I know a few people have asked before on where to put ads for young horses and where people look, but I couldn’t find those pages when I did a search.
When you are looking to buy young horses/foals where do you look?
IHF website? Stallions websites? Trainers websites? Word of mouth? Big horse sights like equine.com or dream horse?
I would look at friends’ websites or via word of mouth. At this point, I have a list of breeders whose programs and eye for a horse I have great respect for, and even specific mares I would want foals from.
When I was looking in 2008 I searched lots of places, starting with CoTH breeders’ websites but also including wb for sale, dreamhorse, and other classifieds sites. I talked to some real oddballs via the ads but also met some great CoTH breeders via this bb and their websites. If I were to do it again I’d just go straight to those breeders I know and trust.
Are you asking which ads work or where we would look?
Go to breeders where you know the quality they raise.
I rarely recommend sale sites and would much rather go to a farm where the animal was bred and raised.
[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;6218340]
Go to breeders where you know the quality they raise.
I rarely recommend sale sites and would much rather go to a farm where the animal was bred and raised.[/QUOTE]
Exactly this. A lot goes into raising a baby and bloodlines are only part of it.
I totally agree with what has been said so far. Research stallions you like and you will be suprised where the internet and word of mouth can take you.
http://www.warmbloods-for-sale.com coupled with BB’s such as COTH are great resources.
Don’t overlook small breeders, and be willing to take a chance. There are so many awesome North American breeding programs both big and small. 
Not all breeders have their own website. I for instance only use www.warmbloods-for-sale.com and word of mouth, so if you are looking for my website…you are SOL. All Studbooks have websites like www.holsteiner.com . Most have a breeders list and directory. I would certainly search at places like this. Many times you might have a well respected breeder in your back yard, and because they sell all over, you don’t know about them. If they have a website, it is usually available to you via the breeders directory.
Just some ideas.
Tim
This is a big problem in this country. Not knowing where to look! It can be painstaking at times with the size of the country and the size of the internet! I have also noticed that there has been a lot of talk on COTH about breeder’s websites. Lack of info, not up to date etc etc… Here at Hyperion, we’re trying to swim upstream! We have a great website done by EQ Graphics, we advertise in print magazines, we keep our site updated along with our Facebook page and we even now have a QR code!
We have a superb groups of breeding mares and stallions, along with young horses in development and foals that sell like hot cakes every year. It’s not easy to get ourselves out there but we’re trying!
Cheers
It’s an advantage being a breeder (of hunters/jumpers and young prospects for hunter breeding) and also specifically knowing the other breeders, in my case all of the Hanoverian breeders, because I keep a really close eye upon what they are producing. I also keep a close eye on our fellow breeders’ doings among those of us who post in COTH.
A few years ago I bought two weanlings (actually buying one before he was month old) so I am both a buyer, breeder, and seller. The MidAtlantic Hanoverian Breeders group forms a firm base for its members and we share information, particularly info about buyers who contact us with their specific requests. It’s a strong program that has helped me place a number of our youngsters. I also use warmbloods-for-sale and have had calls on our ads but can’t remember an inquiry turning into a sale at this time.
Diane Halpin and Laurel Leaf Hanoverians: Facebook
where to look?
Not that I’m right, but I’m comfortable with my decision and would return to the same path…
Initially I tried local and was looking for just a little more than what was nearby at the moment. I also hired an experienced trainer to guide my selection. In search of something special -----and there was a definite budget. The high priced ready-made import wasn’t an option.
Next, I perused every internet site to guide me, warmbloodsforsale, bigeq, dreamhorse, equinenow, the exchange, breed society website classifieds and all were a great source to set up my guidelines for what works, what price and general availability. These are nice guides that I wouldn’t discourage, it just happened that I didn’t find a match.
If I thought I found my internet match, it proved inefficient to hop on a plane with a trainer four states away to look at only one potential.
I had a particular favorite hunter stallion in mind and called the breeder/SO. I studied her broodmare band as best I could online and started researching. She had a varied assortment of available offspring, not all listed on her website. I believe that bringing a reputable trainer with me opened doors as a serious buyer far more than the everyday ammy tire kicker.
The trainer and I planned to spend a polite 3 hours or less if the selections were average, (with a fast getaway plan) and up to two days if the selections were top notch.
Day 1: Presentation of 8 top candidates based on my skill, budget, type desired. All were presented not in a “show and tell” but just another day in their respective level of training. No doubt, breeder/SO was smart enough to know that if my trainer knew her stuff, she didn’t need a razzle-dazzle show. Breeder/ SO was showcasing her farm, her style, her training method, her baseline formula. It was at that point that her formula clicked in my head as a value. She told me throughout the day, “I’m unique, if I don’t have what you’re looking for, then certainly another breeder/SO does. Be happy with your choice, there’s a fit out there even if its not mine”
Day 2: I slept on my options, narrowed down to my top choices and we evaluated these in free jump. Not "killing it over 4’ mind you, just a continuation of the training of young horses. At that point, I called in a referred vet for PPE on my two top choices and quick decision was made.
A year later, I have a tremendous bond with breeder/SO and her staff. Far more than an internet find, I have a bond, a network, a resource. I would pick a breeder over an individual horse, just my experience for the 2 cents its worth, or less.
I know lots of people that have luck by going to shows, and watching. They see the youngsters that they like, then talk to the owner/breeder after the class to see what else they have avaliable.
It’s a good way to go see how a horse will react in a show environment, which can be a direct reflection of how they are handled at home.
The breeders that take the time to show their horses are usually dedicated to getting them started on the right path to a show home. Not to say that breeders who DON’T bring their young stock aren’t dedicated, a lot of times funding is a huge issue, but talking to owners/breeders at the shows can give you lots of good information and leads, and you can see quite a few at once, as opposed to traveling all over kingdom come.
[QUOTE=RyTimMick;6219298]
Not all breeders have their own website. I for instance only use www.warmbloods-for-sale.com and word of mouth, so if you are looking for my website…you are SOL. All Studbooks have websites like www.holsteiner.com . Most have a breeders list and directory. I would certainly search at places like this. Many times you might have a well respected breeder in your back yard, and because they sell all over, you don’t know about them. If they have a website, it is usually available to you via the breeders directory.
Just some ideas.
Tim[/QUOTE]
this ^^^^^
ps: i have had my eye on Cassiana SR!!! 
Thanks for all the input!
I have a 4 year old gelding that will be my hunter. I like him so much I re bred his mother to the same stallion and I have considered selling the foal, but really have no idea where would be the best place to market a horse so young.
My 4 year old is in the IHF so I could start there but because I am on the west coast and the stallion and all his offspring are on the east coast and Midwest, i wasn’t sure how well people would know the stallions progeny.
So I have some places to start and I took a gander at warm bloods for sale and I am amazed how many babies are on there!
Thanks and Keep the info coming!
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