ended up buying green after spending a lot of time retraining one. I looked at ātrail horsesā (backyard types, not competitive) and hunter types that didnt jump well (sometimes had to wait for the owners to realize they didnt jump well! Some of the pictures!) Mostly looked at grade, QH and TB as they were most common here. The big trot that the trail rider hated was a bonus for me that I didnt have to pay extra for.
My last two I lucked into Morgans - they are my type! Both green. One from a local breeder and the other just a lucky find. Not a lot of them out there and now more recognition of dressage potential so the prices are up. Even fewer over 15.2 and you will pay for that. BTW, although they may be chunky, I have found many are flexible to a fault.
It seems like horse shopping should be fun. It is so not fun! 
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I agree. Not happening. People are asking $8k + for an OTTB with a few rides off the track.
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Man, someone was trying to sell a middle-aged buddy sour appaloosa trail horse on a local group recently for 10k. Although many eyes were rolled, it was pretty indicative of how the market is over here, too.
Youāll find your diamond in the rough, OP, whether itās by word of mouth or someone elseās āfailureā or a green bean. Horse shopping is the pits, no matter what your end goal.
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Final Update: Found a really nice, broke big 8-year-old QH Ranch Gelding. He is pretty broke and is a pretty mover. I rode him Western. I donāt think he has ever been ridden in a dressage/English saddle but I think it should not be a problem. Thanks for all your input, advice, and help.
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Congratulations! I read this discussion with interest because last year I was looking for the same type of horse. Like you, I found a ranch-bred quarter horse with a stellar temperament. Heās a lovely mover as well. He is younger, but training has been coming along with ease. While shopping, I found another QH at a high-end sales barn. Super-nice mover for dressage with a puppy-dog personality. He sold before I could go see him.
Itās great that dressage riders are willing to look at non-traditional breeds. Regarding quarter horses, those bred for ranch work, cutting, and reining tend to have the features we look for in dressage. My horse could pass for a WB cross. Good luck with your potential new horse!
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Awesome OP!! I started my Dressage journey on a QH and my trainer at the time had gotten all her medals on a QH. She loved my horse and thought he was very talented.
Enjoy 
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Hurray! I love a good QH
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Yay!! PICS!!
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I adopted my lovely young mare from Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, (Humane Society of St.Louis). The get some amazing animals coming through there. Over the years iāve adopted 9 all told. Every one a gem. I donāt know if this link takes you directly to the horses or not, you may have to click forward a page or two: https://longmeadowrescueranch.org/adopt/. (check out : āJunoā and āAbnerā ~~!)
just a note to the wise: these horses come with a contract. A person cannot adopt a āprojectā train and resell. They are for the adopter only, in perpetuityā¦
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