How long did it take you?

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Raych

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Well, I'm on a horse hunt. It's my first horse and I have been looking for about 6 months and found nothing that really suits me.

There is one horse at my riding school who is really sweet and safe, but she's not the prettiest horse and she needs a hell of a lot of schooling. I know there's got to be something better out there, but at the moment seeing as I've been looking for so long, she seems to be the easy option.
I did XC on her yesterday (it was only her 2nd time out at the yard) and she looked after me so much. She really needs alot of canter work done, she just rushes off in trot but she flew over most of the jumps and stopped when asked etc.

Anyway, long story short. How long did it take you to find the right horse? I don't want to go for the easy option because I want a horse now, but in a few months time with a bit more schooling it may be a different story?

Anwyay, like to hear how long the horse hunt was for you :)
 
I would have a serious talk with your riding school a safe horse is worth its weight in gold especially when its your first one.
Also i dont think it would take too long to sort out that schooling issue especially with the same rider everyday!
It took me about 4 months to find my boy but i was looking for a project which is a lot easier to find than a ready made horse!
If this mare is the right price then i would be seriously considering it
 
My horse hunt was fairly easy compared to others, i've rode, worked with and owned horses for years, then after a 1yrs break randomly decided i was going to buy the foal of my dreams to be my forever horse for keeps.

Randomly decided i wanted a spotty, Went and bought the first foal i seen :) a few months later once weaned he came home with me, and i'v not looked back he is the perfect horse for me in every way.

I worked on a dealers yard for 5yrs and i think its made me really bad for just taking a chance, buying horses with behavioural problems etc however i am a weirdo with a strange lack of fear who loves a good challenge.

Best of luck in your search, trust your instinct on that mare, if it doesnt feel like the horse for you then it most likely isnt..x
 
It's never taken me more than about a week? :o That may be to do with the fact I'll 'make do' with whatever's available, I'm a tad insane, and good at making the most of things! With my first pony, someone knocked on the door and said 'do you want to buy a pony?' (he came home about 3 days later!) and my current one was a part-ex, he wasn't perfect then, but he's getting there now ;) The other 2 storeis aren't too different!
NOT that I recommend doing it that way :o

But, if you like the mare, she's capable of what you want to do, you feel safe with her, and she's the right price.... why not?! Or to put it another way - is there any reason you can think of why she ISN'T the one for you? :)
 
As Sol says, regarding the mare you mention

"But, if you like the mare, she's capable of what you want to do, you feel safe with her, and she's the right price.... why not?! Or to put it another way - is there any reason you can think of why she ISN'T the one for you? "

An chance of a loan with option to buy? See how you get on, she may be different when she isn't being a full time RS horse.

My current riding horse - took three years or so, and she was in my paddocks all that time.
I'd run out of ridable horses as most of my mares are in foal or nursing, so I looked at the one having a year out and thought "What the heck?'"

Turns out that she's great fun, typical little feisty arab, she LOVES going out and we are having a ball together. She's 19 and probably hasn't been ridden much since she was on the show circuit as a 5 year old.
 
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buying horses is like buying second hand cars, it is a minefield!

I bought a youngster so I could train myself, so only took me about 2 weeks to find.

I agree with the others, if this mare is good at everything, you know her and feel safe, then why not buy her? You effectively have had the privelidge of trialling a horse before purchase, which many people dont get.

I say buy her, go for it!
 
I did exactly what your thinking about doing, bought my riding school ride, he didn't look how I wanted him to look but I just squinted when I was with him, haha.
He was lazy, spooky and looked like a 'swampdonkey' hence my user name.
Had him 3 years. He taught me so so much and he perked up out of the riding school. I bought him because it was 'easy'. Exactly the right decision. Learnt a lot, then sold him to another novice and got myself my dream horse, much younger, needs schooling on but couldn't have done any of it without swamp. Looks aren't everything.
 
With my first I was looking about 4/5 months and he was the first I went to look at, though my aunt and cousin had been to look at a couple for me. Didnt work out with him though and my second one I wasn't really looking properly but my instructor found her for me about a month after my first went back. Then my current pony I wasnt actually looking as still had my mare but had retired her due to injury and was selling her as a broodmare but couldnt look till then. Instructor told me of a pony of hers who was being backed and I ended up with him.

Might be starting looking for another in a few months for the first time in 4years and dreading it.

Good luck finding one =)
 
Divasmum said:
There seem to be a lot of horses for sale at the moment and prices have dropped a lot. What are you looking for size, age etc?
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Well I'm 15 and have pretty much stopped growing. I'm 5ft8 and relativley skinny. So preferably 15.2/15.3 (as i am easily over horsed) i would prefer a gelding and aged between 6-9years, just so that in a few years time if i need to put it out on full loan or sell because of school/universities, it will be easier with a younger horse.
I need something bombproof, not strong and good in open spaces. Good to hack in company, good out xc and has a decent jump on them.

And thank you all for the advice. The mare is lovely, really looks after me. She's safe but you really have to ride her, as as before, needs a heck of a lot of canter work, which is kind of good going into winter as its going to be getting cooler so she'll need a bit of work to keep her warm and fit in the winter :o

I might ask my instructor about her, as he is very fond of her.

But I'm kind of stuck, as someone said before if it doesnt feel definate, then don't go for it; i feel that i may outgrow or get bored of her because i dont know how big she can jump (she's a cob, and if she's the sterotype then not very high :/) I'll ride her a few more times and see how it goes and ask about her jumping etc.
There is also the element of there being something else better for me out there perhaps? At the minute i dont know whether she is for me or not.

Anyway thanks again xx
 
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I spent about two months looking across the internet but was picky because I didn't want to drive too far to see one. Saw four, bought my girl almost as soon as I sat on her, even though she was mostly what I didn't want!

I think it's tricky, sometimes you know when it's right, but other times the right one only turns out to be just that after a long time.
 
Divasmum said:
It doesn't sound as if that one is 'the one.'
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I have been thinking that. As before, she just seems to be the easy option. When buying do you know immediatly whether you want them or not??
i dont want to feel like im forcing myself to like/want her. But she is lovely though, I'm stuck in the middle.
 
It took me about 3 months, if I recall correctly. There was something not quite right about every horse I looked at - one was too small, another had legs I didn't like, always something.

Then I saw the advert for my mare and I knew before I even went to see her that if she was as advertised, I was going to take her. She was and I did. Very happy with that.

I do think the mare sounds very appropriate for what you're looking for. It's not always easy to find a good first horse that will look after you but still allow you to grow as a rider and it sounds like she can do that, as well as not be boring. And she can bring you to a place where you can then look for that "something better."
 
With both my horses (one now sold on) it took about 2 weeks. I just knew they were the ones for me. Sounds stupid, and I did ask all the right questions, but I just knew. I would say that if you have doubts then she is not the one for you. The right one will come along at some point, when you least expect it (like men LOL)
 
My horse was exactly the same situation as you. She's was a dealer pony/riding school. She's go the biggest ears and quite a common head. I've schooled show ponies before and ridden all sort for different people, i'm an experienced rider but wanted something "fun". Indie has turned out to be all this and more. I looked for around 3 months at all sorts, my budget wasn't small at £3k and I was willing to school on, but I really struggled to find something for that in Surrey.

I had Indie on loan for a few months whilst I was looking at others then after a while decided she was for me after all and my doubts had mostly been solved after taking her out the riding school. I took her on with a high head carriage, rushed trot and unbalanaced canter. She's fab now, we hunted all winter, had a break in the spring and she is in intermittent work now due to the heat. The school had no idea on her jumping capability but with me she's won the chase me charlie at 4ft and we regularly jump 1.10m courses at home. She's still learning about fillers out and about but we're getting there.

Moral of the story is she's the best horse I could have had. She's really blossomed out the riding school and is a totally different horse. With a bit of a trim/tidy and muscle she's even turning into something that resembles a connie more than a donkey!

I would ask to have "your" mare on loan for a few weeks to a month or so, see what you can get out of her but don't let on if she's good as the price will increase! I wouldn't worry about selling her on again, ponies let that are worth their weight in gold, and cobs sell well. You could always sell her back to the school if the instructor is as fond of her. Having something fun that I knew the quirks, vet problems etc turned out to be the best move I made.
 
It took me about 3 months of serious looking. I was looking for a hack so not that hard to find. When I first seen his head pop out of the stable door I knew he was for me.

More than likely, you are going to have teething problems at the beginning so by already knowing this mare you have abit of a head start! If she's not for you..then move on!

Don't really agree that younger horses are easier to loan - most people want a loan horse that's been there and done it already! My loan horse was reaching his late teens!

P.S. cobs can jump big!
 
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