Looking for the unflashy, boring, non-prospect horse....UPDATE!

[2LaZ2race]

I tried the “trail horse that could jump” these past 6 months. He didn’t end up working out. He was lovely on the trail, he would jump but he HATED being in the ring. He was a former camp horse and just couldn’t shake those bad memories I guess.

[QUOTE=Daisyesq;7873397]
I think you are looking for a trail horse who can jump. You should be able to find that!

However, I do want to warn you that if you start taking your horse to unrecognized shows, you have an inner competitive drive and you WILL eventually care about winning! It’s much much more fun to compete, when you have a competitive horse (even a BN one!) and frustrating to have poor scores all the time when you are doing it right.

So I think you should spend the top of your budget and look for a beginner h/j horse who is bold enough, safe enough, on the trail and will walk through water. Just a guess - but I think you should budget $10,000 and try to spend it all.[/QUOTE]

[allisontatman]

As someone who’s been looking for this same horse for many years on and off, I will say it’s way harder than one would think, and I am in Delaware, too. I actually ended up with a green OTTB who I’m working with and getting professional help. I had a budget of 10-15k originally, and after several failed PPE’s, horses I bought that were not at all as presented, and resold at a loss, etc, my budget was next to nothing. I realize it’s a huge gamble to buy a young green horse, but I figured my chances were better than the “made” ones that turned out not to be. I’ve also done the trail horse that likes to jump route, and found they were both pigs in the ring and balky and didn’t enjoy dressage at all. That’s what led me away from the stock horse types, and found me with an OTTB, she loves to work! I’d still love to have that perfect lower level/ammy friendly eventer, but grew tired of horse shopping and figure if one pops up I’ll check it out, and if not, I’ll be content with my greenie and try to make the most of it. One thing I do love about my cheapie greenie is that my expectations are super low :yes: LOL!

[luvdogz72]

[QUOTE=Daisyesq;7873397]
I think you are looking for a trail horse who can jump. You should be able to find that!

However, I do want to warn you that if you start taking your horse to unrecognized shows, you have an inner competitive drive and you WILL eventually care about winning! It’s much much more fun to compete, when you have a competitive horse (even a BN one!) and frustrating to have poor scores all the time when you are doing it right.

So I think you should spend the top of your budget and look for a beginner h/j horse who is bold enough, safe enough, on the trail and will walk through water. Just a guess - but I think you should budget $10,000 and try to spend it all.[/QUOTE]

exactly what I was thinking!

[findeight]

Somebody else a few posts back mentioned looking at horses in school programs? That is a good idea for what you say your needs are, very low level, at this point. Quite a few of those are acquired as sale horses that just don’t prove fancy enough to attract buyers but are good honest souls. And most are broke to death and serviceably sound without too much $$$help.

If you do find you are braver and more competitive then you think? Most of these cleaned up, shown/competed safely with an Ammy aboard for a period of time are fairly easy to sell even if not for a small fortune so you can move on and up.

Most successful schoolies can handle a little terrain and may have done baby hunts or mini CC lessons. Call around your local H/J barns and see if they have or can help you find something. Worth a shot, find something that just does not want to be a Hunter but is as well mannered and sensible as the best of those.

[Lord_Helpus]

There is a group on FB for my area (NC) with lots of horses advertised that would suit you. Why not try to find a similar FB group in your area? Sometimes the names can be tricky: Sandhills Area Equestrians (S. Pines) Triangle Area Equestrians (Raleigh/Durham) so don’t give up – ask other riders in your area for names.

Also, as an FYI: Good hunt horses can be spendy. $10k - $20k for a nice one, that stands still at the checks and gallops quietly and jumps safely. They are worth their weight in gold to the weekend riders who often comprise a large % of the hunt field.

[PaintedHunter]

This is what I bought (for $5K), although I didn’t realize I would be eventing! i bought a horse that had been doing VERY low level local hunters with some kids who was an agreeable sort but needed lots of mileage. he had been used in a therapeutic riding program at one point too. I bought him because I’m a nervous Nellie, and he can take 10,000 jokes, plus 5,000 of others’ jokes too. Basically, I bought his brain. He can be a stubborn sort who resists bending and turning at times, but he will NEVER do anything intentionally dangerous. he has just enough fight and stubbornness to keep it interesting- he’s not a deadhead by any means. I think the kind of unflappable sort like him is perfect for us low-level ammies.

He’s a giant-headed draft cross, and yeah, we are slow. But he is adorable and super fun. I think non-fancy draft crosses (and some quarter horses) are often a great way to go for people in my - and your- position.

[PaintedHunter]

[QUOTE=findeight;7873523]
.
Call around your local H/J barns and see if they have or can help you find something. Worth a shot, find something that just does not want to be a Hunter but is as well mannered and sensible as the best of those.[/QUOTE]

i ditto this- the horses that are packing kids around at the more local shows, but maybe aren’t necessarily the winners, could end up being great event horses

[17handponyrider]

failed roper

My 70 something friend bought a fabulous horse. 15.2 hand QH nice mover (a bit short strided), great mind, great jump, honest as the day is long. He is not spooky and goes right in the water, walks quietly off banks pops right over a ditch. He jumps great in the ring, and does a quiet lovely dressage test. He is now doing first level at home. I can not say enough about this horse. He was 6 when she bought him for $4,500. He was a roper at the time but just was not fast enough. If you are thinking you could not put the dressage and the jumping on him, most people could. But you would still have a bit of money left over for help from a trainer and he is a fast learner. I took him to a clinic with an upper level trainer because my horse was lame. He had not gone cross country in over a year and jumped around like a pro. So look into some western working competition horses. These horses have a been there done that attitude at a young age and are athletic. I am not talking about trail horses, I am talking about working competition horses that are not fast enough. Many of them are being sold as trail horses and they can do so much more. By the way at the clinic I received a legitimate offer for this horse from a trainer that said he would be perfect for her adult rider. He was definitely not for sale.

[Ajierene]

You can try here:

http://www.retiredracehorsetraining.org/ottb-horses-for-sale

I am thinking of what my trainer has for sale right now and nothing fits the bill, but would fit the bill of what Allisontateman mentioned (younger, but willing, cheaper, but will need professional help for training).

The only two that may fit the bill are not for sale - that may be part of your problem!

[Rainier]

draft cross

I think the draft crosses are great fits for your description. I had one who was amazing. He was 1/2 tb, 1/4 clyde and 1/4 qh. He evented up to training, fox hunted, did the hunters, dressage, equitation, jumpers and was an amazing trail horse. I bought him for $1800 off of dream horse (as an unbroken 3 year old for my husband originally) and was offered $25,000 for him at one point because of his amazing mind and temperament. I think you can often find these for under $10,000 (and even $5000). Dundolk Sporthorses are probably not too far from you (http://draftcross.com)?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Really depends…typically you need word of mouth. I have one in the barn now. Really good boy. Probably fancier that you need…but he is still priced under 7500 (not for much longer)…and has been to some local shows. Safe for a beginner to hack out and very uncomplicated to ride. Of course he is hopefully being vetted this week…my fingers are crossed as it would be a good home.

Other one we have that is similar is a lot more green…and so while he is somewhat cheaper now…if we have the winter on him to get him further in his training, he will not be so cheap come spring.

I think the problem is the one you are looking for is fairly easy to sell…so they do not get advertised as much. The ones with the great brains…we know if we put in a bit of training, will be worth a lot more pretty quickly…and since they are nice to have around…no one minds keeping them in the barn longer!

[kcmel]

NJ is not too far. Price negotiable, temperament 1 (haven’t scrolled through so maybe this has been posted already).

http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-3530875.html

[kcmel]

BFNE, sent you a PM. If you have or know of something similar, let me know. I am looking.

[Christa_P]

Look at more local advertising sites (hunts, pony clubs, local riding/eventing/dressage clubs and associations) and look on craigslist - there are some nice, useable horse to be found there.

[tinah]

If craigslist wasn’t down, I could find you half a dozen quarter horses that fit the bill under $5k. They’ve not been under English tack, but honestly it takes a horse about 30 minutes to figure it out. You might want to make a buying trip to the Midwest.we are swimming in safe, sane, sometimes cute but rarely fancy (unless cow pony is fancy to you).

[Jarrn]

http://delaware.craigslist.org/grd/4725835829.html
This horse could probably switch to lower level eventing pretty easily!

http://delaware.craigslist.org/grd/4764897629.html
This one as well

[Fergs]

There are lots of listings for horses matching your wish list on the OTTBs 15.3 and Under Facebook page.

Someone just posted a listing for a 15.3H OTTB mare that looks super cute and certainly capable of lower-level eventing. She is located in Maryland and is priced at $2,500.

[2LaZ2race]

[QUOTE=Fergs;7875001]
There are lots of listings for horses matching your wish list on the OTTBs 15.3 and Under Facebook page.

Someone just posted a listing for a 15.3H OTTB mare that looks super cute and certainly capable of lower-level eventing. She is located in Maryland and is priced at $2,500.[/QUOTE]

The group is called " OTTBs 15.3 and under" ?

[pacific_jumper]

[QUOTE=SuzieQNutter;7872998]
I would say look at horses for sale from pony club kids. They usually have a nice safe, boring horse that is not winning, so they sell it to buy the flashy one and within 6 months they are usually out of horses. Where if they had stuck with the first one and learned with it, they would have been winning within a year or two on it. Just my experience with going through Pony Club and running an agistment Property.[/QUOTE]

I would just like to say that this is not the impression I have gotten from pony club kids. The pony club kids I know are very hard working and dedicated, putting the welfare of their horses before anything else. Many of them don’t have the endless financial backing to purchase something flashy right away. They make due with what they have, and kick butt on their “boring horses”.

There will always be the occasional kid who makes stupid decisions and ends up losing interest in horses, but I don’t think it’s right to categorize all pony clubbers into this group. In a time where horsemanship is declining steadily, the pony club kids have maintained a high level of knowledge and determination, helping them to stay competitive without daddy’s money.

Op, as reiterated by several people, I would ask around your local pony clubs in search of a horse. They are taught to be very well rounded, and are generally quite well schooled. The “nice, safe, boring horses” are around, but often get sold quite quickly. Many people hold on to them, because they are irreplaceable.

[BEARCAT]

Craigslist.

Seriously. That’s were both my current horses came from.