For $15K, you should be able to get something that fits what you’re looking for. I’d be looking for TBs (whether OTTB or not), which just don’t seem to market on the high end of the dressage market, no matter how much training they have. People don’t want to pay for them, which is why I’ve never bought one as a resale project.
If you have a good eye for good gaits and conformation, you could consider an Arabian or half-Arabian, but that can get dicey because some just will never have the “sit” for 3rd and 4th. But they can be fun and in your price range.
Or just look for nice horses that are of relatively “normal” movement and breeding. It can be done, but make sure you have someone with you who can evaluate suitability. My trainer’s help was invaluable in helping me find the $7K Welsh Cob/TB, ex-driving horse who ultimately took me from First level to PSG and earned all the scores for my Bronze and 3 out of 4 scores for my Silver.
Good luck! It may take some time, but what you’re looking for is out there.
I don’t know this person or horse, but this just popped up locally, seems reasonable. I think if you are patient, you will find one within your budget.
I know we all tend to fall into the trap of “I want a horse NOW!” And we end up settling or sacrificing the things that are important. If you start making board payments to your budget as you are shopping, that adds up pretty quick and you budget grows quickly.
Very true. Plus I can take time to work on myself/riding while I’m shopping too. I definitely want it to happen but not in a rush.or trying to not be in a rush. :lol:
I backed both horses, and had a “successful” Second Level horse with my older one by age 6 doing all of the riding myself (he was scoring in the high 60s, so I was pretty pleased). I had regular lessons, but I didn’t want a pro sitting on my horse because I wanted to do it all myself. At that point, I starting thinking about changes, and turned to a BNT pro who just loved my horse and offered to sit on him to start the changes.
It’s hard to explain this without seeing it in person every day, but the pro took a very nice little horse and is turning him into a superstar. Instead of installing a change button (which would have been simple), the pro backed my horse up a few steps and started to put a foundation on him that made it obvious that he has FEI potential. And made it obvious how poorly I had really started the horse. You can get some great scores at First and Second Level without really setting your horse up correctly to move on.
We are a year into full training (both the pro and I ride him, I’m getting training as well as the horse) and the horse is significantly straighter, really SITS in collection, is starting the canter for pirouette, and we’re playing with half steps. The change isn’t confirmed … the horse can do them when asked, but he doesn’t get asked much for the simple reason that the pro has been working on improving the horses straightness, strength and suppleness all in the name of having the most solid foundation to work from. The difference in this horses work with a year of pro rides on him is night and day.
In my case, it was a case of what you don’t know you don’t know: I had no idea how little I really understood about how to work a horse properly to move up the levels. I “trained” a horse “successfully” to Second Level. But, that horse did not really have the foundation that a horse ridden at Second level is supposed to have in order to progress beyond that point.
So, yeah, I do think most anyone can and most do ride a horse to First Level. And I think you can do that with most any kind of horse. But, there’s a whole other world out there, and with my second, younger horse, I’m thinking long and hard about how I want to mange his early years.
@Reynard Ridge yeah it’s tricky! I love how detailed Dressage gets, keeps on out toes!
I definitely don’t expect to get anywhere near FEI… I probably will show very sparingly. My biggest thing is improving myself as a rider, hopefully help improve my horse and enjoy it
How exciting though that you have such exciting prospects! Very cool!!
Training from a good professional right from the get-go is always money well spent, and will save you time, money and frustration down the road. I wish I had known that years ago!
This is so very true. I had a related realization later than I’d have liked. I feel like so many people (including pros) consider a horse well started when it goes walk, trot, canter, stop, turn, in a pleasant way. Yet they haven’t done anything to teach the horse how to use its body. The natural gaits and movement patterns are unaffected. Watching a good pro train a baby to work through its entire body and be honestly forward from behind is an entirely different deal. You can always tackle the issue later, but I feel like it’s so much easier for them to build the right muscles and learn about just how much effort they need to be making from an early age.
Find a horse that is of sound body and mind and that you click with, everything else will fall into place.
Find a horse that makes you smile, not more heart ache.
Find a nice looking and good minded young horse and go from there so you aren’t undoing someone else’s version of “on the bit.” 2nd level is hard work but nothing any sound horse can’t do.
We bought a horse this year that I feel fits your criteria and your budget. A half Andalusian who had shown first and second level some previously but had been out of serious work for several months. Safe and sound - we are thrilled with him even if he never goes above first level (though I think he will make it to 2nd with us).
@Lunabear1988, I have suddenly found myself in your position. While I can bring a horse along myself, I am looking for a smaller mount (under 15.1) with dressage training. So far, every older pony or small horse I have looked at has some type of soundness issue, or is spooky, yet is still priced $20,000 or more. All I want is a good brain, solid w-t-c, and sound. One lovely youngster I like is way overpriced at $30,000. Many of these horses have sat on the market forever, too. I’m going to have to broaden my search and look at off breeds to find a better than average mover.
One other thing. Why is it that when I’m NOT looking there are tons of suitable horses on the market?
Why not a “failed” hunter/jumper? This is the world I come from, and I’m telling you, there are many square pegs not fitting into round holes here. Plenty are good-minded, decent movers, but just do NOT want to jump for various reasons.
If I were you, I’d join the hunter/jumper/equitation unicorn FB group and post.
Just a few days ago, I came across an UL schoolmaster type WB priced around $15k, because of some quirks and some x-ray findings (currently training and sound, though, and not elderly). They do come along once in a blue moon!
I’ve gotten 3 ottbs for under 5k. One got me my silver (and was schooling piaffe and passage, just could never get the 2 tempis together was the only reason he didn’t go higher). The next was scoring high point at first level before I sold him as an eventer because he was an even better jumper than dressage horse. The third, my current project, just got open high point at training level at his first show 6 months post track. I bought him for his brain and movement with every intention of getting my gold medal on him. I’ve had warmbloods too but all the ones in the lower price range usually had limitations (no work ethic, big holes in training, extremely quirky/borderline dangerous, soundness, etc) that prevented me considering them serious prospects.
So for me 5k is plenty “healthy” to get a competitive dressage horse, but everyone is different. I will say that to do this sport on the cheaper end you need to ride very well. Tbs can be quirky and installing the “buttons” on a green horse isn’t always straightforward, but it sounds like you are getting help and prioritizing your lessons and own training. You also need to have a good eye (or trust a trainer with one) because there are plenty of downhill, sour attitude, lameness cases out there, and you may have to dig a bit to find a diamond in the rough.
I think it’s actually easier to be competitive at the upper levels* on an off-breed because it comes more down to the quality of the training and riding. When everyone is just trotting and cantering 20m circles the gaits play a bigger role. I see no reason that you couldn’t find a prospect to be competitive at 3rd-4th level for your budget if you continue to invest in lessons and training.
*I’m mostly talking about regular rated shows. Hopefully, by regionals and finals everyone there has quality training, so the big-gaited wb will still have an advantage. In my area (midwest), there are a lot of people (especially in the aa classes) who can get from one lead to another but never demonstrate true collection, or can kick them across the diagonal but never show a real extended trot with impulsion. Not sure how true that is in other parts of the country.
It sounds like you are reasonable about what you want for your budget. For that budget, you probably can’t travel around much and have to be very sure before you spend the cash to vet. You should also be very sure of what you want so that you can focus on finding it. I have a friend looking in that budget for something very similar (basic training and could do possibly 4th level, bombproof and able to be ridden on trails) and she really wants Iberian, and has found several prospects within driving distance, all under saddle. I was amazed that she has so many choices, but she does, and a few are quite nice. She did a lot of word of mouth searching and posting ISOs on local forums.
