buying a horse - "the one"

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Raych

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When buying a horse, did you know immediatly that you wanted it?
Did you have any doubts at all?
I've seen a horse, she's lovely (this is following a post from yesterday) but i am having doubts, not that she's not nice, just doubts about thinking about if she is the one.

Do you automatically click with your first horse/ any horse your buying?
If I am having doubts, do i leave it?
 
My 2 horses were very different.
One, i hated and did not want but ended up with anyway, we had horrendous problems for the first 3 years and i never bonded with him. I just wanted a horse at the end of the day, and he was there, if im completely honest. I was young and stupid. Now i have had him for several years and cannot imagine my life without him, i adore him to absolute pieces and he is just literally my world. He grew on me and is as besotted with me as i am with him.

My other horse, i wanted no matter what and she wasnt for sale at the time but i offered money for her and it was accepted, i never even saw her move. She was a 2yo at the time and it was a huge risk but it has paid off.

I would go with your gut feeling, i went against mine with my first horse and am so glad i did, but i have had another horse which i had doubts over and she was sold within 6mths and it was a huge mistake. Depends on the horse really.
 
I try to buy the right "type" first and foremost, ie one that is built for the job I want it to do , live out, do lots of hacking, be durable, not to fast, not a complete Dobbin, etc etc. Personality seems to emerge later and not always so easy to see or suss out especially with a youngster. Characteristics, such as sharp, stubborn, inquisitive, moody, nervous, bold are just as important if not more so, but they are found in all horse types no matter how they are put together. I have had forward going fizzy cobs and dobbinyTBs.
Sometimes its just the luck of the draw, but of course it helps if what you choose is also what you think is beautiful. (- if you really hate how its looks you 'll probably never be really happy with it).
But, just because it looks right doesn't mean that it will have the right temperament for you!
 
some you do, some you don't. My last 2 have been, the first of the last two was 'the one' then he became lame and had all sorts of problems, he is still however 'the one' it will be a bonus if he can ever be ridden again. The one I bought after him, I knew when I was standing watching him be ridden, I'll be honest that he wasn't the one for looks, he had a few blemishes so couldn't do the showing I wanted and he sticks his tongue out when concentrating (ridden) so not great for dressage, but he is as honest as the days long, he gave me brilliant confidence and if I had, had the lorry and money there and then I would have taken him home. This was on the monday, he was vetted on Friday and home on Saturday.
One I did think was the one, turned out not to be the one, I loved him to bits and he me, but we never gelled, he is now with another HHOer on loan having amazing fun!

If you like her and you get on with her, and she can do the job, what is the problem? don't get too into 'if she is the one'. Try and narrow down your concerns and then decide.
 
She is brill tbh. Really safe but you really have to ride her and she's very willing and looked after me whilse out on XC. Needs a LOT of schooling to improve canterwork and i would like to work to maybe get her into an outline?

Thank you "storminateacup" i never thought of it like that - the type.
I'm a tad worried about how much higher she could jump, I want to be able to jump quite high, but she doesnt have an established canter yet so that may be hard, but at least its something to work on.

The things I'm worried about are i little bit about her looks, she's sweet looking but a coloured cob, and i dont know; just doesnt appeal to me. Plus, more schooling but this can always be worked on i suppose.
 
My horse, after 1 year, is absoluty the one. But, I wasn't v keen on her at first. I got her because she was the sensible choice, but she didn't capture my heart at all. Stormintheteacup has a really good point - my mare did tick the sensible boxes, but I was left feeling that there should be more of a thunderbolt moment - she seemed to have no personality at all and I didn't want a boring plod along! Now I just adore her, she is my special girl and I can't imagine a day without her. She is the perfect horse and now she is well settled and nice and fit she is just so full of personality!
If the horse ticks the sensible boxes then the rest may well follow with time.
 
With my first horse, it really was the case that she was the one. I saw her head over the stable door and knew that I wanted her (even though she was a nutty chestnut arab mare!). She was completley unsuitable for a novice 13yr old but after having her for several years she became my perfect horse - she's retired now and of the three horses we've owned, she is "the one".

My second horse, I fell in love with straight away again and had no doubts when purchasing her - I was looking for a horse that had been there done that but in the end I got a 4 yr old, that had only been broken for 3 months! Big mistake. Although I love her to absolute bits, after having her a couple of years now, I know she is not my dream horse and I don't think she ever will be (which is very upsetting).

Our third horse (not mine, but my mums, but I was involved in search and now compete her) - we did not fall in love immedietly but she ticked all of the boxes, even though she didn't seem our type of horse. We've had her since November and although she has a few issues, she is actually better than we ever thought - though I don't get the same feeling from riding her, as I do from the other two.

Finding the right horse might take months and months - don't rush it. You could even see if you can take the horse on trial first.

Hope that helps.
 
Raych said:
She is brill tbh. Really safe but you really have to ride her and she's very willing and looked after me whilse out on XC. Needs a LOT of schooling to improve canterwork and i would like to work to maybe get her into an outline?

Thank you "storminateacup" i never thought of it like that - the type.
I'm a tad worried about how much higher she could jump, I want to be able to jump quite high, but she doesnt have an established canter yet so that may be hard, but at least its something to work on.

The things I'm worried about are i little bit about her looks, she's sweet looking but a coloured cob, and i dont know; just doesnt appeal to me. Plus, more schooling but this can always be worked on i suppose.
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Its "Horses for Courses" to my way of thinking.
 
Okay, thank you all SO much.

This horse does tick all the right boxes. She's a right sweety, slightly green but we can work together. She's one of the best cobs i've seen/ridden. She's liked by alot of people and my instrutcor thinks very highly of her.

I may be enquiring about her within the next few weeks, when i'm riding next. fingers crossed noone else comes along in that time :P

Thank you all again!
 
Its a difficult one. I think i've bought seven ponies/horses over the years and I'm looking for the eighth. Three, I wanted from the minute I saw them and throughout the trial they would have had to have done something terrible or fail the vet to put me off wanting them. The others just ticked all the boxes.

Out of the three i fell in love with, one, Flame, was a challenge but she taught me loads, turned out my favorite and I still have her 18 years later. My gelding, who was just fab and I'm so pleased I got him. The third was a disaster who did nothing but bugger off, dump me and go lame from the minute she came in the yard.

Out of the others, some did their jobs well, some didn't. They all had good and bad qualities. However pleased I was with them, I never felt about them the way i did about the other three. So much as I'm trying to be sensible this time horse hunting I really want a horse I'm besotted with that does the job as well.
 
Raych said:
When buying a horse, did you know immediatly that you wanted it?
Did you have any doubts at all?
I've seen a horse, she's lovely (this is following a post from yesterday) but i am having doubts, not that she's not nice, just doubts about thinking about if she is the one.

Do you automatically click with your first horse/ any horse your buying?
If I am having doubts, do i leave it?
Click to expand...

first one - knew i wanted her - even though unbalanced, grossly overweight. still knew.
This one (had her 4 weeks) i went saw her (on own as was 120miles away) -rode nicely, liked her. Didnt make decision there and then she was older than i wanted, call mate on way home had discussion about what i wanted, how she went etc, pulled over in layby watched video back that i had asked owner to video when i rode her. then decided -called owner (all handsfree)!!! whilst driving back and agreed price etc.
She fitted my criteria, rode lovely, didnt stand out to me though as the 'one' but boy am i glad i bought her. I had viewed 9 others before her which is why i was second guessing myself (had two fall through due to vettings/health probs) - But My new girlie is fab and so pleased i got her.
 
I met one of my horses while I was freelancing... I was called in to sort him out and saw him standing in the field head down, thin, dull look in his eyes... Told his last owners he would be better of in a tin and what were they doing spending so much money on a wreck... I liked him as soon as I saw him he was just in a state. They ended up selling him to me because we clicked. He is very much "the one" and I rue the day I was so rude about him! Poor boy!

The other one, who died a few years back, I saw him, liked him, tried him, knew he would be hard work but worth it, made an offer within 1/2 hour. He was fantastic just a shame he came to a rather earlier end than we had all hoped!

For me its something in the eyes. I like to watch them for a while so you get to know what they are thinking.
 
Jim I just knew straight away. I actually walked away the first time because I was trying to be sensible & he really really wasn't what I was looking for - in fact he was so unsuitable it was untrue! But after seeing him I couldn't get him out of my head & nothing else came close. So I went back & luckily he was still there. I've had him nearly 10 years now & there have been some major ups & downs - if I liked him less he'd have gone years ago - but I never regret buying him. I love him.

Little Un was a sensible buy & was picked as his suitability as a companion to Jim. In nearly every way he's a far better horse for me, but the bond just isn't there in the same way. He's lovely, I think a lot of him & I have fun with him but he'll never have that same place in my heart. He'll never break it either, Jim will.

I'm not entirely convinced that it's a good thing to find "the one", it's one of the few times when near enough may be better.
 
I think you only ever have one 'the one'... but I hope I'm wrong. People think my 'the one' is the DWB I have now. We've done the whole lot together - well as far as Dressage goes and we do make a fab team - He's lazy and I've got an electric bottom... but 'the one' was that chestnut welsh cob I saw 24 years ago with a naturally curly mane and tail in a riding school (Love at first sight) - It took me a month to persuade the riding instructor to let me ride him (I was 9 at the time and he was 15.2 but after that I'd ridden him every week on the saturday afternoon lesson until he was mine. My Dad (God bless him) bought him for me after saving up for 3 years (21 years ago). He was with me for 8 years and I fell off that pony more than any other. He caused me more heartache than any other and I will always love him more than any other. He died 13 years ago now and he will always be my 'the one'...

Blitz
 
I knew Norman was what I wanted straight away. Obviously having had a phone conversation or two prior to seeing him I sort of knew what I was getting apart from looks, except he was ginger! He was bred at a racing yard and had been there all 9 years of his life s as you would expect there were alot of horses around! When I drove up and saw the stables there was one chestnut in the yard with his head held high and I thought, I hope that's him, he was a handsome horse, turned out it was him!

Went for a hack with another lady on the roads and through fields, and he was lovely so I knew I wanted him from first sight, well from the ad relly but of course you have to go through the normalities of seeing them! :D
 
blitznbobs said:
I think you only ever have one 'the one'... but I hope I'm wrong. People think my 'the one' is the DWB I have now. We've done the whole lot together - well as far as Dressage goes and we do make a fab team - He's lazy and I've got an electric bottom... but 'the one' was that chestnut welsh cob I saw 24 years ago with a naturally curly mane and tail in a riding school (Love at first sight) - It took me a month to persuade the riding instructor to let me ride him (I was 9 at the time and he was 15.2 but after that I'd ridden him every week on the saturday afternoon lesson until he was mine. My Dad (God bless him) bought him for me after saving up for 3 years (21 years ago). He was with me for 8 years and I fell off that pony more than any other. He caused me more heartache than any other and I will always love him more than any other. He died 13 years ago now and he will always be my 'the one'...

Blitz
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That is really sweet. Glad you had a good time with him, and your new one!

This horse doesnt feel like the "one" but she is so genuine, i cant stand seeing her in the riding school being ridden by all the otehr people, i want her to be mine.
I think I'm going to go for her, my stables have an exchange scheme anyway, if something else comes along, they buy back any horses they sold in the first place :) and the "one" is still out there waiting for me somewhere, but this mare may just turn out to be her!
 
if you have doubts, ANY doubts... then go back and iron out any niggles you are worried about, or walk away if you are looking for THE ONE. Otherwise you may face moving on in a year or 2..

I went into a local tack shop today, and a particularly casutic person made some comment about how may horses I have had now:rolleyes: and WHY have I had multiple horses? Because I am a fussy fussy uncompromising sod who didnt listen to doubts when trying horses out... and ended up regretting it.

number 1: fell gelding, kept for only 2 weeks... presume doped when i tried him out. Seller did a runner, I sold him to a dealer as I seriously could not get near him.

number 2: Previously mentioned dealer had me 'tied in' to a part exchange but what had sounded a good option proved a nightmare when anything I liked was suddenly thousands more. I ended up taking a wee irish cob of 14.1hh, who deep down I knew was smaller than I wanted and younger than I wanted. Sounds stupid, and yes it was, but I was somewhat trapped and in desperation I stifled my 'doubts'. I kept her for 6 months and to be fair she was a princess, but reality was she WAS too small for what I wanted and too green. She was sold to a nice home that I am still in touch with.

number 3: kind of doesnt count as came on trial and just wasnt the horse for me, so only stayed 2 weeks.

number 4: Perfect wee horse for me in so many ways. Doubts were that he was a little older (13) and a little smaller again than I wanted (14.3hh/15hh)Taught me everything and I was doing things on him Id never have believed... after just over 2 years my dreams got bigger than his and my RI said he was holding me back and I needed something bigger. I couldnt afford 2 horses so decided to sell him and make damn sure this time I got 'the one'.

Number 5: this one came after 6 months of trawling the country and being unable to find anything that didnt leave me with some doubts, or having to compromise. I did compromise in the end, on age, got something younger than I thought ideal but convinced myself it would work as my budget wasnt huge and I had seen so many others that were just total no-go's. He turned out to be exactly what I worried about , too young, after a couple of months and 2 bad falls I sold him - again , luckily to a home I know, a lovely home.

Number 6: FINALLY. The horse of my dreams... no compromise. Exactly what I wanted. I ended up having to borrow money and up my budget:o He is 15.2hh, 7 years old and just what i need.

I wouldnt have been ready for him prior to having 'Number 4' who taught me so much. But 'Number 4'was a stepping stone horse... much though i loved him and was upset to see him go, it was the right thing to do as I am competitive and want to do more. I think the thing to remember is that if you DO compromise, be prepared to face the fact the horse may end up being a stepping stone that you want to move on from in a year or 2 as that compromise becomes more significant.

I hope this helps.... i've made some howlling mistakes, but its a minefield buying horses and it doesnt help if you are as fussy as me:p
 
Thank you NSN. I havent had a horse before, and this one just seems to be easy going, safe yet needs work done to her, so it'll be an achievment. She's younger aswell (7/8) and as before my riding school take back any horses if you do not get along with them or want to move on to bigger and better horses. She just seems the perfect type for what i need atm. something easy but room for improvement, seeing as i have exams and dont want to be panicking more over the behaviour of my horse than exams :P

Thank you all.
And also a massive thank you to Divasmum. I really appreciate the PM and the advice :D
 
I wasn't looking for a horse and especially not a highland but when this one came over and placed her head on my shoulder (considering I'd been told she could be a madam to catch) what was not to like?

When I first heard about Fidley - not touched and 3 yrs old - I knew I had to go see her. I viewed her and loved her. I saw another pony on the same yard - quiet, calm and also 3 yrs old - I had to have Fidley. :)

None ofthem are quite the 15.2hh minimum height that I wanted but they make up for height with their characters and termperaments.
 
Bean just landed with me, so not really the same.

Lady I knew I was getting her after I saw the ad. I just knew. Rode her and she was fab. 4 months later, regretting ignoring the few initial doubts I had, and she is for sale. Next time, if there is anything I am not sure about, I walk away. Gonna be difficult, will take me ages, and i expect I will miss out on a lot of good horses, but I will not make the same mistake again.
 
glosgirl said:
My horse is absoluty the one. But, I wasn't v keen on her at first. I got her because she was the sensible choice, but she didn't capture my heart at all. Stormintheteacup has a really good point - my mare did tick the sensible boxes, but I was left feeling that there should be more of a thunderbolt moment - she seemed to have no personality at all and I didn't want a boring plod along! Now I just adore her, she is my special girl and I can't imagine a day without her. She is the perfect horse and now she is well settled and nice and fit she is just so full of personality!
If the horse ticks the sensible boxes then the rest may well follow with time.
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Oh my God, are you me?!

I got mine when I was on the rebound from the death of my first horse. I wasn't thinking straight and I'd never have bought him otherwise. Apart from being about 3 inches too small, he's now my ideal horse and I adore him. It took me nearly a year to figure this out! He was a green piebald cob but he has huge potential and could probably do anything I ever want. He has come on so much and is such an affectionate little lad that I doubt I could ever part with him.

Sometimes, you have to just take the plunge. If it's wrong for you, then you can always sell (if you don't fall in love!) I did not want a cob particularly but I'm so glad I got one, even tho he has issues like sensitive skin etc-not your typical cob! He's probably the opposite of what I had in my head, but has worked out brilliantly. Hope your choice does too!
 
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Thanks guys.
Thing is, i dont have any doubts about her as a horse.
I have doubts as to if she is the one for me, or if im jumping in just for the sake of it.
she does tick alot of the boxes (and i mean alot), i just feel like there should already be a connection or a 'click'.
but by the way people are talking i may just take the plunge, she seems too sweet to miss x
 
I don't really believe in the "the one" thing - with horses or humans. I think you sometimes feel an instant connection and sometimes you don't. And quite often, that feeling turns out to be wrong.

I just wouldn't pin everything on that. You'll end up passing up a lot of very good horses that would suit you right down to the ground. I will say that with my present horse, I did have a very strong connection right off but I can think of at least one horse that I took then I had no strong feelings about either way. He was a solid, sound 4 year old STB, the price was right and he seemed like he'd do. I ended up being extremely happy with him, he was a wonderful boy with a lovely, quiet personality. That's the sort of personality you don't see until it's given a chance to blossom.

My present horse has a huge personality - much easier to see from a first meeting. I think "the one" is more of a fairy tale hope than anything solid one should root their horse-hunting on.
 
Raych said:
Thanks guys.
Thing is, i dont have any doubts about her as a horse.
I have doubts as to if she is the one for me, or if im jumping in just for the sake of it.
she does tick alot of the boxes (and i mean alot), i just feel like there should already be a connection or a 'click'.
but by the way people are talking i may just take the plunge, she seems too sweet to miss x
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I think knowing the horse is a huge advantage when you come to buy, especially having just read someone else is having big problems with a new horse. You know and like her and temperament is all important for me, so you kind of have a big opportunity. Just make sure she will be able to do what you want from her before you take the plunge.:)
 
I looked a very long time for the horse i had a picture/description of and it cost me alot of time and money travelling to see horses mis described /not for me my current boy totallt differant to what i wanted tbx very young,i was visiting a yard regulary to see a friend and he chose us !And wormed his way into our affections, took him a month or two though and i nearly bought one and he nearly was going to be sent to a yard to sell im so glad i have him !
 
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