Viewing Potential New Horses

Been to see 6 horses, got 4 of them. One was a bit too hard work for my mum and the other was nothing like it was discribed. Supposed to be 15.2hh irish cob, was a 14.2hh Welsh cob x something lighter. I politely said it was not for me when I first saw her, her owner persuaded my to get on it, I walked it round once got off said thank you but not what I wanted at all and left.
 
Have in the past been to see two I did not take on; one I liked the look of and got on well on the flat but when I jumped her myself she was just too big with too much moevemnt. Perhaps, in hindsight, I should have realised this sooner but I didn't until I was rearanging myself from soemwhere near her ears. She didn't chuck me off though so was a good ad for her nature!
The other I saw standing at the field gate and said no thanks. Was horrendously put together. The moral of the story? Don't go to see a horse you haven't seen a full body shot of.
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Remember seeing my little SJing mare when i was 16... she was pinned to the back of her stable looking extremely poor and scraggly.

Turned to my mom and bf (at the time) and said she wasnt for me but my bf persuaded me to get on her..

That little horse dragged me over some huuuge fences that day and i was smitten instantly.

Onto my current boy.... again he appeared at my trainers yard looking quite poor and i remember looking at his withers and commenting to my fiance that i wouldnt want to be the person trying to find a saddle for him..

My trainer and bf convinced me to try him as a potential dressage horse.... got on and couldnt ride one side of him. Walk was ok.. trot was horrendous as i felt like i was being cantapulted into orbit... canter ended up as halfpass and the list went on. I got off feeling absolutly useless and totally defeated.. i wanted a dressage schoolmaster and had just sat on something i couldnt even trot :P Buuuut, it was clear from the way he worked for my trainer and his record that he was more than capable of the job.

The rest is history, he's still with me
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Dont think you can always judge on first appearances (with exceptions of the horse being COMPLETLY not as described and causing obvious issues!)
 
Have viewed hundreds of horses and just looked over the stable door and not known they are right. We are usually irritated at the time as we ask hundreds of questions on the telephone. In the end we always ask to trot them up as that at least is polite. Then we can say no thanks it does not move well enough/straight or not the right look.

We also always make a decision there and then as to whether we will buy it - none of this trying it out 5 times, bringing trainer, physio, horse psychic etc.
All it needs to do then is pass the vet and everyone knows where they stand.
 
If the horse is clearly not what you want, then IMO riding it is wasting the owner's time.

Even if the owner had wasted my time by mis-describing the horse, I still wouldn't ride it.

But sometimes one feels embarrassed just looking at a horse in the stable or standing still and immediately saying no!

I was looking at young (mostly 2yo) show-Arabs last year, and there were occasions where I knew the horse was not what I wanted as soon as I saw it in the stable - but I still let the owners bring them out and trot them up, simply because it would have been rude to reject them so quickly.

I absolutely HATE saying no to people and hurting their feelings, especially when they have gone to a lot of trouble to get the horse looking all perfect and shiny for me.

Fortunately I had arranged to have a more experienced 'mentor' look at photos and videos of every colt I went to see - so I could legitmately leave without making a decision, as I explained that I had to send the photos/videos to my advisor.

That way at least when I said 'no' I could do it by email and not have to look them in the eye...

God I'm such a pathetic wimp.
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