So I'm in love with the horse I lease (as all leasers do :-P) and her owner offered to let me buy her...She's is a 23 yr. old appy bout 15 hands and im 5'10. She jumps 2'6 because the vet clarified that he thinks she's younger than 23 because she is a rescue pony so they don't know her age. I have saved up for an imported pretty warm-blood since she was born for 6 yr.s. she's bout 17hh now at 5 yr.s old which is more of a better height for me. I'm a hunter jumper so I really want common people's ideas on my situation. I love my horse I lease because I have trained her to jump and you all probably know how nice it is to have that best friend there for u during ur rough times. Im wondering though if it will be harder for me to leave her now or watch her get older and die...do you think it is worth it to buy her or to buy the warm-blood?-also the vet said she could jump for about 3 more years but the height will slowly decrease.there's a comma after "born" btw sorry :P

to love horses is great, but if your making an investment in your riding not a pasture pet, then I would go with the warmblood. It seems he will better suit your needs in the long run, and you don't want to buy the one your leasign only to have him not work for you in a couple of years. Whatever horse you buy you'll fall in love with don't worry!

On age alone, I would go with the warmblood. You will have that horse for the next 20 years! I am sure that you love the appy, but at 23, you never know what will happen. Just as a word of advice, because I have had to put down two of my beloved horses (one due to age, one due to cancer) that it is the worst thing to see your horse age, and have to put them asleep. Also, if you want to keep jumping a warmblood at 17 hands will get you far. But in all it is your decision. It just seems like to me, I would never buy a 23 year old horse unless it was just a companion for another horse.

Awwwwwww, that's a hard one. I would go for the younger horse. It is much harder to let your own horse go. I know from experience that once a horse is over 20 is 1) very hard to sell and 2) will eventually have all sorts of health problems, no matter how hard you try.Good luck with the choice.

The horse you lese you know,you know her fears and stuff but he is a lil old if she is 23 but you know her betterthe warmblood horse he is younger and something you have wanted and is the right height for you but you dont know this horse well how do you know the horse doesnt randomly buck,rear?? you dont know anything about this horse.Which one sounds betterpersonally i would go for your lease horseyou know her she was your best friend and now you are going to dump her for a pretty purebred warmbloodWhen she is too old you can always find another

I would buy the Warmblood mare and go on with her. That doesn't mean that you can't visit the first horse and also tell the new owner/leaser some of the things that you and she did to accomplish what you did. You did a good thing, now go on and do a good thing with your new horse, and good luck.

I like your question and that you are really thinking about this situation. I hope that you will think about my answer seriously before you make any decision. Leasing was a good first step, and you have done well to save your money to purchase a nice horse for yourself. And I understand you're a hunter/jumper which is wonderful that you found a style you like and know what you want your new horse to do.My best advice would be for you to buy neither of the horses you mentioned. It sounds like you have, or have partly, or will soon, outgrow (in terms of your riding ability) the older Appy lease horse. I would let her go so that she can teach someone else at a beginner level. Even if she is younger than 23, if you haven't outgrown her in your riding skills now you probably will soon enough and the vet predicted her ability to jump height-wise will be declining as she ages. However, a 5 year old needs an experienced rider to bring them along. Even if they are already started on their basic training or have been in training with a professional, this age of horse needs someone advanced to steady them and give them a few more years of solid work who knows what to watch for and how to prevent problems and handle any issues that arise before they become problems in the horse's training. Its not that you would be unable to do this; its that you don't yet have the experience to do it now and this horse is at the age where she's ready for an advanced rider to take her on but most horses at age 5, especially performance horses, are not yet ready for an intermediate rider or a first-time horse owner. If this horse has already had so much training and experience at 17 hands and 5 years old that she is well trained enough to be ready for an intermediate rider, then she probably won't stay sound because she was worked too hard too soon; and if she has not been started at all yet, that is best left to a professional or experienced rider who knows what they are doing. Every horse and every person is different and sometimes this combination can work but it is highly unlikely. While I think the older mare is probably too old for your ideal first horse, I think this one is too young and inexperienced. I would encourage you not to limit yourself to 17+ hand horses. At your height, any horse 16+ hands should be tall enough for you at intermediate to advanced level. What's most important is the horse's age, training and experience. I would search for a nice horse between ages 8 and 14 or so years, who is working or has worked at more advanced levels than what you are ready to ride now. Perhaps you can find a horse who is a little too short for a rider taller than you, or who has worked at higher levels and their rider is ready to move on to more horse or a younger horse. I would not be in too much hurry; look at as many horses as you can and go test ride them. Narrow the choice down and go ride a few of them again before you decide. You want a steady enough horse to take care of you and help keep you safe while you learn more and do more but who will challenge you enough to grow with your ability as you advance, but not be too much for you at this point. Get a horse you feel secure with that has had training and knows what they are doing; then go as far as you can with that horse so that later you will be ready for more. Good intermediate horses take years to outgrow but are solid and safe for an intermediate rider. This is one of the hardest types of horse to find, but if you get a good one you will be glad you did. If you get a horse who you have already about outgrown now, in a year or so you will be frustrated and bored. If you get too much horse for you to handle now, you will likely have trouble riding, handling and training a horse that you will then likely need help with to straighten out and who then will probably still be too much horse for you for several years yet. Picking a more experienced horse now will help you prevent these issues. Really look around, here. If you were saving for an imported warmblood, see what you can find in your country (U.S.?) that has worked at the top. Can you find a pro riding a 13 to 15 year old horse at higher levels who wants to semi-retire their horse to lighter work? Do pick a sound horse for what you want but that experience on your horse is what I would suggest to look for. Maybe an upper level dressage horse who has had some jumping as well. Maybe a cross country or stadium jumper who didn't do as well over the higher fences but is solid at medium ones. Find out as much as you can about the horse and why they are selling it. You don't want to inherit someone's training problem but someone somewhere will want something else and have a horse suitable for you. Horse prices are determined by many things including breed and training. A plain horse with experience can cost as much or more than a flashy purebred; take your time and spend your money wisely, on a horse with experience.

Honestly I would not buy the appy. She's too short for you, she's elderly and won't be able to keep up with you as your skills increase.It's great that the Appy cleared the vet, etc, but I think you will be happier to let her be leased by someone that needs her - you've outgrown her I think.Also, if the situation ever arises that you wouldn't be able to keep your imported warmblood you will not have a hard time rehoming her. I know it's not fun to think about but I didn't think about it when I bought my second horse and now I can't find a buyer for him so I can get my dream horse.