When Viewing a Horse How Often Will You Go Back?

Chavhorse

Chavhorse

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As in do you go the once and that does it for you or do you like to go back a few times to check that all really is well before making the decision.

Only ask as when I tried my Horse of a lifetime in Cyprus I saw him and went "wow" then rode him for all of 15 minutes before jumping off and saying "I love him and I'll have him" (crap negotiator me
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We are due to view a horse tomorrow, idea is to drive down (it's three hours away!) ride in the morning then if we like go back and ride again in the afternoon and my instructor is saying if I like it to sleep on it and go back again mid week to ride again.

My feeling is I will know one way or the other without the need to go back for a second viewing....thoughts
 
My Arab mare, she ticked all the boxes when i went to view her. I wanted an arab that was over 15 hands and that could potentially do endurance (and NOT grey).

She did not light any fires for me when i first viewed her. Her feet were a mess. I tried her the once and went back a second time. I still didnt feel any sort of connection even though she seemed to be a very nice very amiable mare.

So why did i buy her? Well she ticked all the boxes, and we needed a second horse pretty fast as the other mare was alone. She was a local buy and very reasonably priced. I definitely bought her with my head.

This is a happy ending story though.

She is currently on field rest due to tendon damage :(

But she is the horse of a life time. It took me about months to fall in love with her but i 100% totally and completely did. Thats why she is still with us rather than in the big paddock in the sky (the tendon damage was quite severe and the prognosis very bad) but we gave her a chance because she is the mare of a life time. I still dont know if she will be riding sound. She is currently now field sound (and i mean actually sound in the field) and if she comes into ridden work and cant handle it i have picked out a magnificent arab stallion to use on her as she is amazing, with excellent bloodlines, conformation and temperament.


Our other horses were all viewed just the once, one was very far away but was absolutely perfect on first ride. The youngster was bought unseen but has tremendous potential and is eager to please.

I guess what i am saying is it isnt always black and white. I try and buy a horse with my head and let my heart follow.
 
I viewed him twice. Only rode him once though and I just knew I liked him. Second time I just chatted to his owner and got to know him on the ground/ in stable... It was torrential rain anyway so riding weren't gonna happen!

I sort of knew on my first viewing that I liked him and I was offered a trial so it was perfect for me :)

I viewed another mare about 5/6 times. She had another 2 months before she could be sold as she had a foal who was being weaned off her. That was good to see her on a few occasions but she still turned out to be too much for me and was returned.

Good luck :)
 
I went 3 times, once to try him on my own when he bucked me off! Then again with my instructor who also rode him, saw him being boxed etc. Then I went back on my own to hack him out. I knew as soon as I sat on him to be fair but I had to be sure. It took us a long long time to click together but we are great now.
 
If its not right you know straight away.

If it is THE one for you I would think trying it twice in one day is a really good idea.I would then discuss it with instructor on the way home and do the deal on the phone once you get home.I saw it was over budget it is sometimes easier to offer a lower price when you are not face2face with the seller.;)
Hope it goes well and is just what you are looking for.
 
We only went the once, or not atall (:o) for all the ones we have at the moment :) Pip and Ging we saw in the Jan (4 hours from home), didn't like, but then got them in March :rolleyes: Once we found not many pony pairs were for sale ;) They're still with us 6/7 years later and have given me so much :)
Calv we left a deposit for the first time we saw him (45mins from home). I can't really say we clicked hugely as he felt so alien to me and about a hand bigger than I was looking for, but I was happy to work through it mainly due to his temperament but also the potential. So far so good, but only a few weeks in!
 
I went once to see mine and knew when we turned up saw him caught, tied up he fell asleep...took out without company/open space/traffic a bus let off its air brakes/ came back then with company. Popped a small log or rather stepped over it!

To any one reading this I think you would think doping but no. Very lazy cob!

Knew it didnt load well so got professional loaders who pushed him on with the family literally! He arrived as if buckets of water had been thrown over him...does not travel well! But they were honest and told us that. But we were not going showing so I wasnt bothered and he loaded fine for his trips in his later years to the vet.

They had people coming(& i jumped the queue..i know a lot of sellers say this but it was true as the seller was panicking due to people coming a long way)... but I offered to buy him there and then. I tried to negotiate but paid full price as I would have lost him

I only looked at 5. And he has been a really nice pony and I know I was very lucky.

He was only £1400 but my budget now is more so perhaps with more to spend and if its hell of a lot ££ I would definitely go back more than once(although I would leave a deposit if I was so sure). good luck. I went twice to view a horse recently but changed my mind and decided he wasnt for me.
 
If its a horse for OH or me usually once. With one mare that we have owned for 8 years the second we walked into the stable we looked at her, nodded to each other, we had both made the decision to buy her, then went through the motions of trying her, having just lost out on one the week before we had travelled to see B in the lorry with cash in our pockets, within an hour of setting eyes on her she was travelling home with us. Haven't regretted a second with her.

The best purchase ever was the 11.1 pony that arrived on the yard on her way to 'somewhere' else. Liked the look of her, took a gamble, she has turned out to be the best thing I have ever bought. Kids have now out grown her and she is for sale. I fully expect people to want to view her a few times before committing to buying her, as a seller I would actually prefer this, sounds a bit odd coming from someone who buys on a whim, but OH is an instructor with over 20 yrs teaching experience so kids and I have back up every day and free help and advice when we need it, so if things are going a bit pear shaped it gets nipped in the bud immediately.
 
Just the once for me personally, there are *I suppose* circumstances where I would want a second look but generally dont see the need. I know if I want or not within 10 mins. Will go back to be present for a vetting if neccessary, so already left a deposit by then (usually with the box so I can take it with me when it passes!) To be honest people viewing loads of times get on my nerves a bit :o To me it seems stupid, and puts the seller in an awkward position as you can be sure in the week or twos time span of someone faffing about coming back every few days to watch the horse or try the horse do this that and the other someone else will come along and just offer the cash there and then without the faffing. I always take a cash deposit with me when viewing, if I want the horse in ten mins I will try it a bit more maybe ride for an hour, then get off and give it another look over and if I want it I will leave a deposit before I go. I cant stand 'will have a think and let you know' or 'want to come back and do xyz next week' its just messing in my mind. I'm not condeming people that do, they probably have good reason for doing so I guess!
 
I've only ever viewed horses once before committing to buy. I think you either want it or you don't - and if I wasn't sure first time then it wouldn't be right anyway.

Perhaps if I was spending a lot of money, or if there were really bad facilities at the place where the horse was, I might want to see again if I liked it, to try over some proper jumps or something.

I don't condemn anyone for wanting to look twice - but it can be a bit of a faff.

If I wanted a horse I wouldn't want to risk losing it by waiting around.
 
Just the once, I know if it's what I'm looking for quite quickly. Saying that over the past few years I have bought 2 that I rode and competed for a while then decided to buy them myself when they went on the Market.
 
I know straight off if a horse is not for me, but if I do like it I tend to go back a second time to be sure.
 
I saw mine for 10 minutes on the ground and rode for 5 minutes (its on video) and i said "i love her...... i want this one"

so less than an hour i had parted with my money and she came home the next day :)
 
Once, with the trailer :)

...if I haven't taken the trailer with me first time that is. I always go with receipts ready written out, and the full price in cash in my pocket, I take the horse there and then, or leave a deposit. I don't buy hugely expensive horses so I don't have a PPE.

Good Luck with your viewing:)
 
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Went to see Comet twice, liked him on the first visit but wanted to ride him again just to make sure as he was going to be my first pony.
Dad went to ride Maisie 3 times and I rode her out once as well, we'd known her since she was 3 and I had previously ridden her (including having her first canter!!) but owner wanted to make sure we were happy with her. Owner was a friend of ours- I used to share her pony and later horse before buying my own and we regularly attend her rallies and competitions :)
 
Were buying an eventer ATM so at least twice, then vet. But pretty certain were going to buy if we go back a second time! Wouldn't mess people around.
 
Its good to hear mostly just once as all the 19+ I have seen apart from one(distance wasnt in horse gear 1st time viewing as we were in the area shopping)! I have known moreless as soon as i have clapped eyes on it that not the one for me usually for various reasons(mostly dishonest seller as well).

I posted yesterday as i had a first viewing cancelled and the current viewer is on 4th viewing(over about 5 days & has asked them not to show the horse to anyone else)..am a bit miffed and now am thinking that if they dont buy was there something wrong with it?? Fair enough if they left a deposit subject to a vetting. But if I was the seller until money has changed hands I would still let others come to look!
 
I've only ever been once.. If I don't know then it's thewrong one... Saw about 20 horses looking for my latest and technically I saw Murph twice before I bought him ( once in the show ring - I was judging) and the second time I rode him and made an offer on the spot...
 
Max I've been back to see a horse was three times, and really only because he was lovely, but green and young and they wouldn't drop the price even though he had a knee injury and bad looking freezemarks on his neck. I decided against him. I usually view a horse I like once, and then I know if I like it, maybe twice if I'm not sure, or I have more questions, but its usually one ride. I think that you're idea of going to see him twice while you're there is good. You'll know if you want him or not by then x x
 
If you want to go back thats a good sign! :D

I viewed my horse once, then booked a vetting. I decided i wanted to go back b4 the vetting to make sure i was sure before i payed for the vetting. I was around for the vetting even tho it was a good couple of hours drive and i stood outside and watched it being carried out in the pouring rain....but it was worth it of course because she passed and came come with me shortly afterwards! :D:D
 
I tried him twice, the first time I was a total wreck as there was about 10 people watching making me very nervous on my boy who was 4 and an ex racer at the time, which I found quite rude.

The 2nd time I went back and asked to be alone with him and the owner and I had a fab ride on him, I paid for him in full that day and arranged for him to be delivered.
 
After losing my confidence and some bad experiences of buying horses my yard owner actually brought a friend of a friends horse over for me to try. I'd only seen his photo and when he came off the wagon I didn't like the look of him at all - skinny, spooky TB. I rode him the next day in the field and wasn't that keen. I then took him out on a long hack and I was totally smitten! I had him on trial for two weeks and then bought him.

I know that if I'd just gone and looked at him and then tried him out I wouldn't have gone back. I'm lucky that my yard owner knew what kind of horse I needed and she arranged to have the horse brought to the yard where I could have time for a good trial and make up my mind. He is a star of a horse and he's restored my confidence.

I always thought that you would 'just know' straightaway but that wasn't the case for me. I think you need to try them out in all different situations. In the past when buying horses I've tried them out about 3 times. I've only done this with three horses as I was sure they were what I wanted and I did end up buying them.
 
Question here for those that go to try a horse more than once.

Do you expect the seller to 'hold' it for you? (If so, how long would you think is a reasonable timeline without a deposit? )

Or, do you just accept that as you haven't given a definite yay or nay that the horse is still open for viewing and could be sold before you go back?
 
Enfys said:
Question here for those that go to try a horse more than once.

Do you expect the seller to 'hold' it for you? (If so, how long would you think is a reasonable timeline without a deposit? )

Or, do you just accept that as you haven't given a definite yay or nay that the horse is still open for viewing and could be sold before you go back?
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I wouldn't expect them to 'hold' the horse for me. If they sold it in the meantime that would be fair enough and I would just think that 'it wasn't meant to be'.
 
I know within the first veiwing if i will get on with a horse or not - some I will pay for and take there and then and wont bother with a vetting -I often find this is a shock to some buyers, with others i will put a cash deposit down, and take the box down on the day of the vetting. I always pay cash, I dont mess about at all. All my purchases stay with me until the go off to the round up in the sky, and i have never brought a bad horse.... thats not to say my butt has not been kicked to dramatically imporve my riding ability by a couple of them, but mine are brought because i love the animal first, and enjoy riding them second.
 
I don't recommend people do it this way but we tried Kal just the once (but we did do everything with him - jump, flat, hack, gallop, handle on the ground, etc.). The reason we didn't go back is because he was in Hereford . . . three hours away from us.

P
 
I think any seller would be a total idiot to hold a horse without a deposit. I would accept that they were showing others until we made a firm offer!
 
xspiralx said:
I've only ever viewed horses once before committing to buy. I think you either want it or you don't - and if I wasn't sure first time then it wouldn't be right anyway.

Perhaps if I was spending a lot of money, or if there were really bad facilities at the place where the horse was, I might want to see again if I liked it, to try over some proper jumps or something.
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^^^ this

i have found by bitter experience that often the desire to go back again and again is because inwardly there is something niggling about the horse that you want to rule out. Although I think doing some research and asking for references from RI's, Pc etc is important.
 
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