Horse search - am I being too picky?

I would also encourage you to be open minded. When I was looking last year I had a fairly set criteria (heavily influenced by our livery yard owner and several other liveries) of under 14.2 cob type low maintenance happy hacker older gelding. I got that and he’s been nothing but highly maintenance, expensive, unpredictable and remains pretty much unrideable since surgery in spring. I’ve been lucky to be able to ride lots of other liveries, friends horses, and riding school horses over the past 8 months and by far and away my absolute fave is the OTTB 15.2 chestnut gelding that I ride twice a week at a friends. He’s bombproof, fun( so athletic and fast when asked for) kind, safe, hacks anywhere on and off road, scrambles up tracks, pops logs, stands like a rock for me to get on anywhere and I mean anywhere, does gates, streams and is a complete joy. I never fail to stop smiling when I ride him and he keeps my confidence when coblet is slowly eroding it. in the very unlikely event his owners would sell I in turn would sell a kidney to have him. But I never would have considered an OTTB in a million years.
 
Be picky!
And patient, but I think the two go hand in hand.
I'd rather take my time and wait for the right one than rush into the wrong one.

It's like the old saying a good horse comes in any colour.
True, but there are a lot of horses in the world, so if I specifically want an orange one, I'll pass on the nice bay and the nice grey and wait until the nice chestnut comes along.
 
I don't think you are being picky.

My requirements are very much governed by the weight of my towing outfit and current wardrobe of rugs and tack. So that means for me 16.2hh - 17hh. Also by the type I know I prefer WB or ISH types and what I want to do with the horse in the future as well as my short term goals. Above all I want to feel safe, I'm nearly 55 with a raft of physical issues to overcome as well as mental ones (with my confidence).

You have to buy what YOU want and not be railroaded into buying something you are not going to remain interested in. The worst thing I could do is find myself saddled with a boring kick along. But in the same vein, I don't want to be galloping wildly round the arena with no brakes or end up sitting on the floor having been bronced off either! I don't think either of us have unrealistic expectations. I can't understand why it's so different now. It the late 80's and up to early 2004 buying a horse was a doddle. I always found one quickly and easily, that I got on with from the get go.

I had two dealers I used, both used to import horses from Belgium and Holland and I had four fantastic imports over the years. Both have now gone out of business, when I lost Bailey I was begging the one I managed to track down to go get me a horse!

The current market is going down in price as winter approaches as breeders try and reduce their numbers and owners try and reduce the amount of winter feeding bills.

It's an ideal time to buy.
 
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Sometimes things just happen. After 2 problem warmbloods (retired at 13 and 7) I decided I wanted a connnie type (had been riding my friends' ponies and felt too old for tricky horses). Before I even started looking a friend called and said I found your next horse-she was right. He was a loan (they wouldn't sell until they were sure I was the right home). He is my perfect "pony". I can have a gentle toddle if that's my mood or have an exciting jumping session. I've never had a horse that 'locked on' to a jump and sorted it all out before. Actually I hadn't jumped for 20 years. I was waiting to find his hang ups but there aren't any. But I do have to manage his weight and he gets soooo hairy, clipping in the winter is monthly. I will never go back to a spectaculor but tricky horse
 
If you want a certain breed of horse you have to be prepared to travel, I have an interest in certain breed lines of several different breeds of horse and I know what I'm interested in, but realise they are not all on my doorstep.

I would get good videos of anything that is of a to far away distance or get someone you know who is local and is trusted to give a true opinion of what your looking for.
 
Be picky but be open too.

The two I have now would not have interested me at all a few years ago but they are ace. The last one is even a grey.... nooooo!

I would go look at a few, one will grab you and that will be the one.

I was helping someone look many years ago and fell in love with a round cob called Daisy. I had no use for a cob at the time but I'd have jumped at her nonetheless, had I got a spare stable at the time.

I do think your budget could be bigger, if solo fun hacking is a criteria, along with sound and sane.
 
Red-1 said:
Be picky but be open too.

The two I have now would not have interested me at all a few years ago but they are ace. The last one is even a grey.... nooooo!

I would go look at a few, one will grab you and that will be the one.

I was helping someone look many years ago and fell in love with a round cob called Daisy. I had no use for a cob at the time but I'd have jumped at her nonetheless, had I got a spare stable at the time.

I do think your budget could be bigger, if solo fun hacking is a criteria, along with sound and sane.
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I reread my post and it doesnt need to be doing those things now, just have the potential to do them. A standie that has driven in traffic but never been ridden in it would likely be fine ridden on its own in trafficand would wiggle along. I saw an amazing one last week but my yard wouldnt work for him so they do exist I just need to be patient
 
I don't think there will be many horses in your criteria. Its totally fine to be picky, but it will just take longer. There's 90 horses on my yard, of the 14.2-15.2s we've got welshes, TBs, cobs and Connie's mostly. Maybe one or two small warmbloods. You might get a 14yo connie at your budget, but not a younger one. Otherwise you've ruled everything else out!
 
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