Getting slightly fed up with horse hunting will i ever find one :confused:

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WelshTilly

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As probably some of you know i am hunting for a safe, sane and sensible horse around 15'2, vice free, good health, temprement of a saint the usual one in a million, but they are out there horse!!

So had 2 viewings lined up and after asking lots of questions etc they seemed to both tick the boxes anyhow after researching, contacting previous owners, speaking to people who know people via horsey connections awho know the horses it turns one has sweet itch worse than first indicated and the second has bad eye problems..........Damn this horse hunting back to square one again.............!!

If anyone knows of a 15'2 10 year + safe sane and sensible happy hacker in the south west area in good health, vice free PM Me... warm empty stable waiting and an owner with lots of love and cuddles to give!!

Competition Diva - i must say thankyou for all your horsey shopping help last time!!!
 
Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find the right one evetually.
We looked for around four months, ruled out loads over the phone and ruled out two more after vetting before we finally found our horse, but we got the right one in the end.
 
the bay? ive had a horse that was sold to me with SI but after a long battle and a court case with a vet! it turned out that neddie had very bad allergies..

can i suggest that you ask the owner if the SI is presant in the winter? as if it is id be suggesting it was an allergie and not SI..

if he ticks all the other boxes still go and have a look, it is as SI managable. and very treatable.

the eye problem.. id take that is the appy .. did you find out what sort of eye problem? or is it a case that owner is relating the problem to the breed when infact its nothting of the sort?
 
I feel your pain - it is the worst thing ever. I went to see loads that were 'nice and safe' lost count of the amount that bucked or reared and booted the rider off before i had even had a chance to sit on them! Ended up coming back with an unbroken 3 year old LOL but he's a wee gem :-)

If it makes you feel better i am a firm believer that the horse will pick you - good luck :-)
 
Have you got a wanted ad posted on some websites, local tack shops? I found putting a wanted ad out really helped, it's how I eventually found my boy, although you have to be prepared for a lot of people ringing/e-mailing with seriously unsuitable horses.

Good luck! :)
 
asommerville said:
I feel your pain - it is the worst thing ever. I went to see loads that were 'nice and safe' lost count of the amount that bucked or reared and booted the rider off before i had even had a chance to sit on them! Ended up coming back with an unbroken 3 year old LOL but he's a wee gem :-)

If it makes you feel better i am a firm believer that the horse will pick you - good luck :-)
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your not the first person to say that!!! :)
 
caitlineloise said:
Have you got a wanted ad posted on some websites, local tack shops? I found putting a wanted ad out really helped, it's how I eventually found my boy, although you have to be prepared for a lot of people ringing/e-mailing with seriously unsuitable horses.

Good luck! :)
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I have the below ad up in all my local tack / feed shops!!

Looking for SAFE ALLROUNDER

Lady looking for a confidence giving horse for sale.
Requirements are:-
• 15hh or over
• Gelding or Unmareish mare
• Aged between 7-12yrs (others considered if totally safe)
• Snaffle mouth at all times
• No health issues and NO vices and definitely NO rearing / bucking / napping /Bolshyness/stressyness.
• Must be 100% to handle in all situations.
• 100% in heavy/rural type traffic alone / in company and in open fields.
• Most of all he/ she MUST have a loving, soppy nature who loves cuddles!!
• Must be open to full vetting and maybe a short trial period if possible?
If you think you can help and your Neddy fits the bill, please do get in touch, warm stable, Loving, and knowledgeable owner awaits..!!
 
One thing I found was that if adverts were more than say 2 weeks (max) old don't even bother, they were NEVER what the owner described NO matter how many questions I asked and how long I spent on the phone.
My conclusion was that other people had viewed expecting the same as me (and you) and said horse just wasn't as described

If I had realised this before I would have saved 100's of miles and hours and hours of travel time viewing unsuitable horses

In the end my last 2 horse were all advertised for only a few hours when I found them
 
KerryDevon said:
I have the below ad up in all my local tack / feed shops!!

Looking for SAFE ALLROUNDER

Lady looking for a confidence giving horse for sale.
Requirements are:-
• 15hh or over
• Gelding or Unmareish mare
• Aged between 7-12yrs (others considered if totally safe)
• Snaffle mouth at all times
• No health issues and NO vices and definitely NO rearing / bucking / napping /Bolshyness/stressyness.
• Must be 100% to handle in all situations.
• 100% in heavy/rural type traffic alone / in company and in open fields.
• Most of all he/ she MUST have a loving, soppy nature who loves cuddles!!
• Must be open to full vetting and maybe a short trial period if possible?
If you think you can help and your Neddy fits the bill, please do get in touch, warm stable, Loving, and knowledgeable owner awaits..!!
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Very similar to mine :) I really hope people start getting in touch! He/She is out there somewhere, good things come to those who wait! :D x
 
I too know how you must be feeling. I've been looking for 10 months, travelled 1000's of miles and still not found the right one. I only want a small sane cob to hack out on, thats it, but I think I've got more chance of finding a unicorn at the moment!
Spring in round the corner so hopefully you'll have more to choose from, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, don't give up!:p
 
I feel your pain!

Tell everybody you know that you're looking - people in tack shops, riding instructors, vets, farriers, anyone you come into contact with. All your horsey friends, and ask them to mention it to their friends.

Worked for me, after months of dead-ends replying to adverts, a horse on my friend's sister's yard turned out to be perfect. She hadn't advertised her at that stage, I went to see her & never looked back!

I wish you all the best :)
 
I know how you feel, we drove 100s of miles and looked at loads of horses and eventually found Kelsi 6 miles from us! It took a long time and we had to search horse websites daily. It is worth viewing horses that are slightly outside your criteria and there maybe things that you could live with. For example: Kelsi is ridden in a kimblewick for hacking not a snaffle but she is not overly strong and seems happy in it - so not classed as snaffle mouthed.
I will look out for ads for you. Have you been to Town and Country Supplies and Mole Valley they have advertisement boards.
 
I really feel for you - I am looking for the same type, and have been since last year! :(

A friend of mine is a dealer/producer ( not always a dirty word! ) in hacking horses and might have something suitable for me, but she keeps them for several months at least, to really get to know them first, so I will have to go on being patient for a while yet.

Word of mouth is worth such a lot, and dont give up hope, your horse will find you when the time is right - Good Luck. :)
 
soulfull said:
One thing I found was that if adverts were more than say 2 weeks (max) old don't even bother, they were NEVER what the owner described NO matter how many questions I asked and how long I spent on the phone.
My conclusion was that other people had viewed expecting the same as me (and you) and said horse just wasn't as described

If I had realised this before I would have saved 100's of miles and hours and hours of travel time viewing unsuitable horses

In the end my last 2 horse were all advertised for only a few hours when I found them
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I disagree with this, my lad had been advertised for over a month without so much as a call.. as described passed a 5 stage vetting and was proberley below value.
 
jhoward said:
I disagree with this, my lad had been advertised for over a month without so much as a call.. as described passed a 5 stage vetting and was proberley below value.
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Sounds like you were very lucky :D

Just out of interest what were you looking to do with him? what sort is he?
 
KerryDevon - I will keep my eyes peeled for you when I am doing my daily trawl though the sites....

I am doing the search too but Loan 1st...

Horses I feel do pick you...that's how I see it anyway and it will be when you least expect it too..

I've stopped searching as hard...( i was on every min of day)...I have had a good few responses to my ad's placed on usual sites....keep refreshing them too, but like I say I will keep eye out for you
what is your budget?
 
Merlywerly said:
KerryDevon - I will keep my eyes peeled for you when I am doing my daily trawl though the sites....

I am doing the search too but Loan 1st...

Horses I feel do pick you...that's how I see it anyway and it will be when you least expect it too..

I've stopped searching as hard...( i was on every min of day)...I have had a good few responses to my ad's placed on usual sites....keep refreshing them too, but like I say I will keep eye out for you
what is your budget?
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Thanks Merlywerly - good luck with your search!!
 
soulfull said:
Sounds like you were very lucky :D

Just out of interest what were you looking to do with him? what sort is he?
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i was looking for.. between 4-10 a type that could spend the winter out, and that did not need to be feed daily, or ridden weekley.

purpose wise had to be good to hack alone and good in open spaces (have lots of off road hacking and love a good gallop)

but in all of the above i also wanted something good enough to go county.. and above showing.

neddie also needed to be able to be left alone in a field.. and good with traffic.

you would think i was looking for the impossible..
hes down sides. hes takes a while to load.. but i knew this and it was largley due to the fact he never went anywhere in a box/trailer, took me 10 mins to load and more was him being a tit than not wanting to load.

hes a little bit rude on the ground.. not dangerous but things like when tied up swings hes bum round and moves about but this is so much better from constant handling.. he was somebodys 1st horse so got away with a lot.

he does need reschooling.. he has the basics but for the show ring needs to up his game a lot!

no vices, and after 5 weeks off i hopped on in the snow and off we went!

but this is him

cobby3.jpg

bustersnow.jpg
 
KerryDevon said:
If anyone knows of a 15'2 10 year + safe sane and sensible happy hacker in the south west area in good health, vice free PM Me... warm empty stable waiting and an owner with lots of love and cuddles to give!!
Click to expand...

If you are looking for a happy hacker have you considered taking something on that does not have a completely clean bill of health and can only hack with light schooling/jumping? If you did widen it to this I think that you would have horses lined up down the street...
 
jhoward said:
i was looking for.. between 4-10 a type that could spend the winter out, and that did not need to be feed daily, or ridden weekley.

purpose wise had to be good to hack alone and good in open spaces (have lots of off road hacking and love a good gallop)

but in all of the above i also wanted something good enough to go county.. and above showing.

neddie also needed to be able to be left alone in a field.. and good with traffic.

you would think i was looking for the impossible..
hes down sides. hes takes a while to load.. but i knew this and it was largley due to the fact he never went anywhere in a box/trailer, took me 10 mins to load and more was him being a tit than not wanting to load.

hes a little bit rude on the ground.. not dangerous but things like when tied up swings hes bum round and moves about but this is so much better from constant handling.. he was somebodys 1st horse so got away with a lot.

he does need reschooling.. he has the basics but for the show ring needs to up his game a lot!

no vices, and after 5 weeks off i hopped on in the snow and off we went!

but this is him

cobby3.jpg

bustersnow.jpg
Click to expand...

oh wow he is gorgeous yes you were VERY VERY lucky to find him. :D
Thanks its interesting to know how things work out
 
Squeak said:
If you are looking for a happy hacker have you considered taking something on that does not have a completely clean bill of health and can only hack with light schooling/jumping? If you did widen it to this I think that you would have horses lined up down the street...
Click to expand...

I have but i still will be continuing with lessons as would like to maybe try le trec or learn a bit of dressage, plus this needs to be a get on and go horse to restore my confidence in riding so not looking for anything with health problems that could hinder that as i need to be riding as much as possible to keep my confidence!!
 
soulfull said:
oh wow he is gorgeous yes you were VERY VERY lucky to find him. :D
Thanks its interesting to know how things work out
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anytime.. he was way under everyones budgets too. I upped my offer to include all tack and rugs in then end.
I was in a different positon as I knew what I wanted and if needed could of gone to as much as 6k. Id also looked as far as europe to find exactley what i wanted.

he is a good boy to be fair.. the sort you can canter up a grass verge on a busy road..
 
oh gawd- my saint (albeit is too big at 16hh) also has sweet itch

Haven't had any calls at all, I cannot understand why a horse that just needs a few rugs is so offputting

I imagine I am going to have to sell him cheaper than I'd like, but seriously £2k buys heck of a lot of rugs and his condition never ever held him back!

(this is a BSJA star, hunts, dressage, tent pegs, plays polocrosse and has super manners!!)
 
Jen_Cots said:
oh gawd- my saint (albeit is too big at 16hh) also has sweet itch

Haven't had any calls at all, I cannot understand why a horse that just needs a few rugs is so offputting

I imagine I am going to have to sell him cheaper than I'd like, but seriously £2k buys heck of a lot of rugs and his condition never ever held him back!

(this is a BSJA star, hunts, dressage, tent pegs, plays polocrosse and has super manners!!)
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To be honest if this was 10 years ago i wouldnt mind a horse / pony with manageable sweet itch but this will be my first horse as an adult following a riding related accident 10 years ago and therfore needs to be a get on and go real confidence giving type. If the Sweet Itch gets progressively worse then i will be left in a position where my confidence will take a big battering therefore i feel its better off for me, the horse and my riding to get something without a condition that needs to be managed. if i bought a horse and then it developed sweet itch then thats slightly different. But whilst i have the choice then for me and my confidence i choose to have something ilness free....
 
can i start an auction for my boy?? lol

am possibley heading off to Austraila for a few months so lad would need a home!..
#
 
Have to disagree with you soulfull, had my mare up for sale last year for over 3 months, in the end dropped her price well below her value (this is what I was told by an decent event friend) all I got was novices or numpties when had clearly stated she was green and not a novice ride, in fact one person even lied to come and view and said she was a very experianced rider, her riding proved otherwise!
I removed her from sale in the end and will try again this spring if not, hey, she makes a nice ornament.
Just because horses have been advertised for a fews weeks/months does not mean they are not as described or over priced just that the right person hasnt come alon.
 
KerryDevon said:
If the Sweet Itch gets progressively worse then i will be left in a position where my confidence will take a big battering therefore i feel its better off for me, the horse and my riding to get something without a condition that needs to be managed.
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Sorry might be being thick here - but if its standard sweet itch, they are simply allergic to midge bites. So therefore if you rug them up and they don't get bitten you don't have a problem? It cannot 'get worse' as such

Mine is a 10 year old homebred, and he is what I consider to be a severe sufferer, but you'd never know it when you see him out competing. He has been to a show / party pretty much every weekend for past few years (I went a bit bananas about showjumping, and got stale before he did :D)
 
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