10 minutes with Georgie Goss

From producing talented young horses to 10 Badminton completions — Georgie Goss knows a thing or two about spotting potential.

We caught up with Georgie to hear about her season so far, the horses she's excited about, and her top tips for buyers and sellers.

First things first, how is the season going so far? Any highlights?

It’s going well! The younger horses are ticking along nicely, with a couple of them doing their first BE runs of the season next month.

My two top horses, Kojak and Feloupe, both went to France for Royal Jump and had fantastic results. They both produced sub-30 dressages, rolled a pole each, and jumped super clear cross-country rounds inside the time. Both will now be aiming for selection for the World Championships later in the season.

Which horses are you most excited for the rest of the season with and why?

Obviously Kojak and Feloupe are my two most exciting prospects this year. They're both qualified for the World Championships, which is the main aim.

Whichever horse doesn't go will potentially head to Scone and then on to Boekelo, so hopefully we've got plenty to look forward to.

What's your favourite type of horse to produce?

I don’t have a favourite type to produce. The main thing for me is temperament. I love working with a horse that wants to work with you, whether that’s a horse you're producing to sell, a young horse starting its eventing career, or one competing at five-star level. Working with a horse that is happy, confident and feels like a genuine partner is always a joy.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone looking to buy their next event horse, what would it be?

This follows on quite nicely because, for me, it comes back to temperament. I think a lot of people get hung up on ability — whether a horse moves exceptionally well, has a flashy jump, or even on a vetting, which can often be subjective.

The main thing for me is whether you have a horse that wants to work with you. If you have that, you'll go a long way.

What are the biggest mistakes buyers make when horse shopping?

Again, this follows on quite nicely!

I think the biggest mistake people make is over-horsing themselves. So many people want something with huge movement or an incredibly flashy jump. Equally, some buyers become too focused on clinical findings or x-rays from a vetting.

If you buy a horse within your means that is rideable, genuine and kind, things like ability and x-rays often become far less important than people think.

When you're viewing a horse, what are the key things you're looking for beyond the obvious?

So for me, conformation is a good start – it wouldn’t be the be all and end all. A kind eye and temperament is the main thing for me.

I think going into finer details – making your life easier – you want to have a horse that’s neck is set on at the top of the wither, rather than set on quite low. And also a horse that is higher in the wither rather than in the croup. A a horse that is generally more uphill will make your life easier in the long run!

What information should every seller include in an advert?

Adverts are your shop window, so it's really important to get them right.

The key thing for me is good quality photos. We all take screenshots from videos on our phones, and they're great for showing ability, but professional photographs taken at home or purchased from competitions usually create a much stronger first impression.

Make sure you've included all the basics too — height, age, price and so on. You can't really miss these on a HorseQuest advert because the template guides you through everything.

If the horse has any quirks, it's really important to include them. It saves everyone time in the long run.

I tend to break an advert down into:

• Vitals (age, sex, height, breeding etc.)

• Paces

• Jump

• Eventing, hunting or competition experience

• Hacking and stable manners

• Any quirks, vices or management considerations

Ultimately, you want the people enquiring to be genuinely suitable. You don't want to describe the perfect horse, receive 50 phone calls, and then discover none of those buyers are actually the right fit.

Equally, if you don't include the good, the bad and the ugly, you'll end up having lots of unnecessary trials, which can be negative for the horse and time-consuming and expensive for the seller.

I also like to include the price. If it's POA, you'll often receive calls purely from people wanting to know how much the horse costs.

You found Halltown Harley on HorseQuest and went on to compete him at Badminton. What was it about him that caught your eye when you first saw the advert?

I liked the look of his jump and how his experience had been described in the advert.

At that point, I was specifically looking for a top-level horse, so scope and ability were important factors. I also knew the lady selling him, which was a good starting point because that trust was already there.

When I tried him, I instantly loved him. He was just fun to ride.

I actually asked for a second viewing because he was a higher-level horse. Interestingly, he had a run-out when I tried him and the seller said, "Oh, he's never done that before." I remember thinking, "I bet everyone says that!"

But having then owned him for ten years, he genuinely never did it again — not once.

I think when you're viewing horses, there's often pressure for everything to be perfect. The reality is that things don't always go perfectly, and you still have to trust your instinct about the horse underneath you.

You want a horse that makes you want to get out of bed early on a cold, wet morning and go riding.

And while we're talking HorseQuest success stories, I also found Feloupe on HorseQuest. She has since completed two Badmintons — and counting!

So I'm a huge fan of HorseQuest and the horses it has found for me over the years.

You've bought and sold plenty of horses over the years. What's one thing you've learned that surprised you?

I mainly produce Connemaras to sell, but over the years I've sold all sorts of competition horses, both for myself and for owners. To be honest, very little surprises me these days!

One of the most bizarre situations I experienced was a lady who tried a horse, loved it, had it vetted, collected it and took it home. The following morning she rang me and said, "The horse looks too small in my stable."

That's definitely up there with the most unusual reasons for wanting to return a horse!

One thing I do really appreciate is when someone comes to try a horse, walks, trots and canters, and then simply says, "Thank you very much, but this horse isn't for me."

I think a lot of buyers worry about offending people, so they continue riding, jump the horse, say they love it and then disappear never to be heard from again. It's time-wasting for everyone involved.

I'd much rather someone was upfront. It's kinder on all parties and nothing to be embarrassed about, even though it can feel nerve-racking when you're standing in somebody's private yard.

In fact, I recently travelled more than two hours to try a horse for myself. I saw it stood up, trotted a circle on each rein, and immediately felt it wasn't the right type for me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with being honest.

Aside from World Equestrian Games selection, any other goals for the rest of the season?

I've got some lovely young horses coming through that will hopefully aim for the five-year-old championships.

We’ve also recently purchased another very exciting horse — through HorseQuest, of course!

We won't say too much about that one just yet until I've had a chance to get out and compete it a few times, but hopefully it will prove to be another successful HorseQuest purchase.

And to finish some quick fire questions….

Dressage or cross-country? Cross-country. Definitely!

Plaiting or studding? Plaiting.

Eventing in the rain or 30 degrees and dusty? Absolutely the rain. I'm not a sun worshipper!

Favourite event in the calendar? That's a tricky one….Badminton… but at a lower level I love Upton House.

One piece of kit you couldn't live without? Probably my saddle. I love my Antares saddles — they fit me like a glove and I'd be completely lost (and quite literally fall off) without them.

Best horse you've ever sat on? Halltown Harley. He wasn't blessed with all the ability in the world, but he had all the will in the world, and he took me a very long way.

Most used phrase when training at home? Probably "Sit up!" or "Ride forward!"

Early morning course walk or last-minute course walk? Definitely early morning. I'm very much a morning person.

If you weren't an event rider, what would you be doing? I'd either be coaching riders or working with animals in some other capacity. I always used to joke that I'd work in a zoo. A job with animals and not too many people sounds ideal to me!

One word your owners would use to describe you? I'd hope they'd say honest. Or hardworking.

One word your grooms would use to describe you? Probably "headless chicken" because I have a habit of trying to fit far too much into one day, and then running around like one!

To view Georgie's current listings on HorseQuest >

https://www.horsequest.co.uk/yard/GeorgieGoss