Where are all the hunt horses?

[Winding_Down]

Seriously. Now that I have shifted over from eventing land, I am in search for made horses all flights… and where the heck are they? Ireland? :lol:

I’ve had no trouble finding oodles of event horses with good experience. But when I go on websites or facebook pages for Hunt Horses for Sale, 9/10 are prospects and some less than a week off the track. My clients want horses that have hunted for two years, are quiet, sound, and of varied sizes. Do I have to fly across the pond to find them?

harumph…

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Winding Down;7788351]
Seriously. Now that I have shifted over from eventing land, I am in search for made horses all flights… and where the heck are they? Ireland? :lol:

I’ve had no trouble finding oodles of event horses with good experience. But when I go on websites or facebook pages for Hunt Horses for Sale, 9/10 are prospects and some less than a week off the track. My clients want horses that have hunted for two years, are quiet, sound, and of varied sizes. Do I have to fly across the pond to find them?

harumph…[/QUOTE]

Most that I know of are sold by word of mouth. You call a few of the people who typically have some for sale…and go from there.

[Winding_Down]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7788366]
Most that I know of are sold by word of mouth. You call a few of the people who typically have some for sale…and go from there.[/QUOTE]

Yes, and that is how I have found the two this past week for people. I know oodles of hunt people all over and when I ask, they say they’re looking as well. I think the issue is that people do not want to pay a big price tag for hunt horses and it takes a lot of time and experience to make one. So here in the states, they are just not available on a large scale. And hunt people tend to keep good horses forever (it’s not like eventing where kids go off to college or owners decide to liquidate or turn a profit)…

[jawa]

Sarah Greenway usually has a few that are hunting. Some in their first year and a few that have hunted a couple of seasons.

[Winding_Down]

[QUOTE=jawa;7788386]
Sarah Greenway usually has a few that are hunting. Some in their first year and a few that have hunted a couple of seasons.[/QUOTE]
and we have been in daily contact…

[smay]

I see quite a few on Hunt Horses for Sale on Facebook, but they ain’t cheap. I drool over them but I can’t afford a made hunt horse.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=Winding Down;7788378]
Yes, and that is how I have found the two this past week for people. I know oodles of hunt people all over and when I ask, they say they’re looking as well. I think the issue is that people do not want to pay a big price tag for hunt horses and it takes a lot of time and experience to make one. So here in the states, they are just not available on a large scale. And hunt people tend to keep good horses forever (it’s not like eventing where kids go off to college or owners decide to liquidate or turn a profit)…[/QUOTE]

Probably…most of the ones that I know with a little experience start at 10K-15K+ and often go for a lot more.

[west5]

I owned (still own but he is retired) the most fabulous hunt horse who would also event and show jump at the lower levels but he loved to hunt most of all. (He was cheap but he was older although no maintenance needed)

I stalked him for more than a year begging the owner who never rode him to sell him to me. He was at my barn so I knew she never came out and I knew how fabulous he was under saddle.

And yes, he was originally imported from Ireland, where he was a winning show hunter as well as field hunter.

I just think that when people have a good one they do not sell them.

[NoDQhere]

This program is producing some horses who have made up into nice hunt horses. www.gatetogreat.com/
Dale’s geldings see a lot of country.

[Janet]

I think the problem is that outsiders expect hunt horses to be cheaper than eventers and they are not.

I sold a project horse that had 3 years Eventing experience (BN, N, some Tr) and about 10 hunts (which he clearly loved). He sold at the asking price to a SERIOUS foxhunter, and I was not getting comparable offers from eventers.

His new owner raves about him and asks where she can find more likle him.

[Well_Worn_Bridle]

The Wilkoskis in Morgantown, PA bring along very nice hunt horse prospects. They’re very active in the hunt field, and most of their sales have been out, seen everything, been over it all. Many of their younger horses have only been lightly exposed, and are priced accordingly.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7788423]
Probably…most of the ones that I know with a little experience start at 10K-15K+ and often go for a lot more.[/QUOTE]

This.

Shortest post I have ever made

[SidesaddleRider]

I sold one three weeks ago, and have another one sold that is leaving tomorrow. I have a TB that I bought 2 weeks ago, who has hunted on and off w/OCH for several years, who I hunted the past week with M’burg, Blue Ridge, and Piedmont - goes all day, fantastic jump, not a hard ride at all, but does jig a bit until you get a run in.

Seriously, right now there is a real dearth of made hunt horses – lots of people I know are looking for them, are willing to pay good $$$$$ for them, and can’t find them.

I am starting another one (17.1 hh, gray Irish Draught mare) in the second field on Monday. She jumps around at home, very sweet and attractive. She isn’t for sale yet, I want to wait until she gets a good half dozen good-behaving hunts under her belt.

I keep looking for another good prospect, but haven’t found one yet to my liking.

[crosscreeksh]

I always thought it was amazing that people would spend big $$$$ for a horse who would bring home some pretty ribbons, but not for a horse that would safely bring home a rider, in one piece, after a hard day of fox hunting!!! A breeder can’t even start to sell horses for foxhunting!!! Too much time and money invested that “most” foxhunters won’t pay.

[McGurk]

There isn’t a development pipeline for hunt horses, there just isn’t.

If you’re a foxhunter, and you’ve brought along a horse yourself, and he’s a solid hunter, you keep him! Or perhaps sell him by word of mouth to another foxhunter. The horse isn’t offered for public sale except in rare circumstances or unless it has a serious hole.

Foxhunters in general have a pathological distrust of professionals, and many hunts make it difficult or expensive for a professional to hunt green horses and bring them along properly. As a business plan, a business that’s predicated on joining a hunt club, paying the dues, running a barn, hunting 3x a week and perhaps selling 4 - 6 horses a year is, well, not a sound business plan.

Flipping horses off the track after 90 days reschooling is much more likely to be profitable. Developing young show horses, ditto.

So importing from Ireland is not so crazy.

[weixiao]

The lady who just bought my mare said she had been looking for over a year for a hunt horse from MD down to South Carolina looking for one. I was shocked! I had no idea they were so hard to find. I think I might be making horses up for the wrong discipline!

[crosscreeksh]

[QUOTE=weixiao;7790776]
The lady who just bought my mare said she had been looking for over a year for a hunt horse from MD down to South Carolina looking for one. I was shocked! I had no idea they were so hard to find. I think I might be making horses up for the wrong discipline![/QUOTE]

No…really unless you want to work for fun, not profit!! As a previous poster stated…by the time you make up a “good” foxhunter…you will have a fortune of time and money in him…It’s not like you can go out in your back field every day and replicate foxhunting scenarios…then some green bean/god aweful rider with terrible skills will come along and want you to sell the horse cheaply AND guarantee that he will continue to hunt like a saint despite being ridden terribly!!!
I actually had a woman inquire about a 17.2 TB that hunted in a snaffle, no martingale, with my teenaged daughter. She said her husband had AWEFUL hands and no solid jumping skills, but would my horse continue to “pack” him despite all those flaws!! I refused to let them come to look!!!
“Making” hunt horses is no easy task and usually goes unrewarded, unless you keep them for yourself!! JMO!!

[Groro]

I’ve been making field hunters for over 30 years and am currently an MFH. Too many current fox hunters are not very brave riders and aren’t willing to push themselves a little. They solve their fear issues by aceing their horses (or their trainers do it), so they never experience anything but dead calm. As soon as the horses come out of the drug haze, the riders go in.

We cross train our horses to event, show hunters or jumpers. Our prices reflect the mileage they have in other disciplines.

[Pipkin]

Yes, ireland! Or if you can’t get FROM ireland, try to get irish bred.

Over here, ‘packers’ are about £10k. I guess that’s $15k ish. And that’s for something that’s nothing to look at, or a talented jumper, just well mannered and will jump the moderate obstacles. So really not cheap. You might actually get eventers for cheaper, I’m sure the skills are transferable!

[Groro]

The Wilkoskis do a great job. I have one in my barn that hunted several seasons with Cheshire. He is so good that he was named Tennessee Valley’s 2014 Hunt Horse of the Year because he packed so many different people around all season at home and away.