Need advice......

[MelissaH]

Some of you had seen the website of the breeder I am buying my horse from. On it was a horse thats name was dulce amor. I thought this horse was the breeders husband horse she was selling. It turns out it's not. It is a horse we looked at when we first saw Dubie. I made a mistake.

Anyway, Dulce Amore, which we lovingly call Mohawk is a saddlebred/Tennessee walker cross. He is calm, gentle, in good health and is 18-22 years the vet guessed. My 11 year old daughter fell in love with him. We call him Mohawk because they cut his mane because he was going to go to slaughter before he was rescued. It stands straight up. What do you think of a horse that age for my daughter? He is great as far as a first horse goes. But she was asking 1900.00 I think she will come down now. He is also a x-show horse & very well trained.

[Tangle]

Can't really comment on the price, but in a lot of other ways he's sounds like he could be a fantastic first horse for your daughter.

On the plus side, he's sound and healthy, seen the world and has a lot of training under his belt and sounds like he has a great temperament.

On the downside, whilst he's by no means over the hill (I know an 18 year old that jumps >3ft regularly) he is getting older and may start to get more limited in what your daughter can do with him. Given his age you may also have problems getting insurance for him.

Difficult :(. I think there's a huge amount to be said for good temperament. There's only one horse I feel realy confident hacking out because I have complete trust in her. But I wouldn't want to own her as I know that she is physically incapable of what I want to do (improve my dressage).

Hmm - not sure if that will have helped :(.

Good luck with the decision and let us know what you decide :)

[kedwards]

If he's gentle and experienced, he may be a great option. If he's healthy, he could still have many happy years of riding ahead. I apologize for not remembering, but do you plan to keep a horse at home or will you be paying board?

[shirley]

I hope this helps.
Someone on our yard was looking for a small horse for her 13 year old daughter. She looked at loads, different types, heights, etc. What she eventually settled for was 16 year old mare15.2, who looked really skinny, but when she tried it out went well and had a more experienced try out as well. She and other person groomed it, tacked it up, got in from field etc and the one thing that stood out a mile was how sweet tempered this small horse is. It never kicked out, spun round etc. Cut a long story short they bought it and it came to our yard. That was 6 months ago, her daughter has completely fallen in love with her and they have a brilliant relationship.
It never looked much - but as the mum said she can do something with feeding up, work to build top line, tone etc, schooling to make it better to aids etc, but she could do nothing about the gentle temprement of the horse - which for her was by far the very most importent thing ever. As she said she is putting her daughter - the most precious thing in her life - on a horse that she wants to know will take utmost care of her. For her that means one that is gentle in temprement and manners etc.
So the basic moral of this is I would always go for temprement first and foremost. Looks / ability can be worked on.
P.S. This small horse has already done some dressage, small jumps over coloured poles and cross country fences and has not put a foot wrong.
Hope this helps and good luck for finding the dream horse / pony for your daughter.

[pengapenga]

If he has a good temprement, well trained and is healthy then yes I would say that this would make a good first horse for an 11 year old. :)

[Kalypso]

If he's really as gentle and well trained as they are letting on, and as you seem to think he is, and if he's still healthy, I don't think $1900 sounds too bad. I sold my mare for $1300 as a "kid's" mount who still needed work, so I think $600 more for a very well broke and safe horse wouldn't be bad. Although, if she'll go down on the price that'd be great for you too!! :D

[KarinUS]

I remember! I think I asked you about why you hadn't considered DUlce and you said he something to the effect that he was an evil beast and very cranky.

If it's a different horse and he actually is nice then I think he would be perfect for you daughter. At 22 he can easily be active for another 6-8 years and by the time he's ready to retire she'll be old to move on to another horse or go off to school, etc...

[MelissaH]

Yes, Karin...I thought Dulce Amor was her husband horse. Originally I found the horse on Dreamhorse and his name was Pogo. She changed it to Dulce Amor.

We call him Mohawk because his mane & tail were chopped for auction. From what I heard, he was going to the slaughter. The first time we seen him his mane stood straight up like a mohawk and my daughter made the comment, "he has a mohawk." The name kinda stuck. He was listed as an American saddlebred but the breeder thinks he is a cross with TW in him. He is not registered. The vet checked him out as well. He has a lot of spunk and he is gentle and calm. He has a beautiful gait. He is stocky and his legs are stocky. He is a beautiful liver chestnut. Here is a pic....it doesn't do him justice though.

[KarinUS]

I like him! I think she'll really enjoy him. Congrats to both of you then! :)

(I agree on the Pogo- blah- that needed changing definitely!)

[Outrider]

At today's market prices, $1900 is too much to spend on an 18-22 year old horse unless he is a proven winner in a disipline you are going to continue in. I don't think I would give over $1000 for him. There are a lot of horses out there at his age at that price. Take a look at equine.com. Not sure where you are located or if the price you quoted is in pounds or dollars. I would try and talk them down on the price.

OutRider

[MelissaH]

We got her down to 1500.00 dollars. I am in California, that explains the gouge huh?

Thanks

[MelissaH]

Oh just a side note. I did a search on the horsetrader online for california and most horses on there that were over 16 years old ran from $2500.00 on up to $5000.00. Must be California.

[KarinUS]

I think 1500 is fair.
Honestly in the end I usually purchase things like that by what they are worth to me rather than market value.
I don't think I would get for DJ what I paid for him but there's also nobody that could make me a large enough offer to let him go in the first place. :D
Congrats on your two new horses. What great timing to bring them home together.

[Kalypso]

so have you actually bought them/made the offer yet??? :D

[MelissaH]

Dubie I am getting for sure, but in a bit were going down there with my husband. She did go down to 1500.00. I think that's fair but he wants to offer 1000.00 I think that's pushing it.

I'll let ya know the outcome.

[Kalypso]

cool, can't wait to hear!!

So, offer $1000...the worst she can do is say, No...$1500...lol...OR she may say...no, but how 'bout $1300, etc...;) :D

[easyhorsecare]

Your daughter could learn so much from an experienced horse. Any kind and honest horse is worth their weight in gold!
All the best
from Tracy
http:www.easyhorsecare.com

[Outrider]

Yep, part of that price is California. I would recommend going to www.equine.com as there are several horses in that age range around the $1000 range. Again, it depends on what he can do and what you will use him for. I agree with your husband to at least offer 1000. If you are then willing to go 1500 if she doesn't agree with that offer, you at least tried it. You can always go up from an offer but not down.

OutRider