Such an array of responses! Thank you guys, definitely some good advice/inspiration here!!
I have everything from freebies off the track to a near six figure horse in my paddocks. From green off the track to training GP.
The one thing they all share is having a really good brain and three solid basic gaits. Especially the walk and canter (with the exception of one Friesian who’s canter is terrible but getting better).
The other biggest thing I have in them is the belief in them that they will go as far as their bodies will permit. I have a little TB who’s 15.2hh on a really big day who’s been off the track since February and starting his First level work. He’s not a big mover but he wants to please every second you’re with him. He’s easy to sit on, used to the sights and sounds of the day to day world and generally just a dude. He’ll never be a competitive top ten horse at National level but he makes you smile every single day you swing a leg over him. He was a freebie straight off the track.
My Warmblood and PRE were both expensive. But both are very competitive horses. My PRE is no longer sound but she was the best horse I’ve ever ridden in my life. They are sensitive souls but will walk through fire once they trust you. The warmblood broke my arm this year so I’m not really on speaking nicely terms about him yet :lol: but he did take us through YH classes and quite competitively as well. He’ll be third/fouth level next year. One thing about both of these two is they were both bred for dressage and find their jobs really easy, which in turn makes training them a lot easier than something that struggles to canter and is three hands higher behind than in front.
If you have no huge aspirations of being competitive, anything with a good brain, decent conformation and three good paces that you love to ride will make your life a lot more enjoyable. I love OTTB’s, especially now I’m back to being on a small budget. Finding a decent one is always a bit of a crap shot. especially right off the track. It’s best to find ones who’ve started their lives after racing and have been let down.
But most of all, don’t get enamoured with the idea of a Cinderella story with a rescue or something that pulls at your heartstrings. I’m not saying these horses don’t deserve a soft landing but if you have goals, even if it’s to stay at home and train, the horse still has to be suitable mentally and physically.
6 Likes
@BrokenArrow yes! I definitely want something with decent, pure gaits and a good mind. I would take that over fancy or competitive. It’s just realistic for me right now to get that type.
I do have a thing for TB’s. I love love their minds. But right now I’m exploring other options. I just lost a young TB to Wobblers. So I’m definitely not looking for a big project (as in horse with baggage) or any rescue types. It’s just not what I want right now. I want to ride in some way.
A healthy budget is less about the horse and more about what you can spare. How much money could you set on fire right now and not care about? That’s your healthy budget. And there are lots of horses with potential within the numbers you’ve floated.
I regularly comb through facebook, DreamHorse, EquineNow, etc, looking at sales horses - it’s a bad habit, but I see a lot. I guess you could say it’s my version of keeping a finger on the pulse of the market.
I look in all the different groups, not just the “Dressage horses in X” - I even look at craigslist once a week. Just today, I saw an ad for un-papered WB mare that was W/T/C for “mid-fours” and a WB gelding who wasn’t quite making it as a hunter and with some mounting block issues for $9500. Both had nice hip angles, well-set necks, athletic proportions and were a good height (16hh-ish), and 10 y/o or under. Granted, without a video, who knows what they can do. I also saw some interesting young (2-4 y/o) baroque and baroque crosses for 5-10k, and a few 9-11 y/o broodmares that had been started under saddle a youngsters, but had a few years off to make babies. A friend went to go look at an appendix mare that was yanked from an auction - she’s sound, pretty, and has 3 pure gaits, and just needs some reconditioning - <$5k. Will she make it past 2nd level? Probably not.
My point being - there are athletic and capable horses under $10k out there. They just aren’t perfect. My coach got her bronze on a TB she broke and trained herself (he was not young), and her silver on busted up rejects that she patched back together.
It seems to be that every horse eventually costs $100k - either you pay it up front, or you pay for it in vet bills, shoeing, training, tears. alcohol and therapy.
8 Likes
$10-15k will get you:
- weanling or yearling WB with decent breeding from a known breeder
- 2 - 3yo+ with rarer bloodlines and/or from a lesser-known breeder
- 16+ yo campaigner at 2nd - 4th looking to step down from that level of work
- [range of ages, training] horses looking for a change in discipline (hunters, western, breed-show, etc.)
- restarted OTTB
- sometimes: horse with good bloodlines and potential but old for its level of training (e.g. unbroke 6yo+)
Upsides and downsides associated with all of the above options. If you’re brave and a strong enough rider that you can put training on anything, best bet may be the younger horses. If you’re looking for something that you can ride and enjoy today, recommend the restarted OTTB option or the outside-the-sandbox option of breed-show horses/hunter dropouts/etc. If you have time to wait but want something that may be competitive, the baby-horse route may be for you.
From what you’ve said, you may want to look through dreamhorse and the like-- not typically home for dressage prospects, but you may be able to find something nearby that could use a change of discipline. Bonus points: immediately rideable.
3 Likes
If you plan to do a very thorough vetting, probably you want to budget for at least 3 or more vettings, unfortunately!
I think there are many options out there for what your stated goals are, well within your budget or even a fraction of it. You have gotten many great suggestions in this thread. Have you gone on YouTube to watch QHs and other off-breeds do 3rd/4th level tests? It will give you a realistic idea of what you can work towards. But do not discount the huge role the rider needs to play for an average horse to perform at that level. When I was shopping I found a cute little unregistered ranch QH type mare going 3rd. The owner was a WB breeder and just ended up with the mare through circumstance. They started working with her because why not, and the little downhill mare just had such a great work ethic and no one told her she wasn’t a fancy purpose bred dressage horse, so she just kept doing the work. Anyway she looked like a totally different horse with the owner riding a 3rd level test then she did with a student doing a training level test. My trainer at the time didn’t even think it was the same horse and asked me why I was wasting her time sending video of a downhill QH. But my point is with the right brain and work ethic and rider, a horse in that budget can do what you say you want. Focus on finding the brain and work ethic and being a good enough rider, and stop worrying about your budget if that’s the part you don’t have flexibility on. The 5k untrained, green, but willing off breeds that can get to 3rd and play around at 4th are indeed out there. But they are most definitely not easy to find.
5 Likes
@rulex so true on the vetting a few. Whoever says horse shopping is fun, definitely hasn’t done it! Lol
I totally would look at a QH. I posted above that I had one who was HUS bred and I rode with a trainer that got all her medals on a QH! She loved my horse but he shattered his coffin bone before we could really get going.
I also had a foundation bred QH as a kid and he was NICE. Nice mover and so so sound. 
1 Like
Personally I would look for something along these lines (not my horse or anyone I know, I just googled “morgan dressage horse for sale” and this is what popped up) https://www.dressagestar.com/horses/2nd-level-champion-for-sale
Many of these horses look like WBs in perhaps a slightly smaller package, are sound, tough horses with good temperaments and athletic ability. For whatever reason they tend to be a lot less expensive than a comparably trained WB.
4 Likes
@Lucassb yes! I think a nice Morgan would be great, especially since they are smaller. I’m short and do not need a huge horse.
2 Likes
Will always try to enable someone wanting a Morgan! This might be worth more info: https://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?horse_id=2172952
3 Likes
You definitely don’t need a warmblood to meet your goals. What you need in a horse are soundness, 3 correct gaits, appropriate conformation for dressage and, (maybe most importantly) a really really good work ethic.
1 Like
Only one of my horses was over your budget, and she was bred as if she were going to be aimed at international competition.
My mom’s mare is Friesian / Andalusian (supposedly, though I suspect actually Spanish mustang) cross. She took a while to develop her canter, but it turned out to have so much jump she just needed the strength to control her body and it became very adjustable. She could have easily done what you want, and had enough training to give you a starting point that you would have easily advanced her with your consistency and skills. At less than half your budget. There are a lot of crosses which weren’t done carefully and still ended up with nice horses with some talent like her.
I know a half Arabian / half warmblood who is SUPER nice and will be under your budget, but unstarted. Another youngster going up for sale later this year who has proven super easy to work with and should be right around your budget. I also have friends who are into one of the types of mustangs who are tracked carefully for their rare genes, and my guess is their horses also could easily do what you want if you ever want me to put you in touch with them.
Basically, knowing your riding ability and commitment to consistency and good care, I think your budget is plenty healthy… a dream budget? No. But we’d all love to have six figures available even if we didn’t spend it!
2 Likes
@netg aw thank you! I know enough people (including you) that are moving up the levels of have done or at least played with elements of it to have hope that I can too without a hefty budget.
I think I want something at least very basically started but will definitely keep you updated and might reach out about your connections! I appreciate that.
I’m seeing a horse for the second time tomorrow. I will send you info tomorrow if you want to look and converse with me 
I forgot to mention Lunabear that if the one you’re taking a second look at doesn’t pan out, the breeder from whom I purchase Brandon has a 6 year old Morgan gelding for sale who has basic training and within your budget. Of course she lives closer to me than to you but it’s a thought. He may have sold but not the last I heard. I figured you saw pictures of Brandon on another board
but I think for a Morgan he looks more sport-horse like due to some of his working western lines (as does the one I think that is still available).
2 Likes
Just let me know if you want the breeder’s contact information.
1 Like
I have two lovely prospects that I paid $2k or less for (bought both as two-year olds). They are odd sizes (less than 15h), short coupled and both have great work ethics. One is on his way to FEI, the other is just 3, but he’s really lovely.
The catch is that I am spending a ton on training. The older horse is in full training and will be for years. I can’t get these lovely little inexpensive horses to FEI on my own. I am literally spending what I would have spent to buy a schoolmaster. Of course, if I bought a schoolmaster, I would still need to be in full training (talentless adult amateur, I work hard, but I have no natural ability). I think “prospects” exist, but if you are serious about training correctly, that training can be expensive. I mean, each of these wee beasts has their own $$$ saddle. And the young one will be needing a new saddle in the next couple of years.
2 Likes
@Reynard Ridge yeah we definitely pay it either way. I just really enjoy the process
I definitely want something started at this point. At least very basic w/t/c.
I am cool with having trainers help here and there but like to do as much as possible through lessons and clinics. I know I can take a good minded green horse to at least 1st levelish. But I might need more involved help after that. I definitely don’t want to attempt to teach changes myself. Is that similar to what you are talking about?
