How many times did you see/ride your horse before you bought?

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Footlights

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Just wondering how many times you went to see your horse/ride it before you committed to buying?

Has anyone loved a horse on first viewing, and then didn't like it on the second or third?
 
I was lucky enough to buy mine off my old YO, so he brought her down for me and let me try her for a couple of weeks before I decided.
I think 2 or 3 times Id like to ride/see them, gives them plenty of chance to dfo anything silly or pick up any of their habits then.
 
Just once! Daughter had been looking at the ad for a while but I didn't like him! Eventually she persuaded me to go & have a look, again, I didn't like him - thought he had a huge head & was mega fat :)

The daughter however fell in love with him & thought he had potential. I decided to trust her judgement - bit of a risk as she was 12 - & made an offer after just the 1 viewing.

Best decision we ever made :D we've had him for 4yrs now & he has far exceeded what we bought him for (pc), is jumping 1.10m national classes & we love him to bits :D

Must add that this was after we had had a 2nd viewing on another which we both loved the first time, but was an utter dodge pot on the 2nd viewing!
 
saw the Todmiester walk away and trot back, didnt ride him as there was a full blown storm going and had only seen one photo. bUt I liked what I saw and he was bred in the purple and had the most gorgeous eyes.

Was in the lorry coming home the following day.
 
Just the once. Asked the woman to ride her first so I could try and judge from her reaction her feelings towards Foxy, after her I hopped on, had a ride around the field and a ride down the lane as well. Don't get me wrong she wasn't 'perfect' she had a little spook at a bin on the lane and was a little bit forward to ride, but she seemed honest, like 'this is what you get.'
We have our problems but I wouldn't change her for the world :D
 
just once..he was a fab laid back pony i thought perfect.. i got him home a few days later and he reared bucked and was very rude.. i reschooled him, now you could put a baby on him. such a sweet pony.. although quite a few yrs older than he was.. he was sold as a 7 yr old.. that was 10 yrs ago hes in his earlyto mid 20's...
 
I have three and saw/rode them each just once. First one I didn't jump because I was nursing an ankle injury but I watched him being jumped twice over a double at which the owner missed the stride and he still just went with a lovely honest look in his eye. Unfortunately turned out to have kissing spines and is very insecure but is still a star in many ways.

Second I tried in really wet and windy conditions which given she'd just turned 5 I thought was a good test of her temperament. Unfortunately she fractured a pedal bone and damaged ligaments in the field after ten months and may neve come sound but is very well bred and is now in foal to Chilli Morning.

Third I tried and wasn't sure at first but jumped him and he was so balanced and calm into the fence I had a huge grin on my face and fell in love instantly. I think he is the one I will finally have some real fun on.

:D
 
The one I've just bought I tried twice. He belonged to someone I know and who knows my riding, my other horse, and what I want in a horse. Suggested going to look at a pony he was selling. I wasn't mad keen when I first saw him, thought he was OK on the flat then I got on and was even less keen. I was going to get off but they convinced me to jump him (my main criteria had been "must be bold and genuine to jump, I can work on anything else").. against my better judgement I did and really liked him then. Went back the next day to hack him, school and jump him again. He was vetted 3 days later :) Had him for about 3.5 months now and I'm delighted with him, such a little dude. Very pleased I bought him!

I have an older horse on permanent loan too - tried him once then had him on a month's trial, during which I took him hunting and adored him so he stayed.
 
3 times.

At 1st viewing just rode in school.
2nd viewing, a bit more jumping and a canter around a massive field to make sure he wasn't a total lunatic.
3rd viewing, trip to a x-country course.

It's always a bit of a risk though if you ask me!
 
When I bought my last horse, I went one day and loved her, went back the next day and had a lesson on her and loved her again and then she moved to me the following day!
But I have been for second viewings before and not had the same vibe.
I think you get that feeling and you sometimes just "know".:)
 
Usually only once.

Often they are a long way away, I just go with cash and leave a deposit, or take the trailer and take the horse home immediately.

Only once had two visits, didn't like the horse first time, was talked into going back and riding him, and quite liked him that time.
 
Various! Never gone to 'try' a horse nor been horse shopping for myself! Stumbled across all mine by chance.

First pony, Well, I backed her for her previous owner, as I had no horse to ride as a teenager. So, unbacked 10 year old broodmare project it was to keep my occupied in my spare time lol! Dad bought her as a surprise for me about 6 months later :)

2nd pony, was an ex-riding school pony who liked, bucking kiddies off....I ended up riding him at Junior camp for his child owner instead when I was meant to be helping teach for the week with my instructor lol. So had ridden him for the one week, and then various times back at riding school when he was put their for working livery. He needed 'sorting out' once weekly lol.

3rd horse....Never ridden him or seen him in my life, other than once, in a field from a distance!

4th horse. Only a yearling baby...so didn't have to ride him lol.
 
I bought my arab as a 3 year old that was completely ubroken so didnt ride her but saw her twice before committing to buy from the stud then backed her myself. My TB I visited on the Sunday, picked him up the following day ... he was sold as a dangerous ride so needless to say didnt ride him that day :rolleyes:
 
once! not sure I'd advise it to others tho, but I fell in love and didnt want anyone else to snap him up! :D :D

Had him 3 months now and absoutley adore him :D
 
Saw my horse lying down in a stable (just off the lorry from the racetrack), watched him be brought to his feet and made to walk a circle, then bought him :) Fetched him the next day
 
I tried mine 3 times.

I got him through my riding instructor and came from a jumping yard. lucky for me they didn't realise he moves lovely on the flat too.

My boy was brought to yard, stabled for 24hrs, put in the indoor school, with a couple of other horses who were for sale and ridden first by the stable yard team. Then i tried him for about 30 mins. One of the horses whilst i was trying the horse i liked spooked and the rider fell off and was just galloping round the school. My boy just stood still and didn't really know what to do.

He is the first horse I've brought and the first one i had seen/ridden.

Just knew he was the one for me :)
 
I had a text from a friend of a friend who was a dealer. She said she had a lovely 16.3hh grey gelding that would suit me. I thought definitely NOT! Too big and the wrong colour but my non-horsey OH persuaded me to go and try him anyway.
I rode him in the school and he was beautiful - so well schooled then i hacked him out.
The dealer said I could have him on trial for a fortnight so i did and it didn't take me long to fall in love with him! Even though he was actually 17.1 - or as my instructor says - 16.5hh!
I have had him 5 years now and am so pleased OH talked me into going to try him.
He was the first horse that I tried too!
 
Footlights said:
Just wondering how many times you went to see your horse/ride it before you committed to buying?

Has anyone loved a horse on first viewing, and then didn't like it on the second or third?
Click to expand...

My present horse Ive had 8 years. He arrived on the Thursday and had only been at the dealers yard two hours when I first saw him. he'd had a 12 hour journey by ferry/road from Holland so I rode him two days later on the Saturday and again in my own tack on the Sunday, decided to buy him, had him vetted on the Tuesday and took him home on the Thursday. This was 8 years ago now when he was 7. He's the 6th horse I've had, all five others were bought on condition they passed the five stage vetting after riding them once only. Only one horse out of the six proved to be unsuitable and that was only due to my inexperience with a youngster at the time.

I think you know when you have found your dream horse. I think people worry about buying in haste when in actual fact so long as you can let your head rule your heart you should be okay. :)
 
I've only bought one horse in my life and took my time to try and ensure I got the right one.

First time I saw him I helped groom, tack him up, then watched owner ride him at all paces including jumping, then I got on, schooled him, jumped him, went out for a hack along a road and back, including crossing a big main road, with her walking beside me, then went back into a huge field and she said to ride away and then have a blast back! So I had a canter back across the field. That all took about 2 hours in total. Then said I really liked him and would like to buy him and so went back 5 days later and had another schooling session and handling/tacking up, etc. Also went to his vetting. And then once more before he actually became mine (ie, before money changed hands), I went up and got him out of the field whilst she dealt with her other horse as she thought she should leave me to my own devices with him for a bit so I schooled again and then went out for a hack along a bit of a track and field by myself and had a canter back along the side of a field. And that was it.

I do think beyond riding a potential horse it's really important to see them on the ground being caught, handled, tacked up etc and do some of that yourself to see how they are too. I know 2 people who didn't do that and ended up with horses that displayed aggressive stable and handling issues on the ground where they would lunge at people due to I assume being badly treated before and feeling very threatened in their stable etc and therefore being defensive towards people but were OK to ride.
 
Three times for my latest horse. He belonged to a friend and I was very wary of making sure he was the right horse for me after a few bad experiences. Went and rode him three times and was there for the vetting as well...so glad I took my time, he is an absolute gem :) My first horse I tried once and then went and saw her again but didn't ride. Eight years later and I still have her! My second horse was being given to me so only rode him once before we picked him up. He was a nightmare and is long gone now haha.
 
I bought my boy from a market - I saw him once & didnt even get on him :o
I got fobbed off by so many idiot sellers & dealers that I took a risk & it paid off, I paid next to nothing for him & I'm hoping to get him doing afilliated jumping soon :D
 
Generally never, as I tend to get babies or unbroken horses so obviously seeing what theyre like under saddle is out.
 
I didn't ride any of my four.
Nf I got from the sales straight off the forest.
Sec d - owned as a yearling and sold as a 2 year old. Bored at work last christmas saw him advertised on the Internet, called to say I will have him and was in the back of my box before I knew it.
2 tbs - inherited from oh business as they were the company's racehorses.
So I never truly viewed any of them or even rode them.
 
hmmm not the wisest decision but I viewed my TB once and then got her even though she bolted and threw me off because she was gorgeous and had potential ;) , mad eh?! anyway don't judge them on the first viewing because now she's home and settled I don't ever want to part with her as Darcy is the best most loving and beautiful 6yo TB anyone could ask for, turns out she is just very much a one person horse :) I only viewed my gelding I had on loan once as well, friend of a friends, was told he was 18 when i knew i wanted him! Still I'd go more than once if your paying serious money, and please get a vet check! lol
 
Last year when I was looking:

1st visit: rode, and he was a good boy
2nd visit: rode and he was a good boy
3rd visit: rode again, and said yes, I will have him and arranged the vetting for 3 day's time (first chance the vet had in his diary).

4th visit: (before the vetting) - asked if I could have a little ride while waiting for the vetting in a couple of days time... within minutes, the horse went absolutely mental, bronced around the school non-stop - somehow I stayed on...as I pushed him on again after he'd calmed down, he did it again - bronced around bigtime, this time got me off, threw me against the fence, and I fractured a vertebrae in my spine, and had to be taken to hospital.

No more visits.

A couple days later the seller called me to ask what time the vet was coming to do the vetting. Errmmm, he's not? surprised she hadn't worked that out! :eek:

I found out afterwards he did the same to the seller a few days later, and she hurt her back as well. I also found out that quite a few people knew of this horse and his reputation, and said they wouldn't touch him with a bargepole, and that he's a lunatic.
 
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