How did you know your horse was "the one" ha?

[CharlotteBeth]

How many horses did you try before you found him.
And how did you know he was right?
ha, sounds corny but when i got my old mare, i knew she was the one haa, i was only 13 but still, and i do miss her, and i dont think i'll ever find a horse who i bond with like i did with her, but selling was for the best

so yeah, how did you know?
x

 

[lucy1984]

£500 told me she was the one lol

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

I didnt know, my ex and friend (eaglestone) went to see him on the fri after i spotted him in the mag. Then i went with my ex the following morning as about 300 people had enquired, yep that many (before credit crunch days). I saw him and rode him and thought no....drove off. My ex parked the car up and gave me a good talking to saying he would be sold within minutes of us leaving and I was mad and I was letting previous bad experiences influence me (I had seen a few/had a failed vetting result on 1 and lost hope). I drove back, called him, he came over and that was that. Never ever looked back, amazing boy, never let me down, solid as a rock and does everything I ask of him.

 

[dsophiea]

He was the first pony i tried when i was looking for a new one, it really was love at first sight and then when i got on him i just knew he was the one for me

5 years later and i love him more than ever

 

[Bowen4Horses]

i had no confidence left after an accident... and looked at about 25 horses (or about a million online!).

as i was so nervous i took my friend with me to try them out, and i didn't get on a single one of them, as i didn't 'click' with any of them.

when i saw my Raff for the first time, his head popped out over the stable door and my heart literally missed a beat. i loved him. my friend rode him for about 20 seconds, and then i insisted on getting on to ride. i only walked around the school a couple of times, and trotted one or two circuits just to make sure he could move ok. but i already knew he was the one. he made me feel safe, and not pressurised to be anything.
he was overpriced, but i didn't care. because to me, he is priceless. he was sold as a SJer. but i bought him as a confidence giver. to me, that is worth more than his SJing record.
i got him home (after paying rather too much for him, despite being a total pauper). my OH was not very impressed by the amount of money i had spent (we struggle to eat every month...). But now, even he agrees, that 2 months on, even if Raff were to go lame, never to be ridden again, he's been worth every penny.

raff and i have 'clicked'. he's everything i need in a horse. safe, kind, gentle, but ooooozing character.

i love him!

so much so, i just posted some photos in PG entitled 'the love of my life': http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4502073/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD

 

[Lippyx]

I dont own one.... yet, but I have found "the ONE"!!

HORLICKS (see siggy!!)

I remember the first time I rode her, and yes, we just clicked! She is more than I could wish for, and has SOOOOO much potential! My instructor calls her my dressage horse, and said this evening that I should buy her as its so nice to see a horse and rider work so well together!! If only they would sell her..... I will keep asking until they do!!

LOVE YOU HORLICKS!!

 

[JoBo]

Bodey the cob- I didn’t, I bought him out of a field of gypsy cobs, unbacked. I didn’t know it was right, it was pot luck, I just liked the way he looked.

Badger- first pony we looked at, just typed in 14hh to 15hh, Kent and he was first one on page. Mum rode and didn’t want to get off, so we bought him.

 

[black_horse]

I just knew, as soon as i walked in the american barn and saw her come to the stable door and whinny at me then blow softly into my hair, the first time i rode her, i have never smiled like that before. i knew.

 

[Bowen4Horses]

[ QUOTE ]


Badger- first pony we looked at, just typed in 14hh to 15hh, Kent and he was first one on page. Mum rode and didn’t want to get off, so we bought him.

[/ QUOTE ]

when i look at photos of badger... i know he's 'the one' for me...!

 

[annaellie]

My horse was born and bred on the yard I was on. my mare had just had major colic op and my mum saidshe would buy me him I hated him to begin with and i had him on trial but two weeks into trial I knew this horse is the one and boy I was right he turned out to be a diamond with attitude which I loved to bits I had my mare pts 1 yr later I sadly had to have him pts 2 yrs after my mare and I never since had that passion for horses as both mare and gelding were the horses of my dreams though am gradually building that bond with current horse but is a slow process.

 

[pottamus]

I fell in love from the photos and when I went to try him he made me laugh hysterically all the way around the school and then out on the hack...he had such silly ways and was clearly a huge character...I would not swop him for all the world even though it has been a struggle at times!

 

[JoBo]

[ QUOTE ]
when i look at photos of badger... i know he's 'the one' for me...!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think everyone needs a Badger in their life at some point, my Mum waited until 55! You should have seen him and Mum so called jumping (as in 6 inches of the floor) today, so funny, big smiles all round though.!

 

[Quadro]

aw lippyx that made me smile

i hope you do get to buy her/him

 

[sevoflurane]

well he looks like brad pitt of the horse world and i just melted!!!

he's lush and i love him to absolute bits......i would sell my kidney to keep him if i had to!!!

 

[Lippyx]

Thanks Quadro!! She is a star... she has such a character and she would make a great eventer type!! Shes only 5 and already is very clever!!

I was telling my mum this evening about her, and even she said I should snap her up if she ever comes up for sale!

I am doing a "2 day event" the yard has organised with her and also dressage in August! When I book my lessons, and before they ask me who I'd like to ride, the first thing they say is "Horlicks is available if you want to ride her....."

The whole yard know how much I love her!! She's so cheeky!!

 

[Quadro]

aw u have half convinced me to buy her for you!!!!!! i really hope you do get her

and good luck at your comps keep me posted on how you get on

 

[CharlotteBeth]

good luck with horlicks! she's a beaut!
x

 

[china]

i bought prince from the YO at my old yard. i used to exercise him as a favour and ended up loaning out my pony and buyin him

he didnt buck me off or run away when i fell off so i knew he was right!

 

[Weezy]

xspiralx on here had been riding my horse for his owner, harvers on here, for a few months and kept telling me about him and I fell for him before I even saw him! I went to harver's yard and saw him in the field, fell even more, rode him (badly), loved him, jumped him (even more badly), knew I wanted him, felt sick knowing he wasn't for sale and then harver said if I wanted him that badly I could buy him and it was the best decision I ever made. I love the old knobhead dearly already and even though he has run me through the mill with this and that going wrong (jumping a gate and slicing his leg open, something wrong with his mouth that stopped him eating hay for 3 days, conjunctivitis...tack being stolen (but that wasn't his fault) he is with me for life I feel, I haven't felt like this about a horse since I found my horse of a lifetime Cercs

 

[orin]

when i went to see rolex it was his sad eyes that did it for me.

buffy i have known since she was 6 months old and was an absolute bugger! i started to school her and then when i had my tb put to sleep she was given to me! couldnt be without either of them now!

 

[Chico Mio]

FB was a 'problem' horse at the yard I rode on and I was asked to ride him as a favour to the owner to 'sort his head out' so he could go back to being a RS horse. (he would nap, buck and rear and run off with the kids about 45 mins into a lesson). I changed his broken saddle which knocked all that on the head straightaway but I pretended he was still 'difficult' as I loved riding him! After about 18 months he was being ridden by the more competent teenagers and YO said he was ready to go back into proper work. I was horrified as I more or less regarded him as MY horse (I think he did too!) and the idea of him being ridden by some of the hamfisted kids there turned my stomach, so I borrowed the money from my mum to buy him. No one, except me (and my OH on a couple of rare occasions), has EVER ridden him since and that's the way I like it. After his accident last year, when I thought we would have to have him PTS on the side of the road and then spent more money on his vets fees, livery and transport than he cost to buy I know he will be with us forever

 

[Lippyx]

[ QUOTE ]
aw u have half convinced me to buy her for you!!!!!! i really hope you do get her

and good luck at your comps keep me posted on how you get on

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, if you ever win the lotto, let me know!!
I REALLY hope I get her too! She really boosts my confidence when I'm riding her... that "I can do ANYTHING" feeling!!

I will post loads of piccys don't worry!!!

Thank you for your kind words!

 

[Lippyx]

[ QUOTE ]
xspiralx on here had been riding my horse for his owner, harvers on here, for a few months and kept telling me about him and I fell for him before I even saw him! I went to harver's yard and saw him in the field, fell even more, rode him (badly), loved him, jumped him (even more badly), knew I wanted him, felt sick knowing he wasn't for sale and then harver said if I wanted him that badly I could buy him and it was the best decision I ever made. I love the old knobhead dearly already and even though he has run me through the mill with this and that going wrong (jumping a gate and slicing his leg open, something wrong with his mouth that stopped him eating hay for 3 days, conjunctivitis...tack being stolen (but that wasn't his fault) he is with me for life I feel, I haven't felt like this about a horse since I found my horse of a lifetime Cercs

[/ QUOTE ]

I know what you mean weezy.... I'm no where near the "perfect rider" but Horlicks makes me feel like I could do Grand Prix or Badminton

!! And yes, I feel so frustrated that she is not for sale.... yet!!

 

[tabithakat64]

When I went to try him he had a spark about him that I loved and I trusted him immediately.
His owners were completely honest with me and you know when you imagine what the perfect horse looks like well Fudge is it.

I'd rung/emailed probably a hundred people and he was the tenth horse I tried (I think).

 

[Nailed]

With Ted I went to meet him and I knew within ten seconds of seeing his beautiful hansom face that he was going to be a horse in a million and I was right. He was perfect in everway. Even though he wasnt. And I had the best two years with him and I dont regret having him for a moment. He was the horse of a life time and I miss him.

Cato, I dont know yet.. I really don't Shes not 'the one' but shes going to be a good horse.

Lou x

 

[Dteccytiv]

I hadn't rode for 20 years, then i had 2 lessons and i was hooked all over again. I was meant to see a horse locally but couldn't find the place, so i travelled 150 miles to Wales for a sec D. I had a choice of about 20, narrowed it down to 2, rode 1 (my beloved Tecwyn), for 1 1/2 hours through the Welsh countryside. He didn't put a hoof wrong and he looked after me, so i bought him. 2 1/2 years later, he still makes me laugh with his typical sec D traits. He's my horse in a million, and always will be.

 

[Puppy]

Her advert read like the horse of my dreams, and when I met her she was even better

 

[rach1984horse]

I was riding Rosie and a couple of other ponies to help her owner out, after replying to an ad in the paper. She had me quite worried the first time I rode her, and I prefered the woman's quieter pony at first. But Rosie has a buzzyness about her I've never felt with another pony before. She won me over, but I never thought about buying her until her owner told me someone had offered to buy her. On the spot I said I wanted her and her owner said that she'd hoped I'd say that.

Fiadh was born around about the time I bought Rosie, bred by Rosie's previous owner. I first saw her when she was a few hours old and I was smitten. I said no to buying her several times. To the point where I looked at another yearling then just went to see Fiadh again to "check this other yearling was nicer." I text her owner there and then and said I'd put a cheque through her door.

Chino I worked with years ago as a rescue. Due to circumstances at the time he disappeared off the radar. Three years later I spotted him for sale in a magazine. I knew before I picked up the phone I wasn't letting him get away from me again. He's really hard work, he will probably never manage to do any sort of constructive job, but just getting a cuddle from him every day and seeing him happy and healthy in the field makes it more than worth it.

 

[Ottinmeg]

i wasn't even looking for a horse,well not for me anyway, then saw a couple of photo's of Sophie on here and decided there and then that i had to have her.The rest,as they say, is history

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

I had tried so many horse and not liked any of them. I went to see a mare - she was stunning, beautifully groomed, shining coat and i just didn't click with her at all.
The dealer offered to show me another one who she felt i would love. Up from the field came this hairy, muddy, dishevelved creature who stood and had his first bath in front of me like he'd done it all his life. I rode him in the school and it was like riding an elephant with no brakes and no steering. Then they made me confront my fear and take him hacking. Despite me hyperventilating the whole time i trusted him so much i had my first canter in years.
He was WAY over what i wanted to spend but i brought him back to the stables , stood talking with hubby about him and he just stood ignoring his hay and looking at me with THOSE eyes. I knew there and then he was something very very special.
He has tested me, tried my patience and made me love him more than life itself. They broke the mold when they made him and i'll never ever find another like him.