When considering how much it costs to keep a horse, it’s important to realise that the ongoing care costs will go way beyond the initial outlay associated with buying a horse. These costs are continuous and should be realistically assessed before you decide to take on the responsibility for a horse of your own.

In my experience, once you’ve calculated what you believe to be a realistic budget, you should add on a buffer – prices always go up and there will undoubtedly be things you haven’t accounted for in your initial budget. I am now spending more than double what I originally budgeted for my horse’s monthly costs before I bought him 10 years ago – and I do everything I can to save money on horse costs. He doesn’t want for anything, but there are certainly no nice-to-have extras.

I’ll share the regular costs of keeping a horse, so that you can step into the wonderful world of horse ownership as prepared as possible for what you’re about to take on. Where the costs vary significantly, I’ll offer some considerations I wish I’d better understood before I bought my first horse. All prices quoted are approximate and based on prices at the time of publishing (March 2026) – spoiler alert: it’s a small fortune, but worth every penny.

I’ll cover the costs of:

• Livery
• Feed and forage
• Bedding
• Insurance
• Farriery
• Regular healthcare

Costs of livery

The costs of livery can vary wildly because there is a full spectrum of options from DIY grass livery (your horse lives in a field without a stable, and you look after it yourself) all the way up to full competition livery with all-singing-and-dancing facilities that includes training, competing, tack cleaning (you name it, they do it).

However, there are also variations depending on your location, similar to buying or renting a house. I moved from Berkshire to Nottinghamshire and got more facilities for my money, but there are parts of the country that are both far more expensive and cheaper than these.

Unfortunately, there are also major differences in livery pricing between lowest and highest prices for the same offering and similar facilities, which can make budgeting more difficult.

It’s hard to put a figure on it as costs vary so wildly, but according to the latest BETA survey (2023), owners spent an average of £257 per month on livery or £129 per month on grazing. Bear in mind, it’s possible to spend an awful lot more and costs will have risen since the survey due to the ever-increasing cost of living and raises to the minimum wage.

When choosing a livery yard, look at as many different yards in your local area as possible and work out what your priorities are – this will help you compare your options and weigh up what’s best. If you choose a DIY yard, don’t forget, if you’re on holiday or need assistance, you’ll need to pay someone to look after your horse, too, unless you can share the work with friends.

Unless you’re in the lucky position of being able to keep your horse at home, livery charges will be one of the largest regular monthly costs of owning a horse. And even if you can keep it at home, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s free.

Cost of feeding a horse

Similar to livery, the costs of feeding a horse are certainly not “one size fits all”. You might have a good-doer, which generally means your costs will be lower, but once you start adding things, such as a joint supplement, which they might need as they age, for example, the costs start to add up.

If you have a horse who struggles to hold weight or needs a specialist diet for any reason, then be prepared for much higher monthly costs. Similarly, feeding competition horses is usually more expensive.

Remember, it’s not just what’s in the bucket that will cost you. Hay, haylage and other types of forage are the foundation of your horse’s diet and likely to account for much of the monthly expense. You can save money on hay by buying in bulk, for example, but I would suggest that you should be prepared to spend at least £50–60 per month on hay for an average sized horse, although again, this varies with location and quality.

The quality of your grazing and the amount of turnout your horse gets, will affect how much forage you need to feed. Despite my horse having 24/7 turnout year round, I still feed hay throughout the year as there is not enough grass – this suits me as he’s a good-doer and it means I can easily monitor his weight, but it would be very expensive to manage a horse that struggles to maintain weight in this way.

There are ways to save money on horse feed and budget wisely, but feed and forage are essential costs that you can’t really cut corners with to ensure your horse gets the nutrition he needs.

Cost of bedding

Stabled horses will need bedding and you may also want rubber stable mats as they make it possible to use less bedding, as well as providing a comfortable and non-slip surface. Straw is the cheapest type of horse bedding, but it’s not typically not suitable for horses with respiratory problems and some horses will eat it.

In the long term, rubber mats combined with a more expensive bedding, such as shavings or wood pellets, can prove more economical, but the initial investment is considerably more.

Some horses are particularly wet and dirty, which will inevitably mean you use more bedding. If you’re in a position to deep litter, then this could reduce your costs, although this needs to be carefully managed to avoid negative impacts on your horse’s health.

Be prepared to use a minimum of one bale of shavings a week, which would cost around £10 per bale (although this varies with quality and your location). Good quality rubber mats will cost around £40 each, and you’d typically need six for a 12x12ft stable.

Cost of insurance

Following legal cases that have ruled that owners can be held responsible for any damage caused by their horses, all horse owners should be insured for third-party/public liability. One way to do this is to become a BHS Gold Member at £105 a year, which provides up to £30million of cover.

Horse insurance to cover death, straying, theft, vets fees and more is not mandatory, but many horse owners opt for it for peace of mind as costs can quickly escalate. You may also wish to take out rider insurance or tack insurance, which will add to the premium. Insuring high-value horses is more expensive, as is insuring horses that compete, while you can get specialist policies to insure veteran horses, which should prevent you paying for aspects you don’t need.

The cost of insurance varies a lot depending on what exactly you want to cover, but there are ways to save money on horse insurance. I would suggest budgeting at least £100 per month for a ridden horse, but get quotes before you buy your horse – the same as you would if you were buying a car – and be prepared that they may well be higher.

Costs of farriery

This is likely to be your largest cost after livery, feed and bedding is accounted for, especially if your horse is shod all round. Trimming a barefoot horse may cost around £30–40, while front shoes may cost £60–70 and a full set £90–100. If your horse needs remedial shoeing then it is likely to be a lot more.

Due to variation across the country, I would suggest using these numbers as a guide to compare the costs of different shoeing options. I know even within my local area, it’s possible to be paying up to £150 for a full set – and on average a horse is likely to need new shoes, or a trim, every four to six weeks.

Costs of regular healthcare

While you’ll inevitably encounter some vet fees over your horse’s lifetime, these are not regular occurrences. Instead, I’ll run through the costs you can expect to pay as part of the maintenance care for your horse.

Vaccinations

It’s recommended that your horse receives an annual equine flu vaccination, plus tetanus every other year, and the flu vaccination is mandatory if you’re competing. You can find more information about what’s required in our guide to equine vaccinations, but I would suggest putting aside £100 a year to cover the vaccinations and call-out fee.

Dentistry

Horses need a visit from an equine dental technician or vet who practices dentistry every six to 12 months, depending on their age and oral health. If your horse can be done without sedation and needs no additional treatment, you might be looking at around £50–60 a visit, but this will increase with sedation and any further treatment.

Physio

Regular maintenance sessions with a physical therapist can keep your horse moving freely and feeling their best. Costs will likely depend on the therapist’s qualifications as there are a wide range of therapies available, but you should be prepared to spend at least £50 a session. Your horse might only need seeing once every three months, but if your practitioner needs to work a specific issue this could be more frequent.

Saddle fitting

It’s recommended that your horse’s saddle is checked for fit at least every six months as their shape can change throughout the year. Depending on how the saddle fitter structures their costs and whether they include visit fees, this could cost anything from £40–100 depending on where you live, whether you’re part of a group visit, and whether you’re booked on an initial assessment or follow-up visit. Adjustments to your saddle are likely to be additional.

Worming

The most cost-effective worming programme is a “targeted” plan, which uses worm egg counts (around £10 per horse) and worming only if the results suggest it’s necessary. It’s recommended to perform a worm egg count test every 12 weeks, and a saliva test for tapeworm every six months.

Annual worming packs that include everything you need delivered to your door cost £6–10 per month, depending on your package.

How much does it cost to keep a horse: total costs

The costs I’ve covered so far are simply the basics – further significant costs to be considered are tack, rugs (plus washing and repairs) and grooming products, before you even start on transport or training.

Below is an example of what the basics costs to keep a horse on DIY livery might be. Of course, for you some things may be less and others more, so do some research in your local area and add up the numbers.

Costs such as dentistry aren’t paid monthly, but I prefer to put the money aside each month so that when vaccinations and a dentist visit land in the same month as my farriery appointment, it’s not a problem because the cost is already accounted for. I also find this a clearer way to understand whether I can afford to take on a new ongoing expense.

• For unlimited access to advice on how best to care for your horse, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You might also enjoy reading:

13 ways to save money on horse costs without compromising on care

New horse? Or moving yards? Be prepared with Horse & Hound’s ultimate checklist

Deep litter bedding for horses: pros and cons

How much does it cost to breed a horse? H&H crunches the numbers

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

If you or your child are looking for the added challenge of a course of fences to negotiate in the show ring, then the workers is the place for you. Our guide to buying a working hunter pony is a good place to start if you’re looking for a new pony to meet the challenge.

What makes a good working hunter pony?

Working hunter pony classes are one of the most popular sections within showing. Show schedules today offer a whole host of working hunter classes where both children and adults can enjoy competing their ponies over a course of rustic fences as well as showing off their way of going and conformation.

Each class is split into three phases, and marks are awarded for jumping, style, manners and way of going, conformation, type and freedom of action. The combination with the highest final score wins the class.

There are different levels of working hunter pony classes, ranging from unaffiliated through to novice, restricted, open and finally, national finals found at the major showing championships, Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), the Royal International (RIHS), and the London International Horse Show (LIHS).

Both the plaited and mountain and moorland (M&M) working hunter pony classes are split into height sections, some of the classes are also restricted according to rider age and competition level.

What to consider when buying working hunter pony

Before you begin looking at the ponies themselves, there are some considerations that you will need to make…

Plaited vs native working hunter ponies

If you are searching for a working hunter pony for your child, then one fundamental decision you need to make is whether to pursue a plaited or a mountain and moorland pony. There are pros and cons to both.

Plaited working hunter pony classes are age restricted, so your child will generally be competing against their peers. Also, if you purchase a part-bred pony, a sports pony or a British Riding Pony, for example, they will only be able to compete in the plaited ranks.

Just like their plaited counterparts, M&M working hunter ponies jump in height but there are no age restrictions on M&M worker classes, aside from in tiny tots or junior classes. This means that unless your child is just starting out in the workers and is aiming for those classes, they will not have to move out of any one height due to their age.

The advantage of this is that your child can potentially stay on their pony much longer. So, for example, if you were to purchase a 133cm pony for your child of 11, provided they don’t outgrow it, they could stay on that pony until it retires.

This is particularly advantageous to children who are smaller than average as they can enjoy extra years on a native, whereas peers on a plaited will have to move up through the sizes regardless of whether they are still small enough for their existing pony.

This does mean, however, that your child will have to compete with riders of all ages in the M&M working hunter pony ranks.

But if you purchase wisely, you could find yourself able to compete in both sections with a registered native pony that is capable of jumping the slightly bigger fence heights in the plaited sections.

Just remember that to compete in affiliated M&M working hunter pony classes, the pony must be fully registered with their respective native breed society and trimming isn’t allowed by all native breed societies. So even though, for example, the Fell pony you are considering is more than capable of jumping the heights, your chances of wrangling its mane into plaits and slicking down its feathers to look trimmed are very slim indeed!

The Welsh sections A, section B and section C, New Forests and Connemaras each have examples of their breeds currently successfully holding their own in both the plaited and M&M working hunter pony sections.

Age restrictions

Another of the most basic considerations you need to make is the age of your child. There are age restrictions on each of the plaited height classes as well as on native tiny tots and junior sections. There are also differences in the age restrictions for plaited finals at the RIHS and HOYS.

Make sure you read through the rules of the classes you are aiming to enter to ensure that they are going to be able to compete.

A word of caution: for parents new to showing and even to ponies, it may seem like a good idea to buy a pony from one of the bigger height sections even if your child is still relatively young in these classes and new to the competition. However, this means that they will be competing against children much older than them – or even young adults – and will be faced with much bigger fences. You’ll need to make an informed decision on whether or not your child can handle the stiffer end of the competition.

If you’re looking for a working hunter pony for yourself and are reading this guide, make sure that you check which classes you are eligible for. If you are over 18 years of age, then you are confined to either a 153cm or an intermediate in the plaited ranks, but M&M working hunter pony classes are generally open to adults, too, so you don’t need to worry about age restrictions for these classes.

Rider height and weight

As well as considering their age, it’s also sensible to consider your child’s height. The reality is, taller children might need to move up through the pony heights faster than their peers. Consider this before purchasing a pony for your child as you may find the pony outgrown before they’ve really hit their stride together.

As with their age, it may seem a good idea to launch your little 12-year-old into 153cm classes on the basis they can remain on the same pony for years, but if they are over-horsed, you could be creating a whole new problem to solve.

For taller children, they may find they have an extra year or two in a height bracket aboard a native pony, as they can be chunkier to take up long and growing legs.

Your own height and weight should be a consideration for you, too, when looking at ponies. The idea of smaller fences and a smaller pony to manage may be appealing, but you will feel more comfortable and the all-important picture will be much more attractive to judges if you are sensibly mounted.

I’m all for adults riding ponies if they wish to, but they should be on a pony of an appropriate size and build. It’s unfair to expect a pony to work properly over a course of fences if you are of an inappropriate weight ratio for the pony. Welfare guidance suggests that the rider should be no more than 20% of the pony’s weight.

Rider capability, personality and goals

Consider carefully your child’s capabilities and your aims for them with their prospective ride. If your child only has one season left in the class and is desperate to enter HOYS qualifiers, then buying a novice pony with very little mileage is not sensible. Neither is a novice a suitable purchase if your child is realistically not capable at this point in their own education of bringing on a green pony.

As well as your child’s capabilities, consider their personality and confidence levels, and try to purchase sensibly with these things in mind. If your child is nervous for example, they may be better suited to a pony who will quietly and steadily go about tackling the course, and it may be better to purchase a pony with some prior mileage who can help your child build confidence.

On the other hand, if your child is confident and ambitious, they may prefer a bolder jump and more forward ride. They may also be more mentally able to cope with the unknowns and the hurdles associated with bringing on a novice pony. Of course, this isn’t an exact science, and only you can really know what your child needs and what they can deal with.

If you’re buying a pony for yourself, you still need to consider your aims and realistically, what you are capable of. Can you honestly see yourself having the time and energy to bring on a green pony? Do you really want to jump the meatier HOYS or RIHS qualifiers and finals? If so, you’ll need to find a pony with a sufficient jump to cope with these fences, but if you think that competing at a lower level is more for you, then you may find more ponies to view that fit the bill and fit your budget.

Your personality is also important. What type of ride will you enjoy? A pony with more “go” than “whoa” or visa versa as they approach a fence? As an experienced adult, you may be able to school your pony to give you the kind of ride you enjoy. But be honest with yourself about your goals, capabilities and personality and you’re more likely to find a suitable partner.

Type and conformation

Samantha Darlington and her daughter Georgia Darlington have produced multiple top working hunter ponies. Georgia won the HOYS intermediate working hunter pony final in 2022 riding her own Jara before the pair stepped up successfully into horse ranks, finishing champion working hunter at HOYS in 2025. She was also champion M&M working hunter pony at HOYS in 2015 riding Welsh pony Tynwydd Good Friday. Georgia has also won the RIHS on each of the ponies. During her career Sam won HOYS and the RIHS over fences and was part of the England working hunter pony team.

“We always try to remember that a working hunter class is a showing class, so we’re looking for a type of animal that is good enough to show,” says Sam. “When we look at a pony and we ask ourselves if it would be good enough to show on the flat. For example, it must have correct conformation, move well and be straight.

“If I’m looking at a plaited pony then I would look at it as a show hunter pony. While it’s definitely harder to find these quality types today, once upon a time most riders would do both working hunter and show hunter classes with their ponies.”

“If I were looking for a native, it would similarly need to be a conformationally correct animal that is of a good type and stamp for its breed. If a pony hasn’t jumped it can be hard to tell if it is going to make a worker. You could take a look at the breeding to gauge if it will jump, though it’s not a guarantee.”

Blemishes and injuries

A true blemish, caused by a knock or an accident, is passable if everything else is good, Sam explains.

“I could overlook a splint or something similar if it didn’t impact soundness. A working hunter should have been jumped and hunted, so it’s unrealistic to expect their legs to be absolutely perfect.”

When it comes to prior injury, though, proceed with caution. Make sure that whatever has happened in their past is not likely to affect their future soundness and their ability to stand up to the kind of rigorous training and fitness needed for a successful season in the workers ring. If the pony is perfect in all other ways, discuss throughly with your vet what you can do to manage the condition and make an informed decision from there.

Where to find your next working hunter pony

Ponies are often sold via word of mouth, as Sam explains.

“It’s the best method in my opinion. Asking people who are out and about on the circuit and who have seen the pony around is the best way to gauge if it will do your job.”

Working hunter ponies for sale will be advertised at various times in the season on online platforms as well as on social media. Often, top ponies with consistent CVs will be available after HOYS, especially if the rider will be out of class for the next season.

“Social media and online sources make it easier to find out a pony’s history, and if we have pursued a pony billed as a schoolmaster we make sure to do extensive homework before a viewing; we make sure that it has done what is being claimed.

“I would definitely not recommend buying a pony without going to view it. Many ponies can sound ideal on paper but when you look at their jumping record they’re not quite what it seems, as in they might be consistently having poles down, or might have issues with certain obstacles, such as water trays.”

It’s also worth thinking outside the box. Look at adverts for Pony Club ponies or all-rounders. If the pony has good conformation and paces and is of a good type, it might make an excellent worker with the added benefit of having gained lots of mileage out and about enjoying other disciplines.

Viewing the pony

It’s always advisable to view a pony, even if you have asked around and gained some positive recommendations.

When assessing the ride of a working hunter pony, Georgia says: “I like a worker to ride forward and ‘pingy’. I like something to take me to a fence as I don’t like kicking. I would want a prospect worker to be bold and careful over a fence.”

It goes without saying that it’s a good idea to give the pony a jump when trying it. Think carefully about what you expect in a ride. If the pony you are viewing ticks all other boxes but gives a lesser ride, think about whether you can work with the pony to improve it.

If it rides well but isn’t your ideal partner in other ways, you’ll need to weigh up whether you can compromise on those things. For example, my sister’s former worker stopped twice when we tried him, even though he had previously jumped open tracks. The stops and his behaviour revealed that we were looking at a pony with some quirks, but ultimately we decided to buy him anyway – and though his personality would drive others stir crazy, we work with them where we can as we love him anyway.

If you’re unsure, genuine sellers will be happy for you to try a pony a second time. If you or your child have worked with a trainer for a while, they may be willing to accompany you to a viewing, especially if you are new to purchasing. And they may well be able to give valuable insight.

Ultimately, only you – and your child if it’s for them – will know if the pony you are viewing is the right one.

Some sellers will permit a trial period, though not all sellers wish to let their ponies go out on trial.

How much does a working hunter pony cost?

Budget is hugely personal and how much you can expect to pay is dependent on many different factors.

Every seller has a price in their mind, but a pony is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If you’re thinking of approaching the owners of a pony already proving itself on the circuit to ask to purchase the pony, expect to pay more.

An established pony in the current climate will be at least five figures.

If you don’t have the budget for your perfect pony, you need to decide whether you can wait to save up some more, or whether you can compromise and purchase, for example, a less established pony.

What happens when I’ve agreed on a sale?

When you have agreed on a sale, it is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended.

The vet will assess the pony with the specific job you want it for in mind, so it’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting that they are intended as a working hunter pony.

If you tell the vet that you want the horse for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults that could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

If the pony is for a child, then suitability and temperament should be taken into consideration by the vet.

Sam adds: “If you are spending a decent amount of money, I strongly recommend getting a vetting, ideally a five-stage vetting. An unbroken three-year-old could undergo a three-stage.”

Anything else?

Take your time. Just because you are keen to hit the ring or your child is suffering serious FOMO at the side of the ring, doesn’t mean that you should rush into any purchase. It’s best to be absolutely happy with your buy, even if that means exercising a little patience. The right pony is out there somewhere!

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

H&H’s guide to working hunter pony classes: what to know before you give them a go

“Turnout should be smart and workmanlike...”

How can I buy the perfect working hunter?

Looking to buy a show hunter pony? Where to search and exactly what to look for

How can I buy my perfect Connemara pony?

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Sellers of horses will be asked to declare relevant information in writing, directly to prospective buyers – cutting out the vet “middleman” – as part of a new toolkit.

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has introduced a pre-purchase examination (PPE) seller’s declaration as part of its new online toolkit for vets. Previously, the seller’s declaration was part of BEVA’s pre-purchase worksheet, containing questions for the vet to ask the seller.

This new declaration, which has been revised with the support of British Equestrian (BEF) and the British Horse Society (BHS), is a more extensive, stand-alone document. Prospective buyers are recommended to ask for a completed copy from the seller directly before the formal PPE starts.

“BEVA’s new seller’s declaration will iron out the PPE process to make it smoother and more efficient for all three parties involved: buyer, seller and vet,” said BEVA veterinary projects officer Lucy Grieve, who has been instrumental in putting the new guidance together.

“The advantage is it cuts out the vet as a middleman… asking if the horse has received any medication, or coughs on dry hay and so on. The declaration means that the seller should declare those things to the buyer straight off. If completed in advance, it should give the buyer more robust information on which to base proceeding with the PPE or not.”

She added that it is hoped this becomes an “industry standard”, so that all parties can proceed with vettings with as much confidence as possible.

The document asks the seller to disclose a horse’s veterinary history and interventions, behaviour, whether he is in work or not, specific management requirements, lameness history, plus details of preventative care such as worm control and dental care. There is also an area to declare whether the form was filled in by the seller or an agent.

BHS director of horse care and welfare Gemma Stanford said: “We always urge a buyer to make careful considerations when going through the process of purchasing a horse. It’s a decision that should never be rushed and one that needs to be made with every detail to hand.

“BEVA’s new seller’s declaration will be a great, supportive resource to help with this process. Sellers can easily input all the information required in one go, while buyers have peace of mind that they’re making an informed decision. Critically, it’ll ensure that the welfare of the horse is always the key priority.”

Lawyer Jodie Seddon, partner at Aria Grace Law CIC, welcomed the move, also recommending that parties still have sales contracts.

“We support the BEVA, BHS and BEF in their aim to bring more transparency to equine transactions, however we would caution that the proposed questionnaire does not alone form a sales contract that both parties can rely on,” she told H&H.

“This is a positive step in ensuring more consistent information sharing, to the benefit of the welfare of horses changing hands. However, to ensure that the information disclosed has contractual force, we would always recommend using a sales contract.”

• For more information, visit: beva.org.uk/Resources/Clinical-resources/PPE-toolkit or view a digital version of the form

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

‘We’re delighted to bring loyal readers this benefit’: H&H magazine subscribers get free website access

Horse owners warned about creating unintended contracts on WhatsApp when buying and selling

How to protect yourself when buying or selling horses: legal experts share helpful advice

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Ah, the trusty old horsebox, truck or wagon, depending on what you like to call it. Older than your car (and possibly yourself, or even your parents), you can’t afford to replace it, so you look after it carefully in hopes it may last – and you wouldnÆt get much for it if you sold it. It still does you proud, though there are a few things that may be familiar…

“There’s a knack to it”

If one of the uninitiated, or the unwary, is borrowing your older wagon, this always comes with a list of things you have to do to persuade it to run as intended. “Put the key in the ignition, wait 10 seconds, turn it once, wait for that light to go out – no that one – then you can start it.” Plus, of course, when you do try to start it, you have to have one foot on the accelerator/on the clutch/out of the passenger window. Then it starts every time. Simples.

There’s also a knack involved in many other things, whether it’s opening (or closing) the groom’s door – “No, really slam it!” – or the windows in the horse area (who thought those designs were a good idea? Anyone ever managed it without breaking a nail/your fingers?) or the driver’s door (“You have to sort of lift it, then you can pull the handle”) or the bit where the isolator is hidden. Yes, it’s got an anti-theft device. No, it probably doesn’t need one.

MOT time

No owner of any horsebox ever sees the approach of plating time with joy, but when your horsebox is older than most of the people testing it, it’s more problematic (“Is that really a J-reg, or is it on a private plate?”) It’s been reported that first-time passes are possible, but this has to be taken with a pinch of salt; anyone who achieves either this, or that prized certificate without spending north of a grand (both is in the realms of fantasy) will be seen shimmying out of the test centre to buy a lottery ticket – and they’ll need a winning one, to pay for next year’s test.

Parts

It only needs a bulb/handbrake cable/fuel pump; how hard can it be? Oh, my dear, sweet summer child. No stockist is going to remember when he last saw one of those for this model, let alone be able to produce one off the shelf, and it gets tedious having to repeat “Yes, it’s a pre-2001 build” (pre-1991, to be honest). Ebay is your friend here (other online marketplaces are available).

Speed

Oh, how you laugh when other people mutter about their lorries’ being limited to 56mph, yours doesn’t have any technical limit to how fast it can fly. That may be because such technology wasn’t invented in the 1980s, and to be honest, 56mph is a dream rather than a limit, unless you’re going downhill with a following wind, but still. There are some benefits.

Built to last

And of course, there are other benefits. Those of us still proudly trucking in our veteran vehicles will expound on the joys of something that’s been built to last, even if that is through a combination of mounting credit card bills, grey (or pulled-out) hair and possibly black magic. They don’t make ‘em like they used to. Jury’s still out on whether that’s a good thing or not…

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

5 reasons a horsebox is better than a car

Are you a rider who needs power on the go? These deals on portable power stations for horseboxes might be your ultimate solution

Horsebox versus horse trailer – which would suit you best?

Check your horsebox tyres for safety – and to avoid ‘unlimited’ fine

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Scientists may argue over what is the world’s most precious substance: is it platinum, iridium, oil, antimatter? Parents with children under the age of 16 know — forget the rest, it’s the perfect Pony Club pony.

Rarer than rubies, more valuable per ounce than gold, as sought after as truffles, the Pony Club gem is top of every mother’s wish list.

So what qualifies as the Perfect Pony Club Pony (PPCP)?

They can be divided into two main types — the small, fluffy, safe-as-houses saint who can act as nanny, and the bigger, legendary competition pony who has been on every team for donkey’s years and knows the entire dressage test range off by heart and exactly how many strides they need to fit in through that downhill coffin.

What they have in common is safety. You can trust them not to kick, bite or dump your child unnecessarily. Of course children will always fall off, even if the pony doesn’t put a foot wrong, but a good pony should make reasonable efforts to keep them in the plate.

A child should be able to carry a flapping flag during mounted games, or a polocrosse stick, and go “round-the-world” without objections from below.

Every Pony Club instructor breathes a sigh of relief to see them in their ride at camp — they can be used to demonstrate dressage moves, take part in a rousing game of cowboys and Indians, and won’t bog off back to the lorry if the child does fall off.

7 tips for finding the perfect Pony Club pony

1. Do consider older ponies — in fact, the older the better. Many small ponies improve considerably with age.

2. Don’t buy a young, green pony for a nervous child — 99 times out of 100, it won’t work.

3. Do get it vetted if you are buying it — what you find out may not stop you buying it, but it’s important to know if it has had laminitis or other problems in the past.

4. Keep a close eye out at rallies and competitions for lovely ponies — then suck up to their present owners like mad and make sure you seem like the perfect “next home”.

5. Don’t get too ambitious. If your child is nervous, the pony who will only canter for five strides, after much kicking, is better than the all-singing, all-dancing whizzy competition pony.

6. Remember that just because a pony behaves beautifully for someone else’s child, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will with yours — but try and work out why before you blame the pony.

7. Be prepared to be the envy of everyone if you find a PPCP — and warn your children that others may be jealous.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

16 things we miss about being young

If for you the days of Pony Club, picnic rides and galloping ponies bareback across stubble fields are but a

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt: 5 reasons you can always rely on a family horse

There’s nothing to beat a good family horse — this Mr Dependable of the horse world might not be a

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you’re on the hunt to buy a Welsh section D to ride and compete, this guide is for you.

What is a Welsh section D?

The Welsh section D — or the Welsh cob — is the largest of the Welsh breeds. The breed has no upper height limit but must exceed 13.2hh to ensure it is in fact a section D and not a section C. While there is no maximum height requirement, it is desirable that the section D retains pony character and true Welsh type.

The section D can be any colour, except piebald and skewbald. Grey colouring is more rare than in other types of Welsh ponies, but white markings are common.

A Welsh cob’s action should be: “Free, true and forcible. The knee should be bent and the whole foreleg should be extended straight from the shoulder and as far forward as possible in the trot. Hocks flexed under the body with straight and powerful leverage.”

Welsh Pony and Cob Society conformation standard for Welsh section Ds

General character: Strong, hardy and active, with pony character and as much substance as possible

Head: Full of quality and pony character. A coarse head and Roman nose are most objectionable

Eyes: Bold, prominent and set widely apart

Ears: Neat and well set

Neck: Lengthy and well carried. Moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Strong but well laid back

Forelegs: Set square and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearms. Knees well developed with an abundance of bone below them. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well shaped. Hooves dense. When in the rough, a moderate quantity of silky feather is not objected to but coarse, wiry hair is a definite objection.

Middlepiece: Back and loins, muscular, strong and well-coupled. Deep through the heart and well ribbed up.

Hindquarters: Lengthy and strong. Ragged or drooping quarters are objectionable. Tail well set on.

Hind legs: Second thighs, strong and muscular. Hocks, large, flat and clean, with points prominent, turning neither inward nor outward. The hind legs must not be too bent and the hock not set behind a line falling from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well shaped. Hooves dense.

The Welsh Pony and Cob Society suggests that the section D has been aptly described as “the best ride and drive animal in the world”.

“The general character is the embodiment of strength, hardiness and agility. The Welsh cob is a good hunter and a most competent performer in all competitive sports. In recent years they have had great success in the international driving world. Their abilities in all spheres are now fully recognised throughout the world.”

What can I do with a Welsh section D?

Welsh section Ds are a breed that you will find in most disciplines in the UK and across the globe. Welsh section Ds are popular showing animals, with standalone classes at major finals such as Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). They compete in the large breeds category against other native breeds, or in specific Welsh section C and D classes.

The breed is popular as they can carry most adults and taller riders, but have native pony traits meaning they are generally hardy. They can fare well in dressage owing to their movement, and the more athletic types also have a presence in working hunter classes, eventing, showjumping and out hunting. Some Welsh section Ds have also competed successfully in driving and they can also make good all-rounders and non-competitive rides. The in-hand showing scene is equally well supported, with many breeders showcasing their home-bred stock at breed shows, on the county show circuit and beyond.

Ultimately, the ideal job for each pony depends on its type, character traits and natural talent in specific areas.

Is it the right breed for me?

Aimee Devane is a leading native pony producer who has ridden many successful Welsh section Ds. Her first top pony was the gelding Pentrepiod The Judge but she has since ridden many stars, including the late Aleanto Bon A Parte and Steppers Relight My Fire, ridden champion at the Royal Welsh in 2023.

“They are my favourite breed,” Aimee confirms. “But I would not say a Welsh cob is the breed for an easy life in the sense they can be more hot-headed and generally do need stimulation and consistency to get the best out of them, especially in the early stages of training. This does not mean dangerous, but you need to have your wits about you.

“Obviously, upbringing has a lot to do with how they take to ridden work, and you do find more laid-back examples. If you find the right pony for you, though, they are amazing animals to work with and train.”

What should I look for in a Welsh section D?

“I like an old-fashioned type; I’m looking for a true pony of cob type and my preference for the show ring is for something that stands between 14hh and 14.2hh, ideally no bigger,” Aimee says. “I’m looking for a pony that has a nice length of rein as well as good bone, feather and feet. You can add topline, but you cannot add limb, feather or foot.

“I would look for something with an uphill front as this is usually an indicator of how they will eventually ride. A lot of cobs don’t have the most natural canter, so if they’re more uphill they’re likely to find that pace easier. They can be later maturers, though, and the canter can come as they get stronger. There are a few four- and five-year-olds who have a solid temperament and brain, but you will usually start to get the very best out of a Welsh section D when it is six or seven.

“Movement-wise, I like a bit of knee action that comes up and out from the shoulder. I like a pony that covers the ground; we don’t want a pony that daisy-cuts. A Welsh cob should arguably be one of the biggest movers in a ring of natives, but it’s important that we’re getting the true action without rushing or pushing the pony out of its natural rhythm.”

How much should I expect to pay?

As with any horse or pony, the price will depend on several factors including the market at the time as well as the individual animal’s temperament, age, quality, competition record and breeding.

“Welsh cobs are very valuable as they can take a taller rider,” Aimee says. “I would always find a Welsh section D easier to sell than a Welsh section C of equal quality. Plus, a Welsh section D with form in the show ring is likely to have the ability to go and succeed in another discipline, especially dressage due to their movement.

“The price I would pay for a pony depends on quality,” Aimee adds. “You can find unbroken ponies for £1,500, and ridden ponies for £8,000, but it does depend on how much potential the animal has. For the top end I would want something special that has it all; bone, feather, movement and flare. Obviously, after being backed and trained the prices increase. Top ridden ponies can go from anywhere between £10,000 and £15,000, often more.”

I’ve bought a pony, now what?

It is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended. It’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you intend to use the pony for so they can assess it accordingly. If you tell the vet you want the pony for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

“Due to my experience I often buy ponies without a vetting, and I also buy them unseen if sourcing from breeders or from vendors I trust,” Aimee says. “Every pony will have a job, too, even if it’s not in the show ring or in competition.”

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

The Welsh section D: the ‘native cobs’ with power, action and presence

While there is no maximum height requirement, it is desirable that the section D retains pony character and true Welsh

Native breed experts pinpoint 6 core skills for your pony to be light, forward and responsive in the ring this season

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Looking to buy a Highland pony to be your next best friend? If you’re wanting a ride for the show ring, or you are simply looking for a larger pony that’s hardy, versatile and fun, this native breed is definitely worthy of your consideration.

What is a Highland pony?

The Highland Pony is one of the three native pony breeds of the Scottish Highlands and Islands (alongside the Shetland and Eriskay), but there are now studs located throughout Scotland, England, Wales, Europe and across the rest of the word. The Highland pony was originally bred to work on small farms in Scotland, and while some ponies are still worked in parts of the countryside, they are now used for a variety of riding activities.

The Highland Pony Society (HPS) is the guardian of the breed and offers the following description on what to look for in a good example:

“The Highland pony is a strong, well-balanced, compact pony with all its features being in proportion to its height. It is one of the largest of the British native breeds and should show substance and strength. The strength and sound temperament of Highland ponies make them good work horses and they are still used in areas inaccessible to machines, such as in logging or to extract deer carcasses from the hill.”

Height: Not to exceed 14.2hh (148cm).

Head: Well carried and alert with kindly eye. Broad muzzled with a deep jowl.

Neck and Shoulders: Reasonable length of neck from wither with a good sloping shoulder and well placed forearm.

Body: Well balanced and compact with plenty of room for heart and lungs. Ribs well sprung.

Quarters and Hindlegs: Powerful quarters with well developed thigh, strong second thigh and clean flat hocks.

Legs: Flat hard bone, broad knees, short cannon bones, oblique pasterns and well shaped broad dark hoofs. Feather soft and silky. Ponies of Western Isles type may have striped hoofs which grow out at maturity.

Mane and Tail: Hair should be natural, flowing and untrimmed with a full tail.

Colours: A range of duns, mouse, yellow, grey, cream. Also grey, brown, black, bay and occasionally liver chestnut with silver mane and tail. Many ponies have a dorsal stripe and some show zebra markings on legs and shoulder. Foal coat colour often changes and many ponies change colour gradually as they grow older, especially those with grey hairs interspersed with the original colour. Others show a slight seasonal change in colour between winter and summer coats. Broken colours are not allowed. A small star is acceptable but other white markings are discouraged. Stallions with white markings other than a small star are not eligible for licensing.

Action: Straight and free moving without undue knee action.

Capabilities: A ride, drive and pack animal which can adapt to many equestrian disciplines.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was known for her love of the breed. She was a patron of the society and she bred Highland ponies under the Balmoral prefix. Her ponies won many titles, including the in-hand supreme at Royal Windsor.

The Highland Pony Enthusiasts Club says the fact that Highlands perform well in comparatively slow work such as trekking, forestry and deer-carrying suggests that they have a calm, steady temperament: “This makes them outstandingly suitable for the nervous or elderly, and they have also been used successfully as mounts for disabled riders, all of whom appreciate their confidence-giving attributes.

“However, it must not be thought that, because they are kind and reliable, they are also dull. For many a Highland has shown itself to be a keen, active ride in the hunting field and, correctly schooled, to be able to compete with great success in Pony Club and riding club activities – making up by sure-footedness and handiness what it may lack in outright speed. With the present revival in harness work both for showing and for pleasure, the ponies are once more proving their worth in this field also.

“Safe, reliable, friendly, a good, comfortable ride, constitutionally strong and hardy, attractive to look at, and with considerably more versatility than is generally appreciated, the Highland pony has so much to offer.”

Highland ponies are popular in the show ring and they have form at major shows. An example is stallion Benbreac Of Crolia who was the 2018 Royal International supreme pony, becoming the first native to land the title, while stallion Stirlingdene was supreme at HOYS in 2012.

What should I look for in a Highland?

Gillian McMurray is a leading judge and she also breeds Highlands under the Trailtrow Prefix. Ponies from the Trailtrow Stud have featured at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and London International several times, winning best of breed titles on many occasions. Gillian was supreme at Olympia in 1987 riding her foundation mare, Dunrowan Dolphin.

“I would recommend that most prospective buyers attend some big shows – such as Blair, the Royal Highland or the HPS breed show – to look at classes of ponies and see how much variation in type there is within the breed,” says Gillian.

“The type you would want for a top ridden pony would differ compared to the pony you’d need for hacking or deer work. If looking for a pony for the ridden job, I would want something with a good length of rein and a good shoulder, nothing too straight. Then, we want a lovely round hind-end with a short second thigh; this is the engine of the pony that pushes it forwards. There are a few ponies out there that are too straight in the hind-leg and it does show during their ridden work.

“Like with any pony, we want nice straight limbs that don’t deviate from the knee down, as well as good strong feet.

“Movement wise, the walk is a really important pace. Traditionally, the Highland would spend the majority of its time walking. Canter isn’t their natural pace; many can find it hard to come up off their forehand in the canter. However, if you find something with a good hind leg they will find it easier.”

Where should I buy a Highland from?

There are online sale sites that have Highland ponies advertised throughout the year.

“Attending shows to see what type of pony you are looking for is the best place to start,” says Gillian. “Then, it would be a case of approaching breeders. Some breeders produce for riding more than others, so it completely depends on what job you want your pony to do. Most breeders will have youngstock for sale, so if you’re looking for a pony that is up and running, you should check out breed enthusiast groups, or the HPS has a sales list on their website.

“Make sure you ask around to see if anyone has seen the pony out and about, especially if it’s done some showing,” Gillian adds. “This could help you gage if the pony is suitable for you and your set-up.”

How much should I expect to pay?

Prices vary greatly depending on the age and experience of the pony.

“I would be wary of something that is very cheap due to the general price of Highlands these days,” Gillian says. “There are only approximately 250 foals born each year, so prices have gone up. At minimum, you can expect to pay anything from £2,000 for a foal at weaning, and you can expect a reasonable amount to be added on each year. A pony ready for breaking could reach anything from £5,000 upwards. Winning ponies with experience have been advertised for around the £15,000 mark.”

I’ve found a pony, now what?

It is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended. If the pony is for a junior rider, asking for a trial period would be sensible, but not all sellers will agree to this.

It’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you intend to use the pony for so they can assess it accordingly. If you tell the vet that you want the pony for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

“A vetting is sensible, though a five-stage would not be appropriate for a youngster,” Gillian says. “If you’re going to view young ponies, do take someone experienced with you. If you are buying something up and running, then a vetting would be advised.”

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

The Highland pony: the tough working ponies who can shine in the show ring or in the hills

Find out more about this British native breed

Native breed experts pinpoint 6 core skills for your pony to be light, forward and responsive in the ring this season

‘He knew he was spectacular’: Farewell to one of the most prolific Highland ponies of all time

Go behind the scenes at The Queen’s Highland pony stud at Balmoral

Highland stallion bags supreme pony title at the Royal International Horse Show

With two contenders on the same marks, it was all the play for...

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you are hoping to buy a Welsh section B pony, this guide with advice from a top breeder should help you start your search for the right one

What is a Welsh section B?

The Welsh section B pony is one of the four Welsh breeds. It is the finer and arguably most athletic of the sections. The section B cannot exceed 13.2hh (137.2cm) in height but you regularly see smaller breed representatives out and about.

According to the Welsh Pony and Cob Association (WPCS): “The general description of ponies in section A of the stud book is applicable to those in section B. But more particularly the section B pony shall be described as a riding pony, with quality, riding action, adequate bone and substance, hardiness and constitution and with pony character.”

They can be described as the more refined and taller version of the section A. The B was developed by breeding mountain ponies with Hackney, Arab and thoroughbred influences.

The section B was added to the stud book in 1931 and the WPCS provides the same breed standard as the section A with the above characteristics:

Head: Small, clean-cut, well set on and tapering to the muzzle

Ears: Well placed, small and pointed, well up on the head, proportionately close

Neck: Lengthy, well carried and moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Long and sloping well back. Withers moderately fine, but not “knifey”. The humerus upright so that the foreleg is not set in under the body.

Forelegs: Set square and true, and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearm, well developed knee, short flat bone below knee, pasterns of proportionate slope and length, feet well-shaped and round, hoofs dense.

Back and loins: Muscular, strong and well coupled

Hind quarters: Lengthy and fine. Not ragged or goose-rumped. Tail well set on and carried gaily.

Hind legs: Hocks to be large, flat and clean with points prominent, to turn neither inwards nor outwards. The hind legs not to be too bent. The hock not to be set behind a line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped, hooves dense.

They have straighter, more low and long striding movement than the A, C and D sections arguably with a more pointed toe, though they still need to have appropriate hock action from behind.

What should I look for in a Welsh section B?

Hayley Grota runs the successful Cadlan Valley Stud alongside her parents, Howell and Yvonne Davies. Hayley’s daughter, Libby, currently competes the home-bred ponies under-saddle.

Ponies with the Cadlan Valley prefix have won at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), Royal International and Olympia.

“Conformation and breed type are the most important things to look for in a quality Welsh section B,” says Hayley. “I like a section B to possess Welsh pony characteristics, too, as well as plenty of substance and limb, two things a lot of ponies have lost over the years, which in turn has meant they’ve lost some of their hardiness.

“Today, a lot of Bs are weak in their hind legs; they move in front but they don’t move from behind. I like a pony to really use itself from the back end. Adding to this, I would never buy a section B that looks like a show pony, unless you intend it for this class; I like a pony with substance, limb and bone.”

What can I do with a Welsh section B?

Welsh section Bs are versatile and they can fare well in multiple jobs due to their athleticism and level temperaments.

Welsh section Bs have their own final at Horse of the Year Show. Sometimes they compete against Welsh section As or against other small breeds.

Many modern section Bs are also successful in plaited showing classes, standing at the top of show hunter pony and plaited working hunter pony line ups at championship level.

Smaller section Bs can make good first ridden ponies, and the breed is also a popular choice for native working hunter classes due to their natural scope and stamp.

“Welsh Bs are highly popular, both in the UK but especially in the USA,” Hayley notes.

Where should I buy a Welsh section B pony from?

There are online sale sites such as Whickr that have Welsh section B ponies advertised throughout the year.

“I advise you to do research into certain bloodlines and types that you like,” Hayley says. “Buying direct from a breeder, especially if you are looking for a youngster, is a good way of sourcing exactly what you want. Do your research and look at the back breeding of certain ponies you like that are out and about on the circuit.

“Usually, good families pass on their temperaments, which is ultimately the most important thing if you’re looking for a ridden pony. For example, if we had a stallion that didn’t have the best attitude we would not use him again.”

How much should I expect to pay?

As with all breeds and types of horses and ponies, the price you will be looking to pay for an animal will depend on your own personal budget, the competition CV of said horse or pony and the level of the sales market at the time.

“A two or three-year-old Welsh section B pony that is nice but that is not going to be a world beater could still fetch anything from between £2,500 to £3,000,” Hayley says. “If you have a youngster that is a bit more special then you’re looking at prices from £5,000 upwards, especially if the pony has done some winning in-hand.

“When it comes to older ponies with competition records they can go for anything over five figures. I have spoken to people who have sold HOYS-level Welsh section B ponies for up to £25,000. I do think breeders will sometimes sell ponies for less money, especially if they know the home is knowledgeable.”

I’ve bought a pony, now what?

It is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended. If the pony is for a child, perhaps asking for a trial period would be sensible, but not all sellers will agree to this.

It’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you intend to use the pony for so they can assess it accordingly. If you tell the vet that you want the pony for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

If the pony is for a child, the vet will hopefully keep an eye on the temperament during the assessment, too. Small ponies can be more susceptible to laminitis so ask the vet to consider this risk.

“We have been doing this long enough that we don’t tend to have unbroken ponies vetted as we can look at their teeth and limbs, and we have a friend who is a vet who is always willing to provide advice on certain aspects I might be worried about,” Hayley says. “I know people who have had ponies vetted and something has gone wrong later down the line, and I’ve also known ponies that fail the vet but have gone on to be great with no issues.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

From the diminutive Shetland to the spectacular Welsh cob – meet Royal Windsor’s 2025 M&M champions

Native breed experts pinpoint 6 core skills for your pony to be light, forward and responsive in the ring this season

Welsh-bred section B stallion triumphs at Horse of the Year Show in South Africa

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you’re on the hunt for a top-class show horse for this season and beyond, then these tips on how to buy a show hunter could be a good place to start.

What is a show hunter?

Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain’s definition of a show hunter is “a mare or gelding capable or likely to be capable of carrying its designated weight regularly for a full day’s hunting. It should have substance, quality and a calm, bold temperament. It should have the conformation to produce high performance.”

The British Show Horse Association adds: “It should have the conformation to produce high performance with sustained soundness. It should be alert and when ridden, have four athletic natural paces.”

Show hunters are divided into three weight sections; lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight.

A lightweight should be able to carry up to 12st 7lb, stand around 16-16.2hh and have about eight and a half inches of bone under the knee.

A middleweight hunter stands around 16.3hh, can carry between 12st 7lb and 14st and has around nine inches of bone.

A heavyweight stands around 17hh, has nine to nine and a half inches of bone and is capable of carrying more than 14st.

In addition to the three weight divisions, hunters can contest small hunter classes (horses under 15.2hh), ladies’ hunter classes (to be ridden side-saddle) and working hunter classes, which includes a jumping section.

Show hunters are arguably one of the most competitive classes within showing. The main championships are held at the Royal International (RIHS) and the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), with separate classes for amateur hunter owners at some shows.

A show hunter is a solid choice for an amateur due to their versatility and ability to compete in multiple disciplines.

What should I look for in a show hunter?

Robert Walker is the circuit’s leading producer of hunters. He has won the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) hunter championship numerous times, including in 2023 riding MHS Morning Master. He is known for producing young hunters through the ranks.

“Conformationally, he has got to be sound with no faults,” begins Robert, who has also won the prestigious novice hunter accolade at Royal Windsor several times during his career. “I would never buy a horse that is back at the knee or that has a bad foreleg. It’s a big no no for me and I would always walk away from something with this fault.

“Ultimately, the horse needs to have a category to fit into, too. When I’m looking at him I’m asking myself ‘what would he make and where will he end up?’ Will he make a lightweight, middleweight, a heavyweight, or a small? Can I predict his type in some way by looking at his current frame and at the breeding?”

Robert says that ensuring your potential buy has the X-Factor is essential.

“One of the main things we’re also looking for is star appeal. He’s going to be a show horse so this element is vital,” he confirms. “Due to breeding influences over the years the movement of each of the weights has become more similar. There are some heavyweights out on the circuit that have such good steps. Hunter classes are now so competitive that a horse has to move across the floor and go around the ring elegantly, like dancers on a dance floor. Movement sets the best apart from the rest.”

If looking at an older horse with some mileage under its belt, Robert says: “Try to find something that still enjoys the game. It can be hard to find one that has done a few seasons but is still up for the job. Try to assess if the horse will stand up to different types of going, too. We often get sent older horses for hunting as they didn’t like the harder ground you often need to perform on during the summer season. With this in mind, also pay close attention to his joints and joint capsules. Ask yourself if this horse is going to have much longevity.”

What weight or age of hunter should I buy?

It is important to be suitably mounted with a horse of the correct size and stamp for your height and weight. Robert also says that you need to consider your own situation before choosing a stamp or age of horse.

“People have different circumstances,” explains Robert. “If you work full time and have an elderly parent putting your horse in and out, you need something that they are going to be able to cope with. Most young hunters are impressive, strapping animals, so ask yourself if the horse in question will fit in with your lifestyle. Size is irrelevant, really, as it’s more about the temperament and level-headedness of the horse.”

Where shall I buy a hunter from?

Hunters for sale will be advertised at various times in the season on online platforms, as well as being sold via word of mouth.

“When I was a teenager buying a hunter was a much easier process,” says Robert. “Nearly every agricultural show or major fixture like Royal Dublin had an abundance of traditionally-bred young horses that were for sale. Today, there are usually one or two on the market that everyone wants.

“My main advice for buyers is to be open-minded. I’m very fortunate that I have lots of young horses coming through and we have the space to turn them away if necessary. This isn’t practical for everyone and some riders can only have one horse. In this case, don’t be afraid to ask the professionals if they know of a horse for sale.

“At the end of the season we have a few young horses that have had a good education up for sale. It’s not because they aren’t good enough, but we need to make space for the next crop coming through. Ask around and you might be surprised at what you might find.”

How much should I expect to pay for a hunter?

“Everything has gone up in price, including the price of horses,” says Robert. “You might be very lucky and drop onto one that someone wants rid of due to circumstances. But, nearly everyone knows if they’ve got a really good horse. The top horses will always fetch the top money.

“Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere between £25,000 and £40,000 for a top established horse being shown at the highest level. While £10,000 and £15,000 could get you a nice young horse. But they’re all priced differently and if you want a good horse you will need to pay the money; you could buy an old banger, or you could get what you want, but you’ll need to pay!”

What happens when I’ve agreed to buy a horse?

When you have agreed on a sale, it is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended.

The vet will assess the horse with the specific job you want it for in mind, so it’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting that your main goal is to compete as a show hunter. If you tell the vet that you want the horse for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

Robert says: “I appreciate that I have the experience to check a horse over myself, but if you don’t have this knowledge then get a vet involved. I would look around the horse, check how it lands when being trotted up and I would listen to the breathing. If you don’t have this experience then ask around and find a vet you can trust to do the assessment.”

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How can I buy the perfect working hunter?

Looking to buy a show hunter pony? Where to search and exactly what to look for

How to buy the perfect Dartmoor pony for either yourself or a child

How can I buy my perfect Connemara pony?

Expert advice for anyone looking to buy a working hunter pony

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Looking to buy a Welsh section A pony for yourself or for a child? Then this guide is sure to help you on your search…

What is a Welsh section A?

The Welsh section A or Welsh Mountain Pony is the smallest of the four Welsh breeds. It is a popular choice for both children and small adults.

The Welsh section A should not exceed 12hh (121.9cm). They can be any colour, except for piebald and skewbald. They can have a variety of white markings on their legs and face.

The Welsh Pony and Cob Society provides the following breed description:

Head: small, clean-cut, well set on and tapering to the muzzle

Ears: well placed, small and pointed, well up on the head, proportionately close

Neck: lengthy, well carried and moderately lean in the case of mares, but inclined to be cresty in the case of mature stallions

Shoulders: Long and sloping well back. Withers moderately fine, but not “knifey”. The humerus upright so that the foreleg is not set in under the body.

Forelegs: set square and true, and not tied in at the elbows. Long, strong forearm, well developed knee, short flat bone below knee, pasterns of proportionate slope and length, feet well-shaped and round, hoofs dense.

Back and Loins: muscular, strong and well coupled

Hind Quarters: lengthy and fine. Not ragged or goose-rumped. Tail well set on and carried gaily.

Hind Legs: hocks to be large, flat and clean with points prominent, to turn neither inwards nor outwards. The hind legs not to be too bent. The hock not to be set behind a line from the point of the quarter to the fetlock joint. Pasterns of proportionate slope and length. Feet well-shaped, hoofs dense.

Mandy Burchell Small is a leading breeder of Welsh section A ponies. She runs the Rowfantina Stud and ponies donning her prefix have won both Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International.

“I like a four-square pony with a nice outlook,” Mandy explains. “A Welsh section A should have pony characteristics, with a nice big eye, a well-set front and a nice length of rein. A nice shaped head is a distinguishable feature of a Welsh pony. If you’re looking for a pony to do ridden work with then the neck set is important; the neck shouldn’t come out too low. A pony should have a good turn of front, too, which means that it should be easier to train as it finds things easier. I also like good, short, flat bone, and I would avoid a pony with appley joints. I don’t like narrow ponies either.

“If you’re buying a ridden pony the most important thing is where the saddle is going to sit. Welsh ponies are often bred to be so short coupled that there isn’t a wither for the saddle to sit behind. The saddle shouldn’t sit at the base of the neck, so a pony with a good front is essential.”

Mandy also explains that type will differ if you’re looking for a pony for a child, compared to if you’re searching for an adult’s ride.

“An open pony would be rangier and it would have bigger movement; the bigger the moment the better,” she says. “A lead rein or a first ridden should be a pretty mover, as an enormous stride could push the child out of the saddle. Whatever job you’re looking for, whether for in-hand, ridden or something else, a pony should be balanced and straight. If you’re buying a youngster, watching a pony loose in the field will show you if it has this natural balance.”

What can I do with a Welsh section A?

The Welsh section A pony is a popular child’s ride both in and out of the show ring, and the breed also fares well in working hunter ranks, on the Pony Club scene and in other disciplines.

The Welsh section A can contend many showing classes; lead rein, first ridden, junior ridden M&M and open ridden M&M. Some shows hold separate classes for Welsh section As, though sometimes they will compete against their larger relative, the Welsh section B, and sometimes they will contend mixed small breed classes.

Welsh section As jump in the 122cm M&M working hunter pony height section.

Aside from showing, Welsh section As have faired well in driving and in Pony Club games, due to their natural athleticism, turn of speed and nimbleness.

The showing of Welsh section As in-hand is also popular.

“Whatever job, the temperament is key,” Mandy says. “But you can’t always tell this until you start working with a pony. We’ve had ponies that have been exceptionally shy and timid at the beginning, but have gone on to be great at their jobs in the end. If can be difficult to judge temperament, but with children’s ponies it’s particularly important. If you have a charming pony with a good brain it can go a very long way.”

What about a part-bred?

Welsh part-breds are popular, with many being shown in show hunter pony and working hunter pony classes. The Welsh section A can add bone, hardiness and Welsh spirit to the riding pony to produce a child’s pony that can do multiple jobs.

Where should I buy a Welsh section A pony from?

There are online horses for sale sites that have Welsh section A ponies advertised throughout the year.

“While less people are breeding, you can still find some super ponies at studs,” adds Mandy. “Social media is a great way to find contacts and breeders who have ponies for sale.”

The annual Welsh Pony and Cob Society sales take place in October. You can find a range of ponies, from foals to established ridden ponies, being sold via auction.

“The sales are a great place to go, though the prices can vary,” Mandy says. “Ponies can go for a lot of money based on something like colour, and sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason for the prices.”

Prices in the private market vary, too, as Mandy says: “There have been some very expensive ponies sold, but there are have also been some ponies sold for very little that have gone onto be HOYS animals. I think you have to base your decisions on your own personal budget and the state of the market at the time.”

I’ve bought a pony, now what?

It is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended. If the pony is for a child, perhaps asking for a trial period would be sensible, but not all sellers will agree to this.

It’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you intend to use the pony for so they can assess it accordingly. If you tell the vet that you want the pony for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

If the pony is for a child, the vet will hopefully keep an eye on the temperament during the assessment, too. Small ponies can be more susceptible to laminitis so ask the vet to consider this risk.

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to buy a dressage horse: top riders’ tips

H&H asks top riders and producers what they look for when buying a new dressage horse

How can I buy my perfect Connemara pony?

Buying a horse at an elite sale or auction: H&H explains all you need to know

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you’re hoping to jump in the show ring next season and beyond but don’t currently have the ride to do so, then this guide on how to buy a working hunter is a good place to start.

What is a working hunter class?

Working hunter classes are one of the most popular sections within showing with both competitors and spectators alike. A working hunter class is judged in three phases, the first being a jump round over a course of rustic fences. The style and performance mark from this phase is then added to the points given by the ride judge for the ride, and the points accumulated in the conformation phase. While the jump phase is worth 60% of the final score, horses must be conformationally correct as well as comfortable, mannerly and balanced in the ride to score highly when the judge gets on board. The combination with the highest final score wins the class.

There are different levels of working hunter classes, ranging from unaffiliated to national finals found at the two major showing championships, Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International (RIHS). The quality, scope and price of the working hunters you will be looking at on your search will be dependent on the level you are hoping to compete at.

If you are aiming to ride at the highest level, then a former successful show hunter with a jump might be a better option for you. If you are looking to compete on the local show circuit, you could prioritise jump over conformation and show quality, as long as the horse is still to hunter type and is sound, fit and honest.

It’s important to note that in working hunter classes that are affiliated to the main horse societies, Sports Horse Breeding of Great Britain and the British Show Horse Association, any horse that is ranked as a grade A showjumper or advanced event horse is not eligible to compete.

What type of working hunter should I buy?

The exact type of working hunter you will be looking to buy will largely be down to personal preference, however there are a few key elements that should be considered irrespective of type. In brief, a working hunter should be a show hunter with a jump.

“Everyone has their own ideal horse, and my idea of the perfect top-class worker might not be the same as the next person,” confirms leading working hunter producer Kelly Ward of Noble Sports Horses. “While a lot of it comes down to personal preference, any working hunter should be conformationally correct and should be a nice quality show horse, not just a jumping horse dressed up to go into the ring. I don’t agree with those who assume a jumper will be a successful worker just because it will jump the course; it also needs to be a good stamp of a show horse.”

Horses usually compete together or in separate lightweight and heavyweight sections, so ideally you will know what section the horse will jump in depending on how much weight the horse can carry, identifiable by the amount of bone, substance and body said horse has.

Katrina Braithwaite is a leading working hunter competitor who has won the RIHS on several occasions.

“Personally, I like working hunters to have at least 50% Irish Draught breeding in them as I find it gives them a more trainable temperament and a level head,” says Katrina. “As I am the driver, rider, trainer and groom, I need something that is relatively easy to work with. Plus, when you get to the big county shows a horse needs to be able to cope with the atmosphere, so temperament is very important.”

What height of working hunter should I buy?

When it comes to height of the horse, this will first and foremost depend on the size and build of the rider. According to the BSHA and SHB (GB) rule books, working hunters must exceed 148cm (14.2hh) and there is no maximum height.

Kelly says that when it comes to talent and scope you shouldn’t just assume that bigger is better. Good working hunters come in all shapes and sizes.

“The 2023 HOYS working hunter champion (Bellvue Tomboy) is just a little 15.2hh horse,” she says. “While you might not bill a smaller horse as an ideal worker, many of them are powerful jumpers who are capable of taking on the height and doing the job, so don’t write them off.”

What should I look for when buying a working hunter?

It will largely depend on if you are hoping to purchase a young prospect or a horse which already has experience in the ring. When buying a younger horse which doesn’t have established form, you can look at the breeding to assess if it has a pedigree which lends itself to jumping. Assessing the horse’s conformation and paces, as well as its talent over a fence while loose in the arena, can go someway in assessing if the horse has a future in a certain sphere, though it can still be a gamble as each animal is an individual with unique talent.

When looking at older horses there are many factors to consider, as Kelly explains.

“As well as looking at the horse’s form, take into account the rider who has been competing it previously. You have to be realistic and ask yourself if you have the same abilities as the former rider. Perhaps the rider kept the horse in a certain way that you might not be able to replicate as it does not fit into your own routine and lifestyle, especially if you’re keeping the horse at home and fitting it into a busy life. Working hunters can take a lot of production so ensure you’re being realistic. Ultimately, you need to make sure you can ride the horse, so do your homework.”

Katrina adds: “Of course, they have to have scope and jump, and they have to move. Today, a working hunter has to have everything, including that look-at-me quality. Otherwise, you’re never going to get that top pull in a class of 20-odd horses.”

What about blemishes and injuries?

“When looking from the ground up, I ensure the horse has good feet and a good amount limb,” Katrina says. “If a working hunter had a genuine blemish that wasn’t upsetting to the eye, such as an old overreach scar or a tiny mark on the limb, I would not write it off. After all, they are working horses. I wouldn’t buy a horse with a conformation fault, or a horse that had sustained a horrific injury in earlier in life. But, a superficial blemish that does not affect the horse in anyway is passable.”

Where should I buy a working hunter from?

Working hunters for sale will be advertised at various times in the season on online platforms, but they are also often sold via word of mouth.

“Sometimes, the harder you look for the perfect horse, the less chance you have of finding it,” Kelly says. “Lots of people discover their next horses while out and about on the circuit and if you have the budget to do so, it can be easier to approach the owner of a horse you like to start a discussion about a potential sale. A lot of people will sell their horses for the right price, especially if they are professionals who are well-known for producing horses through the ranks.”

Katrina adds: “A lot of my horses have come from someone I trust via word of mouth. I have bought horses unseen before, but it’s always been from someone I have complete confidence in, so I’m not buying completely blind. Have an ask around, too; the horsey world is small and someone will probably know of the horse or the seller.”

How do I know if the horse is for me?

Ultimately, only you know which horse is the right fit for you, and you should ask yourself a few questions before you agree on a sale.

“It’s vital that you keep the horse within a reasonable distance from your home so you can build a strong partnership with it,” Katrina says. “You will need to make sure you spend time getting to know each other, as you have to have an exceptional amount of trust in each other when coming into some of these fences.

“You don’t necessarily need an arena. You can bond and school while out hacking, and when the season is approaching you will need to get out and about to arena hires. Ask yourself is you’re committed enough to the process.”

How much should I pay for a working hunter?

Budget is hugely personal and it also depends on the time of year and the current market.

“If you’ve got a nice, genuine, established open horse to sell then you can pretty much name your price as they are so hard to find,” says Kelly. “By the time you’ve produced a working hunter to top level over two to three years you’re probably not even making that much money out of it anyway. You have to ask a decent price to make the whole process worth it.

“If you’re buying a young horse at a sale, you’re more likely to find a bargain as the prices are dependent on what is being paid on the day. Though the sales market is unpredictable; sometimes you will feel you’ve paid enough for a horse, while other times you will feel like you’ve stuck lucky and got a gem for a very fair price.

“Horses aren’t cars and there isn’t a set rule dictating how much you should pay. Sometimes circumstances mean a horse is being sold for a lot of less money, sometimes sellers will hold out for a strong price as they have time to do so. But generally, if you have a nice working hunter, whether it a 133cm or a horse worker, you can command a good price for it.”

What happens when I’ve agreed to buy a working hunter?

When you have agreed on a sale, it is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended.

The vet will assess the horse with the specific job you want it for in mind, so it’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting that your main goal is to compete it as a working hunter. If you tell the vet that you want the horse for the show ring, they should hopefully inform you of any blemishes or conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact its soundness or performance.

“I would always have a five-star vetting, and if money allows, I would ask for X-rays of both the hocks and feet,” says Katrina. “If you were buying a younger horse, say an unbroken three-year-old, a two-stage would do the job, but I would still request X-rays.”

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to buy your ideal all-rounder

How to buy your perfect dressage horse

How to buy an eventer: what to look for

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

As surely as a horse owner wants to find a (clean, straight) leg at each corner on a horse, when it comes to looking at dressage horses for sale they will talk about four key attributes: good movement, temperament, breeding and conformation.

But in which order should these things be considered? Where should you — and should you not — consider compromising; and are those attributes ranked in a different order of importance when it’s an amateur buying a horse rather than a professional?

Experts are unanimous that temperament — a sense of eagerness and wanting to please — are especially important in an amateur’s ride. So here are eight questions every rider should ask themselves before handing over the cash.

1. Do you need a horse that big?

“Some people think a 17hh horse is the thing to have,” says Buckinghamshire-based trainer and rider Douglas Hibbert. “But horses can keep growing until they are seven.”

“If the rider can’t balance it, buying too big a horse is a mistake,” says former British team rider and Yorkshire Riding Centre resident instructor Jane Bartle-Wilson.

“A lot of people are happier kicking [than being on top of a surplus of power],” adds leading rider, producer and trainer Rebecca Hughes.

2. Do you really want a horse that young?

“I think four-year-olds are not for amateur riders,” says Douglas. “People think they will buy less trouble at this age, but they are at a delicate part of their education and it can so easily go wrong.”

3. Do you need to go abroad?

Grand prix rider Hayley Watson-Greaves agrees that trying 10 in a day on the continent can be a fantastic experience, but thinks we miss treasure under our noses.

“My mum is constantly trawling private adverts, and has a good eye,” she says. “She finds lovely horses for sale in Britain.”

Additionally, if it’s British, “there’s a good chance someone we know knows something about it; there’s that extra traceability,” adds Douglas.

4. Have you been thorough on the phone?

“People are often nervous about asking direct questions, like: has it ever been lame; does it have any insurance exclusions? Ditto, they are embarrassed to call POA ads,” says Douglas. “Don’t be. It could save you a [wasted] journey — or throw up your perfect horse.”

5. Did you want to get off?

“You have to feel comfortable on the horse,” says Hayley. “Make sure you have tried it thoroughly in all paces. Some try it at walk and trot and want to buy it.”

“I want to hear a client’s virtually been dragged off the horse,” says Douglas. “You’ve really got to want to ride it every day.”

High on Jane’s list of undesirables is an ugly head: “It just affects your motivation to ride each day.”

6. Do you need such an advanced horse?

“I’ve seen so many disasters of people buying horses too far above them — buying an ex-grand prix horse when they haven’t ridden above medium themselves,” says Jane.

7. Have you set aside a training budget?

“You can spend a fortune on the best horse in the world, but you’ve got to be able to ride it,” says Rebecca. “Higher quality horses can often be more sensitive and responsive, and may need some professional training. Training is the best investment. Don’t get the new lorry — get more help.”

“Young horses do go through a teenage stage and you may need help to get through that,” agrees Hayley.

8. Do I have suitable facilities?

“Do consider your home set-up when choosing a horse,” urges Douglas. “If you have limited turnout, or an exposed arena, or are on busy roads, or have very limited time in which to ride around a day job, you may not be well placed to take on a young horse or one used to being worked hard every day by a professional.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How to buy your ideal all-rounder

How to buy an eventer: what to look for

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Money can buy most things — but it’s not the only consideration when buying a first pony. We suss out what to look for in a four-legged gem.

Although a little girl might fantasise about owning a unicorn, looks are low on the agenda when it comes to the perfect first pony.

Temperament

“Temperament is the most important criteria,” says showing producer and lead-rein specialist Sharn Linney.

“All children need a kind, quiet pony for the crucial early days, who is willing to do whatever is asked of them in and out of the stable — ground manners are key. Breeding, age and colour are irrelevant, although the pony should be sound and healthy.”

Size

Many of us treasure early photos of ourselves with our legs halfway up the saddle flaps — and Sharn is flexible on height, so long as the child isn’t over-horsed.

“They shouldn’t be too big or strong, but nothing so small that they will quickly be outgrown — the partnership takes time to build.”

Reputation

Sharn’s main warning is to avoid ponies with no history.

“Contact reputable breeders, ask local Pony Clubs, and don’t rush the decision,” she says. “And always see the current owner ride the pony first, so you know whether the pony is suitable for your child to ride.”

Hannah Goffe of White House Farm Equestrian has found perfect ponies for everyone from Russian oligarchs’ children to her own daughters, and also stipulates kindness as key.

“The first pony needs to make the child want to carry on riding,” she adds. “I wonder how many future riders we’ve lost because they’ve had an inappropriate first pony.”

Price

As for a ballpark price — there isn’t one.

“Some are family pets who never come on to the market, or you may get lucky and land one on loan,” Sharn says. “A good one is priceless as they’re worth their weight in gold.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

11 things you need to know before you let your child have a pony

Here are 11 things you need to know before you take possession of that perfect first pony....

When is the right time to buy a pony for your child?

In her new book Pony care: A complete guide to buying and caring for your first pony, Alison Pocklington looks

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

An all-rounder can be described as the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ of the horse world. He is a willing companion who is ready to have a go at just about anything. But with so many adverts claiming the horse can do everything from dressage and cross-country to a sponsored ride — how do you buy an all-rounder horse?

He won’t be a superstar, warns producer and trainer Lynn Russell.

“He should be able to jump a course, say 2ft 6in to 3ft, be traffic-proof and move reasonably well, but not be in the top dressage or showing category.

“To me, an all-rounder is the sort of horse who can be ridden by any member of the family, within reason, and has the ability to compete at a local riding club.”

Safety first

To find out if the horse is suitable for your level of riding, you must put him to the test. It’s important to try the horse at everything you want to do with him, such as showjumping or cross-country.

You should also take the following steps:

• Watch another person ride him first. Horse dealer and trainer Candy Martin, from West Farleigh, Kent, says: “If you find yourself eager to have a go, then that’s a good sign. But if you don’t like what the horse is doing, and you’re feeling apprehensive, stop right there. It is unlikely the rest of the trial is going to improve.”
• Ride him by some unusual objects, such as a wheelie bin lying on its side, a flapping tarpaulin or a pile of coloured jump poles. Most horses will shy at something new, but his reaction will be a good indication of how spooky he is.
• Ask to take him out hacking on the road, first with another horse and then alone. Pay particular attention to how he behaves around traffic. Above all, while on the hack you should feel safe and secure.

So how can you tell if a horse has a good temperament? Here are a few checks you can make:

• Go into the horse’s stable and see how he reacts when you make a fuss of him. He should be happy with you in his stall and not protective of his territory.
• Take him out and walk him around the yard. He should walk quietly beside you, not try to barge off. Tack and untack the horse as if he were your own. Is he willing to stand while he is groomed and saddled?
• Make sure you can lift and pick out his feet, without him kicking or snatching the leg away from you.
• He should also be willing to be caught from the field and have good manners when you handle him.

Buying an all-rounder horse

The all-rounder is often the hardest horse to buy, so be prepared to take enough time to find the right animal for you.

“All-rounders can be like gold dust,” says Candy. “They are hard to find because they can do a bit of everything. Once they’ve found a good all-rounder, most people will keep him forever.”

Both Candy and Lynn feel that people often mistakenly believe that because they’re after an ordinary horse, they can pay very little for it.

“When buying an all-rounder, first and foremost, you are buying a horse for his temperament and suitability,” says Lynn. “The temperament of the horse is most important, and you get what you pay for.”

Also keep in mind that there are all-rounder at many levels, and one with talent is going to cost you more.

1. By word of mouth: All-rounders change hands infrequently and are usually known for their temperament. Use your equine network and let as many people as possible know what you’re looking for, especially those with good equestrian contacts.

2. Via online classifieds platforms: there are a range of websites that provide horses for sale services that allow you to find horses for sale in your area and price range.

3. Find a reputable horse dealer or agent: If the horse isn’t working out, a good horse dealer may be open to an exchange or be able to help you find something more suitable. But do your research before viewing to check if a dealer has a good reputation or not.

You might also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt: 5 reasons you can always rely on a family horse

There’s nothing to beat a good family horse — this Mr Dependable of the horse world might not be a

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Eventing is often deemed to be the ultimate test of horse and rider, but with so much to ask, what do top riders prioritise when they’re looking to buy an event horse and navigating how to buy an eventer?

Buying an eventer: conformation

Experienced event horses don’t always have perfect conformation. But you should discuss any issues with your vet before deciding to buy, to make sure that any imperfections aren’t going to impact on soundness or performance.

“Conformation is quite far down my list,” says Sam Watson. “But I‘d be wary of significant flaws that could jeopardise soundness.”

On the other hand, Lauren Blades really emphasises the importance of conformation.

“Horses can look different to one another, or have their own weaknesses, but it’s important that they are in proportion,” she says.

Similarly Georgie Goss says: “Feet and limbs are especially important. My vet and farrier always say to me ‘no foot, no horse’.

“But then I have several thoroughbreds, and they tend not to have the best feet in the world,” she adds.

Buying an eventer: temperament

A trainable temperament and a willingness to learn are high on the agenda for most eventers. The horse must be obedient for dressage, bold across cross-country and careful in the showjumping.

“I like a horse to have a genuine, quiet temperament, but to be a bit sharper when they are ridden,” says Georgie.

Lauren likes a “kind eye” and Sam looks for something trusting.

Buying an eventer: movement

When looking to buy an eventer there might have to be an element of compromise in terms of movement or jumping ability.

A good quality, balanced canter is everything for Sam. And the trot and jump have to be “good enough to work with”.

“Improving a walk is difficult,” he says. “So having a good one is a bonus.”

Georgie would prioritise a good jumper over a flashy mover.

“If I couldn’t find a horse that moved and jumped well, I would probably go for one with a better jump,” she tells H&H. “With my showjumping background I have always preferred a good jumper.”

Lauren also emphasises the need for a natural jump. “You can teach a horse dressage through its training, but you can’t teach an uncareful horse to be careful!” she says.

How to buy an eventer

As Lauren says, “you never know what you are going to find and where” – it could be through word of mouth, a dealer or a private seller.

Sam relies on trusted producers and breeders at home and in Ireland. “I don’t play the numbers game or take chances on a horse that ‘could be anything’,” he says. “I know where to find future four-star horses – I just wish I could afford to buy all of them!”

Making the final decision

With so many factors to consider, the prospect of buying an eventer may seem overwhelming. But Sam advises that it is “all about clicking”.

“If you and the horse are enjoying yourselves and feel at home in those first few moments together then little else matters.

“If a horse ticks every conceivable box, but your instinct says something isn’t quite right, then trust it and walk away.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

When you’re looking to buy a showjumper it’s easy to get lost among the endless adverts promising the next superstar. So to help you sort out the wheat from the chaff, we ask successful riders what they look for when viewing showjumpers for sale and what advice they have for amateurs who are wondering how to buy a showjumper that will suit their needs.

How to buy a showjumper: temperament is key

Whether you are looking to buy a showjumper to compete at the highest level or you are starting out in British Showjumping Club or British Novice classes, our experts agree that a good temperament is vital. A horse with a trainable brain and the right attitude towards his work will make life easier and more enjoyable for his rider at every level.

“First and foremost, look for something that enjoys its jumping — that’s half the battle,” says Helen Tredwell.

Georgie Crumley agrees: “A genuine, willing temperament is extremely important. That’s one thing every special horse has in common. They are willing to try their hardest and give you everything they’ve got when it matters.”

While having a horse that wants to work with you is important, William Funnell highlights the importance of suiting the horse to the rider.

“Having a horse with a tricky temperament is not a problem for an experienced rider,” he says. “Talented horses are often tricky as youngsters, but come right in professional hands. You have to have the right mix between ability and temperament.”

So when browsing showjumpers for sale, it’s important that you assess your abilities and circumstances honestly. A horse that is jumping at top level with a professional rider will not necessarily suit an amateur rider with a small set-up at home.

Our riders agreed that while they would happily take on a talented and possibly quirky young horse for themselves, they wouldn’t advise that route for an amateur or young rider looking to step up the grades.

Helen said: “I am happy to go for something with potential, as long as it shows that it is careful and has a willingness to go. I don’t mind if they are tricky to ride and I’m happy to play around with them.”

But for a young rider or amateur, Helen would look for something with more experience that is perhaps stepping down a level to give that rider a good feel over bigger fences.

“An amateur’s horse has to have proven it can jump well at the level the rider wants to compete at,” she says.

Laura Renwick agrees that an amateur’s showjumper must be more than capable of doing what it’s being asked and be willing to help the rider out.

“The horse must know its job and make the rider’s life easy,” she says.

Does conformation matter?

Some of the world’s best showjumpers have less than perfect conformation, and riders will often overlook some conformational weaknesses, if the horse is sound and has the desire to do the job.

“It wouldn’t worry me if the conformation wasn’t perfect,” says Helen, “although it can be a problem when you are selling the horse on.”

The key here is to avoid anything that might compromise the horse’s ability to remain sound long-term. When looking at showjumpers conformational weaknesses should be discussed with your vet to avoid problems in the future.

Where to find showjumpers for sale?

There are no hard and fast rules as to where to buy a showjumper, but there are plenty of online horse for sale services and showjumpers also sell via word of mouth.

“I’m a believer that horses find you if they’re good enough,” says Helen. “You never know where you’re going to find your next horse. You have to be open-minded and just put your feelers out.”

Georgie bucks the trend of looking on the continent for top showjumpers, believing that England is the best place to buy horses.

“You generally know the people who you are dealing with and you can easily find a record of what a horse has done,” she says. “We have bought some exceptional horses from England including Wonderboy III, Blue Angel, Webalia G and champion American hunter Cruise.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

The definitive guide to the pre-purchase equine vetting

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If you want to buy a Shire as your next dream horse, then this advice on how to find the right one is a good place to kick off your search.

Would a Shire horse suit me?

Shire horses are adored across Great Britain and beyond. Their impressive stamp, calm disposition and kind nature has earned them a status as a gentle giant. However, as with all breeds, individual horses have specific temperaments and personalities, and not all are suited to ridden work or to being ridden or handled by an individual without some heavy horse experience.

Emma Green has been involved with the breed for 25 years. Her passion began when she met her husband, Richard, who has worked on the Shire horse scene since childhood. Emma has produced Shires for ridden work for several years, and she is a regular face on the showing circuit. She has reigned at the breed show on several occasions and she won the ridden heavy horse of the year title at the Horse of the Year Show in 2022 riding Westfield Calendar Girl.

“They are definitely weight carriers,” Emma begins. “While they are generally an amenable breed that is easily trainable, I don’t believe that all Shires would suit a novice, unless the horse had plenty of age on it. There is a lot of horse and power there, especially once the animal knows its own strength.”

What should I look for when buying a Shire?

When looking for a good example of a Shire horse, it is important to study the Shire Horse Society’s breed standard. However, Emma says that while good conformation is standard, the horses favoured by in-hand judges may be slightly different to those that would thrive under-saddle.

“If I was looking for a ridden Shire I’d ideally want something that stands between 17hh and 18hh,” says Emma. “The breed standard says that mares can be 16hh plus, so you do find smaller ones, but irrespective of size they need to catch the eye. A horse that is too big may find ridden work harder, and it might be a daunting sit-on for a ride judge, too.

“You should be able to tell what the horse is instantly. A Shire should have broad solid feet as they are carrying a lot of weight on them. They need to be put together correctly, with the head and neck in proportion to the size of the horse. I like a strong shoulder, nice straight forelegs, a good depth of girth, well-sprung ribs, and they should sweep upwards towards the hindquarters. Stallions and geldings should have a short, compact body, while mares can be slightly longer.

“Way of going is obviously important for riding. They need to have plenty of power and use their knees and hocks. The poll should be held high, with the nose raised just in front of the vertical. They should also be looking through their bridle with a joyful expression. A horse of this size needs a powerful back end so they don’t move on the forehand with the head on the floor.

“If you look at the Shire horses bred today compared to 50 years ago, a lot has changed. We no longer use them for what they were originally bred for and now their main purpose is for the show ring. This means some traits have been exaggerated, for example, the tying-in of the hocks. While close hocks may be a desirable trait for a breeder, it may not be so for the ideal ridden horse; it puts more pressure on the hocks and could mean they are weaker and can’t stand up to work.”

How much should I expect to pay?

The prices of Shire horses will vary depending on age and quality, as with all horse and pony breeds.

“A good Shire can go for the same money as a good light horse,” Emma says. “If you were looking for a quality horse that is ready made to go out and do a job, you are looking at anywhere from between £10,000 to £20,000. Youngsters are also fetching good prices, anywhere from £6,000 onwards. As there aren’t many Shires around, they are in high demand. And with any horse, if you want something top-drawer, you should expect to pay more.”

Where should I look?

Shire horses for sale will be advertised at various times in the season on online platforms as well as through word of mouth.

Alongside approaching dealers who specialise in heavy horses, approaching long-standing breeders is the best approach, as Emma explains: “These people will know about the breeding lines, too. Initially, I suggest going to breed shows and getting in touch with The Shire Horse Society, who have a ‘for sale’ site on their website. The society does a lot of demos and talks, and they do a good job in providing training and education opportunities for members. They even hold an annual camp which is great to get involved with once you have found your Shire.”

I’ve agreed to buy a Shire horse, what now?

When you have found the right horse for you, then it’s time to arrange a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended.

The vet will assess the horse with the specific job you want it for in mind, so it’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you want to do with the horse. If you want the horse for showing, the vet should pay close attention to any conformational faults which could impact its future career, even if they don’t impact soundness or performance.

“It’s always worth getting a vetting, especially if you are going to be paying a certain amount of money,” says Emma. “Shires can be prone to a few issues so if you’re wanting to ride your horse and it’s going to have an active life then a vetting would be recommended.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

The Shire horse: all you need to know about this majestic breed

Discover the history behind and facts about this large breed of horse

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

A good family horse is as precious as gold dust. Take a look at our demanding checklist to keep in mind on your hunt for the perfect one

Buying a horse can be fraught with pitfalls and that’s true whether you’re looking for a competition superstar or a good, all-round family horse. When it comes to the latter, however, there’s a pretty demanding checklist you should keep in mind. H&H looks at what matters when looking for a family horses for sale.

1. “Don’t buy a Ferrari when a Ford Fiesta will do,” advises Yorkshire-based former advanced eventer turned trainer and Pony Club chief instructor Catherine Cundall.

“There’s nothing wrong with a Fiesta – they’re practical, economical and easy to drive; just what you want in a family horse!”

Catherine says she sees too many people over-horsing themselves with flashy horses they can’t ride, then end up losing their confidence.

2. Staying on the subject of looks, Catherine warns not to get seduced by beauty.

“Personally, I don’t think it matters how ugly or old the animal is if they are capable of doing the job. So long as the horse is sound and safe, and will do what you want to do, that is what matters.”

International eventer Tracey Dillon and BE-accredited coach based in Leicestershire, says there are two things top of her list when it comes to family horses: soundness and manners. “Everything else follows with good training. You can love them for their manners.”

3. Derbyshire-based trainer and producer Caroline Thornton believes mountain and moorland ponies for sale are a good starting point.

“Generally, they have good conformation and temperament, and a sensible brain. They also tend to have better feet; there are some conformation faults you can get along with, but bad feet are not one of them!”

Catherine Cundall agrees, and says part-bred Irish Draught horses for sale are also a favourite of hers. “They are usually a sound bet. They have enough brain to help you out of trouble, but don’t go looking for mischief,” she says.

4. Does size matter? Yes and no, says Catherine.

“The horse needs to be suitable for the rider(s), but be aware that very large horses can be more difficult to hold together when riding. They can also have a very big movement, which can be uncomfortable or tricky to cope with – some of the big warmbloods look great from the ground, but aren’t the right choice as an all-rounder.”

5. “Take a good look at their CV” is advice on which all three trainers agree.

“You’re looking for a horse which has done a bit of everything and, ideally, had a really good first education,” says Caroline. “Also, if the seller says the horse is good in traffic, make sure that doesn’t mean it’s just gone down a road a couple of times!”

Not being afraid of checking up on what the seller claims the horse has done is essential, says Catherine: “Genuine family types should have a traceable history. Ask around and check up on things like competition records.”

6. While word-of-mouth recommendation is the best reference a horse can have, this isn’t always possible. In that situation, it is sensible to bring in expert help.

“If you’re unsure, get professional advice to help you assess whether the horse is all it is claimed to be. A vetting will only tell you so much; you need to know the horse will be safe and mannerly too,” says Caroline. “After all, a really good family horse or pony which has the perfect CV will not be cheap. Make sure you will be getting what you’re paying for.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt: 5 reasons you can always rely on a family horse

There’s nothing to beat a good family horse — this Mr Dependable of the horse world might not be a

Thinking about sharing a horse with your child? Here’s what you need to know first…

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

So you have decided to sell your horse. You have prepared your horse for sale and written your horse for sale advert. Now you need to consider choosing the right photos and videos to sell your horse.

Horses for sale adverts with photos and video increase the likelihood of a quick sale, because potential buyers will have decided this is the type of horse they are interested in buying before making that all important call to find out more and organise a viewing.

However, any old picture/video clip of your horse won’t do the job. You need to consider what impression you want the buyer to get and then choose an appropriate picture, which is clear and sharp, and a video which shows the horse in action at its best.

Choosing photos to sell your horse

Photos should be in focus and relevant to the job for which the horse is being sold. If your horse is being advertised as a showjumper, for example, then pictures should show the horse’s technique over a fence of an appropriate height, while a photo of a dressage horse should show its impressive paces. Equally, a child’s first pony should be pictured being ridden by a small child – not a teenager or adult.

A side-on shot of the horse without a saddle will show the horse’s conformation, which is important for a youngster or show horse, but make sure the background is not too dark or busy. While a pretty head shot may be eye-catching, it can suggest that the rest of the horse is being hidden for a reason, which may put off a potential buyer. Only include a head shot as an added extra if your advert includes multiple pictures, rather than as the main picture.

Fine weather always helps a picture look good, but make sure the sun is behind the photographer when taking photos, to avoid shadows appearing across the horse. Don’t be too ambitious with the type of picture you take. A clean, sharp, still image is better than a blurred, moving one.

If you are selling a competition horse and have a professional photo of the horse at a competition, that could be a good choice. However, you will need to ask for permission to use the photo in your advert, even if you have purchased a copy of the picture previously. The photographer may levy a small extra charge for allowing you to use the photo in an advert and/or ask for a credit (eg: photo by Mr Smith) to be included in the advert. Most photographers can recognise their pictures so if you don’t ask their permission you risk getting a unhappy call or email with an invoice for unpaid usage from the photographer when they see your advert.

Choosing a video to sell your horse

Since videos have become so quick and easy to shoot and upload to the internet, they have become a valuable asset when selling a horse. A buyer can get a much better impression of a horse’s way of going from a video than a couple of still images.

The same basic rules apply to video as to photos. Only include a video if it shows your horse off in a positive light. Videos should show the horse demonstrating the skills mentioned in the advert and at the appropriate level. Videos can either be from competition or schooling at home. You don’t need to be fancy with clever intros, set it to background music or include slow-mo sections. An unedited video that shows the horse off to their best is fine.

If the horse is a jumper, show the horse jumping fences of an appropriate height for the level it is competing in a good manner. Don’t include a video which shows a horse stopping, jumping hesitantly or having poles down. If the horse is a dressage or show horse, record a video of the horse showing its good paces, transitions and appropriate movements for its class or stage of training. If your horse is brilliant in heavy traffic, include a video of him being ridden down the road, or for a first pony, show the pony being handled/tacked-up/ridden by a child.

Supplying your photos/video

Once choosing the right photos and videos to sell your horse has been completed and your advert is ready, it should be quick and easy to upload them to a classifieds advertising service. Some services will have limits on the number of images or videos that can be included.

You may also be interested in:

How to write a horse for sale advert that will sell your horse to the right home

How to prepare your horse for a quick and hassle-free sale

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

When it comes to selling your horse, do you listen to your head or your heart? Alex Robinson asks industry experts how riders can make this tricky decision

Selling can be one of the most challenging and emotionally charged parts of owning a horse. Not everyone can – or wants to – keep an animal until the end of his days and a sale is usually inevitable at some stage of a partnership, especially if you’re a competitive rider. While obvious physical limitations, such as the size of the horse, might force the hand, there can be other, more complex situations which suggest it may be time to seek out a new home. But when should you sell a horse?

Vere Phillipps (pictured) has bought, sold and produced competition horses for over 40 years. Alongside winners of grand prix showjumping finals and Olympic, world and European eventing championships, he has also found several stars of the hunting field and National Hunt scene. And he’s witnessed his fair share of owners in limbo along the way.

From a competitive standpoint, there are several reasons a rider might decide to part with a horse.

“I divide possible sale situations into three categories,” says Vere, who found Ros Canter’s 2018 world eventing champion Allstar B, to name just one. “There are those who buy a young horse, school him, sell him for a profit and leave a leg on for the next owner to get a bigger price [leave some room for improvement rather than selling a horse at its peak price].

“There are then riders who keep the horse right through the levels and despite being offered big money never sell and reap the glory instead. The third is the rider who keeps the young horse, wins a bit and then sells him while he’s still got a big future ahead. These are usually the most profitable people. The value comes from a well-produced, capable animal that a professional can see has a big future as a global championship prospect.

“A lot of enjoyment can still be had from watching a horse you’ve produced move on with someone else. If you think your horse could possibly be very good in a certain sphere and you feel he’s not going to reach it with you, it’s best to sell while he’s on the way up, ideally before he reaches his nine-year-old year as he’s still got time to reach his potential.”

But not every competitive rider seeks the same type of campaigner.

“My biggest market is for young horses – five-, rising six-year-olds – though I always maintain that if a horse is sound when he’s nine he’s likely still to be sound when he’s 19,” adds Vere.

“Some riders would be better choosing a slightly older horse who’s just coming into his own; he’s safe and established yet still has lots to give. An amateur might buy a youngster, send him away to be backed and, like a child, he goes through an adolescent period; he gets stronger and may need a more experienced jockey to put him back in his box a bit. If you don’t have the time, ability and facilities, this would be a good time to sell.

“On the other hand, if you’re still getting a lot of pleasure from your horse, don’t feel pressured to sell just so he can go on. It’s different if he’s getting too keen and you can’t ride him, but if he’s happy and you’re enjoying your time it’s certainly not a waste of an animal.”

Making the call

Joanne Shaw runs her own sales livery business in Cheshire and is one of the go-tos for a lot of showing and all-round riders looking to move their horses on.

“Usually, I take horses from owners who are too busy with work commitments or are just too attached to the horse to deal with the sale themselves,” explains Joanne. “A livery service can take that pressure off.”

While time and emotions are the two main catalysts, Joanne also says that some owners decide on a sale when a horse is too much for them and perhaps above their level of riding.

“These situations can be quite sad,” she continues. “Someone might have bought a horse with rose-tinted glasses on and when getting it home they realise it’s out of their capabilities. The partnership doesn’t work out and they feel it can do better with someone else more suited.”

Building a rapport

Trainer, young horse producer and working hunter specialist Katie Marshall often finds that, naturally, at some point in their riding journey a rider can find their ambitions and goals no longer match the capabilities of their horse.

“The partnership can be improved so far but if a horse has limited ability, soundness or is older, and the rider wants to do more – be it jumping or dressage – it might be time to move on,” she explains. “With children, where classes are frequently categorised by age, it’s fairly straightforward, however with adults it’s a case of planning ahead.

“In my experience you build a good rapport with clients and get to know their situations in terms of their capabilities as riders and how they manage their horses. Together, you can talk through scenarios and analyse what traits in a horse are most important for you, a tick list if you like.

“For instance, you may be a competent rider but if you work full-time, have limited facilities and minimal help, buying a young 16.2hh warmblood that needs riding every day may not be the best choice, for you or the horse.

“Another common situation is a less experienced rider with big dreams innocently buys a top competition horse. In this case you need to be prepared to invest the same again on lessons and training; these animals tend to be finely tuned and just because it’s done the job with another rider doesn’t mean it will do the same with you straight away. You’ve got to build a partnership.

“Having someone who can be pragmatic when it comes to deciding whether or not to sell is essential. If I don’t feel a horse or pony is doing a rider any favours I’ll be honest and encourage them to find something more suitable. After all, it’s meant to be fun and enjoyable; no one wants to be on the deck constantly! There will be a horse out there for them and also a more suitable home for their current horse.”

Katie teaches a lot of children at all levels.

“A typical scenario I find is a child has a characterful, cheeky pony which tests their riding,” she says. “As long as the pony is not dangerous or malicious in any way, I would encourage the jockey to ride through the challenges. In time they may improve the pony or at the very least learn to stick to and see the funny side; it will make them a better rider in the long run.”

Understandably, owners often put a sale off for as long as possible.

“It’s possibly the fear of the unknown,” continues Katie. “Buying and selling gets bad press and it can be hard to know who to trust. As a child my parents bought locally, often via word of mouth, so this is something I advocate.

“I defend lots of sellers. People come to me thinking they’ve been fleeced but in reality the horse is just too much for them. It’s not a bad horse, it’s just not a good match.”

Three expert tips for selling success

• Quality pictures – some common mistakes include standing a horse up to enhance the faults and not the qualities. When buying, try to look through bad pictures; if a horse is covered in mud and has been poorly stood up, ask for a different picture.
• Videos – provide footage to extract the genuine viewers. Take videos showing conformation, schooling, jumping and stable manners. This way you’ve shown every angle before any prospective buyer gets to the yard.
• Be honest and transparent – there is a horse out there for everybody and just because one has a problem or fault doesn’t mean it won’t be perfect for someone. It will put some people off but it means you’re not wasting anyone’s time (including your own) and those who are seriously interested can pursue it.

“The best decision I could have made”

Showing rider Rhi Randall sold her Connemara Western King to the Good family when he proved too much of a character for the show ring. The 14.2hh gelding was originally purchased as a just-backed three-year-old from his breeder in Ireland.

“I brought him on slowly but quickly realised he was a really sensitive ride,” reflects Rhi. “At his first show I worked him for two hours and after several classes he still hadn’t settled. I’m the first to admit I’m not the bravest over fences and the small jumps weren’t enough for him.”

After a three-year partnership, Rhi decided to advertise King.

“Former event rider Kirsten Good rang me to enquire about him for her 14-year-old daughter, Sasha,” continues Rhi. “As soon as Sasha jumped him she felt he had something special and they bought him.

“At the time they were based at Tweseldown and with correct training and a change in direction, he’s gone from strength to strength.”

King and Sasha stormed through the ranks, competing in the Badminton grassroots final at BE90 and BE100 in 2016 (pictured) and 2017 respectively.

“He’s also done steeplechase and has quite a good BS [British Showjumping] record,” says Rhi. “When Sasha was out of class her younger sister, Jenna, took the ride and they won the pony discovery finals at Stoneleigh.

“I’ve watched his career with the Goods and rather than struggle on with him myself, I’m glad I went with my head and not my heart. All I wanted to do was show, hack and do the odd clinic, but King needed his mind occupied with something bigger. It was the best decision I could have made.”

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Is a syndicate for you? H&H investigates…

There are lots of benefits to the syndicate system (if done correctly, of course), for both rider and participant

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Loaning a horse can provide flexibility and be a rewarding experience for all parties, with the horse, owner and loaner all benefiting, but it is not without its potential pitfalls.

Anyone who has recently put a horse up for loan knows there’s a large demand from people who want to have a horse, but can’t afford the costs of buying one in the current market.

Loaning your horse out can be a great option for owners who face unexpected changes or have limited time, allowing their horse to remain active and well-cared for without the need to sell.

It can also be the perfect solution for a much-loved pony that a child has outgrown or for an older horse that can no longer compete in its usual discipline, but isn’t ready for retirement.

This was Jo Ward’s situation when her beloved warmblood Leo’s hocks became resistant to medication at the age of 15 and the vet advised he should continue hacking only. 

“I was 24 and moving to London for work, so I thought I’d see if anyone might want to loan him before I put him on retirement livery,” says Jo, who placed an advert online with no great expectations. 

“I was sceptical because Leo isn’t your standard happy hacker,” explains Jo. “He is not keen on hacking alone, finds unnecessary things spooky but is a joy to do on the ground.” 

Scarred by a previously unhappy loan, Jo decided Leo would only go to someone within an hour’s drive who was happy for her to visit regularly.

Luckily, the perfect candidate appeared in Fiona Burnard, a BHSAI looking for a fun horse to ride out alongside her teenage daughter. 

Jo appreciated Fiona’s setup, requested references, and ensured a proper contract was established. She also retained responsibility for Leo’s insurance and veterinary costs for his chronic conditions. Fiona enjoyed riding Leo around the scenic Wiltshire countryside for four wonderful years before agreeing to provide him with a permanent home when he fully retired in his 20s.

However, not all loan arrangements work out so well. Cases where horses have been sold on while out on loan highlight one of the problems associated with loaning without a written agreement. There have also been cases where the loaner has found themselves abandoned to care for a horse that they don’t own beyond the agreed loan period.

It’s a vulnerable position to put yourself in either way, which is why the British Horse Society (BHS) strongly advise that a mutually acceptable written agreement is drawn up.

Wendy Peckham of the BHS says: “Frequently loan arrangements are made by word of mouth only, and when something goes wrong it can be the animal that ultimately suffers.”

The BHS has drawn up a free-to-download sample agreement that can be used as a basic template that can – and should – be tailored to meet specific requirements and circumstances of a loan agreement.

“Having an agreement in black and white felt like protection for both parties – we were two complete strangers who have become really good friends,” added Fiona. 

How does loaning a horse work?

In essence, a horse loan is a temporary agreement where a rider borrows a horse from its owner for a set period under specific conditions. While it eliminates the upfront cost of buying, it still requires taking on many of the same responsibilities as ownership.

Horse loan agreements come in various forms, outlining how responsibilities and costs are shared between the owner and the loanee.

A full loan places all financial and caregiving responsibilities squarely on the loanee’s shoulders. In most cases, the horse moves to a yard chosen by the loanee, allowing them to manage the horse’s care and routine independently. This arrangement is ideal for those seeking the experience of horse ownership without having to purchase a horse upfront.

In a part-loan arrangement (also known as sharing a horse), the loanee shares the horse’s care with the owner, often on specified days. The horse typically remains at the owner’s yard, and the loanee contributes to its upkeep, covering costs such as livery, feed, or farrier services. This is a great option for riders who want to enjoy regular access to a horse without the full financial burden.

Loaning a horse with a view to buying is an arrangement where a horse is temporarily loaned to a prospective buyer, allowing both parties to ensure the horse is a good match for the new owner before completing the sale. During this time, the horse may remain at its current yard or move to the buyer’s chosen yard, depending on the agreement. Clear terms for care, costs, and duration, as well as under what circumstances the horse can be returned, should be outlined in a written agreement to protect both the buyer and seller.

By law, a horse’s passport must always stay with the horse. So, if a loanee relocates the horse to a different yard, they are also required to ensure the passport accompanies the horse. In legal terms, an equine passport is not proof of ownership.

How much does it cost to loan a horse?

While loaning a horse eliminates the initial purchase cost, the ongoing financial responsibilities remain the same. However, who pays for what varies widely based on the type of loan agreement.

In a full loan, costs typically include feeding, worming, farrier visits, dental care, vaccinations, bedding, public liability insurance, transport and livery fees.

According to the latest British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) survey, on average during 2023 owners spent £3,092 (£257 per month) on livery alone or £1,548. But costs are rising and in some areas of the country, it’s much more.

Costs for part loans vary even more but typically include a contribution to the horse’s upkeep commensurate with the percentage of responsibility you’re taking on. But to comply with legal requirements, agreements should clearly specify that contributions are intended to cover the horse’s upkeep costs, not as payment for hiring the horse. Additionally, they should not suggest that the owner is providing professional training or instruction.

Who pays for vet bills when a horse is on loan?

The most common disputes in loan agreements arise from misunderstandings about financial responsibilities, in particular regarding who is responsible for veterinary fees.

Vet bills for non-chronic conditions tend to be the responsibility of the loanee. But everyone’s circumstances are different, which is why it’s so important to cover all bases in your loan agreement, including what authorisation the loanee has in the event that a vet advises a horse to be put down.

These can be uncomfortable conversations to have – especially with someone you might not know well – but they’re essential.

It’s also important to note that as a loanee you can take out additional insurance on a horse you don’t own for peace of mind, however, there are often limitation periods applied to the start of new policies to prevent pre-existing conditions being claimed for.

Loaning a horse for the first?

Here are some things to consider when loaning a horse for the first time:

Top tips for loanees

• Make sure you have done your sums. Loaning a horse might appear to be a cheap option, but the only money you save is the purchase price. The ongoing costs of keeping a horse will be exactly the same
• Make sure you have adequate insurance and don’t be offended if the horse’s owner asks to see the policy
• Have a written agreement which clearly explains who is responsible for what drawn up before taking the horse home. Although it doesn’t have to be written by a solicitor, it is advisable
• The owner is likely to want to see where their horse will be kept, before agreeing to the loan so if you are planning to put the horse on livery have this already organised
• Consider getting the horse vetted. If the horse has an underlying problem it could result in expensive vet bills
• Be sure to discuss with the owner what would happen if a serious accident or disease means the horse would have to be urgently destroyed
• Get written permission from the owner about the type of activities the horse is and is not allowed to take part in and make sure these activities are covered by the insurance
• If you’re moving yards, take the horse’s passport with you

Top tips for owners

• Under no circumstances should a horse be put on loan or out to lease if it is suffering any kind of illness or lameness. The horse should be sound and fit for the purpose for which it is being loaned or leased
• Consider the reasons why you are loaning the horse out. If the horse is old or infirm other options may be more suitable, so do discuss your plans with your vet
• Always thoroughly check out the person and home where your horse will be going. Ask for references and follow them up
• Never allow your horse out on loan without a written agreement, which states that you retain the ownership of the horse at all times
• If you don’t want the horse to take part in particular activities, such as hunting or polo, make this clear and include it in the written agreement
• Discuss what will happen if the horse becomes badly injured or ill and needs to be put down on humane grounds
• The loan agreement should include terms under which the horse can be returned to you by the loaner, or under which you can ask for the horse to be given back
• Communicate – it’s important to remain involved and responsible

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout London International and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in:

How make sharing a horse work, plus important things to be aware of…

The expense of horses: should I buy, share or have lessons?

Considering giving up horses? You need to read this first…

So you have decided to sell your horse and your horse is ready for buyers to view. Before you book your advert, you need to know how to write a horse for sale advert that will bring the right potential buyers flocking to see your horse.

Simplicity is the key to writing a classified advertisement to sell a horse, but don’t be tempted to leave out any essential information. By putting more information into the advert, you are more likely to sell the horse at the first attempt.

Apart from giving your horse’s vital statistics, (see list below) the advert should draw attention to anything that makes your horse sound special. A horse’s breeding can attract interest from buyers, so it’s worth mentioning a famous or successful sire or dam sire.

Photographs and video are key to helping a prospective buyer decide if your horse may be suitable and can cut down on time-wasters, but it is important that they show the horse at its best. NB: Professional photographs can only be used in adverts with the photographer’s permission due to copyright, even if you’ve purchased the picture for your personal use.

Most buyers have a budget and many are put off if a price is not given or if “substantial price required” or POA (price on application) are used. There is no point in people responding to your advert if they do not have the funds to match your asking price. Not giving a price will also exclude your advert from online searches for horses within a specific price range.

Adverts on facebook will sometime reference carrots when describing a horse’s price to try to avoid the platform’s rules prohibiting selling animals eg: 8 followed by three carrots will normally mean £8,000. Sellers will also say things like “low five figures” but that could mean anything between £10,000 and £25,000, so it’s not that helpful.

To decide on a price, check out other similar horses being advertised in your area on the internet. Bear in mind that these are asking prices and most buyers will try to haggle. Pricing horses too high is the most common reason for horses remaining unsold, so if you need a quick sale, don’t be greedy! If you are including tack and rugs in the sale, do mention that in the advert.

Remember to include the area of the country that you are based and provide a phone number, as well as an email address, although if used online you may end up receiving scam emails.

Once you have written the advert, ask yourself: “would I go and see this horse?” If the answer is no, you may want to rethink the advert, although honesty is always the best policy to avoid issue further down the line.

When booking the advert online, check it carefully for spelling mistakes. If you are requesting an advert over the phone, ask the person to read the advert back to you to check they have got the spelling correct.

How to write a horse for sale advert: key things to include

The vital statistics which you should include in any advert include:

• Height
• Breed
• Sex
• Age
• Price
• Telephone numbers
• Area in which you live

You could also consider including the following information:

• Colour and markings eg: stunningly marked skewbald
• Temperament eg: not marish/excellent temperament
• Scope/disciplines eg: competing discovery/Foxhunter
• Level of fitness and training eg: working at elementary level
• Competition results/winnings eg: Won £300 BS
• Name of trainer/rider if famous eg: competed/trained by . . .
• Breeding if by famous stallion eg: by Clover Hill out of TB mare
• Trial facilities eg: Good trial facilities/seen at livery
• Reason for sale eg: sadly outgrown
• Veterinary status eg: recent vets certificate
• Vices eg: no vices/cribs at feed times

Opinion is split on whether or not you should include phrases such as “not novice ride” and “needs experienced handler”. My own view is that being more specific about why a horse is not a novice ride will help everyone, for example: “green horse needs further schooling therefore is not suitable for a novice rider”. Being clear about the type of owner/rider the horse will thrive under may cut down the number of responses, but ultimately should result in less time being wasted with unsuitable viewings and help the horse find their ideal home.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the season, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

You may also be interested in…

Choosing the right photos and videos to sell your horse

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Disclosure, contracts and “crystal-clear” lines – how buyers and sellers can best protect themselves in today’s industry was discussed by top equestrian legal professionals at a recent webinar.

Hannah Bradley, of the Equine Law Firm, and Jodie Seddon, of Aria Grace Equine Law, took attendees through some of the basic steps they can take to help navigate potential pitfalls that may arise in buying and selling horses.

The pair strongly recommended having a contract drawn up specifically for that particular sale, stressed the importance of disclosure in deals, and advised people to listen to their senses when ascertaining whether a horse and potential buyer may be a good fit.

“You wouldn’t be alone if you thought, ‘I don’t have a written contract, so I don’t have a contract’, but that is not actually correct,” said Ms Seddon. “When you have an offer, an acceptance, payment and delivery, that’s a contract.

“Now, whether or not you control all the elements within that contract is key. And if you assume you don’t have a contract, what you actually have is a contract formed of what you’ve said, what you’ve done, text messages, WhatsApp messages, the advert, any chat you’ve had.

“Effectively, the contract can be formed around the whole process around the dealing – unless you actually ensure that there is a sales contract.

“A well-drafted sales contract will exclude an awful lot of the surrounding noise to distil down to exactly what you’re buying, when and where. Well done, it should be a really simple, user-friendly document that you can use to ensure that you understand exactly what you’re selling, when and to whom.”

She added: “A contract can never ever, ever replace a good working relationship with people, but it does enhance it.”

Both lawyers recommended people be careful around wording of adverts (“keep it factual”), that they retain as much evidence as they can, that the basics such as payment amounts and schedules are “crystal clear”, that both sides ensure that they have contact details, and that any issues are ideally disclosed in writing.

“You absolutely cannot contract your way out of the Consumer Rights Act [in situations where that applies],” added Ms Seddon. “There is not a thing we can do to get you out of what the statutory responsibility within that is.

“It is not fit for purpose in terms of equestrians, as it is designed for selling things such as washing machines, but it is the world we live in, it is the landscape we have and we can’t change it. That said, the best protection is always disclosure within a sales contract.”

If problems do arise, both urged parties to be professional in their responses, seek professional legal advice sooner rather than later, and never ignore court deadlines or requests. H&H has covered the role of agents in deals (news, 29 December 2022) – and again, the pair stressed that clarity and disclosure in this area are vital.

Ms Bradley shared her “top three tips” as disclosing details such as horses’ quirks, biases, habits and veterinary and management issues in writing – but do not put these on a receipt, as this may be considered as being “post-contractual”, meaning it might not be able to be relied upon as information given at the time of the sale.

“If you think that the buyer is not the right match, they probably aren’t,” she said. “It’s certainly better to lose a sale than end up in litigation about it. Finally, as a litigation lawyer, it’s always easier to defend you if you use a well-drafted contract.”

She added: “It’s important to be aware that if in any circumstances it’s not proportionate or not possible to get a proper contract drafted, any disclosures you can make in writing or important points that you can get in writing are going to help you.”

The webinar was the first in a series, with further subjects planned for near future.

You might also be interested in:

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

How to avoid legal pitfalls when buying and selling horses

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits. 

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Looking to buy a New Forest pony? The versatile breed should definitely be considered if you’re looking for a hardy, intelligent and fun pony to enjoy or compete.

What is a New Forest pony?

The New Forest is one of the British native breeds. The New Forest is a popular choice for many disciplines due to their variation in height, versatility and ability to turn their hoof to many different spheres. New Forest ponies have an ever increasing presence in the show ring in both flat and working hunter classes. The 2023 Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) ridden M&M champion was the stallion Vynnes Magical Edition. They also make a great choice for other disciplines, from Pony Club to eventing, from hunting to showjumping.

The New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society is the guardian of the breed: “The earliest record of horses in the New Forest dates back to 1016 when rights of common pasture were granted to the people living in what was a royal hunting ground. Since then, either as specific attempts to improve the breed or just as part of the normal life and trade in the New Forest, many outside breeds were introduced. Notable bloodlines were Welsh, Thoroughbred, Arab and Hackney. Later, another concerted effort was made to improve the New Forest blood and other British Isles pony bloodlines were introduced to achieve this, including Fell Ponies, Dales, Highlands, Dartmoor and Exmoor.”

The New Forest pony has an upper height limit of 148cm and there is no lower height limit. New Forest ponies may be any colour except piebald, skewbald, spotted or blue-eyed cream. Palomino or very light chestnut and cream ponies with dark eyes are not eligible as licensed stallions.

The society provides the following breed standard for the New Forest pony:

Type: New Forest ponies should be of working type with substance. They should have sloping shoulders, strong quarters, plenty of flat bone, good depth of body, straight limbs and good hard round feet. The ponies are quite capable of carrying adults, while narrow enough for small children. The smaller ponies, though not up to so much weight, often show more quality.

Action: This should be free, active and straight, but not exaggerated.

Temperament: The New Forest Pony has an amenable temperament that generally makes it very suitable for multiple disciplines.

White markings: Other than on the head and lower limbs: loss of, or absence of, pigment in hair or skin that is not known to have been associated solely with skin trauma, is not acceptable. So, for the purposes of entry into the approved section of the studbook, a pony shall not have any white markings on pink skin behind the head, above a horizontal line level with the bony protuberance of the accessory carpal bone at the back of the knee in the forelimb, and the point of the hock in the hind limb, unless proven to be due to trauma/injury.

What should I look for in a New Forest?

Vee Taheri-Sinfield is a judge and a breed enthusiast who has competed New Forests for many years at top level. She mainly competes in working hunter classes, producing ponies through the ranks. In 2013 she made history when her pony Mallards Wood Full Monty became the first New Forest to win a Royal International Horse Show (RIHS) working hunter final.

“Whether you want to show, jump, event or do Pony Club, the New Forest is a good choice,” Vee begins. “Temperament is paramount and it’s an essential characteristic to look out for, alongside breed type, which is so important and should not be overlooked.

“The head of a New Forest should be plain – it does not need to be pretty. Movement should be straight and not exaggerated; these ponies were bred to survive on hostile terrain, not on picnic lawns as some are led to believe! They have been required to navigate bogs, ponds, steams and dense woodlands so hardiness is also a key trait.

“Ponies should have a sufficient amount of good, clean bone for their size; I like to see at least 7.5 inches. They should have a set of strong and open feet, not too upright or low on the heels; most ponies can compete and be worked barefoot.

“The upper height limit is 148cm however some of the up-to-height ponies can lose their pony characteristics,” Vee adds. “Well-balanced and proportioned ponies should remain true to type if scaled up or down.

“The New Forest will always be my choice; they combine temperament, bravery and willingness in equal measures. I would also never rule out a part-bred New Forest if you are looking to showjump, event or do dressage.”

Leading showing judge Malcolm Fry tells H&H: “The New Forest can be tricky to judge in many ways due to the range of types, shapes and sizes found within the breed, and the fact they’re classified as a large breed despite having no lower height limit. The bigger ponies tend to be more successful as they’re more commercial, however smaller ponies are being overlooked less and less as judges become more educated.

“You can have two lovely ponies, one more sporty with flash and movement, and one more typey, perhaps a Forest-bred pony with more limb and substance, competing against each other,” Malcolm adds. “We’re lucky to have both, the pony that is representing the type and the other which can stand up against the flashier breeds in the ring. As a breed we’re hot on good limbs, quality bone, good feet – necessary in any breed – short cannons, big joints, depth of body and a good, strong front.”

I want to buy a New Forest pony – where should I look?

There are online sale sites that have New Forest ponies advertised when they come up for sale from private sellers, professional breeders and horse dealers. Ponies also sell via word of mouth.

“Approaching breeders with a good reputation is a good place to start,” advises Vee. “If you’re adventurous and have a good eye for a pony, you can also pick up a good youngster or a foal from the annual Beaulieu Road Pony Sales.

“While they do come on the open market at times, the New Forest tends to stay in the family for a while; they’re versatile and can be handed to various members of the family so they always have a job,” Vee adds. “Personally, I like to buy youngsters to back, bring on and compete. Often, I keep a pony for years, though, as they’re such a joy to have around.”

How much should I expect to pay?

The price of a pony will depend on several factors, including breeding, age and competition record.

“I don’t tend to spend a lot of money on ponies as I prefer to buy foals or raw youngsters,” Vee explains. “I have bought top ponies for hundreds rather than thousands as I got them as weedy youngsters that I thought had potential.

“Prices do vary, but on average you should expect to spend no less than £3,000 on a quality pony that is ready to do a job, though you could probably get a smaller or a more Pony Club quality pony for less. Some over-height Foresters that have made top event or competition ponies can be worth a fortune. In today’s market where the New Forest is a highly valued breed, the sky really is the limit.”

What happens when I’ve agreed to buy a New Forest pony?

If you decide to purchase a pony it is time to organise a pre-purchase vetting, something that is strongly recommended. It’s important to let the vet know prior to the vetting what you intend to use the pony for so they can assess it accordingly.

“I do not tend to have ponies vetted, but I would always feel more confident selling a pony that has been vetted and would recommend a two-stage vet assessment at the least if you are less experienced,” Vee says.

For more information, you can read H&H’s ultimate guide to buying a horse.

You might also like to read

How to buy the perfect Dartmoor pony for either yourself or a child

How can I buy my perfect Connemara pony?

Is an Exmoor pony right for you? Tips from a breeder on buying your perfect one

On the hunt for a Welsh section A pony? Then you need to read this first…

How to buy a Dales pony, plus what to look for in a quality example of this native breed

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Historically, some British buyers have been reluctant to buy through horse sales. But the recent growth in continental-style “select” or “elite” auctions has seen British buyers grow in confidence and numbers.

So if you’re thinking about attending one of these more popular horse sales to find your next equine partner, what do you need to know before you go? Horse & Hound’s experts are here to guide you through some critical dos and don’ts before you start bidding…

Pre horse sales homework

Take the time to research your auction trip thoroughly and make a shortlist of potential purchases. This is critical to the chances of success once in the sale room.

•  Register and order an auction catalogue through the auctioneers’ website. The catalogue lists the entries being offered for sale (known as lots, each lot having its own particular number). You can then have a look through the catalogue and make a note of possible candidates.
• If you’re not confident, go and watch some horse sales before you take the plunge. This will help you to get used to the bidding process, such as how buyers signal their bids and the speed at which the auction moves.
• Remember there will be commission to pay at horse sales. Charges vary but as an example, Goresbridge Go for Gold requests 8% commission of the sale price from the purchaser and the Monart sale requests 5% commission of the sale price from the purchaser. There will also be VAT, transport and insurance to add to your final bidding price, so budget accordingly. Most sales will accept all forms of payment (cash, card, cheque or bank transfer). All information regarding these extra charges and methods of payment can be found in the sale catalogue.
• Be sure to turn up on the sale day well in advance of the likely time that your lot number is due to go through the sale ring. This will give you plenty of opportunity to inspect the lot you may be interested in as well as to register as a potential buyer. You may even be allowed to trial the horses before you bid so look out for information on the auction house’s website.

Top tips for novice horse sales buyers

If you’re keen to head to a sale or auction, but are unsure where to start and what pitfalls you should be avoiding, follow our tips for success.

1. Stick with what you know you want. Don’t be drawn in by vendors chatting to you at the sales. Follow your instinct – if alarm bells ring in the way a horse looks or goes, avoid it.

2. Buy at a reputable sale where there is a vet present. Vetting is strongly recommended no matter what your budget may be. All sales are fully warranted, so if your horse doesn’t pass its vetting immediately after the auction you can terminate the sale.

3. If you are looking for a specific breed, check that the horse or pony has a registered passport for that breed society.

4. Make sure you pull any lot numbers you are interested in out of their box before they go into the sales ring. This is to check for obvious problems in limb and body. Watch them trot up and check the vet’s certificate in the office. This way you can ensure the lot has good conformation, clean limbs, straight movement and signs of general good health.

5. Observe carefully when they are tacked up and handled, and again when they are mounted.

6. There are usually good, reliable transport companies present at a sale so you can get your purchase home – information is usually printed in the catalogue, but check with the auction house if you are unsure.

7. Look out for professional riders on a pony that you are considering for a child — there may be a reason for this.

8. Take an experienced person with you — two sets of eyes are always better than one.

10. Don’t get carried away on the day. Auctions are quite exciting places and auctioneers build up the atmosphere and push up prices where they can. Have a budget and stick to it. Remember to factor in any extra fees you will have to pay on top of the sale price.

11. Don’t expect to pick up star quality for peanuts – there’s nearly always money around for the best stock.

Expert advice when buying at horse sales

Some auction room professionals share their pearls of wisdom for anyone considering attending a sale.

Stuart Clarke – Cavan Horse & Pony Sales director

“Ask plenty of questions and try and study the horses or ponies you’re interested in as closely as possible – try to get up close to them to make sure you’re happy and it is fit for purpose. Also have a good chat with the vendors. If you want to or have the opportunity to ride the horse or pony prior to the sale, that can definitely be a helpful tool in helping you to make a decision. Buying horses isn’t an exact science – horses obviously aren’t like cars – so you need to try and satisfy your requirements as best as possible before buying. At Cavan, we’ve had success with selling horses at all levels across all disciplines across the world, including at the Olympics. There are lots of good horses out there that can be bought at reasonable prices from sale and at auction.”

Cathy Wood – producer

Cathy Wood has been selling horses successfully for many years, privately and at sales. “You have to look at your own stock with your eyes wide open – not through rose-tinted spectacles. I try to put a buyer’s hat on and ask myself how much I would pay. You can’t value a horse on what it has cost you — some will earn more than their cost, while others will be a bitter pill to swallow.”

Nicky Stephens – event rider

Former international event rider Nicky Stephens has bought literally hundreds of horses at auction. “The first things I look for are whether the horse has the conformation to do his job and if he has a kind attitude. Without these two things, you have nothing. Good breeding lines can also make a difference, but not to a horse with poor conformation or an attitude problem. A horse must live up to its breeding.”

Sport horse elite sales directory

• Goresbridge: Pulls for British buyers are the Go for Gold sale in November which showcases Ireland’s elite young event horses in November, and the flagship 10-day sport horse sale in September, which sees nearly 2,000 horses offered for sale. More information

• Monart: select sale of three-year-old event horses in Ireland in November. Also a new summer sale (30-31 July, 2024) of ridden eventing and jumping horses. More information

• Cavan Equestrian & Horse Marketing Centre: this auction house is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024 and offers international performance horse sales, youngstock, sport horse, Irish draught and Connemara sales in Ireland. More information 

• Tattersalls: thousands of thoroughbreds are sold each year at over 30 sales at either its Newmarket headquarters in England, at Fairyhouse outside Dublin and at Cheltenham and Sandown racecourses. More information 

• Clifden: exclusively for Connemaras, head to the west coast of Ireland. More information

• Brilliance Horse Auction at London International Horse Show: the inaugural running of this auction took place in December 2023 where 12 elite showjumpers were showcased. More information

• British Elite Sporthorse Talent (BEST) at Brendon Stud: this auction, aimed to put a spotlight on British breeding, first took place in November 2023. The 19 three-year-olds that were offered included a few belonging to Shirley Light, who owns Brendon Stud, plus some bred by Shane Breen, Carron Nicol and Oakingham Stud, among others.

• Scottish Sports Horse Auction at Rockrose Equestrian: this auction first took place in September 2023. There were 30 horses registered for the auction, including yearlings and youngstock, and competition horses across the disciplines.

• Billy Stud auctions: The Billy Stud is a joint venture between William Funnell and Donal Barnwell. The stud hosts several auctions each year, offering Billy Stud showjumpers for sale. More information

• Bolesworth Elite Auctions: In 2023, Bolesworth hosted two auctions, offering elite foals for sale in August and 10 ridden horses and 15 yearling lots in the A-List auction in July. More information

You might also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

So you have decided to sell your horse. But before you start to advertise, there are steps you can take to help your horse for sale appear attractive to the right potential buyers and help the selling process become as quick and stress-free as possible for all involved.

1. Get your horse used to different riders/handlers. A horse who has only ever been ridden or handled by one or two people is extremely unlikely to go well at first for a stranger, and when you are selling, first impressions count.

2. Ensure the horse is happy and obedient to trot up in hand and lunge, even if you are selling him as a riding horse. Some buyers will ask to see the horse on the lunge to assess its paces and it will not give a good impression if the horse misbehaves due to a lack of practice.

3. Make sure the horse loads happily into a horsebox and trailer. A buyer may ask to see the horse load during the viewing. Also you can guarantee if you have only ever transported the horse in a trailer, the buyer will turn up in a lorry to collect it, or vice versa.

4. Check the horse’s reactions to traffic, clipping, loading and shoeing before writing your advert. You don’t want to have the embarrassment of explaining that while you thought he was good to clip, he has suddenly developed an aversion to it.

5. Make sure the horse will stand still to be mounted and is well mannered to tack up and handle in general. A fidgety or pushy horse could easily put off a potential buyer.

6. If you are selling a youngster, check that the horse will lead quietly in hand for a variety of people and is happy to have its legs stroked and feet handled.

7. First impressions really do count so take some time to get your horse looking at its best before people come to view. The horse should have been recently shod or trimmed and its mane and tail trimmed according to its breed and use. If the horse is either under or overweight then you should take some time to improve its condition and ensure it is suitably fit for the purpose you are selling it for before you advertise.

8. Write an advert that will stand out from the crowd, choose the right pictures, and book your horses for sale advert on websites where serious buyers are going to look first.

9. If you have limited facilities at your yard, organise somewhere with better facilities, such as an arena or cross-country course, where you can take the horse to show it to prospective buyers. If you are going to have to take your horse away from home, make time to take the horse there before so that he is confident in those surroundings and can perform at his best.

You might also be interested in:

How to write a horse for sale advert that will sell your horse to the right home

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Buying a horse is a serious long-term commitment and one that can be expensive, both in terms of time and financial investment. So if you’re thinking about taking the plunge, Horse&Hound’s ultimate guide to buying a horse is here to help you avoid the common pitfalls and increase the likelihood of you finding your ideal partner at the first attempt.

From which questions to ask to help you decide if a particular horse is suitable for you, to what to do when you go to view horses for sale — we’ve got the expert advice you need to make sure it’s as hassle-free as possible.

Before you begin

Looking for the perfect horse can be time consuming, so before you start your search consider the following:

• If this is your first horse, do you have the time for such a big commitment? Having a horse can be exhausting, as well as rewarding, so make sure you’ve got the time and energy to look after your four-legged friend every day of the year – and have plans in place to cover any days you can’t manage.
• If you’re adding to your existing herd, then think realistically if you have the time to commit to an extra horse.
• Be sure that you have the perfect home in mind. If you’re already at a livery yard, then check there is enough space for an addition before you go hunting for a new ride. If you’re a new owner, do your research into local livery yards before you make any decisions.
• Horses aren’t just a big commitment to your time, but also to your purse-strings. Don’t go head first into buying your own horse until you’re sure you can afford it. You will also need to take into consideration the large variety of costs that come with horses such as insurance, vet bills and shoeing. Take a look through our guide that’ll give you more of an idea on how much it costs to keep a horse. Think it’s a bit pricey? There are other options to have horses involved in your life, like sharing.

Now you have the important basics organised, it’s time to consider what type of horse you are looking for. Being clear about this will shorten the searching process.

When working out what horse you’d like to buy, ask yourself:

• Is the horse likely to be ridden by other members of your family? Think, it’s got to be suitable for everyone who wants to ride.
• Do you have the time, patience and skill to bring on an inexperienced horse?
• Is it important you see regular improvements in you and your horse? If so, make sure you look for a horse with potential to improve.
• Are you looking for a horse that knows the ropes? If so, make sure the horses you’re looking at viewing are a little bit older and have the relevant experience.
• Do you want to compete and if so, right away? Choose your horse accordingly.
• What are the deal breakers for you? These could be anything from price or build, to age; write a list of things you aren’t willing to budge on – and stick to them!
• What are you willing to compromise on? Again, write a list and don’t be tempted to add things on.

Write down the answers to these questions and keep referring back to them when considering horses for sale. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re trying horses so always refer back to the list.

Next step: Choosing horses to view

Ultimate guide to buying a horse

Buying a horse: choosing horses to view

Buying a horse: viewing prospective horses

Buying a horse: important dos and don’ts

Buying a horse: the vetting or pre-purchase examination

Buying a horse: final questions, payment and when you get your new horse home

Prepare yourself for a journey that, unless you’re really lucky, could easily last a few months. You may have to travel, have deliberations and be let down, but it’ll all be worth it in the end if you find your perfect equine partner.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Whether due to lockdown, location or time, some riders make the daunting decision to buy a horse without first seeing it in the flesh. Andrea Oakes talks to those who have first-hand experience

“WE call him the gazelephant,” laughs Ellis Simister, whose pandemic purchase Cornetto turned out to be rather larger than expected. “We thought we were buying a 16hh working hunter stamp, nothing too flamboyant, who might event at low level. What turned up was a just-under 17hh beast who is built like an elephant but leaps like a gazelle.”

Ellis is one of the many who bought a horse “sight unseen” during the first lockdown last year. Happily, hers is a success story, but parting with your money without first seeing a horse in the flesh is not without risk – as Ellis knows first-hand.

“We regularly buy Connemara ponies unseen from Ireland,” she explains. “We’ve been pretty lucky, but we have discovered some mismatches on arrival. I would never buy another without a vetting; one pony turned up with his front teeth missing and was also unsound and windsucked. The sellers told me to keep riding him and he would come right.”

While Ellis admits that buying unseen is not for the faint-hearted, she feels she has the experience and facilities to work through most issues.

“It’s a massive risk and you certainly need to prepare yourself for the worst,” says Ellis, who had planned to view Cornetto, a recently backed Cornet Obolensky gelding, but the lockdown kicked in. “I love the challenge with the ponies, but a horse is another matter.

“Cornetto is without doubt the furthest from what my ‘perfect’ horse would be on paper, but he’s amazing – a blessing in disguise,” she adds. “We’ve given the ride to Scottish producer Kirsty Aird, to unleash his full potential.”

Chad-Tavis Rowson is also well aware that a hasty buy can backfire.

“You hear about people who have bought disastrous horses blind – that’s why they come to me,” explains Chad, who runs a breaking and schooling service. “But during the first lockdown I decided I’d like a new project to produce for eventing. I saw two photos of a gangly six-year-old racehorse called Supreme Soviet, known as Big Ben, and I just felt drawn to him. After a short conversation with the seller I made arrangements for our local horse transporter to pick him up the next day.

“I don’t know what came over me,” he adds. “The morning after paying I thought, ‘You idiot – what’s going to arrive?’, but off the lorry strolled a super-smart, rather large teddy bear of a thoroughbred. It was instantly love.

“It’s not something I would advise my clients to do, but it worked for me,” says Chad, whose worst-case scenario plan was to reschool the horse to sell on. “Benjamin is trainable, athletic and tries his heart out. He ticks every box as my future eventer.”

VIEWING a horse may be ruled out for various reasons. International event rider Mark Kyle was competing at Bramham when he spotted a Facebook video of a potential new pony for his showjumping daughter Tabitha.

“We would normally go and look, but I knew the pony probably wouldn’t be around for long,” says Mark, who bought four-year-old Playboy Van De Zoetewei from the Netherlands. “There’s always risk, even if you try it. A top horse that goes to a new home might not suit a new rider.

“He was green but fully vetted and was coming into a professional yard,” adds Mark of “Bugsy”, who has since taken multiple 138cm championships with Tabitha. “If you’re used to buying, you know the pitfalls.”

Elizabeth Strilkowski bought eventing mare Omard Ala for her daughter, Anya, last July, from videos and photos.

“Ala had previously completed a three-star and had a reasonably good record, but we couldn’t get up to see her,” says Elizabeth, who had a distant connection with the owner through Anya’s coach. “With that calibre, you have to strike while the iron is hot.

“She was reasonably priced, although still a sizeable investment,” says Elizabeth, who admits she is “a risk taker”. “We’ve had some good results so far; Anya hopes to do some junior trials this year and her first intermediate.”

The right contacts can help, says equine vet Malcolm Morley MRVCS.

“With a professional purchaser buying from another professional, there’s often a relationship of trust between parties,” he says. “If you already have 10 horses, it’s a bit like a portfolio of investments – you might be prepared to take more risk. But if you’re a private purchaser, buying from someone you don’t know, you stand to lose everything.

“Although most vets will carry out a pre-purchase exam on behalf of a buyer who has never seen the horse, it’s not ideal,” adds Malcolm. “Some purchasers ask a lot of questions, such as ‘do you like the horse?’, that stray outside the remit of the examination.”

Event rider Laura Schroter worked closely with her vet last year when she bought three horses unseen – something she had vowed she would never do.

“Covid made travelling abroad difficult and I was getting desperate to find some young horses leading up to Brexit,” explains Laura, who describes herself as a “very, very fussy” buyer. “I took the plunge and bought unseen from the Netherlands.

“With the first I had help from a very reputable agent, who sent me videos from all angles and attended the vetting, but the second two were unbroken and from an online auction,” she says. “My [UK] vet was fantastic and checked all the vettings and X-rays. I did as many checks as I could, and the auction had extensive terms and conditions and seemed very supportive to buyers.”

Laura sold the first horse sooner than intended, to young event rider Georgia Bartlett. “I’ve no idea how we managed it, but all three horses are spot on,” she adds.

THE outcome is not always successful, as Jane Patching discovered when a horse she bought unseen from Wales arrived tired and lame. What rights, if any, does a purchaser have?

“Whether the horse is seen or unseen, when buying from a private seller the principle of caveat emptor – ‘let the buyer beware’ – applies,” explains Ian Dexter from HorseSolicitor. “A seller cannot make false statements to induce you to buy; this would constitute misrepresentation, and if they refused to take the horse back you would have recourse to court proceedings. But ‘no win, no fee’ agreements are not usually available, and, depending on how the purchase was arranged, you may not even have the seller’s real details.

“There are statutory rights if you buy from a dealer, but buying unseen from a private seller is a very risky proposition,” adds Ian. “It makes sense to ask as many questions, in writing, as possible beforehand, and to validate that the seller has the horse – and they are who they say they are.”

Undaunted, Jane tried again – this time through a dealer and with help from a yard-owning friend. It was 11.30pm at night when her new horse, a 16.1hh part-bred Irish Draught mare called Molly, arrived.

“Molly came off the lorry at 100mph, spinning around on the lead rope, and I went home thinking this was a bad idea,” says Jane, who had hoped for something safe to share with her teenage daughter. “Now she has settled, she’s a fabulous, fun, opinionated but loving mare, and we wouldn’t be without her.

“I’ve visited horses pre-Covid and seen, tried and tested, only to find out then that they were unsuitable, so it can be just as bad if you use the conventional routes,” she adds. “If buying unseen I highly recommend enlisting the help of someone knowledgeable and impartial, and trusting their judgement, and tracking the previous owner via the horse’s passport. It’s also worth being open-minded and keeping expectations realistic.”

When Hannah Wallis was finally in a position to buy her own horse, she used a dealer with a “stellar” reputation. With connections with Geraghty Sport Horses in Ireland, along with an independent five-stage vetting and a money-back guarantee, she bought six-year-old gelding Charlie.

“I strongly believe that a good dealer won’t sell you a bad horse and jeopardise their reputation, provided you’re honest about what you want and your capabilities,” she says. “David [Geraghty] sent videos and pictures of Charlie standing straight from all angles, jumping loose and ridden, being mounted, in traffic – far more than I could have experienced in a 30-minute viewing.

“Charlie is exactly as described,” she adds. “We’ve had the most wonderful time during lockdown, getting to know each other and working on our flatwork and jumping. I couldn’t be happier.”

What I ordered… and what I got

SIZE can be an issue. When Sarah Coulten bought a 10-year-old Lusitano mare advertised

as 163cm during lockdown last year, it was clear upon arrival from Spain that she stood

at just 158cm.

“In various emails I had made the agent and the stables aware of my height and the minimum I needed,” says Sarah, who is nearly 6ft. “They refused to come up with a refund, or allow return, or any acceptable solution to the issue of their making.”

An English lawyer based in Spain advised Sarah that while she had been mis-sold, a court case could be lengthy and expensive – with no guarantee that money owed would be repaid.

“I had examined their vet certificate and X-rays, but they don’t measure the horse as standard,” she adds. “I now have a lovely – but small – Lusitano mare to sell.”

William Pittendrigh was surprised when his “tiny” Irish Sport Horse youngster turned up from Ireland, measuring around a hand smaller than stated.

“He was a bit of a fright, but otherwise everything I expected,” says William of “Lucifer”, who has since grown to the 16.2hh advertised. “From the photos I liked his eye and could see that he had so much bone, a big head and a really big shoulder – a proper frame to fill.

“I’ve bought unseen before and the horse that arrived was not even the one in the photo,” he adds. “But I was prepared to take the risk with Lucifer. He’s fantastic.”

You can also read this feature in the 20 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.

You might also be interested in…

Dream shopping trips: when purchasers of horses have struck gold twice on the same day *H&H Plus*

How the human-horse relationship affects our most important decisions *H&H Plus*

7 familiar stages owners will experience when they sell a horse

Which part of the sale process do you find the hardest?

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

It’s hard enough to find one good horse – but occasionally you hit the jackpot and find two stars at the same time. Victoria Goff tracks down some people who have been lucky enough to do just that...

Buying a horse can be a frustrating process. Wading through adverts, deciphering sales speak, elusive sellers, disappointing viewings… Even when you do find the right horse, you have to fend off other buyers, haggle over a price, and hope it passes the vet. If finding one gem is difficult enough, imagine how rare it is to buy two brilliant horses on the same day. Rare – but not impossible.

Irish showjumper Commandant John Ledingham made history in 1994 when becoming the first rider to win the Hickstead speed Derby and Derby in the same year, a feat he repeated 12 months later with the same pair of horses. John found his winning horses, Kilbaha (pictured above) and Castlepollard, on the same day, having persuaded the purchase board – who bought all the horses for the Irish Equitation School – to buy them for him to ride.

“We were always on the lookout for the next superstar,” recalls John, who had seen both horses as six-year-olds jumping at a big show in Navan. “It was a busy indoor show with a small warm-up arena, which wasn’t the best place to try horses, so we asked Paul Darragh if we could come down to his place about 20 minutes away.”

“I didn’t want to get off,” he says. “He had such incredible natural movement through his body, and so much scope and power. He was probably the nicest horse I’ve ever sat on.”

The second, his future speed Derby champion Castlepollard, also impressed.

“He was a lot sharper, but we thought he’d make a good speed horse,” John says. “By then I had a lot of experience of finding horses – as a rider you know instantly when you sit on a horse whether it’s any good.”

Kilbaha lived up to his promise – besides his Hickstead Derby double he clocked up many grand prix and Nations Cup victories, including two wins in the Aga Khan Trophy, while Castlepollard had a prolific career, including winning the speed Derby three times.

“Whenever anyone told you about a nice horse for sale, you always had to go and see it as you never knew when a superstar would come along,” John adds. “To find two of them on the same day was very lucky.”

Some purchases come more naturally in twos. Having been inspired by watching scurry driving classes at county shows, showjumper Chris Orchard and her husband Paul decided to track down a suitable pair of ponies with a bit of help from experienced scurry driver “Wild” Bill Hundley.

“We saw a pair of ponies advertised in the 30 September 1999 issue of H&H – I still have the advert,” says Chris. “I rang the owner, Debbie Clarke, who explained she had bought five section A ponies from the Twyford Stud and broken them all to drive.

“We went along with no expectations other than we might find one pony, with the prospect of finding another to pair up with it later, but when we arrived Debbie said she had already chosen the best two ponies. We drove them out into the paddock, Bill told me to canter some figures-of-eight, then said: ‘If you don’t buy these ponies as a pair, I will!’ From that day onwards I was a scurry driver, and I had just bought the original ‘Touch and Go’.”

Chris’s ambition was to qualify for Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), which she first achieved in 2004 and has repeated every year since. A whole new competitive career, all borne from the pages of this magazine.

Another owner who achieved their HOYS ambition thanks to a fortuitous shopping trip was Sarah Franklin, who runs a small livery yard and breeding operation in Monmouthshire. She used to jump up to grade A level and event up to intermediate, but these days she prefers to find or breed stars for other riders to compete.

“It was a trip to Cavan horse and pony sales to see what was about,” Sarah recalls. “I ended up buying two 148cm ponies within 19 minutes. They both turned out to be class – Glenowen Calexico got to HOYS in the pony newcomers with Tara Brytt, while the other, Sparkling Indulgence, grew to be a small horse and got to HOYS on the same day in the silver league, with Gemma Hallett. Not only did they achieve my ambition to get to HOYS, it turned into a double act.”

Dressage and sport horse producer Antonia Brown also had a dream result when she bought two “very reasonable” young horses at the Brightwells Elite auction.

“We had Duke Of Love for a few months before he was sold to one of Piggy March’s owners, and he went on to win the Burghley Young Event Horse Championship with Piggy in 2013. The other horse, Son Of Glory, stayed with us until he was five and was a prolific winner in young dressage horse championships. He achieved my highest ever British Dressage score of 86%,” says Antonia.

Auctions may seem like the obvious choice for those hoping to secure a couple of superstars in one swoop, but it’s not always that easy. Irish bloodstock agent Ross Doyle buys around 200 to 250 horses a year, but one auction visit stands out for being the day he found two future stars at once, Zebedee and Auld Burns. Remarkably, one

lot came into the auction ring straight after the other, with both horses going to owners of Richard Hannon Snr.

Zebedee become a high-class two-year-old sprinter, rated 107, who won six of his seven starts and amassed more than £160,000 in prize money. Auld Burns had three career wins, including the valuable £250,000 Tattersalls Millions three-year-old trophy, and was rated at 102.

“Top horses are hard to find throughout the sales, so to buy one straight after the other – and for them both to be grey – that’s pretty rare,” says Ross.

Statistically, auctions may be more likely sources of multiple buys, but sometimes fate plays a hand during private sales, with second horses being thrown in as deals, or temptation proving too much for the buyer. Buying two horses can also have unexpected results, as eventer Emily Clark discovered.

“I was looking for a project horse to produce and sell on quickly,” explains Emily, who found a potential purchase at a yard just five minutes from her home. “While there, I was shown another horse which I definitely didn’t need, but once I sat on him I fell in love, so we came to a deal to buy both.”

She brought both horses home but it soon transpired that the project horse wasn’t going to be suitable.

“I was spending more time sitting on the floor than in the saddle,” she says. “He went back but I kept the other horse, Shannondale Gem, and even though I promised my parents I’d sell him before the next season I still have him 11 years on.”

He competed up to open intermediate level before injury cut his eventing career short, and then switched to being a brilliant hunter.

“I’ve hunted him with the Fitzwilliam, Meynell and South Staffs, Cottesmore and Fernie, while my partner Josh Worthington Hayes has whipped-in on him with most of those hunts, too.”

And the tricky project horse? He was sold to another eventer and ended up competing at four-star.

In terms of buying two horses in a job lot, it’s hard to beat the story of Hickstead founder Douglas Bunn. In 1961, Douglas heard about a young horse of Jack Bamber’s who had been doing well at shows. Douglas tried to buy him unseen, but Jack insisted that he view him first, so a trip to Northern Ireland was arranged.

When Douglas arrived, he was disappointed to find the horse was barely 15.3hh and not suited to a man of his height. However, he jumped him over a few big fences and decided to buy him. While there, he spotted a big black horse in the stable, an unbroken three-year- old. Douglas saw him loose-jumped, and felt he was a nice type who would make a decent hunter. He put in an offer to buy both, thinking it would be nice for his new horse to have a travelling companion for the journey back.

The smaller horse was called The Maverick, and after a while Douglas sold him to Alison Dawes who formed an extraordinary partnership with him, winning both the Hickstead Derby and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup twice. But Douglas kept hold of the unbroken three-year-old, who turned out to be a talented showjumper.

He won the Foxhunter final in 1962, as a four-year-old, and over the next few years went on to win many international grands prix and become regulars on British Nations Cup teams. By then, with Hickstead, his businesses and his legal career taking up too much of Douglas’s time, he decided to give the ride to David Broome, and together they went on to be the only British pair in history to win the World Championship.

When an impulse double buy leads you to owning Beethoven, one of the best British horses of all time – now that’s what you call a successful shopping trip.

A matching pair of bays

Event rider Franky Reid-Warrilow has a pair of matching dark bays on her yard that she hopes will go four-star next season, and they were bought at the same time.

Having seen a video of a mare for sale, Franky went to view her at Tessa Talbot’s yard in West Sussex.

“I fell in love with Guilty Pleasure straight away,” Franky says. “Tessa offered to show me some other horses while I was there, but I said I didn’t have any more owners or money! Then Tessa mentioned Funny Boy, a seven-year-old jumping 1.30m level. I couldn’t try him then because he had a poultice on his foot, but Tessa said I should ride him when I came back for the vetting. I thought I might as well try him, and just hope I didn’t like him.”

The opposite turned out to be true: “I jumped over a cross-pole and did a squeal, and I thought: ‘Oh, I’m in trouble here!’”

Tessa agreed to co-own Funny Boy for the first year, to give Franky time to start his eventing career and secure an owner for him, so Franky ended up taking home both horses. The following spring both Guilty Pleasure and Funny Boy came out at BE100 level, and by the end of the next season they had each completed the long format three-star at Osberton.

“The odds of finding two such nice horses on the same day are crazily slim,” says Franky. “It’s a huge credit to Tessa who found them both as youngsters, she has such a good eye for a horse.”

Also published in H&H 4 March 2021

You may also be interested in…

Prep time: some of the best venues you can train in with your horse *H&H Plus*

Distance learning: does teaching riders remotely work? *H&H Plus*

Post-competition debriefs: what riders really need to hear and when *H&H Plus*

‘We want our horses to be the nicest at an event’: how business is booming for these young horse producers *H&H Plus*

The popularity of using the internet to advertise horses and horseboxes for sale has lead to a marked increase in scammers using this as an opportunity to exhort money from individuals. H&H offers some useful advice on how to ensure you don't get caught out...

Thousands of people buy and sell horses, horseboxes and other equestrian products online every month. Unfortunately the popularity of using the internet to advertise horses, horseboxes, trailers and other equestrian items for sale has attracted an increasing number of online scams, which try to con money or personal information out of sellers and buyers alike.

The three most common online scams we are currently aware of are:

A: A fake advert is placed online. The item being sold is often significantly cheaper than items of a similar age/condition. When you contact the advertiser to find out more about the item, the seller claims to be ill, busy or out of the country, so you can’t go to view it. They offer instead to send it to you if you send them the money and promise you a full refund if you are not happy with it. They may suggest you pay via an escrow account such as PayPal, Amazon Payments or Google Wallet ‘for protection’.

Don’t be caught out by these types of scam no matter how legitimate the excuse may sound or how tempting the deal is. The scammer doesn’t have the item they are advertising – they are simply going to take your money and leave you without your money or the item.

B: You have booked an advert with a classifieds magazine or website and you receive a call from a person who claims to work for the company and says there was a problem with the payment. For some reason or other it hasn’t gone through and they ask if they can take your card details again. They sound legitimate, they may claim to be a person you know works for the company and they may know your name and when the advert was originally placed.

Now you might think there is no way you would just give your card details out to someone who calls you on the phone asking for it, but these scammers are very convincing. Don’t get sucked in. They will have got your personal information from your advert on the internet or in a magazine. If you receive a call like this, tell them you don’t have your credit card to hand and that you will ring them back, taking a note of their phone number. End the call, then ring our freephone number 0800 316 5450 and speak to a real member of the H&H classified team, who will be able to confirm if there has been any problem with your payment.

C: Another popular scam is when you have placed an advert to sell an item and receive an email from a potential buyer, who most commonly offers you full price for it. Typically these emails are written in broken English and include terms like ‘final price’ or ‘best price’ in them.

If you get into an email conversation with the scammer and you agree a price, they will then say they will send you a cheque or bankers draft for more than the amount you are asking and ask you to send the rest on to their agent, who will be collecting the item for them. This is also designed to exhort money out of you as the cheque will appear to clear, but then be declined later, leaving your without the money or your item.

Scammers commonly target individuals selling a horse or horsebox online. It’s vital that you take the time to learn how to spot a scam email so you can properly protect yourself, your money and your goods.

How to avoid becoming a victim of online scams

• Always be alert
• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling or buying a horse/horsebox, you should be cautious
• Don’t give out your personal or bank account information to someone who has called you
• Be wary of offers to buy your horse/horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? We all know that this doesn’t happen in real life.
• Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment.
• Always trade face-to-face

The Horse & Hound website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your horse/horsebox or your money without meeting them in person.

We hope that this advice will help you to feel confident about using Horse & Hound to buy and sell and help you to avoid being caught out by these convincing scams.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

In our horses for sale special issue of the magazine, we speak to agents, producers and other equine sellers to find out how they decide what a horse is worth when putting it up for sale...

When it comes to putting a price on a good horse, where do you start? Whether you’re looking for the next Milton or want to enjoy the journey of seeing a super-smart youngster progress from pre-training to Cheltenham, how do those in the business calculate the value of those animals?

“A horse is only worth what somebody is willing to pay,” says leading event horse agent Rachel Wakefield of Uptown Eventing. “There is no true value of a horse. It is like a painting or a house — it is guided by what is on the market at the time. Market value is determined by what a seller believes is an achievable price and what a buyer is prepared to pay, usually after some negotiation.

“We have lots of factors to consider: age, experience, competition results, breeding, the producer, associated production methods, skills and costs, as well as veterinary history.

“There are hundreds of horses priced around £5,000-10,000, but very few at top level, and that is what makes them exclusive and expensive. The market is like a Christmas tree — there are only a few stars at the top, but an awful lot of baubles lower down.

“A top-class horse will just have something about him. It stands out a mile to me — whether that is presence, ability, movement, jump or how the horse goes across country.”

For young horses, people pay a lot for potential. For example, a nice prospect for the Le Lion d’Angers young horse eventing championships would attract a high price, as historically they reach the top of the sport and are a good investment.

“A big proportion of eventers at the moment are between £50,000 and £150,000, and that is anything from a novice to a five-star horse,” adds Rachel. “Above that there are world, European and Olympic horse sales, where the price tag would be considerably more.”

International bloodstock agent Hamish Macauley explains that in racing, price depends on what you are looking for and at which sale.

“With the foals, yearlings and three-year-old stores — the unbroken racing prospects — the amount you will pay comes down to the individual. We are looking for an athlete. The pedigree is still important, but it comes second,” he says, adding that temperament and soundness are vital.

“However, if you are looking for mares or fillies with a view to breeding, a lot comes down to pedigree.”

Select sales have the added value of the animals being accepted or chosen especially for that auction by experts. But as with any market, it comes down to supply and demand.

“For store horses, people tend to be after a big, scopey, good-looking, sound individual,” says Hamish. “The difference between one making £60,000 and one making £100,000 may come down to the way they move — it is basically about how much someone is willing to pay for that horse.”

Leading dressage horse agent Peter Tomlinson of Find A Dressage Horse agrees it comes back to supply and demand.

“If the demand is high, the price is high,” he says, explaining that the impact the 2009 recession had on breeding is still being felt in the market today. “Even the big-money horses are going for bigger and bigger prices because there is a lack of them on the global market.”

He adds that the majority of a horse’s price is linked to trainability, talent and temperament, and the Continental market is so strong because their breeding system is “around 100 years ahead of ours”.

“You can get something that doesn’t have the strongest breeding and it could be the next Valegro,” he counters. “Breeding is a good back-up to have — particularly the damline — and there is a higher possibility that it is going to be good, but you cannot stereotype.

“Trainability and attitude is where I would start. There is no point in having flash if you haven’t got the brain. A good brain is worth a fortune. They must have ability to move through the body, you have to be able to see the muscles working, and the behind is more important than the front end. You can always develop a trot; the main thing you look for is a good walk and canter.”

‘It is a business’

Vere Phillipps, a dealer, producer and breeder, believes that horse prices have not inflated.

“In 1968, my father bought a new Land Rover for £670 and in those days you could buy a hunter at Leicester sales for the same,” he says. “If you think what a Land Rover costs you now, and what a hunter costs, hunters are cheap. Nice horses are actually cheap — you would struggle to sell a master’s horse for more than £20,000, yet a good Land Rover is £30,000-plus.”

When it comes to breeding, buying and selling commercially, Vere says the value can be calculated from what it has cost to produce a horse to that point.

“You have to value a horse like any product, and as much as we all love them, it is a business,” he says, adding that an average five-year-old with a clean bill of health costs the bones of £10,000 to produce.

“It costs me £5,000 to get a foal to hit the ground. Say we are going for a sport horse — you start with a good stallion, the stud fee is likely to be £1,000-2,000, then by the time you’ve kept the mare and paid her stud costs, you are just delighted to have a live foal.

“If you add up the costs associated to get him to four years old and do a professional job of starting him, taking him to shows, hunting, then a smart horse with potential that makes £30,000 as a five-year-old is not expensive.

“With soaring overheads, if these prices are not achievable, professionals will stop breeding and producing these top competition horses. Then we’ll be left with hobby breeders doing it solely for the love of it.”

Vere adds that the higher prices come in after that when a horse starts to show form, as this also comes at a cost to the producer.

“When a horse reaches the next level in his career — say he is an eight-year-old advanced horse, fit and sound, and is still looking as if he will reach the top level — a lot of people will want him,” he explains. “If you don’t want to sell, but they want to buy, that’s when the higher figures come in.”

Vere explains that this is higher still in showjumping as the horse’s potential earnings are higher than eventing.

“That is a horse who could bring someone a lot of revenue for the rest of their career in terms of winnings, stud fees, sponsors, prestige and demand for lessons from the rider — that’s when you see the seven- or eight-year-olds going for £1m,” he says.

A horse’s attitude to life and jumping is vital for producer Heidi Woodhead of DHI Event Horses.

“I am quite fussy about conformation,” she says, adding that soundness and a clean bill of health are essential.

“I’m interested in the bloodlines — we have bloodlines that have been very successful for us and although I don’t choose to buy a horse based just on that, when I look at the papers after I’ve decided I quite like one, I’ll think, ‘Oh brilliant’.”

Heidi adds that the variation in price among young horses comes down to experience and the feeling they give her.

“When the horses arrive here, I like to have them for a little while to play with and there’s something about one or two that makes you think, ‘Oh my goodness, this is going to be some horse,’” she says. “He might take time to produce as he might be sharper, or have a big frame with a weak body.

“When we are selling horses, I envisage where that horse will be in two years’ time with the right background, set-up and support behind him.”

The key ingredients

Goffs director of sales, Sir Nicholas Nugent, believes a horse’s value comes down to a mix of factors — pedigree, looks, conformation and athleticism.

“It is like asking what the key ingredient is in a cooked breakfast — the eggs, the sausage or the bacon. They are all central to the overall value,” he says. “Wherever you are in the world, the maximum value of a racehorse is defined by his pedigree. Where he sits within that maximum value is defined by how he looks.”

He adds, for example, that a magnificent Galileo colt with no flaws, out of a strong damline, is where you will see Flat horses selling for seven figure sums.

“If that exceptionally good-looking horse is by a much less fashionable stallion, its ceiling is probably €100,000 (£92,600). If he is out of a poor broodmare, however nice the horse is, the value will be limited — and will be lower still if he isn’t good-looking,” he says.

“I always check the pedigree updates at a sale. Often the time between the catalogue going for publication and the date of the sale can be three weeks, so a lot can change.”

For Nicholas, the excitement comes when you have a horse whose pedigree has improved, as they can fetch good prices in relation to their production costs. Pedigrees improve when other progeny by the same sire run well, so those bloodlines are in demand.

“What you are hoping to do is to sell a horse for what looks like a lot of money, and if it goes on to do very well then suddenly it seems that it was not so much money.

“When you sell your own horse, the overwhelming emotion is of relief. But when you see somebody get a great result, there is an enormous pleasure in that. It is a bit like driving the taxi when the couple in the back get engaged — you are at the centre of what is going on, but not actually playing a leading role.”

The sales-toppers who set new records

H&H looks back at a snapshot of horses who have caused a buzz at sales in recent years across the disciplines:

• £6.3m Marsha: the double Group One winner became the highest-priced horse ever sold at a European auction when she was snapped up by Coolmore’s MV Magnier for 6m guineas (£6.3m) at Tattersalls’ December Mare Sale in 2017.
• £1.84m VivinoL this two-year-old stallion by Vivaldi made history at the Hanoverian licensing and stallion sale in Verden (October 2018), selling for €2.01m (£1.84m). Out of state premium mare Desiree, by Dancier, he was bought by the Schockemöhle-Helgstrand Dressage collaboration following a 20-minute bidding war with Norway’s Kristin Andresen.
• £1.28m Dougie Douglas: the British Nations Cup team stalwart was sold by former rider and co-owner Holly Smith at Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers to a US buyer in November 2015 for €1.4m (£1.28m). The Irish-bred gelding has continued his successful jumping career in the States under Katie Dinan.
• £620,000 Inter connected: the five-year-old set a new world record as the highest-priced National Hunt horse in training sold at auction, when he was knocked down to Darren Yates and Philip Kirby at Goffs Spring Sale in May last year for £620,000. The son of Network fell on his first pointing start before winning his second, and finished second in his first race under Rules in March 2019.
• £15,000 Unborn: an embryo out of Valegro’s full sister, Weidyfleur II, by the eight-year-old Hanoverian stallion Finest, was the top lot at the Anglo European Studbook and Brightwells’ elite foal auction in September 2018. The unborn foal sold for £15,000.

Ref Horse & Hound; 13 February 2020

Signing a sales agreement could protect both buyers and sellers of horses, the creators of an online tool believe.

The British Horse Society (BHS) has launched a portal for gold members to create legal documents, allowing buyers and sellers to set out points such as whether a horse has a microchip, its characteristics, and the buyer’s obligations.

BHS membership director Emma Day told H&H having an agreement keeps buyers and sellers safe by ensuring what has been agreed is in writing.

“It’s something everyone should do to ensure their interests are protected,” she said. “Our legal line take calls from members where it’s all gone horribly wrong with the sale of a horse and this can help ensure it doesn’t.”

A spokesman for Epoq Legal, which provides the BHS’s legal helpline and agreements, told H&H the company has had 485 calls since April on equine sale disputes, which would be lower if more people had agreements.“The purchase of a horse is not a small matter. When buying or selling, it’s always good to have a legal document that sets out the terms,” she said.

“It’s normally the characteristics of the horse where we see the most problems — for example, it’s sold as sound, or child-friendly, but it’s not. An agreement means both parties are aware of the terms on which they have contracted.”

The spokesman said agreements are especially useful for private sellers who can input a welfare clause on how the horse should be managed by the new owner, and can prevent disputes if behavioural issues develop later.

“Sometimes someone can own a horse for a couple of months and the way they treat it can mean it develops a characteristic,” she said. “If a buyer comes back later with a dispute, we would argue that we do not know what he has done with the horse. If there is evidence from vets and previous owners this was not an issue before, we would argue this is something the buyer has caused.”

Tina Canton of Tinderbox Sports Horses told H&H she thinks agreements are beneficial

“When selling, I make sure any special requirements of the horse are noted on the receipt and the buyer signs it. For example, if the horse will only hack in company, or needs to live out, this will be included so I have a written record that I have declared these things.

“I am very open about horses — if we have one with quirks, I’ll declare them, and I put my coach’s hat on when matching clients and horses. If it’s not going to work, I won’t sell the horse to them. When I am acting as an agent and people send horses to me to be sold, we have a 20-page contract where they have to declare absolutely everything, and sign it.

“Hopefully agreements can stop sellers not declaring things.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

If the time has come for you to part ways with your horse, deciding whether to loan or sell can be a difficult decision. Lottie Butler weighs up the options

Whatever the reason, whether a pony has been outgrown, your competitive ambitions don’t match your horse’s talents, or a change in circumstances has made keeping a horse difficult, deciding to sell your horse can be heart-breaking.

For this reason, many people opt to loan their horse. If well-thought out, it can be the ideal solution for both horse and rider. However, not every loan is a success, and reports of disputes, neglect and even theft are far too frequent.

Here are a few things to consider when weighing up your options:

How involved do you want to be?

If you sell your horse, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will never see them again. With the right buyer, you can stay in touch. However, the advantage of loaning your horse should be that you can ensure it always has a high level of care and will never be moved without your permission. Equine welfare charity Bransby Horses only offer loan homes. “We never sell or sign over care just in case people’s personal circumstances change,” says Ryan Rouse, re-homing coordinator. “We need to know that our horses are always going to be safe.”

What’s best for the horse?

Does your horse have the potential to do more? Or does he need a break from competition? Grace Moran, British Eventing rider representative in Scotland, has owned her 18-year-old eventer Porthill Rusty Nail since he was a foal. In that time, he has been on loan twice — first to event rider Caroline Powell, and subsequently to a young rider. “Caroline approached me about having Rusty as a reserve for the 2012 Olympics, and I wanted to give him the opportunity to compete at that level,” she explains. Last year, she loaned him to local rider Lauren Robb after deciding to retire him from top level competition. “As a young rider, I was loaned an advanced horse, who made me the rider I am, so I wanted another upcoming rider to benefit from Rusty’s experience.”

What about the future?

If you don’t think you will ever be able to take on the responsibility of your horse again — for financial or logistical reasons — selling to a long-term home can be the best option. A succession of different loan homes will be unsettling for any horse.

Continued below…

If you do loan…

Assess the home properly

“We try to get to know the loan home as much as possible — those who are welcoming and put the effort in are usually going to be the better homes,” says Ryan at Bransby Horses. Always visit the stables where your horse will be kept. You can also ask for references from livery yards to find out more about the loan owners — advice from a third party can be a good assessment of how much experience they have.

Know your terms

Even if you are loaning your horse to a friend, make sure you have worked out of the details — the level at which the horse is ridden at; who is responsible for the horse’s running costs, veterinary bills and insurance; who will organise routine dental checks and vaccinations; what will happen in the event of an accident and a notice period if the loan is to come to an end. “Our loan agreement outlines that the horses need the ideal level of care — things like tetanus vaccinations, a worming programme and regular shoeing,” says Ryan.

Be vigilant

There have been cases where horses taken on loan have been stolen or sold on, and it can be difficult to prove ownership. Be wary of such scams. Make sure the passport stays in your name, and always keep a photocopy.

If you sell…

Be upfront

Honesty is vital to make sure your horse goes to the right home. Make sure potential buyers are fully aware of any health issues or character quirks of your horse. You don’t want to sell your horse to a happy hacker if you know he thrives going out competing regularly, or to a hunting home if the horse has never seen hounds.

Advertise your horse for sale with Horse & Hound

Vet the buyer

If logistically possible, it is reasonable to request to see where your horse will be kept — it will help alleviate concerns you may have about selling. You can also look into loan-to-sell arrangements, whereby the horse goes on loan for a trial period before selling. With the right paperwork in place, this can be the perfect option to ensure horse and buyer are well-suited.

Look at wanted ads

Some buyers will know exactly what they’re looking for. Claire Harker bought her horse for use in the Light Cavalry, and knew exactly what she needed. “I was just trawling through thousands of adverts and not really knowing if the horse would do the job I needed,” she explains. “In the end, I did a ‘wanted’ advert that outlined exactly what I wanted, including height, colour and temperament. It saved a lot of time.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

You may know about syndicates from the racing world, but they’re becoming a lot more popular in other areas of equestrian sport too. There are lots of benefits to the syndicate system (if done correctly, of course), for both rider and participant.

Event rider Harriet Morris-Baumber has two syndicates with the second one starting in response to the success of the first. The idea behind the formation of the syndicate initially was to have the finances and support to buy an event horse that could compete at a higher level, but during the search it became apparent that what Harriet wanted wasn’t available.

“We saw a lot of horses and in the end we changed our plan and invested in two younger horses for the first syndicate,” she explains. “We then had other people ask to join and some of our initial syndicate wanted to be involved in a second one too, so we were able to fund another young horse through the second one.”

Shaun Mandy is a dressage rider who decided to form a syndicate with his horse Euphoria E (pictured), by Uthopia, who competes at prix st georges and Inter I and is working towards grand prix.

“At the time I needed some additional funds and selling some shares in him really helped,” says Shaun. “But one of the main reasons was to help with the running costs of a competition horse as those really do add up very quickly.”

Syndicate sizes vary as does the set-up. Harriet’s simply works by people buying different percentages of the horse/s and the monthly fee is representative of that too. Across her two syndicates she has five owners. Shaun has three owners in his syndicate and each has a 10% share in the horse and pays the same percentage of the horse’s running costs across the year as a monthly or yearly amount.

Alex Hempleman is a showjumper based in West Sussex. He has competed up to international three-star grand prix and is well-known for producing horses up through the grades. After speaking to Harriet (Morris-Baumber), he’s in the process of setting up a syndicate, but for quite a different reason.

“I feel our sport is often seen as being exclusive to the wealthy,” explains Alex. “Many people buy into showjumpers as an investment and although all sports obviously need money, to me the passion is really important too. Through the syndicate I’m putting the finishing touches to at the moment, I want to help people enjoy the sport and make it accessible to more people.”

For the rider, there are benefits over having a single owner, one being that the horse usually remains with that rider and they have overall control (depending on the contract) which can prevent issues if an injury or fall out occur. But there are other benefits too.

“Obviously the finance is big one because it means that I can train regularly and go to the competitions, which at small tour level add up,” says Shaun. “Having the support of other people is lovely too. They come to shows and training and I share everything in our WhatsApp group too.”

The support is something that, perhaps, isn’t the most obvious benefit but Harriet agrees.

“Having people to celebrate and commiserate with is really nice. I thought it would add to the pressure but it really doesn’t.”

As for the cons for professional riders, these seemed to be few and far between, and any ‘con’ is more of a management issue if the syndicate is set up correctly to start, as Harriet explains: “There aren’t really any negatives with mine for me. A potential issue could be speaking to all the owners after a competition, but we have a WhatsApp group that I use to keep everyone up-to-date. I need to allow more time to walk courses — but that’s hardly a con, it’s just a change in how I used to do it, but it’s great to have people along with me.”

Contracts and legal help are a must as there are lots of angles to consider. Things like insurance for loss of use as well as death need to be considered, what happens if the horse is sold (and the allocation of any funds), the cost of buy in and ongoing costs, and what the long term plan for the horse is and the objectives of the syndicate. Being clear and having it written up by a good solicitor could well save you a lot of stress and money in the future.

As for advice for people getting involved, Shaun has some: “You need to have a passion for the sport and enjoy it, and you’ve got to like the rider. The social aspect is a big part of our syndicate from the owners’ point of view, so making sure you enjoy that side of things is a big plus.”

“The numbers — make sure you check your numbers and ensure that everything works from a financial point of view,” says Harriet. “And think about the future too — if you have a horse you want to take to three-day events, make sure you could actually afford to take him!”

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

From the other side of the syndicate, it can be great too. Natalie Bell is an equine sports therapist based in Essex and is part of a more ‘traditional’ racing syndicate.

“I always thought being a racehorse owner would cost thousands,” admits Natalie. “But when Ben Youngs (the England Rugby/Leicester Tigers player) said he wanted to create a syndicate that racing and rugby fans could get involved in, I thought I might as well enquire.

“The main ‘pro’ for me has to be that it’s relatively affordable, but being involved with a group of like-minded people who share the passions you have is such a lot of fun.”

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Whether you’re after a lead-rein pony for your young child or want a competitive eventer or showjumper for a teenager, searching for suitable ponies is tricky. They must be safe but fun, and this is a rare combination to find.

You can’t put a price on safety or on making your child’s dreams come true. But everyone has a budget, so researching what you need to spend for the type of pony you need can make the entire process easier. And of course, the purchase price is just the start of what it costs to own a horse or pony with ongoing bills likely to significantly outweigh the initial outlay. So to help you out, we’ve spoken to a couple of producers and sellers for their take on the pony market at the moment.

Clare Reynolds of CR Showjumpers specialises in high-level showjumping ponies. She believes the key to finding ponies great homes comes down to not being greedy over prices, matching ponies to riders and building a good reputation. However, the market is changing, and this is affecting pony prices considerably.

“To even source what people want, we’re paying a lot of money in the first instance — and that’s going to be passed onto the next client,” says Clare.

Natalia Thorpe of NT Equine agrees: “At Clifden Connemara sales recently, there were very plain, not super-special four-year-old ponies going through the ring and fetching €4,800. The pony would cost me £5,000 after the travel costs to get it home, and that’s without having been paid for my time to go looking for it and my travel to Ireland.”

A fun first pony

What can you expect to pay for a fun first pony (12.2hh and under) that can take a child on and off the lead-rein for all activities — even a bit of hunting maybe?

“These ponies are worth their weight in gold!” states Natalia. “People should spend as much as they can afford on children’s ponies as you can’t put a price on safety. I would expect to pay in the region of £3,000 upwards for a good one.”

The first ponies on the Horse & Hound classifieds are resonant with this: this hunting pony suggests it would give a child plenty of good, safe fun — for £4,500.

It gets even trickier if you narrow your search to a native pony that could show up to county level. For example, this well-bred Welsh section A claims it would be suitable for the show ring, complete with a tiny tot.

A confidence-giving Pony Club pony

Braver children might be happy to ride something a bit trickier or younger — but if you have a less-than-confident rider, you need an angel of a pony. We looked at Pony Club ponies around 13.2hh that would let a less confident rider do a bit of everything at a low level.

“These ponies are saints!” says Natalia. “I get asked for these all the time, but they just aren’t out there. I would say they cost around £4,000 upwards, depending on their record and history.”

These rare ponies are certainly that, and it’s likely that they get passed around within families and Pony Clubs. This coloured 134cm gelding is £4,500 and is advertised as being able to do anything from showing to Pony Club.

A 14.2hh Pony Club teams pony

It’s every child’s dream pony: a 14.2hh that can do dressage, showjumping and eventing up to area level (and it’s more than likely going to be Connemara or Connemara cross).

Natalia says these ponies go for around £6,000.

“If it’s got British Showjumping (BS) or British Eventing (BE) points, don’t expect change from £10,000! And an up-and-coming pony will be more than a pony who’s peaked in his career already.”

Going further north might help you out. Clare explains how location and geography have a big impact on pony prices: “I’m originally from the North, where prices weren’t as strong as they are now down South.”

For example, this 14.2hh gelding has competed at BE100u18 level, and is priced at £5,500, potentially because he’s based further north, although it could be for other reasons.

You may be able to save money by buying a young pony and producing it from scratch. However, this won’t suit all riders.

“The consumer culture in England has an ‘everything now’ attitude, and people seem to be less willing to put time into a young horse and produce it themselves,” says Clare. “But then they don’t want to pay the money for a well-rounded, well-produced pony. It’s a catch-22 situation really.”

You might also be interested in:

How much are different types of horse worth?

To help clear up what horses are worth at the moment, we spoke to several producers and sellers for their

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

A competitive jumping pony

We’ve all marvelled at the youngsters flying around huge fences at Olympia every Christmas, but how much can you expect to pay for one of these pocket rockets? Clare specialises in jumping ponies and explains what people should budget for when buying a competitive jumping pony with a decent BS record.

“I import and produce high-level showjumping ponies, from four/five-year-olds up to 10-year-olds. For a good pony, say a 148cm that’s jumping Newcomers or Foxhunter, with a good consistent record, you can expect to pay at least £15,000 to £20,000.”

Clare adds that it’s important to be realistic in vettings too, especially if you’re looking with a lower budget.

“Vettings are so stringent. Normally, when you find a pony in the lower-end of your budget, there’s a catch somewhere. They might compete to the level they need to, but the vetting won’t be good enough. It’s important to be realistic about what your horse or pony needs to do.”

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The phrase ‘how much does a horse cost’ is like asking how long a piece of string is — and everyone has an opinion on how much you should pay. There’s people who won’t pay more than a few hundred pounds, and those who will happily empty their bank account to fund their next competition horse. And of course, the purchase price is just the start of what it costs to own a horse with ongoing bills likely to significantly outweigh the initial outlay. But, to help clear up what horses for sale are worth at the moment, we spoke to several producers and sellers for their take on the situation.

Natalia Thorpe of NT Equine explains how horse prices have changed during the past decade: “When I started selling 15 years ago, the average but sweet riding club all-rounder was about £4,500. But with inflation and the rising costs of keeping a horse, it should be considerably more now.

“Buyers seem to be a little stuck in the past — at the end of the day, producers, breeders and dealers are all trying to make a living. Even though we do it largely for the love, we still have endless feed and vet bills!”

Clare Reynolds of CR Showjumpers has a similar opinion: “Prices have changed a lot. There’s not as much difference in the Euro as there used to be — when the exchange rate was on your side, you’d be onto a winner.”

Clare sources her top jumping ponies from Europe, namely France, Germany and Holland, so has seen first-hand how source prices have changed.

“Now, to even source what people want, we’re paying a lot of money in the first instance — and that’s going to be passed onto the next client.”

It’s the same situation in Ireland, as Natalia explains: “The market in Ireland is incredibly strong at the moment: gone are the days of picking up an average but nice all-rounder for under £2,000 — you’re looking at upwards of £3,500 now. And that’s at trade price, without travel and leg-work factored into it.”

The all-rounder

So, if you’re looking for an all-rounder between the ages of eight and 12, for all riding club activities and hacking, what can you expect to pay?

Natalia sees plenty of these types: “For the all-rounder, you should be looking at minimum £5,000 to £6,000. If it’s less than this, it will have a hang-up somewhere.”

The range of prices is vast: you could buy an 16.1hh Irish sports horse for £8,000 or a nine-year-old schoolmistress for £5,000 from Natalia.

Natalia explains the amount of work that goes into these horses: “Just producing a safe hacking cob takes a lot of hours de-sensitising it to traffic, things jumping out of hedges, and people getting unbalanced and doing silly things.”

The dressage horse

From rescue horses working their way up the levels to warmbloods from the continent, dressage horses command a vast array of prices. For an amateur lady who wants a safe horse to compete up to elementary level, you could pay anything from £6,000 for a good-looking competition horse up to 10s of thousands. This mare is on the Horse & Hound classifieds for £20,000, but the advert says she will suit an amateur rider to progress with.

However, if you’re happy to put in more work yourself, you could look at up-and-coming dressage stars. For a talented young dressage horse with potential, you could pay anywhere from £5,500 for a well-bred youngster to upwards of £10,000 for a premium-graded Oldenburg or a recently-backed Trakehner.

The eventer

While five-star eventers might go for more than some family homes, what about a competitive horse for the lower levels? A well-mannered eventer that’s competitive at BE90/100 will still fetch a substantial price — even more so if it’s suitable for a junior coming off ponies or a mother-daughter share.

Natalia estimates these horses start from at least £8,000: “You would be looking at minimum £8,000 for something greener or inexperienced at that level. This is large dependent on their BE record. For a solid, well-schooled and straightforward competitive BE100 horse, you should expect to pay around £15,000.”

There is a 16.2hh Mill Law gelding on the market that hacks alone or in company and has competed at BE100 — and is on for £7,500. While this 16.1hh Belgian warmblood is on at £12,000 — he has a win at BE100 and a record of four BE90s.

The showjumper

Clare works with showjumpers and talks about the difficulties of finding the quality, enjoyable horses that more and more people look for: “People want a lot for £5,000 to £6,000 — they want something that’s safe with a bit of quality, but not a world-beater — something that they can enjoy. If you could find that, well, they’re the most difficult horses and ponies to find.”

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

For a showjumper capable of competing up to 1m10 with an amateur rider, Clare says it’s entirely dependent on location: “I’m originally from the North, where prices weren’t as strong as they are now down South. For a nice horse to jump 1.10m, that you can leave stood on a lorry and it not kick it to bits, costs around £10,000—£15,000, though is likely to be nearer the high end of the bracket.”

The showjumpers in the Horse & Hound Classifieds range from £3,000 for a 12-year-old mare that is competitive in 95cm/1m classes, to price on application for a 16.1hh schoolmaster that’s placed in 1.35 classes.

For all the latest equestrian news and reports, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Former racehorses are typically athletic and intelligent and, with the constant handling they have received during their racing career, they can make excellent riding horses in the right hands. But the time and effort involved in retraining them off the track means they aren’t suitable for everyone. Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) – British horseracing’s official charity for the welfare of retired racehorses – outlines some key points to consider before deciding to buy an ex-racehorse for sale.

Be realistic about your ability and experience

• Do you have enough time, money, patience and experience to deal with the demands of a former racehorse?
• They are not a novice ride and should not be seen as a cheap way for children to move onto horses.
• Thoroughbreds are a sensitive breed. For example a cut that probably wouldn’t bother your cob may blow up on a thoroughbred, making them more expensive to own.

Understanding the lifestyle of a horse in training

• They may not be used to conventional riding techniques. For example, a racehorse will be unfamiliar with long stirrups and a heavier saddle and is unlikely to understand seat and leg aids until they are retrained.
• Jockeys are often given a leg up while the horse is walking so a former racehorse unlikely to stand still for you while you mount from a block.
• It will not be used to being exercised alone and will associate riding out in company with its former life on the gallops.
• It is unlikely to have travelled in a trailer before.
• All day turnout will be a new experience that should be introduced gradually.
• It will be used to being in a busy yard and might be overwhelmed by your individual attention.

Be patient

• You must be willing to give your horse plenty of time to adjust to its new lifestyle.
• Not every horse will readily adapt to new disciplines and most will always retain a racehorse mentality to some extent.

So if you think you’ve got what it takes to give a former racehorse a home, where is the best place to find a horse to suit your needs? And what steps should you take along the way?

1. Where to look for your ex-racehorse

How, having decided that you want to buy an ex-racehorse for sale, do you find one? There are three main routes. You can obtain one directly from its owner or trainer, you can buy one at the sales, or you can acquire one from a retrainer — either by buying it or loaning it.

2. Look up the horse’s record

Whichever option you choose, the basics remain the same — do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The racing record of every horse that has raced in Britain and Ireland is available on the Racing Post website: www.racingpost.com. Look for gaps in the record that might indicate time off with injury. Look at how many times it raced — although don’t count out a horse with a lengthy racing career. If it managed to stay sound for a long time, the chances are that it will continue to do so.

3. Ask to see it ridden and ride it yourself

If you go to see a horse at a trainer’s yard, remember that it may well still be racing-fit and will look lean and toned. But approach it as you would the purchase of any horse — is it the stamp of horse you want? Will its conformation stand up to what you would like it to do? How does it behave in the stable and when being tacked up? Ask to ride it — it may not know much about flatwork, but is it willing to do what you ask, and does it move reasonably well? Do remember that it is unlikely to stand still while you mount; lads and jockeys are legged up while the horse is walking.

4. Ask about the horse’s temperament

Ask the horse’s trainer — and if you can the lad who looks after it — about its personality and temperament.

“Temperament is key,” says Di Arbuthnot, chief executive of Retraining of Racehorses (RoR). “But trainers are pretty good at knowing whether or not a horse is suitable, and we have sent them all a checklist for when they pass a horse on.”

This checklist includes things like registering a Non-Racing Agreement with Weatherbys; checking the new owner has public liability insurance; asking for references if the new owner is unknown to them; advising then to register with RoR; asking for feedback on their progress.

5. Get it vetted

Ask about injuries and why it is retiring from racing. If you decide to buy it, make sure you get it vetted — as you would with any purchase.

6. Expect to pay

Don’t expect the horse to be given away — if it is likely to have a chance at succeeding in any kind of career, it is worth a price, like any horse. And trainers and owners have recognised that, if they put a value on a horse, it has more chance of ending up in a suitable home.

Continued below…

19 of your ex-racehorses [PICTURES]

As the 2014/15 National Hunt season draws to a close and a news season begins, we celebrate the ex-racehorse

7. The advantages of buying from a retrainer

The obvious advantage of getting an ex-racehorse from a retrainer is that it has already started its post-racing career in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. It will bump the price up — rightly — but, especially if you are not a professional rider or one with a lot of experience of retraining racehorses, it is usually worth it. Retrainers have evaluated the horse and schooled it with a future career in mind — you are increasing your chances of winning what is something of a lottery. Any physical issues will have become apparent and should have been treated appropriately. RoR has 10 accredited centres that it provides funding to for the rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming of vulnerable former racehorses as well as more advice on owning retrained racehorses on its website www.ror.org.uk.

8. Buying from bloodstock sales

Regular “horses in training sales” are held around the country, notably Brightwells in Ascot, Doncaster Bloodstock Sales in Doncaster and Tattersalls in Newmarket. Ask the sales company to send you a catalogue and buyers guide before you attend the sale. Have in mind a price that you are willing to pay as well as a clear idea of what you want to do with the horse.

Essex-based eventer Victoria Bax and her husband Jason have bought a number of ex-racehorses at the sales, and have developed a highly polished system for doing so.

“I bought my first one from a trainer’s yard in 2007, but after that we have gone straight to the sales every time,” says Victoria. “You have a wide variety of horses to choose from, rather than just going to see one.”

The majority of horses they buy have raced on the Flat or, if National Hunt-bred, didn’t make it as far as the track.

“If they have hurdled, they tend to have an atrocious jumping style and you will have to change that, whereas if they haven’t jumped, you can start from scratch,” she says. “And I wouldn’t be put off if it has raced as a two-year-old. Research says that if it raced at a very young age and came out of its career sound, it is likely to stay that way.”

Jason does all the early work once they receive the sales catalogue. They are looking for horses aged between four and six of 16hh-16.3hh, and Jason has strong opinions on what sort of bloodlines he likes.

“I went through the pedigrees of all the event horses I could find that had raced, and started to build up a database, to which I continually add information,” he says.

He prefers horses which raced over a mile and a half.

“The fast-twitch muscles of sprinters make them like coiled springs, which doesn’t work well in a dressage arena. I think the mile and a half distance gives you a chance of getting a horse with stamina and athleticism,” he says.

Jason has worked out that certain mixes of bloodlines don’t tend to produce horses that event well — either because of the physical types they tend to produce or because temperament issues are common. He also views the films of their races on the Racing Post website to get an idea of what the horse looks like and how it moves.

They whittle a catalogue of around 200 down to 10 or 12 horses, which Victoria then examines closely at the sale itself.

“I look for obvious signs of injuries and operations, ask to see the horse trotted up, and talk to its groom,” she says. “I want a good shoulder, good hocks, and nothing too long — long and ‘lollopy’ might be good for racing but it isn’t good for collection and jumping bounces! I want them to be fairly straight-moving, although they don’t have to be perfect.”

Jason says: “Sales can be intimidating. People don’t ask the same questions they would if they were going to view a horse in another situation — but they should do. I think it is good to go in a group of knowledgeable people so you get different views and aren’t afraid to ask questions.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

There is a band of talented amateurs — many with full-time jobs — who specialise in producing young horses for others to take on. H&H finds out what they look for in their horses — from finding something with good conformation to one that’s bold and unflappable.

1. Good raw material: “Some of the best horses look [like] nothing as four- and five-year-olds — you have to use a bit of imagination,” says producer Becky Marsden, a lawyer and amateur eventer. “I wouldn’t buy anything that has been over-produced. If a three-year-old was jumping 1.20m it would put me off.”

2. A leader of the pack: “I want a horse that’s bold, unflappable and confident,” says Caroline Bridge, a farmer’s wife from Bury St Edmunds who has made a name for herself producing youngsters that have gone to the top in various different disciplines. “Often, the horse I’ll go for at an auction will be the one that leads the parade through the tunnel and into the arena.”

3. The whole package: “I want movement, conformation and temperament,” says dressage rider Kerry Mackin, who found and produced C Fatal Attraction, Sophie Wells’ successful para dressage horse star. Kerry also has an acid test. “When I look them in the eye, I want them to look straight back at me. They have to be sure of themselves.”

Continued below…

4 ways to kick start a young horse’s career

Multi-medalled eventer Tina Cook shares her wisdom on building the foundations of a youngster’s education

4. Conformation: “Sound limbs are a must, but no horse is perfect,” points out Caroline. “Sometimes you have to compromise — grand prix dressage horse Don George has four very small feet, but it hasn’t affected him.”

5. Temperament: “When you’re only concentrating on one or two horses, you need to start with the right material,” says producer Elana Chilton, a senior branch manager for the employment agency Adecco. “It can be the best-looking horse in the world, but if it’s not trainable you’ll be wasting your time and money. Plus, if I buy a horse to sell on, temperament is something I would never compromise on.”

H&H 29 January 2015

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

While some owners will keep their horses from purchase into old age, others enjoy the experience of buying a young or project horse with the intention of selling it on, ideally for a small profit, at a later date.

Equally some individuals will offer to help out a friend with the process of selling a horse that either hasn’t worked out, or is no longer suitable for whatever reason, which they don’t have the time or knowledge to sell themselves.

But before you go ahead and book your horse for sale advert, have you considered whether you are a private or business seller in the eyes of the law?

“Of course I’m a private seller”, you might think. “After all, I’m no horse dealer…”

While you might not be working as a dealer, you may be surprised when the law views a person to be a business seller. It’s very important to understand this because business sellers have to work within the restrictions of The Consumer Rights Act 2015, which has replaced the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for any sale taking place between a “trader” and a “consumer” since 30 September 2015.

Who is a business seller?

Most people think that if they do not class themselves as a horse dealer, then these legal obligations do not apply to them. This is not necessarily the case.

There is no official legal definition of a horse dealer. What is important is whether you are “acting for purposes relating to your trade, business, craft or profession” – if so this makes you a “trader”. Who you are selling to is also important as The Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies whenever a “trader” is selling to a “consumer”. In this context a “consumer” is someone who is “acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession”.

Do not assume that if your profession is not primarily selling horses, then The Consumer Rights Act 2015 does not apply to you. Alison Goodwin, head of equine at Harrison Clark Rickerbys Solicitors, explains: “Factors that may be taken into consideration by the courts when determining whether someone was acting in the course of a business, or not, include how many horses the seller has sold in the past few years and how long they have owned the particular horse in question prior to the sale as well as whether the horse was sold for a profit, among other things. So if you sell horses regularly, or have only had the horse for a short period of time and are looking to make a profit from the sale, you may be considered a business seller.”

If you’re unsure about your status as a seller, then it would be wise to seek legal advice prior to advertising any horse for sale.

If you do fall under The Consumer Rights Act 2015 as a seller, the Act requires the horse must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and sold as described at the point of sale and subsequent delivery. This is the case even if terms such as “sold as seen” are used in the contract or receipt.

Solicitor Josh O’Neill of international law firm Trowers & Hamlins’ dedicated specialist equine team explains: “Breach of either satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and sold as described entitles the buyer to a 30-day right to reject the horse and claim additional losses starting from receipt of the horse. If the horse is not rejected within 30 days, the Act says the seller must provide a right of repair or replacement at their own expense within a reasonable time.

“If the repair or replacement is not effective or forthcoming within a reasonable time, the buyer can exercise a final right of rejection or price reduction. In the context of a horse, a repair or replacement is not possible meaning a rejection and refund will be the only appropriate remedy.”

Legal obligations for anyone who is selling a horse

• You must have the legal right to sell the horse or have the authority from the legal owner to sell the horse
• Ensure that any description you give of the horse both in writing and verbally to any potential purchaser is accurate
• Do not make any statements or give any representations about the horse which you know are untrue or you are unsure whether they are true
• If the horse you are selling is not owned by you and you are selling the horse on behalf of the owner, then make this clear from the outset to any potential buyers

Extra legal obligations for business sellers

These are additional obligations for business sellers, which apply to a sale by virtue of The Consumer Rights Act 2015.

• The horse must be fit for the purpose for which it was sold
• The horse must be of a satisfactory quality taking into account the description, price and other important factors

How to protect yourself as a seller

Whether you are a private or business seller, who is selling a horse on your own behalf or for someone else, you need to bear the following in mind to ensure that you are protected if things go wrong:

• Ensure you know who the legal owner of any horse is and that they have the right to sell it
• Ensure the horse’s passport is up to date and accurate
• If you are selling for someone else, put down in writing the agreed terms of the sale including any commission payable on sale, livery/training costs until a sale is achieved, who pays for advertisements and where they should be placed etc. These terms can be incorporated into a specific sales livery agreement or recorded in a separate agreement
• If you are selling on behalf of someone else and you draft the advertisement, get the owner to approve it before it is published.
  
• If you take a deposit from a potential purchaser, agree exactly what the terms are for repayment and/or retention of the deposit and make a note of them on a receipt for the deposit or in a sale agreement
• Continue the horse’s insurance until it has been delivered to/collected by the new owner
• If there is any delay between vetting and collection/delivery of the horse, take a full set of photographs of the horse before it leaves your yard. (This is especially important if a transport company collects the horse on behalf of the purchaser)
• Make sure payment has cleared into your account before the horse leaves your yard

Other important considerations

Under The Consumer Rights Act 2015, if you have sold a horse and the buyer comes back to you with a complaint, the onus is on the buyer to show that the horse was either not of satisfactory quality, not fit for purpose and not as described at the point at which the horse was delivered. However the time period under which this action can take place is up to six months after purchase, warns Josh O’Neill of Trowers & Hamlins.

“The Act creates a presumption that any issue identified within six months of delivery making the horse not of satisfactory quality was also present at delivery,” Josh explains. “In practice, this puts the burden on the seller to show that the issue was not present when the horse was sold, which can be very difficult to prove. The best form of evidence is often a report from a veterinary specialist or behavioural expert. Sellers should keep records of all correspondence with buyers after purchase indicating a satisfaction with the horse. Social media posts by the purchaser can also be useful in this regard.”

You may also be interested in…

How to write a horse for sale advert that will sell your horse to the right home

Choosing the right photos and videos to sell your horse

‘How is he going to understand me, I don’t speak Dutch?’ — and other bizarre questions asked when selling a horse

When we asked you what the strangest questions you had been asked when selling your horse, we were inundated with

Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Buying items online is both hugely popular and typically very convenient. Whether it’s horses for sale, horsebox, tack, clothing or equipment, Horseandhound.co.uk can help you quickly find items you are looking for.

But while most sellers are genuine, if you are looking to buy an item online you are at risk of being targeted by online scammers, who can sound extremely legitimate.

Below are a few of the most common scams to look out for and how to protect yourself from being caught out.

1. Don’t pay up front without viewing

You see an item (typically a horsebox) advertised for sale that is significantly cheaper than others of a similar age and condition.

When you contact the seller, they claim they are out of the country/in hospital/working away, which means you are not able to view it in person. They offer instead to organise for delivery to you if you send them the money and promise you a full refund if you are not happy with it.

They may suggest you pay via an escrow account such as PayPal, Amazon Payments or Google Wallet ‘for protection’ saying the money will be held here until you confirm you are happy with the deal.

Don’t be caught out by these scams no matter how legitimate the excuse may sound or how tempting the deal is.

The scammer doesn’t have the item they are advertising – they are simply going to take your money and leave you without your money or the item.

2. Don’t buy a horse without trying it yourself

You’ve seen a horse advertised what appears to be everything you are looking for and is appropriately priced (or it may be priced cheaply for what it is).

When you speak to the seller they say they’ve had loads of interest and the only way for you to secure the horse is to give them a deposit or even pay the whole value of the horse up front without having viewed or tried the horse in person.

While the seller may be legitimate, we do not recommend you agree to buy a horse without having tried it and had a pre-purchase vetting undertaken by a vet of your own choice (not one recommended by the seller).

3. Research the seller

You can avoid dodgy sellers by doing your research. Find out what you can online about the person selling the horse, horsebox or other item.

Some dishonest dealers will pose as private sellers in order to avoid the law that governs sales by dealers.

Also check if the person who is selling is the owner or whether they are an agent for the owner. This affects your legal rights if the sale goes wrong.

4. Take a friend to viewings

When going to a viewing or a horse or horsebox, take someone with you to act as a witness to what is said and also for your personal safety.

If it is a horse you are viewing, then taking a knowledgeable friend or expert such as your instructor is a wise move.

Agree to meet the seller at their home or yard, not in a random location such as motorway services or at a show/competition venue.

5. HPI check second-hand vehicles

If you are buying a second-hand vehicle, it is worth getting an HPI check done to ensure that you are not buying a vehicle that is stolen and has been written off.

Key points

• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the process doesn’t fit the expected process of buying a horse/horsebox, then do not proceed with the purchase
• Always trade face-to-face for larger purchases, but don’t take large amounts of cash with you.
• For smaller items, pay via goods and services (not friends and family) via Paypal for added protection. Bank transfers offer you no protection

The Horse & Hound Buy & Sell website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your money without meeting the buyer in person.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Selling items online is both hugely popular and typically very convenient. Whether it’s a horse for sale, horsebox, tack, clothing or equipment, Horseandhound.co.uk can help you quickly find a buyer.

But while most buyers are genuine, if you are selling an item online you are at risk of being targeted by online scammers, who can sound extremely legitimate.

Below are a few of the most common scams to look out for and how to protect yourself from being caught out.

1. Don’t give your payment details to some who calls you

You have booked a website or magazine advert either over the phone or online, then you receive a call from a person who claims to be from that company saying that your payment hasn’t gone through.

The person on the other end of call may sound very professional and even use the name of a real member of staff. They may claim the problem was at the company’s end and say that if you don’t pay now, your advert will miss the deadline for publication.

In instances such as this NEVER SHARE YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS, regardless of how much information a caller may claim to have about you or your advert.

If you receive a call like this, end the call, then ring the company’s office on a different telephone and a member of staff will be able to tell you if there is an issue with your advert.

2. Don’t click on login links in emails

You receive an email that asks you to login into your online account via a link, or to confirm your account details.

The email may appear to come from an address that you believe is correct for that company, but this cannot be trusted to be the case.

Do not reply to this email or click on the link. This may take you to a fake website that is designed to steal your personal information.

3. Requests to buy an item without viewing

You receive an email in response to an online advert you have placed in which the potential buyer commonly offers you full price for the item.

Typically these emails are written in poor or broken English and include terms like ‘final price’ or ‘best price’ in them.

The ‘buyer’ won’t want to see the item, but will offer to send you a cheque or bankers draft for more than the amount you are asking and ask you to send the rest on to their agent, who will be collecting the item for them.

This scam is designed to exhort money out of you as the payment will appear to clear, but then be declined later, leaving your without the money or your item.

Top tips to avoid being hit by a scam

• Always be alert
• If something seems too good to be true, it usually is
• Use your common sense; if the email doesn’t fit the expected process of selling a horse/horsebox, then do not proceed with the sale
• Don’t give out your personal or bank account information to someone who has called you
• Be wary of offers to buy your horse or horsebox in the first email. Would you buy a horse or horsebox without seeing it? We all know that this doesn’t happen in real life.
• Be wary of anyone asking for bank details in the first email in order to make a payment.
• Always trade face-to-face
• If you are selling a vehicle, do not allow the potential buyer to test drive it without you remaining in the vehicle
• Do not allow the horse, horsebox or other item to leave your possession until you have received cleared funds in your account

The Horse & Hound website brings people selling a horse or horsebox together with people who want to buy one. We will always recommend that once the introduction has been made, you conduct the rest of the sale face-to-face. Don’t part with your horse/horsebox without meeting the buyer in person.

Place an advert with Horse & Hound

If you have a concern regarding an approach which has been made regarding an advert you have with Horse & Hound, please contact us on 0330 390 3774.

Please note: Classified advertisements displayed on Horse & Hound Horses For Sale are provided by the sellers. Future Publishing Limited (Future), the publisher of Horse & Hound, is not responsible for the content of the advertisements and is unable to verify the accuracy of these advertisements. Prospective buyers should check the authenticity of the seller and view the horse prior to making any payment. Beware of scams requiring upfront payment or sellers unable to prove their identity. Future accepts no liability to a buyer in connection with these advertisements. Please refer to detailed guidance on buying horses and our advice to help buyers avoid scams.

A yard owner who faced a six-figure personal injury claim after accepting £30 from a novice rider to help her shop for a horse has had the case against her dismissed.

Annette “Mimi” Warner filed a claim against Shona Ferguson after falling from thoroughbred mare Jilly two months after she was purchased — despite having been advised not to buy her.

Ms Ferguson, of Manorfields Farm near Shrewsbury, was asked to accompany Ms Warner to view horses and accepted £30 on three occasions in lieu of her time.

The pair went to see 10-year-old Jilly, who was described by the seller as “safe” and “sane” and “ideal for a beginner”. They viewed her at the seller’s premises, at Manorfields Farm in an outdoor arena and on the road.

When Ms Ferguson decided to buy the mare and had her vetted, she was found to have a swelling on her stomach area. Both the vet and Ms Ferguson advised against purchasing her because of the condition, but Ms Warner went ahead, having been told by the seller that the £200 horse would otherwise go for meat.

The mare was kept on DIY livery at Manorfields Farm where no problems with her behaviour were noted, including during six lessons Ms Warner had with BHSI Jane Kerswell.

In the hearing at Stoke-On-Trent county court on 1-2 November, both Ms Ferguson and her witnesses described how Ms Warner did not accept advice on how to care for and exercise the horse during this period, often not riding her for days at a time.

On Boxing Day 2013, Ms Warner rode Jilly in the school without a problem — as she had since purchase — but when she next rode her in the school two weeks later on 11 January accompanied by a friend, she fell off.

In her claim, Ms Warner stated that Jilly trotted and cantered off with her despite being asked to stop. She claimed the mare ran towards the fence, causing her to fall off and suffer significant injuries.

Although she had taken the £30, the court accepted that Ms Ferguson had told Ms Warner that she did not buy and sell horses as a living, she was not an instructor and she was not an expert in selecting horses for their owners. His Honor Judge Rawlings therefore found Ms Ferguson had not “intended to create legal relations”.

As Jilly had behaved well from the date of purchase until the date of the accident, despite the lack of exercise, the court also found that she was suitable for the claimant at the time of purchase. It was also accepted that Ms Ferguson had followed correct procedure in advising the claimant to try Jilly at the seller’s premises and at Manorfields Farm and to have the horse vetted.

It was noted that a new bridle had been purchased for Jilly between her last ride on Boxing Day and 11 January, which Ms Warner had fitted two holes too low in the horse’s mouth. The court found that this may have contributed to the loss of control.

Ms Ferguson said she was “monumentally relieved to have succeeded in this claim, which ultimately would have resulted in the loss of my house and farm”.

“I felt that I had to defend this claim because it could have had a huge impact on the horse industry if the courts had made a finding that I was responsible for the accident in question because I accepted a small payment for my time accompanying Mimi to the viewings of three horses (including Jilly), despite my business not being in selling horses. I made it clear to Mimi that I am not an instructor, dealer or expert in assessing horses for purchase.

“I went as moral support as Mimi was struggling to find a horse due to her lack of experience and she insisted that I take some money for my time after we had visited the first horse. I treated this payment as I would a cup of coffee, sandwich or a bottle of wine — as a gift for my time as opposed to payment for services provided.

“Luckily I was in the position to be able to fight this claim on behalf of the equestrian industry. My immense thanks go to Jacqui Fulton Equine Law and Anne-Marie Taylor FBHS, who we called upon as our equestrian expert.”

Continued below…

Katie Price ‘devastated’ after horse dies in road accident

The model thanked the police and members of the local community for their help and support following the tragic accident

Leading eventer to donate all 2018 winnings to charity

‘I have been very lucky with people helping me so I just want to be able to try and help

Ms Fulton said her client had been “extremely brave” in fighting the case, which could have left her paying the claimant’s legal bill of £84,000, plus her own legal costs and any damages awarded.

“Whilst Shona was found not to have created a legal relationship with the claimant, this should be a warning to equestrians who help a friend or acquaintance to purchase a horse. In the event that a person accepts payment to attend the viewings and/or if the purchaser relies on that friend’s advice, the purchase potentially has a claim against the friend/acquaintance if an accident later occurs involving the horse,” she said. “The findings in Shona’s case assist the equestrian community against personal injury claims of this nature, which have such a negative impact on our sport.”

Changes in the rules to personal injury claims mean that Ms Ferguson could still be left footing the bill for her own legal costs, however.

Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS) applies, meaning that even when a personal injury claim is successfully defended, the defendant will not be able to recover their legal costs unless the claim is a fraudulent.

In this case, Annette Warner was not found to be fraudulent, but her claim is being funded by way of a conditional fee agreement, which provides for a success fee — wording that was used under the old rules. A costs hearing is therefore scheduled for January where the judge will decide whether or not the claimant will have to pay the defendant’s legal costs.

Ms Warner’s representation, Simpson Millar Solicitors, did not respond to Horse & Hound’s requests for comment prior to publication.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Finding your dream horse can be a daunting challenge. This challenge is something Kate West, 45 years old, from Liverpool knows more than most.

At only 19, Kate was advised her sight was failing and when she was 22 she was told her kidneys were also failing. By the time she was 29, Kate was registered blind and that same year had a kidney transplant.

Kate found the courage to start riding again and found her ideal horse, Dougal through a yard she was having lessons at. Sadly after nine years together Kate lost Dougal and so she set out to find her next dream horse who came in the form of four-year-old Connemara, Regan.

How did you go about finding the horse?

“I had looked at adverts for private sellers but you can come across so many that are sometimes only 50% true! Eventually I came across a producer of Connemaras, Kevin Reilly who is based in Galway, Ireland. I contacted Kevin by telephone and told him exactly what I wanted but I said I would need to come to Ireland to meet him given my particular requirements.”

What is the most important factor for you when trying to find a horse?

“The primary thing has to be safety. I am totally blind in my left eye and partially sighted in my right and have my guide dog Daisy. I have no peripheral vision and no central vision so I see things in a patchy way in my right eye. If I ever look straight on at something it disappears and off-centre it reappears so riding can be a little nerve-wracking. I needed a horse that wasn’t spooky, that would stand for me to get on and was quiet. I wanted a horse that hadn’t hunted or jumped and so I decided to look for a youngster that could be moulded.”

Did you have any tricky moments?

“Regan was ridden for me first and then I was given the opportunity to get on, but I do require a mounting block due to ankle problems. We used a bucket but it went from under my feet and I went flying backwards, but Regan just stood there — that’s when I knew he was the horse for me. Even though he was so young he did everything I wanted and accepted me on top.”

Did you take assistance with you on your journey to Ireland?

“I took my mum with me. We couldn’t get a flight and instead had to get the ferry over to Ireland. I go with my own instincts with horses but my mum and I were thinking the same thing — that Regan was the one. I had tried another horse before going to Ireland but I just didn’t feel the connection with him.”

What has been the highlight?

“Regan has been true to Kevin’s word. Mum and I said after trying him that we wouldn’t find another horse so sensible. Safety came before conformation but it’s been a win-win situation as Regan has nice conformation and lovely paces. I just couldn’t afford to risk a horse that spooks a lot or is too big, or with lots of issues. Kevin was so trustworthy and I would recommend him to anyone. You sometimes hear horror stories about buying horses but I did my research and once I was told about Regan on the phone, I knew I wanted to go over to Ireland. In the stable Regan kept taking Kevin’s hat off and so he placed it on Regan’s head and he just stood there — I fell in love straight away.”

Continued below…

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

What are you future plans?

“I currently ride in Western tack but my instructor believes Regan could do very well at British Dressage so we are hoping to work towards that, though I will need to compete HC unless I change to English tack. I have previously done a charity ride raising money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind and Kidney Care UK riding 300 miles around Yorkshire, so I would love to do a week’s riding holiday, perhaps a coast to coast across Scotland.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

When we asked you what the strangest questions you had been asked when selling your horse, we were inundated with replies — from the lady who wanted a horse to match her wedding dress, to the buyer who was after a discount because of a winter coat

1. “Can we buy it for £1,000 less because it has a winter coat?” — Rachel Stock

2. “‘Is it ready to go out affiliated jumping?’ asked of an 11.1hh beginners’ lead rein pony who had been a lady of leisure for the previous two years. Unless they were planning on buying her a trampoline they were on a hiding to nothing.” — Joanna Broughton

3. “‘How is he going to understand me, I don’t speak Dutch?’. I answered ‘not to worry, neither does he’…” — Astrid Bolton

4. “I was selling a cream mare once and the lady brought a photo of her wedding dress to see if the mare would match her wedding dress (champagne coloured!)” — Christina Mulqueen

5. “Is the grey faster than the bay because he wears shoes?” — Cheryl Cundall

6. “What does it eat?” — Julia Chaplin

7. “I was selling a set of showjumps, and a woman rang and asked if they would fit in her car” — Linda Jenkins

8. “‘But I wanted a spotty one’. Then why have you come to try my chestnut gelding for sale, advertised with pictures?!” — Abi Hitchcock

9. “When I was looking to buy a few years ago, I became very confused with the for sale ads I was seeing online in Ireland. People were asking for £1000s for horses advertised as 16.2 ISH. I could not understand why people would ask for so much money when they couldn’t be bothered to put a measuring stick to their horses rather than just rounding their height off. To my complete embarrassment I asked just that question when prospecting and was bluntly told ISH meant an Irish Sports Horse for sale… I bought a cob in the end!” — Elaine Lynch

Continued below…

Like this? You may also enjoy…

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

New horse? Or moving yards? Be prepared with Horse & Hound’s ultimate checklist

10. “While advertising a yearling for sale I was asked ‘Is it broken in?’, ‘Is she spooky to ride?’ and ‘Would she be suitable for my nine-year-old?'” — Daisy Dukes

11. “Selling a £10,000 horse lorry I was asked ‘Would you take £1,000 cash?’ Me: ‘Did you miss off a zero?’ Lady: ‘No, but it’s for cash’!” — Emily Wilton

12. “Would you keep him for three weeks so we can try him after our holiday?” — Charlotte Knight

13. “While looking for sharers, the ad stated ‘she’s a plod who loves hacking’. I was asked: ‘How high does she jump? Has she done dressage? Can I take her to PC camp?’ Answers: logs, no and absolutely no.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Horse shopping should be fun… but it can also considerably raise your blood pressure. Here's why...

1. Some things in life are certain. One is that, no matter how much you have to spend, the horse you fall in love with will be outside your budget.

2. You spend two long, boring hours stuck in traffic on the motorway as you head off to see a dealer in the back of beyond, only to take one look at the horse when you arrive and instantly know it’s not for you.

3. You arrive at the seller’s yard to discover it’s a riding school filled with excited kids and their parents. All of whom hang around the school to watch you as you try out the horse. No pressure, then!

4. You’ve discovered time and time again that people are either somewhat creative with the truth when describing the horse they’re selling, or deluded as to its ability. And age. And temperament. And colour… Let’s be kind and say that they’re probably blinded by love.

5. If you come from a non-horsey family, your mum will be stressing about why you’re getting another horse, and how you’re going to fit it around work and/or family, and what about all that motorway driving you’re doing while you’re looking — it’s so dangerous…

6. Your friends are really excited about your search and keep sending you Facebook ads for wildly unsuitable horses. Still, it’s nice that they care.

7. You’re somewhere in the Derbyshire Dales, driving along a B road with no clue where you’re actually going, and running late to see a horse. It’s at this point that your satnav goes out of range – and a tractor pulls in front of you and stays there, proceeding at 10 miles an hour, for the next half-hour.

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

Horse adverts: what they say versus what they really mean

8. You find the perfect horse and it’s love at first sight. This is The One. You indulge in happy daydreams of the pair of you galloping cross-country, the wind in your hair and mane respectively. The song ‘Just The Two Of Us’ keeps playing in your head. You know the vetting is really just a technicality, as the horse was clearly sound as a pound. So you’re utterly heartbroken when it fails. You vow you’ll never fall in love again, that you won’t let your heart rule your head. And you won’t… Until the next time.

9. Although you’re looking forward to getting a new horse and it taking you forward, you’re quailing a bit at having to go through the whole ‘getting to know you’ stuff once you get it back to your yard.

10. You’re considering giving it all up and taking up golf instead.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

It’s a well-known fact that when you’re looking to buy a horse, you’ll have to kiss a lot of frogs before you finally find your prince. It’s just like dating or buying a house — what sounds great on paper is often very different in reality. And chances are you’ll come across these horses for sale in your search…

1. The one that feels like it’s about to take off

It was advertised as a “novice ride,” “totally bombproof” and “dope on a rope” — but the tense, snorting and sweating horse you’re sitting on feels like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any second. Maybe you’ve got a “hot seat,” maybe it’s having a bad day — or maybe the seller was cynically aware that only a novice would be naïve enough to buy the crazy beast. But whatever the reason, get off the horse. Get off now!

2. The one in the creepy, run-down yard

You’re convinced your satnav has sent you to completely the wrong place as the “yard” consists of a few derelict buildings, a big heap of broken furniture, and a lot of mud. A horse is mysteriously produced, apparently from nowhere, and true, it’s not the one in the advert you answered, being a 13.2hh mare, when you were after a 16hh gelding, but apparently it’s ‘just perfect’ for you. You leave, completely mystified by this random experience.

3. The one you just feel sorry for

You’re told it’s “been there, done that, and got the T-shirt” — and yes, it has, but now it’s so run-down and arthritic that you’re reluctant even to get on the exhausted-looking animal for a test ride. It looks like a canter might finish it off. You want to buy it, if only to stick it in a field so it can chill for the rest of its life.

4. The one that’s actually as described (so much so, it freaks you out)

This is that rare beast, the horse that lives up to its advertisement. It moves like a dream, is easy to handle, and better-looking than all of One Direction put together. You fall in love immediately. Of course, this is why the advert reads £POA — and when a price is named, your eyes actually start watering. Still, you can always re-mortgage your house, or sell a kidney — you only need one, right?

5. The one that doesn’t tick any of your boxes, but you’re viewing it anyway

You’re really not sure why you’re there. The horse isn’t what you’re looking for at all but there was something about the advert that persuaded you to pick up the phone and check it out. Whether it was the horse’s kind eye, a sense of hidden potential, or because you just loved its markings, your gut instinct told you it would be worth a look. There’s a good chance you’ll buy this horse.

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

9 lies people who sell horses like to tell (and how not to be fooled)

5 things to consider before buying a horse abroad

6. The one with the terrifying, overbearing seller

“I hope you’re not another time-waster. I’ve been let down so many times already,” the seller barks, before you’ve even got out of your car. You immediately feel guilty — and even though you can tell straight away that the horse isn’t for you, you feel obliged to go through the whole rigmarole of trying him and discussing his routine, all under the gimlet eye of a seller who’s determined that you’ll be the one to take this beast off his/her hands. Later, you send a polite ‘thanks but no thanks’ text, aware that you’ll be lumped in with those other ‘time-wasters’ who, like you, probably just didn’t feel the horse was right for them but were too scared to actually say so!

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Buying your perfect horse can be an exciting yet daunting process. More potential buyers are now venturing further afield in the hunt for their next dream equine with horses for sale in Ireland, Germany and Holland proving to be popular hotspots. What do you need to consider before making that all important purchase abroad?

1. To view or not to view?

You have trawled through adverts; you’ve spoken to a number of dealers; been given recommendations and now you think you may have found the one. But the one is in Holland and you are in the UK. With the help of technology, videos allow us to “view” the potential horse, but can a video really make up for the real thing and is it advisable to buy the horse unseen?

British Dressage list 1 Judge Debby Lush says: “Don’t do it! If the buyer is insistent then I’d advise that they have someone knowledgeable, who knows them and their riding very well, to go over and try it on their behalf. If the person trying it had no idea what the prospective purchaser’s riding is like, it’s probably not going to work”.

“Get on a plane!” agrees CCI4* rider and silver medal-winning Olympian Lucinda Fredericks. “Definitely ride the horse, preferably over two days and away from home. It’s how they ride and their trainability. Take a second pair of knowledgeable eyes with you. I would also trot the horse up and lunge it on a hard surface before I left because that’s a sure way of seeing an overall soundness and is the best telling point if a horse is particularly one-sided. The horse has got to be suitable; if it’s for an amateur the horse has got to look after its rider. I have sent people to go and try a horse, I’ll say I want ‘this’ and if it’s not suitable for me I’ll leave it. It could be a two-star horse but it doesn’t matter.”

And what’s the vet’s perspective?

Graham Hunter (BVM&S, GPCert (EqP), CertEP, CertAVP(ESO), MRCVS and RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Equine Surgery – Orthopaedics) of Ardene House Veterinary Practice advises: “It is always a very good idea to visit, view and ride the horse in person or have a trusted equestrian friend to view the horse for you if at all possible. I am aware that this is not always feasible.

“Videos of the horse at the very least should be viewed ensuring the video is of a high quality in good light. I have seen videos taken outdoors on windy and rainy days where it is impossible to assess how the horse is moving. It is important to take a video that would be the same views as a vet would be looking at i.e. directly away and back in a straight line and on a hard surface in walk and trot. Views should be taken on this same surface from the side in walk and trot. Videos of the horse being lunged should also be taken and videos of the horse being ridden should be taken with an appropriate sized rider of suitable capability.”

2. Now on to the vetting

You’ve made the decision to take the next step towards the purchase of your new horse, but the next hurdle is the pre-purchase examination.

“I very often have the horse x-rayed with a local vet over there and have the x-rays sent to my own vet in England. If they are no good then I won’t carry on,” Lucinda Fredericks explains. “If the x-rays aren’t good enough importantly you can’t insure it, and from a buying and selling point of view then it’s going to be difficult to sell. If you are buying the horse for yourself to keep, then that is slightly different so the clinical vetting would be more important to me.”

Graham states: “It is difficult to select a vet to undertake the vetting examination abroad unless you have direct contacts in the country where the horse is being sold. Ask around; get names of others that purchased from the same vendor. You frequently have to trust the choice of the seller. You can always fly your selected vet from the UK if you desire, which many people will decide to do.

“Some continental vets seem to be more lenient on some gait issues and some x-ray changes than vets in the UK may be. I have seen horses arrive with a clean vetting and x-rays that have clear problems on physical examination or indeed on the x-rays. I have frequently seen horses that have passed a set of radiographs abroad and on resale in the UK subsequently fail for the exact same issues that were previously passed abroad.”

3. What about the insurance?

With numerous horse insurance companies and policies on the market it is important to shop around for the best product for you and your horse. When buying a horse from abroad ensure to contact your insurer before any final purchase as they may require sight of the vetting certificate before the policy can be agreed. You don’t want to find out once your horse is en route that it can’t be insured!

Graham comments: “If you are seeking a horse abroad, the chances are you are looking for more than just a hack or a pony for a bit of fun. It is therefore very advisable to obtain a fresh set of x-rays of the intended horse. It should be noted that for the horse to be insured in the UK and for the x-rays to hold validity with the insurance company, they generally must have been performed in the past 30 days. Old x-rays also may not show new pathology. I have been in situations where we have to take full sets of x-rays again for insurance if old radiographs have been supplied from abroad at the vetting examination.

4. On arrival

You’ve gone through the lengthy process of viewing, vetting and purchasing so what’s next?

Graham tells us: “As it stands at the moment there are no quarantine requirements for horses moving back and forward to Europe. Horses must have a valid passport and accompanying EU export health certificates. The export health certificate is issued after the horse is certified fit to travel. This examination is performed just before departure.

“New horses should ideally be isolated for a minimum of three weeks, ideally with limited shared airspace with other horses. Ensure isolation areas are cared for by separate staff or dealt with after all other horses and have separate equipment and tack. Examples of diseases which are easy to introduce include strangles, ringworm, herpes and influenza virus and rhodococcus infections.”

Continued below…

Like this? You might also enjoy reading these:

Buying or selling a horse: do you know where you stand? *H&H VIP*

Buying a horse? Five vital conformation tips to consider first

Buying a horse: Horse & Hound’s ultimate step-by-step guide

5. When it doesn’t always go to plan

In the horse world, try as we might, but things don’t necessarily always go to plan. Your “dream” horse may arrive, but weeks down the line what do you do when it’s not working out?

Lucinda advises: “When purchasing a horse you must be completely honest, and equally it is the seller’s job also to make sure they are honest enough to say if they know the horse isn’t going to be suitable for you. When it’s not working out very often I’ll be completely honest and say it’s never going to change or suit you and it’s time to move on. The horse will suit somebody else.”

“If it seriously isn’t going to work, there’s no point,” Debby agrees. “Someone else will probably be a better match for the horse rather than persisting with an unsuitable match.”

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

It’s the final tick in the box, the rubber stamp that reassures you that the horse you plan to buy has a clean bill of health. Rarely, of course, is anything so straightforward.

A pre-purchase exam (PPE) offers no straight “pass” or “fail”, nor indeed any guarantee of a horse’s future health and soundness. Instead, you’re given an opinion of the horse’s suitability for your intended use based on “the balance of probabilities”.

“It’s one of the bigger misunderstandings about the PPE,” admits Malcolm. “People expect black and white, but horses are living animals and there’s so much more to it than that.

“There are occasions when a horse is fine, with no real problems, and others when we tell people ‘whatever you do, don’t buy this’. Far more cases, however, fall into the grey area in the middle where we find one or more health issues and grade the degree of risk. It’s then our job to help buyers make up their mind whether or not to go ahead.”

While the words “yes, this horse has passed” might be music to the ears, it’s not a phrase most buyers can expect to hear. Under guidelines issued in 2011 by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), buyers base their decision on a detailed clinical insight provided by the examining vet.

Some have called the current system a cop-out, accusing vets of covering their backs, yet Malcolm believes that these changes provide the opportunity for a more balanced viewpoint. The PPE can be a valuable tool, he says, provided the buyer understands both its strengths and its limitations.

What to expect

It makes sense to set out with realistic expectations.

“The PPE is essentially a snapshot of the horse’s health,” explains Malcolm. “We do a very thorough exam, whether that’s the two-stage or the full five-stage version, and make the best judgement on the day based on what we find.

“What we don’t have is a crystal ball to predict how things might develop in the future. Flexion tests and trotting in a small circle on a firm surface are an attempt at this, however, because we’re looking for lameness in a situation in which the horse will never normally perform.”

The next step is to assess your own approach to risk.

“Some people are buying a horse with a very good competition record,” says Malcolm. “They’ve seen it in action and know it well, so they’re prepared to take a risk if the PPE reveals some complications.

“If it’s a first-time purchase, however, or a ‘one and only’, they probably want perfection,” he adds. “Buyers in this category, where emotions are involved, are usually the most risk-averse.

“Ideally, choose a vet who shares, or at least understands, your values. Opinions differ among vets on what’s suitable for an intended use and what’s not. Some are more critical, which is not necessarily a failing of the system.”

This relationship seems key to a happy outcome. Using a known and trusted vet is the obvious answer, but what if the horse is based some miles away? “Ask your own vet for a recommendation,” says Malcolm. “Don’t simply accept the vet the seller suggests if you’re buying outside your area.”

An examining vet who knows the horse must disclose its full clinical history, which is why some buyers go down this route. Yet Malcolm points out that you can ask for clinical records at any vetting.

“I would not advise using the seller’s vet,” he says. “As a purchaser, you don’t want potential conflicts of interest. Send your own vet if you feel that the value of the horse justifies extra expense.

“It’s essential that communication starts early,” adds Malcolm. “Flag up any worries you may have before the exam, especially if you can’t be there yourself, so that the vet can look at the horse in the context of your concerns. It’s a big mistake if the first time you speak to the vet is after the exam.”

A can of worms?

So you’ve lined up a vet, but there’s a third factor in the equation — the insurability of the horse you hope to buy. “The most common reason that people walk away from a horse is because their insurance company won’t cover it,” says Malcolm.

“The PPE is there to help the purchaser decide whether or not to buy, yet at the vetting we often end up discussing how the insurers will interpret the report. This is very much a secondary use of a PPE. Just because the examining vet believes a horse is suitable for its intended use does not mean an insurer will cover it without exclusions.

“People should not expect a vet to omit something from the report so that it doesn’t get excluded,” he adds. “If it’s there, we have to record it.”

For the same reason, says Malcolm, accessing the horse’s full clinical history can be a double-edged sword.

“It’s a huge advantage, but it can complicate things — especially if the horse has ‘maintenance’ joint injections, for example,” he says. “Anything influential we find in the clinical history must be noted on the report, which brings the risk of exclusions. You’ll find out if the horse has had colic twice in the past five years, but your insurers may well refuse to cover a further episode.

“Asking for full medical history is a good idea if you want to reduce risk, yet the insurance issue discourages buyers from doing so. Fear of exclusions often makes people put their heads in the sand.”

Risk management

Once the exam is completed and the findings made available, you may well find yourself with more questions than answers.

“If you’re unsure of the interpretation you’ve been given, ask for more explanation,” says Malcolm. “The statement on the report is probably less useful than the discussion you’ll have afterwards with the vet.”

When you’ve gathered the facts, the decision as to whether or not to buy is yours. With luck, the way forward will be clear.

“It’s worth remembering that there will never be a totally risk-free purchase with horses,” Malcolm points out. “Preparing carefully for the PPE and keeping a relatively open mind is your best defence against making a decision you may later regret.”

Gaining insight, not answers

PPEs are not a guarantee against future problems.

• Accept that the PPE provides an insight into a horse’s limitations or maintenance needs. Don’t expect an evaluation of his monetary worth or athletic ability, or any guarantee against future problems.

• Use a vet of your choosing, not the seller’s.

• Focus on your goals. A condition may be manageable or have no impact on the work you want the horse to do, but will it prove problematic if you plan to sell him on?

• Consider additional diagnostics such as X-rays, MRI scans and endoscopy, but remember that they should form part of an overall picture and may not produce a definitive answer.

• Think positive. PPE findings that dissuade you from buying could be a blessing. The next candidate might be the perfect horse for you.

Ref: Horse & Hound; 16 June 2016

If you’ve ever gone to try out a horse, only to discover there’s a fairly large gap between the animal described and the animal actually being sold, then you’ll need our helpful translation of what commonly used terminology in horses for sale adverts actually means…

If the advert says: A bit green…

…it really means: Freaks out when you put your leg on

If the advert says: Never sick or sorry…

…it really means: Just ill and apologetic

If the advert says: Sold from the field…

…it really means: It’s in there somewhere, but nobody’s been near it in years

Continued below…

Wheelie bins eat horses — and other things you need to know before you go hacking

If the advert says: Broodmare prospect…

…it really means: Unrideable, poor conformation and unsound, but in possession of a womb

If the advert says: Forward-going…

…it really means: No brakes

If the advert says: Easy to do in every way…

…it really means: So long as you can catch it first

If the advert says: Good doer…

…it really means: Enormously fat

If the advert says: For sale through no fault of his own…

…it really means: It’s not his fault his owner’s too scared to go anywhere near him

If the advert says: Ill health forces sale…

…it really means: The owner is in traction after being bucked over a hedge

If the advert says: Bombproof…

…it really means: Can’t jump or do dressage so the best bet is a happy hacking home

If the advert says: Completely bombproof…

…it really means: Never moves. Ever

If the advert says: Has hunted…

…it really means: Once, back in Ireland, by some incredibly brave soul

If the advert says: Not a novice ride…

…it really means: Total psycho

If the advert says: Good dressage prospect…

…it really means: Can’t jump

If the advert says: Always in the ribbons…

…it really means: Won the egg-and-spoon race as a five-year old. Well, the owner did. And she wasn’t actually riding a horse at the time

If the advert says: Four correct paces…

…it really means: And a whole bunch of really weird ones

If the advert says: Always works in an outline…

…it really means: Just a shame the outline in question is that of a cow

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Moving house and divorce might be deemed the most stressful lifetime events, but surely the hunt for the perfect pony is a close runner-up... Kate Flynn takes us on the next stage of her turbulent journey to find the ideal 13.2-14.2hh confidence-giver for her daughter

I had rather hoped that six months after our search had begun, we would be further forward than we actually were — which was nowhere.

We had clocked up hours and hours of web surfing, miles of motorways, and my telephone interrogation skills would put the Spanish Inquisition to shame.

My appetite for the whole pony-buying experience was something akin to a yo-yo dieter — one minute gobbling up every possible opportunity, the next sick to the back teeth with it all, unable to face another one. There is definitely a market out there for someone with the energy to set up a pony/rider “speed-dating event”.

But in the absence of one, how can you throw the towel in when mission remains unaccomplished and Daughter can practically stand astride our current pony with both feet on the ground?

So you can appreciate, it was with great difficulty that I summoned up the energy to smile with enthusiasm at Ella, a pretty nine-year-old Irish bay mare recommended by a friend.

As we arrived to view her, there was a cluster of people in full conflab inside the barn.

They turned briefly to watch us pull up, but made no effort to greet or acknowledge us.

Just then, a lady of a certain age, bedecked head to toe in pink appeared from the nearby house, and tottered towards the yard, shrieking something incomprehensible at the top of her voice and gesticulating towards the accumulated group. Daughter and I looked at each other bewildered.

Continued below…

14 things your horse does when you’re running late

Had we arrived in the midst of some crisis?

Were they expecting us? Had we got the time wrong? Had we arrived in the midst of some crisis? Apparently not. Unflustered, as if this were the norm, a young woman broke from the group as we edged forward towards the stables, and led us towards an imperious looking Ella, who peered out at us from her stable door.

“I’ve owned her since she was four,” she declared, proceeding to impart a full breakdown of just how quiet and sensible her disposition. “She really is push button — push and she will just go!” Hmmm, not quite sure what that means. We were soon to find out though!

Ella was wheeled out and trotted up. So far so good. We headed out into an open field, pushing past a mare and foal as we entered the gate — not the ideal trial situation, but I figured the owner must know what she was doing.

She began putting the mare through her paces. To start with it went well, but as the mare moved through the transitions, she started to get unsettled, throwing her head and hotting up. “She’s normally quite calm,” called the owner as she struggled to maintain an outline, “but someone came to try her two weeks ago and upset her.”

Two weeks ago? This was not the confidence giver we were looking for — on the contrary, the mare was in need of a serious shot of confidence herself! I made moves to depart, explaining that she wasn’t what we were looking for.

“She’s so gentle,” the owner said, “why not just sit on her? Just for the sake of experience if nothing else.”

I looked doubtfully at Daughter. We quickly debated the value of the “experience” and Daughter decided that she would at least sit on her.

Brave, I thought. Perhaps rather more quickly than she had anticipated, they worked up the gears until the pair were cantering on a circle. Round and round they went like they were attached to a carousel. I began to see what the owner meant by push and go.

After a few minutes, I could see the frozen look on Daughter’s face. “I can’t stop her,’ she shouted. It seems she had unwittingly pushed the cruise control button and had now stuck in fifth gear. Despite vain attempts at pulling, sitting back, cantering in ever decreasing circles… nothing was stopping her.

“You’re going to have to step in,” I told the owner who ran and lunged forward into the path of the automaton pony. As if awoken from a dream, the pony came to an abrupt halt and Daughter gratefully slid off, thanking the owner for “the experience!”

“Oh, what am I going to do with my broken pony,” the owner blurted as we turned to walk away. Oh thank you, couldn’t you have told us she was “broken” before we tried her? Next!

Read all Kate Flynn’s accounts of her hunt for the perfect pony

Don’t miss the next installment of Kate Flynn’s hunt for the perfect pony on the Horse & Hound website next week (16 November)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now