How on earth does anyone buy their first horse!!??

[Howdidthathappen1]

Ok. So we've don't the sums (and got scared), found the livery yard, started buying the kit (buckets, barrow, forks, etc, etc). Read the dodgy dealer sites - and got more scared!
Had one try which went brilliantly but then 2nd try the horse threw dd twice and trainer advised to walk.
I've messaged about 8 other horses only had one reply and after a conversation we knew wasn't right - horse had back issues that need long term management.

We will be first time owners - had several shares over the last 6 years but it feels like joining the horse owners club is so hard. The more a research and looking i do the harder it seems!
Not a massive budget - 5k but that needs to include tack for something not world beating but can pop an unaffiliated jump with dd and take me on a chilled hack. But will pass a vetting.
Is it just the wrong time of year? People tell me there'll be loads in spring? But I don't want a 5/6 year old for our first horse - my daughter loves the idea of bringing something on but I'm reining her in!

5k isn't too bad. Are you a member of the pony club?

A safe as houses first horse that will hack out with you and take your dd round a course of 90cm show jumps and isn't ancient or a baby will probably be about 7 or 8k

Yes agree with @Trewser. Join pony club, get word out you are looking. Ask livery yard to be on look out, horsey friends, other liveries. Does she go to a stables now? Ask there.

Word of mouth as much as possible.

Oh 5k would easily get you that here (Scotland) but will depend on area

Put an ad on Facebook and get all your horsey friends to share. I've bought 3 horses like this.

Word of mouth. I saw mine before she was advertised, she was the first and only one I saw too, was just perfect (still is 11 years on). Her owner was giving up so she came with literally everything (tools, buckets, feed and bins, full wardrobe etc).
The best horses are often never advertised IME. You could try a wanted ad but be prepared to be contacted by nutters/people trying to flog something dodgy.
Good luck!

An evening on the internet is dangerous!! So I've seen what appears to be perfect at CNG equine - plenty of vids and pics and no bad reviews about them that I can find.
However - we wouldn't be able to try before buying!!! Would get full vetting but would I be completely mad??

I think there's a difference in terms of ambition between wanting to jump 90-100cms i.e. BN and Disco equivalent (albeit unaffiliated) and be on PC teams and the like on the one hand, and hoping to pop round a friendly RC type event and have fun at rallies, more likely to be jumping 60-70cm at least to start with on the other. £4-5K should be plenty for the latter as even a fairly un-sporty safe as houses cob or native type should manage that easily enough, if it's more the former you might need to compromise a bit (although I agree I wouldn't go with something green, probably you'd be better off looking at a teenager or something with some blemishes or quirks)... What are your requirements in terms of type (is cob OK or are you looking for something a bit smarter?) and height - if you want 16hh+ I can see that is a bit more tricky and would recommend you consider something smaller but which takes up the leg well unless your DD is 6foot+?

Take heart OP, I am sure you will find something, you only need to find one good one! The time of year probably isn't helping, it's not so much that people will have lots of green 5-6 year olds coming through but more that received 'PC wisdom' (around here anyway!) is that everyone with a DC who has outgrown their pony or is ready to move up to horses should try to buy/sell in the spring, mums round here seem to have collectively decided it's best to get the new pony in the early part of the year, after the worst of winter and when it starts to be light enough in the evening to ride after school but before the rush of camp and competitions in the summer holidays. You could argue the point either way but it's certainly true in my area that spring (or to a lesser extent autumn when older DC head off to uni) is the best time to pick up a nice PC/RC type, and the dealers seem to stock up around that time too, but it doesn't mean there aren't horses out there that would be sold if a suitable offer came along beforehand - def worth asking round your network if anyone has something about to be outgrown, and also calling round a few (reputable!) dealers and seeing what they have - they may have a few that they have in to get ready over the winter that aren't yet advertised, and you may be able to negotiate on the price accordingly?

Oh and we have asked around but been offered either 5 year olds or onè very spooky TB whose owner hadn't realised my dd exercised at a previous yard so we know likes a good old rear into the hedge!!

Why would you not be able to try with the CNG one? Would definitely not recommend buying unseen/untried!

Thanks for all advice. I wasn't sure if I'm being unrealistic or impatient or both!
DD would love to be out doing comps but realistically she is an apprentice groom with only sun/ mon off so has neither the funds or time to hire transport plus comp entry fees so will do a few but certainly not every week. I love a good hack and can pop a few 50cm jumps but don't bounce anymore! So this horse needn't be a world beater - she can move up when earning more!!

It's a nearly 4 hr journey to cng which we can't do before Xmas. I know their horses go really quick as I've followed them for a while and asked about a couple already gone just few days after advertised. I asked they keep us in mind for anything in our spec

What area are you in OP I know a very very good dealer?
The BSJA and Twitter Eventing Facebook groups are brilliant for horse hunting.

Yes you'd be mad.

There’s this one... on sales livery from a friend and reduced from £6k to £4,500. Lovely, lovely horse. Bred by Jane Cross, been in same home since a 2yo. Divorce forces very sad sale and their DD is at uni.

I think your budget is realistic but it's the wrong time of year. I'd wait till spring and accept that you will need to call up about dozens and dozens of horses, as well as waste time seeing quite a few.

For example, when I was looking for a safe but heavyweight hack for DH I called up about 40-50 adverts and we saw 15 horses before finding the one. I think it is worse for allrounders, safe hacks, because they are what everyone wants and it is easy to lie about them. For example, when I look for competition horses, I can check the online record which weeds out a lot of them, and then only go see 2-3 before I find the right one. Competition horse dealers are more reputable as well.

It is doable, but I agree word of mouth is your best bet. We bought DD’s first horse last October - a 9 year old 16hh ISH. He’s been an absolute star - is now competing at 90-100 and schooling higher, does a decent novice test (although dressage isn’t his or DD’s favourite thing). He’s got a lovely personality and very good manners on the ground, loads and travels like a dream, is great for the farrier (has to be sedated for clipping but as that’s his only vice I’m not really complaining). Everyone at PC loves him - he went to camp in the summer and came home with the ‘PC schoolmaster’ trophy - and we paid less than your budget for him, including tack.

However, he was very green when we got him as his previous owner hadn’t had time for him (too many horses and a baby) so Dd had to put in months and months of work before he was ready to compete - plus we knew his owner so she knew he and dd would be a good fit so sold him to us for quite a bit less than he would be worth now.

I would start by asking around where she works now, and plugging into your local PC or RC networks - good luck!

I bought one a few months ago, he is fantastic but we are taking a while to get it together. He was more than you are talking about. I saw loads, some I did not get on, some I got off after a short time.

Do you know any reputable trainers who could help you, or know people at the local riding club. It is a nightmare, took me 6 months and I had my well known trainer to help me

Good horses are hard to find, I would prioritise overall health and temperament by sounds of things and agree may need to decide how sporty you want horse to be. It probably feels urgent but really it’s very worth taking your time as hard mistake to make - pony club great idea, ask around, can your instructor help? Ask in local tack shops etc, the type of horse you are after does exist but is in demand

Please contact a centre such as Blue Cross. They are very keen for their souls to go to understanding and good homes after what may have been a troubled start to life. Lots of super rescues needing a once and forever home. You can chat is through and make sure you have the right horse/pony for you.

If i thought that we had the experience and knowledge to get a rescue I would in a heartbeat but I'm not convinced that would be a good move for first timers regardless of how much sharing we have done it's not the same as needing to sort out your own horses issues.

We've been offered a lovely Irish cob x. Perfect temperament open to vetting. But he's only really hunted and not a lot else. Dd is going to have a convo with her boss and realistically working with him

I think for your budget you’ll still have to do some work in bringing it on, unless you want something that’s a bit older (15+) or might have had a previous injury.

I bought my mare at 3 months old for £4500, and she’s cost me nearly £25k in livery, being broken in and to get her all tacked up and correct saddle fitted plus everything else but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

You never make money in horses, but something safe, that looks and acts the part even unaff is easily £10k + especially if you want something safe.

Only hunted in Ireland, or in the UK? In Ireland 'only hunted' does tend to mean absolutely green as grass, whereas in the UK it's a bit different... tend to agree on the Blue Cross, they are a great rescue and not doing them down at all, but one of my mares is one of their's and she came to me apparently backed and ready to go on in an average/RC home and she 100% wasn't, I don't know who had done the backing or what had happened in the meantime but she basically needed taking right back to very first steps and rebacking from scratch, only now with massive stress and anxiety issues attached... not what you want presumably!

We've decided against the hunter as that is literally all he's ever done so is v green .

Next decision is a beautiful fresian x cob who we can have on 4 week trial during which we will get him vetted. So now I'm trying to beg and borrow tack for the trial period as he's got none! Sold from field tho where hrs been for a year but we have vids of him previously. My dd hopped on in borrowed tack and he didn't bat an eyelid and went beautifully for her.

God this is worse than buying used cars Or even house buying!!

Ooh, I have a fresianxcob. Black with a white star and very hairy. Very beautiful and if he is anything like mine you will need to get used to people stopping and asking you about him. We bought him for then teenage DS2 but now he is all mine 😊