The first time you saw the one?

benson21

benson21

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Do you remember the very first time you saw your horse? Did you know that was the one for you?
The first time I saw don, he was at The Fayre Oaks sale in Wales. He was standing at the back of his stable, it was really noisy in the hall, and he just looked at us, as though to say, 'whats going on?'. he had such an innocent look to him, we went into the stabls, took his rugs off, picked his feet up, and he just stood there, calmly letting us do all of this whilst talking to his owner.
With Benson, we found him through a loan advert in our local tack shop. we went to their yard, he was out in the field. They brought him in and we gave him a brush, he had been out for a while so was fairly thick mud! He hadnt been ridden for about 4 years we were told, so he was quite sluggish to begin with. I fell for him straight away!
Anyone got any nice stories to tell? Just to while away a very boring morning!!!
 
Yep love at first sight with my then foal not my OH though tehee! I had a young baby so wasnt 'looking' but saw this cute foal with a shock of orange forelock and knew I had to have her! A few weeks of discussing the finer details and she was mine, one of the best decisions I've made she is amazing!
 
yes I remember it well (only being 6 months ago :D) hehe, i'd seen about 7 horses at that point, one I nearly bought but it failed the vetting, most of them were slightly underweight, and some were nice just not for me, didnt have that spark.

So i went to see Leo and the mare that his owner was selling as well, as soon as I saw him in the stable I knew, there is just something about him, I was drawn to him, me and my friend were both like, 'oh look at him!' but the mare was in the stable closest so we viewed her first, she wasnt for me, I was desperate to see Leo, I was trying to keep my excitment in and go with my head, so when he was brought out I was just like omg he is amazing, saw him ridden, rode him and just fell in love with him, 2 weeks later he was home.

He is the most fantastic horse, he is exactly what I wanted, kind, a real gentleman, safe, full of personality (his old owner called him a person and you can definatley see why when you meet him) and easy to do, I'm a very lucky and happy mum! :D :D :D :D
 
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i knew as soon as i saw the picture of my horse, when i went to view him it just confirmed it even more that i wanted him. loved him the second i clicked on his ad!

i saw my pony and said to my OH that i wanted him, he just stood out. we got another one who didn't appeal to me at the time but i've grown fond of him over the years and wouldn't change him for anything. the one i said i wanted was fab to start with but is now a royal pain in the butt but still love him!
 
My mare was stood in the corner of her stable, eyes white, ears back. The owner asked me to shut the stable door and wait outside while she tacked her up as she could get nasty. I loved her by this point and my dad was shaking his head at me!! The owner rode her first and then I did, she bucked but I loved her as she floated around the school. Yes she was grumpy but she was stunning!! She never changed much from that but you could leave the stable door open! haha x

My gelding was similar, but I was told he was dangerous, vertical rears, bucks, soins, bolts etc, had broke 3 peoples legs, someones teeth and kicked two people in the head. She was so honest when selling him, even from the first phone call. So after riding him - he was almost sluggish, I had him as a LWVTB for 3 months, he tried killing me every time i rode him. Then one day, he gave up, he knew I was not giving in with him and it was almost like a sparkle in his eye came back, he has never disappointed me since and now jumps foxcomers and should be moving up soon. I could see his potential, and now I love him more and more each day.
 
Aww love good stories like these.

I remember going to view Merls who was advertised as part share soon as I saw him in the field I just knew he was the one, led him down groomed him rode in the 'sand pit' of a school and yes confirmed it for me he was 'The One'.

And recently, having viewed one this weekend soon as I saw her I instantly knew again was something about the way she turned and looked at me when she was on yard tied up.
Rode her in school, she was as gentle as she looked too although nice and responsive to the leg......and bobs your uncle she's settled lovely into her new home. :D :D
 
It wasn't love at first sight no.

I went to see another Horse at the same yard, I didn't really take to the first Horse they showed me, then the woman said we have another for sale I will go and get her. She was a tad underweight, no muscle, as hairy as a yak, missing the skin of her head (she had run into a tree and skinned her face!) she also threw her owner off :o But the truth was, I hadn't felt so safe on a Horse in 2 years.

First time I knew she was the one, is when I had my first canter on grass in 3 years! she looked after me.

MerleyWerly, pictures are a must!!! so happy for you :D x
 
I knew Deano was the one the first time I saw a photograph of him. I nearly didn't phone about him because I was trying to steer clear of another TB. His ad was pretty simple, just something like 'heartbreaking sale of a honest gentleman' with a few details re breed, colour and height and no picture. However a couple of people pointed out the ad to me after I had first seen it and so i thought why not. I spoke to his owner and arranged to see him the next day. Then she texted me a few photographs - in one them he was lying in his stable looking at the camera with such a lovely, gentle, interested, happy expression on his face and i thought 'that's him'. And it was.
It is the same way he looks at me as I walk down the yard towards him every day and it still makes me feel like all is right with the world.
 
Honestly?

No. I didn't like him at all. I avoided riding him at all costs and when I did have to ride him, I'd bargain with people so I didn't have to tack him up.
I'm glad YO forced me upon him, I am so happy now :)

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Yes indeed! I had looked at a few foals and then a place nearby got back to me with a 3 month old they had. They sent a photo first which i absolutely loved:

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And then i went to see him and it was love at first sight! He was cute, cheeky, an absolute bugger but, when turned out in the round pen had flying changes and paces to die for! I had my mind made up then. They tried to show me some others but I just was not interested. I paid a deposit there and then and he came home at 6 months.

3 and a half years later I have this:

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When I saw Herbies advert I realy wasn't intrested. I had just had Lucy's diagnosis and my whole world was falling appart. My boss perswaded me to go and have a look at him.
We arrived to find a very sad little pony living in someones back garden all on his own :( It broke my heart the moment we arrived. I caught him in from the garden. The owner refused to get on him so we ran him up and down the drive a couple of times and then tacked him up and I rode him round the woods behind her house. He was such hard work, (I'm convinced to this day he had been doped). The more I spoke to his owner about him the more I wanted to take him home there and then. She had advertised him as 13.2hh but he was clearly only about 12.2hh He had been a stallion till he was 7, he was only 8 and had had atleast 6 other owners already. This owner was selling after 6 months and looking in his passport the owner before that had only had him 5 months. The current owner was telling us how she rescued Herbie and he had been realy difficult when she got him but she had fixed all his problems with Parelli, she just didn't want him anymore. :(
My boss being the voice of reason said we would phone her with our answer once we had thought about it. I cryed the whole way home. I was so upset we had left him there. As soon as we got home my boss phoned and said we would be there to pick him up in three days time. :) and the rest as they say is history ;) :D :D
So wasn't realy ove at first sight more pity I think. He wasn't what I was looking for at all but now I wouldn't be without him. I love him so much.
 
yes!!!!!!! went to the worst dealer in the country on my own and he pulled the rug of a hat rack. i handed over to much money for a horse i was nowhere near confident enough to cope with.
hated/loved him for the fist six months but he grew on me.
Winged it for pretty much the first six months and after a few visits to casualty bought an australian saddle which gave me the confidence to ride.
Love him to bits now , he s very low maintenance and i can leave him for a few weeks then throw the saddle on him and toddle off for a little hack.
Definately not the way to do it, and with hindsight I would have been a lot better off with a nice safe cob.... but he is the horse i have got and he is going nowhere.. no one else would put up with him!
 
It was an advert on Preloved that I'd scanned past a few times, pic showed a rather bedraggled 4yr old who was advertised at 14hh, which I thought was too small. I think it was curiosity that made me email, and because it was local I ended up going to view (no harm done viewing, eh?).

Owner said the field was a little hard to find, so I met him at his house about 15miles away. We then spent nearly an hour following him down tiny country lanes, to finally end up on a lane about 6miles from home which I knew from riding round years ago. It was pouring with rain (had been all day), pone was stood in a field looking like a drowned rat, but my first words were "wow".

Only spent about 20mins there chatting to owner, I rang back the day after to arrange dropping off a deposit. All downhill from there!
 
well i knew my boy was the one for me just from his advert. i wake up each morning and cant wait to see him-im very happy:D
 
The first time I saw mine was when the ramp of the horsebox was lowered and he stepped onto the yard! :D He was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen and I am so glad I took a gamble on him :)

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Looking for a just broken highland, nothing about. Bored one afternoon and looked on stud websites. Found a stunning gelding, not usually blown away by looks but thought wow. Visited his page a few times and again thought yes.

Went to royal highland met someone who asked how my search was going, not well but have seen a beautiful 3 year old called Balleroy Mercury, Linda introduced me to the stud owner there and then who said pop overto Malvern on Saturday and meet Freddie.

Another friend was judging, Freddie went highland champ there and then and she said super pony for me. Went and saw Freds next week and he arrived just after July bombings. He not always been easy but he is a wonderful boy
 
I saw Billy's advert on the stud website and he really stood out. When I went to see him I tried 5 different horses even though it was him I was most interested in. He was absolutely beautiful, albeit a bit of a scrawny just turned 4yo. His temperament was great in the school if a bit skittish outside! He had been broken for 6 weeks and was relatively balanced and had amazing potential, he came home the following month :). I love him to bits! He has turned into a right spooky devil - always looking for gremlins and monsters but he's still my silly old sod :p.
 
Mini TX asked me when she was about 8 or 9 if she could have riding lessons at a local riding school and mummy, who had ridden as a kid, but had given up, but had never stopped loving horses, duly obliged. While Mini TX was in the arena, I used to wander around the american barn, having a chat with each of the horses. There was always this very dusty, grumpy, unkempt looking black cob who I kept coming back to for carrots and a cuddle. God knows why as when the carrots ran out he was a miserable git.

Anyway, I got persuaded to starting to ride again myself by Mini TX's instructor. I booked a couple of lessons and asked who I would be riding and was told I would be riding Barney, who was very safe in the arena and was great with nervous riders, and who was the black cob in question. Anyway, I was very nervous on my first lesson, but thoroughly enjoyed myself. I had a lot more lessons on him and on a few other horses, but my thoughts always came back to him. I then found myself booking at least 3 lessons a week on him, just to ride him.

Sadly the riding school owner's marriage broke up and she had to sell up. This meant selling up all the horses. She asked me if I wanted first refusal on him, and boy did I jump at this chance. I had him vetted a week later and he was mine, my very first horse!

Eight years later he is still mine. Yes he still is a grumpy git, an old git now, as he is nearly 20, but I havent regretted on minute of it. It is true he was not the perfect first horse I was sold as he was quite sharp, bargey and bolshy and was nappy on the roads, but we have worked through it and are very happy.
 
I knewhe was the one after reading the advert!
The lady had gone into great detail about him and what he was like, real confidence giver etc etc.
Went to try him out after not sitting on a horse for at least 5 yrs, and wow my confidence was back there and then.
I've never felt so safe on a horse as I did on him, and he's still the same 7 months later.
He was the 1st I went to view and really didn't want to look at anything else, he is perfect for me and I live him to bits :)
 
B1 was looking over the gate and I just remember she was purple with white spots and very little personality but I had to have her.

B2 was pulling faces and hated me grooming him but tried so hard not to hurt me. I took a softer brush to that job after that and he blossomed.
 
Was out walking our dogs along an old railway track and saw this ;

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That was it - just had to have him. We had to go round the whole village to find out who the owner was - but I ended up with Shy :)

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I met my horse when I started doing some poo picking for her then owner for some extra cash. She showed me all the horses and saw the most beautiful chestnut mare with such a pretty eye. She was soo sweet. I then got the chance to ride as her owner said she needs loads of exercise. I loved her. A couple of month later they decided to sell her as was not really the show jumper they wanted. I bought her. Certainly the sort of horse I would of choosen on paper a young arab x chestnut mare lol. It certainly was not plain sailing. 12 years on still have her and love her to bits :).
 
Both of mine were instant love.
My mare, i walked on the yard and at least 6 heads looked over doors at me. I saw her and hoped she was the one for sale (rubbish ad pic) it was her and i brought her home soon after.

Last year i wanted a young horse. Went to see a 2yo that i wasn't sure about... She wasn't for me.
Looked at several adverts nothing caught my eye. Then a friend sent me a link to a horse over my budget. 3yo gelding. I knew from the picture that he was the one. But forced myself not to let my heart rule, so i took my sister with me as she's more rational. I brought him home a week later :)
 
I was waiting for a Darley horse and my mother told me to have a look on horse deals. He was £500 and I was a bit sceptical as he was an ex PTP (did one round), didn't have much bone and was just another brown job. I did go to see him, and watched his owner ride him. Saw the pastern action and decided that if I didn't have him I'd be regretting it and waiting for ever.

Rode him and fell in love. He was a grumpy, kicking, biting bugger but completely laid back under saddle. Such lovely paces. I put the money down then and there.

Two months later I discovered his bronco tendencies and I thought I'd made a huge mistake. When I nearly lost him, though, and we discovered the KS, I couldn't stop crying. He broke my heart. So, I decided instinct was right - he's my horse. He'll never be a Morning Star (14.3 hh bush pony that went all the way to the top with me as a juvenile in Africa).

I just keep telling myself we have all the time in the world. And we'll get through it. I'll get back on him this week and start again.
 
After recently having moved house some years ago and being horseless at the time I was wandering round Watton horse sales in Norfolk (gypsies paradise) when I came across a Welsh cob tied to a trailer, lots of people climbing over him. Ooh, I like that I said to a friend and moved on. Then I met another friend who asked what I was up to and I mentioned the cob. 'You going to buy it?' she asked. I pointed out that I hadn't taken much money (Sunday) and she replied 'I have!' Sooooo. we went back and I managed to get a ride on it, I walked about 50yds through the crowd and managed to trot about the same distance then after much persuasion I bought him before he went through the ring. Along with two scrappy New Forest foals for 40 quid he was delivered home for me. All was fine until the next day when it became apparent he may have been given something to quieten him down! However, he did turn out ok albeit extremely quirky and had been used as a stallion until gelded at 5. He was certainly not for the faint hearted though!!
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More recently I bought another welsh cob foal off of an email, he was in Wales, all I saw was a short video of him running with his Mum, he got put on transport and sent up here, he's 6 now....
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My "One" was my first pony. He arrived at the riding school, dragging the YO off the lorry (he was only about 12hh at the time hehe) and dragging her across the yard. He was very dark dapple grey, and a total cracker. I was on one of the riding school ponies at the time, but when i saw him i thought "i will have that mental pony one day" and i did :D
 
The first time I saw my current horse was at a dealers yard whilst I was trying another horse. He had just been bought in from the field for his feed. He was stomping round his stable, ears back at the horse next to him and cribbing like mad!! I remember saying to my OH that I would never be able to put up with something like that!! He was then sold but was collected again 2 weeks later when the girl who bought him couldn't even get on him!! He came back and I enquired about him. At this time I did not realise it was the same horse that I had seen cribbing!! Anyway long story short we are very happy together 6 years later and he cribs alot less now!!
 
Ron was never advertised for sale!! I'd been exercising him and another horse for his then owners. I loved riding him, he was buzzy and sharp and fun, but ultimately safe, he had a good idea where his feet were and a good sense of self preservation. And his fieldmate was a lovely RID ex-broodie who had gorgeous paces, but stringhalt unfortunately :( but stunning girl and so kind.
One day after riding out I was in their kitchen having a cup of tea with them. Mark was contemplating giving up hunting (owing to the politics!) but said "I couldn't sell Ron though, no-one would want him!". I replied, without thinking, "I would, who wouldn't want him?!"

Anyway, a week or two passed and one evening the phone rings and it's Mark... "you know you said you would buy Ron, did you mean it?". I said I did, but it would of course depend on the price he was asking. He told me, and I spent the next half hour counting pennies in savings accounts, borrowing some off the bank of Mum and Dad, and generally putting the cash together. We agreed that Ron would come to mine for some more fitness work, and sort of on trial before I paid for him. It wasn't really that I needed the trial time, but more that I wanted to think about it, and put him past my instructor.

I took him for a lesson, and my instructor (bearing in mind he was still butter fat from the summer off, and had 1 loose shoe on, and 3 barefeet that were missing shoes, and was in tack that wasn't his and hardly fitted!) said.... "he's got a good trot for a hunter, but he won't jump more than 3 foot"

I spent time getting to know him at home, got him fit, then had him vetted and paid for him, and took him to the opening meet the following day :) He was a pain, pulled my arms out, but I didn't care. He was mine!

I spent the next summer re-schooling him, and once he learnt to canter, he realised that jumping was fun, and we've never looked back! He now jumps anything and everything, including hedges, without a lead, in fact, usually he IS the lead! :D:D

He's since taught my OH to ride, hunt and jump. and OH took him hunting bareback last season for charity...

but who wouldn't love this horse?!
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Well I have 5. I must say that when Abba took her first breath I was in tears. I was instantly in love. Within 30 seconds she was whinnying like a fool as if to say, " I'm cold, wet, and hungry - let's go people get me sorted!" She's kind of the same today. I saw her mom when I was galloping horses. She was in a field with about 6 other mares. She was only 3. She used to hang out away from the other horses for attention. Asked about buying her and they said some stupid amount of money for a mare that was hurt as a yearling. 6 months later they lost their grazing and asked if we would have her. Of course we would! Had her 10 years now.

Frank I went to view as a potential riding horse. He was injured and a physical wreck. I of course handed over money and brought him home.

Heidi was my first born. Being a stupid newbie, I missed her birth. Thankfully all was fine. But she was always going to be one we kept forever. Then Cupcake was my last born. She was up and drinking all on her own 5 mins after birth. She's been quite the independent madam ever since. But I just was besotted with her from birth.

Terri
 
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