There are lots of Facebook groups - check out Western Pleasure Show Horses - they have over 18,000 members, lots of prospects. Good luck!
One of my favorite FB groups is: AQHA/APHA Double Registered Horses. It always has a variety of horses posted. Everything from finished show horses with points to young babies.
I just came across an ad for a VERY reasonably priced 2 year old filly by Full Metal Jacket, out of an Ultimately Tuf mare. AQHA/solid APHA double registered, 30 days under saddle. To be clear, not mine nor have I seen this horse in person but happy the forward on the ad if you PM me.
I have a 2YO by FMJ, and she has the best mind of any young horse I have EVER worked with, and from what I’ve heard, that is very common for his offspring.
Seriously, she has a home for life based solely on her sweet nature and unbelievable common sense…
Don’t tempt me
hahahaha! She’s the best girl.
I’ve been going through chemo and had a double mastectomy, and aside for a very few “I’m two!” moments, she’s been an absolute rockstar. Super calm, sweet and easy going.
This her after a week of just hanging in her corral, as you can see, she’s a wild beast!
Definitely a fan of the stallion, although her mom was also super quiet too.
And I found her off of a Facebook sales group as a weanling.
Oh, she is really nice! Very cute.
I was responding to the OP, who was looking for a “well bred”, “quality” young horse, which are found in trainer’s programs.
There are other avenues for “decent horses to have fun with”, but that wasn’t the question posed.
Yes, I agree. I feel experienced enough to find my own without the trainers added cost. I have visited trainers and most of them have average horses with the cost of training added to the price. I found a super nice baby on a production dispersal on Professional Auctions online. He is by The Best Principles and out of a Zippos Mr Good Bar mare. He is a keeper and was only in the $2000 range. So far Im thrilled with him, good mind, conformation and a soft mover.
You’re conflating “top horses” and “best prospects” (your terms) with “well bred” and “quality” (OP’s terms). They aren’t the same. In the Venn diagram, “top horses” and “best prospects” are a smaller circle inside the larger circle of “well bred” and “quality.”
I own a lovely well bred, quality, young horse. He’s very successful in the “smaller pond” show rings and can earn a ribbon in a “bigger pond” show ring. But he’s not a “top horse” blue ribbon winner in the biggest pond show ring and his breeder didn’t consider him to be a “best prospect” out of that foal crop.
Oh my I love her! She’s just got a wee bit more energy than my old guy when I’d lunge him. I was usually breathing harder than he was just trying to keep him trotting, and he was an off the track Standardbred! LOL I really enjoy a push horse.
One doesn’t negate the other.
I love Standardbreds! They’re the best!
Yes, I’m definitely enjoying her… laid back approach to life. She’s the best! <3
Thank you guys!
Sometimes if you really like a particular stallion you can contact their breeding manager (or owner) because they usually know what is for sale. I’ve found that to be really positive.
I have recently found these programs and they are pretty darned nice!!! I visited University of Missouri and met the kids. The horses and their program is amazing. Thank you for letting me in on some others.
SB are such wonderful horses. I guess that is the breed that the Amish use for buggy horses? I see them a lot at the Amish auctions, they are huge!
I have visited trainers programs and in my area the trainers generally have average horses at top horse prices. There are so many medium level horses that are bought and trained by the amateur rider, that excel. Those are the kind that I like.
I 100% agree with you. the right owner can turn an average horse into a great horse.
thank you for your tip but I just dont work with trainers. Im not super competitive, more of a social rider but I do like a WP horse with a good mind and pretty profile.