The List of Don'ts...

Make sure you actually like the horse. Training can be worked on, but you can't alter their temperament.

Don't be pushed by friends into getting what they would like, you need to get what's right for you.

Ask if the horse is easy to remount out hacking (eg if you need to dismount to open a gate), I've hacked out with too many horses that owners wont get off because they can't get back on them. That's right - they drop their phone, I had to get off to pick it up for them. Rubbish.

Sound
Sane
Trainable
Good in traffic
Good in open spaces
Good to hack alone/company
Easy to handle on the ground
Easy to catch
Forward thinking/not nappy
 
Trust your gut and don't dismiss an older horse; I bought my mare at 16 after having a very nasty fall and selling my previous horse. I clicked with her immediately and she looked after me until my confidence came back when she shifted up a gear and we have an immense amount of fun. When I was horse shopping I was absolutely no way going to buy a mare....
 
Oh given you're update, don't forget that many horses go through a teenage phase at 6 ish so a really sweet temprement 4 year old can be evil for a year!! Yes they get through it and yes you can pay to have them schooled but it can go on a long time and that would be very expensive.

I'd widen you'e search area and look for something in the teens that's been their done it and bought the t shirt - spend the schooling money on transport costs if necessary.

Re budget - I do think you get what you pay for but £2k ish ought to find you something sane and nice. Yes you can buy an ex racer for £500 but it won't be cheap in the long run, given what you want.

Don't forget nice horses often change hand via word of mouth, so tell everyone (instructors, farriers, pony club etc.), don't forget wanted ads and local tack shops.
 
I'm currently looking anywhere in NI. I have seen nice teens/oldies advertised, but they were either too small, or snapped up. Still, I have just started looking so not to worry. Am popping out to walk the dogs, back in an hour or so.
 
Re all the checks plus see it with the clippers on it, dont just take the sellers word for it that it is "fine to clip". I did this and the horse was terrified of the clippers. Also make sure you have a 5 stage vetting with blood pulled.
 
Arizahn said:
I'm currently looking anywhere in NI. I have seen nice teens/oldies advertised, but they were either too small, or snapped up. Still, I have just started looking so not to worry. Am popping out to walk the dogs, back in an hour or so.
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Didnt realise you are based in NI! Im co.armagh :) what height budget are you looking as i am involved with PC so might find something through there :)
 
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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^^ this ^^

Mine is nothing like I set out to get but he's turned out to be perfect! All the ones I saw which were "perfect" didn't suit at all when I tried them.

Don't....

- Get on anything that the seller won't get on first. If they are too frightened to get on it then I'm certainly not going to... there's usually a reason they won't ride it!!
- Overestimate your abilities and end up overhorsing yourself!
- Don't pay any attention to a competition record that's more than a few months old... I don't care if the horse did BENov (or whatever) 5 years ago... if it isn't doing it (or something) now then I want to know why it jacked it in or broke.
- Don't listen to tales of how much "potential" a horse has. Fine if it's 5 but I can't stand sellers who claim their 13yo has "potential to event". Whatever.
 
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What I've always done is get a piece of A4 paper and draw 3 columns

Must have/do
Would like (but can live without/train them myself)
No way Jose :)

For me, must be good in traffic, happy to hack, easy to catch, can live out, suitable for fat, nervy middle aged rider!
I'd like a light off the leg, easy on the ground, shoeless, minimal napping, native and gelding.
Wouldn't touch with a bargepole - real rearer, known health problems, anything that is already in remedial shoes.

Just writing the list concentrates the mind IME and stops you even going to see the obviously unsuitable horses...

Without a list like that I'd be the prat that falls in love with the horse with great potential and/or a bit sharp because I'd be thinking back to what I did and could do 30 years ago before life, work and a lack of confidence got in the way. I need the reminder that I'm happy to hack these days - even if I wanted to compete I don't have the time, money and physique required anymore :)
 
this may disagree with others' comments, however i believe it's important NOT to compromise when making such a big investment on a horse. Have known friends do this before and spend a lot of time in regret that they compromised in order to get a horse quicker!
 
PaddyMonty said:
Don't buy a mare in winter ;)
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See, this is what I did last time. Come spring she changed personality and refused to change back!

cbmtcs:
"For me, must be good in traffic, happy to hack, easy to catch, can live out, suitable for fat, nervy middle aged rider!I'd like a light off the leg, easy on the ground, shoeless, minimal napping, native and gelding.Wouldn't touch with a bargepole - real rearer, known health problems, anything that is already in remedial shoes."

^^This, in spades! Still figuring out new forum for quoting.
 
Don't be pressurised into getting something you don't want. I had in my mindset something aged 10 years +, native pony type and my instructor suggested 5 year old warmbloods with a price tag of £2k more than my budget. I've known other people who have bought horses their instructors loved, but really were more suited to their instructors than themselves. Stick with your gut feeling!
 
mulledwhine said:
Don't get bullied, if they say they need a decision as they have another potential buyer, don't fall for it :)
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totally this. Dont be hustled into buying something on first viewing because of the above. Check it out and ride it in as many situations as you want to ride it in.
Also Dont imagine for one second that anything the seller tells you is true. Sorry, but check it out for yourself. When you are older and less bendy, it can be a matter of life and death. So any doubts - walk away. And don't be in a hurry. finally dont give up hope! A wonderful horse is out there for you :)
 
I have already decided to view any horse at least twice: first to see it and meet the owner, then with my experts if it is worth looking at again. And then to get it vetted too. Well, if I ever find one that passes my email based line of enquiry! Hard to believe how many people drop off the map when you ask about passports:mad:
 
Don't be afraid to chuck the rule book out of the window and incur the wrath of HHO!

My recently backed 3yr old WAS a perfect first horse for me and my nervous OH. She wasn't what I set out to buy and there were a few ifs and buts however the genuineness of both the horse and the seller shone through. I ended up with a great horse that is far more sensible than many horses that were what I should have bought.
 
Kat said:
Don't be afraid to chuck the rule book out of the window and incur the wrath of HHO!

My recently backed 3yr old WAS a perfect first horse for me and my nervous OH. She wasn't what I set out to buy and there were a few ifs and buts however the genuineness of both the horse and the seller shone through. I ended up with a great horse that is far more sensible than many horses that were what I should have bought.
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Argh, you will have me looking at youngsters, lol! Yes, if I found the dream horse and it only needed time and training, I would consider it. But only if it were absolutely perfect in temperament and I was sure that it was worth the wait and money:):rolleyes:

<reviews don't list to remind herself to be sensible>
 
Are you close to Dublin at all? I can put you in touch with the guy that my horse came from if you like? He is a dealer but from what I've heard he's a good one, he was really interested in how my horse was doing and was happy to tell me all about his time there. He was bred, broken and ridden away there by him, apparently he likes to do it all himself if he can in regards to breaking and riding away because then he gets a good feel for the horse and can find the right owner for them.
Mine came to me at 5 years old and is the most sensible dude of a horse I've come across :D
 
Its not about finding the perfect horse, its about finding the horse thats perfect for you. Big difference. I always make sure i see it caught from the field, I tack it up, (owners are very good at hiding the horses quirks) they must ride it first, then i will want to ride it in school, jump it, hack it, untack it, and see it in stable. I will want to ride it at least twice and if it sells before i buy, so be it. It usually takes me a week from first seeing it to me parting with my cash. I am upfront and honest with the buyer about this from the start. Oh and i dont believe a word the seller tells me. I ask the same questions maybe 3 times (you'll be amazed how many different answers you get!)
Good luck :)
 
I find it really frustrating when people dont go to see a horse or pony just from a photo or an ad if it basically looks ok and you talk to (not text or email) the seller they seem honest and tell you acceptable answers to your questions then please go and view it. Too many are discarded because they are badly represented in both visual and wordy ways, You have plenty to chose from but cant decided from a text, pick up the phone and speak to the seller. Sorry it is a big bug bear of mine that people tet and email but wont talk to you how can you let them know if the horse will suit them from a few written words So the biggest dont is dont disregard anything you fancy until you have spoken in person to the seller
 
windand rain said:
I find it really frustrating when people dont go to see a horse or pony just from a photo or an ad if it basically looks ok and you talk to (not text or email) the seller they seem honest and tell you acceptable answers to your questions then please go and view it. Too many are discarded because they are badly represented in both visual and wordy ways, You have plenty to chose from but cant decided from a text, pick up the phone and speak to the seller. Sorry it is a big bug bear of mine that people tet and email but wont talk to you how can you let them know if the horse will suit them from a few written words So the biggest dont is dont disregard anything you fancy until you have spoken in person to the seller
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I prefer to communicate by email or at a pinch by text, initially, as tbh I would rather have some proof of what was said about the horse! Lets just say I have met some dodgy sellers and leave it at that...

I will also speak to the seller of course, but if someone isn't happy to put their description of the animal in writing then I'm automatically wary. It doesn't need to be an essay: just basic answers to a few questions. My email questions are along the lines of does it have a passport, what weight is it capable of carrying, what is it like temperament wise, are there any known health issues? If all that checks out, then I will phone and speak to the seller.

<hates talking on the phone to anyone, even close friends, pretty much phobic of it>
 
The other way round having the key parts of what they have told you in writing is for you to write out a detailed receipt (inc. for example 'horse not known to buck, rear, bolt' ' horse clipped without sedation, regularly shod, wormed, vacc' etc.) and get the seller to sign it
 
Once you have your lost of no compromise, bear in mind that sometimes the perfect horse won't feel perfect at first.
I have bought a number of horses over the years, only one, Big Ruby felt perfect from the very first minute I sat on her, the current mare was extremely green, had done almost nothing and for the first few months, I really struggled to enjoy her, but a year down the line, she is turning into exactly what I want
 
I hate talking on the phone pretty phobic myself but I am a very good listener so can pick out the lies pretty easily when someone doesnt ring true You cant do that with an email. Sorry it is a big hate that people no longer communicate verbally with each other sadly people text each other across the dinner table in restaurants what happened to talking. I am probably really old fashioned in this but I am honest will answer anything anyone wants to know truthfully Probably to my detriment it isnt that I dont want to sell a pony I just want both the buyer and the pony to be happy.
 
windand rain said:
I hate talking on the phone pretty phobic myself but I am a very good listener so can pick out the lies pretty easily when someone doesnt ring true You cant do that with an email. Sorry it is a big hate that people no longer communicate verbally with each other sadly people text each other across the dinner table in restaurants what happened to talking. I am probably really old fashioned in this but I am honest will answer anything anyone wants to know truthfully Probably to my detriment it isnt that I dont want to sell a pony I just want both the buyer and the pony to be happy.
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The sad thing is that verbal communication can be denied at any time, and not everyone is honest, or able to spot a lie, especially if not actually face to face. A lot of our spoken communication also relies on body language. The least honest person in the world may still be really good at talking, so I think it's best to have something written to fall back on:) It's really good for directions too. My husband insists on written directions and he does the driving!

Agree with the need to talk more: texting etc whilst eating/socialising is banned in our house!
 
rubysmum said:
Once you have your lost of no compromise, bear in mind that sometimes the perfect horse won't feel perfect at first.
I have bought a number of horses over the years, only one, Big Ruby felt perfect from the very first minute I sat on her, the current mare was extremely green, had done almost nothing and for the first few months, I really struggled to enjoy her, but a year down the line, she is turning into exactly what I want
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I remember my childhood pony. When I tried him, he just felt perfect. But once home, it took a while to bond with him. And he really was perfect, so yes, I get what you mean here. I miss that old pony...
 
Polos Mum said:
The other way round having the key parts of what they have told you in writing is for you to write out a detailed receipt (inc. for example 'horse not known to buck, rear, bolt' ' horse clipped without sedation, regularly shod, wormed, vacc' etc.) and get the seller to sign it
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This is a good idea, I'm nicking it, lol!
 
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