Isn't buying a new horse meant to be fun?

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goldie12

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I just feel so stressed out by it all and thinking/ worrying 24/7. I'm going to view a couple this weekend and always thought it would be the best thing in the world buying my first but now I just want someone to find me my horse and then enjoy having him, so is this normal ? I have been messed around/lied to by a few private sellers so don't think that helps :( I'm a confident novice looking for a happy hacker, must live out 24/7 with geldings, 15.3hh+ budget £2k west mids/warks thanks
 
It can be very stressful finding the right horse, the first one is so important to try and get right, have you got someone going with you, ideally an experienced person that can give you advice and ask the questions you may forget.

The fun really starts when you get it :D
 
There is very little fun in buying a horse.
First you have to spend hours and hours trawling adverts you just know aren't giving you all the facts.
Having decided on a few to follow up on you then have to spend futher hours on the phone asking sensible questions which you often dont get straight answers to.
Finally having got it down to a short list to visit you have to arrange that fist visit.
Great
Now the one you realy liked is sold as you are half way to them (probably about 100miles from home).
Never mind still two to go see.
Horse two has a knee the size of a melon despite the owner insisting it had no blemishes when on the phone.
Horse 3 looks promising until you ask to see it jump more than 2'. Your sure you remember saying it would happily jump foxhunter.

Back to the start
...
.

.
.
Back to the start
.
.
.
.
Finally one you like, agree a price on.
Now to start worrying about passing the vetting.
You were right to worry - it failed.

Back to the start
.
.
.
.

back to the start
.
.
.
.
.
Yay, this one passed the vetting.
With huge relief and excitement you go fetch your new horse. They did say it loaded and traveled well didn't they. Yep, just forgot to mention only when with another horse. Still its only 150 miles wih a horse kicking seven bells out pf your lorry.

Finally home.

Now, I wonder how long it will take him to settle????????

Yep, tis great fun - about 6 months after getting the horse. :D
 
PaddyMonty said:
There is very little fun in buying a horse.
First you have to spend hours and hours trawling adverts you just know aren't giving you all the facts.
Having decided on a few to follow up on you then have to spend futher hours on the phone asking sensible questions which you often dont get straight answers to.
Finally having got it down to a short list to visit you have to arrange that fist visit.
Great
Now the one you realy liked is sold as you are half way to them (probably about 100miles from home).
Never mind still two to go see.
Horse two has a knee the size of a melon despite the owner insisting it had no blemishes when on the phone.
Horse 3 looks promising until you ask to see it jump more than 2'. Your sure you remember saying it would happily jump foxhunter.

Back to the start
...
.

.
.
Back to the start
.
.
.
.
Finally one you like, agree a price on.
Now to start worrying about passing the vetting.
You were right to worry - it failed.

Back to the start
.
.
.
.

back to the start
.
.
.
.
.
Yay, this one passed the vetting.
With huge relief and excitement you go fetch your new horse. They did say it loaded and traveled well didn't they. Yep, just forgot to mention only when with another horse. Still its only 150 miles wih a horse kicking seven bells out pf your lorry.

Finally home.

Now, I wonder how long it will take him to settle????????

Yep, tis great fun - about 6 months after getting the horse. :D[/QUOT

couldnt agree more - horse hunting is about as much fun as sticking needles in your eyes!!!
Click to expand...
 
Buying horses is incredibly stressful, but worth it once you find 'the one'! I'm currently helping my sister horse shop and its like reliving when we were looking for my mare, although it's 10x worse because my sister is fussy! Fingers crossed you manage to find your perfect match soon :)
 
Yes can be stressful and even when you have taken all precautions. I think the main thing is to take your time and wait for the right one, take an experienced person for a 2nd opinion (I'm a qualified instructor and I still take someone with me), to make sure you don't let your head rule your heart. Get the horse vetted,
 
Thanks all, won't stop looking! I'm taking to experienced horsey friends with me, just don't like messing them around to! Luckily they are v understanding and have gone through it before
 
I'd say it is entirely normal to expect it to be fun and then to find it so utterly horribly that you consider giving up on your lifelong dream of horse ownership several times.

Without wishing to be the voice of doom I spent over a year looking and I had a bigger budget, there were many disappointments, tears, bruises, wasted journeys and two failed vettings. There were several despairing posts on here where I wondered whether I would ever find a horse.

I eventually found my gorgeous mare but she was smaller and younger than the criteria. I bought her after much deliberation and she has prooved to be worth her weight in gold. She has a home for life, partly because I never want to have to look for a horse again!
 
I HATE trying new horses. I was quite lucky when I was looking last time, only looked at three. BUT, the first one I tried, was advertised as a 15.3hh 4yo mare, photos of her XC schooling working nicely in an outline etc, looked lovely! Drove about an hour away to find this tiny yard in the middle of nowhere. I actually walked past the horse it was in such bad condition. She'd just been bathed, which left me a bit suspicious, her ribs were sticking out, hips stuck right out, cuts all over her front legs from over reaching and her hooves were just crumbled. The second they led her to the school I knew she was lame, her back legs were just collapsing underneath her. When I asked what was wrong with her leg the owner got very protective. After riding her and not being able to get her around the track or to canter on the right lead, the owner decided it was my fault and I couldn't ride her horse, nothing to do with the fact that it was crippled.

The second one I tried was nice, quite lazy though and apparently couldn't be rode with a crop, but I liked her and agreed to buy her. After turning her out for the owner she then told me that she didn't have a passport as she hadn't changed the ownership two years before when she purchased it, and after sending it off was told she would have to wait for the last owner to write back. Offered to pay her half the money and take her on loan until she got the passport but she refused. Luckily the next day I found my beautiful Cally and decided to take her home!
 
Yep I hate horse hunting. Im currently looking for my next neddie and am getting fed up with it. Ive got one to see this weekend but tbh Im thinking of going over to Ireland if this one this weekend isnt right.
 
Buying from a reputable well recomended horse dealer could reduce the stress in buying a horse as well reducing the chances of ending up with an unsuitable horse, they will match you up with the right horse or look out for the right horse if they don't have one in and of course you have a bit more come back if for any reason the horse wasn't right and you'll probably have better trial facilities too.

But be sure to go with an experienced person for a second opinion.

In fact, doing it that way could well bring back the fun in buying a new horse!
 
I did it the easy way - sent my wishlist to an agent in Ireland, and flew out with a sensible friend for a fun weekend a month later.

Viewed 6 horses, 3 of which fitted the bill, and chose the most sensible option. Paid the flights, hire car, agents commission, the cheap 5 * vetting, and the transport over here, and had a horse a few weeks later. In all it probably cost the same as buying a horse here, if not less, and I have a safe, sane, sensible horse who fits my wish list exactly. :wub:
 
I hate horse shopping. I've bought three horses in the last 4 years and each time was (initially) awful. The last two turned out fine once I'd stopped looking. The second time I was looking for a small cob and couldn't find anything suitable that wasn't snapped up before I'd had chance to view. I eventually bought one that wasn't even advertised, from my previous livery yard. The final time I gave up after about 8 months of searching. Fortunately I had noticed a lot of people buying from someone on HHO so I just approached them and told them what I needed. I think I'd do that in the future, it was so much simpler and, although it involved a 3.5 hour car journey, they had pretty much my perfect horse at the other end. Saying that I really hope I don't need another for a long while, 3 is more than enough!
 
Buying a new horse is one of the most stressful things I have done. I had a horrible fall from one of the horses I tried and was knocked out. Then, after looking on and off for a year I found a suitable pony only for it to fail the vetting. The owner paid for it to be retested and the pony came to me for two week's trial. I was a nervous wreck and was unable to sleep. I must worry too much!

However, It is all worth it now; I am enjoying my new pony and he seems to be a lovely chap.:)
 
After a while it gets you quite good at getting answers and stories changing, people trip themselves up and I got good at interrogation all in a nice way. I heard the same old lines and yes it makes me lose faith in humans! So many porkers but oh all in such an innocent way!

Good luck I gave up!
 
I leave it to my Yard Owner :) We chose Grace from a set of photographs and on the word of a dealer my YO has dealt with for years that the mare was VERY quiet! And she is everything and more x
 
I hate it.

I nearly bought the first horse I saw but unfortunately he failed the vetting. And from there it just went downhill. A year later I said I'd had enough and couldn't do it anymore. Luckily some great friends convinced me to see one last horse that they were sure would be perfect. He was a local horse and a lot of people knew him, had ridden him (he was in a RS at the time but had previously been privately owned) and were singing his praises.

Somehow they convinced me to go to see him and a week later he was home with me. I've owned him coming up two years now and I'm so glad they forced to me try him.

Some of the ones I tried.... nightmare is all I can say.
 
I hope to god I don't have to go horse shopping for a very long time! My current one pretty much ended up in my lap as it was a friend selling him, i've had him 2 yrs this summer and he is a dude. The one before that was a massive mistake, in hindsight never should have bought him but I'd been looking for about 5 months and trawled the country so pretty much ended up settling for him when I really should have known better. That would be my one piece of advice, no matter how long it takes, don't buy something if your gut instinct tells you otherwise, make sure it's the right one!
 
I put a wanted ad in the local free ads paper and got several replies most of which were no use but one person sent me photos and then after 6 months I actually got round to viewing and then a couple of months later had her on trial - nothing was hurried and I think that made me think with my head and not just my heart as I'd had about 5 years of searching and borrowing and buying the wrong types.
 
I think I was pretty lucky, really - after one 'let down' when I was on my way over after trying a mare, cheque in my hot little hand and the owner phoned me to say she had sold her. :p Another little Connie I lost because I was too slow.

I looked at one sorry little mare (I nearly bought out of pity - not a good idea) and then I found Hugo just up the road. The minute I saw him I fell in love! I did have my 'knowledgeable friend' with me, just to keep my feet on the ground! I am so glad I ignored her and said I'd have him anyway - :D:D:D
 
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