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You seem ready, but it is really up to your parents |
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Sagebrush said:
Thank you! I'll go over this if/when the time comes where I am allowed to get a horse, and whenevever I need this great advice! Also, how expensive are younger trail/pleasure horses compared to show horses? How diffrent is a gelding from a mare? And, what are some red flags that you can find just while reviewing advertisements?
Here are some tips for actually buying the horse -if you go to buy a horse and it is very clean or it is obvious that it has been washed a lot, don't buy it, they were probably cleaning sweat off the horse because they were riding it lots to make it tired to stop bad behavior -if there is no good pictures of the horse on the ad, don't buy it, make sure there are good pictures i will post more later |
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Just to add to what Moon said. I'd visit the horse at least twice. Don't make a rushed decision. Someone I knew bought a beautiful horse, he worked perfectly when she was trying him out but it turned out that he had been drugged and was an absolute maniac when she had him at at home, he was sold on sadly. Its a shame though he was stunning |
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Thank you both, oak and moon! |
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Sagebrush said:
Thank you both, oak and moon!
No problem :) Good luck! |
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I agree with Oak, but I think that Moon's advice is a little silly... (no offense meant, Moon) Having a picture on the ad is always nice, but don't just throw the horse out the window of the picture isn't the greatest. If it shows the horse, that's all you need. You can make more judgement on conformation/coat/etc if you go to see the horse. As for clean coats, almost every seller is going to wash their horse before they get tried out. As a seller, you want to make the best impression and show off everything about your horse. A nice, clean, shiny coat is attractive. If your seller is leaving you a mud bath, I'd be thoroughly surprised.
Red flags on advertisements are usually pretty obvious. I can't seem to think of any examples at the moment, so I'll come back to this another time when I've thought of some.
There isn't a real difference between mares and geldings. Everybody's idea is that mares are pissier and geldings are more cuddly, but that's not exactly true. It isn't %100 wrong, but there are tons of cuddly mares and pissy geldings. As for physical capability, they are totally equal. When going into buying a horse, I'm never worried about gender.
The price of horses will change depending on what state/country you're in and what the sellers think the horses are worth (plus if it's a buyers market or sellers market, but let's not get into the technical stuff). Young trail/pleasure horses are typically much, much cheaper than a middle aged to older show horse. Depending on where you buy from, I doubt the price would go over 3,500. A good deal would likely be in the late hundreds-early thousands. |
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Sagebrush said:
Also, how expensive are younger trail/pleasure horses compared to show horses? How diffrent is a gelding from a mare? And, what are some red flags that you can find just while reviewing advertisements?
Good questions! Horse prices will vary widely based on your location. I'd say a young but well broke trail/pleasure horse would go for 2500-7000 USD in my area. Younger horses with more potential to possibly be show horses or who have a flashy color and markings will be priced higher. Horses advertised as trail horses less than 1500 are usually priced so low for a reason, i.e. they're very green or a problem horse. Again in my area, a solid show horse will cost at least 10k. The more show experience they have the higher the price. But there are always exceptions--when my brother was little we got a cute grade pony for him that cost less than 5k and turned heads in the show ring. Geldings vs mares. Typically geldings are more calm and tractable than mares. When mares go into heat they are understandably uncomfortable and ruled by hormones. Some mares are more "mare-ish" than others, but all horses are individuals and some mares are easier to handle than some geldings! Ooh, red flags! So many! 1. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 2. Ridiculous pictures in the sale ad, like the owner's kids standing on a pony's back. 3. The barn where the horse is kept or the person selling the horse has a bad reputation. Ask around before visiting! 4. The facility is dingy. Especially if this is apparent even in the photos in the sale ad. Poor farm management often = poor horse management. 5. Horse has had many owners. This is for a reason, and not a good one. If a horse is registered past owners can be looked up on the association's website in many cases. 6. Owner is secretive or avoids questions about the horse's training, behavior, health, or anything really. If you think they're hiding something, they are. 7. Has spent the past few years just sitting in a field, unworked. Sometimes circumstances make it so that an owner has lost interest/cannot ride for whatever reason. Or it could mean the horse is difficult and no one wants to bother with it. Regardless it will be difficult to see this horse's true colors until it is back in work. 8. Reduced price! Must go! (Approach with caution.) Common euphemisms seen in horse sale ads coming up next... |
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I'd be more wary of ads that specifically say no rear, no buck, no vices than ones with a bad picture lol. And a clean horse could just be the owners want their horse to look the best 🤷♀️ |
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Trivia Team
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^ I was scrubbing mud stains off a gray horse when the buyers showed up to look at him. Nothing sketchy going on, it's just respectable to show off a clean horse. Honestly, the best way to buy a horse is through word of mouth. Online ads can show you some good ones, but talking to people you know and trust can help more- somebody knows of somebody who has a great horse who needs a good home. I've never gone out and bought a horse, all of mine have come from friends and family. Of course, you can still look for horses and buy one from someone you don't know. Bring a more experienced friend/trainer to keep an eye out for sketchy signs. See if the horse seems alert- a sleepy eye might indicate a drugged horse (or just a lazy horse, but still. Keep a sharp look out). And be cynical on the way out. Keep in mind what you want, and don't make excuses for a horse just because you want a horse. You want *the* horse. And don't be afraid to ask questions! If a seller is reluctant to answer, that could be a bad sign. Anybody honest will be more than happy to tell you everything you want to know. Also- don't oversell your abilities. I had someone show up to try a horse for lease, she told me she was an experienced 3' jumper. She got on the horse and it was instantly obvious that she could barely balance, had no business cantering let alone jumping. The horse took off because she kept bouncing on his back and it could've ended in somebody getting hurt. We got lucky, but still. Overselling yourself doesn't help you, doesn't help your horse, and only pisses off the sellers. Not saying you would! But now that I'm thinking about the trials and tribulations of selling horses, I'm rambling. But mostly- don't settle! You may find the perfect horse tomorrow. You may find it next year. But I promise, it's worth the wait. |
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Trivia Team
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^ I was scrubbing mud stains off a gray horse when the buyers showed up to look at him. Nothing sketchy going on, it's just respectable to show off a clean horse. Honestly, the best way to buy a horse is through word of mouth. Online ads can show you some good ones, but talking to people you know and trust can help more- somebody knows of somebody who has a great horse who needs a good home. I've never gone out and bought a horse, all of mine have come from friends and family. Of course, you can still look for horses and buy one from someone you don't know. Bring a more experienced friend/trainer to keep an eye out for sketchy signs. See if the horse seems alert- a sleepy eye might indicate a drugged horse (or just a lazy horse, but still. Keep a sharp look out). And be cynical on the way out. Keep in mind what you want, and don't make excuses for a horse just because you want a horse. You want *the* horse. And don't be afraid to ask questions! If a seller is reluctant to answer, that could be a bad sign. Anybody honest will be more than happy to tell you everything you want to know. Also- don't oversell your abilities. I had someone show up to try a horse for lease, she told me she was an experienced 3' jumper. She got on the horse and it was instantly obvious that she could barely balance, had no business cantering let alone jumping. The horse took off because she kept bouncing on his back and it could've ended in somebody getting hurt. We got lucky, but still. Overselling yourself doesn't help you, doesn't help your horse, and only pisses off the sellers. Not saying you would! But now that I'm thinking about the trials and tribulations of selling horses, I'm rambling. But mostly- don't settle! You may find the perfect horse tomorrow. You may find it next year. But I promise, it's worth the wait. |
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Warming, with Sleet and Heavy Icing
