Posted 2009-11-12 4:51 PM (#113092) Subject: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Veteran
Posts: 270 Location: Roanoke IL
I want a nice cowbred quarter horse. I'd like to get into some penning/sorting or ranch riding. However, the driftwood, hancock, or blue valentine bloodlines that I want are really expensive. The only way I can really seem to afford the quality I want is to buy it as a weanling...even then the prices are still over $1,000....not including driving or paying a hauler. My question is...if it were you, would you get an affordable weanling NOW, or wait and save up for a yearling or two year old? I'm on the fence, everyone says weanlings get hurt, you cant do anything with them, they are too costly, gotta wait too long etc. Someone even said that 20% get OCD??? Now, many of the yearlings or two year olds haven't had anything done with them on the ranch raised settings either and I see the same problems as with a weanling as far as self injury. One of the pros to getting a weanling is that I know all that has gone into the horse, and the saddle training process will go so much easier in a couple years. What would you do? It seems to me that it would be much safer and easier to deal with an unhandled weanling vs. an unhandled long yearling or 2 year old. Right?
I found a nice bay roan filly who is a great granddaughter of blue valentine. The price is right, she's close to home, she's colorful, registered, friendly, and from reputable people. I'm so tempted. I have my good horse to ride NOW, and I think she would be a good role model for a baby. Horses DO learn from each other. It would solve my problem of not having a pasturemate for Daisy, but would not detract from her riding/driving. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that buying a weanling isn't a stupid thing to do. I love doing the farting around stuff like desensitizing, taking my horse for walks, getting them to like being wormed, etc. I guess if I get the burning urge to jump on a wild youngster, there would be someone out there that would let me ride theirs. It's just hard to pay so much for a baby when saddle started horses are selling for $200 at sales. Opinions? Should I pass on a little weanie?
Amanda
Posted 2009-11-12 5:40 PM (#113096 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
I say follow your heart. If you want the baby, go get her. You can do all kinds of things with her while she is growing up. Just think of all the groundwork you can have done by this time next year . Then you can saddle her and start your next steps with her. Heck, you can have her so gentle she won't be a problem as a 2 year old. I say go for it!!! You know $1000 really isn't that much for what she is. You get what you pay for you know. I've seen those $200 saddle horses at sales......You couldn't give me one.
Posted 2009-11-12 6:15 PM (#113098 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
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Posts: 241
I agree, get the young horse and have fun with it. I'm like you, I like the ground work and all that. Just be careful, when they are young its SO easy to sour them. Make the lessons VERY short and don't over do it. I had a wiener I got and put so much time into, I had high hopes for that horse but he never turned out. Looking back at it I can see that I worked him too much when he was too young. As babies they need to be left alone and not bothered. This was hard for me to learn because I love the training. The injuries you mentioned is a concern... when they are young they are so dumb. Getting a horse to three years old without injury takes a careful hand and a facility that is safe for the animals. If you have any bad fence or sharp corners, they will find it, you know how that is.$1000 for a horse is not much... even for a wiener. If I were getting a wiener and planning to put all that training and feed into it, I'd get the very best I could afford. The purchase cost is really only a small part of the lifetime cost of the horse, you'll forget about what you paid, but you wont forget if you get a horse you're not pleased with. Pay the extra money and get one you really really like. Speaking of price, the quality of the horse is not always measured by how much they cost. I just paid $2,000 for a long yearling that will be just as good as the $10,000 dollar horse I bought in July, maybe better. The price they sell for represents how good the seller THINKS they are, not how good they really are. Some sellers think their horses are made of gold, others don't seem to know how good their horses are. As buyers its our job to not let the seller control our wallets. Most sellers are right where the market tells them to be, but some are in left field. Good luck with whatever you do, enjoy it, there's nothing more enjoyable that good horses that are well trained.
Posted 2009-11-12 8:47 PM (#113108 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Elite Veteran
Posts: 681 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
I also say follow your heart.. You obviously want this baby, you're half in love with her already.. There are a TON of things you can do with a baby before they are old enough to ride.. My first horse, an appaloosa colt, was a long yearling when I bought him.. By the time he was big enough to ride he was push-button responsive.. I took him on trail rides (trail-leads for me!) with my friends, we cantered across fields.. me with my hand grasping his mane so he could help my short-legged self with running!...I ground drove him.. If I'd had a cart, I'd have taught him to drive. he sidepassed, turned on both the front and rear ends, backed smooth and quiet, carried a saddle.. EVERYthing but carrying my weight.. For 2 years, that colt got my undivided ateenaged ttention..When he was finally big enough to carry me.. It was just a matter of getting on.....
Posted 2009-11-13 9:09 AM (#113121 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
I think it all depends- I bought a weanling several years ago. I already had another horse that I could ride and show so it wasn't a bad wait. Otherwise, sitting around and waiting for a baby to grow can be frustrating. Even if you break them at 2 or 2 1/2 it takes several more years of riding and training before you have something to ride. By then you could change your interests.Then there is the cost of raising and training them that can really add up ( this is assuming you'd need a trainer to get the colt going)There is always the chance the colt might not pan out. Breeding doesn't mean they will do what you want them to. On the other hand you can buy a weanling with quality bloodlines for far less than a broke horse. You would have a bit more control over how they are handled and raised. A broke horse has its advanatges as well especially in this market. You can buy a horse at a level you are comfortable with- perhaps something with ground work started. You'd have a better idea of the horses abilities and talents. I bet if you really shopped around you could find some nice deals. Horses are being unloaded big time right now.
Posted 2009-11-14 1:09 PM (#113165 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522 Location: Tucumcari NM
If the deciding factor is price, then go for the broke horse. You are going to have a lot of money tied up in a weanling before you get it raised and trained. Although, the money would be forked over a little at a time instead of in one big lump. Whichever way you go, you get what you pay for most of the time.
Posted 2009-11-14 6:45 PM (#113176 - in reply to #113165) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Veteran
Posts: 241
Originally written by Marla on 2009-11-14 1:09 PM
If the deciding factor is price, then go for the broke horse. You are going to have a lot of money tied up in a weanling before you get it raised and trained.Marla
No truer words have ever been spoken. Buying a well broke horse is much cheaper than the wiener route. I say buy one of each.
Posted 2009-11-15 3:30 PM (#113192 - in reply to #113092) Subject: RE: Weanling or Wait? Rant
Veteran
Posts: 270 Location: Roanoke IL
Well, I didn't buy anything. I wound up becoming a foster mom today. A guy I know bought 3 sick weanlings from an area sale. Despite treatment, two died. The remaining filly was left all by herself in a pasture. She has completed all her antibiotics, been vaccinated, coggins, worming, etc. She really needs some TLC and weight though. She's not halter broke, her only experience with people is being doctored. Anyhow, I'm gonna play with this lil baby for a while. I don't have to pay for any of its cares, I'm helping the filly become a useful citizen, giving my horse a companion, and getting a fun project to mess with. Best of all, it's like grandkids....you can love em spoil em, then send em home! If it doesn't work out, she can go back. I feel bad doing that, but its always an out. If I can at least get her halter broke, broke to tie, lead, and be generally handled, I think that she could at least have a chance at bein a good horse for someone instead of rotting in a pasture. She doesn't have papers or a pedigree, but she's not a bad filly. There's just too many unwanted horses out there. I can at least give her a good start. She didn't ask to be brought into this world...
Weanling or Wait? Rant
