Need advice on possible purchase...

Just saw this from another post and thought it was worthwhile to copy here. This is from the AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference), which is a very reputable source:

III. AGE
The most preferred age of a prospect is 3-8 years. If you like to start with a horse who has never been ridden and are willing to spend the two years for basic equitation training then 3-4 is a good age, otherwise look for the 5-8 year old. A younger horse may take many years before you will have any idea whether or not he is suitable for the sport, and an older horse is fine if you are well aware of his history. (Endurance horses often perform competitively well into their late teens.) This history should include regular exercise, preferably trail riding. It will normally take two to three years to have the horse in top fitness if they have not been exercised a lot before your purchase but while you are conditioning you may enter many endurance rides on horses that are this age when you purchase them, provided you have the self-restraint to ride these early rides as conditioning rides and not races. Many a good prospect has been ruined by racing too soon Remember, if your horse obviously has shown you that he is not a good endurance horse prospect, there are many others out there that will fill the bill.

Yeah, neither will be big - but alot of mustangs are around the 14.2 mark or so.....it is just hard to tell from these pictures, and their ages don't help any either - I am sure they will change alot as they mature.

Idk - I see alot I like about the bay mare.....and so do others it seems, as she is getting bid up pretty high already - and I have not bid on her yet.....

I would really prefer a mare, as I would like to breed her in the future - many years down the road. The gelding is nice looking tho, and you can tell more from his pictures cause he is able to be posed for them somewhat.

I plan to use the older (partially) trained mare for endurance. She is much older, and having talked with her trainer she is a good candidate for it. I will of course train her more 1st, and start her off with the smaller LDs when she is ready. In a few years (3-5) when the other horse I get is older, trained, and is ready I will start her in the LDs as well - if she is suited for it. If not, I will do something else with her. I have 3 kids, and a few years down the road they will be ready for their own horse. The bay is taller, but she is also a year older.....i just can't seem to decide between the two.....thanks for the input y'all....guess I still have 5 days to decide.....

Why in the world would you even consider breeding a mustang? There are thousands right now standing in holding pens all across the west unable to get adopted. That's not going to change in the next 1 or 10 or 50 years. When it comes time that you want a "foal", go adopt another one.

First of all, there are plenty of reasons to breed a mustang - if you are breeding for something in particular - not just for any old horse out of the pen. I would like to cross the mustang mare with an arab stallion - IF the mare is worth it, and I can find a good stud.....i believe it could make a good endurance horse. And yes, I may very well adopt another mustang in the future :P Perhaps when the time comes I will just adopt again instead....it is just a possibility. :/ If I ever adopt a mustang again it will be a Kiger.....

I was wondering the same thing. Ridiculous. And, Op-to think you can breed a mustang for something in particular-good luck with that. Mustang bloodlines are a pretty mixed bag, and even IF you get one who is good at endurance, who says that that particular gene will come out in the foal? Could just be you would get a slug of a throw back-then what? I also find it difficult to believe that an owner of a good stallion would breed to something so unknown. You will most likely get mediocre, at best.

Personally, I think you are in love with the idea of a mustang.....and breeding one to the "dream stallion"... and having your own little "mustang herd".......JMHO. Fantasy does not always equal reality.

Oh-and keep in mind-the age posted is not always the true age. They tend to put approx the same age on most of them.......just as an example-my friend who got hers last year was told he was 7-he is closer to 13 in reality.

Thanks for the input, I will surely keep it in mind.
I would really like to get back to my opening question, however.....
And while I respect, and will consider all input to my future plans - they are just that, my plans.

FNB said it exactly. Breeding a mustang is a crap shoot at best. Because there is no set standard for look and conformation, there is so many different looks, builds, and abilities. A mustang simply won't breed true. Plus, there are many of them that have the genes for some really wonky conformation hiding in there that may pop up on the foal with no warning. Even a nice looking mare can throw a foal that looks like a drawing a 4 year old did of a giraffe.

And with so many already needing homes, I don't understand why anyone would consider producing more of their own when they could simply go and get their choice of color, conformation, and temperament for $125. To breed one, not only would there be a stud fee, but the medical checks for the mare, genetic testing to ensure she's not carrying a disease or have the potential for a lethal white foal, but all the prenatal care too. All that, and the chance of losing a beloved mare for a foal that may or may not be what you want.

Don't get me wrong, I love the breed. I want another and if I had the money/space right now, I'd be getting that little buckskin filly, but when the time comes, I'll be saving the life of one already on the ground, not creating another life that may not be what I want...may not even be healthy or sound enough for riding. A life that, to the rest of the world, isn't worth the poop it leaves laying.

I understand your point, and I may very well choose to adopt again when I am ready for another horse - of course that will likely be 5+ yrs down the road. It also depends on BLM having a somewhat local adoption available at that time. They no longer have an adoption center in Tn (used to have one in Cross Plains), and the closest is over 6 hrs away - a distance that may or may not be do-able for me to travel. Again, that is a good 5+ yrs away, and there is no telling what may change before then. Breeding my mare was just a possibility I was considering. Nothing is set in stone yet. What is certain is that I plan to adopt 2 horses from this internet adoption and pick them up in Knoxville in march. I have already decided which trained mustang I am interested in, and am trying to decide between these 2 fillies. Thanks again for everyone's feedback.....