Start searching on big eq, the exchange, and Facebook groups now. Go for ability to accomplish your goals and brain above all else. Don’t be afraid of iffy X-rays as long as the horse has something to show its past soundness, and is not in your vets opinion going to immediately stop your goals. You don’t need big and fancy, you need something that can jump 3’6 with a kid and be adjustable and safe.
Look on eventing nation for training schooling prelim level horses. I see so many nice horses that with some tweaking would make lovely equitation horses.
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OP is not asking about horses in general but a specific skill set for a specific level of showing, rated in zone 5. It’s not zone 2 but it’s fairly competitive, can’t just get around to pin well in the Eq.
Does OPs budget include money for lessons and probably at least some Pro rides to convert an Eventer to a presentable Eq horse within the time frame before kid ages out? Didn’t get the feeling kid here has jumped a lot of Children’s Jumpers or any other 3’6" courses. It will take most of a year for the rider to move up and longer to get it polished up. 2 1/2 years really isn’t that much time, and that’s barring illness or injury in horse or rider and assuming the horse makes the move to the new career successfully.
Leasing makes more sense and you don’t have to lease the same horse every year, you need safe and sensible to start with, older, stepping down that can teach the kid for a year. Then you step it up.
There is much information missing here so it’s really hard to offer meaningful advice. Things like what daughter currently showing at, if she’s ever worked with Green horses over larger fences and any Pro help she’s counting on would be helpful. If she just wanted a Jumoer, it wouldn’t be as much a challenge as wanting to add 3’ 6" Eq to the mix.
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Put up a rampy 3’6" oxer that is not very wide and almost every horse can do that. The difficulty comes with wider oxers, related distances that require a lot of stride and the ability to do a lot of compression. The adjustability to jump it off the short turn on the counter lead. If every horse could be trained up to be a competent equitation horse or hunter, they wouldn’t be so expensive.
It would be like saying every person could learn to do every job.
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I just wanted to second the comment to work with a good trainer who has your best interests at heart–and a good set of industry relationships. Horses at below-market prices almost always have a major hole. Posters have done a good job of identifying what they might be. But one of the real challenges with horse shopping is knowing which holes a given horse really has. If your trainer can work with known contacts, ask the right questions, and refer you to an excellent vet, you can get the real story, and not end up with something that turns out to have an undisclosed behavioral or soundness problem.
The things I would sacrifice on would be size, attractiveness, breed, sex, quirkiness–and experience, for a horse with a great brain.
But you do not want to sacrifice on safety, scope, or soundness.
I also agree with other posters that I’d focus on shopping for the jumper ring, and think of any equitation potential as a bonus. Your money is going to go a lot farther if the animal doesn’t have to be quiet and smooth and flat-jumping.
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I concur that you should look at eventing horses. Prices are MUCH lower than the H/J world, and the horses have to be decent jumpers at preliminary level and above.
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I want to thank everyone for their advicr. It has been helpful. This won’t be the first horse we have owned so I am pretty well aware of all the “additional” costs of ownership and I already grasp the time commitment because daughter already rides 6 days a week. We also have a trainer working with my daughter on a regular basis which I know is essential but trainrr concentrates on local circuit so I was trying to get an idea of what the next level up is going to expect. I appreciate everyone’s insights. After much soul searching and talking, daughter has decided to concentrate on jumpers because it seems it will allow her to have more opportunities for our budget.
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Also, right now shopping in Canada will get you better value. You gain 30% on the dollar if you shop there, and are competing against less buyers than you would in your more populated area.
Very much open to shopping in Canada. Any suggestions as to where to start looking (i.e. what Facebook groups or sale website)?
I just want to say you are an awesome mom and your daughter is so fortunate to have you!
Good luck with the horse hunt!
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Agreed. Generally if a big eq horse with legit miles is below market price, the most common holes you’ll find are: doesn’t take a joke, sticky change, spooky stop, or horse is captain insaneo to deal with on a daily basis. These horses can end up being steals if matched with the right junior - if kiddo is super accurate or crazy fearless, for example.
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Look at the Facebook group Ontario Show Horses for Sale. I did a shopping trip to Canada a couple years ago and trainers were very helpful in finding others for us to look at to make a trip worthwhile.
The added bonus of this would be her potentially developing a fondness for small chestnut mares and enjoying a lifetime of discounts when buying new horses. This has worked out very well for me for decades. Another bonus is the constant fun and excitement of dealing with little red mare attitudes.
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I would add - post a wanted ad in relevant Facebook groups. Be earnest about providing a good home and your budget. Offer to provide references (trainer, vet, farrier). Vet offered horses carefully, and you may stumble on a right place, right time scenario.
Some may be flexible on a higher price if they know the horse is going to a ‘forever’ place, particularly if the horse is slightly past prime / needs maintenance.
What area of the states are you in? Atlantic Canada can be a great place to stretch your US dollar. Because we are somewhat secluded from the rest of the country, our market tends to swing somewhat lower than Ontario or Quebec.
this barn here in NS often has great horses for sale, and lots of experience selling to the states:
Yes to Canada! My friend got a younger imported Irish Sport horse who had a record through 1.2m, foxhunted, and did lower level dressage. He was fantastic and could jump a house. Not the fanciest trot but very well trained so everything was seamless. She looked online and called around, spent two weekends up in Ontario/Quebec shopping and came back with this guy for less than 20k - shipping + vetting included.
This. Exactly this.
