Buying the first horse you view

madeleine1

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I'm currently buying my third horse but it's my second one they I am keeping as my. Personal long term horse.
My first horse I knew from the riding school I was at and my second horse was a project which I sold on and was never planning on keeping.
My first horse who I've had for 7 years now and is 21 needs to slow down a little so I'm shopping for my next horse. Ive never really been horse shopping as the first two just moved into my life. I thought I'd have to look at a few horses before I brought one but I've fallen for the first one I've been to view and she matches everything we set out for. My instructor says she can't believe that we like the first one this much and that she has no faults that we can't deal with. Basically what do other people think. Would you shop around or just count your blessings that you don't have the shop around
 

Rosiejazzandpia

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If you've found the one straight away then count your blessings that you don't have to do the seemingly usual 6 months of driving up and down the country to viewings.
I bought the first one I saw. She was exactly what I was looking for, a cheap young cob for sale as a project. She arrived a week after viewing for basically pennies and has been fabulous :)

Go with your gut feeling and make sure you get a vetting :)
 

silv

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Count it a blessing that you have found one quickly and don't have to sort through lots of not as described horses. I usually find horses quite quickly as don't view unless they meet my criteria by at least 80%.
Good luck with your purchase, keep us updated.
 

Queenbee

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Go for it! My three 'keepers' my first pony, my beautiful soul mate Ebony and my beast (totally everything I would not have looked for) were all first horse buys. Nothing wrong with it at all, if you click, if she seems right and if there are no glaring issues, vet her and nab her before someone else snaps her up. What is the point in continuing to look when you have found your perfect match?
 

oldie48

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We've bought several like that and all of them turned out fine, in fact one of them was our "pony of a lifetime", however, I did ask a lot of questions before I went to view and knew what we wanted.
 

Irish gal

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If the horse has all you want and you really like him, then get straight back on to them and do the deal before someone else does. You've just been very lucky but if you hang about and he's sold elsewhere you could be traipsing around for six months trying to find another like him.
 

rara007

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We almost always buy first one we view- we know what we want so only view what sounds likely! My current pony I viewed when I wasn't even really looking. My mums that came this weekend ditto, my dads scurry pair we were looking but they were the first we saw, etc!
 

Antw23uk

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The first horse I went to view after my TB I knew would be over 16h and that he was 8 (I think? cant remember!) and a gelding ... that was all I knew. My yard owner had found him through her contacts, he was retiring from hunting as he had lost his bottle over the big stuff (he was a Masters lead horse so had to jump!) So I knew he would be over 16h and pretty bombproof which is what I was looking for.

I tried him in the school with the yard groom who popped him over a jump and then a couple of days later I went back and hacked him out and that was it, brought him that weekend. He ticked all the boxes so was perfect for me. Found him really bland and boring, far too safe, initially but he has given me so much confidence over the years and it wasnt long before his beautiful character started to shine through and I cannot imagine life without him now :)
 

NiceNeverNaughty

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the times ive spent months going up and down the country viewing things and eventually purchased have actually rarely worked out long term! My 3 ‘keepers’ were; one owned by a neighbour / friend that i had started to ride for her anyway; 2nd bought unseen and unhandled as a 3yr old and 3rd; I wasnt even looking to buy and saw her for sale a mile up the road.
 

Pearlsasinger

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I can't understand why some people view so many horses before they find one that is suitable. If you ask the right questions before you arrange a viewing, so long as the owner is honest about the horse, it should be what you are looking for.
I do think some people are inflexible about things that shouldn't really matter, such as colour, or have unrealistic expectations about what they want to do with their horse.
 

Dubsie

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I bought my daughter's first pony effectively as the first we viewed - I organised the viewing then happened upon another New Forest more local which we went to see but it wasn't quite right - and I could tell this from the advert, whereas the other one was perfect. Then her first horse we were told about, went to see and bought, we weren't actively looking although I'd been scanning the adverts for weeks just to get an overview on what was available, just as I had for her first pony. I think by continually reading adverts you get a view on which you'll like and which you won't - and who is lying through their teeth about the horse - a bit of Googlework alongside soon throws up the dealers, the over-exaggerated claims on performance etc, from my POV it cut down the time traipsing round the country viewing.
 

Dubsie

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I can't understand why some people view so many horses before they find one that is suitable. If you ask the right questions before you arrange a viewing, so long as the owner is honest about the horse, it should be what you are looking for.
I do think some people are inflexible about things that shouldn't really matter, such as colour, or have unrealistic expectations about what they want to do with their horse.

Hmmn, I think my 'no greys ever again' rule sticks, really puts me off reading the adverts!
 

paddi22

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i bought the first one i saw! i brought an experienced friend though who knows me well and knows what i wanted, so once she agreed i just went for it
 

Antw23uk

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I can't understand why some people view so many horses before they find one that is suitable. If you ask the right questions before you arrange a viewing, so long as the owner is honest about the horse, it should be what you are looking for.
I do think some people are inflexible about things that shouldn't really matter, such as colour, or have unrealistic expectations about what they want to do with their horse.

I agree. I didnt know the exact height or colour (Im amazed people discount a horse on colour, thats ridiculous if it ticks all the other boxes!) of my horse when I went to view him. Granted I was only looking for a happy hacker with potential to do a bit of everything RC wise but I think thats a large percentage of people really. My horse is worth his weight in gold, he is the kind of horse the majority are looking for so I count my lucky stars It was right place, right time .. and my budget was no where near what he should have been sold to me for, lol!
 

Caol Ila

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My first horse was the second one I viewed, while second and current horse was the first. In the case of the former, the first one was an ex-eventer retired due to soundness issues and way too much horse for a 13 year old. When we went to view my current horse, we had talked about buying a more dressagey horse than the QH but hadn't made any decision. Then we went to see this Shire-TBX on a whim, as her owner or her owner's friend, a fellow boarder at my barn, had posted her sale advert on the barn bulletin board. I really liked her so we bought her.

When I bought a project, I looked at several more horses. The first was an adorable little 3-year old Fjord with the nicest temperament. Would have been a good horse for my first breaking-in project, but she had stringhalt. The owner kept insisting that it wasn't a big deal and she would grow out of it. When I spoke to my vet about the mare, he told me it wasn't worth even a PPE and to run away. If she'd been sound, I would have bought her.
 

9tails

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I bought the first one I saw, I wasn't going to give anybody else the chance of pipping me to the post. Nine years later and I'm still incredibly happy with my "recklessness".
 

MagicMelon

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Ive often bought the first horse Ive seen, but then Ive usually asked a tonne of probing questions on the phone before I even go and see it. I can only think of 2 horses I didnt buy. I think it depends what you're buying though. I tend to always buy unbacked or green 4yo's so they're generally not ruined by this age... if it were a competition horse I was buying then thatd be different.
 

ponies4ever

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i saw mine the day after my last one went to her new home. She unfortunately had a cut where the saddle was so in the end couldn't be ridden that day. we shopped around 5 others whilst waiting for her to heal but none were suitable. we were the first to view her after the cut healed and I stand by my instincts of looking at her the first time and deciding she was the one i wanted. Could not have ever asked for a better horse.
 

madeleine1

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So I've bit the bullet. We have agreed a price and the vetting is Friday. If she passes I'm picking her up Saturday. X on my second viewing she felt like my horse already
 

madeleine1

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Also I agree with a few people on here. I'm never having a grey again. Even white socks make me have flash backs to bathing
 

silv

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So I've bit the bullet. We have agreed a price and the vetting is Friday. If she passes I'm picking her up Saturday. X on my second viewing she felt like my horse already

Hope all goes well with the vetting, if you get her don't forget to post some photos!
 

southerncomfort

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So I've bit the bullet. We have agreed a price and the vetting is Friday. If she passes I'm picking her up Saturday. X on my second viewing she felt like my horse already

Excellent! Good luck with the vetting. :)

When my Dad was horse hunting I told him in uncertain terms that on no account was he to buy the first horse he saw!

I went with him to his first viewing and within minutes I was whispering 'you MUST buy her!' and badgering him to put down a deposit. He did buy her and gave her to me a few years later when he decided to retire. She is the best horse either of us has ever had and neither of us ever regretted him buying her. :)
 

spugs

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I bought my new pony the first time I saw her. Viewed on the Friday and she came on the Saturday. She was bought through a friend of a friend though.
 

ecb89

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My horse is the first I tried. I knew what I wanted and what I didn't want.
I had ridden at a very good riding school and had ridden everything from Fford ponies to 17.3 warmbloods.
I fell in love with my lad at first sight. He was greener than expected but has the most lovely temperament and character.
 

claret09

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sound fab. good luck I hope the vetting goes really well. she sounds perfect - I hope you have many years of fun. I firmly believe that our horses choose us - I know that all of mine have chosen me.
 

Ceriann

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I bought the second horse I tried this time round. 7 weeks later don't regret it for a minute. I knew I had to have her about 15 minutes of riding her - in reality probably long before that.

Very best of luck with the vetting - pics are needed once she does!
 

madeleine1

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this is Tango. this picture is her hunting last year with her old owners but she is amazing

also she passed the vetting and is home and im in love
 
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