If you were hypothetically shopping for a second pony...

[mummyof2munchkins]

What would you think of this boy...

classifieds.horseandhound.co.uk/advert/eye-catching-eventing-prospect-503789/

I may be half serious about a second pony and just like the look of him but i'm hopeless at choosing wisely... usually go for a pretty face

Went to see a 15:2, 7 yr old Cob today. Advert was amazing, confidence giving lovely boy who could turn a hoof to anything. I travelled 3 hrs to meet a lovely boy who was green as grass, Had never left the yard, had NEVER seen a farrier (barefoot is best so farrier or trimming unnecessary ) and his toes were so long he made a dragging noise when he walked. Very skinny for his type, looked more like a 3or4 yr old than 6. Rode fairly nicely but very young and wobbly. Price tag for the lovely boy???? Just over £4000. I passed on the opportunity. I'm never going to find the right horse so i'm turning to wine ,

Oh no, or frustrating!

I think that for a competition horse I would insist on a record that you can check online. A record proves the horse can load, work in with others, keep his cool during a test/round, etc. Even if unaffiliated the owners should have past dressage sheets, videos of clear rounds, etc.

How frustrating, not or!

OP I don’t understand why you say pony when you are clearly looking for a horse.

Apologies if I've caused confusion. Around here we tend to call anything vaguely equine a pony.

I am most definitely looking for a horse 15hh - 16:2hh. I'm way too old (and heavy) to deal with pony antics now.

Fair enough. Was thinking I’d lost the plot

Gah that's annoying MummyOfTwo, see my thoughts above on people pricing on 'potential' not actual achievements... how are you finding the market, I guess it might be slowing down as we head into winter (although this can also be a great time to pick up a bargain!)?

Have you seen Horsequest reference 201195 and 201144 and 199894?

If buying privately I always expect to be able to see at least three or four pictures from various times of the year, in different places. Serves as proof that they have had the horse more than five minutes, and also that it has actually left the yard! Think how many pictures we have of our little darlings, should not be hard for a seller to produce a few!

Boob, thanks for the links. Unfortunately they are about 5 hrs away from me. It may be worth having a few days "down south" and booking a few viewings to make it worthwhile. Not sure how i'd manage the logistics of vetting (I like to be present) not to mention the journey to collect.

I'm amazed at the cost of horses at the moment. Some ads show youngish horses that have no record or experience and not very special breeding being sold for £5k+. I'm hoping in the next few months I stumble across the right horse for the right price. Would be wonderful to bring new horsey home before xmas when i'll be off work and have lots of time to get to know him/her.

God shopping is stressful.

Take a week horse shopping in Ireland.

Oh I see, sorry.

The market will be very slow over winter so it might be worth waiting till spring now. Getting to know a new horse with limited turnout and days off work because of bad weather can go wrong very quickly, so you might have an easier time in spring anyway.

Sooo… after a several weeks of hypothetically shopping I collected my new boy today. Not at all what I pictured i'd buy but I took the advice from those kind posters on here who helped get my head straight and I focused on my priorities. Safe, sound, sane. I've bought a 9 yr old cob x with lots of white hairy bits. He's an ex pony clubber who's owner has gone to uni leaving him with her parents and nobody to work him. We won't be pushing Carl Hester out of the way any time soon but we may (hopefully) get to have some fun.

The market is incredible at the moment. This boy was posted for sale on Wednesday and by Thursday the owner had 6 viewings and an unseen offer of the full asking price. I managed to sneek in early because a girl on my yard was at pony club with the owner and recommended me as somebody who would give him a good, forever home. I was almost gazumped but the owner really did want him to go to somebody who would keep in touch (and she could watch out for him through her friend on my yard).

During my search I enquired about an ordinary, run of the mill cob with an asking price of £6.5k thinking it's winter, no chance they'll get that. He sold in less than 24 hrs for very close to full price. It seems the world wants a safe cob... who would have thought it?

Thank you so much to all who steered me away from looks and helped me to focus on the really important bits of the adverts.

xxxx

How wonderful! Congratulations!

We want photos!

....you did get him vetted didn’t you?

Photos 🤗🤗🙏🏻🙏🏻

Sounds like you're sorted - but I hate horse shopping too! Spent most of summer looking for a 14.2 for my daughter, must have driven 3-4,000 miles, and often nothing like the advert. SO frustrating. Prices also seem to be very high compared to a couple of years ago, but we were very lucky and found a fabulous mare, who we love. She can be a little quirky, but her price reflected that, and the owners were very honest about that. My daughter likes something she has to bond with properly to get results, so is delighted!

There was a thread on H&H forum a few years ago of posts relating worst horse-shopping nightmares. There were hundreds, and many hilarious stories. Mine was 5YO ISH (already had had one foal! ) “OH, anyone can ride her” Ha, bloody, ha! She bucked me off twice ( clearly had only been ridden by the 7 stone soaking wet seller.) Many sellers/situations straight out of a Stephen King novel. I am always suspicious of the script-like language of many adverts, designed to tick buyers boxes but bear no relationship to the actual horse.
Well done OP it looks like you got there in the end.

Went to try out a pony, who was 'forward with brakes' suitable for my competent but not hugely confident then 13 year old. She's a very quiet rider, doesn't get hold of them or wind them up, but this one, the moment it's hooves touched the arena was off, flat out. Went 9 times round as if it was on rails, eventually it slowed enough for the seller to grab it. "oh, she's a bit fresh, not been ridden for 5 days" (the saddle mark on it when we arrived obviously a figment of my imagination). The next forward with brakes she tried, she couldn't get out of a trot, it was just so lazy! The worst, though, was one we'd seen videos, photos etc, drove 200 miles, and it was not the pony from the videos, different white socks. I had only noticed as the one in the videos had the same markings as my first pony.......

Great news OP, pictures please when you get him home!

I spent ages on the phone with a seller who swore bling she had a 16.2hh HW cob suitable for a novice. She said so many of the right things I drove five hours in my horsebox...to be met with a dealer of the worst kind, she had 30-40 youngsters just over from Ireland, unbroken, freaked out by the journey. Not a 16.2hh HW in sight but she gestured at them with her arm and proudly said ‘Choose!’. We run out of there as fast as possible but anytime we’ve had a rubbish choice since, DH and I turn to each other and say ‘Choose!’.

Booboo - I feel your pain - and the getting there and 'oh that one sold this morning, but we have this totally unsuitable other one you can try...

New boy is settling well, hacked, schooled and lunged and he's been very chilled and just generally lovely. I've no idea how to post pics on here but happy to.

A previous horse shopping experience a few years ago involved a dealer who claimed to be a private seller telling me he had a 6 yr old maxi cob who could be ridden by your granny. I arrived about 40 mins early (on purpose) to see him chasing a bucking, galloping large horse wo did not look like a cob of any description around a field. Eventually he cornered it and hung on long enough to persuade it out of the field and into a stable. Once in the stable it tried to crush him followed by kicks and teeth. He asked if i'd like to tack it up and take it for a spin. I politely declined and we left. His granny must be made of tougher stuff than me

That's hilarious, although I doubt you felt amused at the time!