general protocol/sequence of events when viewing a horse?

I go and look, if I like the look of it I will try it, if I don't I do not bother. Hack out, pop a ditch if there is an arena may jump just to see if it will. Am another one with the coat on a pole trick. Even if it is only 2 ft I am looking for someone who says, not sure but will give it a go.

Trot up in hand, back it up and turn in it a circle both ways then if no obvious lumps/bumps etc agree a price, fetch lorry and pick up!

If you have to decide whether you want the horse that it is not the one!
 
God, you lot make me look like an imbecile! I go along, meet it in the stable, take a look at it on the lunge, jump on and have a go, and pretty much know either way by then bar a vetting. There isn't much handling wise that fazes me that you wouldn't see meeting it in the stable (bad catchers don't bother me too much if everything else is right, leading/loading etc I can work on), and you get a good idea of what a horse is like character wise by riding it in the school and then going for a short hack.

My opinion is that you're going to have to get to know the horse anyway, and so many horses change completely when they change owner, rider and yard that there's no point getting hung up on the details. I like a good idea of their character, otherwise I'm not fussed - however I tend to buy youngsters, and I don't think I've ever bought anything with a significant competition record (certainly a recent one) so I have a different attitude.

However I once bought a horse that broke my hand throwing me off the first time I tried to mount him, and bought my current horse unvetted and without sitting on him or even seeing him lunged... so my judgement maybe shouldn't be trusted.
 
With regarvd to the trying twice, I would never have a problem with someone wanting to do this, it is up to them, and I am generally happy to drive the horse to a different venue (although I would rarely/never let them try a horse XC unless they are a pro, they can watch it but not ride it). However, the horse would remain on the market and if someone came along between the two viewings and wanted it they could have it, I would not be prepared to accept a deposit to secure. I agree with bepositive, I 'm a great believer in fate and if they are meant to be together they will end up together.

I would observe, though, that most of the very best horses I have purchased, I have had to do so after one viewing as everybody is after them and you don't have the luxury of time. I have never made an offer on the spot, always said we will discuss/decide on the way home, but thinking about it I don't think I have ever viewed a horse twice!! I do, however, do loads of homework so I'm usually pretty sure of what I am going to see when I see it. For this reason I also view very few horses and have often bought the first one I have tried, although I will have trawled through hundreds of adverts, photos, videos etc beforehand.

Re dieseldog's question, we did view a pony twice for miniTD, second time tried it at Boomerang XC (I won't let other people ride ours XC but if they are happy to let us then that's different!) and then walked away - couldn't put my finger on why he wasn't right but subsequent events made me breathe a sigh of relief that we hadn't bought him!
 
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