How did you know?

Like you I spent months searching. Then the moment I saw a photo of roberto I said to my OH " THAT is the horse I've been looking for" 500 mile round trip was worth it , he is gorgeous !!
 
I bought both of mine as unbacked youngsters.
The 1st was 4 years old and 16.2. I thought he was too big,had a stubborn look about him and was slightly cow hocked. Went and looked a 30 more(on the same day!)Also did much coin tossing,dowsing,umming and ahhing. But phoned up and paid the asking price for horse no. 1.
Why? He had jaw dropping paces and was an absolute bargain!

The 2nd was a 6 month old filly. Again breeder had loads. All unhandled. I liked this particular filly becease she was the spottiest. I said to myself 'if I can touch her,I'll have her.' Could not get within 10 yards of her. But paid the asking price anyway!

I now have 2 dream horses. I have made them into the sort of horse I want.
Yes,I have had issues with the huge one.He has grown a hand. He IS stubborn and only just maturing.
I have no idea yet how big the filly will get or what she will be like to ride.She is also quite stubborn and VERY pesky. But both horses are teaching me loads and I am very happy with my choices.
 
Some people have a gut feeling, but I'm one of those that fell in love at first sight. I set out determined not to look at TB's and went to look at a cob. Of course the cob had just been sold so they said they had another 15.3 gelding and all my determination dissappeared when I saw him, he was gorgeous.
That was 17 years ago now and I love him to bits, even tho he's a bit creaky and grumpy in his old age - O and he's a TB:p
 
Pearlsasinger - excuse me?? How does it make me a joy rider to go and view a horse?? I'm not going to buy it unseen! If I want a ride I can ride my gelding I already have. Think that is a bit uncalled for and way off my original topic of the thread!!

Thanks everyone else for your stories. Think I am waiting for that one horse to WOW me and just a bit shocked out of 5 months I haven't found it yet :( good to hear that it has taken others a while though. Think I am just being ultra careful as well as I have been burnt before with buying horses. Hopefully the right one is not to far away :)
 
Im still looking for mine & Ive been looking since November last year. I cant really say I fell in love with the other horses Ive owned either but I felt safe on them. I hope you find a horse soon bustalot.
 
How many horses have you a) actually seen b) seen and tried?

Secondly out of these, how many actually fitted your criteria? e.g four legs, not lame, right size, able to do X and Y and Z etc etc? ( I had a temporary houseguest who supposedly was staying while looking for something to buy - expected her to stay about 3/4 months while process happened. After 6 months, she had the details of one house and yet to view anything as nothing quite worked for her so five months is a timeline but doesn't mean much especially if you've seen loads of horses who don't fit your criteria)

If it is a case of simply not having the thunderbolt, I'd recomend a good recommended dealers yard specialising in what you are looking for - go when they have several horses to try which fit your key criteria and work on the basis you are looking to choose from these horse providing vet etc. Or alternatively, decide to spend a weekend literally trying as many horses as possible, shortlist for the following weekend to three and decide within those. Too much choice can be worse than too little.
 
i just looked at the picture of mine and decided instantly i had to try it! came home a week later and has been perfect! :) i think its instinct really :P
 
I spent months looking at the Internet,made a list of about 30 who fitted my criteria to ring up about-after ringing up and asking all my questions(some were already sold but still had ads up),I whittled it down to a short list of 10 to go and try(if none had been right it would've been back to the drawing board/Internet!). The 7th was my boy:) However,there wasn't really a thunderbolt,I just felt really happy to be around him,look at him,talk to him,ride him etc. When I went to see the last 3horses on my list,I just kept thinking about the 7th,hoping he wouldn't be sold in the meantime! My mind just kept wandering back to him&i didn't want anyone else to buy him. Didn't feel like that about any of the other 9. Went to see him 2nd time with a trusted horsey friend &then had 5star vetting. Still worried id made wrong decision at the time but i guess it's the enormity of the decision/cash spend that makes you feel like that! And now he's mine:) Hope you find your 'can't forget about him when I get home' horse:)
 
My first and only horse after 25 years out of horses!

Wrong sex, wrong colour, wrong size, wrong breed, wrong type, looked like s**t and was bought without a vetting from a dealer!! BAD, BAD idea!

But as soon as I sat on her, I had to have her, there was just this thing??

Following months of pure hell, sorting her many complex issues and spending £££££ on teeth, back and tack etc, we finally learnt about each other and became friends:rolleyes: She is the best!:D We have plenty of fun although we only hack, she is funny and makes me smile every day, she's stunningly beautiful and will be with me for ever.

Course, I knew she would be all that didn't I??:rolleyes:

Just went with my gut really and I appreciate that I was very, very lucky.:eek::)
 
Mine didn't WOW me and she was (and still is!) not a gelding, smaller than I wanted and at the top end of my age bracket. She was number 7 that I viewed and not many were as described in the ad and the detailed phone conversations we'd had. However, having lost all my confidence on my last share horse and being terrified of cantering in open spaces and really nervous out hacking, turned up to the yard to find there was only a field to ride in so after the owner rode I got on and cantered her in the field and then hacked her out. She was the only one I didn't feel nervous on at all - i'd taken a friend with me to all my viewings to ride the horse after the owner and before me - and she made me buy her on the spot. Never once regretted it, love her to pieces, have my confidence back and she will live out the rest of her days with me!
 
I wasn't even looking. at the time I was sharing a big hanovarian/tb mare and then she was put in foal. I thought I would just concentrate on my son and his secA. The person i shared the mare with fancied herself as a bit of a dealer at the time and had brought a couple of ponies over from a dealer in the west. She had space for 1 more and ended up bringing an ex pointer that had just come over from ireland. The dealer told her to not bother as she was a fruit loop.
I saw her standing in the field in a bit of a state. skinny but had a lot of muscle, just not any covering, a big gouge out of her hip where she had fallen on the lorry coming over, hardly any tail, but there was something about her. Even in that state she shone like only a chestnut can. I had a wee sit on her and rode her along the road. a tractor passed with a clanky trailer and she didn't even react. I knew though that there was something underlying. How right I was. I bought her anyway as I thought she was beautiful and i felt really sorry for her (2 great reasons for buying a horse)

After a couple of weeks she had a complete meltdown. I knew it was coming tbh. She then had 2 weeks in horspital after she went down a ditch and ripped her leg open. Person I bought her from said at the time to have pts as this was my chance to get rid. She was on 3 months box rest and that is when we bonded. I would spend all my free time with her, pulled her mane (which she loves), just sat and read a book in her stable. Loads of work and help from a real smart horsewoman and I have the best horse ever. We have been 9 years together and love her to bits. I think you just know I suppose. It was a pretty mad decision at the time but things happen for a reason.
 
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