# Blue's find-me-a-TB thread



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

K so I'm looking for a TB to showjump and event on, and might throw some straight dressage into the mix to shake it up a little.

At the moment I'm looking at two different horses. Both TB's, both geldings, both 8yo and both bay. Was hoping not to end up with ANOTHER bay or bay-based horse (have had 3 in a row) but a good horse is never a bad colour and with my budget my chances of finding a not-bay TB that's built for what I want are pretty minimal.

There's this guy, going for free to a good home. Transport will be a good $700+







raced and then forgotten about, has since had a little bit of re-education but is still pretty green. Has jumped 3'4" in the space of around 5 or 6 sessions since beginning jump training. I like how he's built but he's so far away and transport will cost me so much... Sorry, only photo I have of him. Owner is going to get video for me. Approx 16hh, no official measurement so I wouldn't know for sure. A wee bit smaller than I would ideally like, but there isn't much in the height range I want for the price I'm looking to pay.

And then there's this guy, free lifetime lease. Transport should be under $200.








flat video
jumping video
I don't know his history, whether he raced, or what. He's shown some, but in a discipline I don't ride. Green jumper, but seems honest - in the videos he's being ridden by a 14yo. Is it just me or does he look lame in the flat video, just a little bit? Could be bridle lame, rider's hands aren't great. Movement's pretty bland but he's a TB, what else can I expect? Canter is nice, at least - I can see him having some real talent in the jumper ring with that canter. 16.2hh so the perfect height (that's the mark I'm really looking for).

Essentially, I want a project, I don't want something that's already finished and I can just hop on and go out and win. I already have that in Monty. Either one is a project, the smaller one because he hasn't had a lot of flat education and the taller one because he hasn't done a lot of jumping - but I don't mind teaching them to jump, I've done it before and I know a lot more now than I did the last time I trained a horse to jump. I don't have a huge amount of patience for flatwork - I'll do it, but I prefer jumping, so I do have a tendency to want to jump them before they're really ready for it.

Like I said I want a showjumper and eventer. Showjumping is my passion, but I do enjoy eventing... I just don't have a huge amount of confidence over solid fences, so I'm a low-level event rider but a mid-level SJ rider. My boy won't get me much higher in SJ, due to his age, so I'm looking for something that has the potential to jump at least 4' courses in competition... hence my desire for a tallish horse, because although I know smaller ones CAN and DO jump high (had a 12.1hh pony that was easily jumping 3' when I sold him), I'm more comfortable jumping big jumps on a bigger horse.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Top horse looks a good one from what can be seen. Decent bone and correct. Perhaps a bit straight in the hindleg. Perhaps a bit restricted in the shoulder. 

The second horse is OK too. Can't tell much from the videos as the horse is lost in shadow a lot. The lame is not lame.. just posting to the trot. The jumps are just hops so not much to see other than he is green.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I quite like the top horse but he's too far away to go look at first (hence exxy transport price tag), easy 2 days' drive. I'm not flying to look at a maybe, and I'm sure as heck not spending that much on petrol. So it's a risk, because I wouldn't know beforehand whether he's the right horse or not. I can be a bit nervous in the saddle so a horse that I feel safe on is the most important thing - not necessarily well behaved, either!

But with the second one, that trot still does bother me a little bit, there's something not quite right about it to me. And yes, really nothing at all to indicate whether his jumping form is any good or not - though it looks pretty good from what is there. The top one has kinda dodgy form, but is proven in height, and I don't ride H/J so form isn't THAT important as long as the horse can clear the jumps. (plus he's green so his form will improve some with grids)

I'm in contact with both owners (well, waiting for the owner of the second to get back to me) and the owner of the top one seems really honest. She has said she just wants a good home for him where he won't be neglected again.

There are plenty other fish in the sea if I decide these aren't suitable... have got a friend who knows racehorse people who might have something local I could have (delivered for nothing!) so we'll see what happens on that front as well as in contact with the people who have these two.


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

I cant watch the videos (some random crash on my computer did that), but I do like how the first TB looks. Unfortunately I can't do a comparison of the two due to my computer's issues.

As for TBs having bland movement...well then, you haven't seen mine. He has the BEST floaty trot ever. My BO actually said, "Holy ****! Did you see that?" when we first put him in the field (and she's been in Dressage for decades). Whether or not you compete, Dressage basics will keep your horse strong and are a good base for other types of riding.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

mmm me too Reno, me too! The issue is distance, he is quite a way away and whoever I was to pay to transport him would have to do the trip in two runs... town called Newman where horse is located, to Perth (a VERY long way away from Newy!) and then Perth to my town which is about 2.5 hours south. It's a very long way for a horse to travel and would probably be two or three days' travel for the poor thing plus whatever waiting around in the yards at the depot for the next down south run! I do like the look of him and depending on what I see in the video the owner has promised to get for me, it may or may not be worth it... I don't know.

Yep some of them can REALLY move... my chances of getting such a beast for my price range? Pretty much nil! I'm most likely going to have to make do with a nice walk and canter, and ok trot. The trot can be improved, depending on the horse and how it's built it can be improved a lot. Walk and canter not so much.

Second horse has a REALLY nice canter, even though his trot is fairly blah with the young rider on his back... looks in the photos to be better with the better rider (the owner I assume). Bit rushy it seems when jumping though, idk...

Yep dressage is what I'm concentrating on mainly because it's what's been letting me down when I go out eventing. We don't have any issues with jumping or XC, Monty and I (he is a machine, even though I'm a gutless wonder over solid fences), but the dressage just isn't good enough. It's me, not him! I couldn't get good circles on an Inter1 horse, so my chances of getting good circles on a Prelim/Novice (Training/lv1??) dressage horse are pretty much nil.

I do event, so I do "sort of" compete in dressage. I'm just considering throwing straight dressage into the mix so that I actually WANT to concentrate more on that, because if I'm not competing in it in the near future, I don't usually have much interest in anything besides trail riding  I am currently concentrating more on the dressage side of things because I didn't know just how bad I was (thought it was more my horse) until I was very generously given a couple of rides on an FEI horse and had all the same problems! I'm having dressage lessons with a very lovely friend of mine, which reminds me I need to message her and organise the next one.

ETA; just did a google maps search and directions and the QUICKEST trip from Newman to Perth is over 11 hours, plus another 3 to get to my town! (plus horse trucks are always late and stop all the time so it would be more like 20-24 hours on the truck travelling for the poor guy!)


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

If you weren't in Australia (and in my area) I'd recommend my BO/trainer. She's _really _strict, but that's a good thing. I haven't been able to take lessons with her because I moved one state down (bringing my boy down here when he finishes his basic training with her).

As for chances finding a decent horse with a limited budget? Mine may not be the best horse in the world, but he's young, willing, and improving every day. I got him for only $150 (and that was an _optional _donation for the rescue). Maybe I just got lucky...but only time will tell with his training and all.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

LOL I would LOVE a strict trainer. The trainer I had when I was so generously given the rides on the Inter1 (about to go Grand Prix) horse spent the whole of both lessons either yelling at me CIRCLES ARE ROUND, or SIT UP STRAIGHT, or HEELS DOWN, or LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING - or making me sit this horse's HUGE trot and yelling at me if I got tired and started rising! I loved her, I could barely walk when I got off after both lessons and I absolutely LOVE that in a trainer (though I hated having to work another 7 or 8 hours after my lessons I tell you!)... haven't been able to find someone like her since coming back to WA, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't stay over in NSW, but I'd kick myself MORE if I let Monty go and he wouldn't cope with the travel there (it's 4 or 5 days on a truck and he's a nervous traveller) and it's too cold for him over there anyway. He doesn't cope well with the cold, so he'd lose weight on the trip from stressing so much and then he'd lose more weight from the cold and end up looking and feeling like an RSPCA case :/ can't exactly rug him any heavier either, he has 5 on tonight!

Yours is really quite lovely, but Aus's economy is rather a lot stronger than the US's and the horse market is therefore much stronger as well. A really good, well trained horse sells for big money here OR in the US, but the difference is, OTTB's sell anywhere from $1500 to $10,000 - and that's BEFORE re-training - and my budget, INCLUDING transport, is $1000 tops. And that's a stretch, and only possible if I get a decent tax return this year. OK so $10,000 is for the very very best, EXTREMELY well-bred, EXTREMELY talented individuals, but still...

THAT being said, my next door's have a STUNNING gelding that they got as a trade for a case of beer (maybe $30) - he, however, had something wrong with a tendon when they got him, and I'm a bit wary of tendon issues past or present. Most of the really cheap ones aren't sound or aren't strong enough in the legs/tendons for jumping, or are too old (9 is the oldest I want to look at, really, and even that's pushing it).

I do know someone who knows someone who might be able to get me a free one locally but I'm EXTREMELY picky with my horses, after falling in love with Monty whose conformation is nothing short of shocking. OK so it's not THAT bad but he has a very long back and a very weak loin, AND hunter's bump, AND long cannons, AND upright pasterns, AND crap feet. The sheer number of potential unsoundnesses my horse has!!! I'll be shocked if he's still ridden past 20 honestly...


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

I LOVE that second horse! I think what you are seeing about his trot is that its prancy, he lifts his legs up high (you have to post slower to trots like that). I would at least go visit the second horse before crossing him off and after riding him decide from there..

I would also be a little worried about a horse who needs work on flat work but is jumping?? He does seem to have great bone though.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Mmm not sure, just feels like to me that his hind legs aren't quite going on the same rhythm as his fronts? idk :/ that can just as easily be training as an actual problem though!

I will go see him anyway I think, he is perfect in nearly every way and his owner got back to me and said he's been barefoot successfully so he'd adjust well if I wanted to pull his shoes (which I do - I won't have a horse that NEEDS to be shod for soundness reasons). He's a better size than any of the other horses that I'm looking at (including Violet who went back to her owner but is coming back to me because owner's daughter won't feed her)... better educated, quieter, more honest. CHEAPER - free lifetime lease plus transport costs of MAAAAYYYYYBE $200 - and better suited to my purposes I think. Owner is very interested in him going to me. I will quote, "you offer exactly the home I am looking for for Olliver". I hate the name but because it's a lease I'll have to keep it - but hey, there has to be SOME drawback!

Means I probably won't get Violet even if owner offers her to me for nothing, but it also means I have to sell Satin ASAP...


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Top horsey on the flat: Danny Boy | Facebook

Maybe a bit quick through the canter? but he moves nice.... but horses that are quick in the canter scare me so idk :/ He's green, but seems pretty willing... but idk if I'd be confident with that canter and I can't try him out first :/


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

It's not the best photo but here's a pic of a mare I'm looking at, coming 4yo 16hh TB (of course!) and the owner is willing to take $800, which is what I'm getting for Satin.










She's had some significant amount of flatwork, and she's started over jumps and showing a lot of promise.


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## Conrad And Freddie (Mar 7, 2012)

Have you tried Horse Deals? I did quick search for you and have a link to a list of results  I hope this helps your search 

Horses For Sale, Buy a Horse - Horse Deals

PS. I love the look of the first one, there is something about his face that melts my heart!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks  There are very VERY few horses in horse deals that are in my state unfortunately! Most of them are in the other states. State-specific (or state-based) sites are much more productive for me.

EDIT; I told the owner of the first horse no... he is just stunning but he's quick through the canter and horses like that terrify me... have been bolted on FAR too many times... so not knowing the horse, not being ABLE to go ride him first, I can't justify the risk when I know that his canter is likely to frighten me.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Satin's sale fell through but I have another prospective owner lined up... just won't get the money as quickly so at the moment I have to look at REAL cheapies.

This one I have no idea of price, but I saw it on a FB group (with no info at all, but looks like a mare to me?) and YUM. It's a coming 5yo going by brand (very nearly 5) but other than that I know absolutely nothing other than that I really like it.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Horse for sale : T/Bred mare

Horse for sale : 16hh thorougbred mare 7 yrs

Horse for sale : Beautiful Boy looking for a loving home


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks  I know about the lease one, but I'm a bit wary of him just because there's something about his trot that says to me he's maybe not quite sound... not sure what it is! Am considering the other two you posted as well 

The really nice one above (the chestnut with the leg wraps on) I found out is outside budget :/ oh well!

Am hopefully going to be going to look at a 2010 filly soonish, that's been advertised on FB but as far as I know nowhere else. She's free to a good home and very close to me so I figure she's worth a look.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Am definitely going to look at the 2010 filly. TOMORROW. Early.

Will keep you posted, and will have both my phone's batteries fully charged so I can get lots of pics.


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## Cacowgirl (Feb 19, 2011)

Good luck on your horse search!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks 

Filly's sire is a stallion called Hartley Spirit (by Danetime), known in the TB industry to throw large, solid foals with good conformation and nice temperaments (known to be easy to handle and break) that mature late (for TB's) and therefore don't run well as 2yo's but are usually handy 3yo's. I'm not looking for a racehorse but what that means is that she's well-bred so could be a nice broodmare later on down the track.

Filly herself is a chestnut with 3 high white socks (not quite stockings) and a star and stripe, expected to mature around 16hh. I will be taking a good look at her feet in particular (am an amateur barefoot trimmer so I know some about hoof structure) and her legs and joints.

Filly's dam is a mare called Veirtry, or something similar (I'm wondering if they mean verity as have found no mares matching any other variation of veirtry on the aus studbook), and IF it's the mare I found called Verity, she's by a stallion called Proven Valour out of a mare called Tallan Fair... I will look into that line further if I have the right horse. (edit, I looked into it anyway, and there's nothing in there that I've heard of)

EDIT; Hartley's Spirit, by Danetime who is by Danehill who is by Danzig who is by Northern Dancer. Impressive sire line.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Filly is MINE  (pending pick-up)

She's very wary, not fearful just cautious. And she is HUGE... 15.3+ already, and very immature so she has a huge amount of growing to do yet. She's still a real babyfaced littleun, so I think I'll leave her at least another year before I break her.

Turns out I do have the right mare for filly's dam, it is the '91 model of Verity. The girl herself is unnamed, but I already have a name in mind for her, AND a show name.

Sooo, meet Magic, aka 2close2dasun  She's a 2010 TB filly by Hartley's Spirit (AUS, 2003), from Verity (AUS, 1991), and is expected to mature 16hh+ (though I'm thinking closer to 16.2-16.3+ with the size of her now and the size of her sire). Excuse the dreadful pic, I will get better ones once I have her home.


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

Yay! Blue found a TB 

I'm assuming she didn't even go off for breaking and pre-training? 15.3? Unless she's just a quick grower she'll end up a big 'un! Love a big TB


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Nope, not broke, and yeah she's quite significantly taller than my (officially measured) 15.1 1/2 gelding. And I doubt she's an exceptionally quick grower, her sire's get are known for being slow to mature.

I specifically was looking for a big TB... this one is a little younger than I ideally wanted, I was looking for 3yo+ and ended up with a long yearling, but she's so lovely, cost nothing to buy (only ongoing care costs, and transport to get her to me) and is quite well-bred... exceptionally so through the sire side. Hartley's Spirit foals are beginning to be bred to warmbloods for showjumping and eventing foals, and those that aren't being bred are beginning to do well eventing and SJ. He is a fairly young stallion so his get are all fairly young still, but they are showing promise.

And Magic is such a looker... I think once she grows out of the 2yo fuglies she will be something special.


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

I'm seeing a future really nice horse there. My friend's TB was a slow maturer and kept growing til a few months ago (she's nearly 6) - still only made about 14.3hh (she was about 14.1hh at 4), but the withers caught up with then passed her butt. If yours keeps growing til 5, she'll be massive. Hoping she reaches 17hh for ya!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Evil, me too, that's why I took her on! She's going to be a lot more work than any of the other horses I've looked at, but she's also a much much nicer horse.

And, 17hh is a bit of a stretch for me (for mounting, not for riding), but I wouldn't complain about 16.2


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

blue eyed pony said:


> And, 17hh is a bit of a stretch for me (for mounting, not for riding), but I wouldn't complain about 16.2


Haha, forgot about mounting! You'd need a permanent friend for leg-ups lol. But I always think 16.2 is more 'just right' than big, and anything 15-ish seems small. Not that I'm tall or anything, I generally have a friend handy to leg me up and call an ambulance when needed ;-)


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Evil, I'm a shortybum, so it's a real exercise just to ground mount my 15.1 boy if I'm riding in my jumping saddle  can do it easy on a 16.2 horse in a dressage saddle with dressage length stirrups though... guess the difference in length is greater than the difference in height, but since I jump, I'd like to be able to mount from the ground in a jumping saddle (with more practice and flexibility of course)

...but I like big horses better than small ones, so I'll take the good with the bad.


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

blue eyed pony said:


> Evil, I'm a shortybum, so it's a real exercise just to ground mount my 15.1 boy if I'm riding in my jumping saddle  can do it easy on a 16.2 horse in a dressage saddle with dressage length stirrups though... guess the difference in length is greater than the difference in height, but since I jump, I'd like to be able to mount from the ground in a jumping saddle (with more practice and flexibility of course)
> 
> ...but I like big horses better than small ones, so I'll take the good with the bad.


Blue, I'm 5'1 (and that 1 is questionable, might involve shoes LOL), just used to big horses. I can mount my 16.1 from the ground in a dressage saddle, but I don't think I could do a 17 without a step or leg-up. But I get your point! :lol:


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

wow you're even shorter than me! (I'm pushing it to be 5'2" with riding boots on)

I think with me it's more the size I'm used to, though. I haven't consistently ridden anything bigger than 15.2 in a LONG time, and back when I did regularly ride a 16hh+ mare, I was too short to mount her without help.

Going to be a while before I get on Magic's back, though, with her still so babyish in the face and in her proportions. But hopefully she'll be ready for the local show in a couple of months, to show in-hand. I might be showing a friend's first cross Andalusian, and if I can talk Mum into it I might still be showing Satin, AND I fully intend to SJ and hack Monty as well. 4 horses... going to be a mad weekend for me!


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