The List of Don'ts...

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Arizahn

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What is on your Don't List for horse hunting? So that I may add it to mine and be utterly sensible during my search...;)
 
No foot, no horse, that one's a given!

And no mysterious lumps or bumps.
Or getting on before seeing it ridden - owner had arm in plaster:eek:
 
Don't make your 'Must have, Must be' list too long, you may end up never finding such a horse. Be prepared to compromise.
 
Mine is more of a list of must haves, don't move from them, have some flexibility but not on the main points even if it seems to be impossible to find anything to look at do not go and try just for the sake of it as the more you look at the more frustrated you become when none match up to what you actually want.
 
Don't close your mind to a horse which "isn't your type". Be open minded and you might find yourself with a highland when you thought you wanted a warm blood, etc etc etc ....!
 
Yup, am drawing up a must have list, but you know how it is when you see one that "is bound to come right" with tlc...must be sensible, must be sensible!

It is frustrating. Especially when you see one that looks about right only to enquire and find there is actually no passport, or it has a few rather serious issues not mentioned in the advert:mad:

Thankfully I have two very knowledgable types willing to shop with me!
 
Personally I won't touch a horse that has sarcoids. There's enough nice horses out there without taking on one with known issues.
 
Greylegs said:
Don't close your mind to a horse which "isn't your type". Be open minded and you might find yourself with a highland when you thought you wanted a warm blood, etc etc etc ....!
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Ah see I'm not fussy type wise! If it is sane, sound, and able to carry me, and not too much horse for me to manage, then really that would do. Ability to live out is preferable, but not essential. You would think that's a reasonable want list!

<looks at adverts for adorable little foals and hits self with rolled up newspaper>

I actually saw a spectacular one recently. Just a few levels above my current price range, but maybe I can keep saving...maybe no one will snap him up before I am able to find the money! Or I could sell a kidney...am very tempted to google kidney prices. Yup, he was that nice:(
 
Don't have a rose-tinted view of your own abilities. Know your limits and don't think that you'll magically be able to fix a horse's problems, unless you really do have that knowledge.
 
Don't make too short a list of 'wants', don't rule out mare/gelding certain colours etc.
Basically, be flexible and open.
 
Gloi said:
Don't have a rose-tinted view of your own abilities. Know your limits and don't think that you'll magically be able to fix a horse's problems, unless you really do have that knowledge.
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Oh indeed! I am secure in the knowledge that my two experts will be very honest with me here:) Although, I really would prefer to avoid one with problems!
 
Don't ignore your gut feeling - ever. And don't buy cos your desperate. Also don't buy before you've gone away and thought about it. There will always be another horse suitable but if you buy in haste, repent at leisure!

Don't forget that once you've got a horse you'll never have a free 5 minutes or a free 5 quid ever again!
 
Don't buy a horse that is hard to catch or sometimes hard to catch. I love my horse but it is sooooo frustrating when she refuses to be caught and I have spent 3 full days trying to catch her before, result= grumpy me, grumpy horse, blisters on feet and too annoyed, frustrated and tired to do anything with it once I caught it :rolleyes: so my next one will be 100% good to catch :)
 
I used to be a fairly decent rider, but time off and terrifying falls combined to reduce me to um, gibbering unfit wreck. Seriously, I had actual panic attacks if I saw a grey horse! This was cured by the method of my instructor assigning me a grey horse to ride on, lol.

Thanks to my amazing instructor, I am no longer a gibbering wreck, but my fitness is not where I want it yet. Hopefully this will resolve with time. I was doing well, but had to stop lessons for a few months to care for my husband, who injured his spine. So need to refresh my riding muscles and then build on where I was.

I'm not advertising myself well, I actually can ride, honest guv! Just not at the level I once was able to. Which is fine. I am competent, and reasonably confident. I know enough to know when something is beyond me, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I have good hands apparently, and my seat is decent, although due to a health issue, my lower leg will never be 100%.
 
PingPongPony said:
Don't buy a horse that is hard to catch or sometimes hard to catch. I love my horse but it is sooooo frustrating when she refuses to be caught and I have spent 3 full days trying to catch her before, result= grumpy me, grumpy horse, blisters on feet and too annoyed, frustrated and tired to do anything with it once I caught it :rolleyes: so my next one will be 100% good to catch :)
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Agree! Memories of small ponies that were too wily to be caught, lol!
 
Dont outclass yourself - if you want to hack, a flashy warmblood is probably not the best idea, if you want to do a bit of everything a highly strung cruising horse may not be the best :p op i have no idea what you want to do but be job specific - a horse with a whacking great splint would not put me off unless i wanted to show at county level. A horse that plaits would probably not be great for dressage but could have a fantastic jump! Likewise if you want to hack/low level stuff then comformation would be near the bottom of my priorites! Too often on HHO people slate a horses comformation saying things like dont touch it etc. when the OP actually only wants to hack. Manners, ride and personality would be the pirorities imho.

There is a lot to be said for the horse that is easy to deal with on your own as well!

Also, friend told me never buy bigger than you can afford to feed :p

Realistic aims - have a couple of points you wont compromise on, a bit like a job description, have essential and desirable!

Another slight bug bear - don't be afraid of going to a dealer and looking for a horse. For all the dodgy ones you hear about you also never hear of the hundreds of good ones. Eyes open and being realistic saves a lot of heart ache!

Enjoy horse hunting, a final don't - dom't be afraid to try a type of horse you would normally ignore, they could be the one for you!
 
OP. What is it you wish to do with your new horse. If we knew your ambitions maybe the don't could be a bit more specific.
 
dont buy above your budget

dont buy above your ability

write a short definately don not want list and do not buy or even look at anything on this list

do not look at/buy a youngster if you want to ride now

dont buy sick/injured/ill unless you are prepared to put in time/effort/endless money and possibly have something for life that will break your heart and your bank and you are prepared for huge risk

dont forget to have fun looking/give them a proper try out/take an experienced person with you who can be objective and knows your abilities and ambitions both on the ground and in the saddle.

good luck
 
I don't really believe anything anyone tells me unless I can see it with my own eyes!!

See the horse caught, take him on a hack - and again on his own, see him in traffic, see him jump, see him jump a xc fence (easily home made in a school by putting a rug over a pole), see him tied up in yard, see him groomed and see him have his feet picked out - and a good tap with hoof pick - farrier like. etc etc. etc.

So many threads on here where people have been 'told' the horse does XYZ so never bothered to try him and low and behold they get him home and he won't do it!!

Don't forget to take someone with you - even if you are very horsey experienced, two pairs of eyes are better than one!

Think about a vetting - unless you're really confident you can spot issues I'd get one done.
 
Dont buy a horse that is unfit/underweight as when it gains some condition and fitness it may be a completely different horse

Dont ride a horse at a viewing if you feel uneasy about it and be willing to question the owners- I got a very bad feeling from an owner once. Horse was advertised as a PC/RC schoolmaster first horse type and we arrived to be told they didnt actually know her history hadnt competed her themselves but 'she looks like a competition horse doesnt she?'. Turns out the poor thing had been passed from pillar to post around dealers. When we questioned why this horse was being ridden in a cheltenham gag and grackle in the arena they replied she'd hacked out the previous day (despite the owner later saying she never hacks this horse because she's a nervous rider). Anyway long story short she looked panicy when she was tacked up and panicy when I got on, I started to walk around the arena on her and she took off bucking and leaping and sizing up the arena fences on every lap (meanwhile the owner said "oh no not this again" to which my experienced horsey friend had a bit of a go at her for not warning us!). After I got off she calmed down again and was lovely on the ground. I often wonder what happened to her because she was so attractive I'm sure she ended up in a lot of bad homes, but just trying her seriously knocked my confidence

I think the biggest 'do' is do everything you'd want to do with it. I tried another horse who was lovely on the ground, hacking alone and in company, on the flat, clip/box/shoe etc but I took him xc schooling and I felt he didnt have the scope I was looking for
 
I asked to take the horse on a short hack. The seller walked with me. I wish i'd also asked to go round again on my own (once I knew the route) to make sure he'd hack completely alone.

PS. he does no bother now but wasn't very keen at all for the first few months.
 
I only want to hack and do low level dressage. Mainly hack. When I say dressage it would just be for schooling purposes as I don't compete. So sane and sound, able to carry me, and not too much horse. I need the list of don'ts to prevent pity buying a shetland, etc. Or falling for a horse that is far beyond my abilities.

Really temperament is my main concern. I would be willing to buy any age/type as long as it had an honest, kind temperament, was not prone to napping/tanking/rearing under saddle, and was in good health. Sane and sound. I will certainly not rule out an oldie, but they are like gold dust here, it seems. I would even be willing to invest in a youngster and have it brought on provided the temperament was right. Temperament can't be changed after all. I have ridden some lovely horses and some awful ones: age was never the deciding factor.

I like this list. I am going to copy it out in huge letters and hang it up so that I don't cave and buy something silly. Quick qustion though: given what I want, what budget do you suppose is reasonable? I have a sum that I can access currently, and am obviously still saving in the meantime, but for what I would be doing, how much is a sensible limit to set as my budget? Not including tack and so forth.

I am 5'4" and weigh 12st, with dodgy joints, so probably best to avoid giants as getting down is agony! Probably something between 14 - 16hh.
 
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