Marie; prices and snobbery

[California Horse Adventures <wendyl@jps.net>]

Marie, what you've said about buying a horse that you feel something for is
absolutely true. However, it does not change the fact that for three years
I looked at over 100 horses a year and did not find ONE that was reasonably
correct, the height advertised and trained to go well and balanced in a snaffle.
(by the way, I looked in 4 states and spent thousands in travel costs.)
If I had, that doesn't mean I would have bought it because I obviously would
have had to like it, as well. I do find it significant that those horses are
in very short supply, and feel that they are worth a fortune.
 As someone else posted who had a very well trained gelding, they would NEVER
sell that horse cheap. Of course it does not matter if a horse has great papers
if it does the job well. It may also be capable of doing great things with
conformation flaws. (most have some!) 
  The horse I compete on now, is not registered and was a physical wreck when
I bought him. I did exactly what you said - I bought the horse I liked that
was close enough to what I wanted.  I paid quite a bit for him because I had
to in order to buy him. I also paid quite a price as he had
poor conformation, a blown tendon and had been badly overridden.  However, thru
years of proper training and conditioning, he is an incredible athlete now.
  I would have been much better off financially to have bought a
conformationally correct, well bred, well trained horse and paid 10k for him.
  Just as an aside, I'm glad I didn't, because the horse I ended up with is
the love of my life :) 
Wendy