How many horses did you try? Am I rushing this decision?

[Anna Clara]

I started a search for a pony 2/3 weeks ago after losing my horse 18 months ago to colic. I've been riding for other people since then, including some problem horses and backing some kids ponies which I love but it's not the same as having your own. I really planned to spend a little while looking, getting a feel for what I wanted etc but on the 2nd one I've been to see I think I've fallen in love and I don't know if I'm rushing or if my heart just knows what it wants.

I've never actually tried a horse before, I've had various horses/ponies that have ended up in my life due to various issues and I've finally decided that I just want something lovely with nobody else's problems. I want to be able to choose what I want, not the other way round for the first time ever. It would be a forever home (obviously apart from exceptional circumstances happening) and for having fun with...clinics, fun rides, whp, maybe dressage, maybe some hunter trials, anything it enjoys.

The one I've been to see that I love is an unbacked 3 year old 13.2 (I'm small and not at all worried about the size) and I just loved his character, presence and attitude to life. It's had no other calls and I don't know if I'm missing something or it's overpriced (Covid has changed the market a lot since I last browsed horses for sale!) I don't think I will stop thinking about him but I'm second guessing myself and I don't know if I should try more out and get more of a feel for what I want or just go for it. I've tried one 13.1 ridden (wasn't for me) and then been to see him. I've only ever had horses I feel sorry for before, but I definitely don't feel sorry for him, he's living a great life!

 

[Petmurf]

I viewed one and bought him, I knew as soon as I met him he was the one for me

 

[ycbm]

I nearly always buy the first one I see that is well made and sound.

Unbacked, I would have no issue buying the first I saw, or unseen. You don't know if you're going to like riding the pony anyway, so selling if you don't get on with them has to be an option before they even arrive.
.

 

[AmyMay]

No point ‘joy riding’. If you find the one at a first viewing, buy it

 

[silv]

I don’t normally try many, am pretty thorough doing research and getting videos before I view.

 

[poiuytrewq]

The first, the last one I knew and knew the owner and knew I’d loose him if I didn’t.

 

[Nari]

This time three, would have bought the second but the vetting raised a question and I chose to walk away. I'm glad I did, the next one I saw was "the one" and I knew it the second I met him.

 

[Anna Clara]

These are the answers I needed. Eeek!!

 

[SEL]

First and only one I'd tried. I'd dithered for a week about going to try him but the moment I hacked him out with his old owner I thought yup!

 

[Melody Grey]

I pretty much buy the first I view- the exception being anything blatantly lame or not as described. I’ve often weedled out anything unsuitable in asking questions and looking at lots of pics/ video. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I'm abithercwho weeds out unsuitable horses by reading the ads and talking to the owner before booking a viewing. Except for one notable exception when we viewed several that were misadvertised (in the days of newspaper ads without photos) and eventually bought locally by wom, I have only ever viewed one or two before buying.

 

[milliepops]

I've always gone and picked up the first i have seen.
I agree that there's no guarantees that you will love riding a horse that is currently unbacked so if he's sound and you like his temperament then i'd go for it, that's about as much certainty as you get with horses anyway.

 

[Anna Clara]

This is very true. To be fair I've never ever had the luxury of choosing to enjoy riding something, and I've genuinely loved absolutely all sorts and the more help they have needed the better in some ways. It makes choosing what to spend money on as opposed to what turns up in the yard and needs some love a whole new experience.

It's really helpful to hear that people have not had to try out more than a couple before knowing for sure. This is a whole new world to me. Thanks all!

 

[PSD]

Usually the first one. Unless there’s any huge issues that stand out to me, this time around I viewed one t was I backed at 7 and she couldn’t get near it. Passed that one up very quickly!

 

[scats]

Buy the one that feels right. This might be the first, the 3rd, the 7th…

 

[Red-1]

Sometimes it has been the first, sometimes the 21st!

I buy when I can't leave without it.

 

[riversideeu]

I also bought the first horse I tried but had done a lot of advert viewing before I went to see her so knew what I wanted. She sounded ideal and definitely is. You know when something is right so why look any further.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

The two I have now...well, I had the one on loan and then bought him after two years and the other I tried about 15. Several failed vetting and slot not as described ???

 

[spotty_pony]

I think if you know, you know. I’ve never been in the position of trying to buy really either - mine have always come to me by word of mouth.

 

[Lady Jane]

I think you get the 'I musthave that horse feeling'

 

[Caol Ila]

Never enough! You'd think I'd learn.

Horse 1: Second horse I viewed. I was 13. She was a 10-year old QH. She was an interesting kid's first horse. I sure learned a lot. But she became a great horse (many tears later) but I sold her because I wanted to get more serious about dressage, and that was not her thing.

Horse 2: First horse I viewed. 7-year old Shire-TBx. I knew she was The One. I had her for 21 years.

Horse 3: Second horse. Bought unbacked, as a break-and-sell project, so didn't need to be my dream horse. Just needed to be sane. The first horse I viewed was a sweet Fjord mare, perfect but for stringhalt. My vet told me a three-year old with stringhalt wasn't even worth vetting.

Horse 4: Second horse. Unbacked 2-year old PRE. First one was an unbacked Highland. The Highland was tiny and a bit grumpy. The PRE was sweet. And pregnant. I didn't know she was pregnant until a week before she foaled. That was cool.

Horse 5: Second horse. Green ex-feral Highland. In fairness, I did know he was an ex-feral, and I was perfectly aware that he didn't do things like steer reliably (he does now). But it was lockdown, I had a hold on a stable that would not last forever, the market was insane, and beggars could not be choosers. He has a nice temperament and is well put together. But boy, is he hot as a hot thing and sometimes makes me question life choices. On the other hand, when he's good, he's bloody good.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Sometimes it has been the first, sometimes the 21st!

I buy when I can't leave without it.

This! Dolly was the first one viewed after Katie’s pony was PTS. I’d put a deposit down before we even left the viewing. Same with Jenny who was the first we viewed after Max was retired and again we agreed a price before leaving the viewing. Both were everything we dreamed of.

On the other hand I bought Toby after a lot of dud viewings. And he’s wasn’t quite right either but after the others I was losing the will to live and just thought ‘he’ll do’. He was fab in many ways but the not quite rightness never changed. I go with gut instinct and wouldn’t hesitate to buy the first I see.

 

[Greylegs]

My new girl was the 5th I sat on, but browsed ads etc for around three months before getting her. The four I didn’t buy were rejected for various reasons. All nice, sound animals but two were too small, one had awful manners and one was fab but too hot for me.

But I knew she was the right one as soon as I saw her and she’s proving me right.

 

[Jellymoon]

Yes, I have, but only more recently since I buy young ones. In the past, when I was younger and looking for older ones with experience, it could take quite a while. When it gets too long, the danger is you get fed up and buy the wrong one, as has happened.
I still have three of my first viewing purchases, they all worked out well. Two others didn’t, but I think that’s because I had friends with me who liked the horses more than I did, so sort of overrode my gut feeling. No blame, they were lovely horses, just one was very very backwards and I never got her going forwards, and the other was too sharp. One friend was a more nervous rider and the other, very brave.
I go on my own now, so my brain is not confused by outside noise, and although we talk about gut feeing being some mysterious thing, I think it’s more your sensible head trying to find reasons not to buy, and failing!!

 

[Sprogladite01]

Mine was the second horse I viewed. The first one chucked me off at 40 mph, and my boy was the complete opposite and made me feel safe.

That being said, he currently only has one working leg and I've had nothing but problems with him since i bought him, so I do sometimes wonder what life would have been like if i'd not been in such a rush lol. Wouldn't change him for the world though (except to make him sounder)!

 

[Uliy]

When I was viewing horses, the question I asked myself was “if this horse was sold tomorrow, would I feel really gutted or a bit relieved?”

I saw 8 horses before I found mine and had practically given up by the time I saw her, though! But she was worth the wait ?

 

[Goldie's mum]

I'm no expert, I've more often slid quietly into ownership via loan or share but I think there are two stages. 1)Use your head to go through adverts cutting out any that don't have all the attributes on your list. 2) Once you go to view its very hard not to go with your heart.
Goldie was the first I rode. I didn't want to get off & would have taken her home there and then if I hadn't left the box at home so as not to look too keen!

 

[rara007]

I buy the first I view usually.

 

[Mrs G]

Go with your gut OP. A month after losing my beloved and longed for first horse I started looking to fill the huge horse shaped gap in my life. I fell hook, line and sinker for the first horse I went to see but EVERYONE told me not to buy the first one Id seen; that it was just because I was desperate/grieving etc. So I carried on looking for another couple of months but nothing else came close! By complete chance I heard that the first horse was still for sale (it was winter, the yard/arena had been on/off frozen so hadn't been doing viewings). I went back and there was no way he wasn't coming home with me that time! That was over ten years ago and he has been my absolute joy ever since.

 

[AandK]

25yo was the second one I tried (he was 5 when I got him)
9yo was the first one, 3yrs ago.