Anyone taken a chance that worked out ?

TRECtastic

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Reading the horse shopping threads made me wonder if any people take a chance on a horse with problems that then works out ?

My 2nd horse was bought for a few hundred pounds after he had a bout of laminitis with his first owner . He never had it again , did lots of different things including low level hunter trials , show jumping, showing ,dressage, fun rides , plenty of hacking out , and lived to the great age of 26

The horse i next bought , for a few hundred pounds again ,has rubbish conformation , dipped back , pigeon toed , spooky , not happy in very heavy traffic , but he has been my horse of a lifetime having done HT , SJ , dreaage ,fun rides before finding his niche with TREC , he is now 20 years old and still competing

Anyone else's 'chances' work out ?
 

Griffin

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Your two sound like absolute stars :)

Yes, my current mare has been a chance that worked out. By the time I bought her, she had been through two homes in less than a year because she was very strong and sharp. However, when I first saw her, she looked so forlorn and unloved, that I knew I had to give her a home. It hasn't been easy and she still has her quirks but she has turned out to be very talented and I hope to compete her unaffiliated this summer. Her personality has also come on no end but she is still only affectionate with a select few (luckily I am included). Not too shabby for a mare I was told was lame!
 

Zero00000

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Yes, my horse of a lifetime.
bought as seen tied up on a dealers yard, only bought because when I stroked her face she put her head into my chest, I was smitten.

Apart from being a bit of a pig to load, we did everything together, I owned her 13yrs before I lost her to a horrific field injury, and took my love of the horse world with her.
 
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Follysmum

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My first pony had just had a resectioned foot after continuously getting bad laminitis. He never had it again after we got him and was an excellent pony club pony.

I also in my teens tried out for a small jockey a 12hh pony ,he bolted with me and then dumped me, I bought him home with me and he was the best games pony in the region.

I have found over the years that some of the most awkward, quirky horses and ponies just haven’t found the right home.
 

ycbm

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I bought a horse which was bucking off anyone who sat on him; bought unseen except in videos. When he arrived I went to put a saddle on him and I heard him groan as he saw the saddle, and I saw him drop his back when I wasn't even within ten feet of him. I put the saddle back in the tack room, turned him out for three months on hills, started as if he was newly backed and he gave me very little problem after that. I had planned to keep him but he was never going to make a decent eventer, which was what I was looking for at the time, so I sold him to a teenager who had a lot of fun with him. Incidentally I made a lot of money on him, but that wasn't the intention.
 

milliepops

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I think it's always satisfying to give a horse a second chance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't, but its usually an interesting journey at the least ;) I can't afford to buy anything that isn't a bit of a gamble anyway.

Kira had some of the most challenging behaviour I've ever dealt with, she was ruined then turned away and basically unhandled for years, they couldn't even lead her down the field when I went to collect her and we more or less had to herd her into the lorry. Plus as she was thoroughly let down and really weak her front legs were really toe in. I did wonder quite what I had done for a good while! but she was so adorable just to hang out with, it made me want to keep trying. Since she let me into her head, she's just been amazing and every year that passes is more exciting. It's bonkers really to think that fat obnoxious stroptastic feral mare is now my advanced competition horse o_O

So that was a win. Next chance taken (bought outside the ring at local sales, didn't meet her reserve as she was a right state) hasn't worked out quite so well for me, as she's a physical write off but I feel like it's worked out well for the horse ;) she has a secure home, her needs are met, she's the happiest horse I know and is in tip top shape other than her old injury. She's a lovely horse to have around so it's not all bad. Almost time to pick another one to take a chance on though, I miss having 2 to ride.
 
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I brought Gray home with an obliterated tendon. We are talking a 100% tear. There wasnt a bit of tendon fibre left attached from one end to the other. I knew I could put him through 6 months box rest and still shoot him at the end of it. He had awful feet in training too. But I couldn't leave him at the track. So I said to Pete I would take him (to be fair I had said that I would have him as a show horse when he finished racing 4 years previously the moment he stepped into the yard!) I have had him for 8/9 years now and he has never had another lame step. His feet are great and he has won a hell of a lot in the show ring!

So yes I knew the horse well before I got him but I took on a major, life threatening injury.
 

DabDab

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Pretty much everything I've ever owned :oops:

Current crew:

Dabs - big unruly 3yo with a swelling above one knee from a nick to the extensor tendon sheath when he was 2. Never lame despite the superficial swelling, wonderful allrounder, happy hacker and now teacher to my novice oh. Took a lot of handling training as a youngster though.

Arty - fugly 2yo with an umbilical hernia and a sharp attitude on her, and was also massively too small. Now a sexy, sporty rising 5yo who is the most fantastic riding horse and the absolute light of my life. Vet and I still in two minds what to do with the hernia, but it certainly doesn't bother her as it stands. She also grew to just the right height 😁

Pebbles - sales impulse buy as a 2yo. Screaming and terrified in the ring and bought for a pittance. Was scared of everyone and everything for months after I bought her. Is now a rising 4yo who is the sweetest, calmest, most bomb proof youngster I've ever come across. She's still too small for me though :rolleyes:
 
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SEL

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Ah. So my freebie is 9 in a few weeks and has cost me a fortune in vets bills! So she's a no to that question. Currently off work with a poor prognosis for coming back into ridden work. Frustratingly no one is 100% sure what the problem is. But she's happy enough as a field pet.

Recently the vet said to me that seeing the mare on a good day she'd still pass her as riding sound. I've often wondered whether I should have had her vetted but she was unbroken back then and its under saddle when problems start.

I'd do it again tho. Some you win & all that ☺
 

pippixox

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I have never gone out to find mine, they have found me really, so no idea what I would do actually horse shopping on purpose!

first horse was a big risk as an ex-racer. I was 15 and had been riding from 10, but first own horse. however, my dad knew the trainer and had owned him in a syndicate since 1 year old. race well, retired due to tendon, always been a lovely horse who the grooms adored. had a few teething problems when he was learning to be a riding horse and not been problem free (bad back first year, then pretty straight forward other than little injuries, how retired aged 21 this year, quite a lot of arthritis, but had a brilliant 11 years with him until he was unwell 2 years ago and retired)

second horse was dumped at my old livery yard. had good start but then bad mistreatment from loan home, reared up at everything and had lost trust in humans. aged 7. took 9 months to re-back. she helped me through a very bad time of mental health, we saved each other really. despite her huge issues, I did buy her from the owner who would otherwise have taken her back once contacted to say the loaner had dumped her. as she needed to re-coup her loses as paid quite a bit initially importing from Belgium as a youngster before loaning her due to having a child. worth all the effort. 9 years later she is a fab happy hacker when I have the time. she is a one person horse but puts up with my friends handling her. initially she was horrendous to even walk a few hundred meters up the road.

two new forest ponies taken on as owner was in a pinch with no time or money due to two other higher maintenance horses. aged 3. they were a bit feral from a few years of not much handling. but they became a great project for me, well worth £1 each! although I did have to be sensible and sell the mare 2 years later, and sadly last year I lost the gelding aged 7 to liver disease, but despite maxing insurance he was beyond worth the risk. semi-feral, looked so grubby when I got him. turned into a shiny, friendly, hack and lead reign, even did some RDA before illness took him.
 

pippixox

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however, if I was spending more in initial outlay I would be more cautious.
of course it can go wrong however much or little you spend. I simply went with my gut and had an amazing journey with all of them. I never had a shopping list.
 

Summit

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Yep :), 19 year old. Skinny, unloved. TB ex racer. Feet and teeth hadn’t been done for years. No worming or vaccination history. Saw him, went for a hack and bought him. No vetting or any other basic checks but it’s had a feeling about him. Turned out to be a gem
 

Leo Walker

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Every single time. One day it will come back and bite me I'm sure but so far so good. The last one I bought lame, on the thinner side and no muscle at all, and fairly aggressive and unpleasnant. He came from the infamous horse auctions page on Facebook, although I did go and look at him first. He turned into a superstar driving pony and let me do things I never even dreamt of before him. I've never had a horse who loved me the way he did. He retired 18months later as he had an accident in the carriage and clearly just. didnt want to do it anymore. He owed me nothing at that point. I still own him but hes living the life of riley with my friend.

Current one was fat and very ploddy looking and not really what I was looking for, but she was pretty and had such a lovely temperament I decided to buy her anyway. Shes now broken and driving and is shaping up to be the best pony I have ever owned. She still has the lovely temperament and is slowly finding 5th gear. I have high hopes for her.

The pair of them cost me in the hundreds
 

Michen

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Yep. Bought mine off Facebook because I liked his expression in a trot up video of him.. I’d just lost my horse of a lifetime, was utterly heartbroken and drinking a LOT of wine at the time. The sheer reality of what I had done hit me when I was sat at chievely services on the M4 to take him off the Irish lorry. It hit me again the next day when I saw the state of him, they actually sent him over covered in mud and he was just... manky.

He’s turned into (after lots of money and time) the most fabulous all rounder. Hunts, events, hacks, beach rides, holidays... there’s nothing he says no too. I did dislike him for a long time though ;)
 

Rosiejazzandpia

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I went out to buy a 15.2+ been there done that type for hacking and riding club. Came home with a very scraggly riding 3 year old despite saying I wouldn't have another youngster. My little mare was 13 hands, starved and full of worms but I knew I had to bring her home.
2 years on I've got a beautiful rising 5 year old who is a chunky cob with a gorgeous face and personality to match. Hacks out beautifully and is very brave and forward going, and I paid pennies for her 😊
 

Equi

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Bar the two i have bred/leased to breed, every single ones been a chance lol

my first mini mare was a neglected little thing as owner had Alzheimers and tended to forget about her (he thought she was a 6yo gelding, and showed me a passport to boot, but that was actually her son that he had bred but forgot about but when i saw her in life i couldn't leave her) ig ot her fora companion only but she was a fab little driving mare when i broke her then i bred from her and now shes just retired but i love her to the moon and she was a fabulous mum. She currently herd leader and they are all lost without her. She was a pint of beer. My big boy was a right state when i took him on part loan, eventually ended up buying him cause i didn't want him to go back to his owner at the end of the contract. He has issues and would never pass a vetting, but he is the most confidence giving enjoyable animal i have ever owned. He was under 1k and probably not worth that on paper, but for me he was worth the world. Id currently consider him my horse of a lifetime. My most recent buy has been a fab little gelding my friend asked if i would take as he was coming back from long term loan and owner wanted him in a forever home - it was a risk because he was to be my colts companion and if they didn't get along i did not want him also he had been let get very fat and on the verge of lami and not been worked in years..he arrived to me lame with overgrown teeth and a bit sorry. I thought oh shit ive just taken on a lame money pot horse but he just needed his hooves re-balanced and a few dentals thankfully, so i got that done and he is now my big driving prospect for this years show and him and my colt are inseparable! Hes a damn good show horse too who always beat my other show gelding (who generally took first/champ in any show) he was major mates rates and i could make a big profit on him if i ever needed to, but i quite like the bugger.
 

TPO

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Emm yeah... although I paid for a Quarter Horse but the breeder only sent 1/8th of a horse... Clearly I didnt read the small print that said *skeleton only, other parts sold separately.

I did get an extra few inches of hooves and some lovely long winter coat (this was June!) that was matted to his skin. It is the truth, the camera does add 30kgs!

But yeah hes a Dude and was totally worth it

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Goldenstar

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Fatty , who had a serious heart problem and was very very very fat he was written off and recommended for pts by the the insurance companies vets his owner took an 80% pay out and gave him to me .
It was chance conversation with a horsey GP that made me start to work him by leading him from another horse and lunging him he was was to likely to collapse to be safe to ride .He came right and gave MrGS many great years .
 

C1airey

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Yes, and he is the best horse a girl could ask for. Despite sweet itch, arthritis, crap feet, a serious bogging-off habit and having only one insure-able leg, we’ve had plenty of adventures. He’s mostly retired now, but we still venture out as and when.
 
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