When buying.......

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Hi All,

I'm interested in knowing what you prefer when buying, or looking to buy. Do you prefer to buy a mature, already trained, or do you prefer the babies? We bought our geldings already trained, a couple other mature mares, and I have my leopard

: weanling. I'm beginning to think I like the babies, so that I can work with them, and bring them up they way we want them raised. When they are ready to be broke, we will know their complete history.

Now, how about you? What's your preference?

 

[Devon]

:bgrin Mature About 3. Then you know what the horse is always going to look like you never know what a yearling or foal could turn out you could buy a ugly duckling and get the most gorgeous show colt or the horse could just not grow in the way you expect. Mature is the way to go for me.

 

[wade3504]

Now that I have one mature trained horse and starting on training the next to drive I am happy having a young one, but if I didn't have my other two I would look for mature and trained. I waited a long time to finally get my gelding to jump, drive, and do obstacle since I got him when he was about 8 months old. I now have a 2 1/2 year old, a yearling, and a 6 year old..

 

[Devon]

Though. I liek to train. I would liek a 2-3yrs old; Just wanted to add that.

:

 

[Jill]

It depends. I have bought minis from weanlings (actually pre-weanling in a couple cases) through mature. It depends on what I plan to do with the horse and who it is coming from. I do worry a lot more about buying foals in terms of getting them shipped safely and them settling in safely than I do with mature horses. Also, with foals, it can be really hard to imagine how they will grow up so it's a gamble in a lot of ways. But, really my best horses were bought as pre-weanlings thru yearlings.

As far as what do I enjoy having more, I really actually enjoy adult horses more than foals. Not that I don't enjoy time with both, but I really 'get into' a horse the most when I can "do" things with it like teach him/her in hand things and drive him or her. I bond most with horses when we are doing something "together".

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

I'm interested in knowing what you prefer when buying, or looking to buy. Do you prefer to buy a mature, already trained, or do you prefer the babies? We bought our geldings already trained, a couple other mature mares, and I have my leopard weanling. I'm beginning to think I like the babies, so that I can work with them, and bring them up they way we want them raised. When they are ready to be broke, we will know their complete history.

Now, how about you? What's your preference?

I just love yearling fillies!

Most of my horses have all been bought very young (two months up to yearlings generally)

Tammie

 

[RAPfrosty]

I think if I were ever to buy for breeding or showing reasons, I would want a horse a little older (2+) so that I can see what he/she looks like mature. Sometimes it is so hard to tell how a baby wil turn out. However, it is always nice to buy on the younger side because then you have time to work with them and train them the way you like.

I got Fever just after his first birthday. I think that that was a good age. Young enough that they can be your baby and you have somewhat of an impact on the way they turn out, but old enough that you can see how they are put together and you have one less year to wait to drive them

hehe.

 

[maranatha minis]

Six of my 7 have been bought as weanlings, the other one was 4 I think. I have to say I very much prefer the weanlings. I know it takes a long time to do anything with them but I trust them more. I am nervous with the grown one I bought. the babies aren't as intimidating. BABIES all the way for me.

unless I know the horse and owner, then I may consider a grown one.

 

[disneyhorse]

I think the age a person gets a horse at should depend mostly on what they want from the horse. For a child, someone new to horses or to showing, I would strongly recommend a mature horse that has been-there-done-that. For the serious breeder, a mature horse will probably be best as they know what it will turn out like (babies can be crap shoots) but someone who has been in horses a very long time will have a good eye to pick out a decent youngster and can save some money that way by getting a prospect.

That said... I personally prefer a younger horse. I derive the majority of my ''fun'' with my horse hobby by working with green horses. I like to train them the way I want. Once they are ''boring'' I like to move on to something new and exciting and green. After I'm done with them they become the ''been-there-done-that'' sort of horses for someone else to enjoy I guess.

Andrea

 

[spazkat]

I prefer one between 2 and 3. Most of what I look for in a horse is in way of going... I like a big mover and that is affected soo much by conformation. The best trot the world will be offest badly by too thick of a throatlatch or whatever where they cant fold at the poll properly.

By 2 or 3 if they are going to "thicken up" as some are prone to do, they've done it So what you see is almost always what you're going to end up with long run. That and I like starting them in harness and then they are the perfect age for that.

 

[Cronewolf]

I much prefer mature already trained, as an old coot like me doesn't have the time for a weaner to get old enough to train.

 

[qtrrae]

I absolutely LOVE the babies!! They are definitely my weakness!!

 

[OhHorsePee]

Well, since this was my first year showing this is what I have learnt. One person's idea of "trained" is not the same as the others. It is challenging to do it yourself and rewarding also. BUT, it would have been nice to start with an older horse who was already some what trained for my first year. Ask me next year and it might be a different response. LOL

Fran

 

[Cathy_H]

bring them up they way we want them raised. When they are ready to be broke, we will know their complete history.

My main concern is the health history of any horses bought........... I prefer babies but there is a possibility that you may get a foal that has not been dewormed which can cause you problems later..... Also it seems like all the ones we buy are wild or scared to death of people so that involves months of getting them used to the human touch......................................... Don't like buying two year old & up mares unless I can absolutely trust the seller to tell me the complete foaling & health history ( seen too many buyers get taken from NOT being told the truth).................. We have gelded several colts & Lee has shown several geldings to champion status then sold them.. Since he does well & likes this challenge we would not buy a gelding already trained.

 

[Minimor]

Overall, I like buying foals. I really enjoy working with the young horses and can do a pretty good job of picking out what I like in a foal.

If it's to be a broodmare, though, then I want to buy a mature mare, preferably already in foal. If I want her for breeding I don't want to wait 3 or 4 years for her to grow up.

If it's to be a show horse/driving horse, then definitely I prefer to buy a foal, or maybe a yearling. I prefer to do all the training myself, right from the start.

Breeding stallion--I've always bought foals. They come cheaper than the mature, proven breeding stallions & so far I've done okay at picking the right ones!

 

[love_casper]

very interesting thread!

:

well, i am not sure i have a preferance, i have baught some of each!

my oldest mini is 12, i got her this summer, my youngest was 3 months when i baught him. i absolutely LOVE training my baby boy, but the older ones are really fun to work with. the older minis weren't that trained when i baught them....(except the 12 year old, ex-show pony),and i enjoy doing my own training...i like to get the mature ones, that i can train myself. my first mini (5 yrs old) wasn't too trained, she was a rescue, and i am training her myself. She's awesome now. i do have a soft spot those cute little foals. but i couldn't handle training too many at a time.

so i guess, if you ask me, my favorites are to get mature horseys with bad pasts, and turn them around. the one rescue mare is every kid in the neighborhood's friend, and she's getting a harness for my birthday....maybe a cart for christmas, she has come a long way. i love to watch their recovery, and see them trust again. the older rescues are my fav's i guess.

but then nothing brings a smile to your face like a bouncing little foal!!!!! :lol:

oh, i couldn't decide....i love them all, young and old!!!

 

[wiccanz]

I prefer young and/or untrained. I get the most satisfaction from taking the "raw material" and turning it into a successful show or driving horse.

I absolutely love training the babies - their brains are like sponges, and will soak up anything that you care to put in them! :bgrin

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

I prefer young and/or untrained. I get the most satisfaction from taking the "raw material" and turning it into a successful show or driving horse.

I absolutely love training the babies - their brains are like sponges, and will soak up anything that you care to put in them! :bgrin

I couldn't agree more. Untrained is the best for me, because I know the horse/foal is trained the way I want it to be.

:

 

[wiccanz]

Of course, the other part of training them yourself, is that you can't blame anyone else if things go wrong. But you can take all the credit when they go right :bgrin

 

[Warpony]

this depends on a lot of things. Why do i want the horse? what are my plans for it? when do I want to be able to do these things? What are my long term goals? what are my short term goals? What is my budget?

All of those play into the decision.

So... it depends.

BUT with that said, I really much prefer getting my mini horses as babies. Full sized horses I'd rather have a well broke horse before I get it but with mini's there is just something about raising them myself that is really special to me.