Why is it so hard to find an experienced driving mini or pony?

[susanne]

Neither Grace 67 nor Renolizzie said they were LOOKING for a horse in the $500 range.

Renolizzie said that she was looking for a driving mini in the $1500-2000 range, but FOUND one for $500.

It seems people are getting bent out of shape because someone else OFFERED their horse at that price.

 

[Renolizzie]

Neither Grace 67 nor Renolizzie said they were LOOKING for a horse in the $500 range.

Renolizzie said that she was looking for a driving mini in the $1500-2000 range, but FOUND one for $500.

It seems people are getting bent out of shape because someone else OFFERED their horse at that price.

That is very sweet of you, Susanne, but I wasn't taking it personally and I think someone on this thread somewhere said they had friends looking in the $500 price range. I really do think that there has to be a reasonable limit to what I will pay for a pet since I have no interest in breeding or showing and just want to enjoy living out in the wide open spaces of the west with my little horse trotting smartly down our dirt roads Having said that, I think a well trained, sound horse is worth some reasonable amount of money.

I also have decided that lessons are well worth the investment in time and money. And it has been a huge investment in time since my trainer is an 1 1/2 hours away. I am on the road for over 3 hours total and then there is the lesson itself which means that much of a day is gone.

When I started this process I just didn't realize how few horses there are that are trained to pull a cart. I guess I didn't think it was common since this is cowboy country but still... So, it is a bit frustrating to be looking, contacting the local club, talking with the trainer and others, reading the ads and then not finding a critter that is suitable that is close enough to drive out to see in person.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Neither Grace 67 nor Renolizzie said they were LOOKING for a horse in the $500 range.
Renolizzie said that she was looking for a driving mini in the $1500-2000 range, but FOUND one for $500.

It seems people are getting bent out of shape because someone else OFFERED their horse at that price.

Susanne, I believe the comments are referring to the post where CZP1 says:

I am helping two friends look for a solid "B" sized horse. They are having a hard time finding a horse too. Though as Field of Dreams said, I could have sold my horse at least 10 times. He isn't for sale

and have turned down a pretty penny even in todays market. The problem here is that there are great horses available but not in their price range $500 max. for horse is what they want to pay.

No one was referring to Grace67 or Renolizzie.

I think a lot of the problem is so many people refuse to pay more than $500 for a well trained driving horse; therefore, people that have one that they would sell for $1500 to $3000 don't even bother to advertise--they just keep the horse. I've been in Minis for ten and a half years now and from the start I found it incredibly discouraging that trained driving minis sell for under $1000. I remember seeing ads for $300 to $500 (and of course I don't remember or even know how well those horses were actually trained) and then one day I saw one advertised for $800. I thought now that's more like it, then I read the ad closer & saw that price included his cart. There's no way I'd let any of our trained geldings go that cheap.

I agree with you. In a way the minis do themselves a disservice by being so easy to train as it means any yahoo thinks they can put a harness on their little gelding (stallion, more likely), teach him to pull something and call him "trained to drive." Hey, it was easy, it only took a week! Why not price him cheap??

And then since potential buyers see "trained driving minis" going for $500, they think "why should I pay $1,500 for this one when I can get that one for so much less?" Then folks with better trained horses are forced to drop their prices to get them sold and boom- you can't get squat for your priceless gelding. It's so depressing!

The other side of that coin is that folks who can train their own (or think they can) see no reason to spend lots of money on a finished driving horse. They just buy that cheap prospect and train him up themselves and then sell him cheap when they need to. Why bother shelling out big bucks for fancy-smancy stuff unless you're into big-time showing?

Folks who bought one of those cute little horses for their kids also tend to dump them (and their equipment) for cheap just to get rid of the feed bill when the kids move on. It all adds up!

In 4-H or most larger breeds geldings are highly valued as performance animals and are worth their weight in gold! Not with the minis. To geld a stallion is to make him unmarketable according to many people and training him to drive is a last-ditch effort to make him worth something or "get some use out of him." Those who know how great a trained gelding is will hold onto him rather than sell him for far less than he's really worth and so you'll rarely see him on the market. If he IS sold, he'll probably go by word of mouth long before an advertisement hits the internet. That's why it's important to network when you're looking for a horse like this.

When I started this process I just didn't realize how few horses there are that are trained to pull a cart. I guess I didn't think it was common since this is cowboy country but still...

The part of the country you're in can make a big difference. Here in the Pacific NW there are MANY well-trained driving minis, but that's because we live in an active combined driving area with several big AMHA/R driving trainers in residence as well. Due to the sheer volume of available driving horses their prices are well within the range you've discussed and often lower as they are not a rarity. Now that doesn't mean they are high-quality horses or that they've had high-quality training for that price, but they'll drive and they're sound and quiet. From what other forum members in cowboy country have said finding a miniature in your area who can not only pull a cart but was trained to do so properly is a bit more of a venture and I wish you the best of luck on it. You may be better off looking out of your geographic area via the internet and having a cheaper horse shipped for the same total price you were willing to pay for a more expensive local horse.

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

When I started this process I just didn't realize how few horses there are that are trained to pull a cart. I guess I didn't think it was common since this is cowboy country but still... So, it is a bit frustrating to be looking, contacting the local club, talking with the trainer and others, reading the ads and then not finding a critter that is suitable that is close enough to drive out to see in person.

You will look hard to find a driving horse in cowboy country, for sure. I networked with my trimmer and personal horse acquaintances for 3 months. One good trained driving horse for $1500 in my size came up within 150 miles. I wasn't crazy about his color, then he went to a show that weekend and placed awesomely so his owner withdrew the sale offer!

Craigs List and internet horse sale sites were not productive. I sort of gave up on Craigs List after viewing "studs" and miserable looking bred mares, as I was not into rescuing, but looking for a good working horse.

I ended up buying a "prospect", which is always a gamble.

I agree, lessons with a good trainer are fantastic!

 

[ckmini]

I have a wonderful 6 year-old driving gelding we've been trying to sell for about 6 months now, He's been shown all over the midwest, is 1 stakes win shy of his country pleasure HOF. Calm, safe, enjoys his job and pinto too. Can hardly get any interest in him, priced at $1,500 -1,800 range.

I think it's not only hard to find a good driving horse, but it's also hard to sell them. We as exhibitors need to continue to promote the miniature driving horse.

 

[Grace67]

Hobbyhorse23 and Susanne thank you for your thoughts, I felt the discussion was getting off track with regards to price. I don't believe I mentioned anything about that in my original post and was a bit discouraged to see things head off in that direction.

I'm an experienced horsewoman who has owned and shown QHs for many years so I think that I'm well aware of the value of horses and what their training and show experiences are worth, not trying to diminish minis whatsoever. My lament was that I simply cannot seem to find many (if any) well trained and experienced driving minis or even small ponies within several hours driving distance of where I'm located. The ones I've found online at greater distances either were priced very much beyond what I feel comfortable paying as a newbie to the breed and for what my intended purpose is or they do not have as much training and experience that I feel that I need at this point. Also it seems tough to get folks to send decent video and pics and to answer my questions so I can decide whether or not to spend a weekend driving (or flying) somewhere to check out said horses.

Renolizzie you and I could be twins! I really just want a well trained, well mannered horse to learn with while I take lessons and gain more experience and to eventually enjoy driving with. I've ridden several different disciplines in my life and would never once think NOT to take lessons nor to find an appropriate horse for what I wanted to do. Both are invaluable.

I'll admit that right now I'm at a crossroads of whether I want to pursue this further or to bite the bullet and attempt to go back to riding again.

 

[CZP1]

I posted about the friends looking for the $500 mini. You can't find a good driving horse (IMO) for $500 with the equipment. That is what I am trying to help my friend find (good luck). Sorry to get off topic. I no longer ride due to back trouble and enjoy driving more than riding. I think it make take some time but you will find the right horse. I only do trails and some local driving club activities. I have a blast with my mini who is 36.5 inches. I had a riding horse too while I have my minis but in the long run for me I prefer the driving.

Good Luck in your search and keep us posted when you find the perfect one!

 

[Sandee]

................

Also it seems tough to get folks to send decent video and pics and to answer my questions so I can decide whether or not to spend a weekend driving (or flying) somewhere to check out said horses.

.....................................

I'll admit that right now I'm at a crossroads of whether I want to pursue this further or to bite the bullet and attempt to go back to riding again.

You've hit the nail on the head with the fact that mini owners do NOT know how to promote or think that it's not worth the trouble and money to promote the sale of their horses. There are good horses out there. Finding them is the hard part.

Don't give us just yet. If you were looking for a well trained riding horse you wouldn't just look around your neighborhood and expect to find it. I too was experienced in QH showing and I have to say that converting to minis wasn't something I was overly thrilled about. My knees gave out for the type of riding I was doing. I was lucky that my sister lives in another state and was able to look where she was located as well.

After I got my gelding and he taught us to drive, I went to a show (sorry I've repeated this story may times here). I entered in trail or obstacle driving as trail was what I loved with my riding horse. This old boy went along la, la, la until he saw the cones and then, I swear, I saw a light blub go on. "I've done this before", he thought; and off we went. He was troting as called for but much faster than before. It felt like we were flying. Zip, zip in and out with me barely touching the reins. Then he slowed for the wheel between the poles. I know my face must have reflected my surprise, in fact, my eyes were probably popping out. I know this because I turned to see the judges as I left the arena. They were laughing so hard they nearly fell off their chairs. It may have looked funny but we did the course perfect and we won the class. I was HOOKED on driving from there on.

Now I drive everything from a western pleasure 32" to a small Modern Shetland that nearly swept the Park Harness classes last year.

Keep Looking!

 

[Grace67]

as luck would have it just got an email from someone who has a nicely trained and shown 10 year old 35 inch gelding and have some video of him......could someone here give me some feedback and your thoughts on him? PM me your email addy and I'll forward the clip via email.

 

[Renolizzie]

as luck would have it just got an email from someone who has a nicely trained and shown 10 year old 35 inch gelding and have some video of him......could someone here give me some feedback and your thoughts on him? PM me your email addy and I'll forward the clip via email.

Yeah!!! Nice to have a lead on a little guy coming your way. I am totally unqualified to help you look at your video but I am very excited for you. Carting is so much fun. Best of luck and I thought this was a great topic.

 

[targetsmom]

I think part of the problem is how do you price something that is "worth their weight in gold"? I think MANY of us on here own minis that would be just what the OP is looking for but they are NOT FOR SALE. We had someone contact us recently looking for a nice, safe driving mini and that was the answer we gave, but we did provide a name of someone else who had one for sale. I liken it to the bomb-proof kids pony that can take any kid through short stirrups. Around here (CT) such a pony would be worth plenty.

 

[earthchild]

I guess in a way, we are lucky. Twice a year they have a BIG horse sale, focusing on driving horses. There is everything from Drafts to Minis, and believe me, when you see them driving thru hundreds of people, you know they are good driving prospects. This is about an hour and a half away from us. We then have the Mt. Airy miniature horse sale, the oldest continuously operating miniature horse sale in the world. At the last sale, I about broke my husbands arm trying to get him to bid on a B size registered drop dead handsome app stallion that they used for birthday parties and driving. I believe he went for $350.

 

[Jetiki]

You get what you pay for and thats what people don't understand. having met a few horses that came through that sale in NC... you couldn't PAY me to try to drive one, not without someone paying a handsome life insurance policy on me first. I am sure there are some good ones... but the ones I have met are quirky at best or there's not enough drugs in the world to keep them sane.

Karen

 

[Margo_C-T]

I agree with targetsmom and Karen(Jetiki).

Margo

 

[Jetiki]

Now I have found some Awesome ponies in the 500$ range, but they either need a bit of a tune up or they have a quirk or two that are easily manageable, or will iron out without too much trouble. But again, thats putting more money in the pony/mini etc. I am not saying they aren't out there, but what I am saying is that it will take a LOT longer to find one at a lower price than putting a little more money into it most of the cheap ones that have tack with them, the equipment isn't worth much, this is from personal experiences.

 

[Renolizzie]

Now I have found some Awesome ponies in the 500$ range, but they either need a bit of a tune up or they have a quirk or two that are easily manageable, or will iron out without too much trouble. But again, thats putting more money in the pony/mini etc. I am not saying they aren't out there, but what I am saying is that it will take a LOT longer to find one at a lower price than putting a little more money into it most of the cheap ones that have tack with them, the equipment isn't worth much, this is from personal experiences.

That is is kind of what happened in my case. I got a mini at a good price and I bought him because he is really sweet and already likes pulling a cart and is trained, just not professionally trained. I probably will end up sending him out for training and that will add a fair amount to the cost of the little guy. There just haven't been very many horses for sale nearby [so far there have been 3 and 2 of them were already sold when I called] that would be suitable for a beginner. The trainer, the current owner and I all felt that this mini would be a good horse for me so I went ahead and bought him.

He is sound, nice looking, very sweet, calm, from a good breeder [[the trainer knows her] in Washington state and has been treated well all of his life so the pluses are what made me buy the horse despite a couple of minor minuses. He's really fairly small at 31 1/2 inches and he isn't professionally trained although he does drive nicely.

 

[Sandee]

There's nothing wrong with one that small. The only drawback being little is that he won't be able to "move out" (have a lot of action) because there just isn't enough leg on them. They can still be good driving horses. I have one that's just under 32" and he won a National title.

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

I think a lot of the problem is so many people refuse to pay more than $500 for a well trained driving horse; therefore, people that have one that they would sell for $1500 to $3000 don't even bother to advertise--they just keep the horse. I've been in Minis for ten and a half years now and from the start I found it incredibly discouraging that trained driving minis sell for under $1000. I remember seeing ads for $300 to $500 (and of course I don't remember or even know how well those horses were actually trained) and then one day I saw one advertised for $800. I thought now that's more like it, then I read the ad closer & saw that price included his cart. There's no way I'd let any of our trained geldings go that cheap.

If you can find a nice dependable driving horse for $500 then you'll have found a good deal, but I don't think anyone should expect to find one for less than $1000 and I see no reason why one shouldn't be worth double that at least....and that's without a cart & harness.

I think you hit the nail on the head. I have an unregistered mini "B" size gelding that is trained (not show trained) to drive, and behaves well, and good with kids. He could be registered pinto, people are looking to pay UNDER $500. So, we are just keeping him, because he is worth way more then that to us. He is going to teach US a thing or too, I bet!

 

[Sandee]

I have a registered one 32" that even has a National title and has been listed for a year at $1500 without even an inquiry. I refuse to "give" him away so gelded him and the grandkids will show him this year.

 

[Christie]

I am also( well was!) looking for the larger B size mini ( even slighyly over and doesn't need registration) that has a quiet disposition, doesn't need to be finished just most of the ground work behind, hitched and going nicely, can be green and needing miles, preferably mare. I'm looking( was) for something specific in color and conformation. I have/had a flexible budget ( and willing to pay for the right horse), depending on level of training and experience. I never knew it was a "sin" to look for something specific. BOY! did I get raked over the coals yesterday by a seller. I've sold horse, I try very hard to not be a pain. I have been offended, and having a time letting go of it... and that bothers me as much as anything. Sorry, I'm hoping a little venting will help me let go! If i don't find my dream driving mare or second choice gelding, then I don't need another equine in the barn. I have a beautiful sensible fella that is coming along nicely even though slowly as I'm doing his ground training myself, and I have to do it on days there is little else going on, as I have to limit my activities each and everyday. There is some driving I would like to do this fall and my fella won't be ready. I was looking at adding another.. I've changed my mind after yesterday, I may never work up the nerve to ever make another inquiry!

I'll just move my goals back a year! That's easier!

WOW!!! and may I say UNREAL!!!!