Horsey shopping woes...thoughts on this little mare?

Definitely don't buy if you don't like the horse. But I wouldn't be put off by something different than what you usually like. I went looking for a cob and got a flashy warmblood however he does have the personality of a donkey so never know keep looking at warmbloods too. You never know what you might find.
 
Something came up on my fb page that I think might suit you. Can I tag Ahrena (sp?) in it for you to see? I'm friends with her on fb. I have her boys half sister.
 
amymay said:
What a sweetheart!
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Agree!

Can't argue against conformation advice as no expert on that, but if I couldn't have one of my beloved thoroughbreds, I'd be happy with her - confidence-giver, nice jump. Not sure what's wrong with her canter: could it be sorted by cantering out around fields for a while to build some more balance? Knew a pony who wasn't great at cantering in school, but a spell of cantering out and about really helped and he's fine now. Ignore me if there's different reason for dodgy canter!
 
I'd echo,what others have said about waiting for the one that really catches your eye. When you,get them home, there is a lot of,time effort and money involved even in straightforward horses, so you want to be investing it in the perfect horse for,you.

I'm glad I took the advice on here when I was looking, as I held out until I found one and I knew within about 5 mins of riding him. I also,tend to like more blood horses and I agree there are def some out there which offer what you want. I ended up with a less blood, steadier Irish draught, and so far he's been a cracker, so if they are forwards and have the right attitude, don't write off other types.

I really think the time you invest now will pay off in spades if you hold out for Mr or Mrs right !
 
Some years ago I was working on a yard when I was asked to tack up and hack the horse in the second box on the left....The absolute ugliest most awful looking lump of a horse id ever seen....However I felt safe and at home on him.
FF to now he's been mine about 5 years and I honestly think he's the most beautiful thing ever. He's my horse of a lifetime simply because I love him so much.
Give her another try!
 
poiuytrewq said:
Some years ago I was working on a yard when I was asked to tack up and hack the horse in the second box on the left....The absolute ugliest most awful looking lump of a horse id ever seen....However I felt safe and at home on him.
FF to now he's been mine about 5 years and I honestly think he's the most beautiful thing ever. He's my horse of a lifetime simply because I love him so much.
Give her another try!
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What a lovely story :)
 
I don't like her legs, they look weak, long cannoned, a tad back at the knee and although I am used to light boned horses, they look too light for her body to me. Plus the hooves aren't great. I don't see a club foot and I've really tried to see it, but badly balanced and long hooves. The toes are too long on the fores, with one worse than the other (which is what maybe gives the club foot impression?) and although they aren't 'tin can' hooves yet, they are on that road.

Now, of course she could stay sound for the rest of her life and a new farrier/trimmer might sort the hooves out with no trouble, but as you don't click with her, why take the risk?
 
I agree this is the classic heavy topped type .
Her limbs are weak .
Her feet need a good sort out .
My first event horse had terrible limbs but on a light and lithe body and although she did have leg trouble she had a long twenty year working life but the heavy topped types are a dangerous choice .
I agree with FC I can't see a club foot but her feet need a good sort out .
If a horse ticks most of my boxes I will buy it I don't need or expect that click thing with them perhaps because I have four or five at a time.
You have had a bad time recently you need to make the right choice even if that means waiting a saving a bit more .
I also think it jades you ,all the heartache and that might be affecting how you feel .
 
Michen - after the horse I went to see in my previous thread failed the vetting :( I'm now thinking of going down the 5k+ route but after trawling through thousands of adverts not one catches my eye. I'm still waiting for a little ex racer to come my way whilst looking at expensive types. Although I ideally need 12k+ :(
 
You can find what you want for the right price it might take a while but don't settle for 2nd best!
After my mare died I wanted something easy and had a 15.1hh ISH coloured 12yr old mare on loan that had been owned by a 12yr old and done everything. Sounds perfect right?! Well I had the option to buy her but I didn't, I just didn't feel *it* and she hadn't done anything wrong other than be a bit strong at times.
I found a cheap ginger scrap of ex racing TB fluff instead, 4yrs old, weak, gangly, big googly eyes because even though I had told myself no more TB's I couldn't help it! Most straightforward horse I've ever had. He turned into a swan and looks like this now:-

https://fbcdn-photos-a-a.akamaihd.n..._=1447761986_c491fe7bd51ab194bb3dcc2db63ccbb2

You have to buy one that makes you feel excited. One you can't stop looking at over the stable door, one you can't wait to ride. Not all pretty horses are naughty to ride. Some are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Sometimes as well you have to look at the bones of the horse, the way they carry themselves and the look in their eye. Not whats obvious. As muscle, feed and a dab hand with the clippers can make all the difference.
A girl at uni fell.in love with this cobby coloured thing in a field. Well she put him on a diet and clipped every inch of hair off his body and he turned into a stunning, beautifully put together, show quality hunting cob. She could see beneath the feathers! He looked a different horse and everyone agreed he was extremely smart.
 
you have to want them and be worried someone else might buy them out from under you or it isnt the one!

keep looking. i trawled hundreds if not thousands of adverts daily looking for Goof and on the way home we had named him and decided what rugs he needed. the right one will be out there dont settle for *ok* xxxxxxxxx
 
Yeah, definitely don't buy one that doesn't almost give you Goosebumps. For some people, that means a quirky horse, for others its about looks and presence, and for me- I like to feel safe and at home, like putting on a pair of old slippers. If a horse can immediately make me feel at ease when on board, I know I have found one that is special. My first horse I got on and without even moving, I felt that way. Everything about him was easy, and kind, and genuine. I said no originally to buying him, but when I hung up the phone and spent the whole night wishing no one else would buy him, I knew I had to put a deposit down very first thing the next day. Hindsight is a grand thing, but I wish I had never sold him.

When I tried my second horse, I really, really liked her. Very genuine, looked after me and plenty of scope. But what I didn't realise was I was probably missing that same 'at home, nothing compares' feeling of the first. Don't get me wrong, I love her dearly and will always do right by her, but she doesn't give me the same buzz as the first. Therefore the achievements I have made on her are great, but they always feel somewhat underwhelming compared to the first, if that makes sense?

It is ALWAYS worth holding out for that feeling to come along. You'll know it when it hits you. And in the meantime continue searching, and perhaps continue saving (if you can), so that if something just out of budget comes up, you've got a bit more in the piggy bank to splurge!
 
Don't get something that doesn't make you want to ride/spend time with them. I'm in this situation at the moment with sis's horse, he's lovely to ride but it's difficult to summon up the will to do anything with him because he's just not exciting to me.

The right one will come along...generally from somewhere you don't expect, so keep an open mind!
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
you have to want them and be worried someone else might buy them out from under you or it isnt the one!

keep looking. i trawled hundreds if not thousands of adverts daily looking for Goof and on the way home we had named him and decided what rugs he needed. the right one will be out there dont settle for *ok* xxxxxxxxx
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This.

We had already decided what rugs and accessories Fig needed on the way home from 'just going to look' at him!!!
 
sounds like flippin angel compared to 80per cent on here, that can`t do this, that or the other , or chuck people off , or faint at a crisp packet etc.

I can`t say from a photo that she`s perfect or not perfect, but I do love her calm facial expression, it would give me confidence in her honesty.
 
Hmmm I'm going to disagree a little with everyone here and say that yes you can sometimes buy a horse that you don't instantly click with / that isn't perfect and still hit the jackpot.

I wasn't exactly enthralled with my second horse when I first met him. He was a bit underweight, had some impressive rug rubs, a half grown out clip, a mane and tail that resembled a badly tended hedge and was a fan of squishing people into stable walls. Just about the first time I saw him he was leading several people on a merry dance around the field refusing to be caught (a sign of things to come!) When I tried him I refused to jump him at anything above a trot (he was quite a lot more forward than what I was used to and I was a tiny bit scared of him), came off at one point because my stirrup snapped (not his fault tbh!) and he tried to take off with me when he spooked at a noise on a bridleway... Ended up buying him because my parents were putting up some of the moneyand gave me the choice between him and a pony I would have outgrown (the other choice was no horse at all) within a few years (who I actually preferred to ride and clicked much better with). With some lessons to smooth out our rough edges and a few years of experience together I realised he was absolutely perfect the way he was and that I'd not find another like him again. Had him PTS a few years ago due to him being crippled with arthritis sadly :( If I could have only ridden one horse for the rest of my life it would have been him (That's not anything against current horse who is actually more talented just not as straightforward and trustworthy!)

Not saying go out and buy something you hate / that isn't capable of what you're wanting but don't worry if you don't get instant, amazing fireworks if just about every other box is ticked. Also as long as they're not absolutely shockingly horrific and the horse is sound (and has a history of doing what you want and remaining so) most minor hoof defects should be fixable with time and appropriate management
 
Thanks everyone. Decided to give her a miss, actually on the basis of the canter. It would take a lot of work to improve that and I would really like to just get on and go. Seeing another mare today who looks plain from the photos but sounds great so I am hoping to get some sort of good feeling!

I did realise on Sunday when I went eventing with my friend how much I don't want one of those horses that are napping, overjumping fences, stopping, spooking etc. I know every horse has the potential to do that but for me at the moment I just need simple and easy... So it's been reconfirmed in my mind! We shall see....
 
I think if you are shopping for something sensible that isn't your usual type you are unlikely to have goosebumps or be really worried that someone will buy it from under you. But there does need to be a bit of a spark for you- something that makes you think this is the prettiest you've seen, or has an interesting face marking or a dream trot- gives you something to pin your excitement about the horse effectively and is probably a subconscious sign that there is something there that you like. My shopping last time was for not the kind of thing I would usually choose, and of the ones that were sensible options there were some (like my current girl who whilst still not my 'type' I am very proud of how far we have come and love just spending time with her) where I liked the personality or markings, and some that I liked because they were horses and I've met very few horses I didn't like, but beyond that I couldn't really name anything special about them. I think if you can't list a couple of things you really like about a horse before you get to see all the bad stuff then you have set yourself up for a very short relationship.
 
A poster on here a few weeks ago had a nice small horse for sale, Cant remember the user name but it was a nice little chestnut mare, with very impressive matchy matchy - not sure whether it sold eventually or not?

I agree that you might not get that overwhelming need for a horse when you first see it, I didn't with both of mine - Pip i bought pretty naively based on colour and the fact she jumped a gate, neglecting the fact that she was feral and had never had any handling but although we've not had a fairy tale ending she was the most wonderful first horse I could have ever wished for and eventually we really got each other, i don't think i'll ever have another horse who made me feel that safe or capable, riding her was just indescribable and homely.

My new 4yo I loved from the advert and knew that i liked her, but in the flesh she wasn't as impressive, a bit under weight and a bit scrawny, but she was quiet to handle and straight forward enough to ride despite only being backed a couple of weeks, she was nice to look at and had a sweet temperament and the price was right - there was no instant spark but i knew on a practical basis that I could look at 100 more horses and not find something that ticked all those boxes again so we bought her. Shes still super sweet on the floor and to ride, shes a quick learner and has the right balance of talent and potential without being a stark raving lunatic which is nice! Still though, at the moment I think shes lovely and am excited about her future, but feel like i'd feel that way about any other nice 4yo - i do think that once we have done a bit more and have really figured each other out those feelings will change and she will be more than just 'any other 4yo'
 
LeannePip said:
A poster on here a few weeks ago had a nice small horse for sale, Cant remember the user name but it was a nice little chestnut mare, with very impressive matchy matchy - not sure whether it sold eventually or not?'
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I think that was probably Vickijays mare - who was snapped up pretty quickly!
I don't think Michen minds though - a little bird tells me that she may have found "The one"
 
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