If money were no object…
Sep 17 2009
It’s almost the end of the work week and I feel like a fun topic, so pick a horse, or horses, for sale on the Internet you would buy today if price didn’t matter and you could afford to take care of them! (Assuming they are exactly as described in their ads).Â
What is your dream horse? What would you like to have, but believe is just out of your reach?  Or is it not the purchase price, but affording one more mouth to feed that stops you?  Is there a discipline you’d love to get into, but you know that trained horses in that discipline are still selling for way more than you can justify?Â
Here are two that I would drag home today, if I could:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1161091&share_this=Y
I very much want my own cutting horse, and as I’ve mentioned before, I have a thing for red chestnut mares. 14.3 is my perfect height for a horse, too. I am 5’3 and currently own one that I have to get on with a bar stool bareback because the mounting block is not tall enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love him, but I want a little quick one, and this one is adorable!
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1460614&share_this=Y
I love old mares, I love these bloodlines, and I constantly wish I had some old, dead broke rodeo horse suitable for ponying greenies around. Or just ponying horses I don’t like to ride that need to get exercised, ha ha! I bet this mare would be ideal.Â
So what do you want? Or did you finally get it, after dreaming for years?Â
I’ll change direct links to pictures to pictures when I moderate. Still can’t figure out why the HTML doesn’t work, but it doesn’t.Â
There was a fire at Ryerss Retirement Farm. They are to be commended for being well-organized and calm – they got EVERY horse out. There were NO casualties. Kudos to them - it is rare that we hear such good news after a stable fire!  Unfortunately, they did lose a great deal of feed, so donations are appreciated. You can find their web site at http://www.ryerss.com .
Another skinny, sad young horse…and it’s in training with the Amish? Um, eeek? Every rescue I know near Amish country spends their time rehabbing abused/neglected horses that have been dumped at the auction after the Amish broke them, and by “break,” I mean the literal use of the word. Why someone would send their horse to the Amish for training boggles the mind.
152 comments to “If money were no object…”
« Previous 1 2
« Previous 1 2
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment. Not a member? Registering is free, and you do it here!
I am lucky enough to own my dream horse right now. Hes smart, willing, forgiving, brave and totally a mommies boy, he doesn’t put up with anything from anyone other than me hehehe. Meet Jazz my 6 y/o 16.2 OTTB
oh if i didnt have so much homework i would really get into this one… i can say though that i am training the most beautiful, natural, and correct missouri fox trotter i have ever had the pleasure of meeting. if i am successful at my current job, at $1k i will snatch her up asap! she comes from national champion, well known (in the fox trotter world) bloodlines and she sure knows it!
I think I have my ideal horse already standing in my barn. He’s a stallion but rarely acts like one. He’s a gentleman and gentle with mares, children, everyone. It helps that he is drop dead gorgeous also. He is very forgiving of us idiots who try our hand at training but keep falling short. I intend to make him my dressage horse.
Why would anyone send a horse to the Amish for training? Because like in the rest of the world there are idiots and there are trainers. You have to look. Here in central IL, there is a large Amish community at Arthur. I have sent horses there as has a friend who is VERY particular. No, they don’t love their animals and I get very upset over some of their methods and ways. But the good ones are good. They are also very affordable. I sent a horse there for 30 days of training at driving. I needed one road safe. My cost $6.50 per day. That included everything. My horse came home safe and sound and road safe.
OT, but important!!!
This is at a family’s barn where I muck stalls.
We’ve had a mare with severe colic recently, she just got home from Cornell’s Vet clinic on Monday after a really bad episode we didn’t think she’d make it through.
We’ve been going through possible causes, especially as she’s colicked twice since we’ve brought her home from being boarded for some time off (she’d been home for a couple of months).
She has a history of colic, and we’ve now stuck her on a dry lot with first cutting hay, since the vet said she’s less likely to get impaction colic on it.
We’ve scoured the barn and fields top to bottom, and can’t seem to find anything out of the ordinary.
On Yahoo! Answers, I came across a couple of postings that mentioned moldy hay can cause colic.
How can I tell if the hay has mold? It seems dry (it’s third cutting), but I don’t know if it was rained on before it was baled and dried with mold. It does seem a bit more dusty than other cuts we have gotten, and another horse has been having a mystery allergic reaction (being treated with Tri-Hist).
What do you think?
All of our third cutting hay is being replaced with first cut, and I don’t want someone else to end up with moldy hay and have the same (and extremely expensive) problems we’re having.
(See? I’m learning about horsecare! Maybe there’s hope yet for eventually boarding my own horses at home!)
Well, here is one that I would definitely NOT be interested in:
Gaited Trail/Show horse
Yeah, he is 10, never shown, but Champion potential. Check out that roman profile, too…
And by the same author:
Chestnut Missouri Foxtrotter
There is a real dandy, NOT. Will someone please explain why she looks like a shark bit a chunk out of her withers? And oh my, those shoulder blades are getting so loose, they just might break through the skin!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JCGa9xPD4Y I just bought this guy and I am hoping to make him my dreem horse
I get to pick him up tomorrow.
Since I was very young Ive dreamed of owning a Friesian. This guy right here fits the bill, though(as they all seem to be) way out of my price range. http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1454918&share_this=Y
And even though I have a TWH cross, who occaisonaly gaits. I would love to own a nice, gaits all the time, colored TWH. I love her! http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1433966&share_this=Y
http://www.arabianhorsefamily.com
I am lucky enough to own the horse of my dreams. If money were no object, I’d add Gracie to the mix!
I tried to scoop him up a year after we parted ways (I worked at the stallion station where he was standing). I found out he had died of a brain aneurysm a few weeks before I contacted the current owners.
http://arabiansites.com/conquest/ringo/index.htm
I will always miss you boy..
I have my dream horses.
One is a QH, he was Western Pleasure Show trained, he taught me gaming (he loved poles), he helped me regain my confidence and he rises to the level of the rider. You can leave him in the pasture for a year or more, bring him in, saddle him up and off he would go, just like he’d been working every day for months. Also, he allowed you to be a passenger on the trails; anyone could (and can) ride him.
Unfortunately, he has hoof issues, COPD and a touch of arthritis. He spends a little time in the arena with me, novices or kids, so he is semi-retired, now. I would love to have another one just like him, but I don’t need, yet, another mouth to feed. We have 6.
Additionally, I have two sorrels that are simply characters! One is a QH and the other is a Paint that Ain’t. One is green, but he is just a love and tries very hard to please you. Although he is a different color, he reminds me of my horse when I was a teen. The other is only 14.1 1/2 hh, he is very well trained and is also, just a love. Classic redheads! Always in to something! The other 3 (two Paints and an Appy) are wonderful and characters in their own right! I wouldn’t trade or sell any of them for the world!
If money were no object, then I would start a retirement home for older, unwanted horses and ponies. They gave their lives to please somebody. Now, it’s their turn for some R&R.
I’m still pretty happy with my own guy- Romeo (he came named) in avatar- he’s not so little anymore. Every time we introduce something new I’m just blown away by how easy and well it goes. I think a gaited breed, like a mountain horse or TWH, would be fun also.
Fugly, I have the perfect mare for you in Kentucky! She’s a chestnut QH, 6-yr-old, about 14.3 and was a turnback horse. She just needs someone confident to remind her of her job;) OMG, if she could go to you, I’d be thrilled!
I just want another sane horse to train myself — another OTTB would be fine. I’m working with mine now, but he’s not exactly sane.
Cedar from SAFE.
Right now my problem isn’t affording a super expensive horse, it’s affording a horse at all. With that said though, if money were no object, I would probably go one of two ways. Either with this guy… http://markweissbecker.com/Harry.htm
It would be nice to start with a “been there done that” eventer to get me into it.
OR I’ve always dreamed of picking up a CANTER horse and re-training it on my own. Not an expensive starting price, but definitely more than I can afford.
If I could have any horse, I would clone my guy. He has such a great personality and is as talented as I will ever need (his nickname around the barn is FancyPants).
Here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gniy-DiC1rk
and one undersaddle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5oPVNV1mE
For the sake of fun, I’d say I’d have time to be out at the barn as well as have the money (however in reality horses are on the backburner for a few more years)
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1461960&share_this=Y
The fact she’s a Belgian/Welsh cross is a bit odd but she’s cute, and exactly what I’m looking for in a pony except that this guy ( http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1441900&share_this=Y ) has been out with the hounds already. I always worried about taking a pony out for the first time and I’ll assume he goes with Elkridge- Hartford so he can’t be awful.
Both are between 13.2 and 14.2 and have a deep enough barrel that I (5’0″) wouldn’t look too big for them. They both could go in hunter classes, which I have been riding the past 10 years. The second is within a decent drive from my hometown and even closer to where I am hopefully going to grad school. The first near another option for grad school. Neither are unreasonably pricey either.
“Porsche” is definitely my favorite of the two.
I know a handful of horses that have gone to the Amish for training. Some have come back excellent and some… not so much. While they have a reputation for not providing the best care (my old barn had an old buggy horse that severally overweight and terrified to canter thinking he would be beat, he is now over 20 and happily doing small 1-day events and excelling) there are a few who do genuinely care for their horses. The same barn had neighbors at the bottom of their hill who had happy, fit, healthy mule and horses.
As a child I read the Black Stallion books and dreamed of owning a white arabian mare like in the books. So naturally when I grew up and bought my first horse- I bought a white arabian mare!!! I have since learned that she’s a far cry from the perfection described by Walter Farley, but hey, she’s an excellent saddle horse, I’ve tried almost every discipline out there with her at some point, and the only time she said “NO” was with cows- she hates cows. I can live with that! These days she’s semi-retired living with me on my dream farm (yeah, anothr dream achieved!).
So after discovering competitive trail riding, my dream shifted a bit, I envied competitors on smooth-gaited walking horses, especially the pretty spotted ones! For years it had to remain a dream, but when we took jobs and moved to antoehr state, and bought our farm, I finally had room for a 2nd horse! So, I again bought my dream horse- and this time, I also fulfilled another lifeliong dream, I had always wanted to train my own horse, so when I boguht my dream TWH (who is spotted and NOT fugly!), I chose a 2-year-old filly who was halter broke and that was about it. Well, she would stand tied, and load onto a trailer, too.
I trained her myself (AFTER she was 3) and these days we’re kicking butt at NATRC competitive trail rides all over Region 5, and we’re about to achieve yet another of my dreams- we’re going to finish the year ranked #1 in points in our region/division!
Now my focus has shifted, my next dream has become breeding my outstanding mare to produce a homebred, and possibly getting involved in actual TWH shows (just halter classes and maybe later whatever we can do barefoot!). I’m on the hunt for a stallion, and I’m glad I’m planning ahead (plan to breed spring 2011) because it’s going to be hard to choose! If money were no object, I’d breed AI to a Versatility or flat shod champion or WGC, but unfortunatley I’ve got to save my pennies between now and then and probably go with live cover (which limits my choices to within about 500 miles of me- I’d really prefer to stay within 200 miles so I can pop in and check up on my mare while she’s there!) AI is shockingly expensive- on top of the stud fee you have to pay several hundred dollars a pop for stallion collection and shipment, then several hundred a pop for the AI procedure, plus hundreds in assorted vet costs that go along with it all. A $500 stud fee can turn into $1500 or $2000 or more very quickly. You can breed to some great and accomplished TWH stallions for $500 stud fees- just choose an older stallion who’s not the current fad. I’ve just got to find one near me!
It is definitely cheaper to buy a weanling or yearling or even a broke horse than to breed one yourself.
If I had the resources (and was located in WA!), I would go to SAFE and adopt Cedar. She’s been featured here and I LOVE her. Cedar County Queen
And then Cedar would need a companion
Don’t Think Twice – I’ve always wanted a flashy warmblood.
-drools- I love this post…it gives me an excuse to go fawn over all the wonderful horses out there!
I love this guy: http://www.horsetopia.com/for-sale/classifieds/ad398343
Part TB, nice low-level eventer, very cute, and tall! Also extremely expensive, but hey! Dream away!
And, of course, the first reaction when I search on Dreamhorse for dressage horses is ‘Can I possibly find something that hasn’t been rollkured? Please?’ Or at the very least…I see pictures of draw rein special after draw rein special.
However.
I did find this one…and while it’s hard to tell from the rather poor pictures, she doesn’t look to have her head tied to her chest. She’s actually a reasonable size (i.e., I’d only need a mounting block to get on, not a stepladder). She has enough age behind her to teach *me*, but enough youth to still compete well. I might prefer a bit more of an uphill build, but she’s nicely balanced.
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1453512&share_this=Y
It’s a shame that things like this
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1388082&share_this=Y – come on, *eventers* normally know better…head to chest and back end trailing, and for Epona’s sake take your sales pics outside or get a better camera.
or this
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1401754&share_this=Y – almost 50k and he’s been rollkured half to death, and they call that ‘classical dressage training’. I’d love him…but it would take a couple of *years* to fix their ‘training’
are so much more common.
*sighs at the Lusitano gelding…poor thing*
Okay, this is the first time I’ve ever actually left a comment and it isn’t even about your main topic. It’s about your postscript. And probably more about getting it off my chest than actually getting it posted – it’s the story of an Amish horse.
A year ago, we moved to a small hobby farm in NE Ohio. I planned to bring my OTTB Sam the Soldier to live in the backyard and I knew he needed a buddy. So the hunt began for the husband horse. Yep, the bombproof trail horse for the non-rider. He’s a big guy and he wanted a big horse so we were in the market for drafts. Lo and behold, after searching for a couple of months we came across a Belgian Quarter Horse cross in Amish country. Cute, advertised as broke to drive and ride, an excellent tempered horse named Chief. So, we’d have Chief and Soldier. Cool, seemed almost poetic.
Called the guy who said, “yep he’s bombproof, but he’s definitely a “thinkerâ€. He thinks about stuff before he’ll do it.†Well, I was fine with that, I’d rather have a “thinker†than a “reactorâ€. So, we go see him. They drive him around and then saddle him and ride him around. This was two weeks before I’m due to have my first kid – needless to say, I didn’t ride him. But my husband, bless him, did. Chief backed up, went forward and then proceeded to try to take my husband back to the barn. Again, I was fine with that, my husband isn’t a rider and wasn’t being very persistent. I checked him over, picked up his feet, etc. etc. Hindsight is 20/20. He was wearing full harness and blinders.
My husband fell in love – he is a cutie pie – so we bought him. Got him home about 2 weeks after I had the first kid – really bad timing, and within an hour of my horse being delivered – pretty perfect timing. The two horses got along great.
Two days later, I almost called the guy and sent him back. Chief was flighty, completely head shy, twitched at every touch, had scars all over his shoulders and side from his ill fitting harness and it took four hours over two trips for the farrier to get his big fat shoes off. God bless our farrier, he never gave up, and he actually came back! The worst part, he had the saddest eye I have ever seen on a horse. At least he wasn’t skinny.
Because of all of his behavior issues, we had the vet give him a complete once over and there is no blindness and no pain. It is all a direct result of how he has been treated by humans.
Anyway, it’s been a year and we’ve seen a lot of improvement. With a lot of work, handling, soft voices and soft pets, we have no more problems with the farrier, he actually comes to us for attention and takes treats out of our hands (blah blah, creates nippy horses, blah blah). The day I got a nicker at breakfast, I just about cried. He even lets us hug him. He will always have the scars and he sometimes still flinches when we go toward his face too fast, but he’s a sweetie without a mean bone in his body – it’s all driven by fear.
We have yet to ride him. He accepts the saddle and the bridle with only a few sideways glances but the mounting block is going to attack him and he must get away. My next step is to get some blinders and see if that makes a difference.
Someone did a number on this poor horse. But as many times as I have threatened to make a sale ad (I wasn’t trying to buy a pasture pet), I know I never will. If I never ride him, if the husband never rides him, he is Soldier’s buddy and our friend, and I will never chance him being sent from home to home and eventually to Mexico. He’s too cute and too sweet. We’ll just have to find another husband horse for riding.
We also have a dog, who unbeknownst to us was the product of an Amish puppy mill – she’s our $1 million dog. And Ohio and Pennsylvania are the two worst states for puppy mill breeding – wonder why. I hate to stereotype, but anyone who thinks the Amish take such good care of their animals because it’s their source of income is completely delusional. There is always a way to create another animal. It’s easy and no electricity or machine is needed.
Sorry to be so long, but damn it felt good to get that off my chest.
I certainly don’t regret having Chief in our lives, but I have learned my lesson.
This is the horse I would get:
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/grd/1379658720.html
NOT!!!!!
“I hate to stereotype, but anyone who thinks the Amish take such good care of their animals because it’s their source of income is completely delusional.”
Yeah. I hear these stories again and again and again. Read Saddlebred Rescue’s stories about horses they’ve had to rehab from the Amish. It’s just a constant pattern of abuse and the horse being treated like a machine.
And I agree – there are few more gratifying things than watching a horse who’s been treated like that learn that it’s ok to have a personality and to seek human attention!
As a mom, I feel that the worst part of the “Amish trainers create great horses” notion is the way it has been used to sell an absolutely horrible system of what is called “child training.” The husband and wife team who authored the book series claim that they learned how to handle children by watching the Amish handle mules, with a strong implication that because the Amish are good, honest, unspoiled Christians who live far away from polluting modern culture, they must be in touch with the original, perfect way of doing things. I won’t go into details of the child training system here because it’s off-topic for the blog. Let’s just say, Jesus wept!
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-886438.html?sr=1
That guy right there. Provided his description is correct, he’s exactly what I’m looking for in a horse. I’ve got a ways to go before I start jumping courses, and I think that with some time he’d make a fabulous hunter. My trainer thinks the ad is a little sketchy with all the talk about how calm he is, yet there’s no photo with a rider. Maybe so, but if I had the money I’d be in Ocala in a heartbeat!
Oh I love this topic… my dream horse… love this one:
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-893230.html?sr=1
I’m focussing on lower level eventing right now, but if I ever wanted to get into dressage I’d snatch him right up!
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-917985.html?sr=1
I love Connemaras!
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-860782.html?sr=1
I’m hoping I have my dream horse. I bought a 3 day old black Morgan colt, Jendon Rhythm N Blues, and brought him home when he was 10 months old. Right now we are doing ground work and he’s still growing, a lot. He turned 2 on May 31 and was 15 hands. He’s about 15.2 now and still butt high. I hope to drive him lightly next summer and maybe put him under saddle as a 4 year old. That will depend on if he is slowing down on the growing. He still looks too much like a baby and his sire, Jendon Wizard Of Oz, was a little slow to mature. Since I have no mares and no mares close by I am leaving him entire for now. We will see if he earns the right to stay that way. He is so good right now. And my 2 older geldings keep him in line.
This is him playing with my 2 old geldings in March 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfju5iemrL0
Of course, for those who “know” me, Lou is my dream horse:
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2818275030094062045QkyxRr
But he’d be 41 if he’s still alive. And it seems he didn’t breed much. Sigh. So I’d settle for a well-bred Saddlebred (plenty of Wing Commander and Vanity’s Sensation, w/ Denmark too) with conformation and temperament like Lou’s.
But I met a few Friesians at the dressage show, and fell in love. So anytime Santa brings me that 10-lb sack of $20 bills… But I know nozzing about their conformation and bloodlines.
Ruthie, feeling poor.
If I had another stall, I’d have to add this wonderful colt! He’s by North Forks Cardi (Welsh Cob) x Hanoverian mare. “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivr_dmP8qbI&feature=channel”
I do have to comment on the “Amish” training.
I live in the biggest Amish commumity in Ohio. The neighbor’s on both sides of me are Amish. I have Amish relatives.
While I will be the first to agree that some Amish are very hard on their animals and treat them like machines, I’ll also say that there are just as many that are NOT like that. It’s just like in any other discipline, part of twon,etc. There are the good and bad apples. My farrier is Amish and is the best one I’ve had. Previous one was not Amish, charged 2x the cost, and two of my horses were off and on lame. Since I’ve switched we have sound horses for way cheaper!
The guy that trained my little mare Holly was Amish when he was younger, and he’s an awesome trainer. He taught me all I know about training horses myself, and only charged $450 for three months of training AND board. And he trained Holly VERY well, without pushing her. And rode her in a rope halter then a soft snaffle. She’s still in a snaffle and I barrel race.
My neighbor girl’s have riding horses, and those horses are very loved and well cared for. When one of their buggy horses was sore, they got a chiropractor out to work on him.
So yes, I WOULD take my horses to an Amish trainer if I found one I liked. There’s no reason to stereotype the Amish.
Some of my favorites, in no particular order. I found Son of a Gun randomly in a search, all others are studs I’ve been watching for a few years now. FlyingWFarms breeds some serious mutts of the equine world, but surprisingly many of their ‘sport horses’ are big movers, very flashy, and well put together for dressage. Didn’t list any here, though.
Redwine:
http://www.grayfoxfarms.com/redwine.htm
He’s black, but still what I’m looking for.
Apiro:
http://www.silvercreeksporthorses.com/apiro.html
If I could buy him, I would. In a heartbeat. Having that in my backyard would be a dream come true. Gelded, of course. I’m a sucker for bays with four whites and a blaze. And I love his head, his neck, his bone and conformation…
Son of a Gun(QH)
http://www.shawsperformancehorses.com/sonofagun.htm
He’s flashy, can’t figure the shoulder…I found him while looking for reiners. Not exactly what I want, but I’d take it gelded.
Hollywood White(QH)
http://www.forgottenlane.com/stallions.htm
This boy throws great babies with color and talent. I’ve always wanted one of those buckskin fillies with the frosted manes, pretty little heads and huge butts.
Oh man, I’ve always wanted to do horse events in the SCA or some other fantasy/reenactment society. If money were no object, that means I don’t need a job either and would have plenty of time to travel to events, make costumes, etc.
A nice cob or draft with experience in several diciplines would probably translate well for what I want. Dreamhorse doesn’t have a category for “reenactment”, lol, but this guy looks pretty nice:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1439065
or this:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1447938
My dream horse is the mare I already get to ride and show for free, and who is for sale… but the $15,000 price tag is a little out of my range! I already comment practically everyday that I would buy her in a heart beat if I won the lottery, and any time someone comes to try her, I cry. She can be a brat, but she’s taught me so much, and has made me the rider I am today. At 15.2 hh most people think she’s too small, but she fits me (5’6″) perfectly, and at 10 years of age, she still has years left in the show ring. I also wouldn’t need to buy her any new clothing as I’ve already ensured she is well dressed!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1821432&id=542319575 (at thunderbird)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=956045&id=542319575 (at milner)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=1434438&id=542319575 (at home)
If I had the money, AND felt that I was good enough to bring out the best, I’d easily buy this horse:
http://www.vena.se/horses/06/monster/film/film.wmv
NOTE: I’d recommend to not listen to the music, but that might be just me. ;p
(This is a movie clip, as it says on the site about him, he’s a bit over 3 years in that film, and it’s around the 20th time he has a rider on his back. I saw him before that on longe line with rider at a “foreign” place (completely new to him, that is) and he was awesome.)
http://www.vena.se/horses/06/monster/monster.htm is the website, only in Swedish I’m afraid, but there are a few more film links with him.
That’s the sort of dressage prospect I’d be happy to spend money on, if I were a better rider, and I wouldn’t be buying anything but a “retiree” if I don’t get better at riding.
I have to say, and please don’t take this the wrong way, that as a Swede, where we have basically no halter quarter horse things (I am sure I use the wrong terms for just qabout everything), a lot of the horses people on here have said “Oooh, this one” about look really strange and Belgian Blue-like to me. It’s not meant as criticism, just as a bemused reflection on how different the ideals are depending on the event (but then I also admit to not really be a fan of “show” anything – it’s great if a horse or dog, for instance, can look beautiful – but if that’s the only thing they’re bred for, then … why!?)
Sorry for the ranting writing – after a good riding class today I decided I had earned the privilege of having three beers. Probably one too many.
I’d have this gorgeous baby: http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-752290.html?sr=1 I’m a sucker for anything Friesian and this one has it all if I only had the money…
I still want to buy my horse’s father. At least I know where he is.
I’m in the market for a horse and have actually looked at the horses that I thought were my dream horses….haven’t been too lucky yet! But it’s been fun lookin’ at everyone elses horses! My experience so far, the horses ads are not what they appear to be; if they were, I’d own another horse already! But I’ll keep searching for a nice medium size horse that is broke, can jump and do a trail ride and would like a forever home- breed and color not important. Meanwhile, I’ll keep looking at the ads everyone else is posting, it sure is fun!
Neither one has hypp status mentioned. And both are AQHA products. This is the same AQHA whose goal is a horse slaughterhouse in every state; their motto is “quantity not quality”. With all the awesome horses out there for sale, why support anything AQHA?
Starlightspectre, Shadow’s gorgeous. I sure do like the tobiano spots,and despite being blinded by the spots, I like the way he’s put together. Moves real pretty … I’d let him live in my pastures (if I still had them …). I have a friend who has one of these (the Arab/Saddlebred cross, I think he’s ¾ Arab though) and he’s pretty but batshit nuts. I’d be proud to call Shadow my horse. Tell more about him when he gets home!
Okay, had to add this one, simply because I own her granddam and I LOVE the conformation, athleticism, and temperament. The filly and her dam are near carbon-copies of my mare. Plus, she’s by Amorex, a proven and amazing Swedish Warmblood stallion by Amiral that I considered breeding Montani to before I went out and bought myself a yearling mutt filly that needed a good home.
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1432916&share_this=Y
If money wasn’t an issue, I’d buy this guy from my former trainer:
http://warmblood-color.com/Pages/Horses/Foals/Yukon2008.html
He’s absolutely GORGEOUS, great mover, and seems like he’s got a super personality. I’d get the best trainer here in Washington to help me get him trained up like a champion. LOVE all of Yeager’s foals. They’re all so beautiful.
We just rescued one greenbroke 6 yo mare. We had started to fill her up with some food, but seems that she will be that horse that DH was dreaming about…
Her ground manners are unimpeachable, just perfect for my skills – she follows on voice commands 
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae135/lillydelully/09-09-09/PICT5941.jpg
http://i965.photobucket.com/albums/ae135/lillydelully/10-09-09/PICT6039.jpg
My dream horse she is already. All what she wants is kisses and cuddles. I take a brush, go down in pastures, she runs to me, closes her eyes, and stands for hours still just to be brushed
Ohh, this is difficult. I have one horse, the very versatile and downright fabulous Roheryn. In my endurance years, I dreamed of an Arab/Welsh Cob cross so we could keep up with the big boys – Ro has the hardiness and the character for endurance, but doesn’t have the base ground speed to be able to compete. I dreamed of a cross with an Arab that gave me the same hardness and sensible character, but more athleticism.
Since I’ve broken myself and can’t do endurance anymore, I’ve rediscovered just how versatile and fantastic Roheryn is. He’ll try anything as long as it isn’t boring. He’ll play football with the big 1m diametre ball, go dressage, does driving, goes western style, is a dream out on the trail, does well in things like trail competitions, etc etc. I’ve recently started with Working Equitation and he’s doing fantastic, even the basis of cow work showed potential! (the person giving the clinic was quite stunned that a Welsh Cob, not exactly bred to work with cows, would pick it up that quickly)
I really don’t think I could find another horse that’d do me better for what I want out of a horse.
That said, I don’t think I’d want to buy a second horse. Not on principle, and.. dreamhorse is.. I’d be terribly worried that if I did buy an experienced horse, it would have been started too early or ridden into the ground.
but I’d love to have some teacher-horses available to help me learn the various disciplines I’m now newly getting into. An experienced jumper (Ro jumps willingly enough, but I suck at putting him in front of the fences properly and would love to learn on a schoolmaster), an experienced cow horse to let me feel what it’s supposed to be like, etc.
Oh, I love that dreamhorse has a category in the ‘skills’ list called ‘husband-safe horse’ *grin*
I had my dream horse – she was every girl’s pony book dream. Showed, jumped the moon, hacked, played tag (safely), galloped to me a the gate when I arrived, nickered to me when I entered the barn. She was critically injured, rendering her unrideable. I gave her to a trusted friend who breeds show QHs, and my mare had a lovely foal (she was a nicely bred QH & bred to a lovely TB) and then she died of colic. Like a fool, I mourn her every day. No money to “replace” her, and even if I had all the money in the world, how do you go about finding a horse like that again?
I would buy this one. I’ve no idea why, because I ride western pleasure, the last dressage lesson I had was 35 years ago! Maybe it’s his big goofy white face, I’m not sure, but I just LOVE him!
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php
here’s another dandy from my local craigslist…same one as where the skinny young horse was advertised!
http://lacrosse.craigslist.org/grd/1382348296.html
Browsing dreamhorse is addictive! I played with it some more and came up with this guy:
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1088245
I’m really no judge of Quarter type (I mean bred for western riding) horses. Like, at all. I like the look of this one though. If I liked his attitude and his x-rays were clear, he could come live with me. Minus his balls.
Those are big ‘ifs’ though, as my confidence in seeing clear or even acceptable x-rays on an 11-year old that’s been in the competitive reining circuit is… not overwhelming.
If anyone is in the PNW and wants their “dream horse” S.A.F.E has an AMAZING, AMAZING TB named Cedar. I LOVE HER and would have her in my backyard in a heartbeat if my husband wouldn’t divorce me. I did ask him at the SAFE show, and he didn’t say “no.” That means yes right?
I own Denali, and OTTB who I made her into my dream horse. I wouldn’t sell her for anything. Huge, built like a tank, beautiful coloring, willing, sweet, but with enough sass to keep things interesting. ( the first few months she was a lean, mean barn destroying machine
)
http://www.wildponybeast.blogspot.com
CleanStalls, try putting her on an electrolyte supplement to make sure she’s drinking enough water. I use Apple A Day. Cheap, no sugar, and it’s very palatable.
I bought my dream horse last year after saving for her. I wanted a really nice well broke, sane, sensible, smooth,- and ok – chocolate w/flaxen mane and tail with ‘clear eyes (no ASD which is a genetic defect of the silver dapple gene) Rocky Mountain Horse mare. looked and looked and saved and saved and due to the economic turn down, was able to find exactly what I was looking for and in my price range – she wasnt when she first came on the market. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her. My first horse was a dream horse too. In fact I named her Dream. I still have her, but she is retired and just hanging out in my pasture, fat and happy. When I was younger though I wanted one of every breed. (When I was really younger and had no idea how expensive they are to keep happy and healthy)