12.06.2020

is it too much to ask

I do not normally look at horses for sale, nor do I follow market trends. Many look out of curiosity and find it fun, others are in the horse business. Then there are the bargain hoarders, and those that go through horses like winter coats. Always looking for the elusive winning horse to replace all the others they have ruined. I know of people in all of these categories. I am here to say, I do not find anything fun about horse shopping!! Or any kind of shopping for that matter. If it was up to me, we would keep our little herd at 5 (counting Cierra's future baby) to enjoy together for as long as we all live. I must be the only horse person that truly doesn't want any more horses. However, Brad continues his dreams of showing. So here we are, horse shopping. Gee I can't wait to try explaining why we got another horse to all the non-horse people in my life, lol! 

I have discovered finding a horse that fits, is much harder than looking for a saddle that fits. Is it too much to ask for a decent younger AQHA Ranch Pleasure prospect? Ideally very lightly started under saddle, around 2-3 yrs old. Anything double that age and further along in training, has a ridiculous price tag. Of course the horse must be healthy, have good conformation and mind. It would be nice to find a gelding. Flash is a bonus. Good luck finding all of those! If you do find anything remotely close, the horses are located on the border States. Where are the upcoming show horses in the MidWest? Horses that semi-fit the criteria are selling within hours of posting, or going for ridiculously high dollar. Many sell at auctions. 

I think Brad's requirements are reasonable, with flexible ranges. However we are not typical buyers and horse shopping is a HUGE deal for us. Our horses become family. We will not buy under pressure, or at an auction/sale barn. 

With that said, Brad recently found a filly prospect. Her unusual barn name is Padame. No clue what it means? Every time I google the meaning of Padame, an apparently popular Star Wars princess comes up with similar spelling (Padme). I will eventually ask about the name, and how to pronounce it! If the filly comes home with us, her barn name will likely be changed. If you are interested in taking a peek, here is Her Pedigree




screenshot from sellers website



I was going back-n-forth for a good week via email with the filly's owner, and felt like the monkey in the middle. Then handed "the reins" over to Brad. He spoke with the owner and is seriously considering this horse as his next show partner. 
So far her owner has been wonderful to interact with, and horse beliefs seem to align with ours. I have warned him of the urgency of making his mind up sooner than later, especially if he thinks this might be the one. Brad said he is okay if Padame sells before he makes up his mind. She is the closest prospect we have found, but he absolutely needs to be comfortable with his decision. Of course we could potentially sell her if she doesn't work out, but who wants to go through all that expense, invested time and more importantly heartbreak. Not me/us. We've never done this, and would definitely prefer to keep it that way.

Considering everything going on, it just isn't going to work for us to look at this horse in person. But it sure would be fun!! I know a couple bloggers I would love to meet that live in that general area :)) Padame is waaaaay out about 45 minutes from Spokane, Washington at Running Brook QH Ranch. It would be close to a 24 hour drive one way, and w
e are not open to flying right now. Although airlines are reportedly doing a good job handling the pandemic. We have never bought a horse sight unseen, but in this case we just might do it. I know people purchase sight unseen all the time, but not us. Of course we have watched videos of Padame (while in training for 60 days) but nothing compares to seeing a horse in person. The only way to really get a feel for personality. Unfortunately I can't share her video's here, they can only be viewed via Facebook. Our vet is coming out for routine care this week, and we look forward to his input before potentially taking on the further expense of doing a vet check. 

It has been over a decade, and I am hopeful this is the last time we buy a horse!! Ultimately it is Brad's decision, but I am about to go cray-cray. SO here I am, whining about it on my blog lol. I do follow multiple related AQHA/Ranch/Trainer sites on FB and we regularly check Dreamhorse and Equine Now and Ranch World Ads. Do tell if you have thoughts on the above prospect and/or her bloodlines, or other valued input.




12 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Well she's absolutely gorgeous. I have a thing for palominos, loved my Dusty girl. I don't really know blood lines on QH's just the few I've had and looked up. So I'm no help there. But she looks like a sweet girl. I'm a little skeptical about buying online even though I'm sure she's healthy. I like to see a horse move in person as it were and get an idea of their personality. I do like to ride a horse before I purchase it, more than once. Buying a horse and welcoming them into the herd and family is a big commitment for us. We never sell a horse once we have it, I don't know why but once they're on the property they have a forever home. Even if they never get ridden. This will be a hard decision but she does look really nice.

Wondering if there is a way she could be shipped to you for a trial for a month or so. This way you could try her out and have her vetted etc. and see if she is a good fit for Brad. There might be a way to work that out with insurance and money up front. I don't know but between you and the owner maybe you could work out a deal that's good for both of you. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Shirley said...

She looks good in the photos... I'm not on Facebook anymore so can't check her out. When I click on the link to her pedigree it takes me to my blogger dashboard (???)
Is she on allbreed pedigree? If not can you put her on there and tell me her registered name? When I click on the photo it also takes me back to my dashboard. Weird.
Finding a horse that fits all your criteria is so difficult. I have bought sight unseen but usually it wasn't a good fit (Coulee comes to mind). A horse can be all kinds of pretty but personality and disposition are so important and you just can't tell by photos and videos.
You could probably get Linda to go look at her if it's close to her place. Having someone look is probably better than buying sight unseen.
There are lots of horse groups on MeWe, and lots of the groups are specific to geographic areas so it might be a good place to look.

Shirley said...

Ok I just googled the ranch and found the filly! She is indeed a beauty. The only thing that makes me curious is why she is the only 2 yr old they have left for sale; was she intended to be a keeper and then put up for sale?

Shirley said...

Her sire is one of the horses that McBride Quarter horses used on their mares; they are the people that the lady who bought Rosalee is in partners with. They said he had an excellent disposition. I think you may have found a pretty good filly even if you can't see her in person.

aurora said...

Arline, yes she is gorgeous!! When I was younger I always wanted a Palomino, and even had a Palomino magnet on my fridge for many years. I was discouraged, because like redheads apparently they have a reputation. Other than Harmony (unique circumstance, long story) we have always bought very young (not rideable age) and even then, made multiple visits in person. Interesting trial idea!

Good grief Shirley!!! SO sorry, I fixed the links and absolutely know better (it is my line of work...) ya gotta check links after posting! I failed to check them (hangs head in shame). No clue why they all linked back to blogger, because I know I entered the actual links and saved/posted. The links are fixed now, I checked (this time)!! By now you have figured out, the filly's registered name is "May I Cash Your Chex"

I have a MeWe account, after FB did not allow selling some of my local horse friends got accounts. I did too, but honestly never did anything with it. It was so new back then. I just don't know if I can keep up with yet another social media platform. Funny you mention Linda, because I totally thought similar. I trust her judgement (and would even pay her) but didn't want to bother her. Nor do I know how to get a hold of her (I looked) other than posting a random "can you help me" comment on her blog lol. McBride QH used to own the filly's sire, and sold him to the seller. He is now deceased. Based on interactions, I believe Running Brook QH are absolutely worth their salt. They have an interesting background, and been in the breeding business a long time. More importantly, what has been shared aligns with what we would do. You pose a good question tho, why is this horse left as a two year old?? We actually started by looking at one of their colts, but then realized it would be such a long time before Brad could actually show again and Cierra's baby wouldn't be too far behind it. In this case, we need to purchase a horse further along.

Linda said...

What a beautiful horse. Her daddy is Chex Nu Jewel, and all his babies are gorgeous. Didn’t he pass away just recently? He was standing 15 minutes down the road from me. Anyway, I did ask my friend about them, and she says they are really nice people. You can tell by looking at their website, too. Too bad you’re not flying out though. I love to meet my blogger friends.

Linda said...

Oops. Just read the comments. I’d be happy to help anyway I can. A vet check is always nice. McKinley Peters is who I use. A farrier’s opinion of her, too. Do you know who’s handling the training?

aurora said...

I knew you would help if needed Linda, you are so sweet and I totally trust your opinion!! The filly was in training for 60 days at Creston Equine Center, but went back home yesterday to Chewalah. Yes, we can absolutely tell her owners are good people and authentic. No question in our mind. We seem to align and would likely be friends if we didn't live across the US. A Farrier opinion is a good idea! We are waiting for video's of Padame after her arrival at home, and input from our vet this week - will see if...

Linda said...

Send me your email via my website, and I’ll send you my contact information. 😀

C-ingspots said...

Hey Linda! Sounds like a roadtrip!!! Just think of it, horse shopping without the stress, or the expense...win-win! I would trust your judgement, and you could even be present for the prepurchase exam. Sorry...if I were closer, I would totally do it. :)

Val Ewing said...

Goodness, how exciting! I haven't shopped for an equine in 20 yrs. But I have 2 mule daughters from my first horse that I have raised.
I love good rides!

Linda said...

As, thank you. ❤️