MIRIAM FRENK

THE INTERNATIONAL ANDALUSIAN HORSE EXPERTS

Miriam@miriamfrenk.net

Tel: +34 609 55 28 17

Fax: +34 91 345 41 58

BUYING HORSES IN SPAIN

With the assistance of our Company

General Information

Some time ago I read a very entertaining article in Horse & Hound magazine, about a man who travelled all the way from Britain to Spain in order to buy "bute". He came home only to be told at customs that he was carrying a huge amount of powdered aspirin!

Well, I do not reckon anybody risks coming home with a mule instead of a true P.R.E. (Pura Raza Española = Pure bred Spanish Horse, Andalusian), but buying horses is a chancy affair even on  your own  home ground and therefore purchasing a horse in Spain could prove to be an adventure – so some professional help might well be needed.

Actually, I do not think one ought to consider the Spanish less honest than horse sellers in other countries. Perhaps the problem is that at times prior to purchase the foreign buyer is not quite well-informed enough and not educated in the aspects of the breed to be taken into consideration.

Stud Book Registration

Up until January 2007 the military authorities (Jefatura de Cria Caballar) have been in charge of keeping the Pure Bred Spanish Horse Stud Book. However as from January 2007 this Stud Book will be run on behalf of the Spanish Government by ANCCE: the National Association of PRE Horse Breeders

When buying a PRE horse, make sure that you are buying a true Pura Raza Española horse by checking the authenticity of their registration on the internet site: www.librogenealogico.com . The cross-bred papers: “Carta de Caballo Cruzado “is no longer valid, having not been issued for several years now.  These horses have not been parent-typed and there is no way of ensuring that the “Carta de Caballo Cruzado” you receive belongs to the horse you are buying. At present cross-bred horses are registered in the Stud Book of CDE: “Caballo de Deporte Español ” horses. These horses are being parent-typed and micro chipped so you can be sure that this registration certificate is valid. This can also be cross-checked on the website of www.librogenealogico.com 

Define the Characteristics

A great variety of P.R.E., cross-bred or non-papered stallions and mares exist: they can be used for many different purposes. So to begin with one must have made up one’s mind as to what type of horse is to be looked for.

When you decide to contact our company for assistance, please add the following information about the characteristics of the horse you are searching :

Breed :

Sex:

Age:

Height:

Colour :

Bloodlines :

Type of conformation and movement :

Temperament :

What the horse is going to be used for :

If a riding horse, details about the rider ( height , age , weight , experience ) .

Also indicate to what country the horse is to be exported , as  the sanitary  regulations vary for each country outside the European Economic Community . Thus we must make sure that the horse can enter your country, before you decide to purchase.

Choose your Horse

On our website under www.miriamfrenk.net/search , you can find a great and varied selection of horses for sale .  Each horse has a thumbnail with his picture. Click on the picture and further and bigger sized pictures will come up on your screen ,  which will give you a  general impression of the horse, his conformation , movement and training level .

The next step would be to contact us by e-mail and ask for the video of specific horses to be sent to you.  Videos are uploaded by us on the internet and you will be sent an e-mail advising of the link from where to download the required video. 

By viewing many videos you will educate your knowledge about the breed and train your eye, which will help you in assessing the horses and making your final choice.

Various Price Levels

On the website , you will find a price level indication  for  each horse :

I  up to 12000 euros

M between 12000 and 24000 euros

S above 24000 euros

To obtain the exact price of a horse you will have to contact our company by e- mail.

What Prices are based on

The prices are  influenced by many factors :

-         the  quality of the animal  in regard of its use

-         conformation and movement

-         bloodlines

-         colour

-         height

-         training level

There is a great shortage of riders in Spain in comparison with the enormous amount of horses bred. Thus it is getting more and more difficult to find highly trained horses.  Obviously if a commodity is scarce then the price goes up and therefore the training level of the horse will have a considerate influence on its value.  You will find many young horses with only very basic training for the same reason.   

Bloodlines are obviously influential on the price requested, such as those horses that carry the brand of a famous stud farm or are of the pure Carthusian lineage (this is the most ancient bloodline within the breed with horses that are generally very true to type).  Horses with an important show record will naturally be expensive as will those that have passed the second phase revision of “Reproductór Calificado”.

The coat colour is also of great influence on the price. Dark coloured horses will be more expensive than the traditional grey, in the case these horses will be of comparable quality regarding their conformation and movement. Although many breeders have taken to produce black stock, top quality black mares and stallions are still rare, specially  among  the adult ones and  thus  they have a considerably high value. Lately coloured horses have become fashionable.  The few available Pure Bred Spanish buckskins, cremellos and  the odd perlino , are being sold for very high prices. There are few chestnut horses for sale and the demand  obviously pushes  their prices high up .    

As for types, you will find the true baroque horse is getting more difficult to locate, whereas the more modern type of horse of lighter build with forward going movement is becoming more popular among breeders .

There is a great demand for  those PRE horses that are  suitable  to be used  for competition dressage .  The traditional conformation of the PRE horse favours  his capacity of producing collected movements with great ease , but does not  allow him  to show a  great natural extension  of the gaits. Therefore it will prove complicated to find horses for those riders that want to compete against other breeds in open dressage classes – as they will need a horse that is capable of  showing  a natural extension under saddle in lower  dressage level classes.

Mares

Besides a few exceptions mares are not ridden in Spain being used almost exclusively for breeding.  Quality broodmares, or those with special bloodlines or colours, can be just as expensive as their male counterparts, if not more expensive.  Fillies with exceptional characteristics - colour, conformation, movement or bloodlines – can fetch  extremely high prices.

References

On our website we have published some references from our clients and if required we can ask some of our clients to contact you personally to tell you about their experience dealing with our Company.

Videos

Many of our clients will buy basing their choice on the videos we provide, without actually travelling to Spain. After presenting you with a “first impression” video  you can instruct us to  review the horse for you  and produce much more detailed footage which will allow you to feel comfortable  taking your final  decision  regarding the purchase .  

Accompanied Visits

Of course we also organize accompanied visits charging only a reasonable fee for our services in accordance with the transport and hotel expenses we incur.  Should you purchase, these expenses will be deducted from the price of the horse selected.  Spain is a very big country - travelling up and down looking for the right horse can prove tiring and also confusing.  Therefore it is important for us to help and advise you in order focus your search before setting out, so you know exactly what places you intend to visit and with what options you will be presented.

And while you are shopping around, do try to have a good time, relax and enjoy it. Remember - Spain is different!

Copyright : Miriam Frenk

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