What Would You Guys Do?

1. Buy the Arab cross.

The mare doesn't seem to be worth your while, especially at that price. If she's already trained (and just has the bad temper), she sounds like she's ready for a home with a real job. It seems like you're looking for more of a project, which she already was.

The rescue horse would be good, if you could find one that you can make something out of. There are some good horses in rescues that were either seizures or an owner drop-off. If you could find a horse that just needed some work (without all of the issues), then that would be a perfect option.

A younger horse would also be a good option. If you could find one at a good price, it would be worth your while.

Auctions are nice, but if you go to the wrong ones, they can be really shady. If you haven't done much of the auction scene, I recommend staying away from buying there initally. Go with some people who are experienced auction buyers until you know what to look for. Not all auctions are bad, but there's a bad apple in every bunch... and that's not the horse you want to accidentally end up with.

I'd steer clear of the BLM mustang if you want a buddy for your boy. I'm sure you know all of the requirements that go along with them. That doesn't really mesh with having a pasturemate for your gelding.

In all, I'd say finding a well priced youngster (possibly from a rescue) seems right up your alley. Keep an eye on sites like CANTER and the United Pegasus Foundation (unitedpegasus.com). CANTER deals specifically with thoroughbreds (some off track, some never raced). UPF deals with some thoroughbreds, but mostly PMU foals/mares (and sometimes a quarter horse, here and there).

First you need to ask yourself what your gelding is going to be able to handle in a pasture mate. If he is an older horse you may nave trouble with a youngster or a too dominant horse. I don't advise going to the auction for a horse unless you are familiar with all the tricks of the trade and again, you're not sure that what you're getting will suit both your gelding and yourself. You will probably not be able to get the medical papers from the auction, just the Coggins. If you adopt a BLM colt be aware of the increased height of the fence you will have to have and the separate shelter and all that. Honestly, if you buy a cheap young horse and train it yourself, that is the best way to save a horse's life. Horses well trained and in good flesh don't end up at the auctions so much. The price on the grade mare seems way too high for me in today's market especially since she doesn't have very much training under her belt. Even if I liked her, unless she was ready to show in some local shows, I cannot see myself paying that much.

I would say it depends on what you would like to do with the horse. If you just want a friend for your horse deffinetly rescue a horse from auction or at a rescue that can't be ridden anymore. You can possibly find a really nice horse that you can show at a rescue/ auction too. If you really love that mare then go for her. If you rather do more natural horsemenship and maybe some barrels ( and you have A LOT of time on your hands) try getting a mustang. I personally wouldn't go for buying a selling a horse if you are looking for a companion for your other horse, but that is totally up to you. Do what feels right :)

Sounds like you are ready for a bigger project. Let the arab move on to a new home, I wouldn't pay that kind of money for something that was "bad tempered" ever, just my opinion :)

You seem to like hotter horses, so why not meet in the middle? I would look at a Thoroughbred rescue for off track horses. You could adopt one affordably, it would be broke but they need lots of riding and retraining for a new career, but they aren't quite a huge project to take on as a mustang. Maybe you could get your start with training, give an off track horse a new job then you might know more about what you want to train and if you are ready take on a mustang next.

Good luck!

That tough, Although I would say get the first horse, the arab, if she is trained, and you wish to go into training horses, maybe its time to let her go on to her next owner? rescue horses, although the idea is amazing, a lot of them have serious health problems and soundness issues, so I would look around at the shelter, but consider if the benefits outweigh the costs for a shelter horse (not trying to sound cruel here, but a lot of them do have some serious health problems). Assuming you have the experience (and it sounds like you do) getting a young, sound horse to train yourself sounds like a good idea, you can start fresh and train it the way you'd like, with no bad history already behind the horse. Auctions are a hit or miss, you never quite know what your going to get. BLM mustang sounds like a good idea if you are willng to take on that challenge, but there is a lot more work you are going to have to put in.

Honestly, if i was in your situation, i would just get a quality bred younger horse and train it myself. best of luck :)

I would also suggest you go with the first one. You like the mare, you trained her, and you said she's perfect for you. Sounds to me like you can't really go wrong with it.

The rescue horses are also a good option, but before you bring one home you should absolutely make sure it is what you want. Rescue centers tend to be littered with horses that have a myriad of medical conditions that will outweigh the cheap adoption price, not that all of them are like that but there are quite a few.

The younger horse, training it yourself, and selling later on isn't a bad idea in and of itself, it's just a bad idea in this economy. There's no market for selling horses, and especially for trainers who are just starting out. Well-known trainers with access to quality horses are selling their projects for cheap and are just hoping to get rid of them, forget making money. The training business is a hard business to make money at even in a good economy.

Going to an auction is also a fine idea, but you're doing some pretty serious gambling there. You may wind up with a horse that you simply have to put down yourself. Auction houses are notorious for sending sick, injured, and mentally unstable horses into the ring drugged up so they look normal and healthy.

Adopting a BLM mustang is also another cool idea, but make sure you check with the website to see if you actually meet all of the requirements. For a colt you would need a 5 foot high fence, for an adult you'd need a 6 foot high fence and on top of that they are pretty strict on what the fence can be made out of. Electrical fencing is not appropriate for BLM adoptions and you must provide adequate shelter. There's a lot of work that goes into adopting a mustang before you can even take it home.

I think any of your options #1-4 would work just fine. I would not adopt the mustang at this point because it wouldn't really be a pasture mate for your horse for a while, as you'd have to keep it confined or in a round pen until it was willing to work with you. You need a companion horse now, so get one that's a little less work up front.

If you want mare #1, offer them less than they're asking for her, especially if you're the one who trained her.

I would say rescue for sure. I would probably go to an auction because at least the ones in the rescue barn have a temporary home, whereas the auction horses have little hope of a bright future. my horse is a rescue and I can deffinatley tell you that they are a lot different to train and own than a regular horse (she's my first horse but I still had experience taking care of normal horses) it took me almost a year to gain her trust and it took her a year to gain mine. the reason she needed to gain my trust was because I knew she was a rescue and was more unpredictable than other horses so I needed to know I could trust that she trusts me enough to not spook at every little thing. but honestly it was so worth it! your bond will be closer than a reguler horse because a rescue will truly appreciate you as a regular horse won't as much, it's not tei fault they just haven't been in a situation bad enough to realise when they have a good home

I say get something that you can learn from :) Let the little Arab find a different home. I would say to look at the rescues, keep an eye on the horse adds for a foal, and go to auctions. Look around and try to find the perfect one that just steals your heart at first glance :) I would go to all the rescues/auctions and just look at them and then make my decision. It's a big one, and you don't want to be stuck with someone elses junk. Good luck!

Either 1 or 3 - Get a horse you want, so you're not stuck with an animal that's not suiting your needs. It's great that people rescue horses, but too often they have health issues or are not what the owner was looking for in a horse.

Good luck!!