How important is it.....

Serephin

Serephin

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.....to have the 'click factor' with your horse?

did you feel it the first time you rode your horse?

or did it come with time?

have you ever felt a 'click' with your horse?

would you buy a horse you didn't feel a click with because it has lots of good things going for it?
 
hmmm thats a good question.

I can't really say I've not ever clicked with any horse to honest, but is that because I've never experianced not clicking with one?

And if so, how in other peoples experiances have come to the conclusion and decided that you don't 'click 'with a horse.

Is it because your not getting out what you put in or acheiving the results you want? is it because you run out of patience?, is it because you find that said horse goes better for somene else? is it because you don't enjoy the horses company?

Interesting post
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I have the click factor, but thats because I felt instantly protective over him, he's fear aggressive and very misunderstood, we have a few arguments etc but I genuinely thought when I first had him "This is my horse for life" and I hadn't had that with any of my horses.
 
hey well i can only write to my own experience but with my horse now i clicked with as soon as i met him. but the horse before paddy i did not click with as i think he had to much baggage and he tried to kill me. so the friendship did not last!!
but i would be the sort of person that goes on gut instict. i sound really weird (thats me weird lol) but its never failed me i regret not listening to it for buster
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but its never failed me
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I did with one of mine and he was the best thing i ever did - i really think you just know if they are right for you or not. The mare on the other hand was wild so i couldnt judge her behaviour but i just liked her and now i love her to pieces. If a horse was on paper excellent but i didnt feel a spark with it then no i wouldnt buy it - some horses can be machine like after being passed from pillar to post and honestly if your in it for more than just riding then its nicer to have a bond with a horse.
 
It was love at first sight with my lad, I went to see him and he was still in the field they called him and he came trotting over. I remember saying to the girl i took with me that i couldn’t believe i could afford such an amazing horse, she promptly told me to pull myself to together and not look so keen.

I bought him there and then (subject to vetting) and have never looked back, he truly is my horse and we have the most amazing bond.
 
I clicked with my old mare, She had been living in a stable with limited turnout and hardly got any attention since she was born, we got her at 16 and her tail was matted where they'd just sprayed extra fly spray on and not brushed it etc. She was the nicest and most polite mare and I just loved her to bits from the first viewing
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I wish she was a few hands higher because we only had her for 20 months before I outgrown her and I'd love to buy her back as a companion but I've lost touch with owner.
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With new horse, its not there yet but we're getting there
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I think alot of its down to trust, which we're building on
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I think its important to click with your horse. It took me about a year to click with my first pony and although she is now out on loan to a lovely family she will always be my pony and have a home with me if she needs it. I clicked with my second horse the second I sat on her it just felt right and I always felt safe on her. I am currently selling on my current mare as we just dont click, she ticked all the boxes when I went to see her and I always thought that we would click but its just not happened. In theory she is my dream horse but in reality it dosent work, for some reason I just dont enjoy her.
 
Sorry this is a long reply, it's a long story!
I didn't click straight away with either of my previous ponies but I did feel very drawn to them both and new they would be right for me, however with time we had a very strong bond, read on but it is long!
Luey was very hard to catch no one could get near her, she wouldn't load, she didn't trust anyone, I didn't feel bonded at all! Things changed over night, October 16th to be exact! It was the great storm in the 1980's. There was no school so I went straight up to the stables in the morning, I was the first one there, I cycled, no cars could get through. All the horses and ponies had been out overnight, they lived in a big herd as naturally as possible on 40 acres (one of the reasons she was impossible to catch!) The horses were all wound up and had lost their rugs but I couldn't find Luey or her boyfriend anywhere, I walked and searched for about 20 minutes then I saw her boyfriend on the edge of one of the woods looking distressed but still couldn't see Luey. I shooed him away thinking if he cantered off she would follow as they were usually together and it was unusual for him to be away from the herd on his own, he cantered off to join the herd but she didn't follow. Most of the trees had come down and entering the woods was quite dangerous but there she was trapped under a tree about 15 feet in. I clambered in and went to her head, she had obviously been in there most of the night, the ground under her feet was completely torn up and there was so much dung she was terrified, her boyfriend had stayed with her (which goes to show the strong bond horses have which each other). First I reassured her then started to look how to get her out, it was impossible! I calmed her as best I could then had to take the agonising decision to go get help (this was the days before mobile phones). I cycled to a friends house and she asked her Dad to help, he collected some tools, saw's etc and some other adults, we couldn't call the fire brigade as they were savings lives, lots of the trees had fallen on houses and cars and across roads. It about two hours to get her out, more and more adults and children arrived during this time and helped. It was difficult to know which branches to saw through as we didn't want to cut a branch which was supporting the weight of another branch etc but all this time I stayed by her head calming her and reassuring her. When I eventually led her out onto the field it was such a relief, I checked her over and apart from a few bruises she was fine. Well that was it from then on our bond was unbeakable! As soon as she saw or heard me, I would whistle and call she would canter up, I could lead her straight into the trailer without her batting an eyelid, she trusted me to do anything with her. It was our own special bond, she still wouldn't let anyone else catch or load her!
I thought I would never get a bond like that with a horse again. My second horse was a nightmare, he was rescued and again had no trust in humans. To begin with it usually ended up with me on the floor in tears, however with time and patience and a lot of help from a wonderful YO our trust in each other grew and by the end we were very bonded.

I'm sure that if you work at it you will eventually bond with your horse, it took a good five years or so with my second and I was close to giving up on a few occasions but if you can stick with it it is worth it.
 
marragic that is a lovely story... what a lucky mare.

With River I knew, I wasn't even meant to be looking at him and he ticked none of the boxes, but at the time I was looking at him I would fall apart with nerves if there was a pole or jump wing in the school - I jumped him the first time I sat on him, and in 7yrs I trusted him from the first second the the last - and he me - he would've walked through hell for me, and I did for him.

With Luca its been a much harder road. I bought him because things clicked and worked, however then he hurt his back and put me in A&E via some blue light travel. I still had River at this time and to my shame wasn't sure that I wanted to keep Lu - but his bad back meant I had to. When River died, I shamefully resented Luca, and many of my friends were really worried - I just couldn't seem to love him, though he clearly loved me. We've just done 3 months of ground rehab work to get him ready to be ridden again and I can finally say we're bonding in a brilliant way - I now trust him and adore his silly ways. I've accepted that nothing will be like the relationship I had with Riv but am excited about how things will turn out with Ginger...

They were both rescue cases in their own way - River emotionally Luca physically, and both had/have homes for live, but River will never be replaced - he was MY pony from the second I saw him.

T x
 
wow, Marragic, thats an amazing story. Great replies, thanks everyone.

I don't feel a click with my share horse as yet (he has been offered to me to buy) so I am not sure what to do - I have some time to ride some more and see if there is a bond between us, but I am so reluctant to get it wrong - if there is no click now, will there be in the future? Its a tricky one for me as I want that connection before I buy him. He is a good steady trustworthy ned, and everyone loves him - I just don't know if he is meant for me.
 
I feel like in halfway there! I clicked straight away (after he finished licking me lol) when we first met. I knew straight away that he was for me. Only had him since Saturday but whilst all the other owners chase their horse round the field to catch them - he just walks straight up to me after I whistle. Love watching him try and roll uphill!
 
Had a mare 4yrs old clicked as soon as sat on her at dealers,didn't want to get off.Definitely could do no wrong in my eyes tho if you put me on another horse I may not be so confident.Sadly wasn't for a lifetime due to injury.
Present mare we sort of got pushed together as was bought for daughter to compete(daughter given up at moment) we have a bond tho wouldn't trust her 100%.
Got a yearling last year and tho haven't ridden him(obviously)I adore him and feel we have a bond already.
 
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