Just for fun - did you buy what you wanted?

Uhhhh NO !!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wanted:

3/4yo unbacked cob/native sort bonus if colored cob. Wanted blank canvas (lead pick up feet type of thing) uphill built suitable for low level dressage and endurance

Got: 6yo spotty riding horse type ex broodmare that's had parelli ground work done and was bred stupid young and looks/is built like a stock horse assembled by a drunk out of lego

She's my BEST FRIEND and a LITERAL ACTUAL UNICORN..... There's not many horses you can trust with someone on crutches less than 2wks after a knee replacement on a very windy day but this one you can🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
 
Wanted a potential stallion, with some andalusian, some arab, but you know can't miss that bit of tb, All if which bloodlines must be top draw,

Looked in h and hound mag and there was exactly it, and not too big, forgot that bit, bought unseen, what a hairy baby stepped off the lorry, after a great deal of shoving and pushing.

Just looking out of the window at him now, my best friend for 24 years the wonderful Jupiter, a living unicorn
 
FieldOrnaments said:
Uhhhh NO !!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Wanted:

3/4yo unbacked cob/native sort bonus if colored cob. Wanted blank canvas (lead pick up feet type of thing) uphill built suitable for low level dressage and endurance

Got: 6yo spotty riding horse type ex broodmare that's had parelli ground work done and was bred stupid young and looks/is built like a stock horse assembled by a drunk out of lego

She's my BEST FRIEND and a LITERAL ACTUAL UNICORN..... There's not many horses you can trust with someone on crutches less than 2wks after a knee replacement on a very windy day but this one you can🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
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Oh also the beast in question is like.... White white so no matter how many hours you groom for always looks slightly unkempt and feral 😂😂😂
 
Yes I’ve set out to buy a potential quality all-rounder WB types and I’ve got just what I wanted on three occasions although they had to adapt a bit from previous careers and did have their own challenges.

Last time though I bought what I thought was a quiet future all-rounder a bit smaller than I was used to as I’m now mid-fifties and saw him as my “future old lady horse” and although on the face of it I bought what I set out to it has turned out that he’s super-sensitive, super intelligent and a bit of a thug. We’re still working on it but it’s not really what I set out to get and it has been a rather difficult journey so far.
 
Mostly yes.
In reverse order of the ones I’ve owned for myself in more recent years:

Wanted a mare, older, smart cob/mw with a leaning to a Sec D - 15-15.2, safe fun hack. Bought that in a 14.2hh version. Motivation not to put any weight on 😉 New purchase, still here!

Wanted a yearling/2yo filly out of very good damline for eventing. Bought a yearling filly out of a 4*/le lion winner. Somehow also managed to buy another yearling filly at same time 💁‍♀️ One still here, one not destined for a career.

Wanted a stop gap. Something produceable and sellable over ~ 1 year. Bought a just backed 5yo giant with a view to sell to the Beaufort. He stayed 2 and a half years and had decent results at N/2* before he went to a junior! Although he was in no way break even let alone profitable!!!

Wanted a stop gap. Again producable/sellable. Bought a sour sporty ID to sweeten up into RC/dressagy allrounder. Got him going but found him dull, he didn’t like dressage so quickly found him a hacking/hunting/fun ride home.

Previous I bred one for eventing (from dressage mare). He’s still around, jumped 3*/I, currently leased with a view to junior teams.

^^^ His mother. Wanted a schoolmaster/mistress for dressage. Got one! With the added bonus of a years loan first.

Wanted a schoolmaster/mistress for dressage. Ended up with a small chunky crossbred 5yo 🫣 Quite a cool little dude but he enjoyed jumping more than dressage, I’d likely have sold him had he not got injured. Still around, out on loan as a companion/light hack.
 
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I wanted a young 4/5 TB x Connie jgelding ust like the one I had lost at 6 years old. I ended up with a dark bay mare WBXISH. She is lovely and has got to Advanced medium dressage, is lovely to hack and will take you out showjumping for change if you want. Also gret on fun rides, travels like a dream in fact cant wait to get on the lorry. A bit small at 15.1 but I am over 70 now so not to far to get off even when I struggle :rolleyes:
 
Last one my criteria was: won’t intentionally kill me; big enough to carry me; sound. Got a 13.2hh coloured cob who is spooky but kind and dependable with it.

One before found me. Bought her for the kids, but she didn’t want them.

For my children I go out with the plan of: has significant fixable quirks so inexpensive; has potential; height I want. Generally we’ve found those fairly easily. Last few we bought the first one we went to see.
 
I was 15 back in 2005, and my parents said they'd buy me my own horse. So here's what I didn't want: A youngster, a grey or anything above 15hh. The first horse I looked at was a 15.2hh rising 5 grey sports horse. After the first ride I immediately fell in love with him, and we brought him home the following weekend. 21 years later he's the best decision I ever made.
 
Cloball said:
I wanted a sane sensible first horse to do low level dressage and possibly endurance, generally hacking about the mountain, 14.2-15.2.

I bought a 13.2 fell pony whose hot and sharp and has asthma 🤣
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I wanted a ploddy Icelandic (they do exist) as a first horse - preferably a tall and sturdy one. I ended up with a youngish (8 yrs) forward, green, slightly stressy and sensitive chestnut mare (I know the colour doesn’t predict the temperament but she plays into the stereotype at times) who’s a lot of fun to ride but certainly isn’t the plod I thought I’d bought! She’s also smaller than advertised, but I’ve lost some weight and don’t care if I look ridiculous by British standards. She’s incredibly sweet, though, and I do use her as a lead rein and family pony, it just depends on her daily mood how she will be. 🤣

As a second horse I bought an unbroken Highland, but I have a feeling she’ll be very chilled out.
 
Yes. I wanted a warmblood gelding. Between 5 and 9 and between 16.2 and 17.1. NOT grey, preferably chestnut or black. Something with a bit of go but not trying to kill me each time I rode.

I got a dark bay 7yo 17hh warmblood gelding who is perfect. I travelled 13 hours there and back to see him and knew he was mine pretty instantly! The second horse I had seen. The first was similar but backwards and colicing when I got there...
 
I wanted something for dressage, around 14 h, brown ( easy to clean ) a gelding and established at least at novice and at least 8.
Drove 6 hours to see exactly that, didn’t like it at all and bought a 14h 4 yr old, mainly white coloured cob mare on the way home . She is lovely though so ..
 
I did a whole Thread saying what I wanted and then went off piste 🙈

I wanted a backed but green native / native x gelding, 14.2-15.2, 4+ yrs old, not grey, not a lot of feather and good in traffic.

What I actually bought was a 3yr old Welsh D cross who’s about 14.1 (& a bit now … the bit is important!), far too much feather in my opinion and not really seen much traffic & deeply suspicious about what he had seen who had to have someone run in front of him with a bucket to make him trot up for the vet. (I mean at least he wasn’t grey!)

He is way too inquisitive for his own good and the other horses let him get away with absolute murder (it’s literally like watching an adolescent landshark puppy sometimes!). Does now trot inhand (& he’s very proud of himself when he does) & has trained me to feed him sweets when big scary lorries and tractors appear (I don’t think he’s actually worried about them anymore he just likes to scam food off me & tbh I’d rather be shaken down for food than tanked off with especially when I am eventually on board so I go along with it!) Currently he looks like he was put together by committee / he still looks quite babyish so my plans of being able to actually have something to ride this summer have rather gone up in smoke (he currently just does lots of hand walking instead & hopefully once I’ve got setup sorted lots of longreining as well!) I think he’s going to be a slightly opinionated ride when he’s feeling “Welsh” (especially if he tries out some of the moves under saddle that he does when he’s playing with his friends) but probably a fun one.
 
Yes and No.
I wanted a native, preferably a Highland gelding. Preferred not grey due to being on clay. Didn't mind green or just started, but a nice brain.

Budget didn't allow for that in the end, so ended up with a 2yr old grey Highland mare. With a very forward (dominant) personality, so more of a partership than being led. But takes everything in so long as she is willing to investigate. Starting long lining/ backing, and goes with the flow.
Looking forward to competing though, she is mentally very forward so XC will be fun, considering she will take herself through ditches at speed when turned out.

We will resemble the thewell rider and pony, but will be something to laugh at.
 
First time, totally not. I wanted a 16.2 hunter type or CB. Ready to go and do a bit of everything. I bought a 15.2 green as grass 5yr old Spanish. He was the best and more than I could ever ask for.
When I lost him I wanted something similar ish. I ended up with a bought unseen 16hh ish mare who I kept for 3yrs but we just didn't gel.
I've half kept an eye and ear open since then but didn't find anything. Then last march I kept seeing an advert for a green but willing 17hh ish x warmblood. I kept going back to his advert for a month. There was just something about him. Now I have a 17.3hh grey gangly half giraffe half horse creature who was quite possibly a labrador or a lap dog in a previous life. He's not done much this last year due to growing 3 inches and having a field accident but he's exactly what I needed. I ride alot of horses but it's very rare you sit on one and it feels like home but that's him
 
Wig is a couple of years older than I'd have liked but it otherwise perfect - well almost, his two white socks on his back legs are more white than I'd have liked. After 20 years of greys, I didn't want any scrubbing but I suppose 10 minutes rather than 2 hours is ok 😆
 
Requirements- Welsh, unbacked youngster, not showing bloodlines/sensible workmanlike trot, not grey.
Purchased- Welsh ✔️, 2yo ✔️, chestnut ✔️
... showing bloodlines with an incredibly flashy trot 🤦‍♀️
But she mostly fits the requirements and is lovely!
 
Yep - I wanted an unbacked horse to bring on myself and do everything with and Rabbit was spot on. I was looking ideally for something that was about 2 years old, purebred or had some Appaloosa breeding, and knew the basics of leading, standing still, used to a rug, used to being tied up, to make at least 15.2hh, in a perfect world buckskin in colour, and generally a nice person to be around x

I first met him at 8 months old, and he officially came home to me when he was just over a year old. I wouldn't change anything for the world with him x

I was also lucky as I wanted a buckskin Appaloosa to make at least 15.2hh - he's 3 at the end of April, is buckskin few spot (has been colour tested by breeder!) and is currently standing at 16hh :) I thank my lucky stars every day that he is mine x
 
I didn’t buy what I wanted / was looking for but I got what I needed!
Wanted a reasonably sensible 8 - 10 yr old to plod around on with some occasional days out.
What I bought was a rising 4 RID mare with anxiety through the roof and patchy manners who saw no issue with telling me off. She tries her best at everything I’ve asked of her and in consequence it’s pushed me to be better.
 
My shopping list; I had a good budget so I was being picky!:
15-16hh
4-8 years old (no babies, nothing over 10)
Cob, Cob x or draught x (something with a bit of bone to it!)
Piebald preferred, or solid coloured - preferably not a white tail either way
Hack alone and in company
Happy to school
Done a bit of low level dressage would be great
Sane and sensible to handle and ride (don't mind strong or even a bit rude but won't tolerate nasty)
Don't mind green as long as its sensible and willing
Gelding preferred but not a deal breaker

My Purchase: 16.1hh three year old, grey Irish cob gelding, greener than grass, never been on a hack, just about knew how to walk/trot/canter in the arena, absolute puppy dog to handle, not a nasty bone in his body... and yes he's got a sodding white tail. I went through the whole "see him ridden, ride him myself" when I went to view him but I knew I was taking him home the moment I stepped into his stable. He is now eight years old, just shy of 17hh, and an absolute dreamboat. Hacks alone and in company, does a lovely dressage test, and is a yard favourite for anyone wanting a cuddle or a chat.

Photos from when I went to view him in 2021 and at his most recent outing in March this year.

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Chonkers said:
I didn’t buy what I wanted / was looking for but I got what I needed!
Wanted a reasonably sensible 8 - 10 yr old to plod around on with some occasional days out.
What I bought was a rising 4 RID mare with anxiety through the roof and patchy manners who saw no issue with telling me off. She tries her best at everything I’ve asked of her and in consequence it’s pushed me to be better.
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This is the best description! "I didn't buy what I was looking for, but I got what I needed" - so true! I got a baby when I was looking for something more established, too, and actually I now have exactly what I was looking for at the start, just built it myself (with a lot of help along the way!)
 
What I wanted, yes, what I planned the first time before looking, erm no. On my second tricky ginger mare and to be honest they tend to find me by catching attention somehow.
 
Of my current horses, I bought what I'd planned on 2 times out of three. Number 4 can be considered a very delayed acquisition of what I wanted for number 1.

When I bought Little Madam, I set out looking for an unbacked 2 to 4yo as I wanted to do the backing myself. Preferably a small horse as opposed to a pony (though I'd be all grown up at approaching 30!). I bought a 9 yo 14.3 pony instead. Though to be fair, I had been in love with her since I first set eyes on her as a foal and been riding her for 6 months prior to buying. There wasn't really anyway I was getting anything else once I knew she was for sale.

Old Lady: very open criteria as I was after a companion. I think my add read something like: looking for an equine, gelding or mare between 12h and 15.2, neither a baby or at deaths door, no massive health issues, bonus if rideable and / or good looking, cheap. I got a 25yo 15.1 mare, that I rode a bit for two years before retiring her. I was worried about "the not at death's door" criteria, but as she was free, I just hoped she'd last at least a year. She's still here 3.5 years later.

Sassy: I needed a companion youngster for my homebred, so I wanted a weanling or a yearling, to make big enough for a small adult to ride, not crazy, preferably female or already gelded, cheap, that I liked the look of. Sassy pretty much filled the bill as a pretty buckskin 18 month old, that loaded quietly for the first time ever in a trailer and came home with me.

Pippin is kind of my delayed unbacked sports horse, though he is a pony. I'm hoping to back him myself and have lots of fun out competing with him, and perhaps actually reach some heights I've never managed before. Time will tell.
 
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