PPE Woes and Horse Shopping

[EsqEquestrian]

Hello all!

I’ve been shopping for a new partner for the last several months after unexpectedly losing my 9 y/o gelding. I guess I just wanted to commiserate with others over how hard horse shopping really is (despite how fun it sounds!), especially during COVID times. I think I have a relatively healthy budget, but I live in an expensive area (So Cal), and at this point I feel like I’ve seen all viable horses within driving distance. I’ve also vetted 2 but had to pass due to findings on the PPE that were too risky for me.

I’m just feeling a bit discouraged, but I know that the right one will be out there. I’ve thrown around the idea of shopping out of state and buying off of video, but my trainer likes the idea of being able to sit on the horse first. And I don’t necessarily disagree with that sentiment!

Anyway, thanks for listening to me, and similar experiences and stories are very much welcome :lol:

[greysfordays]

I can commiserate, horse shopping is really not that much fun in the end, especially if it’s for your only horse. It’s a lot of pressure.

I’m also in SoCal and the horse prices here are bananas. I’ve also had a bunch of flunk the PPE, bc darnit if our hard ground doesn’t make our horses lives that much harder. It is so frustrating.

I would say the last horse I bought was in Florida in the middle of WEF this year. I was really reticent to shop there bc I assumed the value just wouldn’t be there. We did a huge trip all over Europe, and then tried a ton of horses in California. Turns out, bc there are so many more quality horses, the prices are more reasonable in Florida than at least California and in my case, Europe. That’s at least on the jumper side. We were looking for horses doing the 1.40 and everything in California was a good 30-40% more expensive than the horse I bought. So if it’s possible, I would encourage a visit there. Lots of barns go down in November/December.

I think hunter professionals are really the only ones who should be buying off video. They have more flexibility in what they can ride and their discipline is judged on the look, so the video will tell more about how competitive the horse can be. It’s tempting, but in my experience, the video can be wildly different than the ride, and for me, that’s been true as much on the positive as the negative.

Good luck and be patient! It’s a lot easier to buy them than to sell them, the right one is out there and wants you to wait for him/her.

[Justice]

You need to buy outside of California, I second the vote for Florida although there will be a ton of sale barns at WEC in Ocala. Pm me for the name of a great person to check with right now. I’ve bought two horses and 2 ponies since Covid started but all were babies so buying off video no big deal.

[EsqEquestrian]

Thank you both so much for the input! @Justice I will PM you

[joiedevie99]

Horse shopping is no fun! I can commiserate I’ve had 8 fail the vet check before I bought one before! This time around was easy, kinda - 2 failed vet checks, 1 failed off the video of the trial ride, and the 4th one I bought. One of the failures was in Europe, so it was frustrating to travel so far, only find one that fit the bill, and have it fail. When COVID hit, I stuck within driving distance. The winner was an hour away, and I picked him up in my two-horse!

I ultimately gave up a little bit in training to get the quality and age I wanted. No matter what your budget is, you won’t get everything you want. Keep weighing what are must have, what are really nice to haves, and what is negotiable. Likewise, no horse vets perfect. Beyond following your vet’s advice, think ahead of time about what personal things for you are non-starters.

[vxf111]

This is a tough time to be shopping. It’s a seller’s market AND COVID makes everything harder. I can’t imagine flying to a COVID hotspot. No horse is worth getting seriously ill for. So that limited me to about a 5 hour radius that I could drive to. Easier in the NE than Cali. I feel you.

All I can say is have some patience. You can’t do anything else but look and be patient.

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I had been looking for months, found one and FELL.IN.LOVE. I am in PIECES over this horse. It was worth the wait (and even buying a “wrong” one that I had to re-sell) to find this one, The right one is out there!

[EsqEquestrian]

@joiedevie99 Wow, 8 fails! I shouldn’t be complaining at all. That’s pretty incredible that you could travel all the way to Europe, only to have the right one show up an hour from your home! I’m so glad it finally worked out for you in the end, and that you had an “easier” time on the second round. I suppose 2 fails really isn’t that bad after all (although my wallet would say otherwise… my vet is amazing but $$$$) lol

@vxf111 I am so thrilled for you and your new love!! It definitely is worth the wait when you find “the one”. I wasn’t planning to be shopping during this time, but after losing my last horse suddenly, I feel like a huge void is missing in my life. I have to remind myself not to rush things simply to have a new partner to love on.

[MsJump21]

I totally understand the struggle of trying to find the right horse. It was a long and hard process to find my unicorn but if it’s meant to be it will happen. It took me about a year to find a horse after having a horse sold out from under me, 2 failed PPEs, secretly searching with my old trainer I am very close with, and on top of that having a discipline disagreement with my previous trainer (she wanted me to stick with hunters but I wanted to do jumpers). Eventually I came across the perfect one, a brave and hot mare that only had a couple months of training. I purchased her without even riding her since I was unable to at the time due to heath issues. She is absolutely perfect and she was under budget which was awesome and she exceeded what I wanted and our goal is to do the 1.20s eventually. I did have to sacrifice training but it was well worth it because she is as smart as a whip and has the sweetest personality and great brain.

You will eventually find your unicorn, though, it may take some time. Searching outside of California and evaluating your list of requirements of what you want will help in your search. Also, using a trainer with lots of connections to other quality trainers or sales barns may help in your search as well. Good luck!

[MsJump21]

I totally understand the struggle of trying to find the right horse. It was a long and hard process to find my unicorn but if it’s meant to be it will happen. It took me about a year to find a horse after having a horse sold out from under me, 2 failed PPEs, secretly searching with my old trainer I am very close with, and on top of that having a discipline disagreement with my previous trainer (she wanted me to stick with hunters but I wanted to do jumpers). Eventually I came across the perfect one, a brave and hot mare that only had a couple months of training. I purchased her without even riding her since I was unable to at the time due to heath issues. She is absolutely perfect and she was under budget which was awesome and she exceeded what I wanted and our goal is to do the 1.20s eventually. I did have to sacrifice training but it was well worth it because she is as smart as a whip and has the sweetest personality and great brain.

You will eventually find your unicorn, though, it may take some time. Searching outside of California and evaluating your list of requirements of what you want will help in your search. Also, using a trainer with lots of connections to other quality trainers or sales barns may help in your search as well. Good luck on your search!

[crookedpainting]

So sorry about your horse! And I’m definitely familiar with the process of buying. I had a friend look for 2 years for a horse. I don’t have much to say other than don’t lose hope, I finally found my current horse that I’m training to be an eventer (with a trainer obviously) after 2 failed PPEs and a ton of tears. I’d definitely caution against buying off of video, it’s my mindset that if I don’t sit on the horse I’ll never actually know anything. Also, I’m sure you know this, and it’s a bit strange, but beware of little things you notice. I had a magical mare on trial that I would’ve bought on the spot if I had the money. I noticed that she’d never roll on her left side but I just brushed it off. Turns out her entire left side was scar tissue and she was in extreme pain under any ridden work. I didn’t eat for about 2 days :(.
Also, don’t push a horse away just because of one thing you don’t like. My gelding was a 15.2, under fed, short strided, giraffe-like 4 y/o when we got him after much reluctance and after better nutrition, better turnout and just being ridden more, he’s now a gorgeous 16 hand 5 y/o with dreamy gaits and he looks like a different horse. Sure you know this, just saying it lol. When we went to go see him I was very skeptical but after working with him at liberty once or twice and getting bucked off twice during the trial (I know, I know) and realizing how smart he was I fell in love.
I’d also always suggest a trial (if it works with you and your situation) because I’ve seen horses start a week-long trial calm and something a kid could ride and leave an absolute terror that was almost impossible to get in the trailer. Obviously it was drugged but yeah.
I’m in NorCal, SF area, so if you wanted to look up here I could help some with trainers I know selling horses, etc.

[anon68314200]

Well… I think the idea of the “right horse” is a bit wrong. The horse is 1/2 of the partnership, and there is every possibility that when the rider 1/2 is changed, the whole thing will change. So look for a horse that is basically, most likely workable, then be prepared to take the time to figure out how to forge the partnership. The LARGER part of the ultimate success will lie in your willingness to FIGURE OUT how to proceed.

[foursocks]

On the other hand, there is definitely the wrong horse! OP, you sound like a reasonable person and I’m sure you understand the importance of the partnership. There is always going to be a learning curve with a new horse.

I agree with others that sitting on the horses if you are looking for a jumper is pretty key to success down the road. When I bought my last guy I was on a five-day shopping trip at my friends’ down in Argentina, looking at their offerings as well as horses at other barns. There was one that I kept trying just because it was gorgeous and had a great jump and I WANTED it to be the right fit. But each time I sat on it I realized it wasn’t my ride.

I was looking at young horses because that is what I could afford, so my parameters were fairly broad already, but it still has to feel like a horse you can enjoy working with and this one just wasn’t my ride, for lack of a better phrase. Had I looked only at videos I might have bought him and then regretted it. Nothing whatsoever wrong with the horse, he just didn’t have the feel I like in a horse.

He actually reminded me of this very fancy young gelding I looked at when I was trying out horses a million years ago as a kid, searching for my next junior hunter prospect. We were just not clicking, even though he LOOKED perfect. I’ve owned a bunch of different horses and they all rode a bit/a lot differently, but I enjoyed the feel all of them had under me and felt like I could work with them. I think that’s really important when shopping.

[largo]

When I shopped for the current horse, it took just about a year from the first horse I sat on to signing the BOS. Horse shopping was fun until the first failed PPE, even less fun after the second failed PPE. However, in the end, I bought a horse that was in the barn (:lol:) and couldn’t have vetted better. I’ve had her a year and a half, and love riding her every day. I had a very healthy budget for what I wanted, and it still took that long.

Don’t give up or lower your expectations, the right one will come along and you’ll see why none of the others worked.

[EsqEquestrian]

Thank you all so much for the encouraging stories, I definitely needed to hear them! I believe we will be making a trip up to Northern California and possibly out of the state as well if we don’t find anything this next time around. I’ll keep you all posted when I do eventually find my new partner

[findeight]

Plan a trip to Florida the first week or two in Feb. its more cost efficient to see multiple horses in 2 stops, WEF and WEC. Another big plus is you can niot only sit on them but really see and evaluate how they stack competitively, temperamentally and soundness wise in the show environment, at an actual, big, busy show. In person comparison shopping is possible. Vets onsite and top farriers. Like a horsey mall.

Yes, there will be “sale” barns there though these are hardly the quick flip low level dealer barns of the past at expensive venues like these. Honestly, if you are horse shopping, why the heck would it bother you if a successful trainer has sale horses to present on behalf of their owners???These days most circuit trainers haul at least a few client sale horses. Its a win win if you are shopping or trying to sell.

Going to benefit both OP and trainer here to really broaden their network of contacts, if they don’t have anything, most of these circuit regulars will know somebody else who does. Really deepen you available pool of sale prospects.

.

[Pippigirl]

@vxf111

This is a tough time to be shopping. It’s a seller’s market AND COVID makes everything harder. I can’t imagine flying to a COVID hotspot. No horse is worth getting seriously ill for. So that limited me to about a 5 hour radius that I could drive to. Easier in the NE than Cali. I feel you.

All I can say is have some patience. You can’t do anything else but look and be patient.

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I had been looking for months, found one and FELL.IN.LOVE. I am in PIECES over this horse. It was worth the wait (and even buying a “wrong” one that I had to re-sell) to find this one, The right one is out there!

You beat me to it. Yep, it is a seller’s market. I’ve been having a tough time. I’ve been screwed over a couple of times trying to buy a horse. Not impressed with some of the sellers out there. Some of the sellers I encountered complained about buyers…yet they were no better themselves. I don’t understand why this has to be such a miserable process. I was afraid of this happening after my mare passed away. It’s as bad as shopping for jeans! I’m discouraged as well. May have to hang my hat until spring. Great, hopping on strange horses and have lost my riding fitness over winter. That makes it even tougher for me to evaluate a strange horse…

[EsqEquestrian]

@Pippigirl I’m so sorry to hear that your mare passed away, and that you’re having a similar experience horse shopping. I agree that there are definitely some less-than-honest sellers out there, just as there are difficult or time-wasting buyers. I’ve had the same problem with not being able to ride as consistently as before (down to 2x a week from 5-6x), and then being expected to evaluate stranger’s horses lol.

This has probably been discussed on other threads, but I wonder why it’s such a hot seller’s market at the moment? I expected it to be the opposite with COVID, but maybe those people who have a lot of $$$ to spend haven’t been affected by the economy.

[vxf111]

@EsqEquestrian

@Pippigirl I’m so sorry to hear that your mare passed away, and that you’re having a similar experience horse shopping. I agree that there are definitely some less-than-honest sellers out there, just as there are difficult or time-wasting buyers. I’ve had the same problem with not being able to ride as consistently as before (down to 2x a week from 5-6x), and then being expected to evaluate stranger’s horses lol.

This has probably been discussed on other threads, but I wonder why it’s such a hot seller’s market at the moment? I expected it to be the opposite with COVID, but maybe those people who have a lot of $$$ to spend haven’t been affected by the economy.

The have nots are suffering right now, the haves are fine. People didn’t get to show at finals and kids are going to school part time and are home more. So it made sense for people with money to hold onto their investment horses and their kids don’t want to give up the ponies because they have newfound time to ride. If you are privileged and work a job that can be done remotely, this has actually been GOOD for you. When we say COVID is impacting the economy, we should remember that socioeconomic status plays a HUGE role on who it impacts. As a group, we horse people are largely in the elites.

[Pippigirl]

@EsqEquestrian

@Pippigirl I’m so sorry to hear that your mare passed away, and that you’re having a similar experience horse shopping. I agree that there are definitely some less-than-honest sellers out there, just as there are difficult or time-wasting buyers. I’ve had the same problem with not being able to ride as consistently as before (down to 2x a week from 5-6x), and then being expected to evaluate stranger’s horses lol.

This has probably been discussed on other threads, but I wonder why it’s such a hot seller’s market at the moment? I expected it to be the opposite with COVID, but maybe those people who have a lot of $$$ to spend haven’t been affected by the economy.

Funny that’s what everyone was saying to me that there would be a lot of horses up for sale.and that it wouldn’t be long. In my area horses get snapped up fast. Some sellers are annoyed about wanting a second trial ride. I’m looking for my next forever horse. I explain that because I want to make sure I’m a good fit for the horse. Nope, makes no difference.

[comingback]

I just want to say I so feel your pain! I’ve been shopping and I thought that there would be a lot of folks unloading their horses. And it seems to me there are, but they are snatched up quickly (and in my opinion, some of the asking prices for the quality are ludicrous). I’ve now pivoted my search to something young and lightly started, and even doing shopping from afar. I figure, if it’s not done anything and is young enough, I am essentially starting from scratch. I have a great trainer and know I’ll get the support.

On the other hand, I may have lost my mind…haven’t quite decided…

Best of luck to you. You certainly are not alone!