how could you tell your horse was the one?

[DarkHorseB]

With alot I have not had that much of a choice to be honest as I have predominantly bought ex racehorse out of the sales and it all came down to what was in my limited price bracket that I liked!!

My latest one (not a TB) the only thing that worried me was that he was the first one I had viewed this time - but hardly the same as first one as have owned horses for 30 years. What I liked about him was it was a horrid day in a flooded arena and he didn't put a foot wrong. Also they had told me he was an aloof horse (which didn't bother me as my first TB was very aloof and loved only me and my Dad) but I found him very sweet so I thought he must like me too

I was right he is a total sweetheart and one of the least aloof horse I have ever met.

Probably more significant is the ones I didn't buy. Most of the times I couldn't say exactly why but something was missing. Especially ones I have had to go and see more than once - that just decided they weren't the ones!

 

[MrsMozart]

Tiggy - I just knew. I even knew, in a weird way, that it wasn't going to be happy ever after, but I still wanted her.

Dizzy - as soon as I saw her I wanted her, which is daft as I'd seen her twelve months before and didn't like her at all

.

Little Cob - when he was so calm when the school gate closed on his bum and he ignored it lol.

Little Lad - when I saw him and realised what a cr*p life he had, that and I was bored of looking!

 

[hellybelly6]

He was a working livery in a stables I went to. The first time I saw him, we looked at each other, he looked me up and down, decided I was of no consequence and looked away and munched on his hay net.

I knew that if he every came up for sale, I had to have him. I liked his dont give a fig attitude.

He was up for sale just before my 30th and OH and me went halves on him. Best pressie ever.

We were meant to be

 

[charlie55]

Ok my story sounds very sad to some people but its true...

A month after my soul mate freddy passed away,

i see J on project horses, i went to see him, hadnt been sat on for 3 months, had a bucking problem when you got on, no one at the yard would get on him when i got there, nor would the owner, so i had to climb on board. He was fine, but i didnt like him, he looked scrawny for a 10 year old WB, lazy and not what i was looking for.

It was an awful day weather wise, raining, windy, cloudy etc. I looked up and said 'come on freddy, what do you think' and straight away the sun came out, and i said yes

My mum said 'WHAT' lol

Now he is absolutley gorgeous, looks like a stallion with his condition, and is the peeerrrrfect horse for me

My freddy was looking out for me, as he always did. And he knew best, just like he always did. Thanks Fred, love you

I do admit, it does sound abit daft to some people, but its how it happened and il never forget xxx

 

[MilosDad]

Easy really. Had mud fever, rug rub, rain scald, couldn't be shod due to unsoundness in his left rear. Oh and had broken his previous owner's pelvis when he chucked her off.
How could I resist?

Now he is a sleek 17.3 warmblood capable of dressage at prelim level who can do a flying change and piaffe too and you can walk under him with a wheelbarrow if he is in the way

 

[Lolo]

My first time seeing Cheeky he had managed to get the treacle tin from the grooming kit, take the lid off and was licking it out- his owner scolded him and he 'smiled'. Then went on a hack and cantered and he pulled up when I asked. He played silly buggers the rest of the ride but pulled up at the end of each canter. He was everything we didn't want- 21 (nearly 22), TB ex-racer, silly and fast. I came home with an ear to ear grin for the first time in a year, saying I wanted to ride him again. And a month later we'd done some dressage (badly) and jumped- I'd vowed not to jump ever again. He was definitely here to stay! Best decision ever.

 

[dozzie]

In Dozzies case...TBH I didnt think she was! I kept thinking she is chestnut and 16.2 and I want a bay 16hh! I only did bay! (When I saw her I had gone to look at a bay!

)I kept looking but I kept coming back to her. This blooming great big chestnut. Just couldnt get her out of my head. She did nothing for me to lok at her but when the girl rode her there was just something stunning. So, in the end, I went back and bought her. She has had lots of problems, maybe hereditary, maybe just bad luck but I dont regret buying her. She really is a nice person.

And at the end of the day that is the most important thing for me. I have had the talented nutcase and it really is no fun for an amateur home alone!

 

[rubyrumba]

One of them i picked when he was 3 months old, out of 7 foals. I thought he was the most handsome and he was the only one that looked at me from the moment we went through the gate. By the time we left (after about an hour) he followed me all the way back to the gate and left his mum far away in the distance. I fell in love with him. We travelled from West Wales to hampshire to see all the foals and then had to go to Devon to look at another, i didn't want to bother going but felt i had to to make sure! He was definitely the one!!
The other foal i bought when she was 8 months old and i searched the country high and low for something just like her! As wanted her so badly from all the pics and video (she's got her own webpage) I just went to see her in the flesh to give a deposit and say yes!

 

[MagicMelon]

I'll just speak about my current horse (in my sig) - but basically I bought him out of pity! Sounds awful I know and VERY risky! I go very much by temperament, he had something nice about his eye - I really dont care what a horse looks like. On seeing him my dad said "wow, he looks like a donkey" (yes, in front of the owner - so embarassing!). This very thin creature was cowering in the back of a stable with a really scruffy 'winter' coat (unrugged in Jan and he'd only been imported from a very hot country a few months before!) which had dried sweat, he had an over-reach cut which the owner hadn't noticed and he was just so terribly quiet. I rode him but only in walk and a tiny bit of trot due to a frozen sand school. He was only a youngster so I hoped he wouldn't be ruined!

When he arrived off the transporter - I did wonder why Id bought him. He was such a state and SO quiet I honestly thought he was doped. We found out he was full of worms

and it took him a good 6 months to begin settling in. I realised why the owner lunged him for quite a while before I rode him too - he was cold backed... (which he got over 2 years later). Turned out very well, he was the best buy ever - he's the most honest, gentle horse who's turned out so much better than I expected!

Oh and dont think Im a nutter but I seemed to get signs that I should buy him! There were several linkages to his name (which is a very unique name) on the way down to see him (saw a personalised reg plate, the location he was at matched his name even though he was imported and my mothers father worked for a mining firm in Spain which also involved the same name!!).

 

[lucythomas]

Ive always come across my horses because theyve been nutters & i seem to get on well with nutters! From 12.2hh broncos to 16.2hh wild things!!! I met Bel 11 years ago when i went to her yard looking for livery for a new horse, the horse failed the vet & i ended up with one of the YOs horses whom she had outgrown but she never wanted to sell. Bel was fat, fluffy & had a foal at foot!! After 7 years on loan!!!, i had to move & she knew Bel had to stay with me cos we were a fab team. That was 5 years ago & bels is now 25. From the moment she became mine she had a home to her final day. I found an old RC newsletter lying round our local show centre & bel had won the intermediate & open classes for every SJ league theyd held the summer before having her foal. I always knew she was a star.

 

[charlimouse]

When I first saw Pippa (my 1st horse) she was thrashing about in a horse box, galloped down the ramp, then wouldn't stand still, and kept trying to bite her old owner. I did very nearly walk away at that point, but my instructor who has come with me said she would get on 1st, and we should atleast see what the horse could do. We were being a bit cheeky and tried her at a local ec doing unafil sj, so we didn't have to pay for the arena hire. Once my instructor had decieded Pippa wasnt going to kill me, i got on. As soon as I got on all previous behaviour was forgotton. I got on really well, so her owner let me take her in the clear round, and then the 75cm, we jumped 3 clr rounds, and came 3rd in the 75cm! We just clicked straightaway!
With Millie, she was never intended for me, she was for my mum just to hack, we didn't have much money to spend, and we certainly wernt looking for a TB, but as soon as we saw her little pretty face, we fell in love and she came home with us! She has taken me further than ever imagined, it was my proudest moment when we completed the xc clr at Weston Park CCI*.
I wasnt sure about Murphy when I went to see him. My instructor knew him, and had ridden him in the past, so she reccomened him. After seeing him I rang my instructor saying I wasnt sure about him, to which she said don't be silly he is a good horse, buy him. So we did. Still not sure if it was the right thing to do, we have had alot of ups and downs. But he has bloody well taught me to ride!!!!!!!
I think Colin chose me really. I was looking for a 3yo, and at that time I had just started going to a stud for a bit of experiance. I mentioned to them I was wanting a 3yo, which hadnt been broken in, as I wanted to do that myself. I went into a field of 6 3yo's,all were for sale. 5 ignored me, but a little bay trotted over and started nibbling my jacket! He then insisted on trying to follow me out of the field, and then whinnied after me. He was completly feral, he had never even had a headcollar on!!!!!! But that didn't matter to me, as far as I was concerned he had chosen me, so I bought him, with most people thinking I was completly mad! He is turning into such a fab horse, he will try his little heart out for you, and has a brill temperament.

 

[Collytown]

The boy I have now is not what I was looking for as didnt really want another TB and he was way too big I'm 5'3" (plus had kept rugs from previous 15.2 horse for one I would eventually get).Well I went to see 17hh TB because he was going for free and if couldnt find new home was going to be pts as owner had health problems. Well he turned out to be a gentle giant, loved fusses and scratches and I just fell in love got him home a month later. He is so lovely to ride and actually feels smaller than the nutty 15.2 mare i had previously, plus my mother is happy to sort him out if I cant for some reason which she wasnt willing to do with previous horse.

 

[VioletStripe]

wow, all you guys have such amazing stories with your horses! sorry, very strange post, just love hearing about stuff like this!! x

 

[kickandshout]

after very nearly giving up horses forever after a disastrous year with my last horse (lost count of how many times he bolted but blimey it could jump the top of the wings) it was a real shame he had been abused (previousl owner) i did everything to help but he was taking away every shred of confidence i had.

it took me a while to even consider looking for another but mum rang a family friend who brought and sold horses she said she had one suitable.
as i walked through the stables with a few horses looking over the door there was one horse with his bum across the door so there i was thinking oooh nice (bright red bay big white socks edged in black fab tail !! then he looked up with a faceful of haylage in his mouth and whinnied.
well handsome just didn't cover it !!!!
so to cut a long story short.
i tried him and felt immediately safe he even came with the guarantee id have my money back if he ever bolted !!! and im glad to say 6 yrs later with lots of rosettes s.j dr. h.t.
i haven't asked for a refund !!!
when he retires il hang up my boots !!!! job done
i'm so lucky to have found him.

 

[marmalade76]

I knew mine was the one when I read the ad.
I was the first to see him and I thought he was worth more than the asking price. He has turned out to be everything the seller said he was. The same happened with a horse I bought a few years before and very foolishly sold.

I have always had a very limited budget so my choice has been limited, but I have still managed to find a couple of good 'uns!

 

[curio]

when i was looking for a horse we just kept going back to his advert for a red and white colt 6 months old but we kept saying he was too young
After about 4 weeks he was still advertised and we had looked at others and put a deposit on a black yearling, but we still kept being drawn to the red and white colt so we decided to go and see him.
He was in a huge field being fed a bale of straw with about 20 horses of all different ages and at night they came into a menage and was given a bale of hay in a rack,he walked in on a headcollar and rope with me which I was told he never did for anyone he always took off
he couldnt get any hay and came over and stuck his head in my chest, so I got him a place at the rack and stood till he ahd enough, He was so scrawny, lice ridden, and ugly but he chose me and whinnied and tried to follow us out of the paddock, and i just knew i had to have him,
I still have him now 13 years later, and we are perfectly matched I went to college and learnt how to ride etc, I broke him to drive at 3 and to ride at 5, he wont jump (im not keen either), hates arenas, but will school in open fields, loves the beach, hacking, and loves doing weddings with his carriage,
I will never sell him, and he doesnt like anyone else riding him, he is my soulmate. and i could never replace him
as for the black colt we lost our deposit

The minute I saw my welsh d as a yearling after looking at lots of others all older and already driving I knew he was the one for me as well but heel never replace curio,

 

[Janah]

A friend found my boy's ad and phoned about him. I had seen the ad but his height hadn't been put in it so I didn't bother, thought he would be too small from the wording.

Went to try him and friend rode first. I just fell in love with his bum (he has a dorsal stripe, being a dun) as she rode in front of me up a track.

Tried him that day and went back a few days later to hack out on my own. It was a foul day, high winds and rain. I nearly backed out of riding that day. We were going down a narrow lane with trees on both sides and a small branch fell across his neck. All he did was toss it aside and carried on without breaking stride, that did it for me.

He is no plod but can be if that is the sort of ride I want, so he is perfect for me. He is a Highland x TB and I have the best of both.

Jane

 

[Mel1]

love at first sight!
I was not even considering horsey shopping, just riding a friend of a friend's horse. considering time, money + uni it was not the right time to get a horse at all. ridden all my life but never had my own horse or loaned one, and she was not for sale anyway.
when I took her rugs off, I thought "Gosh, she is stunning! then I saw her ridden and I thought "Gosh, she is moving nicely" then I rode her I thought "she is the horse I always dreamed off"
then my friend( which used to own her) got on her, she reared up and my friend fell off then I thought: "I am buying this horse!!"
I spoke to the owner and that was it! I had no money so I worked double time and paid for her monthly and that was it!
I never looked back
best day of my life!

 

[Sarah B]

What a lovely light hearted post! And great to read everyone's replies. I knew as I walked in the stable - it sounds daft, but it was her eyes! Then when I got on her in torrential rain and she walked for England and I was hooked!