Advice For Buying A Horse? ? ?

[Gazs Way De Solzen]

Evening all.

I’m looking at buying a horse, not to race or anything, just as a family pet.

I’m just wondering where are the best places to actually look at buying horses from? ? ?

I could just do with a little help and guidance on actually buying one.

Many thanks.

Gareth.

[Irish Stamp]

You’ll need somewhere to keep it – livery yards can be pretty expensive (first bit of advice).

Secondly make sure you have a reputable vet check it out before buying, don’t want to buy a horse and find out it has chronic lameness or asthma etc.

Take someone who’s exceptionally knowledgeable about horses – a riding instructor if you take lessons etc. would be a good idea.

The RSPCA rehome horses, they’d need to check out where you intend keeping the horse – I believe they charge a rehoming fee, also Moorcroft and other ventures rehome racehorses as well as various trainers.

Good Luck Gaz

Martin

[Gazs Way De Solzen]

Hi Martin.

Thanks mate.

I have already got a stable to keep the horse, a friend of mine has a really nice place and she has a spare stable to keep the horse so i’m happy with that.

Didn’t think to check out the RSPCA as they will often re-home them won’t they. Thanks for that mate.

Thanks again.

Gaz.

[Drone]

Carrie Humble is always looking to re-home ex-racehorses:

http://www.thoroughbredrehabilitationcentre.co.uk/

Good luck with your venture Gareth

[Gazs Way De Solzen]

Drone.

Thanks very much, both for the link and also the wishes.

Much appreciated.

[Adrian]

We are always buying a selling horses – although only for our personal fun.

It really depends on what you want to use it for and how much you want to spend.

I came to riding late in life so chose a show cob rather than a blood horse and got to ride him at Wembley and all the big county shows as well as hunting him every year. Now I can lead my 4yo daughter on her Section A off him and he is ideally sized for doing this.

My wife used to have arabians and she did cross country and dressage on them until she met me. Then we raced one and went on to do endurance to FEI level.

Now she has a 4yo connemara mare which she is breaking in and will ride for the next few years until our daughter is old enough.

If I’ve owned racehorses – usually pointers in recent years – I’ve just gone to the trainer and sorted one out directly.

Our favourite site for sourcing (and selling) horses is horsequest although horse and hound is OK too – although usually a bit more expensive on average.

A couple of years ago we were looking for a connemara cross t’bred that my wife could just hack out with us until the your connie was ready to break.

We went to lots of dealers yards all over the country – some much better than others.

Obviously you’ll want to trial it first and make sure you do everything you plan to do (ie jumping, x country, hacking out, dressage or whatever) before you buy. If the sellers aren’t keen for you to do this then move on – always plenty of other opportunities.

When we were buying our current Sec A we went to Devon, Welsh borders and Kent before buying up in North Yorks and it is definitely worth putting the mileage in.

Let me know what sort of animal you want (age, sex, price, job) and I’d be happy to give you a few words of advice.

[Irish Stamp]

Hi Martin.

Thanks mate.

I have already got a stable to keep the horse, a friend of mine has a really nice place and she has a spare stable to keep the horse so i’m happy with that.

Didn’t think to check out the RSPCA as they will often re-home them won’t they. Thanks for that mate.

Thanks again.

Gaz.

We got a rehome horse from the RSPCA where I used to work, only a youngster (Welsh and about 14.2hh) – very badly treated early in her life, she was so skinny when they found her. We rehomed her and I spent the next year following her around the field while she shed her baby coat and trying to groom her till she was suitable to ride etc. did a good few in hand classes with her which was quite an experience given she managed to kick the judge in one of them. Eventually had to sell her as she wasn’t suitable to use as a school horse

[Gazs Way De Solzen]

Thanks Adrian, that’s helpful, i have actually pm’ed you with a few more specifics.

Ah that’s a sad story Martin.

Thanks again guys.

Gareth.

[moehat]

this brings back such memories, both good and bad. Just be very careful – I had a lady use her mentally disabled daughter to sell me a ‘bombproof’ pony for my daughter – when my vet checked him out she said to me ‘Mo, this woman is doing everything possible to stop me doing my job; don’t touch the pony with a barge pole’. My farrier knew the people who eventually bought him, they couldn’t even get him shod he was so awful. I ended up going to a local horse dealer who specialised in Welsh Cobs but also took with us my daughters riding instructor and a vet. There’s also no such thing as a ‘bargain’ horse; like most things you get what you pay for. Then, of course my daughter went away to uni and I was left looking after the pony; apart from holidays I saw her every day for 14 years until I had to have her put down with colic [she’d lost a lot of her teeth and wasn’t going to get through another winter anyway]. Having Rosie was the best thing I ever did, but the commitment you have to make is huge. If the horse is going to be a family pet, make sure it’s got a good temperament, and remember they’re a lot quieter in the winter than the spring when they get a bit buzzy. Will look forward to hearing about what happens, I miss being with horses so much these days and watching them out in the field with their pals, and I can still hear Rosie whinnying to me across the field. Good luck! mo

[graysonscolumn]

Gareth,

Given your location in Lincolnshire, I think the Bransby Home of Rest for Horses near Saxilby would have been a logical port of call;

http://www.bransbyhorses.co.uk/pages/1/home

I say “would have been”, as the Home is currently closed to the public whilst it fights off an attack of the Strangles. Be assured that it will reopen at some point this year, however; and when it does, the large majority of the inmates will be looking for new places to live, in accordance with the Home’s policy of pick up, rehabilitate and re-house.

Certainly up until part-way through 2006 the Home was co-run by Geoff Sanderson, in a former life the assistant trainer of the legendary Quixall Crossett. I have a feeling he has moved up to the Northeast since then, but I can try to give him a bell and see if he is a) still involved, and b) able to update us on the prospects of horses being made available again in the near future.

Cheers,

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.

[lollys mate]

Gaz.

I bought a horse once.

14 hands.

It had no legs but boy, could it shuffle a pack of cards!

[Gazs Way De Solzen]

Gaz.

I bought a horse once.

14 hands.

It had no legs but boy, could it shuffle a pack of cards!

Here all week.

[chloed]

Gaz , most important of all get a full vet check done on it, including a blood check to make sure its not full of bute.

[Kingston Town]

Advice For Buying A Horse? ? ?

Don’t……………………..

.

[gamble]

Detached houses
are coming back into favour
try to buy one of those
in the Xmas of 2009.
Oh and little bit of ground attached
for yer spuds

[Author]

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