Letting go of the dream horse?

[Sukistokes2]

I have been looking for a new horse since Feb, I had to retire my last horse and my old boy is mostly retired. I can not really afford to make a mistake, as I can not afford another pasture puff and emotionally I could do without it. Due to being splattered a number of times by my last lad and being a bit of a wuzz with new horses, I have been taking my time. I am however, after the same as everyone seems to want, a sane and sensible cob standing at about 15.2hh. Me and most of Britain it seems,. The prices on this sort, esp if it has bone and feather, is simply amazing, I saw a 15hh very green cob with limited experience and they wanted and got over 5K. I have decided that I may have to compromise and focus on the most important thing, which is temperament and quality. I therefore went to look at a little Irish cob, no feather but good bone for type. He is also much younger then I wanted, being six. He is in the yard of a reputable dealer who also has a heavy cob, this cob is lovely but the dealer has said that he simply is not for me, as he is unpredictable. This dealer is well known for his honesty with clients and I respect his opinion. The little Irish cob is much nicer in the flesh, as while the dealer may be good with horses, his skills with a camera leave a lot to be desired and he has made what is a nice little horse look a bit deformed. I was pleasantly surprised, the cob, while only 15.1 and finer then I wanted has good bone and could easily deal with my weight. He also has a good amount of mileage on him hunting and is as sound out on the road as a horse can get. He also has done little schooling so has not been pulled about into and "outline" I watched him ridden in the school, it was really hot and the flies were out in force, there was a bit of head shaking but he had flies latched on to his face. When I rode him I was nervous at first but ended up walking , trotting. cantering and going up the road. I am going back and the dealer has said i'm to try him out as much as I want. He had one baby moment again over the swarms of horse flies, I sat this and got him back on track no problem. I took to him and found myself defending him, the next horse i went to see I was totally uninterested in and I found myself defending this little cob, I have given him a name in my head. The thing is he is not the traditional cob I set out to buy. On paper I am better off moneywise, I can use the "saving" to pay for help to get used to him and school him on. He is a more versatile sort, I could even do a bit of jumping. Should I let the traditional obsession go? Or stick to my guns? If I do have this horse who is going to remind me how to plait a mane?

He will of course be vetted before I buy

 

[McFluff]

Personally, I'd go for it (subject to further tries and vetting). I bought mine based entirely on personality and character and haven't looked back. Yes, I curse the white tail (which I didn't want), the white feathers (which I didn't want) and the look at a blade of grass and put on weight metabolism. But all that goes when I hop on and we go out adventuring together. My learning over the years is that character and the match to you out trumps everything else.

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Shavings]

I fear i may to be in the same boat, after coming to terms with the fact that i have to part with my TB who over the last 4 years has ruined every scrap of confidence i have.

I am not looking for the same type of horse as you i would like 16HH or bigger sane and safe, if possible a nice Irish draft

but i to cant find one in my budget or that is sane! so i will have to open my eyes to others, that being said i am only really browsing add i don't really wish to buy til September as summer is our busy season at my place of work.

I think if you feel he is right even though he wasn't want you wanted, some times we get what we need and not what we want.

PS make sure we see photos of which ever horse comes home with you

 

[Asha]

Why don't you go back and try him again, this time with someone with you ? Just for a second opinion.

Im a big believer in going with your gut instincts.

 

[Mrs B]

... being a bit of a wuzz with new horses ...
... The little Irish cob is much nicer in the flesh ...
... I was pleasantly surprised ...

... not been pulled about into and "outline" ...

... When I rode him I was nervous at first but ended up walking , trotting. cantering and going up the road. I am going back and the dealer has said i'm to try him out as much as I want. He had one baby moment again over the swarms of horse flies, I sat this and got him back on track no problem. ...

...I took to him and found myself defending him ... I can use the "saving" to pay for help to get used to him and school him on ... He is a more versatile sort, I could even do a bit of jumping.

LOL! Now read that back as if you were advising someone else and what would you say to them? Especially the 'when I rode him' paragraph. If that's how this little guy makes you feel about what you could do together, then I'd say subject to vetting and a 2nd trial, that's worth far more than all the feathery-big-cobbiness in the horse world put together!
Horses can be bought.
Confidence is priceless

 

[shirl62]

Looks like you have fallen for him . He may not be your dream horse but from what you have said he is the 'one'. Pics are a must if you choose him x

Shirl

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Horses can be bought.
Confidence is priceless

Mrs B this is probably the best thing I have ever read on buying a horse, so true!!!

OP...if you enjoy him and feel confident etc then really he IS your dream horse if you think about it

 

[milliepops]

Im a big believer in going with your gut instincts.

this.

None of my horses have ever been really what I wanted when I was looking, but they've all turned out to be very special. if he gives you a good feeling, then I'd go for it... you might never find what you *think* you want but you have this chap staring you in the face

 

[Embo]

...I think if you feel he is right even though he wasn't want you wanted, some times we get what we need and not what we want.

This this this in spades.

Sometimes your dream horse is not what you expected. What you need will very quickly become all you want. Speaking from experience my ideal horse wasn't a roman-nosed, chubby, grey gelding. But he was what I needed at the time and has turned out to be my horse of a lifetime.

Best of luck with your new horse we need pics!

 

[Goldenstar]

Try him again and push the boundary’s a bit then if happy vet him and buy him .

 

[be positive]

I don't know what this obsession with feather is all about, having good bone I get but why does it need so much hair to cover it up, a good cob with quality limbs and little feather is probably a better bet to stay sound, is so much less hassle to care for and to my mind is much smarter than a hairy, if it comes at a lower price then so much the better, if you hog it and trim the legs you wont need to plait yet another bonus.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Try him again and if you still feel the same then I think you should probably buy him!

 

[Annagain]

I have always had a thing for rugby players, as much because I enjoy watching the sport and would enjoy watching a partner play and talking about it with him as because I like that 'type'. In my mind I was after Jonny Wilkinson - the suave, flashy number 10. In reality, I got the prop (the short fat ones who play in the scrum, although mine is not that short or fat). I can still watch rugby and talk about it with my OH and do all the things that attracted me to rugby players in the first place and I love doing those things with him. Looks aren't everything

 

[crabbymare]

Does he make you smile and want to be with him? If he does then try him again and get him vetted and home. For me when you buy a horse you need to have must haves and no ways for someone who wants to have fun must haves are temperament, rideability, type (in relation to the height and build of the owner) and approximate age. The no ways would be things like rearing, bucking, spooking, too forward, not forward etc depending on the rider. Things like colour and amount of hair would be in the like to have area and not set in stone if other things were ticked.

 

[Rollin]

I fear i may to be in the same boat, after coming to terms with the fact that i have to part with my TB who over the last 4 years has ruined every scrap of confidence i have.

I am not looking for the same type of horse as you i would like 16HH or bigger sane and safe, if possible a nice Irish draft

but i to cant find one in my budget or that is sane! so i will have to open my eyes to others, that being said i am only really browsing add i don't really wish to buy til September as summer is our busy season at my place of work.

I think if you feel he is right even though he wasn't want you wanted, some times we get what we need and not what we want.

PS make sure we see photos of which ever horse comes home with you

Posts like this break my heart. I have just sold a superb 3 year old CB to the UK for £2500, her older full sister, backed and jumping clear at 85cm sold for £4,000. Both have fantastic temperament. The Cleveland Bay fits the bill for so many riders who want to do a bit of everything. Look at the recent posts on the Cleveland Bay Open Forum, CB's in USA - gelding winning at Prix St. George, younger stallion winning at lower levels in dressage; pure bred mare in HDT negotiating water hazard; another CB competing at BE 90cm with great success. Sane sensible horses who are up to weight and easy to do. Now on the RBST critical list.

 

[Diddleydoo]

Can you try him again with your instructor present?

It sounds like you are really taken with him and the dealer sounds like one of the good ones. We all have a type we like but this little guy sounds like a diamond and an all round gent.

I'm like others on here I did not buy what I set out to buy. Frankly I bought the wrong horse however, 7 years on I would do it again in a heartbeat because she's become my dream and continues to fulfil dreams I would never have dared to dream.

 

[Goldenstar]

Posts like this break my heart. I have just sold a superb 3 year old CB to the UK for £2500, her older full sister, backed and jumping clear at 85cm sold for £4,000. Both have fantastic temperament. The Cleveland Bay fits the bill for so many riders who want to do a bit of everything. Look at the recent posts on the Cleveland Bay Open Forum, CB's in USA - gelding winning at Prix St. George, younger stallion winning at lower levels in dressage; pure bred mare in HDT negotiating water hazard; another CB competing at BE 90cm with great success. Sane sensible horses who are up to weight and easy to do. Now on the RBST critical list.

I don’t personally like CB’s for my myself they just don’t suit me but I would buy one for MrGS a Cb is probably the only thing other than an ID or near ID I would choose.
A nice CB would be a great allrounder for larger woman whaling to do a bit of everything and some dressage .
When I have been looking for hunters the ones I find are always too tall I don’t like a hunter to be over 16.2 ,16.3 at a pinch I struggle to find smaller ID’s as well but there so many more of them it’s easier .
There’s so few CB’s they are a bit stuck in the rare breed niche now and that’s sad .
One of the first people I worked for was from Cleveland and she had several half breds and a friend from Yorkshire evented one up to intermediate and of course Lady Jociey had the lovey Powdermonkey who went from masters hunter to Grad Prix Dressage .He really was a lovely horse .

 

[Ddraig_wen]

I've found that your dream horse isn't always what you think it'll be. I've recently been looking for a new horse after losing my main man. I wanted a CB but the only ones in my price range were either over 15 or yearlings/ 2 year olds. I love th CB and had one a few years ago and rode quite a few as well but couldn't find even a 3 yr old or rising 4 within my budget.
My 2nd choice was to be an ID, found one over in Ireland but she sold before I could get there.

What I ended up with was a lovely sweet little ID x mare 7yr old green but honest as they come and bought unseen. I almost cried when I sat on her, it was like getting back on my main man all over again.


In your heart you'll know when you find / sit on the right one . If little cob makes you smile, if you can see yourself chatting rubbish to him stood in a field and a name pops into your head when you think of him then you've got your answer.

I'd go for it myself. Whats a bit of feather when he makes you smile?

 

[Sukistokes2]

Thank you everyone, I'm sorry not to have replied sooner, my computer crashed and I had assumed it had not posted. I am happy to announce that I went and tried him out last night again. The dealer, Peter, popped me up and sent me out on a hack. Now I don't do hacking on strange horse, I'm a wuzz. However, with my brave pants hitched up around my ears off I went. I did an half hour loop around the roads at walk and trot. We met mopeds, tractor, rubbish bins, other horses running about in fields , barking dogs, a fast car and flapping rubbish. He was tense and green but marched past it all when i pushed him on. The thing is the potential is there and Peter is allowing me to make my mind up slowly. There is no one else looking at him ( mainly the photo I think ) I am very tempted and I am going back and taking a friend this time. I am also ringing my vet about recommendations for local vets. So so far so good.

 

[tashcat]

Trust your gut!

I wanted a little connemara after losing my boy a couple years back - and ended up with a great big grey thoroughbred!

If he passes the vet, he sounds perfect

 

[Shady]

Thank you everyone, I'm sorry not to have replied sooner, my computer crashed and I had assumed it had not posted. I am happy to announce that I went and tried him out last night again. The dealer, Peter, popped me up and sent me out on a hack. Now I don't do hacking on strange horse, I'm a wuzz. However, with my brave pants hitched up around my ears off I went. I did an half hour loop around the roads at walk and trot. We met mopeds, tractor, rubbish bins, other horses running about in fields , barking dogs, a fast car and flapping rubbish. He was tense and green but marched past it all when i pushed him on. The thing is the potential is there and Peter is allowing me to make my mind up slowly. There is no one else looking at him ( mainly the photo I think ) I am very tempted and I am going back and taking a friend this time. I am also ringing my vet about recommendations for local vets. So so far so good.

Suki, he sounds lovely and i for one am hoping you buy him , there is nothing better than hacking out on a good horse, personally i don't much care about anything else as i like to get right out in the wilderness and know my horses will carry me safely past all sorts of mad and scary stuff. When i got My Shadow his owner said he would look after me and i just never assumed he wouldn't so rode him in a certain way , looking back i guess it was a bit daft, she could have been lying , luckily she wasn't but it mean't that the odd tiny thing he didn't like , white cows for example, didn't really bother me and i could just quietly push him past and laugh at him for being an idiot. It sounds as if this horse has the potential already to be safe and a pleasure to ride which is what it's all about at the end of the day xxxx

 

[ester]

errmm from reading your post I think your 'dream horse' has just morphed a bit

 

[Sukistokes2]

errmm from reading your post I think your 'dream horse' has just morphed a bit

Its beginning to look like it

 

[Jill's Gym Karma]

This sounds a lot like my friends' experience of shopping for wedding dresses (my idea of hell, but nevermind..). They went with fixed ideas of what they wanted (no lace, strapless etc) and were persuaded to try something they would never have picked themselves off the rail, and ended up loving a frock totally different to their ideal, with their mum blubbing about how perfect it was.

 

[Ceriann]

Go for it. Getting what you want on paper is never as good as the feeling you’ve had riding this little cob! When I tried my mare she ticked lots of the right boxes for me (confidence issues etc) but wasn’t my type and was out of my price range. I fell in love with her there and then, couldn’t stop thinking how safe she made me feel. 15 months later I’ve never regretted buying her. Try again but if you feel the same - do it!

 

[VRIN]

Like you I started with an ideal of what I wanted ... having tried a few I realised that temperament and a willingness to please was more important than anything else. The one i 'fell' for was nothing like the picture in my mind but he has an amazing temperament and he is so willing. I have had him for nearly a year now and every day he puts a smile on my face. He is only a youngster and can do daft things sometimes but I have NEVER regretted buying him.

So ... go with your gut and enjoy...

 

[JulesRules]

I wanted a coloured cob and ended up with a Highland. The minute I sat on him I knew he was the one. Go with your instinct.

 

[oldie48]

I have my horse of a life time. he was the wrong size (too big) wrong breed (7/8th TB) wrong colour (tobiano) and cost half of my budget. the moment I sat on him I fell in love. We've had our moments, he's not perfect by any means (but neither am I) occasionally scares the ***** out of me but he is giving me the "ride of my life", did my first steps of piaffe today and I am doing things I have only dreamed about. Buy the cob, he sounds perfect!

 

[Talism4n]

Another one here who got what I needed, not what I wanted - twice in a row and it's worked out brilliantly!

Most recently, I set out to for something 15.2hh+, under 12 years old and ideally an ex racer type. Preferably fairly established but sane and proven safe were must haves. Absolutely not a chestnut. I had just lost my horse of a lifetime and wanted something that wouldn't remind me of him. I ended up with a 13 year old 14.3hh chestnut Arab - almost exactly like my old boy - who is quirky in all aspects of life, very opinionated and extremely green. He was sharp and spooky when I tried him but I felt like I was back on my old boy without that reminder being upsetting, so I took a chance on him. Within two weeks he was hacking out alone, totally safe and relaxed, and I love him to pieces.

Sometimes you just have to trust your gut, and if they make you happy, don't second guess yourself because they don't fit the image of what you wanted. A good horse is never a bad colour, after all.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Buy him!!!!! 😂😂