Looks , personality or just designed for the job? Why that horse?

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NIKKI1974

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When people buy a horse i often wonder how much a horses looks come into imaking that final decision.I am a real showing enthusiast so i hate to say it but looks and confirmation play a huge role in making my choice and obviously a horse that is true to type.I know everyone has their own opinion of what is their dream horse but if the horse was ideal for the job you wanted it to do but ,it was bay rather than that chestnut you always dreamed of owning,would you still buy it?Does a horses personality matter to you more than how gorgeous everyone thinks it is.Beauty is in the eye of the beholder i love all horses but what really made you make that final choice.All response welcome good or bad!!!!!
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Guess suitability is more important to me.........Wanted a Chestnut, Welsh D mare..............got a Piebald, Cob mare..........guess one out of 3 on my wish list isn't bad!!!!!!
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I would say conformation and temperament are probably the most important things. Conformation because of soundness and performance issues (also if you are showing then poor conformation wont get you very far). Temperament for trainability and personality. No point having a horse that you dont get on with.
 
For you, the job you want your horse to do is related to it having a very good conformation. Therefore you are also choosing your horse for it's job. My horse has pretty bad conformation (long back, very upright legs, short neck, huge head, built downhill... I could go on
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) but she does her job perfectly, which is being a confidence giver. She also had a fairly good run at unaff prelim dressage and would have done tiny SJing/ hunter trials/ ODEs so she's a proper confidence-giving all-rounder. Conformation definately still matters though, as she's injured now because of her very upright legs and downhill conformation. If I had more money at the time maybe I wouldn't have bought her, but she did her job for me even in eight months. Her temperament is also perfect for her job, as she's so laid-back and chilled out, nothing phases her (apart from pigeons!)
IMO it's more of a compromise between conformation, temperament, ability etc.
 
My past record (Ellie was 23rd horse I looked at) would hint that I'm rather fussy! When we were looking, we had an idea of the job we wanted the horse to do. Sex/colour/breed and even height were negligable!
The 3rd horse we looked at was perfect in every way, except scope; he would never have managed a clear at anything above 2"9, and we were looking for a bit more! There were a couple we saw who simply didnt suit me; one had very tickly sides, another had a mouth of iron, another was a little too staid. Looks are an important 1st factor, but I wouldnt have said they are the defining point. We saw an absolutely stunning chestnut horse - if buying from photos, we'd have had him every time - but he just didnt quite fit the bill!

I'm lucky, as I ended up with a horse with far more scope than I could ever wish to use, who is as beautiful as she is intelligent and lovely!
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When we looked at Mickey, on the other hand, he was the first we'd seen. Not as pretty as Ellie by any means; he was very long backed, with spidery legs and a roman nose. But he was so handsome in his own way, and if im honest, it was his terrible history that made me want him so much. We were not a match riding-wise, but it didnt matter, for he was my best friend!

So I think its a combination of factors, really, depending on what you want the horse to do. Sometimes, you just 'click'.

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I always said I wouldnt have a mare. *whoops*

But to me temperament, goes over conformation, sex, age, looks. As long as the horse is suited to us, and us to the horse it doesnt matter.
 
I cannot warm to a pig-ugly horse I would just be embarassed to go out with it - though I would always love it at home! So yes I guess looks do come into it

And I have a dislike for pink bottoms.
 
I said that I wouldn't have a mare, or one with lots of white, or a horse over 15.2.... ended up with a 16hh piebald (lots of white) mare!!

To be honest I would have looked straight past her except for my friend saying that she had a nice face. Her condition was awful and she had no shoes on, but she gave me a lovely feel and I didn't want to get off her! We've had our ups and downs, you can't clip her, she was a cow to shoe (therefore no shoes when I first saw her!) and wouldn't stand still anywhere, but now I have a horse that you can take anywhere and she will behave, will stand for hours chatting to people and is just all round good fun - you just can't clip her!
 
I had a debate with my friend the other day and i didnt actually realise until i heard myself what i was like. Ideal horse chestnut four whites and a blaze like my old horse bless her.Always said id have another mare so that if for some reason it had an injury that forced me to retire it i could possibly then breed from it so wouldnt be total disaster.So what have i got now a bay gelding three year old pba who is a total head case but his personality did it for me .sooo cheeky bit like me really so we two of a kind and feels right . Then someone else said would you ever own a coloured horse ,i love them but i turned round and said only if it had symetrical markings and the dominant colour was the brown or black.Think i am losing it!!!!!
 
I have just had to decide to sell a coloured mare, as it was not suitable for my daughter, and somehow I am put off all coloureds now because of that. Silly really.

I have always had a liking for bright bay.

Well done Marnie for "making" a horse that could have ended up on the knacker's yard.
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Personality and ability to do the job are the main things for me but I would avoid something with dodgy conformation. Colour isn't important, but I'd take a lot of persuading to consider a mare.
I am also a bit of a snob though, and like Armhole wouldn't want a horse that wasn't reasonably attractive.
 
Spooks isn't a top notch show pony, he's not the fastest, he's not the prettiest, he can't jump the highest, and although he tries - he's no grand prix dressage horse.

But despite all that, he is the most honest and safe little horse i have ever come across - he is rock solid and he tried his heart out for anyone who gets on his back whether he knows them or not, and that was apparent from the first instance that I got on him.

When I went to look at him I had totally lost my confidence. I looked at another horse first and despite the fact that on paper it was my dream horse, i just didn't feel safe, and i get on spooky and instantly knew he was the one to help me.

His conformation isn't up to much, but he is my perfect little horse!
 
My horse was not the one I orginally went after.
I wanted a coloured preferably a filly - Jasper is a chestnut gelding.
I wanted something medium height 15.2hh - 16.hh - Jasper will make over 16.hh
I did not want a Thoroughbred - Jasper is a part Thoroughbred.
The only thing I was determined to get was a youngster which I did and I fell in love with his big ears and kind eyes and he really is a lovely natured horse.
 
It isn't looks, for me. It is just a certain something which I can't explain!
When I went to see Eric, we just clicked and he walked over to me when he was being ridden in the school. He was a handsome boy, but we just instantly clicked.

Afterwards, I saw quite a few horses but none made me think I had to have them for me. Until i met Herbie, by chance.
He was being schooled at a dealers, and I just fell in love.
He probably doesn't have good conformation, and probably isn't ideal for me! But I sw him and could think of nothing else.
Took a long time for me to feel that way about any horse after losing my best friend, and I was very lucky that OH bought him for me.
I do love chestnuts, so that is a bonus! But if he had been bay, grey or any other colour, it wouldn't have mattered.
In an ideal world, I would have a skewbald or a grey with black mane and tail or a gold horse lol! (I have a coloured, but a slightly bigger version would be nice!)
 
I first clicked with Cinn before I understood anything about conformation or looks, so it was his personality which I loved
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When I look at him now, I think he is very handsome chap, he certainly has the cute factor
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. He has a few conformation faults but they don't stop him being a bloomin' fabulous jumper
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Well, top of my list was, Bay Gelding, around 10 Schoolmaster type (was suffering from a bit of a confidence crisis) so would have done a bit of everything, to enable me to go out and do a bit of Dressage and Jumping but also to be good looking enough to do some showing/working hunters (Hmmm very much like my first horse - Wals)

And what did I end up with??

5 year old Grey Mare and all Moo had done was a seasons hunting!! But although she looked rather odd (dare I say a little on the ugly side) she had a wonderful temprament. Luckily she grew into her body and now looks alot better - a typical ID!!

It just goes to show that I started out with a list of what I did and didnt want - as soon as I saw her the list went out of the window as I knew she was right for me!!
 
i would be looking for temperament for general handling and training/riding, and conformation for soundness all over
i would be drawn to a beautiful horse initially but would have to make sure the conformation and temperament was there
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I don't know exactly why but i love chestnuts. I've owned and/or ridden all the other colours but the special ones have all been chestnuts. So now when I'm horse shopping I only bother looking at gingers cos if they're a different colour I just don't feel the same way about them. Colour should be the least important factor but the last horse I bought because she was ginger and gorgeous has a screwed up past and was being sold with serious issues. I had a reasonble budget and wasn't after a horse with problems but for some reason I knew it was the right horse. Its took me six months and some excellent professional help to learn the secret to staying on her back longer than 30 seconds! However I know she's going be my best mate for a very long time.
 
yepeeeeee!!!!!! another person in the gingy fan club the brighter the better for me and mine was an arab mare too and had the most fantastic temperement she was one in a million!
 
Another Chestnut fan here too, we have 8, and only 2 other colours.

When we got our driving ponies we wanted a 4 in hand pony team, not cobs, although registered natives would do, all geldings, all under 15 and over 4. It happened we managed to get just that, and they happened to be liver chestnut welsh B's.

When we got Pip and Ginga we wanted a pair of potential competition ponies with good temperaments, again no feathers unless registed native, it just happened the only ones we found were Chestnut welshX's.

When we got teddy we wanted a safe LR and FR pony that could go to the top, or had already got the t-shirt. For him clearly looks were very important.

When we got Ajay we wanted a shetty that could go to the top, for as cheap as possable, he just happened to be a chestnut. Conformation was key with him.

My parents have always said they will NEVER have a cob or a coloured, because they are gypsy horses and to date we have never had one. It could be the most ideal pony in the world, but I still don't think they would budge!
 
Looks are important to me - as are manners, ability conformation, etc etc. I'm very picky and I'd certainly never buy an ugly horse.
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No you could have a stunning looking horse that is pretty to look at but if it has cow hocks and pigeon-toed its doesnt have good confirmation two seperate things
 
Suitability and personality and most important, but I wouldn't want a horse that was really ugly
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. Saying that, everyone has different opinions on whats pretty - I think Chex is a nice looking pony, but many would say he's an ugly wee beast!
 
I like good looking horses, but some horses you click with and some you dont. I liked coloureds when i was looking for my boy, but also looked at a chestnut mare, as she fitted the bill. I wouldn't have brought G just for his colour, as his colour/looks wouldnt have made him move/perform well!!! I have met some pig ugly horses that transform under saddle, so as the saying goes, beauty is as beauty does....
 
I have bought 3 horses because there "was just somethng about them that I liked". In the main it was temperment that drew me to all 3 and as the old saying goes " a good kind eye". All 3 would be taken off me now for a vastly increased profit yet all have minor conformation issues. (parrot mouth for one, slightly pigeon toed for another, a sarcoid for the third). I suppose it depends what you want to do with them!!In my case a good mind over a perfect body wins!!
 
Ha ha true, but I would include the head in assessing conformation and I would have thought that pretty heads would be correctly proportioned. But I supposed you could have a pretty head on a dodgy body!
 
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