Looking for a horse... what was on your list?

Lippyx

Lippyx

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Firstly... Happy New Year HHO'ers!

So, as this year IS going to be my year, and I AM going to do all the things I keep saying I will, but never do, I have decided to start as I mean to go on!

So when you started looking for your horse or indeed if you are in the process of looking now, out if interest, what's been on your list of must haves, and what had the most priority?

Example; height, age, ability, suitability, price?

I know its not always about what you WANT, as I have many friends who ended up with the opposite of what they intentionally went out to buy, but are very happy.

Just interested really. Did you get what you wanted?

Lx
 
Brakes
Weight carrier
Not a piebald cob
15.3 minimum


I ended up with a piebald cob.... 15.1 The only one I went to look at under great duress and after scouring the country for 6 months. She has good (but not quite reactive enough sometimes when going at very exciting speeds) brakes and she happens to be the horse of a lifetime. Really wish I had stuck to my height limit but hey ho..

They find you x
 
My horse ticked all of my boxes, 16.1hh, 4 yr old gelding, passed full vetting with flying colours, safe & sane, temperament to die for. I have to say 7 years on I couldn't have chosen any better even if he is a tad bigger than I'd expected at just under 17hh (I'm 5'3"!). Good luck with your horse hunting & happy new year!
 
Temperament was right at the top of my list . . . along with enough bone to carry me.

Kali has a wonderful temperament - for me . . . he's sweet, funny, has bags of character . . . but he's a bit of a marmite horse and others might consider him a pain in the rear end.

P
 
A small horse around 14.3 - 15.2
Something young between 4 - 6
Of a hardier type of breed, aiming for something irish with bone. Clean bill of health.
Not bothered about schooling or anything as long as it could hack reasonably. Something for me to bring out and eventually take out and about.
Good stable manners.

I got a 14.1 5 y/o connie who fly bucked me off, was skinny as a coat rack and lame as a dog. His teeth were shocking, his had 4 different types of shoes on. But he could hack and had graded A papers.
Needless to say it was a pitty buy at £800, but in less than a year (despite still being 14.1 obviously) with a lot of input, he's ticked all the boxes I went out to buy and exceeded expectations. He's now fit and healthy and has exceptional manners 9/10 (being a horse, not a machine and all..) we compete every week and still have potential brewing for next year!

So I guess I bought the horse I set out to buy, originally not, but he turned out just as good as anything else :)
 
Min 16.1 4-8, colour immaterial, had to have good confirmation, started off properly or showing clear ability over fences and XC. Nice person on the floor. This was to go eventing and I got all of the above except untested over XC. Being nice on the floor is important to me, I am an amateur and want to enjoy my horses completely and something that is painful on the floor or sour is not for me no matter how talented. Been there done that!
 
Character and presence
Sane out hacking
Enough bone to weight carry (oh not me!)
Good movement
Easy to do - can live in or out

That kind of sums up my boy really - not sure if I had a list at the time as I fell head over heels for him but these are the attributes I would want in any horse I bought.

I would add to that list now 'easy to load' as he's turned out to be a god awful loader!
 
wanted 15.2-16h mare
Preferably coloured
5-8 yrs old
Part TB
Bn 2 few shows etc so not totally green


& of course ended up with complete opposite in my 14.2 (now almost 15.1) 4yr old (now 6), just broken, bay roan, unknown breeding gelding!!

But hes the best!!!
 
happy new year everyone-can we talk quietly ive got a bit of a headache :D
my list was
1. been there done it- easy in everyway (mary poppins type)due to my back surgery
2. absolutely no bucking/rearing/bolting/spinning
3. ability to do a nice test or funride or xc or anything i want (i know its narrowing the field rapidly)
4. has to be narrow type of horse due to hip pain
5. has to be between 15.3hh and 16.1hh
6. light in the hand and off the leg and very well schooled
7. under 2k and had to be a gelding
and can you believe i found him!!!!:D:D:D
 
Temperament was key for me! After a tricky horse I wanted something whilst with scope to have fun on
I always said between 16 and 16.2/3hh, between 4 and 8. Something that loads after my other horse not doing so. I have a horse that fits all this and I am so so happy with her :) she is to BE and BS
 
After the loss of my ex racer in 2012, and the impending birth of my son, my only real specifications were that it must be sane, and sound.
Found a lovely little Sec D that fits the bill perfectly :)
 
Was looking for a mare, ISH or warmblood with some substance, minimum 16hh aged 3-5 with a nice attitude.

I bought a grumpy 7yo 16.2 TB ex-racer gelding who looked like a racing snake :D He had the most awesome attitude when ridden though.

4 years later I have a chunky TB 11yo gelding who is brill to do in everyway. Best buy ever.

Next horse WILL be a 2-4 yo mare. I promise :D
 
Went out looking for 16.1hh+ 4-6 year old Irish type gelding, bay or chestnut, with good paces, conformation and potential to be a decent sane all rounder.
Bought a (then) 16.1hh chestnut Irish 5 year old with amazing paces, a good jump and a great attitude.
I now have a 17.1hh 6 yr old, still has the great paces but the attitude is slightly more opinionated these days!
 
I was looking for;
Something that had seen a bit of everything
Easy going/easy to do (as my first horse)
Between 7-12 years old
ISH, IDx or WBx
16-17 hh
Black, bay, dark bay

I ended up with a 16.2, bright bay, 10 year old, grade b showjumper with manners and a temperament to die for, he is so easy to do and has been as cool as a cucumber since the day he stepped off the lorry :D
 
My list was -

chestnut
tb/wb sort
16hh+
8yo+
seen there, been there, had a go
head screwed on

I've got what I looked for :)
 
nope i got the complete opposite of what i wanted but i'm so glad i did.

i wanted a pony to get my nerve back with the handling (last horse totally killed my nerve) so only about 13hh as my kids would also ride it.
nothing with known issues/injuries.
no chestnuts.
between 8yrs and 10yrs.
local.

i got a 17.2hh chestnut gelding, 12yrs old, on box rest due to an injury and was over 4hours away by car, took us 6 hours to bring him home!

he's been one of the sanest horses i've ever met and is a true gent, my kids ride him all the time and he is so gentle. glad i got the complete opposite of what i was looking for.
 
Heh, my most recent list was 16-16.2hh, mare, backed but ready to ride on, dressage prospect, potential to jump, sane and smart, preferably WB or TB X something hardier. I *bought* an unhandled 16h 2 year old PITA, Trakehner X, who is sometimes sane, somewhat 'special' and a ridiculous spotty colour! Oh and she walks *through* post and rail fences. Methinks the jumping is not going to happen! :-s
 
I wanted youngish (preferably broken) gelding
section D
must be 100% in traffic, good to shoe and catch
didn't mind something I had to bring on a bit
was willing to spend up to £1500

I got 6 year old section D gelding that had never hacked out, hadn't seen traffic, had never had shoes (still hasn't as has marvellous feet which is an amazing bonus), completely unschooled, but happened to be very supple.
He is easy to catch.
He cost £1500

Pure luck!! I remember saying "there's no way I can buy anything that isn't 100% in traffic". It's great having the satisfaction that I have trained him to be good in traffic now - before I bought him, I didn't think I'd have the confidence to do such a thing....
 
I was after a big Irish Draught no older than 7, had to be a gelding, as me and mares just do not get along, and I definately got that nice big grey Irish Draught standing at 17hh as a 7 yr old now, hoping he still has an inch or two left to go, my perfect horse in every way i got him at 3
 
When my partner gave me a budget for a horse....

I wanted

Weight carrier

Small enough for me to mount from the ground for when I fall off

safe sane and sensible

good with traffic

Older been they done it and got the T shirt

Well schooled and forward going.

Hardy Native as as they have to live out, I only rent land.


I ended up with a top class County Level 13.2 hh. 12 year old Fell pony mare who was competing Cornwall show the day after I bought her her and got highest placed Fell :) she is brilliant in traffic hacks out in company and alone, forward going and whizzy when needed but has brakes.She has manners on the ground and is easy to catch. She is my pony soul mate who has improved my confidence so much in the two years we have had her.

Meet Ms Eva Diva :p ;)

Evathedivarosecottageshow-1.jpg
 
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I wanted to buy something by this coming March. I want to go eventing as my current and long term horse was supposed to in 2012 but due to a number of reasons he is now not ridden.

My requirements were it has to be a gelding, between the ages of 4 and 10, started but not necessarily done much, good temperment 16.2 or over preferably IDxTB but 3/4 ID my budget was fairly tight with the view to having enough available by March to spend upto £4000 borrowing a little from parents.

I got a gelding, he is 3, not started, good temperment, 16.1 currently but he's three so he should get to 16.2, he is full ID and came in under budget. I figured I could get more for my money if I put the work in rather than pay someone else to back him. He is brilliant and I am glad I decided to go with my gut and get him 5 months earlier than planned!
 
wanted sane 15.2hh cob cross, 4-6yrs, good in traffic, gentle nature

got 2yr 13.3hh cob cross, who had soo much confidence and had been born where i kept but been sold, i bought her back as i felt sorry for her had not been turned out in company for a yr and just 'went in a round pen for an hour every few days' had rubber matting and a sprinkle of shaving she stunk as did her rugs.

she has grown now 15.1 and 5yr, still full of confidence and with my friend for a yr being slowly backed and bought on
 
15-16hh
4 -6yrs
Preferably not a grey!
Has seen & started over sj's
Loads well
Ideally not over £2.5k or an ex racer

This is the list of what we're looking for, haven't found it yet as have only been browsing until our current one goes. I don't think ill have too much trouble finding something that fits though xx
 
Keimanp said:
I wanted to buy something by this coming March. I want to go eventing as my current and long term horse was supposed to in 2012 but due to a number of reasons he is now not ridden.

My requirements were it has to be a gelding, between the ages of 4 and 10, started but not necessarily done much, good temperment 16.2 or over preferably IDxTB but 3/4 ID my budget was fairly tight with the view to having enough available by March to spend upto £4000 borrowing a little from parents.

I got a gelding, he is 3, not started, good temperment, 16.1 currently but he's three so he should get to 16.2, he is full ID and came in under budget. I figured I could get more for my money if I put the work in rather than pay someone else to back him. He is brilliant and I am glad I decided to go with my gut and get him 5 months earlier than planned!
Click to expand...

full ID 3yr old at 16.1hh bet he ends up at over 17hh
 
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