This ad makes me sick. It’s an example of the Curse of the Schoolmaster. They never get to retire.
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“The Ants go Marching…” was my favorite to keep me breathing when my mare got squirrely on the trail. It’s a good marching walk tempo, and me breathing was really what she needed.
I’ve witnessed a baby beginner eventer sing “Row Row Row Your Boat” for an entire cross-country course (in a large field so I saw, and heard, the whole thing.)
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Anyone ever see the movie “Unbranded”? About 4 guys who break out some mustangs for 30-60 days and take them on a 3,000 mile journey from the Mexican border to Canada.
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I thought the practice horse ad seemed super realistic, actually. It was clearly someone who was willing to pay a market price, and who was up front about things that were dealbreakers and things she could live with. There are plenty of good horses that have issues that make them perfect for this sort of job but not $$$ show horses–because they have a flat jump, because they don’t like traffic, because they are headshakers and need a nose net, etc.
Clearly, this purchaser was looking to spend less on this horse than she would one one that was ready to go win in the show ring, but it was not obvious to me that she was expecting to pay less than the given horse was worth.
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Yes, but people like me would buy this horse all day long as one to pack my kids around on the farm and trot some cross rails. I’ve got space, time, and money to retire when the time comes.
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Damn right! And people like me look and look for horses like this, for people like you! They are a treasure
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Yeah. Add me to the list of people who would buy that 19 year old schoolmaster in a heartbeat. My current horse was 18 when I bought him.
In fact, if you want to share a link to the ad… 
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There was a kid at one of the local bougie h/j barns that had a practice pony. I think her goal was to go to pony finals and all that jazz.
What I didn’t like about the practice horse ad was that she wants a horse that will hold up to jumping 3’ fences 3 days a week? Do people (who aren’t teenagers and haven’t learned any better) actually regularly jump their horses that much? Has she heard of flat work or poles? Buying a practice horse to jump into the ground so I can save my ‘good’ horse’s legs is not something I would be comfortable advertising to the world.
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Found him, he’s on the west coast. Search Blossom Hill Stables
He looks like a total gem in his video.
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Are practice horses really such an unusual concept? People who are serious want to lesson a lot. They need other horses to ride without overusing their show horses. Practice horses are saved a lot of the wear and tear that goes with being on the road etc. but their job is to jump around on the days the show horses have off. They usually have some fault that doesn’t impact soundness but impacts show suitability (makes a breathing noise, not a competitive enough bascule, sticks out the tongue, goes more jumpery than is ideal etc.) For people with money, this is a thing. It’s not really a new thing. It’s not a bad gig. It doesn’t mean being jumped into the ground. These are the horses jumped on the off days with the show horse and flatted on the days the show horse jumps. When the show horses are on the road the practice horse stays home and rests. They still have to be pretty sound but they aren’t getting worked to death. They’re rotated into the rotation with the show horses. It’s just having multiple horses and some of them are expressly not going to be used to show. That’s all. Still broke/made. Practice horse not project horse. Still sound. Not necessarily a fancy one stepping down, rather one that can do this job but isn’t going to be competitive. Not a horse to break down. But also not a horse with an upside either. Just a horse that does the job and nothing more. Just not a show horse. Not something I can afford but certainly nothing new?!
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I’ve never heard of a practice horse, but I don’t hang out on the A circuit. I understand that the rider wants to improve her jumping, I just don’t agree with jumping a horse that much. But everyone has different opinions about good horsemanship.
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Thanks.
Of course he’s on the opposite side of the country from me.
well, I’ll possibly be the voice of dissent.
While it’s true that horses can hurt themselves in spectacular ways, and what if they aren’t suitable yadda yadda…the point of “flipping” horses (and I’ll come to that term in a second) is generally to find a horse that is CURRENTLY not suitable for its job and put it to a market where it IS suitable.
I think a lot of people think that flipping is taking a TB off the track and trying to make it a hunter or eventer. Or buying 3yo WBs and making them up.
What it actually is, is finding a nice appendix in a western pleasure barn that’s “too fast” and making it into a children’s hunter. Or a jumper with a weird quirk that does just fine as a dressage horse or as an eventer or even a foxhunter.
Now, flipping isn’t quite accurate. If I think of flipping, I think of buying a horse and upping its price tag as-is to a different market for a quick sale. Ironically, a lot of the TB sellers are doing exactly this. That’s a horse flipper.
Buying something that is cheap because it’s not working out for its intended purpose and putting 6-9-12 months into it is a pretty long term investment really.
I’ve certainly done it more than once with cheap credit and will probably do so again. My bigger issue is I tend to buy what I personally like which means I always want to keep them 
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This guy seems really reasonable?? I do not know this horse.
Good sleuthing!
I mean, let’s be fair, she states 2-3 days a week. Like, this is not a tough gig. This is an especially lovely gig for one that doesn’t want to go to horse shows. He gets all the show horse perks (including top care, footing, etc., because a lame practice horse does no one any good) without ever having to leave the comfort of home. Sign. me. up.
This has been a most bizarre thread where it seems there’s just no pleasing anyone. Common COTH mantras have flip-flopped & the buyer willing to spend 3k just on vetting + put horse in a great home is somehow on par with the unicorn-robot-seeker with a 3k total budget who is also on par with the smart-shopping BTDT ammy that knows the purchase price is the cheapest part of this whole gig… 
What a ride. The horse market is crazy. And the horse market is us.
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If I may add to that statement (which I agree with), your typical A/AA adult show hunter, from 2’6-3’6, will jump it’s height at least 3 days at a show; training or practice day, then 2 show days. Some greener or trickier horses may do pro classes, too.
If the horse is fit, the program is thoughtful, and the care is excellent, this is easy for the horses. And the practice horse makes it easier still.
If your 3’-3’6 horse isn’t up to jumping 3’ more than 1x a week, that is a training/maintenance/care issue. And in a program that it looks like this person is in, not likely
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FWIW, I was this young rider. Not entirely - I did all the things, play days, jumping around the field, riding in the pond, eventually pony club, and then eventually hunter jumpers. But I was incredibly anxious about riding horses other than my super reliable, purchased for $800 by my no-nothing parents, and turns out incredibly talented and worth her weight in gold mare. When I outgrew her (that was a SAD day), we got a green quarter horse mare who often TERRIFIED me, though I was quite good at riding her. I continued to do all the things - pony club, hunter jumper shoes - I was just miserable all of the time. I’m sure that my anxiety drove all the adults nuts, and that I seemed like a brat. But I LOVED horses and was determined to work hard and keep at it, no matter how afraid I was. Finally, at 14, my parents found a really talented trainer who had previously worked as a jockey and then a special ed teacher before starting her own h/j place. She held me accountable, required me to work hard (I basically became a working student to contribute to board and lessons). But she also acknowledged and worked with my anxiety. I spent a lot of time singing “row your boat” around a course. She would pinch me before I went in the show ring to distract me. She put me on all sorts of horses. She acknowledged that, despite my anxiety, I had a lot of potential strengths and potential as a rider and a horsewoman.
Now, as a re-rider, my old anxiety definitely can come creeping back sometimes. It manifested itself in weird and unpredictable ways at the end of last year, after I’d been off for weeks when my dad passed away. Fortunately, I have two wonderful trainers who hold me accountable while acknowledging my nerves, and all sorts of resources now - books, sports psychology podcasts, supportive barnmates. I often imagine that I’m floating on a river when navigating a course, or I repeat to myself the mantra, “let things go.” I’m SO GRATEFUL for the trainer who stuck with me while kindly holding me accountable.
I know my situation is very different from the one you are describing. But just wanted to say that I have a lot of empathy for your student. Thank you for working with her, and please don’t give up on her.
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On the original topic of crazy market.
A friend saw a horse for sale at what seemed an appropriate but not inflated price for a change of career, a good bargain for a horse needing a change of career. He was represented as being too much horse for a teen, running away on CC course. The price made sense but was still high for a bargain pre-covid. Horse was sweet and seemed to be very forgiving on trial.
Horse didn’t have a ton of muscle, so it also made sense that he was a little weak. Flexions done in PPE but no rads. Well, fast forward to several months later and horse is more muscled but still not super symmetrical. Trainer is riding and calls out, “does this look as NQR as it feels? Subtle?”
So then a bunch of us are standing with heads off to the side, calling out to see her trot this way and that … with contact, no contact, etc. We all agree, perhaps the vet would recommend injections as there is no OBVIOUS lameness but something is going on.
Vet does rads before injections and discovers bone chips which will be surgically removed.
Conclusions: Nothing has changed with horses … a bargain is not always a bargain. Also, this bargain horse went to a home who spent less but is willing to put the money into ongoing cost, rehab, etc. But is reasonably educated horseperson working with reputable trainer. Overall, nothing seems to have changed but the entry point has gone UP. 
