*sprinkles*
Well-Known Member
Was very lucky in that 'the one' for me turned up unexpectedly, when I wasn't looking
Same here
How many horses did you view?
- Thread starter Lippyx
- Start date
Same here
Boulty
Well-Known Member
My first pony I browsed the freeads for a few weeks, rang about a few, went to see her, decided she'd do, went back with instructor and bought her. In hindsight the signs were there from the off that we'd have problems and she was only with me 9 months. Did leave me in much better condition than when she came though.
Second horse was found for me by owner of the yard I was on at the time. Him and another pony (plus a few more) were brought over from a dealer she knew for her to bring on and sell. At first sight I was actually slightly in love with the other pony, alas it would quickly have been outgrown as it was around 14 hands and a slight little thing and he was 14.2 (just!) and had a bit more bone thus is was decided that he was a better long term buy. Gotta say I didn't like him much at first and he scared me a little with how forward he was, he spooked and tried to canter off with me when I hacked him out, I fell off the second time I rode him (ok so that was actually a tack failure) he barged in the stable, could be a monkey to catch, had a habit of "locking on" to fences that I didn't necessarily want to jump and looked slightly feral (think coat like a wooly mammoth, mane and tail that had seen neither a brush or a pulling comb for some time and big rug rubs on his chest). He grew on me and turned out to be my horse of a lifetime despite me not being all that enthusiastic about buying him in the first place.
Current pony I trawled through hundreds of ads for weeks, replied to at least 20 or so, arranged several viewings that fell through but actually only got as far as seeing him and one other. First horse was a lot greener than I was expecting and more than I felt I could take on. Didn't feel any particular "spark" with current horse at any point. What I was actually bowled over by was his ground manners (later discovered that whilst he's a gem to lead around, lunge, whatever this doesn't always extend to when he's loose in the stable!) Tbh we've ran into a lot of problems (some health problems some problems under saddle) and I'm still debating if I bought the right horse
Second horse was found for me by owner of the yard I was on at the time. Him and another pony (plus a few more) were brought over from a dealer she knew for her to bring on and sell. At first sight I was actually slightly in love with the other pony, alas it would quickly have been outgrown as it was around 14 hands and a slight little thing and he was 14.2 (just!) and had a bit more bone thus is was decided that he was a better long term buy. Gotta say I didn't like him much at first and he scared me a little with how forward he was, he spooked and tried to canter off with me when I hacked him out, I fell off the second time I rode him (ok so that was actually a tack failure) he barged in the stable, could be a monkey to catch, had a habit of "locking on" to fences that I didn't necessarily want to jump and looked slightly feral (think coat like a wooly mammoth, mane and tail that had seen neither a brush or a pulling comb for some time and big rug rubs on his chest). He grew on me and turned out to be my horse of a lifetime despite me not being all that enthusiastic about buying him in the first place.
Current pony I trawled through hundreds of ads for weeks, replied to at least 20 or so, arranged several viewings that fell through but actually only got as far as seeing him and one other. First horse was a lot greener than I was expecting and more than I felt I could take on. Didn't feel any particular "spark" with current horse at any point. What I was actually bowled over by was his ground manners (later discovered that whilst he's a gem to lead around, lunge, whatever this doesn't always extend to when he's loose in the stable!) Tbh we've ran into a lot of problems (some health problems some problems under saddle) and I'm still debating if I bought the right horse
Tallulabelle
Well-Known Member
3 seen , hundreds viewed on line, mailing the owner, phone calls etc.
I knew the moment I sat on her she was the one! Three weeks in I'm very happy she is mine!
I knew the moment I sat on her she was the one! Three weeks in I'm very happy she is mine!
Grinchmass
Well-Known Member
Well the sale of the youngster I was buying and put a deposit on fell through, the seller got twitchy about vetting and eventually decided to sell him to someone else.
Best thing that could have happened to be honest. Wasn't really looking, or half heartedly looking. A friend of a friend was selling her mare as she wanted something a bit loopy and had just bought a tb. Went to see her, she's smaller than I was originally thinking of, but perfect for me and actually feels great height wise, I've had her less than a week but she's settling in well, but I guess time will tell
Best thing that could have happened to be honest. Wasn't really looking, or half heartedly looking. A friend of a friend was selling her mare as she wanted something a bit loopy and had just bought a tb. Went to see her, she's smaller than I was originally thinking of, but perfect for me
and actually feels great height wise, I've had her less than a week but she's settling in well, but I guess time will tell 
debsg
Well-Known Member
I was sharing my cob mare when her owner decided to sell, so I bought her. My TB was a BOGOF surprise foal, arrived on Christmas morning and my PBA is on permanent loan from a friend.
Have viewed loads in ny younger days. 90% of them were nothing like their ads, lol
Have viewed loads in ny younger days. 90% of them were nothing like their ads, lol
Kenzo
Well-Known Member
Just him, I knew I wanted him from seeing him within the first 30 seconds, god knows why, he wasn't exactly appealing as he grizzled his way to the gate shifting another youngster that was older and bigger than him.
Marmite Sandwich
Well-Known Member
No.1 replied to about 4 adverts but she was the only one i viewed and came home a week later.
No 2viewed 1 other but became apparent that her owners were hiding something so found an ad that kept popping back up, completely off brief and fell in love over stable door
No 2viewed 1 other but became apparent that her owners were hiding something so found an ad that kept popping back up, completely off brief and fell in love over stable door
Loubidy
Well-Known Member
I messages quite a lot of people and because I live on an island I went on a viewing trip with a friend who was also buying a horse. We set up three but one was lame I got on well with the first one and my friend got on well with the second who had taken off with me. I went to try my one again on a second trip who also happened to belong to the family of the girl who had been in the Scottish and gb mounted games team with my sister. I bought him. Not sure if he's the one but don't know that I could sell him now as I've gotten quite attached but also because he's a bit of a horrible pony on the ground, bites, kicks, charges in the field but you get on his back and he wouldn't put a foot wrong.
Cinnamontoast
Fais pas chier!
Had my heart set on a maxi lightweight coloured hairy cob but the owner refused a vetting so I dropped that idea like a hot cake!
My YO brought me a coloured warmblood to try and the yard vet happened to be passing as I was trialling him and asked me to trot on the left rein, turns out he had an old check ligament injury despite passing a 5 stage a few weeks earlier. It was a good job, he was far too much horse for me!
The YO then had a friend who deals bring me a little chestnut cobby thing, whizzy, would be a cracking games pony but too little he told me he couldn't get the coloured cob out of the field but we went back to his, managed to get him and I just knew that the rain soaked little coloured cob was the one for me.
Fortunately, he grew three inches and he is my babe but he can be quite spooky and my confidence is shot currently after the accident. I hope it'll come back so I can get back on board.
My YO brought me a coloured warmblood to try and the yard vet happened to be passing as I was trialling him and asked me to trot on the left rein, turns out he had an old check ligament injury despite passing a 5 stage a few weeks earlier. It was a good job, he was far too much horse for me!
The YO then had a friend who deals bring me a little chestnut cobby thing, whizzy, would be a cracking games pony but too little he told me he couldn't get the coloured cob out of the field but we went back to his, managed to get him and I just knew that the rain soaked little coloured cob was the one for me.
Fortunately, he grew three inches and he is my babe but he can be quite spooky and my confidence is shot currently after the accident. I hope it'll come back so I can get back on board.
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Horse 1: we viewed two. First was a seven year old Arab, who's owners proved to be the most flakey people in the world, which was probably a good thing as I was 13 and probably didn't need a 7 year old Arab. The next one we viewed and then bought was a 10-year old QH, who was a much more appropriate kids horse.
Horse 2: My current horse. I was 17 and my parents and I were contemplating selling the QH, as I wanted to do more dressage and she wasn't much of a dressage horse. But we hadn't taken any proactive steps. We weren't looking, hadn't set a budget, hadn't done anything. A flyer advertising a 7-year old Shire/TB mare appeared on the bulletin board at the yard. I kind of noted the flyer, as you do, but didn't think much about it. Then one of the trainers who worked at the yard (not my trainer, but she coached the quadrille I rode in so she knew my riding) approached me, saying, "Are you still thinking about buying a dressage horse?" I said that we were thinking about it. Trainer said, "Then you should take a look at that Shire/TB on the bulletin board. I've seen her at a few shows. She's really nice. I think you'll like her." So I copied the phone number from the ad and when I went home, I told my mother that if we were contemplating dressage horses, Susan thought we should look at this horse. We phoned the owner and she gave all the right answers and we arranged to see the horse, thinking it would, at least be a fun thing to do on a Sat afternoon even if the horse were rubbish. I still have the horse, nearly 15 years later. She is a fantastic horse.
Horse 3: I wanted to buy an unbroke project, back it, and sell it on as a useful member of society. I looked at a few. The first was a little 3-year old Fjord mare with the nicest, kindest temperament. And stringhalt. Who wants a three year old with stringhalt? Owner kept saying, "My vet says she will grow out of it." I spoke to my vet on the phone and he was like, "Yeah, right." Then I looked at two greenbroke 5-year old QHs at a local breeder's who were lovely. Gorgeous. And out of my price range and as I said, already broke. If I had wanted another one for myself, I would have been hard pressed not to take one. I then found a lady who bought youngsters from the Premarin farms in Canada and had a bunch of them. I looked at a few 3-year olds: two Friesian crosses, who were too hot to be able to turn around quickly, a Clyde cross mare, who was terrified of being in the round pen, away from her herd, and a Clyde cross gelding, who was chilled out. Owner even put a saddle on him and he didn't bat an eye and she was like, "he's never had one on him before!" I bought him. He was easy to break and get going, was brave and kind, and it was a bit of a bummer that I had to sell him. But I was moving to the UK and could only take one and my mare had the plane ticket.
I am glad I cannot remotely afford another horse right now. I was looking at horses with a friend, who is on the hunt, and we looked at a big warmblood who had a temperament that just drew me in. Fabulous (my friend, I don't think, was as taken with him as I was...LOL). If I were horse hunting, I would have to say to myself, "Do you *really* want a 10-year old finished horse who may be great fun pottering around at the lower levels, but has pretty much no potential for any kind of collected work? Uhhhhhh......no." Unless I had my own property and could afford extraneous horses.
Horse 2: My current horse. I was 17 and my parents and I were contemplating selling the QH, as I wanted to do more dressage and she wasn't much of a dressage horse. But we hadn't taken any proactive steps. We weren't looking, hadn't set a budget, hadn't done anything. A flyer advertising a 7-year old Shire/TB mare appeared on the bulletin board at the yard. I kind of noted the flyer, as you do, but didn't think much about it. Then one of the trainers who worked at the yard (not my trainer, but she coached the quadrille I rode in so she knew my riding) approached me, saying, "Are you still thinking about buying a dressage horse?" I said that we were thinking about it. Trainer said, "Then you should take a look at that Shire/TB on the bulletin board. I've seen her at a few shows. She's really nice. I think you'll like her." So I copied the phone number from the ad and when I went home, I told my mother that if we were contemplating dressage horses, Susan thought we should look at this horse. We phoned the owner and she gave all the right answers and we arranged to see the horse, thinking it would, at least be a fun thing to do on a Sat afternoon even if the horse were rubbish. I still have the horse, nearly 15 years later. She is a fantastic horse.
Horse 3: I wanted to buy an unbroke project, back it, and sell it on as a useful member of society. I looked at a few. The first was a little 3-year old Fjord mare with the nicest, kindest temperament. And stringhalt. Who wants a three year old with stringhalt? Owner kept saying, "My vet says she will grow out of it." I spoke to my vet on the phone and he was like, "Yeah, right." Then I looked at two greenbroke 5-year old QHs at a local breeder's who were lovely. Gorgeous. And out of my price range and as I said, already broke. If I had wanted another one for myself, I would have been hard pressed not to take one. I then found a lady who bought youngsters from the Premarin farms in Canada and had a bunch of them. I looked at a few 3-year olds: two Friesian crosses, who were too hot to be able to turn around quickly, a Clyde cross mare, who was terrified of being in the round pen, away from her herd, and a Clyde cross gelding, who was chilled out. Owner even put a saddle on him and he didn't bat an eye and she was like, "he's never had one on him before!" I bought him. He was easy to break and get going, was brave and kind, and it was a bit of a bummer that I had to sell him. But I was moving to the UK and could only take one and my mare had the plane ticket.
I am glad I cannot remotely afford another horse right now. I was looking at horses with a friend, who is on the hunt, and we looked at a big warmblood who had a temperament that just drew me in. Fabulous (my friend, I don't think, was as taken with him as I was...LOL). If I were horse hunting, I would have to say to myself, "Do you *really* want a 10-year old finished horse who may be great fun pottering around at the lower levels, but has pretty much no potential for any kind of collected work? Uhhhhhh......no." Unless I had my own property and could afford extraneous horses.
tonitot
Well-Known Member
None, I worked for a racehorse trainer in Kent who offered me a 2 year old filly. She was the complete opposite of what I was saving up to get and I didn't like her if I'm honest but I took her as she was free with the plan of selling her on quickly to put some more money into my dream horse fund.
Three and a half years later I still have her, she turned out to be perfect and I blew my dream horse fund on buying her lots of stuff
Three and a half years later I still have her, she turned out to be perfect and I blew my dream horse fund on buying her lots of stuff
Madam Min
Well-Known Member
Our first horse DJ, he was the one and only horse we viewed, Chloe, I had her on loan for 18 months before I we bought her, and my OH's current horse was the second one we physically viewed and second we had vetted, he wanted an ex racehorse/TB, viewed loads on line, had one vetted who was lovely but sadly failed the vetting, then someone at the yard was selling a youngster, OH agreed to ride and bring her on until her owner sold her or we found one, we fell in love with her and bought her!
kerrieberry2
Well-Known Member
just one each time!!
actually my horses have seemed to find me rather than me finding them!
actually my horses have seemed to find me rather than me finding them!
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secretwhisper
Member
i actually veiwed like 12!!
Kokopelli
Well-Known Member
For koko I viewed about 20 so glad I waited for the right one.
I haven't looked at a horse since thankfully because its the worst thing ever. Andy kind of landed on my doorstep as did Louie.
I haven't looked at a horse since thankfully because its the worst thing ever. Andy kind of landed on my doorstep as did Louie.
ladydoone
Well-Known Member
I viewed 2 horses before I got mine. The first was a cob about a hand smaller than advertised and the second was a 17.2 warmblood who had a loss of use mark I wasnt told about. I phoned about my current horse when the advert had been live for about 3 minutes. I was the first to view him and bought him straight away. It had been 12 years since I had bought a horse and it was scary.