I think my comment (poor him) to my husband when he told me what price
range I was to work in when hunting for Holly (not even considering endurance at
that time) was 'You just don't want me to get a horse!'. He wanted me to
get a Morgan, I was agreeable to that, but the only ones I could find that
weren't $25,000 were way away from Texas. I got lucky and found Holly for
1/10th of that price and she's the prize. She is registered, she won't
stand for a man and has some issues, but we're getting thru them...and I love my
girl no matter what, even tho I got her at a bargain. Yes, they are out
there, patience and persistence works wonders.
> ------------------------------------- > Be that as
it may, I trust that you are also > purchasing your pulling rigs, long
distance saddles, etc. also at > auction. The > same
rules should apply in your life throughout. >
------------------------------------- > > The tone of this one
riled me a bit. Just because I buy on a budget > does not
mean I buy "junk" all the way around. Wow, that is
arrogant!
Well, no, I don't think Kim was being arrogant. I think
she was making a point that too often, the horse is the least well
researched part of the whole outfit. And too often, she is
right.
> Yes, EVERYTHING I buy is with the same small budget and
very careful > thought as the horses. When I needed a truck
I researched for a long > time on what older models hold up well
and can do the job. Then, with > my budget in mind I went
looking.
Nobody is belittling those on a budget here. One CAN
find good horses on a budget--it isn't the dollars spent that is under
discussion here. It is the notion that any old random horse that
"looks good" from an auction has the same odds as those that were
specifically bred to do the job. And that simply is not borne out in
real life.
FWIW, a great many breeders will work with those on
budgets. Likewise, the information that some of us are TRYING to
impart here (and which a few folks are trying to turn inside out and label
as "arrogant") is that it pays to FIND OUT what constitutes a "good
horse"--and breeding is a part of that package! As MANY posters have
pointed out here, good horses DO fall on hard times, and are available to
the "budget buyer" as a result. But the "budget buyers" who are the most
successful at FINDING good horses are those who paid attention and did
their homework, and didn't just go off in a huff when thoughtful people
shared information about what it takes to make a good horse. You will
go much further in your "horse-search-on-a-budget" if you are well-versed
in what good endurance horses look like, move like, and act like--and yes,
about how they
are bred.
