Horse buying... how / when did you know you were bringing that one home?

Sometimes I know before I've even seen them! I usually know within a few minuets of sitting on them, if I have to think about it, it's not for me. Haven't been disappointed yet.
 
Had I known then what I know now, I wouldn't have :o. However I saw him, fell in love, went back to ride him but couldn't as he had a field accident and was lame. He then had 2 months box rest with me visiting regularly until I finally got to ride him. That didn't go sooooo well but I bought him none the less so I only have myself to blame:D. Still love him to bits!!!!
 
My last pony it was from the first time I saw him, he was lovely. Never tried him out myself, watched him being trotted round the school as that was all he could do at that point.
And he stayed lovely for the next eight years until he died of colic.
You couldn't find a person who had a bad word to say about him and he treated my children as an extension of his herd. He pulled them along on roller skates, kept them safe on their bikes, allowed them to use him as a diving board in the pond, let them crawl under his belly (not planned but 2yo are very fast sometimes).

The "impossible pony" was and is pretty. And she runs away......a lot.:D
Did when I went to see her, did the second time I went to see her, did the time I dropped the money off.

We are now backing her, and she thinks about running away, would like to run away, but doesn't.

Yay progress.
Just as well she's pretty.:D
 
With Jeff it was the day I held his head whilst he was bleeding his life away in the vet box at Huntingdon Racecourse. I had never sat on him, never done anything with him except lead him up for that race and I promised him that if he pulled through I would take him home and keep him for life. It was 4 more years before I got to fulfil my promise but it was a fantastic 4 years of racing we had together before he became an honourary native lol!

Gray was mine the moment I saw him step off of the truck. I said to his owner that when he finishes racing he came have a home with me. Again 4 years later and some great days racing and he is mine.

Most of my natives have been bought from pictures though I did go and try my fell pony and he was awesome! A freshly broken 5yo that had never cantered with a human on more than once before and he did it with me the day I tried him and jumped a 5bar gate. He is another lifer here along with Flint.
 
when I first groomed, tacked up and rode him and he grumped the whole time but looked after me and made me look good!

Sadly he was not for sale (or rather he had a mahoosive price tag). 3 poor racing performances later (and 9 months, 7 of which i had just been visiting him on his day off for a 5 minute chat and trying not to cry that he wouldn't ever be mine!) and he came home.

Love that big grump. Tries his heart out every time and does a lovely line in cuddles when no one is looking!
 
Frankie turned his head and gazed at me... there was that look that everything else I'd seen didn't have and it was settled there and then. He was for my daughter, did everything with a smile, and gave us many happy memories.
My little welsh, that I bought for driving/companion and had for 17 years, just strutted around showing off his character. His audacity was tangible!
i was persuaded into having Oz by someone who's judgement I trust. (she was right:)

Everything else had a look in their eyes that I liked. A couple have been pity buys.
 
I've never been horse shopping!!!

First pony, I was already loaning as had backed her for owner....he needed to then sell, Dad bought her for me. Already at yard so no different.

Second, was a pony from old riding school....just got chatting, found he was still up for sale...he arrived next day :s Oops.

Third [big lad, may he RIP </3 xx ] was my best friends horse she needed to rehome...I was in the process of moving down to Wiltshire at the time with work, so said I'd take him and picked him up on the horse box on the way down with the rest of works horses!

4th, baby coblet.....I had no idea I was getting him. Went to help at his breeders yard....and came back with him! [After him jumping out of HGV lorry, hanging himself by back legs, nearly gelding himself in process and knocking himself out....great start!].
 
I'd looked at and ridden about 7/8 and had 1 potential fail the vetting, but when I went to look at Leo and his stable mate, there was just something about him, me and my friend who I took with me just gasped when we saw him, I knew right then he would be coming home with me, and luckily when I rode him he was totally right for me!

A year on and he is just utterly my pride and joy, he is the kindest, sweetest, most honest horse and will be with me for the rest of his life :)

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Ayla - I honestly don't know, I have to say my gut instinct because I did not want a mare, an arab, a TB or a youngster. She was a 3yr old arab x tb filly :D But was very very pretty lol. My horse in a million who was sadly PTS 5 weeks ago at the age of 6, had so many plans and they are now shattered.



GW - Originally I bought her for my OH because he wanted an ID x and she seemed a nice sort (bought from sales)

This


Turned into this grouchy sod who attacked people


who then done this


and decided I was actually a nice person treating her so she became mine and took a dislike to men :D
 
Sophia (my arab) I fell in love with when I went to a breeder friend for advice on a foal I’d seen somewhere else – he took me out to see Sophia (who rudely showed us her bum and refused to even look at us) when she was three years old … she’s now 12 and is like one big loveable dog although still a fruit loop and crazy as hell!!

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Mister Benson (RIP) was an ex hurdler – was being sold as a last chance before being PTS … the challenge and his stunning looks won me over and he came home the next day. At the time I put everything (and more) into trying to get him ‘back right’ but the time never came – 18 months later he ended up killing himself in our field half an hour before we got there (thankfully for him it was instant and didn’t suffer) but I do believe in fate and even to this day believe he’d have hurt me in the future due to his explosive and very dangerous nature.

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Zarla my 4 year old ex racer has the kindest temperament – went to view her at the racing yard not long after her retirement (of a good career) and fell in love - I was viewing another the day after but didn’t want to miss out on her yet not look at the other one so viewed the second one later the same day and rang back for my girl that afternoon to make sure she didn’t go anywhere else! I’d trust a child to hack her down a main road she’s so good – amazing horse.

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I fell in love with my boy straight away even though I really didnt have room for him, he has been my horse of a life time. I'd have put him in the car if he had fitted!
On a similar note when we were selling our daughters much loved pony I knew when the right little girl came for him as soon as she got out of the car! Some people had been and I thought please dont like him I dont want to sell him to you! She loved him straight away even though her mum said she was normally a little nervous, she had a huge grin..He knew she was the one for him too and looked after her like an angel!
 
Looked at the breeders field full of 2 and 3 yr old geldings, decided i didnt want some as they were bred by a stallion i didnt want one by as it didnt throw particularly big youngstock and about 3 or 4 were by another stallion that i liked. Asked the asking price on a couple, one being a 3 yrs old which was out of my price bracket. and then when i couldnt afford that one i picked the 2 yr old half brother. I like big horses and wanted to get something that would end up at 17hh. Mine is now 17.2 lol! so be careful what u wish for

Pleased as punch with my choice as the 3 yr old was PTS at 4/5 yrs old due to not being able to bend its neck in one direction at all! and looking back it was chestnut which really isnt my colour of choice with lots of white (so would be lots of washing)

Just so happen to absolutely love my boy from the day he was delivered!
 
As soon as I saw him. I went out to view him first time in the field and just absolutely fell in love with him. I would have put a deposit down on him without even riding him as you could just tell exactly what he was going to be like.

He was so confident coming over to us, but very calm and interested, had the most beautiful eye I'd even seen on a horse, lovely build and a great presence. He moved well in the field and was just an absolute boss with the other horses, which i always like. I have him a few months now and he turned out even better than I'd hoped.
 
Combination of past experience (both bad and good!), common sense and going with your gut. Also, checking out seller almost as important as horse. If you get the feeling they are being dishonest or you just feel uncomfortable and not sure why: walk away. So many horses for sale, it's a buyers market.
 
I didnt with my 4, because they were all given to me, ie F2AGH.

1 I went to see, but the other 3 were simply brought to me for different reasons, and popped in a free stable! :eek:
 
Rode her and felt at home, like i belonged there and she listened to me.


That was it... i was smitten with her.
 
When I went to view baby horse she was stuck between a ditch and a fence. We were taken out to catch her and she put in a massive leap over the ditch and then just stood there looking at us like "yes? Can I help you?" Lol! Then I asked the seller to trot her up (she was unbroken at the time) and the seller was saying she's great to handle and lead etc when the little madam started prancing about and cantering on the spot! The seller then said the classic she's never done that before haha! But she was actually telling the truth as the horse is a complete diamond. But, it was the monkeying that sold her to me! I wanted one with a bit of spark and attitude. She's been everything we hoped for.

She was pretty much sold to me before we went to see her actually as she's a relation of my gelding who is my one in a million horse. I wasn't actively seeking out a relative, we just got lucky!
 
Willow - I was 12 and my mum chose her, I didn't want her :o (I love her to bits now though! I just wanted something more fiesty and my mum wanted something quiet..)

Lacey - the moment I saw her (big mistake...although I love her lol)

Squirrel - the moment I was watching him be ridden and the YO told me he had jumped 1.10m BSJA and done BE, which wasn't in his advert. In my defence he was meant to be on loan for a few months to have fun before uni and tbh there aren't that many good affiliated horses up to loan. Never went to uni and bought him as he is insanely awesome.
 
My most recent purchase wad the only one I saw photos on before seeing him as his ad wad online. Prior to that all we used to see and buy were ones advertised in our local Saturday paper so you only had the seller's description to go off. We have seen a lot of duds over the years and I always go with my gut instinct which had always berm pretty much right! The only one we bought who really we shouldn't have, I just didn't get 'that' feeling about him. However, he looked stunning and certainly had the ability to do what I wanted. That was a lesson for me to trust my gut. It said no but my mum and trainer at the time swayed me. The pony was never consistent or reliable enough mentally to compete so I got a horse that was a year later. Still have said pony though 19 years on - he'd been through enough homes before I got him we just couldn't pass him on again!
 
On first sight of mine, I almost turned round and went home!
He was grossly over-weight, a good 3 inches smaller than advertised and ridiculously hairy with a long tatty-looking mane.
Decided I might as well try him anyway as the owner had taken the trouble to get him in, and was smitten as soon as I'd spent some time with him.
Had him for 8 years now, best horse ever!
 
My old boy, Red, chose me...went to view him and the owner was late, so someone else pointed him out in the field. He was out with about 10 others, in a huge 10-acre field, right over the other side. He followed me all the way back to the gate; then when I rode him I felt he just looked after me. He was a lot older (and bigger) than advertised, but I had him for 10 years, and still miss him every day :(

I then had Clover, I was never completely sure about him but had always wanted a palomino....lost him after less than 2 years.

Gratuitous pics - Red and Clover (Red was 27 at this time)


I knew George was my horse as soon as I went to see him; I had viewed quite a few others, almost bought one (failed the vetting, thank god) but I couldn't wait to get on him.

Red and George last year (Red was 29, it was a few months before I lost him):
 
Our old boy was the first horse we saw, recommended by someone we knew, he ticked all the boxes, bought him as a just broken 4 year old,fell in love with him, he was a character and could be difficult but we had a lot of fun.

My little mare came to me by chance, her old owners had just got her back off loan and was looking for a new loaner for her, I asked OH could we have her, he said no as she was too small for him and if we did, it'd only be short term to help her owner out till someone more suitable came along. Had on loan for a year and then bought her 2 years ago, she's taught me so much, she's a diva but love her loads!

My OH's mare also came to us by chance, last year when out boy was PTS, we left it a few months before looking for another, OH wanted an TB/ex racer, we had a lovely ex flat racer vetted but sadly she failed the vetting, so it was back to the drawing board.

At the time, there was a lady on our yard with a reg ISH 5 year old mare who was too green for her, (lady very novice and hadnt ridden for a long time), OH was offered said mare, tried her and said no, not what I want long term, but I'll ride and bring her for you to sell. I fell in love with her and so did OH ( mare is very willing and has flourished with OH) and so we ended up buying her! She has exceeded our expectations and is developing into a lovely 6 year old.
 
ShadowFlame said:
More curiosity :o But what was it that swung it for you? Was there a "lightbulb" moment, were you sold from the start, were you still unsure when you finally went for it?

Why did you choose the one you did? :)
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Long story short because it has been told before. Nervous rider, been looking for six months. Up to the west mids, down to south west. None were right. All involved phone calls to YO, trainer, friends etc.

I didn't like the look of Olive, reluctantly rang after weeks of seeing her ad. Went on my own and knew she was the one the minute she was strong in the field in canter and I didn't care, she made me smile rather than grimace and I knew she was just enjoying herself as was I.

I didn't want a piebald cob, or a mare but she was the one. I settled on her there and then. My first ever purchase :)
 
I don't remember much as I was 11 at the time but we were on the hunt for our first pony to share between me and sister who was 13 then. Mum had also been away from horses for a good 20 years so you can see where this is going! :p
Went to a closing polo yard to see a 15.2 grey who was unsuitable, so they bought out a black 14.1 ish polo pony who was even more unsuitable you couldn't even get your legs on him he'd just go halt to canter. Finally they brought out a little bay mare that was very lazy and a bit nappy but a real plod/kick on ride and she seemed perfect. Once we got her out of the riding school type life she transformed into a real second pony and was totally unsuitable for me I couldn't get on with her for the first year so my sister did most of the riding and then she outgrew her and I had to ride her. Had lessons with a very good instructor, we finally 'clicked' and had her ever since! It will be our 8 year owniversary in July :)
Gratuitous pic of us on her 14th birthday!

Our criteria was that it wouldn't be a mare, it wouldn't be young, and it would not be welsh so of course fate would deliver us a just-turned-6 sec D mare :D It took me a little while to remember that upon arriving at that yard I walked around and looked at all the ponies and she was the only one that upon seeing me moved from the back of her stable to come and say hello and shove me with her head. Something she still likes to do now when I'm not getting something done fast enough for her liking :rolleyes:

My other mare I got on 4th May 2012. I was scrolling through a facebook group and saw her picture and thought 'boy, she looks like Meg!' and I kept going back and looking at her, and then commenting, and then wanting her! Spoke to mum, we went to view her and as soon as her owner took off her fly mask i thought yes, she is for me :) It's been a bit of a bumpy ride so far, and she's not the easiest horse to ride being different everytime you ride (and chucking me off more times in the past year than I've fallen off in the 8 years of having Meg!) but I do love her. Pic of us on our one year owniversary:
 
I was helping a friend and riding B for her and he was about to go to a dealers so I took him SJ and took him in the 2ft & 2'3ft class even though he hadn't jumped before and his attitude was amazing and I had to have him. I was only going to find him a nice home though in about 6 months, that was about 9 years ago and he isn't going anywhere :-)

With T I saw a 30sec clip of him on somebody's iphone, he was stunning and I had to go and have a look, it wasn't the right time to buy another but he just sort of turned up and I brought him home the day after we moved house (definatley not ideal!), will see how we get on once he is backed (he is 2 at the moment).
 
Simply saw him and knew I was going to have him... Would probably suggest that you do more than I did and actually be there for the vetting, attempt to clip him and shove your hands in his mouth etc. My horse is lovely and wouldn't swap him for the world but he is evil for the vet, dentist and turns into the karate kid whenever the clippers are about so he is not without problems! Just make sure you take an electric toothbrush and elastic band to flick at him, and ignore the strange looks the sellers will give you :)
 
I have never gone "shopping" for a horse. Dolly I shared for 2 years, she came up for sale, and at the time we were in the process of buying our first flat, so buying a horse wasn't an option. Lady at the yard bought her, and I continued to share her, a year later she sold her to me.

Mac came to the yard. Owner was scared of him, and didnt really come to see him very often. I felt sorry for him, mucked him out a few times a week out of pity, and when she moved him to the school, as he was so thuggish, he didnt have many people who wanted to ride him, so I used to hack him out a few times a week. Was about to ask if I could maybe take him on loan, as OH was starting to ride then and mac was ideal, but she moved him overnight, and I thought that was it. Few months later, I got a text out of the blue saying she was selling him, and the rest was history. Actually picked him up on my birthday!

Ollie was bought by a fellow forum member, who I had become friends with. I knew from the day she got him he would be mine one day. Had him just over a year now. He was pretty poor when she got him, but she brought him back to health, and said she would she never sell him as he'd had a rubbish start and she didnt want him ending up who knows where. When he got to a point that he needed a job, I asked if I could loan him, but she trusted me and sold him to me.
 
His previous owner sent me a couple of pictures of him being worked and I loved his cheeky face and chunky legs. When I went to see him I rode him and he made me laugh so much trying to get him into canter that I nearly fell off. I just loved my time riding him and he made me smile inside and out. He is my real true friend and the one that I can always rely on to lift my spirits and make me giggle.
 
I saw Rico with his old owner all the time as they went to EVERY show and were well known here. They hardly ever left a show with out a placement.
When I first saw his advert we werent looking for a horse but I sent a message to his owner enquiring about price. I didnt have the money at the time so had to apologize and decline a viewing (it killed me!)
Couple of weeks on we realised that my current horse should really be put into semi retirement and we looked around for a horse that would slowly take over all the riding from him, so I pointed my parents in Ricos direction :D
My mum made the call about viewing him - saw him being tacked up, watched his owner ride him, saw him doing some polework and got on.
I got off going "mum, hes coming home with us!" :D
 
Mine was a bit of a risky purchase!! I told myself I was going to be so careful with my next horse, was going to take my time over horse hunting, was absolutely NOT going to allow myself to buy the first horse I went to view.... But I did!

The photo used for her advert genuinely made my heart stop as she was my idea of complete horsey perfection! Perfect colour, perfect height, perfect age, perfect athletic type - I completely fell in love with her advert.
However when I went to try her she was a lot more of a handful than she had been described, I almost walked away upon seeing her because she was climbing the walls and seemed completely psychotic - it took 4 people to hold her down and throw tack at her and it wasn't a great first impression as I didn't want anything difficult to handle. However I agreed to seeing her being ridden and she really was completely stunning, I remember being stood at the side trying so hard to look past her beauty! When I rode her I felt so lucky to be on such a fantastic horse, and my heart soared when she took me over a jump - she charged at it with such excitement and flew it - which was lovely after riding "stoppers" for years!

I went away to think about it and tried to be realistic - she had been a nightmare to handle, had no manners and seemed completely off her rocker. But she had been very fun (if very fast!) to ride and had made me leave with a huge smile on my face.
I left it a few days to have a serious think and tried to look for more "suitable" horses but couldn't get her out of my head. In the end i decided to go and have a second look - only to be told that someone else was very interested and had already arranged a second viewing with intention to buy , but they said they had preferred me as a person and rider & thought we were better suited, so asked me to come back to see her again - up until this point I had been completely sensible about my horse hunt, had thought with my head and not my heart - but when I heard this news I completely lost the plot, burst into tears at the thought of losing "my" horse, leapt into my car straight away and drove over to the yard via the bank to put down my deposit. Completely ridiculous behaviour - but thankfully I made the right decision, I love my mad horse to pieces!!
 
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