Re: wise buy!/demand=price?quality=price?

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

A friend and I went horse shopping last year about this time. We both
wanted horses around $1000 or less. I knew that was going to be difficult,
given what I wanted to do with a horse, but we have the "struck by
lighting" theory. Never pay more for a horse than you can afford to lose if
it gets struck by lightning!

Anyway, Star was an unwanted grade Arab. His previous owner died a year
before adn he was left alone in a field. He was given to a stable to be
sold. The stable owner couldn't find a buyer, even when she called him a
Quarter Horse!. She took him to the sale barn, and the highest bidder was a
killer. She brought Star back home and began firing me emails that I had to
come see this horse.

I went from Kansas City to Oklahoma City to see him. He didn't look like
much at first and had a little attitude when I tried to ride him, but
somethign said to take this horse. I probably paid too much, given his
condition, $800, but he has turned out very nicely. Once we got past the
new horse jitters, and he learned what his job was, he just got better and
better.

And PRETTY. When he shed out and got some good feed and vitamins in him, he
turned gorgeous, very classic bay Arab -- small, dished face, black points
on his face, curved neck, short back, high tail carriage, strong legs and
feet. He's quick as a cat on his feet, somethign I had to get used to after
my lazy Morgan. And he's funny - what a personality.

Anyway, my throwaway horse won his first CTR (my first too). The lady who
won in the lightweight category was also on a throwaway horse she got from
the Humane Society. The lady who sold him to me has since said she would
have charged me more money if she knew how well he would work out. I
reminded her he was a diamond in the rough and it took many hours of work
to find the terrific animal.

My friend ended up spending a little more than 1,000 for her horse, but not
much more. And she got just what she wanted, a rocking chair with legs and
a tail! She has since adotped a wonderful appendix QH for $75 from Horse
Aid who is turning out to be a wonderful gentleman.

My Morgan was a freebie. I raised him from a foal. A neighbor bred his
Morgan stud to my Appy mare. I asked him what he wanted for breeding fees.
he said wait til spring and see what you get. I called him int he spring
and said I had a lovely bay colt, what are the fees. He said "don't worry
about it. He had a ball."

there's our stories.


At 06:35 PM 1/7/98 -0600, iggy wrote:
>
>Hi Tracy
>
>I was not going to post on the subject, But can't hold my tong. You
>inspired me to brag.....
>
>My best, fantastic, great, if ya want it,  it is going to cost ya, short
>backed pony size (to most people) no name horses under 250. cash and carry.
>Mr POA who I first walked a way from for 400. and the most recent
>mustang/TB cross.  Beats every thing I have had so far.  More than happy we
>could see the potential. O'my, I admitted to only paying 250 for Mr. POA.
>The secret is out, we will never live it down........ re name the horse.
>No one will remember......
>
>Not knocking expensive good papered animals (payed for some of those
>too...with good genes.) Don't flame me I am just bragging about buying
>wise, so far............Hee Hee Hee  Then again one might think he's
>junk............
>
>Time for a story.  Yup there is  always  a story,  what can be said.
>Grampa (who will be un-named ) told me" Yup my son paid between 150,000. or
>200,000.(think the price goes up every time the story is told it was over
>100,000. OK)  for a weenling race horse at the auction a few years ago in
>kentucky.  My comment was "Must be one hell of a horse"   His comment to me
>was "NO, he was the idiot who paid that much for it. "
>
>I always figure it is a 50 / 50 chance ya have for soundness alone by the
>time they reach 4 and don't break a leg etc. etc. etc..
>
>I always remember this  when buying a horse.
>
>
>Sigrid
>
>
>*******************************************
>
>>yeppers....best horse I've ever owned I paid $350 for.  His daddy is in
>>Scottsdale with a $2500 stud fee!
>>
>>tracy
>
>
>The Space Cadet
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