So when did you know you had found you 'one in a million' horse?

And here she is......

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I hadn't ridden for many years due to health issues with my mare when a friend asked if I wanted to ride one of her's as her daughter was in the middle of exams and didn't have enough time. I had a few lessons first as I had not ridden and then went to her yard. Her horse and her daughter's were tacked up ready and she asked which one I wanted to ride. Her's was a TB X, the daughter's an Arab X. I do not like Arabs but she convinced me to ride him as he was calmer. I got on him and I immediately felt relaxed and confident it was very strange, never looked back absolutely loved him and he came to me on loan when her daughter went to uni. He was amazing and there will never be another like him for me, unfortunately he was PTS 5 years ago at the age of about 19. I miss him every day.
 
As soon as I saw him, it was on a riding school yard and he'd just come back from a hack. I asked if I could ride him, was told no as I was 12 and I'd never hold him. So I waited and waited until one day I was allowed on. And that was that.
That was 14 years ago, I've been to uni in that time and had horses of my own but they were never quite like Copper. This summer he retired from the riding school and came to live with me, he literally is my dream come true.
 
When I first saw my horse of a life-time I was very low, my mother was terminally ill, I'd lost my previous horse to wobblers then mistakenly bought a a bullish horse that sapped my confidence.

I first described Sol as ugly, sludge coloured with small ears and a funny canter (I was only right about the small ears and the funny canter) :D

I got him home on trial and as soon as he came off the lorry I knew I could never send him back to the dealer and so never had him vetted. I've had him 8 years this year and I look forward to seeing him every day. We've had our moments over the years but I love him to bits.

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My horse of a lifetime was many years ago. She's been dead for not far off 20 years now but she still has a very strong hold on my heart. I liked her the moment I saw her but it was when I rode her for the first time that I just knew she was "my one in a million horse". She was actually by far the toughest horse I've ever ridden, she had loads of buttons and was often classed by others as a total nutter. I owned her for many years until she died in her 20s and we had an incredible journey together. I have had so many better horses than her in my lifetime but none of them hold a candle to her. The feelings I had for her went very deep and no other horse since has even come close to stealing my heart the way she did.
 
I think it was the first time I rode him, but it might have been before that, I just didn't let myself believe he would ever be mine. We were both 13 when I first sat on him.

I knew him for a year before I rode him as his owner had three horses including a little pony that was dumped at her yard as a foal. When the youngster was old enough to be broken in, my instructor at the riding school I was at put me in touch with the owner and I started riding him and doing jobs around the yard etc which included dealing with her other horses, Ebony being one of them.

I was totally in awe of him. He was a typical Section D, full of presence and attitude and incredibly bolshy and stubborn but with that something special. I never dreamed I'd be good enough to ride him but I was outgrowing Blue the little 13hh pony fast and after his owner saw me bringing Eb in from the field one day - he was pratting about and I wasn't phased by it in the least, but didn't give in to him either - she decided to let me ride him. The first time, we swapped at the bottom of the farm lane on the way home from a hack. I was terrified but he behaved and with 100 yards to go I asked if I could trot. That trot had me hooked. The next day I jumped him and we never looked back.

4 years later I bought him for £5 as his owner had to move away from her abusive husband. He stayed with me until he died unexpectedly of colic (only the second time he'd seen the vet in 14 years) six weeks before his 27th birthday, and three days before mine:(
 
When i saw her ear and face sticking out over the stable door, her kind eyes looking at me and she whickered. We had a lovely cuddle. I bought her about a day later :).

Never looked back :)
 
When I sat on my mare I knew she was special.

She scared the living daylights out of me for a while, but then we found our mojo and she is my world.

I will never find another horse like her, she knows me so well and reacts before I even ask things (if thats possible)
 
When you fall off trying them out :rolleyes:
I went flying over his head when he stopped at the jump. He also bucked, hopped and leaped around.
But i felt 100% on him and loved him.
Now hes broken :(:eek:

I hated my first pony when i saw him as he barged passed me in the stable and ******ed off. Then proceeded to buck buck buck his way around the arena. But i love him to pieces 3 years later and pass his field everyday for treats and kisses. Im going to buy him back
 
Basically the feeling that I would rather cut out my own eyeballs with a spoon than ever sell him and that every morning is like christmas morning knowing he is my horse.

I felt like that the moment I saw him really and once he was delivered, even after a day it felt like I had owned him for years.

He's my 'it's as good as it get's horse', for me there won't be any other horse that would be better. He is the right package and I love him so much. He's more than a horse, he's my best friend :).
 
Having read these I really can't wait to my perfect horse after having too long with horses that I loved but are unfortunately not quite right. It's actually convinced me what to do next with my horse... Whew thats a weight off might get some sleep now!... !:rolleyes::):p
 
I can tell you the day I bonded with Ted. More than once I dismouted from Ted in tears and said that I 'hated' him and 'why did I think I could change a physco horse' then one day I had ridden him and for the first time he was good and behaved and did what I wanted to do.

I put him back in his stable and went into my tack room (opposite) to put my hat away, as I came out I saw ted with his head over the door and just had this feeling in his stomach. I knew that no matter what he did to me I would protect him and make sure he was happy and comfatable!
 
My one in a million is/was "LORD"

I see the advert in the Internet where he was posted KILLER SEARCH HOME

an 4 year old TB gelding not broken bad behavior
I call the owners for a viewing
next day I arrive the stable the owner meet me with his injured Eye i asked him what happend the "killer have done that as he want to catch him from the field
uppppppppppppps i thought

Then he was tell me more about the "Killer" no one can go in his box or the field because he is aggressive 20 viewers has tried it and The Killer dont let them in

Ok I respond lets have a look

I lookes straight into the Building saw his head and it was over tears was rolling the owner was straight going and I was behind him

I look through the metall asked the owner can I go in?
He respond OF your own risk

I agreed and opened the box I was still standing and was looking to the signs what THE KILLER was given me

I was forward going sloly step by step He have done NOTHING so end up was that his head was in my jacket the owner stands there with a wide open mouth and I respond I take him home as he is

Without vetting etc.
I put him straight into the trailer next day and we had a lovley time for 8 years I WILL NEVER FORGET HIM NEVER
 
One day I will come back on this thread and tell you about my one in a million horse and how on our first meeting she nipped my arm and gave me a stonking bruise which i hid from everyone because she had a bad rep and I didnt want it to be true ..... It's true .... So i will come back when i feel like we actually like each other! Maybe see you in a decade! :rolleyes:
 
I am 51, I have had ponies and horses one at a time on loan and owned since I was 13 (before this I was taken to riding schools once a week). As an adult I have always had Arabians and loved them all believing each to be the best horse in the world. I sold my last Arab when my daughters grew out of their welsh pony and needed something they could show and do more with about 15 years ago and since then I have been pony/horse carer rather than rider.
10 weeks ago having re homed all but our 38year old Blue Cross pony and with my younger daughter owning her 2nd TB, I went to see Shona , a 12 year old idXwb headshy Mare, hacked out on a road in walk and trot and bought her on the basis of a gut feeling.
10 weeks on and I have not a single regret, she's totally different to any horse I have had dealings with before, she's much less headshy, she's safe and gives confidence to all around her and she makes me content.
I love the bones of her, her registered name is Cloud Nine and that's how I feel...soppy huh?
 
Had finally got the 'rents permission to get another horse (didnt need to as I was an adult, but because I have a lot of health problems, needed to know there was someone to help look after him) and had booked the day off work to see 4 horses. Everyone of them called to say the horses were sold, so I had another look through the yellow paper, found an ad for a TB (not what I wanted) so rang the number as I just really wanted to see a horse. Noone answered so went off in a sulk :p but 10 mins later the girl calls back and said did you call about my horse. Told her I wasnt afer a TB but had booked the day off, everone had sold and wanted to see a horse and she said just come up. Travelled 50 miles to see her took one look at the horse that was advertised and said sorry but pointed to his field mate (another tb) and said 'can I see him?' (both were for sale) and that was it. He was a complete mess, total hat rack, scabs all over, such a dull coat and overgrown feet. Could barely get a trot out of him let alone canter but I was smitten and 3 weeks later he was mine. Sadly I lost him 11.5 months later, but I shall never forget him :(
 
Well, my mum bought my horse of a lifetime when i was nine and he was sixteen. He is amazing, he's now 29 and living with my mum. He's still occasionally ridden by my mums boyfriends 11yo son and he's just a bundle of joy. Here he is, i had this photoshoot done when we retired him, aged 27.

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Him at 24...

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I had another horse after him, who i loved but wasn't the same. Had things to do with various different ones, then i agreed to take on an ex-racehorse.

It's weird i remember so well the first time i sat on him (after a few days of ground work, as he hadn't been ridden since he raced as a 2yo) i remember looking through his ginger ears, and i just felt so at home on him. Just everything about him was.... right. I knew then i could never sell him and three years later he's still here (was bought to sell). I've had a few horses alongside him, but it's just never the same. I feel blessed (if i believed in that, so the equivalent non religious term...) to of found him :)

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I knew as soon as I saw my mare- even though she was an absolute cow and tried to lunge at me over the stable door :o. She was my horse of a life-time but sadly I lost her to Navicular, Collateral Ligament damage and a Nuerological problem :( ...I spent thousands but it just wasn't enough.

After that I vowed to never ever get another and spent my summer being a teenager :) ...then my beautiful new girl found me, it's early days and I've only had her just over a month but she's a super star and I'm so glad I have her...and horses back in my life.
 
When I first saw Leo with his head over the stable door. I'd seen about 8 horses, nearly bought one of them (failed vetting) and I knew as soon as I saw him, my friend and instructor knew at the same time, we both gasped at him! lol! He's just got a spark about him, and when I rode him it just confirmed it, 2 weeks later he was home :D

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i knew the moment i saw my girl, i was viewing her for someone else and just fell head over heels! she was completely different to other horses i had before but just couldnt resist her!

Sadly she passed away suddenly in may last year after 8 wonderful years together, i miss her everyday.

i now have a new lad who came along just at the right time and i truly believe my girl sent him :) (i know im daft lol!)
 
Mine was a scruffy black pony, i was viewing another horse (dealers) she looked so sad and nervous. So i brought her on - she was a total witch at the start - even rolled on me once! Then suddenly it all clicked and she was the best. Big hearted pony you could wish for had a good few years on her, but sold her in the end as she was too small for me :( still miss her now and have never had that same bond again with a horse
 
I saw a picture of CP on the internet on the site where she was advertised. There were several others in my price range but I knew before I even saw her in the flesh that I was going to have her.

We have something that words can't describe. In the words of my head girl yesterday on talking to Mr Worried.
"Lilly is alright when Emma is a round, she's a pain in the bum the rest of the time!" :D
 
I emailed his owner and asked if she had any young horses for sale and she replied with video links to 3 horses. The first one I watched was G and I fell in love with him straight away! His big, floppy ears just melted my heart. I had to catch a plane to try him and it was definitely worth the time and expense. I hacked him out with the yard rider and he was amazing. I found myself thinking "I wonder if we'll go for a canter" which stunned me as I'd lost all my confidence on a previous horse and he was a newly broken 4yr old :) I've had him since may and tho I've had confidence wobbles, he's always been good to me. He's cheeky and full of character and the thought of him not being here is totally unbearable!
 
Sunny was a surprise really, but when he first came to call we knew he was the one :) He has had lots and lots of problems (dodgy dealer buy) but because of everything we know he will be in our family forever no matter what! x
 
As soon as I saw this:

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I was smitten. I didn't even try her when I went to view her, I just KNEW. I knew what people on the yard where saying behind my back but we just clicked.

Four months on, they were eating their words:

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After I'd lost my confidence I bought Loki and did a lot of work with him and my instructor, he was very very green in the school.
My instructor told me to have our first canter a few months later and at first I was inwardly terrified but we went for it and as soon as we got the canter I knew I would never be afraid when I was with him!
He's mr laid back and has made me feel so safe and comfortable even when he has a rare buck I never feel even in the slightest bit afraid :D
 
when i saw her.

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how could i resist, we are now forever partners in crime lol, shes only 8 mths now. pic was when she was just born.

Black Velvet is her name.

just to add, she is my new one in a million, johney is the main man in my life with 4 legs, and he is going to show her the ropes, as he is getting on in years. johney is my babe have him nearly 19 years, also he is not and never will be replaced, just has a new friend and he loves her so much, its so funny as he likes to be on his own normally apart from the odd mare, but he loves the bones of her to, so he has also confirmed she is another one in a million.

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Its so hard to say. My parents bought Seren for me when I was 11, I loved her right away stood in that auction, she was suddenly all mine and it was only really as I got older and a bit wiser that I could see what an amazing mare she had been in all our 19 years together. Perhaps I was too young to fully understand it at first, but she was my most adored pony from whn she arrived, out of all of our horses over the years Seren was 'the one', she was my one in a million.

I have only had Nell a year (1 year on 22nd January) so we are still building our relationship and bond in truth, she seems to be a lovely young mare and I hope in time she is my next horse of a lifetime just like Seren was, though it will never be the same, nor would I want it to be. She is so different to Seren personality wise which has been a real change for me, but I have grown to love Nell quite a lot and I have high hopes for us as a pair

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