What did your horse 'tell you' at first viewing?

anj789

anj789

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That you chose to ignore and regret or look back and see now, hopefully to enjoy or live with. Musings on the one that needs re homing, she took several looks at a filler when I tried her, put it down to greenness (she's never done that before), but is 2 years on the spookiest horse I've known, reliably unreliable at any filler. The first mare many years ago, looked me in the eye and sized me up. She went thru her whole life confronting everything, getting into trouble and running the yard. The first one I evented, loose jumped before first backed, blundered thru a cross pole before clearing it by its paint. Next day she jumped a 5ft hedge to get away from a gelding. She went novice, would jump clear and straight xc but jumped by Braille, always a four faulter or worse. Interesting, I think what you see with hindsight. Buyer beware!
 
For one of my horses I have asked myself this time and time again. And I haven't been able to pin point a single thing. I had an excellent viewing x2. I have video of him trotted up. He passed a 5 stage with one of the countries leading Futurity vets. I know for a fact I got a cock & bull story about the reason for sale but I can't prove anything amiss with the sale.
4 weeks after getting him home he developed a stringhalt and thereafter we had all sorts of niggly problems.
 
Mine is the complete opposite. When I went to see him I would have immediately left if I didn't have my OH (not horsey) with me. Pony was obese, looked a bit mangey, eyes on sticks, nervous, couldnt be caught, couldnt be mounted and I just didnt like him. I was after something sensible after my last mare turned out to be a fruit loop. OH liked him so bought him for me for peanuts saying he was sure he would come good in time. 18 months later he is just wonderful and has none of the problems he came with. He tries so hard and is worth his weight in gold.

My very first horse was quite bossy on the ground when I went to try him. I went 3 different days and did lots of things with him before taking on a months trial. He was awesome to ride but a complete get to lead and within days had broken my finger and taken off a lot of my skin, even through gloves. I sent him back as I just had no control and knew id never be able to handle him as a novice owner. If I was to buy him now though, id work through it.
 
He told me he was very nosy, liked people and attention generally and didn't mind being ridden in the pouring rain. Nothing has changed really, although I prefer to be a fair weather rider, but it's nice to know he is fine even in a howling gale and down pour. :)
 
When i went to see my old horse many moons ago, i fell off at the first viewing when we popped over a small jump. I hadn't been jumpimg long myself and wanted something to teach me and it was totally my fault that i fell off. When i picked myself off the floor and walked over to her she shied away from me, as though she always got a wollop (sp?) if someone fell off her. I just stroked her neck and jumped back on. From that moment onwards she was as good as gold and looked after me til the day i had to sell her. She told me she would look after me on that first viewing and she really did :-)
 
That he was honest and would keep jumping and I couldn’t ride for toffee. The second viewing that I still couldn't ride for toffee and what fun it was knowing that by naping a bit and sppoking at the jumps, I'm sure he was thinking ‘what a mug’.

Still bought him, still trying to learn how to ride him and still failing at it. What I would have liked him to tell me was that he is a complete socially backwards wb with little idea of when to back off. Would have saved me a lot in vet bills.

To be fair on him he did hint at nappy behaviour which isn’t really a big issue and he still is a honest jumper, well to a point. As long as I get him to a jump without being a wimp he will jump anything in front of him, I guess even at the viewings he was only ever as committed as I was, just took me a while to realise it.

Looking back would have I bought him knowing what I know now? No, I wouldn't have. If I looked at him now knowing what I know now through what he has taught me, would i buy him? I haven’t a clue!
 
The only one I paid money for told me he was The Man and indeed, he was, for the next 23 years. I will never have a horse like that again - I'll be lucky to know one. It wasn't just me, everyone who knew him still talks about him.

All the others of my own I've been given and they pretty much lived up - or down - to expectations. They weren't necessarily bad horses but, at least by the standards I have now, none surprised me, even if I sometimes lived in hope.

I've bought horses for other people and generally my initial thoughts have been upheld, although usually there are compromises to be made and I'm overly hopeful about horses so not the best agent.

I've known 3 people who bought for other people or for resale who were amazing at it. It's very rare for people to buy without advice in the culture I'm from and these people often chose horses for people they would not necessarily have picked for themselves with good to excellent results. The most interesting and educational one to me was when the most high end one got it wrong spectacularly once!

Other people's horses tell me all sorts of things. Mostly I keep it to myself. :)
 
I think that's the thing "none surprised me, even if I sometimes lived in hope." The spooky one isn't a duffer, far from it, then as now she went back round and cleared it by a good foot. It's just that the rule books don't allow for that first look she sometimes likes. Gets good photos though, we're always in the air so long :)
 
I went to a dealer's to look at a few, didn't like the first one & he insisted on bringing out a grey (the late Catembi) that I'd *told* him was too big & over budget. Within minutes, I knew he was going to be good & after one jump, I knew he was going to be *fantastic*. And he was. A real rolls Royce.

Adrian was slightly 'handbrake on' when I tried him, but as a 4 yo jumping 1 m 40 for fun, I wasn't bothered. And he passed a 5 stage. As we all know, after a looooooooong saga, he turned out to have EPSM. At the time, I thought that the slight (VERY slight) laziness/laid-backness was a *good* thing cos he wouldn't be as sharp at Cat. Ho hum. £8.5k down the toilet.

T x
 
Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Although it may look like an ugly duckling stood almost gormless in the stable (although bolshy on closer inspection), it will turn in to a beautiful (expensive) swan... and good friend of the vets!
 
Horse 1- looked at me in the eye and told me he was the king. Had a real air of cockiness and self assurance. Jumped everything for me on first few trials despite me being useless . Was very lazy and boring to ride at home. But as he jumped everything he was pointed at- without fail- we bought him. Turned out to be a fantastic event horse that lived to event , quickly went up the grades relishing the challenges, but was ALWAYS impossible to train at home as he found it so boring!

Horse 2- absolute charmer in the stable . Young horse that had the looks and movement to die for. At the trial He looked at its first cross pole in absolute horror and overjumped it by miles making me fall off.

He turned out to be an utterly useless event horse that was scared and spooky at everything. Always won the dressage tho!

2 other horses- very nervous and shy when I first met them in the stable. Introverted, withdrawn, anxious, tendency to be highly strung and worried..
It's so easy to say 'oh it's just immaturity ' , or ' of course they will settle down when they're in a routine and enjoy work' but they never did.. The anxiety and nervousness stayed with them forever and affected their work hugely.
 
That he had an absolutely stunning head looking over the stable door. Whilst agree with not judging the book by the cover, that look was enough.
 
The last 5 _all said 'mam-ma'. Because they'd all just been born!! Lol
Last one I bought said, 'how dare you spank my bottom for bucking, you're mean to squeal and get off' as that was why the previous owner was selling her - she never bucked again.
 
The head collar on her head should have per warned me she was a monkey t catch but at 15 on this old I hoped I could change her. Put a deposit down as soon as I saw her float up an almost vertical hill. No vetting shock horror, kept her at that yard for three weeks whilst I got t know her as she's the first baby baby I'd had 2 years later catching is hit and miss, for 6 months I couldn't catch that horse and the field owner could!!! Now 9 times out of ten a treat or bum scratch and she's caught.....
 
That she knew completely, inside out, that she was a fabulous schoolmistress showjumper who would try her heart out. She was slightly disinterested and understandably stand-offish when we tried her as she's very independant. We are so, so glad we bought her even though she was older than we were looking for. She's now learning to school properly and become a dressage pony - bit of a shock to the system!
 
Mine now just sort of end up here, I haven't been to try a horse for a long old time, though I do help other people and we've come across some fab horses, all exactly as determined at trial. When I went to try my first horse he certainly lived up to his name, 'Boss' and still is, 13 years later! He bit his breeder continuously, she led him with a chain wrapped round his nose, and he had a great air of self-importance. Best buy ever, little toe-rag.
 
Sec D # 1 said 'Its understandable that you've just fallen in love at first sight of me, because I am genuinely gorgeous. Get used to it because it's the most use you'll have out of me - as the most beautiful field ornament you'll ever have!'
Sec D #2 said 'HELLLLLPPPPPPP!'
Sec A said 'I know I was a pain when we first met but I'm a reformed citizen now and I'd really like to come back home now and I promise I'll be a fab kids pony instead of a young thug so....gis another chance?'
 
Don't hurt me, be kind to me and let me learn to trust. I have many problems but they aren't my fault. Help me overcome them and I will show you under it all I have a heart of gold. I'll never be a world beater but I will always give you my all.
Bless him we have learned so much together.
 
wench said:
Buy me now slave and spend all your pennies on feeding me and paying me vets bills!
Click to expand...

Haha yes!!! Great idea for a thread.
My mare took one look at me and most definitely thought "buy me sucker!!"
"I may well be the most beautiful creature you have ever set your eyes on and be the horse of your dreams, however what the scars should tell you is that I am the most accident prone thing on the planet. You will only ever be able to watch me from your kitchen window as you write more cheques to our good friend the vet, as I hoon around the field in what appears to be perfectly good health. Your eventing dreams can once again come to an end before they have even begun. Worship me, buy me pretty things, and I will continue to humour you and raise your hopes only to dash them cruelly once again."
 
That he didn't know how to gallop, was a little nappy and that he was a sweetie. Can gallop now, still occasionally a little nappy, very much a sweetie too!

Althought what he should have said was, by the way I'm going to grey out, a lot. Oh and by the way these legs are going to cost you a fortune.
 
He told me we were made for each other. He made me feel so safe. It was love at first ride for sure.

My little Welshie I just felt so sorry for. His knees knocked together with fear when we put a mounting block next to him. I think he just said take me home.
 
Mine said 'me me me me ME' :p.

My late mare said 'I like you, i'm very sensitive but I'll look after you and by the way I hate my feet being handled' and boy she wasn't lying!
 
My mare said, ill look after you and god love her she has and my gelding said get me out of here, I actually left he dealers he was at without seeing him out the stinking pen he was in, went to see another horse and went back to see him on my way home as I couldn't get him out my head. Movement was amazing and took a risk buying him as I worried he would be too small, thankfully not :-)
 
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