How much would you budget for?

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PePo

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Jun 4, 2014
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I'm considering getting a second horse sometime in the next few years - timing is incredibly open, but it does not harm to start thinking about it.

What would you expect to budget for:

A safe happy hacker - I'm fine with a bit spooky/jumpy, a bit nappy and a bit strong, but essentially something with a bit less fiest & few less quirks than Pete that I could hack on its own or with friends if I wanted to, pootle off to sponsored rides, that kind of thing.

I'd like to be able to do a Preliminary, possibly Novice dressage test, pop around a course of fences - but we are talking like 2'6 & it wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't jump. It doesn't need to be readymade, green would be fine - just have potential to be a low level all-rounder.

Ideally good in traffic - but I do have off road hacking, so it doesn't have to be able to cope in Central London ;)

It must be able to load & travel well & begood with the farrier - that bit is nonnegotiable. ..!

Ideally, easy going enough to be able to be handled by a range of people - although itdoesn't need to be novice proof!

I'd prefer a native/cob type, but obviously alternatives. It doesn't need to be pretty, up to about 10 years old say - but happy to get a youngster/green horse & bring on.

Ideas on budget? I've got a figure in mind, but as I've not bought a horse in years, noidea how acurate that is!
 
Looking for a friend a few years ago who wanted similar (she needed something established though) we looked up to about £1500, don't get me wrong with another £1k+ we would have had a much bigger choice but we had lots to look at under £1500 and found her a nice tb in the end (he was more laid back than most of the cobs she tried) round here you can get smaller (up to 14hh) green cobs for well, well under £1k.
 
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Thanks :)

I must admit, I'm less willing to rely on 'luck' this time around. I completely agree, that bargains can be found and there are lots of diamonds in the rough, but to justify a second horse, I'm less willing to take a punt & hope it works out ... she says now, anyway!

I'd rather spend 'enough' to cover my bases & get what I want, within reason. I really don't want to end up with two horses that aren't quite what I wanted.

Jersey - I'm definitely happy with smaller, Pete's under 14hh (but chunky enough to take up my leg) & it is great being able pop on & off. 15-15.2hh would probably be my upper limit height wise, but would happily go under 14.2hh.

I was thinking of £3-4,000 as a rough budget (I am in the South East, so sure that will add to the price tag) - would that seem doable?

Like I said, I doubt anything will happen in the next 12 months - but if I needed to, it gives me some time to add to the budget.
 
Im sure you can get something for that budget! especially at this time of year.
 
Pete's Mum said:
Thanks :)

I must admit, I'm less willing to rely on 'luck' this time around. I completely agree, that bargains can be found and there are lots of diamonds in the rough, but to justify a second horse, I'm less willing to take a punt & hope it works out ... she says now, anyway!

I'd rather spend 'enough' to cover my bases & get what I want, within reason. I really don't want to end up with two horses that aren't quite what I wanted.

Jersey - I'm definitely happy with smaller, Pete's under 14hh (but chunky enough to take up my leg) & it is great being able pop on & off. 15-15.2hh would probably be my upper limit height wise, but would happily go under 14.2hh.

I was thinking of £3-4,000 as a rough budget (I am in the South East, so sure that will add to the price tag) - would that seem doable?

Like I said, I doubt anything will happen in the next 12 months - but if I needed to, it gives me some time to add to the budget.
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I should think you would find what you are after for that money, I bought an amazing pony who will hack anywhere, is as safe as they come, will do a bit of basic dressage, jump anything you point her at, has great brakes but will go go go if you want her too for £2,000. OK that was almost 5 years ago but I don't think horses have gone up that much since then, she wasn't all of those things when I bought her, she was a very overweight plod but her temperament was exactly what I needed and consistent (hard) work has brought out the rest. :)
 
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Oh, that's interesting - thanks! I must admit, if I can not spend £4k when the time comes, so much the better. It would, as things stand, be the top end of my budget.

Temperament is everything, this time around, for me.

I've often admired Belle KR, so here's hoping I find one when the time is right with equally as nice as temperament :)
 
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My friend runs a rescue in Kent, its where Hank came from, she's also a professional horse trainer and produces lovely ponies and is a brilliant judge of their characters.....
This one needs a home currently
Screenshot_20161010-135920.png
I know you aren't looking just yet, just thought I'd mention it :p:p:p:D:D:D
 
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I think around the 2k mark.

For 4k I'd want something sane and established. If you are willing for it to be young, green and have a few little quirks you should be able to spend alot less!
 
Interesting, I was wondering what horse prices were like atm and how (if at all ) things had changed since we last purchased. Hmm. Good luck @Pete's Mum your perfect second horse is out there!
 
What are you hoping to do that you cannot do now with Pete? Or is it just a change of ride?
I would probably be dubious of adverts that say would make a good all-rounder, why isn't it? Any horse can be described as having potential etc. I could say mine has potential to do well in local competitions (good luck to whoever takes her!!)

For the top end of your budget I would expect the horse to bring itself in. :) I would gauge 2k. I don't compete, it's just pleasure, but I would be paying for safe with all traffic. Temperament, um, yes but I do like my opinionated little madam :)
 
Jessey said:
My friend runs a rescue in Kent, its where Hank came from, she's also a professional horse trainer and produces lovely ponies and is a brilliant judge of their characters.....
This one needs a home currently
View attachment 83748
I know you aren't looking just yet, just thought I'd mention it :p:p:p:D:D:D
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OMG, look at him! He is *just* the cutest .... Kent isn't far from West Sussex, either.

Can you send me their details? When I start the search, they are so worth bearing in mind.
 
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newforest said:
For the top end of your budget I would expect the horse to bring itself in. :) I would gauge 2k. I don't compete, it's just pleasure, but I would be paying for safe with all traffic. Temperament, um, yes but I do like my opinionated little madam :)
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NF Belle has 'character' in abundance and certainly has her own opinions, it was her calm unflappable attitude which first attracted me. The opinions I can deal with, but I needed her to be safe.
 
I think that if you are going for a youngster (4 or 5 year old) who you want to bring on, you would could get something with 'potential' for about £2,000. But for that price I wouldn't expect it to work into a consistent balanced outline yet, or be able to jump round a 2ft 6" course yet. This doesn't mean that it won't be able to do these things, but it is a risk and there are no guarantees.

If you are looking at a more established older horse (7 or 8) who has a proven record at prelim dressage scoring consistently at 65% or above, and able to easily pop a 2ft 6 course in a balanced manner with a nice temperament (i.e. doesn't get strong, buck) who can also go XC schooling sensibly and hack out alone and in company, and be good to load, you will be looking to pay between £4,000 and £5,000. These are the types of horses that everyone wants, something proven that is safe, easy and willing that you can develop in either dressage, jumping or eventing.

Older horses (aged 12 or more) will cost less and may be an option if you really did want something that had 'been there and done that', or you may have to compromise on what the horse can do. Personally I would save up as much as you can so when the time comes to look you can have the pick of the bunch. Hopefully your ideal horse will come along with a reduced price tag, but generally, if a horse has proved himself to be safe and sane in a number of disciplines, he will cost money.
 
newforest said:
What are you hoping to do that you cannot do now with Pete? Or is it just a change of ride?
I would probably be dubious of adverts that say would make a good all-rounder, why isn't it? Any horse can be described as having potential etc. I could say mine has potential to do well in local competitions (good luck to whoever takes her!!)

For the top end of your budget I would expect the horse to bring itself in. :) I would gauge 2k. I don't compete, it's just pleasure, but I would be paying for safe with all traffic. Temperament, um, yes but I do like my opinionated little madam :)
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Pete could potentially do all of those - but, he's also pretty quirky & isn't currently safe to travel. He might cope with all of those things in the future, he might not - time will tell!

But, in the future, getting out and about sponsored rides, Preliminary dressage & the odd showjumping round are all realistic goals I'd like to have a bash at with a second horse.

'Character' and 'opinions' are more than welcome in any horse - in fact, encouraged! - but I do want something quieter, less sharp & less reactive than what I currently have. Don't get me wrong, Pete's great fun & owes me diddly squat- but he can also hard work to manage & there's a lot of compromising involved.

There's no way I want two of him in the future - hence, the probability of horse #2 making an appearance in the future.
 
I am answering this question only because you mention novice tests. Tho you reduced this in a later post.
I agree with all Mary P has said.
Younger horses are cheaper but Mary is right in saying you cant forecast. I flew through early dressage levels on a steady and feisty RS pony that hadnt done them before. But not all horses are physically able to canter round a 10 m. bend. Imagine transitioning to canter at X and then being able to turn left or right at A and cantering on down the long side of the school. My RI told me he was not able to do it and moved me on to another horse.

While you may not actually have to do this in a test, suppleness and bend is important. You can teach a horse to transition nicely but its early physical education (as well as conformation) is going to affect what it can or cant do in the future. On our dressage oriented yard the horses are constantly warmed up in walk doing turns and bends and small circles. It helps them to become or remain supple. I notice that in NH training Western trainers do similar and introduce a lot of bending and turning as basic to all horses, because you need it working with cows. So a cheap horse trained with NH could be a better bet for you.

In more conventional BHS schools where I have had good lessons, these turns and bends are not done at all. Horses are simply trotted forward in warm up to loosen them up. Like one does out hacking. The only lateral thing asked of them is leg yield - I dont know how this training or history is reflected in prices. But a steady mature cob type may not be possible to convert into a dressage horse. And it may not be physically kind to ask them.

Your best bet is to do some notional shopping using the usual sales sites (both specialist and general) and ads in your local tack shop. As an RS rider I am in the position of a buyer at the lower end of the market. I can try out horses as if I were going to buy them and be still unable to make the choice. Watching someone else ride the horses seems to me very important, so I would suggest your going to some local shows to watch the type of classes you are wanting to do and talking to some of the owner of horses you like the look of. Like Mary buying a local horse she already knew. Local knowledge is going to give you better answers than a forum.

But people I know who bought this year payed more for young horses with competition potential. And Mary's reply is more realistic.
 
The prices could change a lot in two years, as could your lifestyle.
I'm a bit grab it by the horns at the moment. If I wanted a second I would look into loaning something to go and do the things you fancy this next Spring and summer.

Is there a local venue you could hack him to? I did that with the one who hated loading.
 
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