Help with making decision

tirchonaill77

Hi everyone I was wondering if you could please give me your expert opinion on the following. Oh I am a novice rider and want a horse to really learn on and bring on my confidence!

I currently have a 15.2h skewbald medium bone horse on trial, he is 5 years old and cant make a decision for the best, if you can help me in any way. The seller is looking for €3800 for him and here are the pros and cons

Pro's
Great temperment, quick learner, excellent on beach, with dogs
easy to handle in stable, easy to load and travel, help me to learn to ride rather than just sitting on :P

Con's
Poor basic conformation, not 100% traffic proof (I would need to ask drives to stop and let him assess the situation), not a great jumper, poor quality hoof (new growth is stronger)

I dont think I would get the resale value for him at that price if I wanted to buy him, what sort of money do you think would fit this type of horse. Thanks

MDFM

If i were in your shoes, to be honest, the max i'd pay for the horse would be 2k, and even thats a stretch, if i was pushed to it. other than that i'd offer €1800. I think €3800 is a bit much taking into consideration what you've outlined above. The country is flooded with horses and if you have that sort of money to spend you could easily pick up something with better conformation, better in traffic and with a better jump. I don't believe either that you'll get that money back if you went to sell him on. The current climate has pushed the prices of horses to the floor and the trade is very bad..for example we brought up a horse to Cavan last week for a friend. This horse has green book, good breeding, sound, good conformation etc..she bought him last summer, unbroken as 3 year old.She broke him, long reined him, did a few hunts on him, registered him and picked up a few points on him since xmas, plus for a 4 year old, he was as quiet as a lamb in the stable, in the box, on the road, to shoe etc. Having bought him at €4500, the highest bid on him went to €2k, so she withdrew him and brought him home.
Its your choice but i know i wouldnt be parting with €3800 if i were you. Shop around if you can, you'll pick up something better all round eventually, maybe even at a cheaper price too! best of luck!

doctor evil

I'd look for something with better road craft and older than five (five is stilll a baby that needs to be taught)

The price sounds way too much. The market for older horses has bottomed out so you should be able to get something more suitable at a (much) better price.

Do you have anyone who could look with you?

Confidence can be a fragile thing.

tirchonaill77

Thank you both for your replies .... I spoke to the seller and €3200 was the minimum he would take so I declined.

My instructor took the horse on trial for him and she said he was way over priced as well. This is the second horse we have had on trial, we are beside a busy beach, jetskis, race horses, traffic so it is more difficult to find something suitable. The search continues. I really appreciate your opinions. Thank you for taking the time.:):):)

convert

From experience I'd say that if you're not completely happy with a horse then don't take it. It may take you a long time to find the right horse for you, but it's definitely worth the wait. Don't rush into anything and never allow yourself be pressurised into purchasing a horse you're unsure about. If there ìs doubt in your mind, it's probably there for a reason.

The asking price for the horse you had on trial was probably a bit high, especially with the details you included. Take your time and see what's out there. If you had somebody experienced, and somebody you trust, to advise you, it'd probably be no harm to ask their advice.

Best of luck!

emmaelizabeth

He's worth 1000 euro at very most, I buy,break and sell for a living. Poor confirmation, poor jump etc. def not worth any more. If you tried to sell him you'd find it very difficult.

shanagarry

I think you made the right decision. He was way overpriced, but tbh, he didn't sound like the right type of horse for you at any price.

I would echo the advice about to try and find an older horse who has been there, done that already. As you are a novice rider, you don't want a novice horse as well, as then both parties have things to learn, which can make life very difficult! Go for an old head who will look after you, but who you can still have fun on. There are plenty of those horses out there at the moment who maybe didn't make the grade competitively etc. but would be ideal for riding club and the like.

Ave Sodalis

Agreeing with everyone else and saying he was WAY over priced. You can get a good pony now for less that 1k. The price of horses has dropped so much this last while 1.5k would be my highest stretch if I were you.

I seen many a good starter pony at 800 to 850 euro, but they go very quick so you have ta be fast.

tirchonaill77

I finally got the right horse!!! after alot of searching. 15hh bay cob, bought from P Sweeney dealer in Ballina €1500 and worth every penny and she comes with a money back guarantee. She is perfect in every way, 100% safe on roads, beach has a lovely jump and has started to give me real confidence. Cant believe she is mine. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts on the subject. :):):):):) Riding club here I come!

Ave Sodalis

Well Done.!!!!