Is horse hunting usually this easy? And does size matter?

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Chumsmum

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Less than one week after deciding that Chumley is only ever going to be a light hack and that life was too short not to be a pauper and buy my second horse
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I think I may have found The One.

After I sent the 'keep a lookout for a nice horse for me' text round to all my contacts, my instructor pointed me in the direction of a pony that is just coming on to the market. It also happens that my friend knows the family well and knows that it would be all they say he is.

I went to see him on Wed and he was a superstar and is ticking all the right boxes except for being slightly smaller than I wanted - he is 14.1hh and I was looking for 14.2-15.2hh. This is becoming less of an issue the more that I stare at the picture of me on him
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I think some people will say that I need to get a 'proper' horse and I admit that I need to lose weight to look better on him but he can carry me easily and he is a great incentive to lose weight!

I know that I would have to go far to find a horse that comes so highly recommended by my instructor and friend. I'm going to have a lesson on him on Sunday and a hack so my mind should be made up by then.

I'm just worried that I haven't tried anything else but tbh I haven't found anything else that I really want to try, when I ring up they either sound too ploddy or too much for me.

I am imagining having so much fun with this pony, I've only ridden him in the school for 5 minutes but he is so honest and fills me with confidence - should I just go for it or should I really just calm down
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and go and try some others before making a decision?

Perhaps I'm just so used to Chumley who I love to bits but can be an a*se that I fall in love with the first horse that comes along that feels safe cantering in the school
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Someone please tell me that I'm not bonkers for seriously considering the first horse I try
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If your instructor thinks he'd be right for you and you like him, consider yourself one of the lucky few who finds a horse that easily and go for it. She will have to teach you with it and she's not going to make life difficult for herself or risk losing your trust by recommending an unsuitable horse is she!
 
Sounds like he does all that you want and gives you the confidence that you need - so I don't see what is wrong with that!! As you say you could spend weeks/months trying to find one you are as happy on. I would personally prefer to find a horse through word of mouth and trust my RI implicitly - when I got my boy she looked him over for me and if she had said he wasn't right for me I wouldn't have bought him.

He sounds like you would have a ball on him - which is what horse owning should be about!!
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I wasn't actually looking for a horse at all when I bought mine, so he was the only one I tried.

As long as you give this one a good trial, it seems silly to pass him over if you think he is everything you want, just because he is the first one you have seen.
 
Thanks for replies, it's giving me the assurance I need. I'm not normally so unsure of things, defo going through a mid-life crisis
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Instructor loves him apparently and even took him for a blast over the fields after lessons one day because he is so much fun and she wanted to pretend to be 15 again - she is 6ft tall, elegant and a posh dressage rider
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Please keep your fingers crossed that he is good as gold again on Sunday so that I have no doubts whatever
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If your instinct is saying he's the one, then go for it! Ponies rock
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I actually started Weight Watchers in April so I could ride our 12.3hh NF pony, and now I have lost 21lb I can!!!

I bought my pony Ben without even riding him ( snow!) Its been the best 6 months I could have hoped for.

Best of luck and keep us updated.
 
All four of my horses (over the years) have come to me without me looking for a horse - first pony Christmas present - hadn't seen her till christmas morning. 2nd pony arrived in field while i was at school (on loan). 1st horse was in the yard being sold for lots of money - mother got fed up with paying livery so dropped price considerably so I bought him having ridden him once in the school. Final horse was at a yard where I used to exercise horses. Friend who kept her horses in the yard phoned to say they had a mare I would like. I went and rode her and bought her too. They have all been fantastic.

My instincts have let me down however when buying for my daughter!
 
This is pretty much how we found H.

My OH was looking for a second horse, as she thought she would have to retire her mare. We looked at, bought and returned a lovely coloured cob, that had 'issues', and then put the word out. One phone call from a local YO later and H was with us on loan with a view to buy, he was only 14.2 and we were looking for 15 hh, but we thought we'd give him a chance. We bought him and he's exactly what we were told he was.

Oh, and he's ended up being my 'beefy boy', as my OH did not need to retire her mare after all.
 
ive never had the chance to look. my first pony was a christmas present from my very poor parents who had watched me slog it out at the riding school for years. i was just about to give up riding and they bought me a tiny pony who i ended up keeping for 12 years.

then i gave up horses again, started lessons again and rode a horse for a lady down the road. i then fell in love with her and now she is mine and she perfect.

my instructor has been on at me about getting another horse and i didnt think i could afford it and now im about to take delivery of a 16.2 fat boy on loan who ive never even sat on.

i dont think it matters how long you look, buying horses is always a risk, so if he feels the the right horse then go with your instincts...

sorry i talk too much...
 
Having bought the first one I went to see, who has since turned out to be everything we could ever have wished for, I would just go for it, some things are simply just "meant to be".

I too was plagued with doubts about it just being too easy and folklore saying you should never buy the first one you see, which proved to be unfounded. Unlike you I was completely on my own, this pony was out of the area and therefore did not come with any character references.

Good luck and just trust your instincts.
 
Both Bodey the Cob and Badger the Fjord where the first horses I looked at (ok so Bodey came out of a field of Gypsy cobs), so go for it! This ned sounds perfect!
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I’m a lot bigger then you and I ride Badger who is about 14hh all the time and certainly don’t feel big on him!
 
I also wouldn't worry about him being smaller than you wanted its only an inch, hope everything goes well with him for you
 
If it feels right do it! I bought Barney after I had ridden him at a riding school for 8 months after I started riding again after a 23 year break. He is 14.3hh very handsome black irish mw cob, I am 5 foot 5 and weight about 11 stone and I look just fine on him.

All my horsey friends told me to look around, dont just buy him, but I knew he was the one for me. We've had our ups an down, but he basically does what it says on the tin - ie a bit of everything. Not everyone needs to travel the length of the country to find another horse, I do believe they come to you.
 
i'm glad this is here - i went to see a horse yesterday and hes just about perfect!!! but all my horsey friends are saying dont rush in etc and i am sooo confused xx
 
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