Other things to factor into the BLM program costs
(ps I am not against the program):
Cost of building a fence big enough to keep the
equine in: in TX it has to be 6ft tall and a certain minimum sq
footage<--- That alone will buy you an already trained
horse
Cost to get there, ie how far away is the
'auction'-then bidding process
Injuries during the gentling process-time off work,
doctor bills, etc
Gelding the colts/stallion-this is upwards of $125
plus the care afterwards--my guess hosing off a somewhat wild colt would be
another interesting challenge. --My dressage instructor says gelding are
made in heaven.
Broken tack-best to use the old stuff but still
something to consider.
Broken fences, disruption to other horses you may
have.
However, there are a lot of great success stories
if you can get thru all the extra risks.
This past weekend, I saw some 3yo qtr horses being
ridden by green riders and the horses were not bothered by anything. They
appeared to be 'working' qtr horses so were not so bulky in muscle.
A good disposition can go a LONG way over looks
unless one really likes those 'extra challenges'.
A local trainer is 'sortof giving away' a warmblood
she has been working with for over 2 yrs.. he just likes to 'rodeo' and won't
stay 'trained'. We take a risk with every horse we ride or try to
train. Remember, the injuries you sustain will return to mess up
your life later on. Moderation is a good thing. Bull riders and
bronc riders eventually have their injuries catch up to them. Personally,
I still want to be riding at 75!!!
Happy Trails, Mary Ann
Subject: Re: [RC] buying on a budget
In a
message dated 9/7/2004 5:41:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, whytrotfarms@xxxxxxxxx
writes:
if you are serious about buying a good endurance horse and
paying a rock bottom price, get a mustang! you can find
one of just about any size, shape or color. prices start at $125
for younger stock at the blm adoptions, but you can find some 4 years
old and up for $25! thats right, $25! that is what i paid
for a five year old mustang stallion,
