Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This is why I like to raise my own replacements.  Your right Roger, buying and paying a lot for an endurance prospect is a big deal.  I personally can't afford to pay the 3k and up for a horse.  I agree...to pay that, they had better met and greet all qualifications.  If you put a lot of money into a prospect, then keep this in mind people...if they don't cut the mustard...you gotta try to get that initial investment out of them in order to begin to break even.  In most cases....not gonna happen.  For that reason, I will NOT buy from an endurance person, call it whatever, but the way I see it, if the horse was that good, why would they sell him.  Of course there is the occasion that it really is a good horse, and maybe just not being used or they have too many.  Good luck in finding those.  I have found that the best advise is this: find what you can afford that meets all the requirements for endurance conformation.  That is the basics to any good horse.  I have bought horses that cost nothing.  The best horse I ever owned cost $425...back in 1977.  Okay inflation...I am riding a very nice horse today that I paid $750 for her and a breeding.  That baby will hit the trail next spring as a junior horse.  Maybe I am a tightwad, or maybe I just am not with the times....but I have found it a lot easier to get my money out of a $1000 horse verses a 2K or more horse.   It is all a gamble folks. Maybe you are all better at gambling than me.  I would just as soon stick with my breeding of cheap, but pr oven horses.  They have worked for me for 25 years and still going strong.  I look forward to riding the distant offspring of that original $425 horse in about 5 years.  She is a beautiful little weaning right now.

 

Jody, Joni and the girls, Jets Irish Rose, Fantasiq Love, Petit Jets Aries, Gypsy and Soon to be Jets Gaelic Storme and one of these days.... Petit Jets Legacy  Notice anything here.... :)

Roger Rittenhouse <roger@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Well, here I am 'confined to stall rest' with a nice cut in lower
abdomen.
Sure nice to 'do legal drugs'. When I think I am OK - I don't take
any.. then the it hits.
After a spinal and the cut paste job.. I can say I can identify with
the ladies.. and the baby thing.. sure glad its not me!!..
Expect to be confined for about a week.
I did hobble over to the barn.. and see the gang.

Now to the subject of buying a horse.
After about 3 years of looking, I would never ever buy one without at
least a pre-purchase exam and some x-rays of the front ankles and the
hocks.

I may be one of those PIA buyers who wants all the pictures and video
but when I am paying 3K plus - the horse better not have any
soundness issues.
I have had video of ALL the horses from out of the area. My vet would
do a video exam including a slow motion gait analysis.
WHY do I want to pay big $ for a horse with a questionable way of going?

There were 2 that passed the video check but failed the pre-purchase
exam.
Had one here on lease-buy, that had a personality management issue.
I thought I could fix that. Over the 6 months I had him I made little
progress. He then failed the pre purchase vet exam for a number of
reasons..
When a good knowledgeable vets tells you 'this' horse will NOT make a
good endurance horse and will not stay sound, why buy it?
Actually I had two vets do a work up on the two PP here. So I did not
get only one opinion.

Now what do I and or my vet look for?
Basic soundness, flexion test all 4. If they fail that, why get a young
one with flexion problems? One thing to look at a 10 to 15 yr. old with
issues, but no way am I going to take one on that is 4 to 6 yr. old.

My current horse would surely have failed the PP exam. I have been
lucky with him - Watching what we do and how we do it. As well as many
trips to the vet for evolutions and some corrective action. He is
very critical with his shoeing requirements also.
In plain words he has been a real work to keep going. Down time and
$$$.
DO I want another one like him? NO

So I will continue to request a GOOD well done video of any horse from
out of this area. Once my vet ( who really does understand what an
Endurance horse must be able to do) reviews the video and passes
him, I will get a vet in the area to do a PP exam with the evaluation
of suitability of purpose, for endurance use 50/100 miles with a HW
rider. If the hands on exam is acceptable I will pay for x-rays as
needed to look for any signs of DJD and other joint issues.

You may ask why spend the money? Well if you buy blind, then there
are problems you not only get to pay the money up front, but then pay
for all the fix up -repair process later as the miles and use builds.
The purchase cost is not really the most important issue.. A $500
-$1000 horse MAY be a good deal up front. But if he has soundness and
way of going issues what have you bought? Trouble and more expense.

When the purchase price is 3K and up, the PP exam should be a MUST.
( and I am moving the $ bar higher as time goes on, thinking pay more
and get a better horse? NOT..)

If the horse does not come up to your expectations due to
leg-joint-confirmation problems, then it just becomes a
pasture ornament. Then you support a young horse for many years.

I have real problem trying to sell a horse that cannot do the job I
want him to do.
Why you selling him?
Cant do 50 milers but will make a great pleasure trail horse - yeah
sure..
Or you dump him at an auction and let someone else
deal with the problems.

I would not buy a young horse with minimal miles and use, that displays
ANY leg/joint issues.
Yes, there is NO perfect horse, but there has to be some out there
without significant defects that will limit their use and longevity.

The HW rider has a very difficult job finding a SOUND strong well
built horse. I want at least to start with one that is sound. Then do
my best to keep him that way.

I will keep looking, I will find one..

You have a SOUND HW horse for sale? Send a properly made video with
the details...


Roger Rittenhouse
www.vmaxept.com
800 655 8629
pictures http://community.webshots.com/user/psdendurance
pictures (new) at http://ImageEvent.com/vmaxept



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