How many horses did you view?

[vieshot]

Most recent one I didn't even view. Ex games pony advertised by a friend of a friend. She's getting on but all the same, my little £60 bargain

 

[xgemmax]

None, went to a horse sales to buy a rug and came home with a horse, oops!

 

[miss_c]

Genie was the first advert I saw, only one I enquired about, only one I tried! And I wasn't officially 'looking' at the time, more browsing to see if there was anything I liked. Was in love with her immediately and so glad I went for her. Initially almost didn't even enquire about her as she was advertised at 14.2hh which was smaller than I wanted. She's now 15hh with shoes.

Titchy just kinda 'happened'. She was hopefully coming to me when she turned 3, but I had her as a yearling instead!

Fanfare was the second I viewed, and so far I'm liking her a lot!

 

[fuze]

First horse: 3. First put me off ridden-wise, second wasn't passported and I wasn't sure anyway, third had something about him. Despite him being unbroken, and only looking at him over a fence.

Second horse: 2. First had health issues. Second came home.

Third horse: 1. Wasn't planning on buying. Got on him, had to have him.

I seem to be getting less and less as time goes on

 

[lottiepony]

Just the one!

Recommended to me by my instructor, went to try her - got bucked off and still bought her! Still got her after 8 years and she's my first 'pony' - bought with my own money (was never bought or allowed one when I was younger)

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Big lad was 3rd I saw, wanted him , but another person had first chance to vet him, but he failed the vet on a wind noise that made him unsuited to day long in the hunting field. So I bought him.
Sasha, our yard owner found for my son, ex polo horse, passed vet and bought her.

 

[3Beasties]

The last horse I purchased was the third one that I'd viewed.

Same as Amymay. I viewed 3, including the one I bought, over a period of about 3 months.

 

[starryeyed]

I searched the Internet for months and months looking for my next horse - told myself I would absolutely not get the first one I went to see, but did exactly that! No regrets.

 

[Lolo]

With my old boy, he was the first I'd wanted to go and see and I wanted him as soon as I saw him in his stable. He was totally wrong for me and yet totally perfect. Loved the bones of that horse and miss him terribly.

With Reg, he was the first horse we enquired about and the first horse we viewed. He also lived less than 3 miles down the road from us in the same village... He was very much the wrong horse again, but when looking for a free horse to event you can't be fussy. He's the best around, and is truly perfect in every way.

With Smokey, we weren't really looking for a horse. Bee had just been PTS and Al was very much in a bit of a dip- she thought a lot of Bee and they'd formed a real partnership, only to have that destroyed by very aggressive ovarian tumours that turned Bee from a funny little madam to a danger to herself and others. They went to see one horse and Al barely rode him. And then I saw Smokes on here and showed Al who phoned Becky... And he was so wrong- he is tiny and feisty and grey (and so like Bee in appearance it's scary) but she fell for him hard. The first time she rode him mum videoed, and I can freeze frame the exact moment that she knew he was perfect- her grin is ear to ear happy. He was at our yard in less than a week after that first ride!

 

[kittyb]

You may laugh but I think I found "the one" today and he was number 37 I went to see (although I only sat on about 18 of them)

 

[blood_magik]

B was the second horse I tried - I didn't like him and went on to try another four. I was persuaded to give him another chance and he came home the week after.

 

[meesha]

First horse I was part loaning and lovely OH bought for me as a surprise, unfortunately went lame within a year or two so is a lovely field ornament.

Second horse, had limited funds, only one horse in my budget that didn't look dodgy (all ridden ones at that price had issues!) Was an unbacked 3 year old, I knew nothing but viewed, liked and bought....7 years later he is still a twerp but hunts, hacks on own, jumps etc, wouldn't change anything about him.

 

[Echo24]

24 horses in total. Three failed vetting. In the end I bought a yearling and hope to get him professionally backed and broken.

 

[budley95]

For current pony, he was the only 1 I viewed. My mum just asked the yard owner who was also my instructor and a dealer if she had anything suitable as I was getting too tall for my 14.2hh still have him 8 and a half years on so I guess she did! Pony before was an accident! Mine got horse flu (despite being vaccinated) and she came in from a dealer as an extra on the lorry for the riding school and I was the only one that didn't mind her speed so I exercised her as a project whilst mine was recovering and as I was outgrowing him big style we did a swap. Only my 2nd pony wasn't the first I looked at and he was the 4th.

 

[MagicMelon]

Depends on the horse, but Ive only ever said no to 3. I generally seem to always buy the first one I see when Im looking, but I make sure I ask a million questions in the first phone call and Im also pretty flexible about what I get which helps hugely!

 

[1Lucie]

1st!! Loved him and now had him 2and bit yrs. absolute star!!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I bought 2 youngsters this summer, an Appaloosa filly and a cob filly. I had looked at 2 others, an Appaloosaxcob, who was definitely not as advertised and another cob who was somewhat swaybacked which made her smaller than advertised. I find that now that ads are on the internet with photos, it is easier to weed out the unsuitable. I restrict how far I travel to view, as well, having in the past seen more than one completely unsuitable horse, miles away from home, even after asking the vendor about the 'non-negotiables, and getting the answers I was looking for.

 

[Blythe Spirit]

First pony was pretty much foisted on me by the riding school YO (turned out his owners owed the YO money and someone buying their pony was the only way they were going to pay YO) ! he did not suit me at all so next time i determined to choose for myself. Back then 20 years ago I looked at (ie tried in person) 3 before I found my Peggy Sue - she was a tearaway but i loved her and she was the right choice. Next horse when Peggy passed away was bought as a share between me and my father so was harder to find - looked at about 8 I think. It was my Dad who fell for the sprightly Luke - at first Luke was too much for him and only I rode him for about 6 months - but he did come good and my dad is still hacking him every day at the age of 76 (Luke is 20 himself now). Next horse - first one I bought for myself - I looked at about 12 and very stupidly didn't have vetted the one I found and liked. She developed such bad kissing spines we decided to retire her. Next horse was a loan horse but again I looked at about 8. Horse after that - about a year ago I looked at about 10. I know what I like right away, and I like about 1 in 10 of the horses I try. I actually found one I really liked the first viewing I had but she failed the vet twice so I had to let her go. The one I bought I actually didn't much like on paper but she was very local and clearly in the right kind of bracket but I just thought what the heck and I really liked her when I tried her - we have just had a very nice first year together

 

[ZoeDBest]

Topper was the 2nd horse I tried at a dealers yard- looked over the stable at him and thought what a horrible colour- he was light chestnut (happy to say now he is a much deeper chestnut!) but as they say a good horse is never a bad colour- so tried him (he was a just baked 4yr) and what sold him to us was that he was a super quick learner and a fantastic, enthusiastic jumper- just up my street!

 

[dibbin]

First horse was the 2nd one I saw.

Second horse was the 1st one.

Third (and current) horse was the 7th I saw and the 4th I had vetted.

 

[Ellie and Wiebe]

Just the one! Fell in love with Wiebe the second i rode him! He came from the yard i was originally at with my 14.2hh, who was going back there to be with another young girl! The YO saw how tall I was and immediately suggested him! Its a small world! He was perfect the second I got on him responsive, forward going but completely responsible!

 

[MochaDun]

3 - had my list of things I needed them to be, was looking for 14.2hh max, native breed, gelding. First saw a beautiful very good bloodline Haflinger but dubious ridden/handling background as had been rescued from a market and people selling him weren't being honest and not a happy chappy I could tell and while I would have like to have helped him I had to walk away, then saw a stunning young Highland that was very green though shouldn't have been and some interesting question marks around him which people couldn't answer - have to say those first two experiences of looking at a horse to buy dealing with people not being upfront about the horses put me off looking for a month or two as I felt sad and worried for each horse. And then friends told me about a lightweight coloured cob x native they'd been watching their neighbour bring on for 6 months so they'd seen him being handled and ridden almost daily. Had a sneak preview of him in his stable one night but didn't really form any opinion of him but then tried him a few weeks later and fell in love with him the minute I sat on him, was a very happy exciting day which I won't ever forget

 

[Hoof_Prints]

First pony- viewed 20 ! 2nd horse, just viewed him and no others.. 3rd horse.. didn't even view imported from Ireland unseen!

 

[soulfull]

First horse I viewed about 10 but only sat on 20.
Wouldn't mind if I hadn't been very specific in my questions. Argh

Second horse tried about 30. One failed vet

Current horse, after last two were only just advertised the day i saw advert I stuck to horses recently advertised and only tries 4 or 5

 

[awilliams]

First one I went to view. Had other viewing lined them up but just loved him. 4 years later it was one of the best decisions I've ever made

 

[JoannaC]

Just one each time. Shida I was sharing so when they offered her to me that was that. When she died I contacted the owner of her sire and she had a half sister for sale so that was easy. Then someone showed me a picture of Beau and knew I had to have him too so all really fell into my lap with no proper searching. I seem to remember as a child looking at quite a few though.

 

[Alchemy]

Only 2 and i bought the 2nd one after going back 3 times and the 4th time was for the vetting best thing i have ever done he is just so right for me and that was nearly 9 years ago

 

[wiglet]

I travelled miles across the country to view 6 different horses. I bought the 7th one - she was pretty local to me as well - could of saved ££££ in diesel

 

[mynutmeg]

One - I looked at loads online but just clicked with the first I went to view and she's now my world 5 years later

 

[Darremi]

I only saw two before I found my dream horse .

I always ask for a video of the horse on the flat and jumping. And always ask for photographs of the front and hind legs from the front and back. It's amazing how many people will say to you "of course his legs are straight" and they you see pictures of crooked legs! Saves a lot of money on travel!