New member--Need critiquing help with possible purchase!

Hi everyone! I'm new here and just wanted to give a short intro. I started riding several years ago, doing mostly English. I took a break for school and have recently come back to the world of riding. After leasing and taking lessons, I've decided I want to venture into owning a horse. I have the finances, the time and the mentor ship I feel that I need to properly take care of a horse, so I think it's time. While I'm looking into buying, I'm not in a big rush. I'm looking into getting a project horse for now; something that's not yet finished but has potential. I would mainly be doing hunter/jumper. I'd like to venture into dressage and eventing in the future as well.

I was hoping you guys could provide me with some honest critiques of some of the horses I've looked into. Here's the first one:

He's a registered Canadian Warmblood gelding. He's only 1.5 years old, around 15.3HH and halter trained. He's on the thin side right now and his feet aren't pretty, but I would obviously deal with that if I got him. Apart from that how does his conformation look? Like I said, I don't mind a project horse, but is he too young and too conformationally messed to even bother? He's being sold for $1300.

I am not a big fan of this horse. Whilst he is still young and in the 'gawky' stage he is ewe necked and stands under himself. The 'butt highness' is probably due to his age and the way he is standing in the first pic.

Also, even if you want a project horse, it will be two years before you can really do much with him and probably three years before you are competing, are you happy to wait that long? Perhaps something a little older, say 3-4 years old?

Oh and welcome to the forum by the way!

Welcome!

Reading your post seriously brought me back to myself not even a month ago!

Our stories are pretty much identical. I also wanted a project horse and didnt want to spend an arm and a leg on the initial cost of the horse.

I ended up with an OTTB for $800. She was 4 years old, so old enough to really start working with her, but still completely green for the most part.

I agree with Sarah 100%. Something about this horse just screams no to me. I think you would be doing yourself a favor to get something a little bit older and maybe at least green broke. It would greatly decrease the amount of "wait time" for you.

Yea the age does have me conflicted. I'm still looking around and an older horse is more my ideal. I like that he's a registered warmblood, but he is a little...off I agree. Thanks for your input!

Personaly I wouldnt touch with a very very long barge pole.

To start he has a very large common head, ewe neck, upright shoulder, very over at the knee. He also seems to turn his toe inwards at the front, upright through his hocks and camped under. His pasturn angles are all over the place but that could be the length of his hooves

Sorry but for that amount of money you could do far better.

Hmm good to know. Like I said, I'm not good with conformation (although I'm trying to learn!) so it's good to hear that he is bad so I can see what bad is.

Unfortunately, in my area, that's as cheap as horses get. Anything under $1000 is usually not sound for work.

What Sarah said.

He is obviously not a very example of what the registry is supposed to be.

I actually like this guy (besides his funky knees). Sure, he is at a weird stage in his development, but that all could change. It is always a gamble when it comes to purchasing a young horse...you never know quite what you will end up with.

He has a nice head, and when his neck fills out, I think he will look more balanced. From the looks of it, he will mature to be a big guy.

Charligirl, yes youngstock go through gawky stages, however basic angles do not change, he will always we upright in the shoulder and ewe necked. Putting Fat on his neck may disguise it somewhat but it is always going to make it difficult for him to work properly through his back.

I completely disagree. He is not ewe necked. His neck ties in to the back very well and is set on high. It is thin and under developed but not ewe. His head is large and his eyes small and this makes him seem "common". He is over at the knees, but he has good bone in all legs. Pastern angles are normal and he has good hip. He is not very deep in the chest, so maybe not have great endurance. I would look at his dam and sire. He will look soooo different in one year, you will not believe it!