What does Laura Collett look for in an event horse?

Photo credit: Events through a Lens 

If you haven’t spotted the very latest news from the team at the Event Horse Owners Syndicate, then you need to catch up! EHOS launched its very first affordable event horse syndicate and it’s a very exciting one indeed… The one and only Laura Collett spent the Autumn hunting like mad for the perfect young horse – alongside winning a 5* with the fabulous London 52, of course! – and she found one in a very special place indeed. Camouflage, an athletic 5-year-old gelding who arrived at Laura’s yard at the beginning of December, was sourced from the very same yard as London 52 and Mr. Bass both came from. Shares are just £65.00 each – learn more and snap yours up here.

Which leads us rather neatly to our latest blog. We asked Megan Sanders and Jack Pryor, the brains behind EHOS, to sit down with Laura and ask her what she seeks out when she’s on the hunt for her next eventing superstar. So, here’s what Laura Collett does and doesn’t look for in a young event horse:

Q: Where do you start when you start looking for a young event horse? Do you start with bloodlines you like or seek out breeders and producers you know, and go from there?

A: I tend to start my search by asking around the producers and breeders I know and seeing if they have anything that might fit what I’m after. If they do, then I will always ask to see a video, so I know I’m not totally wasting my time!  If I like the look and feel of then I follow my gut instinct!

Q: How important is a horse’s breeding to you?

A: I’m honestly not fussed at all about bloodlines, as I have tried some horses with the most amazing breeding that have been useless! I think it’s much more important that they give you a good feel than what’s on a piece of paper.

Q: Are there any immediate things that you would avoid? – for example a particular stallion/family, or perhaps you avoid a certain colour of younger or even mares?

A: Actually, and all joking aside, I’m not very keen on mares! If I saw a young mare, she would have to be truly phenomenal for me to want to take her home! Colour doesn’t matter a jot and as I said, bloodlines don’t tend to influence me either way.

Q: Do you have a process that you run through when you first arrive at a yard to view new horses?

A: Yes, I always make sure I see the horse untacked and standing out of the stable. I like to have a good feel of their legs for any lumps and bumps or heat, and then watch them walk and trot up to check how they are conformationally. If I like what I see, then I watch them being ridden for a short time. Then comes the most important bit of all – I get on to see what they feel like and have a play!

Q: Do you find you prefer a particular type or like to see certain confirmation characteristics?

A: I like a good-looking horse who oozes presence, because that always helps for the dressage! Other than that, it’s just athletic horses with no odd bumps and angles!

Q: What are you looking for in terms of characteristics and temperament when you first look at young horses?

A: Probably just that they need to be willing to learn. If a horse has a good attitude, then you’re already halfway there. A talented but unhappy and unwilling horse isn’t a great temptation for me!

Q: What’s the furthest you’ve ever travelled to view and try horses?

A: I went to Corfu once?! Camouflage comes all the way from northern Germany (as did Mr. Bass and London 52, of course!) which was a long old drive for me – but worth it.

Q: Do you have any amusing stories from going to try horses?

A: Not really anything too amusing, but one story where I was lucky! I went to see Mr. Bass on the same day as he arrived at Peter’s yard in Germany. He told me a price before we loose-jumped him, and rather lived to regret it! He said it would have been a lot higher if he’d actually seen him jump before he told me a price! The rest, as they say, is history.