How many of us buy horses by accident?!

My dad went to the trotter sale in 2005 when I was away in America; I had purposefully warned my mother not to let him bid on anything.

I received an email whilst on my trip to tell me that he had bought two mares. He had marked them both in his catalogue, but preferred the mare that was going through second of the two. When the first one came in the ring, he was worried that he might not get the second one, so bought the first one. When the second one came in, he bid on her and got her too.

I have never let him go to the trotter sale without me again. We still have the second of the two mares, and she's the dam of the first pacer I raced, and the horse that has brought back my confidence, so really I should be thankful that he accidentally came home with them both!
 
Well I wasn't looking at the exact moment in time but got told about a horse who had been saved from being put to sleep (for no good reason!) and needed a home, so I took him on a few months ago. He's not my type - a big 17.1hh warmblood when I prefer small bouncy TB types! But he's a really sweet horse and he's teaching me lots :)
 
Yeah I've done this a few times except mine either broke at work or retired from racing so I adopted them. 2 of them were always destined to come home to me. One came when I expected him too, the other 2 years before he was intended to retire but injury enforced it early.
 
I was I the pub and overheard someone complaining about a horse they'd bought and had untold troubles with, and now hadn't been able to catch for weeks.
Got talking and they said 'if you can catch him you can have him'

As OH and I are a crack animal capturing team, 4 hours and much sweat later I was outside her house with the horse in a trailer, asking for passport and receipt.

Nothing wrong with him in the end, shed just over horsed herself. Sold him for a pretty penny 5 weeks later ;) :D.
One nil!
 
Patterdale said:
I was I the pub and overheard someone complaining about a horse they'd bought and had untold troubles with, and now hadn't been able to catch for weeks.
Got talking and they said 'if you can catch him you can have him'

As OH and I are a crack animal capturing team, 4 hours and much sweat later I was outside her house with the horse in a trailer, asking for passport and receipt.

Nothing wrong with him in the end, shed just over horsed herself. Sold him for a pretty penny 5 weeks later ;) :D.
One nil!
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Brilliant :)

With the reputation of some horsey people out there I half expected them to thank you for catching it, whack a headcollar on and turn back out again at the end!
 
last january wasn't looking but i always check horsemart ect for anything just to see what sort of horses are for sale and i saw a horse named 'horse2' in the advert, two weeks later he arrived at the yard and 4 weeks later we named him Roo.
sadly because i bought one i had to sell either him or my other one, after a couple of months of schooling ect i put both my horses up for sale and which ever one sold first meant i kept the other one, i really miss my old mare but she is at the best home!
now i have been left with a wonky ex-racehorse despite his moments i love to death and i think i have found my forever horse!
 
Went to a friend for a side saddle lesson...
And bought a horse from her two weeks later.

How could I not. The horse wouldn't leave me alone kept nudging me with its nose, asking for cuddles and fuss. Super to ride, gave me lots of confidence. Broken to drive.
Woke up the next day and thought - I want that horse.

Two years down the line she's still mine, and when I went self-employed my horse forms the backbone of my business. :)
 
Me, twice :o

Once with Binky (although didn't buy him as such) and then again with Matti- I was just browsing the ads (as you do) and ended up with him a few days later.

Both worked out very well though :)
 
I wanted my boy so bad but he wasn't for sale. Made sure his owner knew if he ever needed a home i'd find a way. Expected him broken off the track as a pet in a few years or a light (wappy) hack after I have kids but he came home about 8 months later. a failure but sound and beautiful and he's all mine. Not failing at the job i've given him.
 
I seem to own 10, and I'm really not sure how that happened! I think three might have been intentional buys, at least three were meant to be projects - not quite sure what else happened along the way, but they're still here. The other four are a bit of a mystery really.
 
Yes, went to buy feed, saw an ad for an 18yr old ex racer, he was the right height and colour (chestnut) for my OH, who to be fair was half looking.
He went and tried him and his smile said it all, a week later we picked him up.
Sadly he wasn't destined to be with us for long, he died a few months later during a colic attack, but he will live forever in our hearts
 
Yep - had ridden lots as a kid and then gave up due to lack of time/money during uni, didn't ride at all for years and then had a few lessons with a very good friend who is an excellent rider.

When he decided to sell the horses and go off to Sandhurst to do his officer training I somehow found myself buying a 4yr old Warmblood. Oops. Perhaps not the most sensible choice for my first horse after years of not riding.... :D
 
swilliam said:
I seem to own 10, and I'm really not sure how that happened! I think three might have been intentional buys, at least three were meant to be projects - not quite sure what else happened along the way, but they're still here. The other four are a bit of a mystery really.
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Snap. Currently on 11, including a one-balled pony stallion, 1 that doesn't belong to me (haven't heard from the owner in years), and one that was supposed to be a long term loan, where the owner phoned me up 5 years in and said I'd better have him, as she could no longer keep up the insurance. Bless, I hadn't a clue he was insured!

Conversations about selling a couple always get as far as "aww, but which one?"

God knows who will ride them all when the kids go to university - I'll have to start a club or something.
 
Well, not quite an accident. But nearly.

I had a quarter horse and was vaguely contemplating buying a "dressagier" horse, as the little QH just didn't have it in her. But we weren't looking at all nor had it been seriously discussed. An ad for a 7 year old Shire-TBX appeared on the bulletin board at my barn and one of the trainers there (not my trainer) said that if we were thinking of buying a dressage horse, we should check this one out. The trainer had seen the horse at shows and thought it was a nice horse. As the horse was only a 40 minute drive from where I lived, my mother and I gave the owner a ring and arranged a visit, thinking, well, it'll be a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon and chances are that the horse won't be great anyway. It was an as spur-of-the-moment, "hey, lets go look at a horse" decision as you can imagine.

Over 13 years later, I still have that horse.
 
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