Do you have 'the one that got away!'?

[Sunny08]

Now don't get me wrong my horse is my pride and joy and I absolutely adore her - she is absolutely perfect. However a horse I had before her, I felt was my soul mate in the horse world and after a series of horrible events I lost touch with him. I still keep my eye out for him if he is for sale etc and would probably bankrupt myself to have him (never at the expense of my girly though!). Just wondering if I am alone on this or if there are others like me out there, always wondering what happened to the one (horse not man!) who got away??

 

[rockinghorse]

When my youngest daughter asked for her own pony ( her older sibling already had hers, into PC etc) I decided that I could not jstify having my own and put her up for sale. I was lucky because I had a choice of buyers & still keep in touch with Kelly, however my youngest daughter has now decided that she is not into ponies & I regret having sold my young mare which could have matured into my other daughters mount. However I know my mare is happy, loved & cared for
but if she ever came up for sale I would have her back like a shot!

 

[ickelshadow]

absolutely. i loaned a mare for 5 years from her owner. whilst she was skittish, stroppy to the point of dangerous (broke someones leg when she kicked out tied up) had a damn fierce buck, she was adorably soppy cuddly and LOVED one to one relationship. she had previously been abused so didnt like strangers, but oddly she despised being ignored - she was a right diva! she couldnt really be more different than shadow, 2 hands taller and required much more of a rider and she had all sorts of emotional and ridden issues but i loved her. i nearly bought her but just couldnt afford it. she improved in leaps and bounds with me, more so just by having a consistent relationship.

she was sold to a friend of a friend, and i got to see her twice. she was meant to have a home for life and she was sold 4 months later. she knew i would have had her and gave me the option but shadow was costing me a fortune in vet bills at the time and it just wasnt feasible. she sold her to a dealer and never passed on numbers. absolutely gutted (fully aware she didnt have to give numbers or even let me visit). i would still have her back now, even though she'd be about 15/16

 

[Maisy]

Unfortunately, I lost my dream horse 7 years ago. He was my best friend through my 'troubled' teenage years. I had him from being just a teen, through to getting married and having my first 2 kids.....he was nothing to look at (to anyone else), and he had no grace when it came to show jumping, but he was the best horse I could ever have wished for and I even have tears in my eyes thinking about him now!!

I spent so many hours on him, and he tried *so* hard at everything I asked of him. He loved his xc, but would have a go as sj. He even did some gymkana-ing in his years.

He was such a special boy, and if I could have one more ride on him it would be a dream come true.........

 

[bushbaby28]

i fell in love with one a few years ago who was and still would be my dream horse but just wasnt at the right time and couldnt give him the home he deserved. lost contact and no idea whats happened to him now

 

[rebeccaandgrace]

me to i used to have 14.2hh black and white cob mare on livery she was all i ever wanted and with the centre closing he was selling his horses, she was for sale for 400 pound and my mum wouldnt buy her for me i was gutted,i traced her through your horse and she was in a loving home with how odley her stable mate that got sold a year earleyer i think about her all the time and if i ever she was for sale i would sell everything just to get her,






miss you domino x

 

[Missmac]

Yup. A beautifull Sec. C. We had an amazing bond. That little pony meant the world to me.
He was sold to a riding school and I was completely heartbroken. 9 years on and I still pine for him every now and again. What makes it worse is that this place has a reputation for working horses VERY hard and it makes me think of the life of fun and love he could be having with me.

(Excuse me as i skulk off to cry!!)

 

[Patchwork]

Yes, a pony I rode and then had on loan for about six months after the owner lost her nerve on her until she was sold. I didn't realise how special she was as she was only the second pony I had ever had and I assumed that others like her would often come along... She was just such an incredible character and I still miss her and hope she is happy.

 

[Hanz]

Yes I sold my 14h Welshie who I had known since he was 4, as I had gone as far as he would take me in the showjumping world, I got him when he was 6 and he hadnt been touched for 2 years, I did all the work with him myself and we were jumping 1.20 tracks a couple of years later, instead I am still with Scribbles, dont even jump anymore and have had a string of dissapointing horses alongside him, I tracked him down a couple of years ago to a family near me, but they sold him on and dont have the new owners contact details.

I would drop everything to have him back.

 

[malibu211211]

Definately!
The bay in my sig, Donnegan but unfortunately it just wasn't meant to be

He was fantastic, he had so much character and a talent for jumping (not that I could stay on him

) but unfortunately his health let him down

Love my boy to bits that I have got now but would do anything to have D back fit, healthy and being a complete thug

 

[JaneMBE]

Yeh

Even before the great Boss, (and nothing will compare to him but it wasn't my choice to lose him) I had a 15.1 dun and white cob mare. She was a lovely horse, wouldn't have won a beauty comp, but fitted me perfectly, she was wonderful to ride.
An old injury flared up up which I didn't know about, (tendon trouble) She was lame for long time, can't remember what the vet said, but it was extra bone growth in her leg?

Anyway, after about 9 months rest, she was ready to start work again, but as I ran the stables an had lots of horses and the upkeep of them was hard enough, I didn't have time to spend with her, doing the walkouts daily for months, then building up to trotting etc.

Sadly sold her to a nice home who had experience of the same thing and were willing to do all the work to have a nice hacker. Miss that mare very much and often wonder what she is doing (lost touch with new people)

Also look out for her on horses for sale sites, sad that is!

 

[lochpearl]

I am proud to say that apart from my first pony, all of the previous horses were like soulmates of mine and I miss them all dearly. The worst situation that I can remember like it was yesterday was Guinness, he was bought by the local riding school from the sales and it was love at first site, I rode him all the time, competed him, spent all my time with him and then the horses were being sold to the person taking over the stables, I had been offered him and we were going to buy him, the new yard owners got wind that he wasn't included and said they didn't want any of them if he wasn't included. it broke my heart and I walked away. A few months later I couldn't bear to be separated from him and travelled every weekend to the new yard to ride him and see him and compete. We were offered him to buy at a stupid amount of money (probably around the 10k mark these days) and my parents were actually willing to pay the silly money but then the conditions came in that we had to keep him in the school for 2 years and keep paying for all the bills and upkeep. My parents wouldn't agree as they wanted to be able to bring him home, so again I lost him. Still rode him and had another on loan there and one day the owner couldn't be bothered to bring the horses in and expected me and a friend to do it - we were only 13! We had arranged to go swimming that night so said that we couldn't so she just left the horses out as her evening was more important than the horses! Next morning, we got down there and brought all the horses in but my Guinness had blood on his leg and couldn't move, he did manage to get to the yard eventually but only as I was up near his head and encouraging him. Was sent to take the hack out but didn't want to as I wanted to be with him, we galloped the entire way there and back! Then we were sent to get some hay and when we pulled back in the yard in the back of a flat bed trailer he was lieing covered in tarpaulin. He had broken his leg and they had spent most of the day messing around with him rather than putting him out of his misery. I lost him the third and final time all because the woman was so greedy and I never got the chance to say goodbye.

 

[JaneMBE]

That is really sad

 

[MizElz]

There is one horse I think of a little like that....he was never mine, though, and I have never even ridden him. He was bred by my SJ instructor (and v close friend!) and I fell in love with him, big time, when my own horse died very suddenly. It was a bit spooky, as his birthday was the same day that Mickey died

I was allowed to name him, and spent a whole month reading the dictionary to come up with something suitable...in the end he was called 'Volare'

He used to just rest his head against me, like he knew what I was thinking, and whenever I was sad or missing my Mickey, I used to go and sob my heart out in his stable....he always understood

When I was happy, he'd grip the front of my jacket and lift me up, ever so gently! And he was gorgeous, the most handsome, well put together horse I've ever seen.

Sadly he was never going to have the scope to be a pure SJer, and he was sold on about four years ago, I dont know where to. But if I could ever buy him now, I would

 

[Hippona]

I was out of horses for a good 10 years or so having kids/career etc. When I bought my first horse after this break, I completely over-horsed myself. Badger was a chestnut gelding TBx 16hh, very handsome and a lovely character - he was full of it - jumped like a stag and needed a lot of work to keep him sane. I completely lost my nerve, took him back to the dealer I bought him from and swapped him for the horse i have now..who i love to bits, gave me back my confidence and improved my riding a hell of a lot and i will keep forever. Now though i think i would be ready for Badger - he just came along at the wrong time - i don't know where he is or what he's doing but i hope he's ok and doing his stuff

 

[LankyDoodle]

OMG lochpearl

I have tears in my eyes and goose pimples

Poor Guiness.

 

[lochpearl]

I know - i'm sniffling in my office at work!! and it is still raw after 17 years! I never have much luck with healthy chestnuts so am hoping my new 5 year old will be fit and healthy and be with me for a long time!!

 

[Scribbles]

This mare:

She was passed from dealer to dealer, arrived in the lap of a horrible horrible family on my yard who used to beat her, and I was allowed to loan her as she used to bite kick and rear at the daughter, but was a perfect angel with me. She was soft and loving and just wanted a hug, she would whinny and trot up to me in the field, and having never jumped before went round a 1.10 track with me.

Sadly I was ill at the time, in and out of hospital, and wasn't allowed to buy her, and said horrible family sent her to another dealer. If I could have her now, I would just retire her in a lovely big orchard and spend every day brushing her mane and tail. She was stunning and just needed a friend in the world.

Spirit <3

 

[JenHunt]

Most definately... I was given this little welsh cob by a family friend who was getting out of horses. He had been bought for £50 at an auction to be a companion, he had been beaten badly about at the auction, and is still covered in scars. BUT he is the kindest, most willing little horse.
I taught him to jump (I was 11 and he was 10), and did everything PC with him. we were selected for the show jumping teams and went to the area competitions. for 15hh he has the biggest jump - i actually jumped 4'2" on him out hunting.
When i grew out of him, my sister took him on, and really worked on his flat work. they were selected for show jumping and horse trials teams, and even beat Oli townsend in their last event together.
When my sister grew out of him we opted to put him on loan. he is now with his 3rd loan home in 8 years, just because kids keep growing, but at 25 he is still going strong, he gets hunted in a snaffle and will jump the moon if you ask him to.

My biggest regret is that I grew out of him. It still makes me cry to remember how he looked when i first saw him.

 

[Firewell]

Yes,

When I was 11 I got my first horse, a 15hh chestnut mare heinz 57 with a broad white blaze and a blonde mane and tail. She was 17 and hadnt been broken in untill she was 9, she was advertised as a 'not novice ride' and was for permanent loan, she was also really stiff behind.

When we went to pick her up it took us over 2 hours to load her..

I was scared of her at 1st as she was big for me and a powerful, strong willed mare. However we soon clicked and she was the most amazing horse I think I will ever have the pleasure to come across. Dont get me wrong I love the brave mare I have now but this chestnut was something else.

She took me from being too scared to jump a cross pole to winning PC areas in 18 months. She would do anything and jump everything for me, she was awsome. What she taught me still sticks with me today.

At the end of 18 months I was wanting to do more than she was physically capable of and she went to a new home

. I went to see her at her new home about a yr after she went. She was a mess, she was thin and had no topline, her mane was long and straggly, she looked unloved and uncared for, she was in a massive field and when I called her she neighed and came galloping over, it made me cry

when I left she was gazing after me over the fence. That was the last time I saw her.

She'll be dead by now but I think about her every day, I'd give my eye teeth to get another her.
Silly thing is Ive never really achieved more since I lost her!

 

[Ziggy_]

Yep, this little coloured gelding I used to loan at my RS. He couldn't have been more different to my horse I have now - his conformation was atrocious, he had no talent for anything (used to go through jumps rather than over them) and he was always painfully thin where being neglected as a youngster had done some lasting damage. But he had the sweetest, most honest temperament of any horse I've met. He could be unpredictable so a lot of people hated him but we just got on so well. Sadly the RS closed and I have no idea where he ended up.. I've trawled tracing horses sites looking for him and would do anything to buy him back.

 

[volatis]

Absolutely. I bought a little chestnut 3yo gelding in Germany, by my favourite stallion Weltmeyer. He was the kindest, most talented, most perfect horse I ever owned. Everyone agreed he had serious potential but also amazed at how kind and willing he was for such a young horse.
he even adopted my orphan foal, and they lived out together with the rest of the broodmare herd!

Sadly he was bought to sell, and being a gelding I couldnt justify keeping him. His new owner adores him but I have never managed to go and visit as i know I would be in floods of tears if I had to say goodbye all over again

 

[Bundle20]

More certain than ever that our current horse will never be "for sale".

Crying is never good in the office is it!

 

[amandaco2]

i had one i was going to buy-lovely 15.2h conny gelding 5yrs old and a little love in every way.he was eventing pre nov.
my older mare i got at 5 is kind of 'one that got away' in the sense her career was cut short by injury-she was doing really well when she had an accident in the field at 14 and had to be semi retired.she taught me so much though,i am grateful to her for showing me how to ride sensitively as she wouldnt allow anything else.had great fun hacking and she was go and jump anything.am still gutted she hurt herself!

 

[Blackhawk]

Yes, a horse I went to view last summer. Gorgeous dark dapple grey TB gelding. He'd been shunted from pillar to post due to a back problem and I fell in love with him and decided to buy him as a companion. Told the owner I'd take him, but got a call the next day saying he'd gone to someone else.

I saw him for sale again 3 months later, and rang but was told he was gone again.

He's very distinctive looking, and I hope one day I might come across him again.