Appendix for sure - not many around much anymore! We are breeding two this summer though 
Also consider Morgans!
Meanwhile I’m over here baffled at how y’all are saying there are no QHs/Appendix any more. Come talk to me!! Sounds like everyone wants one, yet I can’t get my fence prospects to move because very few people in the QH world want to buy a yearling or 2yo and have to wait a few years.
And yes, we do breed them to be elegant, stout built, and beautiful moving. Gone are the days of “Quarter horse” meaning just a coarse, short legged ranch horse. There’s lots of QHs who have successfully crossed over to the upper levels of USEF. Personally I (and several others in my circle) breed for the HUS futurity quality mover, with the athleticism, elasticity, and build to be successful over fences.
Obviously I’m biased but QHs are very much worth the look.
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If you’re interested in looking at quarter horses, do not restrict your search to only Appendix QHs. Because of the way the AQHA registration system works, you can find QHs that have a significant thoroughbred presence up close in their pedigree but are registered as QHs, not Appendix QHs. For example, the dam of my current QH is 3/4 Thoroughbred.
The same is true of paints - and if you don’t want spots, there are plenty of solid paint-bred horses out there that are APHA registered.
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That is really helpful, thank you!
Exactly! I’ve had tons of white papered horses over the years that are more than suitable. And also the ones who have lots of TB but earn an ROM and are granted their regular papers.
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I had a brilliant Appendix mare that I showed for 4 years in the Adult Ams. Best brain. She was pretty unflappable and a lot of fun to show. No prep. No fuss. She would clean up locally and normally place in the pack at the bigger A’s.
Her only fault–which I think she’s started to improve on more now that she’s working her way down the levels–was that she was not a trail horse lol. Vastly preferred to be the center of attention in the ring than going over a log in the woods when I had her LOL.
Would 100% get a nice Appendix again if anything just for the brain. I could trust that horse with anyone.
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I have two friends, one with a Connemara and one with a Connemara X. They are both currently showing in the adults. One won at WEC this year. Both horses are good jumpers and get top placings in the hack.
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Over the past ten years, I’ve spent $600, $0, and $3000 on three OTTBs respectively (the third was in the very beginning of the COVID horse market). When I started shopping early this year, I struggled to find a nice, sound, lightly restarted TB in the lowest of fives in my area (northeast).
At least in my area with a low 5s budget, for the TB market you’re looking at a very nice, but fairly green race-bred TB. Which is great news for the breed, less so for the shopper’s wallet. I would think a sport-horse bred TB would be asking even higher, given they are looking to recoup all the expenses of breeding/raising/training plus a profit.
I would also advise you to join eventing facebook groups for your area. You may have more luck finding “off” hunter breeds, as there is more variation in eventing. I also found the prices a touch more reasonable, and one person’s outgrown lower level eventer could be another’s perfect adult hunter. I got several leads on ISOs I posted in those groups, and remember a photo of one horse in particular I was convinced missed his calling as a derby horse.
Definitely watching the eventing groups; most of my time over the last 10 years has been spent in the eventing realm. Now looking to focus just on lower-level jumpers & dressage.
In 10 or so years I’ve purchased a QH, 2 unraced TBs, and 2 OTTBs. All under $5k. Now I actually have (for me) a bit more to spend and it turns out that today’s $15k is last year’s $5k. Madness.
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I sympathize! I went from a low 4s budget in summer 2020 to a low 5s budget in 2022 and thought it would be easy to find what I wanted. It was also a lot of money for me to spend on a horse. And instead I just found…what my low 4s budget got me two years ago.
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Another one is an Irish horse although don’t know how cheap or easy to find they are!
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A vote here for team APHA. My old trainer bred, raised, and judged them. None ever jumped like Rox Dene, but they moved well and were smart/safe/sane. Several were solid colored as well. Several in barn were capable of the 3’. One even did the first and second year greens! I bought one as a four year old and, I swear, that horse never put a foot wrong. I adored him.
Last I heard, interest in the APHA shows is seriously declining, so there may be some good deals to be had with this breed.
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Hmmm and I’m a sucker for color - I know some judges don’t like them but if it’s cute and got the step for the 2’9” or 3’ I’m willing to play the game. I just don’t run in the AQHA and APHA circles usually so I’m out of the loop
1000% same. I don’t need scope for days or hunter movement. I need reasonably capable at the lower levels and a good brain. Where are these unicorns?! 
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The AQHAs bred for HUS are usually over 16 hands and not the stock horse build. This is one I almost bought last year. 17’1” and flunked HUS because he moved too freely for that standard. I forget the specific term they use for it, but these horses are bred to show and win, and aren’t useful if they don’t. So I would look for the names of trainers in your state and go from there. He was low fives, BTW.
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Check out the FB group “AQHA - APHA - APHC Over Fences Horses.” They sometimes have nice ones. My current horse is a lovely 16.2 AQHA mare who was bred for/ very successful in HUS in her younger days and now is a lovely low level hunter with me. She also hunter paces and dabbles in hunting!
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they used to be cheap, currently I have seen Morgans with good blood lines but without a show or competition record being sold for $50,000
Biggest issue with a sport Morgan is they usually can do most anything very well so you end up a boat load of tack
and be very pretty to look at
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I forgot to say, I am totally biased. Stormy is 22 now, but he easily did the 4ft in competition in his younger days. And one time I accidentally warmed him up over a 1m50 jump. He jumped it no problem, I almost crapped myself.
Sadly I don’t have a ton of photos from his competition days because my files got corrupted on my computer, but here’s one of him.
He’s a fully papered APHA.
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Sounds like you are shopping from an “agent”, or “re-homing” service or a “dealer”. THOSE people get the OTTBs directly off the track, some are paid $$$ by the owners to take the horses. They give them some time off to cool out and rest, then put some light riding into them, and the price is what you have been quoted. If you buy directly from the track, from the trainers and owners directly, horses tend to be far more affordable. If you are capable of doing the turn out and restarting of OTTBs yourself, you need to develop a working relationship with trainers and workers at your local racetrack, visit often, make some friends down at the track. Express interest in the sort of horse you like. Hang your contact info card on the backstretch gate or at the kitchen cafeteria, expressing interest in buying horses who are not being economic racehorses. And you may get a phone call at some point… take cash and a horse trailer. Knowing the people involved, you can make a quick decision on the spot, ask to see an exercise rider take the horse out onto the track to trot and canter, or ask to see an xray that has already been taken or get an opinion from the track vet about the horse’s future prospects. Since so few competition riders are doing this any more (it used to be common), horses who do not find a placement service or dealer are now going elsewhere… chuckwagons take a lot of them, and pay well for the right ones (for them). Mares tend to be cheaper than geldings (the chucks take the big geldings, won’t buy mares).
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I’m not shopping now, but I’ve previously looked at and purchased from various sources - resellers, at the track, etc. I was the reseller for my first two. My third I got from reaching out to trainers at the track that I know. The nicer built ones in our area coming straight off the track still go for high 4s.
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