# amateur riders and expensive horses



## diggerbez (2 February 2011)

inspired by the BE eventing classifieds post- are expensive horses worth their price tags? i realise that this is quite open ended but would be interested to hear your experiences of horses that have cost, say, over 10 grand... have they turned out to be worth their price or a big waste of money?


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## DarkHorseB (2 February 2011)

Interesting question!
I have never been in a position to buy one in that price bracket (or even half it!) but I am not sure if I could I would. I would be very worried about something going wrong with something that cost that kind of money - paranoid even 
I have always said I would never buy a horse that had been ridden by a professional or very good rider as I always think I would be a poor substitute!! Personally I prefer to get something that is a bit of a blank canvas and while I would pay decent money for a decent youngster could find plenty well below that price bracket.


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## diggerbez (2 February 2011)

DarkHorseB said:



			Interesting question!
I have never been in a position to buy one in that price bracket (or even half it!) but I am not sure if I could I would. I would be very worried about something going wrong with something that cost that kind of money - paranoid even 
I have always said I would never buy a horse that had been ridden by a professional or very good rider as I always think I would be a poor substitute!! Personally I prefer to get something that is a bit of a blank canvas and while I would pay decent money for a decent youngster could find plenty well below that price bracket.
		
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yes i agree with you DHB hence why i asked the question because i doubt i will ever be able to afford a horse at anywhere near this price  i have sold a horse for this much though and i know what my opinion of him was


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## Supanova (2 February 2011)

A very interesting question.  

I bought my 9 year old mare as a green 5 year old in that price bracket. Previously i had never had a horse that was worth anywhere near that money, but neither had i had anything that moved so well or had so much scope.  Has she been worth it?  On balance most definitely yes.

However i have had many ups and downs.  In the first few years I worried endlessly that she was going to hurt herself in the field and that i wasn't a good enough rider for her.  I beat myself up all the time if things didn't go well because "it must be my fault as my horse is amazing and cost so much (to be honest it was probably true)!"  

I am sure that 1) i am not doing as well with her as a professional would 2) I have not taken her up the grades as quickly as a professional 3) i have probably lost a lot of money on her. However in the last year or so I have decided not to care because 1) i have not done her any harm (she still has good paces, a nice pop and a soft mouth) 2) she has a lovely life and is very well cared for and 3) if i get my act together on the riding front we could be pretty damn competitive!  She is a talented horse.

Would i buy another one for that price?  Not sure to be honest.  I recently brough another one to run along side my mare and she was much less money as I decided that i didn't need two horses that cost that much!!  So perhaps that answers the question.


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## SuperHorse (2 February 2011)

I think it depends what you're looking for - if you're talking about spending big money on a young untried horse I couldn't justify the expense.  However, a few years ago I did spend decent money on a horse that was tried and tested eventing at 1* and has loads of potential and I have to say for what I wanted he was worth every penny.  I still can't make him do decent dressage but he is just the most honest and scopy horse and just gave me so much confidence in the show-jumping and xc.  I'm selling him in the near future unfortunately as I won't have time to do much with him in the next couple of years - and realistically he's capable of going much further than I ever will.  He's now re-training as a show-jumper and will be doing his first grand prix in a few weeks, so all going well I'm hoping to be lucky and sell him for more than what I paid for him.  Don't think I'll ever be in a position to buy a horse like that again, but really glad I did!


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## TGM (2 February 2011)

Can't say I know personally as never had the funds to buy one in that bracket!  I do know people who have though, and although usually the horses perhaps haven't brought them the competitive glory that they initially hoped for (or that achieved by previous riders), they have usually proved to relatively safe conveyances and given the riders positive experiences.  (These are mainly the been there, seen it, done it types).


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## georgie256 (2 February 2011)

i know someone who has spent a lot of money on several horses and none of them have worked out well for this person.
i would never spend that much money on a horse hahaha.


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## Hels_Bells (2 February 2011)

It's an interesting question...  I could NEVER afford a horse of that price but I am lucky enough to have one on permanent loan.  He was bought for 15k as a six year old when he had been doing medium(ish) dressage and 1.35 SJ in Holland.  He was then basically left to fester until I became his sharer when he was 11yo and he appeared to be a complete nutter.   His owner then decided to sell, but couldn't get any interest at 5k, so I offered to take him on permanent loan (as I couldn't even afford the 5k!!!).

So I managed to straighten him out and teach him XC and we started off with BE intro and 1 season later we are about to start novice with a very solid PN season under our belts.  

He is out of concorde who is an olympic medalist SJer and this coupled with his early training his jumping is pretty good.  He can do his own maths with seeing a stride etc (at the level we've done so far) and has learned about XC very very quickly.  My trainer thinks his dressage is fab and he has the scope for advanced stuff and whe we're training horse sometimes throws in odd things that he says would get a good mark in a dressage test at that level.  However, I'm not that good at dressage so we do well but not amazingly.  He also has a wonderful temperament and a "can do" attitude.  If I could afford another like him I'd get one but younger tomorrow!!!  

As for me, I have good "gung ho" pony club/hunting background and a lot of patience to my name, but no massive equestrian credentials and I am going further with this horse atm than I ever have before (however, my 3k inc tack "first horse" when I was a 13yo was arguably a better all-rounder so I guess the jury is still out!!).  So we are probably near enough your text book case as to what your post is about and I would say that probably the money makes a big difference when it comes to being more sure you have a good horse, but it doesn't necessarily mean you can't get just as good for not a lot if you know what you're looking for and/or get lucky.

Similarly I know a keen young eventer near me who didn't have much luck with first horse so bought a proven 1* horse that had more 1st rosettes at N and I than I've ever seen... so far they are yet to be placed.  So I think it literally is about a combination of factors, luck, money, attitude of horse and rider, teamwork of horse and rider, scope of horse and rider etc etc.


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## coen (2 February 2011)

I haven't had the money to but if I did then probably for something established in its training yes. Seeing my green horse progress is great but sometimes it would be lovely to have a sit on something more experienced.

A friend paid around £15000 for a 10yr old showjumper who had been with professional riders up until then. The horse was a fab all-rounder, not exactly push button but certainly not too complicated.


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## TheMule (2 February 2011)

If you have the money going spare, why not?

Personally I've never had the money, nor would I save up for that purpose. I spend my time looking and buy cheap- keep your ears open and generally something with quality comes up cheap for whatever reason.


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## bigboyrocky (2 February 2011)

Rocky was just under this price bracket (otherwise, the most we've ever spent on a horse is £2250, so was a bit scary!) [step dad got some inheritance money!] as a just backed 4yr old. Walk, trot, canter and canter over a X pole was his limit at the point of sale. imo, TOTALLY worth every penny. Yes, what he knew was very limited, but everything was done correctly, he had no bad habbits - baisically a blank canvas that knew the baisics. He also had absoloutly no vices (and im suprised how rare this actually is! Even if its something small like being prone to mud fever, has to think about walking into the box, wont be left on its own, fidgets for the farrier etc.. most horses have SOMETHING) so i think this made him even more worth it. 

In a way, he has been the perfect schoolmaster to me (i know it sounds silly him being a 4yo!) because he makes it so clear when you are doing something wrong! I fell off him SO many times when i first brought him - seat not secure enough, leg coming too far back when asking for canter.. etc etc (and he could buck for england!, yet he was still so generous at the same time - he would go off ANY stride, always help me out, never stop (he is now becoming much more on the ball as i get it right alot more often now, so when its wrong, he tells me!) but he has just been absoloutly perfect for me. 

He was exactly as described from the seller, and i would definatley buy off them again as i know they only chose quality horses (having worked for them for a few months at weekends), and although expensive, thier horses are always worth every penny. 

 defiantley not a decision i regret!


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## Lolo (2 February 2011)

We've never had the money to buy nice horses, but because we always loan we've had some nice ponies. 

My sister's last pony was a good example of this- she'd gone to PC Champs for Open dressage and SJ, and placed and had a good BS record. She'd been doing 1.15m classes with her old owners, and a bit of PC eventing (but not much). She was sold for quite a decent price for the time as she wasn't as good as the pony the youngest member of the family had, so there was no point in them keeping her. She then had 2 homes in quick succession as she was a bit of a mare who was very picky and opinionated (and if she didn't like the way you presented her at a fence she had a vile stop!). We got her on loan, and she was a superstar. She knew it all, and gave my sister invaluable experience (especially SJ) over 1.10m/ 1.15m tracks and on riding horses, as although she was only 14.2hh she rode like a horse. We could never have afforded her, but the experience she gave A was very worthwhile.


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## Rosiefan (2 February 2011)

Rosie had one bought for her that was more than £10k and he was well worth it (looked at quite a few overpriced duds before they found him though). Came from a pro and she has done pretty well with him. There's no way they could have afforded him but for the other person's generosity though so thank you to him. 
I doubt they would spend anything like £10k on a horse even if they could but if I won the lottery, I probably would - who knows .......


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## Rambo (2 February 2011)

It rather depends on your definition of expensive. One persons £1000 is another persons £10000 and anothers £50000. The other thing to bear in mind too is that many amateurs who pay a lot for their horses are actually paying a lot for the privilege of someone else sorting through the unsuitable horses to find ones that do fit the bill. Time is money and a lot of people have neither the time or inclination to take risks with untried animals when they can pay a bit more and hopefully be at the races much earlier.

Personally the most i paid for a horse was £7.5k. He gave me a lot of pleasure and some good memories...he also frustrated me as i always thought i should be doing better with him. Generally the horses that have given me the most pleasure though are the ones that i've expected least from and who have me little or nothing


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## FRESHMAN (2 February 2011)

Hey SuperHorse you must have been doing something very right if your horse is going to do a Grand Prix in a few weeks. Courses like that are very difficult, personally never seen a horse for sale that is capable of G.P's for that sort of money!


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## dieseldog (2 February 2011)

Better question is how many people ride expensive horses?  Not how many bought one.  Going off all the 'How Muchs' on here there are very few cheap horses on this forum!!!


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## SuperHorse (2 February 2011)

FRESHMAN said:



			Hey SuperHorse you must have been doing something very right if your horse is going to do a Grand Prix in a few weeks. Courses like that are very difficult, personally never seen a horse for sale that is capable of G.P's for that sort of money!
		
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Well, first off I haven't specified how much I paid for him to begin with - and secondly, I'd be looking quite a lot more for him now! 
To be fair I think I just got lucky, he's with a pro SJ'er, prior to that he'd only ever evented so never been tried at any great level SJ


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## LEC (2 February 2011)

I look at the horses that come out of Tim Warrens and Vere Phillips yards and think how much I want one of their horses. If I had the cash to blow on something that could drop dead tomorrow I would do it with no hesitations. I think if you have a good eye for a horse and know your riding capabilities then you can be well matched. I get fed up riding rejects and dream of uncomplicated histories but sadly my brain is writing cheques my bank balance will not cash!


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## dominobrown (2 February 2011)

*sigh* wish i had money....
Afraid I am into getting horse given to me, for nothing!

My pointer did cost someone around 40,000 euros a couple of years ago. He then did a leg, which is a risk if you spend a huge amount on a horse. You don't know what could happen, and could be well worth it and a complete waste, who knows.
Saying that, having worked with pointers for the last 5 years or so, I have sat on some real rubbish horses and good ones. I think my horse has a fantastic engine, and I jumped for the first time the other day and he is fantastic. 
So I am in two minds, you have to spend money to get true quailty, but its a huge risk and you could just be throwing your money down the drain.


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## UnaB (3 February 2011)

I couldnt ever afford a horse in that price tag but when I was much younger I had a former international level jumping pony on loan, she was in her late 20s at that point so not worth much i suppose.  But, she had changed hands for considerable more than £10k in her youth and took all of her riders onto england teams in her prime.  So, in that case im sure those people thought she was worth that money without a doubt.  She was a push button ride, you just had to point her at the jumps.

But, I bought my 14.2 pony for £1800 and he took me onto junior eventing teams as well, but it took several years working with him to get to that level, with the other pony people were pretty much guaranteed to be able to get on her and win right away.

I suppose it depends what you want, i'd rather pay less and work with the horse to get to the level I want, but if you're in it for results only there are horses out there that can give you that - for the right price.  These days £10k is cheap for a competition horse.


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## imr (3 February 2011)

I think it very much depends on how you look at it. Horses dont have ambitions as such so even if you think the horse could have achieved more with a professional that doesnt mean the horse cares or feels wasted assuming its well cared for and ridden. If you can afford it and its what you want then who is someone else to say that is wrong as long as you can cope with the horse? 

There is a big difference in spending substantial sums on 4/5 year olds and on older horses with a track record. With 4/5 year olds there is a lot more speculation about trainability and long term soundness as it can have the most fabulous paces but no brain for the job. With an older horse a number of these queries have been eliminated plus it will have a track record and have developed so will of course cost more. 

The other issue is not getting something so good you cant cope with it. One thing is bigboyrocky's horse scenario where you fall off a lot, learn, and ultimately do well (which is a good scenario!) but the other is getting something that you never get to grips with. When I bought my current horse I was told to buy something that had 3 straight, true , correct paces and decent ability to extend but not to get a really big moving horse - it was my first competitive dressage horse and I wanted to get up through the levels. This was very good advice - there are a lot of people who find the big moving horses hard to collect and I would honestly have found something like that a bit too much I think. As it was I fell off a lot too because he can be rather naughty but I have learned a lot more bringing him up through the levels than I would have getting an established horse, and he has got to PSG so I have no complaints about spending the 3/4 of the price bracket above. Worth every penny. I would now dearly like a second horse who can go beyond this level so I guess I am about to find out if I am going to waste my money or not


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## xspiralx (3 February 2011)

I've never bought a horse for that kind of money [3.5k was my most ever!] and I don't think I ever would.

To be honest, I don't think there is any particular _need_ for the average amateur competition rider to have a horse that costs more than 10k. If you want to compete up to Fox/BE Novice, then you can get a nice horse that will do that for under that amount.

Obviously seriously nice schoolmasters will cost a lot more than that amount, which is fair enough if that's the type of horse you're after - but I know that for me it would be a waste to spend that amount on a horse when I could get one that would do everything I want and more for less than that.


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## measles (3 February 2011)

I have spent that sort of money on jumping ponies and, as a "normal" family it was a real struggle.   However, in junior BS it is very difficult to give your child the experience they need to bring on a younger pony without them getting the experience first.

Following on from that the same can be said for schoolmasters.   I firmly believe that a straight, sound, genuine horse or pony is worth their weight in gold and the experience and stress-free fun they can give is difficult to put a price on.   I also don't have a problem with a super-trainable, talented youngster being what most of us would call expensive as some horses stand out from a young age.

My rule of thumb is not to spend anything I couldn't either afford to lose or afford to insure for LOU.


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## ihatework (3 February 2011)

Define expensive ....

Surely one man's expensive is another mans cheap? It all depends on how much disposable cash someone has.

People are welcome to spend whatever they like on a horse in my eyes. Spending more money doesn't always mean it's a better horse though, and there are a lot of cheap superstars out there if lady luck is on your side.

I do find it amusing people saying 'oh I'd never spend 10K on a horse'. I agree you might not spend 10K on a horse in your current situation. But if you won the lottery tomorrow you might find that changes your mind ...... 

I've always been someone who has funded my own horses entirely. As a result I have had the cheap or free/unbroken/lame ones as it has been all I could afford.

I've plugged away at work, got a good career going and over the last couple of years have had my eye on spending a bit more money on a horse. I recently went out with 10K in my pocket, as it was I fell in love with a 5yo (done not a lot!) so came home with a bit of change in my pocket. If I put a 'how much' post on here I reckon half the member would die of shock of how much I paid for a 15.2hh unregistered 5yo with no competition record.

But what matters to me is I had the money, I was willing to write the money off, I loved the horse and when I come home from work my main priority is I have a horse that is fun and straightforward that I want to be riding.


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## Doncella (3 February 2011)

yes i agree with you DHB hence why i asked the question because i doubt i will ever be able to afford a horse at anywhere near this price i have sold a horse for this much though and i know what my opinion of him was.

Me too I sold a fab horse for a lot of money and he was worth every penny.


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## saz5083 (3 February 2011)

Will possibly never have that sort of money to spend on a horse, and to be honest I dont think I could justify spending that much on one! Most expensive horse Iv ever bought was £1100 for a rising 4yo! Yes he was hard work, unhandled, aggressive and generally not a nice person to be around but he's now the biggest sap you would ever meet (he just needed someone to stand up to him and gain his respect) had wins at BD and placings BE PN and will be moving up to N this season. Scope to burn and a very workable attitude if a little hot at times. I love bringing on the 'diamond in the rough' youngster that no-one would look at and get more enjoyment out of him performing well than placings.

If by some miracle I won the lottery/came into money etc the only reason I think I would spend over 10k on a horse would be for a schoolmaster to give me experience over bigger tracks. Would have to be one that got there with an average amateur though, couldnt follow a pro!


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## BBP (3 February 2011)

My employer in Canada used to pay in the region of 100,000 - 200,000USD for his horses (all warmbloods shipped over from Europe (kinda scary when I think I was looking after 10 of them, so over a million dollars worth of investment for him).  I have to say, they were all stunningly gorgeous, beautifully schooled or started and an absolute pleasure to be around.  I can't imagine myself ever being inclined to spend that much on a horse, even if I had it, but the horses were amazing, so to him they were more than worth it...and sold on for a profit to amateur owners!


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## amy_b (3 February 2011)

This is me!!
I had a small inheritance when I turned 21 and bought myself and advanced event schoolmaster to give my eventing a shot and have something experienced to go advanced on. (I got my old boy to 2* but he was a hunter trying his best rather than an eventer!) 
the horse was really smart as you would expect but he has been ridden by professionals all of his life and if i didnt get him quite right to a fence he would stick two fingers up, he was a tricky personality and to make things worse everybody knew about him and i felt so much pressure to get results, i was convinced at events that other riders recognised the horse and were watching!! . we didnt click at ALL! in the mean time i bought failed racehorse for £750 to re-school and sell. 6 weeks later he did his first event and I decided to sell the schoolmaster instead! he went to a young rider who is doing brilliantly and my cheap racehorse is aiming for intermediate in his second season. 
wel and truly a lesson learnt!!


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## smurf (3 February 2011)

I bought a very expensive horse and regretted it. When you have had them from youngsters you 'hope' that they do well at comps. When you have paid a shed load of cash for an experienced horse you 'expect' it to do well.  So when she did well I was relieved and when she was a cow I was mad and so frustrated. I ended up selling her for a fraction of what I paid.

Lesson learnt!


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## ecrozier (3 February 2011)

Interesting thread. I personally can't imagine ever having the money to spend 5 figures on a horse, however as IHW says if I won the lottery I might well be tempted! 
I think there are soooo many variables in this. I know someone who has now twice bought serious competition horses, actually 3 times, and is yet to have one last more than a year without soundness issues and in fact web when they are sound in reality she probably isn't quite the standard of rider the horse needs to perform, and IMHO that's the flip side of what BBR said above about learning from mistakes - in that particular case it is an accident waiting to happen as these are big strong warmbloods and 17hh is a long way to fall. 
However I am now through luck in the position that the horse I have (and he cost considerably less than a third of the 10k mentionned above) could one day easily be a 10k horse, and would probably have been a 5k+ four year old if he been for sale in the right yard with the right breeding info etc. I must admit I do sometimes think he might be too good for me (a competant RC amateur having competed low level affiliated in all three disciplines but only on my one competitive horse - a 14.2 Arab!)
However as someone else points out above he doesn't know how good he is! And he won't care if my absolute dream and goal would be to get him to 1* when he could do more with a pro. So we will carry on regardless, e has come at the right time as I'm now rather closer to 30 than 20 and in theory am financially stable enough to get decent training etc, and with a huge slice of luck we could still be competing in 15-20 years time. I must admit I have now invested in more fluorescant/flashing items than a Christmas tree and knee boots for hacking and religiously check legs for heat or anything am and pm! The potential loss of money if he breaks does feel a bit scary but at least it's potential
money rather than actual
money we spent!


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## pip6 (3 February 2011)

Never spent over a grand on a horse so doesn't apply to me, but remember a very foolish (wealthy) young lady at last yard. She had a very rich older partner (now acrimoniously seperated), own polo yard etc. When she said she was into classical dressage & brought him to the yard where he saw her supposed Conne (bog pony so badly put together called cut'n'shunt & permanently lame from age 4), didn't want her to be seen out on it. So he spent £20k on a 6 yr old Grannush mare out of a pro sj yard (apparently bartered it down from 40, didn't get it vetted). When she did ride it (before it became lame aged 7 through degenerative bone disease) she was terrified. Although the mare can be a bi*ch in the field if you're going out to catch something out, it actually looks a very calm, honest ride. Never seen her get above the slowest of slow trots, then only in the school (whilst she was screaming it was taking off with her), never been hacked at all. Now field ornament as only (barely) field sound & getting worse, about 10 years old now.

This is the worse case scenario when ego ruled their judgement. He should have swalloed his pride & left her with the bog pony, at least she isn't so scared of that. The expensive mare? Well she plans to breed from it, apparently it's her 'horse of a lifetime'. When they split she was scared he would take it back, so padlocked the stable every night. Once he found out what was wrong with it no-one ever saw/heard from him again, suddenly he didn't want it.


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## diggerbez (3 February 2011)

Doncella said:



			yes i agree with you DHB hence why i asked the question because i doubt i will ever be able to afford a horse at anywhere near this price i have sold a horse for this much though and i know what my opinion of him was.

Me too I sold a fab horse for a lot of money and he was worth every penny.
		
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i wasn't really thinking that about the horse i sold


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## diggerbez (3 February 2011)

some interesting replies keep them coming 

i can totally understand spending big money on a genuine schoolmaster. if i had the money i would love something that had been there, got the tshirt and could take me round some big eventing tracks safely. i guess its hard to find that perfect mix of horse though that has been at the top but that will also put up with a more novice rider who might get strides wrong etc... hence why they ARE worth the money

i honestly don't understand why people pay big money for youngsters. totoally get it if you are carl hester and you need a new potential olympic horse. but for the average amateur it just seems like so much could go wrong before you even start- i know a few people who have spent big money on very big moving dressage horses and can't ride one side of them- especially when they turn into stroppy 5 year olds! 

my current horse was 5k as an unbroken 4 year old which i was  about paying as couldn't even sit on him. i hope that one day he will be a 10k+ horse as he is very talented and has a good brain... indeed i think if started by a pro he would probably now be a 10k+ horse... but i honestly think that if i had spent that on him i would expect more of him/get mad if he did things wrong- does that make sense?


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## measles (3 February 2011)

diggerbez said:



			i can totally understand spending big money on a genuine schoolmaster. if i had the money i would love something that had been there, got the tshirt and could take me round some big eventing tracks safely. i guess its hard to find that perfect mix of horse though that has been at the top but that will also put up with a more novice rider who might get strides wrong etc... hence why they ARE worth the money
		
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I agree with this completely but am then surprised that people seem to think my Grade A schoolmaster who will go off any stride around 1.30 tracks in a snaffle is worth hardly anything....   How does that add up?


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## SpottedCat (3 February 2011)

measles said:



			I agree with this completely but am then surprised that people seem to think my Grade A schoolmaster who will go off any stride around 1.30 tracks in a snaffle is worth hardly anything....   How does that add up?
		
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What you have there is the HHO effect - people are telling you what they would like to pay for your horse rather than what you could actually sell it for!


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## KatB (3 February 2011)

It is a difficult one. I think a lot of people would benefit more from buying an older school master than spending money on a young horse with "potential". I would certainly spend the money if I had it on something very quality, but would probably end up with another younger horse, or an amateur produced horse that had gone to a decent level. 

The other arguement is, why do people think they have to pay £££ to get a good horse?! I think there are a lot of people who over estimate their own abilities, so spend £££ on a horse with massive potential, when actually they'd be better spending half that on a nice honest horse, and the rest on lessons


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## Jane_Lou (3 February 2011)

I am about to sell a pony that will be advertised for that sort of price - he had a decent BE and BD record and although forward going is sane and a fun ride and a lovely person to do both at home and away. I have never been in a position to buy something with that sort of price ticket, its only years of work that have made him what he is so I guess I am at the other end of this argument in that whilst he would be a brilliant pony for a child he would also suit a small adult (which is what has been riding him) wanting to go out tomorrow, compete and have lots of safe fun, not everyone wants to, or can put in the work to get something to where he is now so if you can afford it, then why not buy it!


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## seabsicuit2 (3 February 2011)

Not sure about dressage and SJ horses, but I think when buying a good prospect for eventing, people pay stupid money and if perhaps they looked a little bit harder or further, they would find just a good a horse for at least 1/2 or even a 1/4 of the price, that has not been produced, fed and competed. With a bit of work&time&luck, that cheap horse would easily sell for £££ in a 'top name dealers' yard. Or maybe people dont want to take the risk with buying a unmade horse.


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## pigsmight:) (3 February 2011)

measles said:



			I agree with this completely but am then surprised that people seem to think my Grade A schoolmaster who will go off any stride around 1.30 tracks in a snaffle is worth hardly anything....   How does that add up?
		
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It doesn't I sometimes wish I had started of with a schoolmaster rather than a young horse although I have learnt allot along the way it has taken a long time to get to where I am, and allthough the horse was cheap and I love her to bits she has taken a long time to grow up and iv spent allot of money in training and training comps ect this all adds up and atleast if you put a liitle more money into a horse like say measles schoolmaster you can get on and go Sj and be competitive. All this time money and effort that has gone into producing a grade a Sj that will show someone the ropes must have a value ??


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## HotToTrot (3 February 2011)

Are they worth their price tags?  I think they can be.

When I first had horses as a child/teenager, they were borrowed or cheap, as my parents weren't horsey and they were a bit unsure where this was all going!  Then they caved and said I may as well do it properly.  So we bought a more expensive horse (not in the 10k bracket, but this was in 1997, so what we paid may well be in that bracket now). 

The difference was remarkable.  What I had had before were reasonably capable, PC/RC horses/ponies, which I had bags of fun with going hunting and doing u/a SJ and XC.  What I got for twice the price of any of those was a five year old mare, who had done a PN and had been started perfectly.  We did Ns and JRNs without batting an eyelid.  She was the perfect horse for me to start affil eventing on and I couldn't have done it on the ones I had had before.  Spending the extra on her gave me two years of fun and it also gave me the incentive to take it up again after uni and get back up to novice on my current horse.  I think if I had not had her, and if I had started affil as an adult, it would be a lot harder for me.  So - that one made a big impression!


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## ChellFish (3 February 2011)

This is a really interesting thread as i'm in the market for a reasonably expensive horse I would say.

I agree with spending as much as you can as long as the horse matches up to that price tag! I wouldn't want to spend silly money on something which has done nothing or doesn't really have the ability to become something. Then again I am not a professional and wouldn't want to be making the decisions on such expensive horses.

I would think it would be best to spend more on a schoolmaster than a young horse.

I was at a BD clinic (I think) and the instructor was pleased that the experienced riders where on the babys and the YRs were on schoolmasters and made a point of saying that is how it should be.

Usually a more expensive horse will be better than one you can buy at a much lower cost. If you can afford it why not?


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## Supanova (3 February 2011)

diggerbez said:



			some interesting replies keep them coming 

i can totally understand spending big money on a genuine schoolmaster. if i had the money i would love something that had been there, got the tshirt and could take me round some big eventing tracks safely. i guess its hard to find that perfect mix of horse though that has been at the top but that will also put up with a more novice rider who might get strides wrong etc... hence why they ARE worth the money

i honestly don't understand why people pay big money for youngsters. totoally get it if you are carl hester and you need a new potential olympic horse. but for the average amateur it just seems like so much could go wrong before you even start- i know a few people who have spent big money on very big moving dressage horses and can't ride one side of them- especially when they turn into stroppy 5 year olds! 

End quote 

Its very interesting as my view is the total he opposite to the above.  I can of course see the merits in buying a schoolmaster as no doubt they can teach amateur riders alot and I am sure it would be of benefit to me (albeit how many true schoolmasters are there out there is another question?  how do you really know you're getting a schoolmaster?  Something competing at 1.30m successfully is probably being ridden by a pretty decent rider) , BUT I get most joy from the feeling that you have worked hard to achieve something.  If i bought a schoolmaster for £30k and went out and won a big class, i am not sure i would feel any sense of achievement at all?  Also, whilst i might learn from the schoolmaster, I couldn't help feeling that the only way is down i.e. very likely to lose money on it etc, or it not turn out to be quite so much of a schoolmaster as first thought etc.

I don't think it matters how much you have spent on a youngster, there is still the sense of achievement when you progress and things go right. Spending big money is no guarantee as we have all recognised. Also, as someone else mentioned, youngsters can teach as much as a schoolmaster.  

I agree that most amateur riders don't really need an expensive young horse, however if they have got the money and are not worried about losing it then why not?
		
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## Doormouse (3 February 2011)

I have been very lucky in the past to have been given 2 advanced eventers, a Grade A showjumper and a high goal polo pony.  All retired from affiliated competition but fine to play at unaffiliated and to hunt.

One eventer was the best hunter I ever sat on but wouldn't have attempted to compete him, I would have died.

Second eventer was the hunter from hell, hated mud, never stood still and basically blew his mind.  Did a bit of showjumping and showing but never really enjoyed him as he was so sharp and precious about himself.

Grade A sj, amazing hunter, thought I was flying when I jumped a hedge and settled to it really well.  Did a bit of showjumping but kept pressing the wrong buttons (usually the one for eject) and found the whole thing a bit stressful.

Did I learn anything - not half as much as I have learnt from all my youngsters and rejects.  My best horse ever was as cheap as chips, weaved and wind sucked, was a cow in her box, horrid to ride out but a legend to compete and hunt.  I don't think you can buy success in anything.


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## Chloe_GHE (3 February 2011)

I have a friend who always buys 'big money horses' sadly she then tends to have to sell them on as anything other than an eventer. the last 3 she has had have been v experienced but she hasn't gelled and they are getting bad results at pn/n level.

a big price tag doesn't guarantee a winning relationship....


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## Doogal (3 February 2011)

Personally if money was no object and I had something like 15K to spend, I'd want a 3-4 year old with the best conformation,paces and upbringing i could buy for 3-4k. I'd then invest the rest of the money on getting it started properly and having the best ongoing instruction to help me become a skilled enough rider to make it a 15k horse. 

IMO if I am not capable of training the horse to that level - then i am not going to be capable of keeping it at that level anyway.

At the end of the day, a horse can only be as good as it's rider so I don't see the point in throwing all the money at the horse. 

It would be like getting in the best F1 car and expecting to win the GP - it isn't going to happen unless you've been taught how to drive it.


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## Firewell (3 February 2011)

Doogal said:



			Personally if money was no object and I had something like 15K to spend, I'd want a 3-4 year old with the best conformation,paces and upbringing i could buy for 3-4k. I'd then invest the rest of the money on getting it started properly and having the best ongoing instruction to help me become a skilled enough rider to make it a 15k horse. 

IMO if I am not capable of training the horse to that level - then i am not going to be capable of keeping it at that level anyway.

At the end of the day, a horse can only be as good as it's rider so I don't see the point in throwing all the money at the horse. 

It would be like getting in the best F1 car and expecting to win the GP - it isn't going to happen unless you've been taught how to drive it.
		
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I agree totally with this! Each to their own but personally I'm worried enough about ruining my bargain self trained horse, even then I feel he could do better with someone else so I would be terrified if I had an uber expensive horse!

If you are a proven talented amature rider who has got average or cheap horses up through the grades and turned them into expensive horses then I think those are the people who stand to gain the most from paying 20k odd for a youngster, it could be that grade of horse that turns them from an amature to a professional.

For those amature riders that are purely 'pilots' then if they want to buy an expensive horse to steer round then all the best to them, if the horse is the right personality match it could work out very well. I also think schoolmasters (the real proper ones) if brought to give experience at a higher level and the rider has the ability to ride it they could learn an awful lot.
However I think a lot of people may not be so lucky.. What's the phrase.. Fools and money are easily parted?! I know of someone who has 20k to spend on a 6yr old, the best they can buy to do RC eventing and low level stuff. ummm why? Also this person is quite nervous.
On a bigger scale I know someone who paid 80k for a dressage horse from holland to leanr dressage on, they had one lesson then got bored.. Put it on expensive livery at 2.5k a month where to the best of their knowledge it hasn't even been ridden and now they have decided to sell it they are wondering why it's not worth anything. That is the extreme though I admit


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## _jetset_ (3 February 2011)

I took a loan out to buy my rising 5 year old mare when she was 3 years old because I wanted to buy something that could take me to Advanced dressage and further. I wanted something that had the naturally high end paces, but obviously could not afford something that was 5-6 years old, so ended up going for a just backed 3 year old. 

So far, it has not been an easy journey with her. She is very quick thinking, incredibly sharp and can be quite sensitive, but I have learned so much through her and we have truly clicked with each other. I get a little satisfaction knowing that she is definitely a pros horse (several people have told me this when I was having some issues with her) but as an amateur I have really conquered those issues with some fabulous help from SAMgirl.  

In my eyes she was worth the money I spent on her as a 3 year old because she is just built 100% for the job in hand (confirmed by the KWPN grading 2010) and when she gets it right it is like nothing I have ever felt before. 

So while for some amateurs maybe buying an expensive horse will not buy you success, for those who are determined to work hard and not afraid to take a risk, then I think they are worth it!


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## wonkey_donkey (3 February 2011)

I bought my daughter a JA pony for 22k when she was in juniors.

We are ordinary people so it was a big sacrifice.

The pony was a total dog and had always been ridden by really tough 'top' kids that could keep him on the straight and narrow.

My daughter was doing well with her other (cheap) ponies so I just thought I would give her the break I never had as a child.

The reality was she couldn't ride one side of the pony (bless her) and it was the worse mistake I have ever made.

Luckily, someone must have been looking over me because I managed to quickly sell the pony well and got 95% of my money back before I lost my marriage over it! (gulp)

I would NEVER buy an expensive pony or horse again and stick to what we know in future !!


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## illy89 (3 February 2011)

I was very lucky in that my parents were willing to spend money on a horse to teach me the ropes of eventing as neither of them had any experience with horses before they had me!! I had a few horses on loan and a few nut cases before we began looking for a serious horse. Purdy was advertised at 20k but we bought her a bit less than that, she was 9 had been eventing 2 seasons and had 17points and never had a xc fault. Before this she had hunted several seasons in Ireland. As far as im concerned she has been worth every penny. She has taken me from never having evented to 1* and is the most genuine, kind natured horse you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. She has a home for life with us and is well and truly part of the family!! It hasn't always gone perfectly but she is a genuine schoolmistress as helps you out when you need it but also teaches you to actually ride as by no means push button! However now she has shown me the ropes and taught me sooo much I have just brought a very green but talented 5yo who I am bringing onto event, he didn't cost a particularly huge amount and there is lots of work to be done but I think if I hadn't had Purdy to give me experience then I wouldn't be able to take on a project like him now!!
I know im so lucky to have a horse like Purdy and she doesn't owe me anything. She is a once in a lifetime horse!!


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## Doogal (3 February 2011)

I reackon the problem is only when people take out a mortgage to buy a horse but then have to scrimp on the training as a result. 

However the fact is that if you are prepared to put the money and effort into training a more expensive horse, they will have the better conformation or paces and will be able to take you that bit further - hence the hefty price tag.

I suppose the ideal scenario is to just be so loaded you can afford the initial outlay AND the best instruction - maybe money really is the answer!


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## Whisky (3 February 2011)

When I left school, I wanted to do a year on an event yard before university and I was lucky enough that my parents could afford and were willing to buy me a nice horse - a rising eight-year-old with a good novice record and potential to go further, although unlikely to be a potential Badminton winner. He cost around the £10k mark in the late 90s and importantly was also a nice person as the deal was always that my mum would look after and ride him mainly once I was at university. 

Over the next couple of years I would say I increased his value by giving him intermediate experience and completing clear inside the time at one-star. The next eight years were full of ups and downs - we had placings at novice, clears at intermediate and numerous one-star completions, but also a couple of nasty falls and some low points of confidence that took time to get back from - and I would say over that time his value decreased pretty rapidly as he aged without moving cleanly up the scale. Probably a fairly typical amateur story - bar the first year, his eventing was all done around me either being at university or having a full-time job.

However, we've never thought of selling him and I'd say he's been worth every penny - as well as all the ones spent on him in the meantime. I had nine years eventing, a lot of fun and experience, and he's now a hack/dressage horse for me and mum - he's 19 this year and we didn't hesitate to spend some fairly serious cash on an operation he needed in the autumn. Yes, he could have gone further with a professional, but he's had a very happy life as number one in a family, rather than one of a line on a big yard. I don't think he minds that he never really fulfilled his full potential. 

At the moment I don't want to event again - if I did, what would I buy? Since I stopped eventing I've saved the cash I used to spend on entries and lessons so I would be in a position to spend a bit of money, although not megabucks. It would have to be sane and have some experience as I don't really have the time or expertise to bring on a total novice. I can see that would be an amazing sense of achievement, but at the moment I don't think it's for me. 

Personally I wouldn't spend huge money as I'd be too scared of losing it all if the horse hurt itself, but if I could afford it I would always be willing to spend decent money to get what I wanted. Bad horses cost as much to keep as good ones - not that good ones have to be expensive and bad ones cheap, but you can help the odds to some extent.


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## Firewell (3 February 2011)

Having read some of the replies I do think it's hard to put everyone in a box so to speak as everybody's circumstance is different and every horse is different.

Thinking about it my pony club star horse when I was a teenager was my familys horse that was handed down to me when myself and the horse were 16. He was purchased by my family for circa 7.5k back in 1989 which back then was an awful lot of money! We had him for 18 years and he was a wonderful horse for us all. If it wasn't for him maybe 
I wouldn't be who I am now? I was very priviledged to have a horse of his calibre and temprement to do pony club on and we were very successful.

I still stand by what I said above regarding myself today! I honestly would be terrified if I had an expensive horse. Also my horse may not have cost much but he is the perfect horse for me, I know 200% that if I had millions of pounds to spend he still would have been the one for me. To me him being cheaper didn't make him not as good as others, if I had found him and he was 20k he would still have been for me. Even though he was a bargain baby I'm having as much fun with him as I did with my PC schoolmaster. I do think however that I was one of the lucky ones to go looking for a horse on a budget and stumble across my dream horse! Sometimes maybe you can't put a price on that 'click' and it's not about how much a horse is but how that horse makes you feel, if an amature rider gets that feel from an expensive horse then so be it!


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## sazzle44 (3 February 2011)

can't even imagine spending that on a horse...
I'd probably spend a fair bit on a youngster, but buying an experienced horse to do stuff at the level I'm at (BEN BS:Newcomers) I'd feel like I was just taking credit for someone elses work when actually I could probably do it again to that level :/ I can understand doing it if you haven't got the time etc to bring something on yourself. And for a couple of young riders at PC who's parents a) have the money b) want them to get experience round bigger tracks, it seems fair enough. 
Saying that, I can think of a girl in our area who has had numerous very expensive horses and ponies bought for her and not a single one is at the same level it was when she bought it. One taken back by it's owners (it was on loan) and the current two she has are being sold because they aren't good enough/don't get on :/ I'd always be petrified that I'd ruin something and have that happen


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## TheoryX1 (3 February 2011)

Chloe_GHE said:



			Ia big price tag doesn't guarantee a winning relationship....
		
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Very, very true.  I could tell you about some friends of mine, but to be honest the story would go on and on and on and on.  Basically, its pushy mum syndrome.  Child gets bought expensive, well bred blood horse which is fairly experienced. Horse is not a teenagers ride, child does not do as well as expected.  Horse gets the blame.  Horse gets sold.  New horse purchased.  Same story, several times over.  Getting bored with it now .........  Yes, this is a true story as well.

On the flip side of this, we paid, lets just say well over five figures for our mare.  She was six, had competed up to BE100 with a 4* rider and was just about to go Novice when we bought her.  To some she is a typical push button ride, produced by a professional.  However, although she is the latter, she is not the former.  She has formed a lovely bond with my daughter, and will give her 200% and is so honest and willing.  You can even see her trying to please.  She had been given a fantastic early education, but push button ride she is definitely not.  She has to be ridden properly, as she can be somewhat lazy and opionated.  At 15.2hh she is the perfect height for a teenager and has taken my daughter from 2 foot 3 PC eventing to BE Novice and hopefully beyond.  I know I paid a lot for her, but she has not put her foot wrong with us, nor has she given us a days's worry, apart from the usual horsey stuff we all stress over.  I know I would recoup my original investment and a bit more if I was to sell her - and I have no shortage in people wanting to buy her - both within our PC and outside of it.  

However, the key to it is the relationship she has with my daughter.  I am aware that most people can get on her and get some form of a tune out of her, as I have seen her ridden by other people, but she practically sparkles for my daughter.  Would I do it again.  Yes I would.


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## kit279 (3 February 2011)

I don't think I'd pay that money for a horse because they, ahem, break


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## Firewell (3 February 2011)

TheoryX1 said:



			However, the key to it is the relationship she has with my daughter.  I am aware that most people can get on her and get some form of a tune out of her, as I have seen her ridden by other people, but she practically sparkles for my daughter.  Would I do it again.  Yes I would.
		
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That's a lovely story! She must be a good rider . I love watching a combination of horse and rider that are just meant to be. I know a girl and horse like that and watching them is like watching poetry in motion, I swear they communicate telepathically!


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## HuggyBear (3 February 2011)

If it is your money, spend it as you will. If you want to buy an expensive horse go for it. They are not solely the realm of professionals.

I do, however, agree wholeheartedly about investing equal money into training after purchase. It can make a big difference.


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## TarrSteps (3 February 2011)

If I was buying talent, physical ability and the right mind for the job for myself to ride, yes, in a New York Minute.  I've sat on some wonderfully "custom bred" talented horses in my time and I'm sorry, it's a whole different ball game.  Sure, not every really talented horse is big money but the established breeders and big stud books DO know what they're doing and they know when they've got a good one so you're unlikely to find a bargain at the top levels.  I paid less than market (because of his behaviour) but still a good chunk of change because he was showing such talent for the only horse I've ever bought for myself and I never, ever regretted a minute of it.  I didn't take him as far as I would have if I'd had more experience but I also didn't break him as thoroughly or as quickly as I would have a less talented individual. 

Riding horses like that is like crack.   It's like driving a really good car or even buying superb quality clothes.  Lots of expensive things aren't necessarily good quality (and not everything that's cheap is poor quality) but if they are, you're getting what you pay for and it's a different experience.

Even when I've ridden horses of that calibre from disciplines I know little about (breed showing and the like) I've known I was on something special.  They don't always look it ambling about but when you put your foot down and ask them for what they're "for" . . .   

I've bought schoolmasters for students (and leased my own to the same job) and I would do it and recommend it as money well spent if you've got it.  The amount you can learn (and take on to your next horses) and the experience it can give you is invaluable and an investment in your riding future.  

If you don't have the money, the point is moot and there are ways to get good horses without breaking the bank but if I had it to spend, I'd spend it.


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## jamber (3 February 2011)

I would say it depends where u get them from......I spent rather a large amout of money on a young event horse who has been been broken, produced and competed by professional riders. While he was fantastic however, he was quite a handful for an amature like me to handle without very regular guidance from a top instructor. I was also very scared that I was going to ruin all the good ground work that had been done or he was going to injure himself, either out XCing or in the field so I definatly over protected him! In the future I would not spend that amout of money on a horse again, he was a very talanted horse, but he did need a very good rider to bring that out!!


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## JAMESTOWN (3 February 2011)

TarrSteps said:



			If I was buying talent, physical ability and the right mind for the job for myself to ride, yes, in a New York Minute.  I've sat on some wonderfully "custom bred" talented horses in my time and I'm sorry, it's a whole different ball game.  Sure, not every really talented horse is big money but the established breeders and big stud books DO know what they're doing and they know when they've got a good one so you're unlikely to find a bargain at the top levels.  I paid less than market (because of his behaviour) but still a good chunk of change because he was showing such talent for the only horse I've ever bought for myself and I never, ever regretted a minute of it.  I didn't take him as far as I would have if I'd had more experience but I also didn't break him as thoroughly or as quickly as I would have a less talented individual. 

Riding horses like that is like crack.   It's like driving a really good car or even buying superb quality clothes.  Lots of expensive things aren't necessarily good quality (and not everything that's cheap is poor quality) but if they are, you're getting what you pay for and it's a different experience.

Even when I've ridden horses of that calibre from disciplines I know little about (breed showing and the like) I've known I was on something special.  They don't always look it ambling about but when you put your foot down and ask them for what they're "for" . . .   

I've bought schoolmasters for students (and leased my own to the same job) and I would do it and recommend it as money well spent if you've got it.  The amount you can learn (and take on to your next horses) and the experience it can give you is invaluable and an investment in your riding future.  

If you don't have the money, the point is moot and there are ways to get good horses without breaking the bank but if I had it to spend, I'd spend it.
		
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Agree with every word of this!


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## Bubblegum (3 February 2011)

Personally, having bought (to me, and my limited budget) expensive horses/ponies...and then been given others...well every single one teaches you valuable lessons.
An expensive horse comes with expectations, pressure and very often jealousy from others... a 'gift' horse comes with none of these.
From my own experience...they have all taught me much about myself.
Honestly though, the most joy has come from the gems I have found myself owning, and have turned out to be far more than I ever dreamed of.


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## georgie256 (3 February 2011)

I'd love to say my pony cost a lot but he didn't at all. waaaaay under what most people would spend on a pony for bsja


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## Hen (3 February 2011)

I think so long as an amateur understands that they need to invest in the personal training and/or support required to keep a performance horse excelling at (and most importantly, enjoying) its job, the enjoyment of riding a high quality horse to me almost makes any argument (money aside) redundant!
I've got 2 that would fall into your category and they've brought me huge enjoyment and understanding of a new discipline at a point in time where I was almost ready to pack it all in. And I'm so in awe of how they can move and perform, to be honest I'm not really bothered whether we 'cut it' in the show pen or not, or whether I make a muppet of myself, because just to feel what they are capable of and happy doing is such a thrill. I'm not going to be riding horses for ever, so I want to make the most of learning to ride super-dooper horses while I can. And if it all goes belly up and I make a total dog's dinner of it, I've still learned lots, they're happy and well cared for, and we'll sit down share an apple or two, no hard feelings!


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## PorkChop (3 February 2011)

Hen said:



			I think so long as an amateur understands that they need to invest in the personal training and/or support required to keep a performance horse excelling at (and most importantly, enjoying) its job, the enjoyment of riding a high quality horse to me almost makes any argument (money aside) redundant!
I've got 2 that would fall into your category and they've brought me huge enjoyment and understanding of a new discipline at a point in time where I was almost ready to pack it all in. And I'm so in awe of how they can move and perform, to be honest I'm not really bothered whether we 'cut it' in the show pen or not, or whether I make a muppet of myself, because just to feel what they are capable of and happy doing is such a thrill. I'm not going to be riding horses for ever, so I want to make the most of learning to ride super-dooper horses while I can. And if it all goes belly up and I make a total dog's dinner of it, I've still learned lots, they're happy and well cared for, and we'll sit down share an apple or two, no hard feelings!
		
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^^^ this in a nutshell


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## blood_magik (3 February 2011)

my dad spent stupid money (around the 30k mark) on timberland because our previous horse didnt perform under pressure (we paid around £10k for him in 2005). 

i was lucky - my first horse cost £5000 inc tack and i shared him with my dad. think we may have paid a bit much for him - hard to tell as we were living in dubai at the time - but he was a wee star who brought me on in leaps and bounds.


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## Booboos (3 February 2011)

Spending a lot of money on a horse is no guarrantee that you will click with it and do well at competitions, but then again neither is spending a small amount of money on a horse! Horses are tricky, each one is different and finding the right one, especially for a job as difficult as getting an amateur to be competitive, is just tough.


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## Princess P (3 February 2011)

What I'd really like to know is how do people actually come up with that kind of money?? 10k is serious cash and all the other costs that go along with horses really add up!

So how have those of you with expensive horses paid for them? What jobs do you / your parents do?

I am in my 20's so still young / early in my career but I can't ever imagine having that kind of cash spare! Coming up with 2k for my boy was hard enough!

Apologies for being nosey!
x


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## diggerbez (3 February 2011)

Princess P said:



			What I'd really like to know is how do people actually come up with that kind of money?? 10k is serious cash and all the other costs that go along with horses really add up!

So how have those of you with expensive horses paid for them? What jobs do you / your parents do?

I am in my 20's so still young / early in my career but I can't ever imagine having that kind of cash spare! Coming up with 2k for my boy was hard enough!

Apologies for being nosey!
x
		
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i suspect that most people have worked very hard and saved up. some lucky people will have had them bought by rich parents (who also probably work very hard and have saved up) or have been left money


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## Supanova (4 February 2011)

Princess P said:



			What I'd really like to know is how do people actually come up with that kind of money?? 10k is serious cash and all the other costs that go along with horses really add up!

So how have those of you with expensive horses paid for them? What jobs do you / your parents do?

I am in my 20's so still young / early in my career but I can't ever imagine having that kind of cash spare! Coming up with 2k for my boy was hard enough!

Apologies for being nosey!
x
		
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My parents weren't mega rich so the ponies I had were all quite cheap.  I worked hard on my education and when i left uni I got a well paid, good job for an investment bank. Having been in that job for a few years or so, i had the money to buy my first expensive horse.  I also stayed at home when i was at uni and in the first few years of work so this helped me to save up!  The upside of the job is the money which allows me to buy pretty much whatever i need for my horses and not worry everytime i get the vet etc (without sounding flash or anything). The downside is the hours and the stress which makes it difficult for me to spend the time with the horses that i would like to, however i am sure less well paid jobs are also hard and stressful so I can't moan.


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## Rambo (4 February 2011)

^^^^^ ditto ^^^^^

I am in my early forties, didn't go to uni and so have been working for appriximately 25 years now. I too work in an investment bank in the city ( i IT though) and have worked my way up to a very good salary. The downside is i leave the house at 5.30am each morning and don't get back to the yard until about 7pm...on a good day ! This means i also have to pay someone else to do my horses for me at this time of year.

For what it's worth, £10k is still a lot to spend on a horse...but it isn't inconceivable by any means.

The horse i just lost after 5.5 years cost me £7.5k...so spread over the time we had him that was less than £1500 per year...or put another way, just over £100 per month for every month of ownership. Compare that to the £400 - £500 per month that it cost to keep him on livery / shod / clipped / vaccinated etc and the £7.5k pales into insignificance :-O


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## Hen (4 February 2011)

Princess P said:



			What I'd really like to know is how do people actually come up with that kind of money?? 10k is serious cash and all the other costs that go along with horses really add up!

So how have those of you with expensive horses paid for them? What jobs do you / your parents do?

I am in my 20's so still young / early in my career but I can't ever imagine having that kind of cash spare! Coming up with 2k for my boy was hard enough!

Apologies for being nosey!
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I work in a bog-standard job for a bog-standard wage, and am fully self-supporting. Obviously, since I don't count as one of life's high fliers, some things need to give - the usual suspects: nice car, clothes, meals out, holidays etc; but I recently figured out that pouring time and money on propping up and maintaining my bog-standard house was nowhere near as fun as selling up, renting and having fabulous horses. The way I look at it, I refuse to have a performance horse and not put the time and money into ensuring it is properly maintained; training and keep costs, and my competition fees, are all the same, regardless of whether my horse is talented or not - so I am prepared to put my money into maintaining a talented horse that brings me great pleasure, both as a rider and an owner. It's a simple question of priorities, not so much of 'spare cash'.


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## imr (4 February 2011)

Similar story to supanova  here. My uncle died and his horses ended up coming to us which was how I got my first horse as a teenager. We had a little yard then and I spent most weekends working at the yard. My current horse I have had for 15 years, he cost 7.5 k and it was a mix of insurance money and money I inherited after my grandad died. I have worked for some 14 years as a corporate lawyer and the last couple of those abroad. Having not paid any tax for a couple of years I have saved for my next horse which I want to be something really special. I'm lucky but the hours and stress mean I don't want to do this forever.

Also rambo's point is a good one. Cheap horses pretty much cost the same to keep as expensive ones.


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## mystiandsunny (4 February 2011)

I've never paid anything like that, but have picked up a couple of well-bred youngsters for much less than their original price tag due to problems with the owner/other issues.  What I will say, is that compared to the two bog-standard good allrounders I have, they are in another league, and require another league of riding.  When they are older, they will both make fab schoolmasters, but not yet.  It is easier to get a good, quick SJ round at a lower height on an allrounder than a talented SJ bred baby (because the allrounder will forgive your mistakes!), yet the baby will clear over 1m as if it isn't there and still be hungry for more, pinging so much over the jumps that she'll easily ping you out if you're not careful.  

My dressage girl is sharp as anything, spooky, reactive and responds to every slight shift of weight.  Get it right, and she falls into a beautiful outline, will collect up, lengthen, whatever with just the lightest signal - getting the movements right first time she's ever asked.  To compete her successfully, my riding needs to go up a notch or six, and there's a lot of lessons coming!


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## _jetset_ (4 February 2011)

I could never have come up with the money I paid for my rising 5 year old... But I decided to take a risk and took a loan out to buy her! It was a big risk, but hopefully one that is paying off!


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## dressagecrazy (4 February 2011)

I have no problem with the price tags some Amateurs are prepared to pay, some amateurs really do work hard & really do well. Others that are part of the "i want everything now & dont want to work for it" are the dissaster stories we hear of.

Ive never paid anything near 10k for my horses, but i have to say i had to buy either very young horses or horses that where "problem horses". My WB was one of the Problem horses & if he hadnt of been such a mixed up horse i can honestly say he would of been in the 15k price bracket, with his breeding & movement. Lucky for me he wasnt & we worked together.

My latest horse is a PRE & he also has cost no where near 10k ive been very lucky to of found him the price i paid was due to the economic climate atm. But again he's rising 4yo so all the hard work is on me again. But i enjoy it thank god & it is nice to think you've added value to your horse no matter if you buy to sell on or not. 

With any horse you have to make sure that your buying something that you can work with.


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## TheoryX1 (4 February 2011)

Hen said:



			I work in a bog-standard job for a bog-standard wage, and am fully self-supporting. Obviously, since I don't count as one of life's high fliers, some things need to give - the usual suspects: nice car, clothes, meals out, holidays etc; but I recently figured out that pouring time and money on propping up and maintaining my bog-standard house was nowhere near as fun as selling up, renting and having fabulous horses. The way I look at it, I refuse to have a performance horse and not put the time and money into ensuring it is properly maintained; training and keep costs, and my competition fees, are all the same, regardless of whether my horse is talented or not - so I am prepared to put my money into maintaining a talented horse that brings me great pleasure, both as a rider and an owner. It's a simple question of priorities, not so much of 'spare cash'.
		
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I put my hand up and admit I paid a lot for Mini TX's horse, but she is worth every penny of it.  However, I do sometimes resent the fact that other people question how I was able to do it.  I am an ordinary person, I dont come from a wealthy background, in fact,I am from very humble beginnings. however, I was fortunate enough to start my own busines 14 years and have worked my butt off to make it what it is today.  Sometimes it was a queston of paying staff, suppliers, rent etc, and not paying myself.  In fact for my first 3 years I didnt even draw a wage because I couldnt afford to, and then for a year or so after it was pretty much around what the minimum wage is now.  I have worked, very, very hard and have managed to save.  I also have a very good job now, which is the fruit of my labours - that is how I managed to afford and keep an expensive horse for an amateur rider.


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## FrodoBeutlin (4 February 2011)

Well, I really would not class a horse costing £10k as expensive!! That is considered cheap in most parts of Europe 

"Expensive" here normally means a six-figure sum! A lot of well-bred *foals* exchange hands for £10k. One of my own foals cost around that figure (And yes, he is worth every penny  ). 

£10k for an adult horse really is very, very little money in dressage terms.

I really don't see the problem. Most people will spend more than £10k on a car, why would it be any different for a horse?


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## kit279 (4 February 2011)

FrodoBeutlin said:



			Well, I really would not class a horse costing £10k as expensive!! That is considered cheap in most parts of Europe 

"Expensive" here normally means a six-figure sum! A lot of well-bred *foals* exchange hands for £10k. One of my own foals cost around that figure (And yes, he is worth every penny  ). 

£10k for an adult horse really is very, very little money in dressage terms.

I really don't see the problem. Most people will spend more than £10k on a car, why would it be any different for a horse?
		
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Money being relative here!  It's quite easy with horses (and houses!) to lose sight of how hard most people would have to work to earn £10K!

And I happen to know the chief exec of a major hedge fund has never paid more than £1200 for a car and never more than £2K for a horse...!


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## FrodoBeutlin (4 February 2011)

Well, if you consider that the average price of a youngster at the last PSI auction was £150k (!), and, at the other end of the scale, average price of youngsters at most non-elite warmblood auctions is always around £10k (much higher for elite auctions...and non-elite horses are generally not good enough to be pro horses, so definitely aimed at the amateur, even non-competitive market)...you'll see where I am coming from.


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## kerilli (4 February 2011)

i think it depends hugely, as ever, on the horse.
i've never had a 'made' horse, but i was lucky enough to be able to buy 2 very very nice young horses from Vere Phillipps many years ago. neither had evented at all (both had SJed with him, and one had also SJed in Ireland before he bought her) and neither had been mucked about with on the flat. I was a real amateur but with a lot of good instruction I got the first to 2* before he got injured, and the 2nd to 3*, ditto. they were expensive by my standards, but worth every single penny, because they had no man-made problems at all, and both had oodles of ability for what i wanted to do. that's why i recommend him to anyone lucky enough to be in the same boat.
by contrast, 2 of my friends paid very big bucks for Advanced horses from a top International event rider, and neither could ride 1 side of the horse. one friend in particular was an exceptional little jockey, BUT there's no comparison between a small young female and a tall, strong, very experienced male rider... just because a horse has 'been there and done it' does not mean that another rider, amateur OR professional, will be able to get along with it. 
a 'schoolmaster' is a very difficult thing to quantify. to some people it is a push-button ride which does the right thing as long as the rider does a reasonable job. xc versions of this are easy to spot, they love the game enough to forgive enormous screw-ups on top, and can be very 'point and shoot'.  the other type of schoolmaster is an exact mirror of the rider, and only goes as well as the rider rides it. (easy to spot in many 'dressage schoolmasters' imho)
also, huge pressure comes with expensive or high-profile horses, and sometimes there's enough pressure already, be it self-imposed, family expectations, PC, or whatever...


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## wench (4 February 2011)

I have only ever had cheap horses, as that is all I can afford, and I would be worried about buying an expensive one if it would break.

Advantages of cheap ones: Henry: Had a very nasty habit of running around jumps and doing 180 degree spins on a hack to pi$$ of home with you. Cue learning how to stay on one as it does these tricks. Trigger: Ex-pro's horse, had rubbishy owner before me - if you dont ride him right he wont do it - cue me being thrown into the bottom of the jump when I got it wrong and expected him to take of like Henry would have done.

Disadavatages - you get other people's problems. Both Henry and Trig had obviously had moronic owners at some point. Unfortunatly with Henry, it was quite early on in life (6 ish we think), and he knew he could get away with doing what he wanted. In his favour, he had been in hunt service before moron, so he was a fantastic well mannered hunter. Trig had moron owner at about 11/12 - he arrived with certain isssues, but is now revertung to back to his more "true" nature, and when ridden he barely does anything naughty.


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## Mbronze (4 February 2011)

I think its a case of if you have the money and perhaps a support team behind you then why not? I would if I had the money


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## xspiralx (4 February 2011)

FrodoBeutlin said:



			Well, I really would not class a horse costing £10k as expensive!! That is considered cheap in most parts of Europe 

"Expensive" here normally means a six-figure sum! A lot of well-bred *foals* exchange hands for £10k. One of my own foals cost around that figure (And yes, he is worth every penny  ). 

£10k for an adult horse really is very, very little money in dressage terms.

I really don't see the problem. Most people will spend more than £10k on a car, why would it be any different for a horse?
		
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Well either people get paid a lot more in Europe, or horse riding is a hobby only for the rich...!

I would not say that *most* people will spend 10k on a car either - I'd say fairly wealthy people would, but most people I know drive cars that are worth under 5k.


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## FrodoBeutlin (4 February 2011)

xspiralx said:



			Well either people get paid a lot more in Europe, or horse riding is a hobby only for the rich...!
		
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LOL, salaries in the UK are the highest in Europe aren't they? Or among the very highest? Certainly far higher than in Italy 

But yes, in some countries riding (and especially dressage) is definitely a very elitist sport.


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## imr (4 February 2011)

FrodoBeutlin said:



			Well, I really would not class a horse costing £10k as expensive!! That is considered cheap in most parts of Europe 

"Expensive" here normally means a six-figure sum! A lot of well-bred *foals* exchange hands for £10k. One of my own foals cost around that figure (And yes, he is worth every penny  ). 

£10k for an adult horse really is very, very little money in dressage terms.

I really don't see the problem. Most people will spend more than £10k on a car, why would it be any different for a horse?
		
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Was discussing the expensive foals issue with a friend this am, her sister breeds these kind of foals and has no trouble selling 15 k 6 month olds. I was saying this (as in buying one) was not something I would do because you can't do anything with them for nearly three years plus you don't actually know if they will reach 3 with good paces and conformation and you have no idea of temperament. I'm amazed people do.

Expensive is relative as you say though. My next horse slush fund is substantial but talking to several people its obviously nothing out of the ordinary even though to me its once ina lifetime only money. And its going on a 6-10 year old not a foal!!


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## Firewell (4 February 2011)

With expensive horses I do wonder how much you are paying for the 'seal of approval' from professionals who have realised the horse is above average?! I don't want to pay for that seal of approval! I would rather find the one that hasn't been spotted I feel I have a bargain then .
I know it's different for top level dressage and showjump bred horses as they are like frodo said worth 150k plus for babies, I think if you really want to reach top top level then you have to consider a horse like that. To me though that is outside the realm of 'amature'. I think of an amature as Joe bloggs who rightly or wrongly puts all their savings into a horse in the under 50k bracket to do low-mid level affiliated, I'm talking up to 1m30 SJ, Int eventing, Adv Med dr. Most people do not make higher then that as talent and dedication take over, something that is not possible for the majority of people who work full time and cannot physically put the hours required in.

These people and the horses in this bracket that we are classing as expensive I think do pay a lot of time for someone elses reputation or percieved knowledge in what makes a good horse.

I'm thinking of dealers that buy in Ireland a straight youngster with fashionable clover hill type bloodlines for under 4/5k and then flog it to us amature Brits for 10-15k and we are happy to pay for something that someone else has gone to the trouble of finding for us. In that case I really do not think you are buying 'exceptional' talent! You could have traipsed across Ireland and found it yourself sitting in a local breeders field!

I think some people like paying over 10k for a horse as it comes with the label 'my horse was expensive, he must be good'. People get security from paying lots of money as they feel happy they have got the best they could. You hear lots of stories how once people bump the price up on a horse they are selling it sells.

I think it's a very grey area! The level most people compete at they really don't need world beating paces/jump anyway, the right attitude in a horse will win them more prizes. I do appreciated how you become addicted to riding a horse with ability though. Even at a low level it feels amazing to ride one that really operates. It's a pleasure and it makes it feel easy. I couldn't ride something that didn't have ability, something that consistently had a pole or something who's paces mean you always struggle to hit the top spots in dressage would drive me crazy! Likewise something too flash that I couldn't get down the centre line with out it exploding would also irritate me, I wouldn't have the nerve to handle a horse like that. You don't need to spend tens of thousands to find a horse with ability but you do have to trust your eye and take a risk with something that costs the same to keep no matter the price tag. This is why I think people go to proven horse agents and pay the money.


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## TarrSteps (4 February 2011)

imr said:



			you don't actually know if they will reach 3 with good paces and conformation and you have no idea of temperament. I'm amazed people do.
		
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Well, that's kind of what the discussion is about.  People in the know WILL be able to tell those things at that age, or at least they'll be able to make a good educated guess.  Sure, ugly foals have grown up to be nice horses but badly conformed ones tend to stay that way.

And custom breeding definitely increases the odds you'll get what you want in terms of temperament, trainability etc.  That's what the huge machine of sport breeding is about.

Of course things can go wrong and sometimes "good" will not be "good enough".  Production also plays a huge part.  As does luck.   But, at least ideally, people are paying that sort of money to narrow their odds.


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## FrodoBeutlin (4 February 2011)

Agree with TS 100%. Obviously buying a foal is more of a gamble as there is so much which can go wrong in three years, but the point is that a super-moving foal, however expensive, will always be far cheaper than a super-moving 3yo (who in turn will be far cheaper than a super-moving young PSG horse and so forth). I have no doubt that if my Belissimo was an adult horse, endowed with the very same paces he has now as a foal, he would probably cost ten times as much. 

Normally if a foal has got a really good walk, and a super trot and canter, and good conformation, these things don't tend to change. Temperament wise, again there are no guarantees but I think with enough research and advice you get to learn which lines you want or want to avoid. There will always be exceptions to every rule, of course - that also needs to be taken into consideration. 

Let's call it an educated gamble. Still a gamble, of course


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## HuggyBear (4 February 2011)

TarrSteps said:



			Production also plays a huge part.  As does luck. 

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I read somewhere that the big studs breed something along the lines of hundreds of foals a year but only one or two are actually kept back because the rest aren't simply good enough. Is that true?


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## Tr0uble (4 February 2011)

I'd look at it slightly differently. I would say a lot of it depends on the rider...'amateur rier' could mean anything from hacker, to riding club competitor, affiliated comps rider, through to riders who work a full time 'normal' job but are working their way up the ranks into serious categories!

I would LOVE to think that one day I could be an Olympic contender...but realistically? Never going to happen! I know that my aims are to conquer the riding club comp scene, and perhaps some affiliated. So I bought a young, just backed horse for a reasonable sum....he has potential and will easily do what I'll be capable of and more.

I have the Ferrari WBxTB who could have taken me far far beyond my curent capabilities. Only hes broken, potentally permanently...and I would probably never have had the time to get as far as he;d have been capabe of - not through lack of dedication, but because I work a challenging full time job.

I think if a rider is genuinely destined and working towards greatness, then send the money....if not then spend what you need to get something to do well at what you are aiming at, and spend the rest on lessons etc.

I could have afforded the 10k horse, but I don't need one!


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## dressager (4 February 2011)

I have to say that FB's foal is in another league and even at this age you can tell he's going to mature into a stunning horse. He has the most wonderful arched neck already which is only going to improve, not to mention super paces. If you can afford this surely it makes sense?! 

The thing is when you can see the horse has good paces so can everyone else, hence the hefty price tag. If you want paces for an 8 or 9 and a natural ability for the higher level work you're going to have to cough up. I would be very surprised if I came across a broken in horse I really liked for under 10k.


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## imr (4 February 2011)

FrodoBeutlin said:



			Agree with TS 100%. Obviously buying a foal is more of a gamble as there is so much which can go wrong in three years, but the point is that a super-moving foal, however expensive, will always be far cheaper than a super-moving 3yo (who in turn will be far cheaper than a super-moving young PSG horse and so forth). I have no doubt that if my Belissimo was an adult horse, endowed with the very same paces he has now as a foal, he would probably cost ten times as much. 

Normally if a foal has got a really good walk, and a super trot and canter, and good conformation, these things don't tend to change. Temperament wise, again there are no guarantees but I think with enough research and advice you get to learn which lines you want or want to avoid. There will always be exceptions to every rule, of course - that also needs to be taken into consideration. 

Let's call it an educated gamble. Still a gamble, of course 

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I guess I'm not disagreeing with you FB. It will be cheaper as a foal because the pricing reflects the uncertainty factors to an extent and buying a foal is definitely more of a gamble. One goes on breeding because that is the best indicator but as the horse gets older and is backed and then progresses the breeding becomes less of a factor,you care more about the performance in front of you when you have the horse's credentials to consider rather than its parents'. Its an educated gamble but I have seen much more experienced people than me buy youngstock that notwithstanding good breeding was a crushing disappointment. I don't have anywhere to keep youngstock cheaply nor do I have the knowledge to assess foals' future capacity and so for me I wouldn't take that gamble. I guess what I'm saying is I would rather spend more on something older.


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## FrodoBeutlin (5 February 2011)

Thank you Dressager! 

Agree re. your last point, I have never loved (as in, liked enough to want to buy) horses in that price range, in fact the last horse I actually enquired about (really loved him on the video and immediately thought "that really would be the perfect horse for me") was 200k euros  Err, that's a bit too much for me right now


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## dressager (5 February 2011)

Hehe! It's funny how your eye just gets used to looking at decent horses and nothing else will do, it is either fab horse or no horse. At my current happy hacker type yard people often point out a horse and say "that's nice" but usually I really can't see it but its awkward to keep saying this about every horse! The only thing that makes an average horse "nice" for me is seeing it being ridden correctly to make the most of it's potential, but sadly I don't see that too often either!!


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## FrodoBeutlin (5 February 2011)

Very true! My own definition of "good paces" has changed so much over the years and is certainly very different from a showjumper's or happy hacker's definitions.

Incidentally an Italian showjumping friend recently commented, in passing, on "Rauti's amazing paces", which made me laugh out loud as Rauti is a very average horse by dressage standards (or at least by German dressage standards  ), with three modest paces (barely good enough to compete). But I guess in the eye of a showjumper they really must have looked above-average!


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## imr (5 February 2011)

Ha ha, I agree with both of you on this to an extent at the risk of us all being exiled for being horse snobs. Though depends what horse is for and in current market you can get a nice horse for under 10k, but it probably wouldnt be a horse I would want for what I want to do. And obviously you can pick up bargains, esp if you buy and sell a lot. But am a big believer in you pay peanuts you get monkeys.. Used to be on a yard similar to what you are describing Dressager and in the end it was so depressing having the nicest horse on the yard because whilst I adore Seb and he has been great he is no world beater, just a good, trainable horse with ok paces. When I started looking for horse 2, I got sent some videos and the guy was like I have a few things along the lines of what you want, prices from 60k euros to 750k euros !!! LOL The latter was a fabulous horse but strangely a little little out of my budget


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## dressagecrazy (5 February 2011)

You know Steff Croxford springs to mind Mr P was the ultimate bargain horse & Steff was an amateur, ok Mr P doesn't move like Toto but he has reached GP.

I'm sorry but if you have a good eye you really can buy talented horses for a lot less than 10k. A trainable temperament can take you a long way.


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## kirstyhen (5 February 2011)

firewell said:



			I'm thinking of dealers that buy in Ireland a straight youngster with fashionable clover hill type bloodlines for under 4/5k and then flog it to us amature Brits for 10-15k and we are happy to pay for something that someone else has gone to the trouble of finding for us. In that case I really do not think you are buying 'exceptional' talent! You could have traipsed across Ireland and found it yourself sitting in a local breeders field!.
		
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Given what I just paid for a straight moving, clover hill youngster, with a fabulous technique over a fence and a nature to die for, no way in he'll would I pay 10k for one!
Even if she had been broken in, she wasn't going to be advertised for anywhere near 10k!


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## imr (5 February 2011)

dressagecrazy said:



			You know Steff Croxford springs to mind Mr P was the ultimate bargain horse & Steff was an amateur, ok Mr P doesn't move like Toto but he has reached GP.

I'm sorry but if you have a good eye you really can buy talented horses for a lot less than 10k. A trainable temperament can take you a long way.
		
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I'm not disagreeing with this, if you buy and sell a lot you are much more likely to find a bargain and if you are prepared to search high and low for that bargain yes it is possible. But, most of the top horses were not from these kinds of origins and are being sold by people who know what they are worth and have a price tag which reflects that. If you want a horse that will go GP its easier to find one from a source who knows what they are selling and that costs. These bargains are the exceptions, not the normality.


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## FrodoBeutlin (5 February 2011)

Mr P and SC are a wonderful combination but he is not your typical dressage horse, from paces to conformation, and this is why he cannot be truly successful at international level. To me he is the exception that proves the rule, but definitely not something that can happen very frequently!


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## Navalgem (5 February 2011)

I advertised my 2yo as a foal for 7k, no interest at all, despite his stellar bloodlines, and I'm a way I'm glad no one bought him, but i've been told i'd advertised him for too little money considering his lineage so people would assume there was a problem, however i thought 7k for a foal was a fortune, till i read some of the prices at the zangersheide sale and some other auctions abroad!


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## rowy (8 February 2011)

I am most definitely an amateur rider who is hoping to work up the grades with my horse. 
My 3 horses at the moment I have not paid more than £1700 for. Fair play, 2 of them arent worth more than that even now (tb is coming 18 years and exmoors arent worth that much) but my spotty boy in my sig is amazing! when I bought him I didnt really know much about paces as I was into doing anything at the time and his owner didnt seem to know much either which is why he was so cheap, that and his breeding isnt well known or anything. 
However, i did see something special and since then, and learning more and more about dressage as I am really keen to excel in this discipline, I have realised how fantastic his paces and confo and temp is! His walk is huge and lots of people comment on it and his canter is enormous. he is only 15hh but when i rode him when i backed him, it honestly felt like i was on a 16hh+ horse. I know this means that he will probably find collection harder but I have seen him do a slower canter with more jump to it in the field and loves to do tempi changes around the field 
I think getting him was totally by chance though, if i was to go looking for another spotty horse with paces like his and a temperment like his i would be looking for a very long time!

Thing is, I dont think I would pay more than £4000 for a horse, especially a foal, as i would be sooo worried that something would happen to it before it could be ridden. I think if i was to get a foal, for that reason, i would prefer a mare because then if something happened, at least you could breed. 
I know, with such a limited amount i could pay, it is looking a bit for a needle in a hay stack to find such a good horse but I think its worth it and I think a lot of riders have found good horses for what would be regarded as little and worked up the levels. and hopefully my little spotty boy will get me to PSG! 
And what a risk breeeding your foal to totilas at $8000 dollars, you gotta hope nothing goes wrong with the mare whilst in foal or anything! to me, that would be risky unless I had a lot of money!


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## wench (8 February 2011)

Rowy - just because he might do "tempi changes" in the field, unfortuantly doesnt mean he will do it under saddle.


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## Mimi2610 (8 February 2011)

I paid 18k for a 12 year old Intermediate eventer and she has been worth every penny! She was produced slowly by a male pro and was sold because she can't go top level but has so far taught me alot in all 3 disciplines. She isn't a schoolmistress and it has taken a bit of time learning which buttons to press but then that is like so many horses!


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## K27 (8 February 2011)

I'm sure there are lots of horses that are definitely worth that.... and also some that are not- a friend of mine was going to buy a lovely potential eventer that was up for sale for over 10k as a 4 yr old and it failed the vet with a leg problem that would have taken lots of time and money to rectify, with no guarantee it would actually end up eventing at the end of it and a top vet advised her against purchasing it.

I'm an amateur I've never had nowhere near that money to spend so I've always had to try to make the best of what I've got instead (and make them look like a million dollars lol!) , and i find it more fun as well, rather than being handed it on a plate. Saying that if I was given a horse with a big price tag and that was nice enough i wouldn't say no! money isn't everything though.


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## Mimi2610 (8 February 2011)

It's the first time I have ever spent that sort of money on a horse as I have always bought cheaper and produced them through the grades myself, however it gives you a lot of confidence coming down to a big fence on a horse you know can do it and for me (maybe not for others!) it gives me the same satisfaction making a breakthrough on a good horse as it does on a youngster doing something for the first time.


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## rowy (8 February 2011)

wench said:



			Rowy - just because he might do "tempi changes" in the field, unfortuantly doesnt mean he will do it under saddle.
		
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yea i know. when i say tempi changes i only mean like 3 time. gives you some idea though, more than if you saw a stiff horse unable to change in the field, dropping back to fast trot on the forehand. 
He's only 3 1/2 so we will have to see! plus i have only trained my older mare up to elem level at home so far so will be big learning curve with him but will be exciting to see what happens! its just a dream really that we may be able to make it up to PSG.


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