How did you find your first horse?

[Walnuts]

I am about to my first horse and I am in a right old dilemma. How did you find your first horse and did you get it right?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

A one line advert in the Yorkshire Post, long before the days of ads with photos, except in H&H for the more expensive horses. We viewed another horse on the same day but he wasn't what we were looking for. The horse we bought was exactly right for us.

 

[Ambers Echo]

I went on a riding holiday and fell in love with my pony-for-the-week and persuaded them to let me take him home! Yes he was perfect.

Since then though I have bought in a variety of ways:

Private sale: have had good and bad experiences. Searching is a nightmare. 90% are not as advertised. Not remotely as advertised! But if you find a goodun then it will probably be cheaper than from sales livery. I would not do this again because frankly the time wasted driving round looking at awful/lame horses is soul destroying. And you have very little come back if the horse is missold to you.

Dealers: 2 bad experiences, no good experiences. Even with 'trusted' dealers with good reviews on Dodgy Dealers.

Sales Livery/agent: 2 good experiences, no bad experiences. Like a dealer but selling or sourcing horses on behalf of other people. Need to find a responsible seller but if you do this is a good option because they are under no pressure to sell you a horse as they don't own them - they are collecting livery fees anyway and can always send the horse back to the owners if problems or health issues emerge while on sales livery. So they are not under any pressure to gloss over problems like a dealer who wants to shift their own horses might be.

Word of mouth: 2 good experiences. But rare as rocking horse poo for exactly the horse you want to be being sold via WOM.

Good luck x

 

[Gift Horse]

He was advertised in the small classified ads in the Farmers Guardian it was 1988.
He was a good buy.

 

[be positive]

I think for a first time buyer now there are so many more options available that it can be overwhelming and I would suggest your first job is to get someone experienced involved in the search, I have found horses for people, and sold to a few first time owners.

The work involved screening the ads is surprisingly hard, you need to learn to read between the lines of the ads, ask the right questions, re ask a few if the answers don't feel right, double check everything, then you have to view which is another trial in itself, having someone on board to fill in the gaps in your own knowledge/ experience is invaluable and may save the buyer a lot of money and possibly heartbreak, I think it is far more difficult to find a genuinely described, sound, suitable horse now than it has ever been despite there being so many more around and numerous places to look.

That has not answered your question, my first pony came through word of mouth, I have bought many since mainly from private sellers or breeders.

 

[LaurenBay]

Went to view a Horse I had found on Facebook, saw another Horse tied up and asked if she was for sale and she was.

Did I get it right? hmm we had many many ups and downs, she was fantastic in some ways but greener then what I wanted. But I wouldn't have changed her for the world.

 

[henmother]

Word of mouth. I had found a horse on fb which I was due to view . On the same day I ended up in A&E after snapping a rod in my back. It wasn't meant to be with that horse.

A friend , who was giving me lessons and helping me out when I first got back on a elderly share mare , was keeping an ear out for me. They'd heard of a cob that had to be returned to the breeder as owner no longer had time for him. I went to see him. I had assurances that he was safe and that was all I cared about . He was brought down by breeders son . Ridden bareback with just a headcollar and leadrope . He came straight over to me and put his head in my lap , not phased one bit by my chair. Absolute sweetheart , such a kind boy. Again ,I was assured that he was safe . He went to my friends yard for a week , just to make sure he was safe and suitable . He was everything I needed. Transferred the money from my hospital bed on the day I was having revision surgery . He went to our fantastic yard and spent the summer being a horse in a field doing nothing until I was allowed (ish) near horses again. 4 years later and we have achieved so much . I don't know how I would get through the dark days without him . He is 100% right for me , although he can be a bit of a tinker at times .

Can you find someone you trust to put the feelers out ? My boy wasn't advertised and wasn't going to be advertised as he'd have found a home without it . This was far better for me as there was complete honesty . I don't trust people after almost being killed by an owner telling lies . There are some really unscrupulous people out there who care about nothing but £££. I wish you the very best of luck with your search , I hope you find your perfect horse . He/she is out there waiting for you to find him/her.

 

[Clydiegirl]

My friends dad had a couple of horses that he bred every few years, i bought one of the foals when he was 2 days old. I hadn't planned on buying a baby but who can see a newborn foal and not fall in love? Unfortunately i had to sell him when he was 3 due to a controlling ex but i kept in touch with his new owner who had him for the next 23 years until he was pts last year.

 

[Meredith]

I was still at school and I saw a local newspaper advert for a 5 month old colt. He was my pony first and then both my children took him to Pony Club. He never left us and was PTS at 27 over 25 years ago.

 

[Annagain]

An instructor at my riding school broke in a pony for a friend and she had no-one to ride it. She asked me if I wanted to, I jumped at the chance. A year later I had outgrown him so his owner let me ride her Sec D. 4 years later, she was getting divorced, her husband was being vile and threatening to sell him for meat as he was 'his'. She didn't think he would do it but sold him to me for £5 just in case. I was 17, I'm 40 now. Mum still doesn't know I did it.

 

[ihatework]

The first horse I actually bought was from a guy who I was having some lessons with. He had a livery yard, trained a bit, dealed a bit and was - on refelection - a bit of a dodgy bastard. I was young, naive and impressionable. He sold me a complete dud!

But you live and learn.
I don’t envy any first time buyer or novice buyer, buying horses is always a huge gamble even for experienced people.

I think the best you can do is find a good advisor to help you in the horse search, it’s labour intensive so there will be a cost involved in that. You ideally want a horse that’s proven itself reliable in the job you want it for with a rider of a similar standard. Practically, it may be the horse you need now isn’t the same horse you will need in 2 years time - try to avoid overhorsing yourself with any aspirations of ‘growing into their ability’ or ‘learning together’.

I’m happy to advise by PM if needed

 

[Equine_Dream]

I already knew Jasper as I had a mare on part loan and another livery on the yard had him on lwvtb.
The mare I was sharing turned out to be a bolter and shattered my confidence. So I was kindly offered to borrow Jasper for a quiet little pootle around the mountains.
He is a dream of a first pony. Reads his rider and adjusts himself accordingly. Happy to walk quietly with the most nervous novice but has a fantastic little pony-legs-of-fury gallop.
The livery who had him on lwvtb decided he wasn't quite what his daughter was looking for (she wanted a jumping pony which Jasp just isn't), so he was sent back to his owner.
A few months later I was looking to buy my first horse and who should pop up for sale. Jasper! I snapped him up and never looked back. I now have my mare and my other half has his big gelding but I will never part with Jasper. He is my safety net when I am feeling down or have a confidence wobble. I couldn't ask for a better pony!

 

[milliepops]

I remember scouring the ads in the local papers, back in the days when the small ads were still used. The next town along the road had a big paper with a big farming and equestrian section so that was The Place to start for horsey folk round me.
We tried a few that had been advertised in there and then my riding instructor found the one we eventually bought. i was 10.

I agree with the suggestions to get experienced help firstly to select horses to view and then when you go to try them. We found my second horse via word of mouth but that was a bit of a disaster really, I don't think the sellers were entirely honest and it was all a bit awkward afterwards, though I loved the horse to bits I am not sure I'd have another under a similar arrangement again because of that. The next time I got a horse via a friend/WOM I made it crystal clear from the outset that I might not keep it (of course, she has turned out to be the one that I will NEVER sell! )

 

[Denbob]

Word of mouth and sheer luck. I was 100% not looking to buy but I had Denzel as a share for a few months because a close friend of mine let me know that his owner wanted someone to ride him. She said he could be tricky but I wouldn't have to pay for upkeep. He was a pain at times but it became incredibly clear almost immediately it was 99% pain related so I got him sorted as much as I could before his owner put him up for sale because he was nappy and she couldn't cope. She wanted twice what I paid but it was going into winter and she'd had no interest whatsoever and needed him gone.

I was new to owning, although had loaned, going into my final year at university and he was my first youngster. On paper it was a terrible idea, but he's still got all four legs (despite his best attempts) and I think we're improving!

Having read a lot of threads on here about buying, I'd be very nervous and would be going straight to my instructor and yard manager to help me look who are both far more experienced than I am - I'm terrible for love at first sight and ignoring the bad things/red flags and am not nearly cynical enough!

 

[The Trooper]

My first was word of mouth (Long term loan) and i saw my second on Facebook, she was a being sold by a friend of her Breeder's.

 

[Myloubylou]

I got my mare through ad on free ads 13 years ago. Wrong gender, age and height and price but was heart purchase 100%. She’d been 5 stage vetted but sale fell through. I was highly suspicious as couldn’t imagine paying for vetting and not going through with it so revetted & she passed. 13 years on & she’s been my horse of a lifetime, still ridden but taking it easy these days.

 

[Hollychops]

My first belonged to my, at the time, Boss's dad, the 2nd was via a friend of a friend and my last via HorseQuest website. I kept going back to her advert and eventually rang about her and i was the only one who had phoned!

 

[Fiona]

I am about to my first horse and I am in a right old dilemma. How did you find your first horse and did you get it right?

I bought my first from an ad in the local farming paper. It was 1987.

My second the following year I telephoned the local riding centres, and asked did they have anything in to sell. That's how I got my welshie...

FIona

 

[9tails]

I found mine on Horsemart. I'd been looking for months, but didn't see anything that caught my interest. Then I saw her advert, immediately went to the local livery yard and put a holding deposit on a stable. I called the advert and made an appointment to view at the weekend. There were four people booked to see her that day and I was second. The first thought she was too much for them and declined, she was too much for me too but I sat her bronc which in hindsight was pretty halfhearted. So I bought her while the third was riding! She's still amazing almost 11 years on, the apple of my eye.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Southend Evening Echo in 1978 for a colt foal.
Visiting a friend on holiday in 2013, 10 days later DP arrived from Germany.
Last year Horsequest advert, drove to the West Country, tried, paid deposit, vetted, booked transport, arrived.

Prior to number 3 arriving I saw and discounted three others all with failed vettings, all from private ads.

 

[poiuytrewq]

My first pony was found via an old Cardiff free ads paper.
I was a horse mad teenager so I couldn’t have cared less what it actually was! I went to see him, was pleasantly surprised it was the right size (how naive?!) and said yes. It was only a loan at first but they decided to sell a year or so later due to a large bill. I managed to scrape together his huge asking price of £350 including (very nice) tack 😳
It turned out the horse was actually bit of a bast*** but he was my bast*** and I absolutely adored him. He taught me everything and was the pony who later on taught my own daughter to canter and pop a tiny jump. I had him 18 years

 

[JFTDWS]

My first was bought out of the riding school, who felt he was "unsuitable" to be kept by them - he did have a sense of humour, but became a fabulous, easy horse who turned his hoof to many things.

The next two I bought direct from the breeder, unbroken (well, young!). Most recent came from a private seller, advertised (badly) on preloved. She was a bargain, and very much as described - just a very bad match for the level / sport they had planned for her (before breaking in - she was 4).

 

[SpringArising]

Word of mouth.

Your avatar is stunning!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

As a kid I always had "hand me downs", either the ones someone we knew had outgrown or ones that were a bit naughty...back then I'd ride pretty much anything to get my horsey fix!

My last three have come via my trainer's recommendations...with the most recent two being unseen.

 

[sportsmansB]

Got my first horse from the riding school she was in at the time, and kept her there on working livery for a couple of years. Perfect arrangement for a first horse, would have been absolutely disasterous if we had tried to look after her ourselves!
I loaned a few after that, and my more recent special mare I got from a friend of mine who buys and sells.
He was looking for a horse for the father of a customer who had recently bought an event horse, the dad wanted to ride out around the fields with his daughter.
So when she was brought in to try, he asked me to try her - because she was not for a pro, and there was limited point in him riding her as he can get a tune out of pretty much anything ('Check if she is suitable for a numpty' is what he actually said!!)
I hopped up, she was far too strong in the field to be used as a quiet hack- but I fell in love. I took her a hack up the road to see what she was like in traffic, and when I came back he told me he had bought her, for me, because I looked so happy. I paid him back over a year
She was my 'heart horse' and I loved every minute of the 3 years I had with her.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

From what I remember he came up as part of a group for sale on Horsemart. I'd already done a wee tour of Section D studs in Wales and elsewhere and had one fail a vetting-he was a lusitano that had gone to Wales from Portugal via Cornwall. I drove back down to Wales to view. He wasnt a bargain, was at the top end of my budget but it was love at first sight. The next one was part of a sale of a group and bought unseen abroad, one pony was taken on loan unseen, one was bought direct from breeder as a weanling and the last from someone who is classed as a dealer but not the normal flip them as quickly as possible type.

ponies as a kid-we bought the Section C from a pony trekking place near Hay after holidaying there, the Exmoor was part of a rescue operation for 6 ponies abandoned in a barn and the Newfie x TB bought from a hunting family who's twin boys shared him.

 

[Cortez]

First equine was given to me by a friend of my parents: he was a stallion donkey and very badly behaved, but I broke him and rode him, did my first hunt on him. The first pony I had was a three year old Connemara straying on the road, he "followed" me home (with the aid of the strap from my satchel - I was supposed to be walking to catch the school bus) and I likewise broke him and had a lot of fun. He was never claimed, even though my parents put a "found straying" ad in the paper.

Not very helpful for you OP, but I would recommend using an agent or very reputable dealer.

 

[ester]

Someone else bought him and hacked him past my house and I was gutted as we had seen his ad in the free ads and not visited as a bit more than we wanted to spend. I didn't think it would work but thought she would hold on to him long enough to ruin him
about 10 weeks later she'd fallen off more than she liked, told the previous owners he was dangerous on the road (really not!) and put him back on the market and the rest is history, he's still here 13 years later. He was the first of 8 ponies she bought that summer .

He was actually the second cast off we had from the local DIY yard, Mum's palo mare came from there after about 8 weeks of being owned by someone else who ran out of money.

We had actually travelled a fair bit looking, not sure why we bothered!

 

[henmother]

Your avatar is stunning!

Aw thanks very much , very kind I just need to stop looking where my feet are haha.

 

[Walnuts]

Some lovely replies, thank you so much