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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
 
| I would like to buy a younger horse, work on getting it more "broke", start it on the pattern and roping, then resell it. But, how long would you keep it? Obviously long enough to do said training...
What about ownership on papers?
Thank you in advance and any more tips, information, or advice would be appreciated. | |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
 
| Yes get the papers changed over, I always wonder a little when that's not been done. It looks like I've owned my little horse over twice as long as I have because papers weren't transferred.
Keep in the back of your mind what you want for him at each stage of the game. If someone shows interest then you have a number. If you own him a week and someone offers you $500 more than you paid - hey, that's profit! Really it depends on the horse timewise. Personally I want to sell them at least started on the pattern, so I don't advertise them before then. But my husband's family is also known for having nice horses and nice prospects at home - so we get asked a lot if we have anything when someone is looking, sell a lot of rope horses without ever putting out a sale ad. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
| Thank you!
What would you start them on? Of course barrels, maybe swinging some ropes off them, but what else? Driving cattle, goat tying? | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 364
| It's great to get one used to many different situations and scenarios. However, I think that the real value comes when a horse gets super handy. What I mean by that is work on making a horse that is true, has good form, and can perform maneuvers without resistance. I'd rather buy a horse that has an excellent handle and has not even seen the barrels. | |
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Expert
Posts: 1599
| What I've learned on project horses is "pretty" always sells. And handy. If they have that, breeding comes second. Unless they are by a super trendy stud or out of a great mare. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| lopnaround - 2017-07-25 1:16 PM
What I've learned on project horses is "pretty" always sells. And handy. If they have that, breeding comes second. Unless they are by a super trendy stud or out of a great mare.
I agree. Pretty still does sell. And so does handy broke. Walk, trot and lope circles on a loose rein, stop, back, turn around, work off leg pressure, counter arc, smooth lead changes, etc...ALL OF THIS before anything else. Being able to ride quiet, trail ride, ride down the road is also a plus. Like I said BROKE. You can do a lot with a BROKE horse. | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Currently doing this with 2 horses. As other people have said, try and get something pretty, color sells as well. I always look for one with decent conformation, some color, and in rough shape. I've gotten hard starved Colts, fed them up, trained and resell. That's where you can make the most. I like them to be broke broke, if you have time pattern, rope and track a dummy. It takes 6-8 months for me to get them where I'm ready to sell. I also don't transfer papers unless it's a horse I'm keeping. Goodluck | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I buy and keep them long enough I feel comfortable in their advertisements. For example if I say the horse hasn't offered to buck it means I've ridden it in various situations, various emotional states (theirs and mine) and given them time off and got back on and asked to go back to work. I've put them through their paces and can feel comfortable standing behind my statements.
The majority of people are pleasure riders and don't ride 5 times a week so I want to know once I've put training time on that if they only are ridden once a week what that one ride is like.
I normally buy in fall, keep through winter and sell in spring. The prices where I live decrease in the fall so I buy then, work them all winter, and relist in the spring when prices rise and market is more of a sellers market. I can do this as my horses are on my property and keeping them through the winter is minimal in costs compared to having to board them somewhere.
If this is just a fun project and a one off then that's one thing. If you are planning to continue buying and selling you have to be careful on how quickly you buy and sell. One bad sale can leave you as a "horse trader" so make sure what you sell you can stand behind. If you sell great horses then soon they sell themselves even before you list them.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 495
Location: Washington | Pretty sells. Broke sells. Having two handy kids helps make them kid broke as a bonus. Not much bothers a horse around here after about 2 weeks. LOL
They get sent through the ringer here so to say. Reiner start, turning back/tracking a cow, trails, swimming, trailer loading, feet, bathing, clipping. Am I forgetting anything? Hauled and exposed. Like to keep them long enough to know how they handle different situations and to give them time off to know if you can just step on or expect them to be a little cold backed after a break.
We don't transfer paper unless we had intended to keep it. Not spending the money to if just going to flip it. I will state that a signed transfer is available for those that it concerns.
Agree with others about buying in fall and selling in spring is the best. When people are getting tax money back and are looking for their next winner. Not in the fall when they already have all their hay in or thinking about the upcoming costs of winter and adding an extra horse.
Good luck and it's helpful if you have someone who has faith in your program to go halvies on a project in the beginning. That's how we've got our start.
And for fun, our latest project, been here a week. Friend and I went out on a limb and got a KP horse. Bought sight unseen, went off a horrible photo and a short clip of her being "rode". To our surprise, she's cute as a button, super sweet and super quiet, bred nice (Didn't know pedigree until after bought, older cutting lines) and the photo with the kids? That was her third ride.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
| Thank you guys! | |
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Project Horses