When you bought your horse, how much was based on his/her appearance?

Well, Looks are pretty important to me tbh.

I want a nice horse that I will like to see everyday, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;)

for example, I don't like arabs or Welsh As &Bs. Would never set out to buy one of them! Thats my opinion, and i prefer a tb or Irish head!
not saying they are not nice, but I just don't think they are pretty! (apart from htobago, who is stunning)
 
Didn't think much of my warmblood at all when I first saw him. He was very skinny, lanky and coloured (at the time I didn't really like coloureds). However when I rode him I knew instantly that I loved him, not because he was particularly well schooled (he wasn't at all!) but because I felt he had a special something, we just clicked. I am very glad I did get him and now I think he is beautifull! (He is the coloured in the painting in the middle of my sig). I admit that when I look at adverts I am quite shallow and a horses appearance will always strike me first, but I would never buy a horse just on appearance, it needs to have lots of other good qualities as well.
 
Appearance was a minus, I have always had a strong dislike for coloured horses (apols to coloured owners and lovers, it's a weird personal thing, not sure where it comes from, perhaps I still have the 70s/80s "shame it's coloured" thing going on!). I remember when I saw him thinking ew, a coloured. But when I sat on him, just had to have him. Wasn't even looking for a horse at the time, just vaguely considering looking for one. We definitely just clicked.
 
What I noticed first and foremost in my mare was her conformation but it didn't hurt that she is drop-dead gorgeous. Then I saw her movement and was confronted with her wonderful personality and I fell without firing a shot.

But I have no aversion to "ugly" horses as long as they don't have conformational defects that will affect their soundness or my ride. In fact, one of my favorite horses right now is a sort of funny-looking little guy but he's got a marvelous personality and is a really fun ride.
 
Well I definitely bought with my heart and not my head!

Hence I have a rearer (nearly cured - well as cured as a rearer ever can be :rolleyes: )

I think she's the most beautiful horse ever. Others look at her in disgust :D
 
Mine was definitely looks. He was at a sale, although I didn't buy him at the time. I had a quick look in the stable, but thought he would make too much, so I didn't spend a lot of time inspecting him, although the groom said he was the nicest of the lot to handle and in nature.

Then I saw him in the ring and thought "That would look good trotting around the dressage arena in a couple of years' time" and just about fell in love. No one bid on him, so I bought him privately later on at a good price. Never regretted it.
 
Apperance was everything when I choose Donovan. Wasnt meant to be, but we went to the Fayre Oaks Sale last September and there were hundreds of horses there, loads would of done what we were wanting to do. But when we walked past his stable, there was just something in his face that drew me to him.
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And nothing has changed. I can still see in his face what I saw that first day.
 
I knew I wanted an exracer and a friend of mine introduced me to Darley rehoming. I was in the fortunate position of having 3 horses that they felt would be suitable for me to try. George was the biggest and the youngest, and I discounted him almost as soon as I saw him. Then I rode the first 2 horses, the first I quite liked, the second I felt would be too sharp and then I rode George. His size made him feel the safest and although I was a little worried I might struggle to hold him all together I knew he was the one. So actually his looks were definately not the reason I bought him. x
 
In the past it has had a lot to do with it, I'm drawn to a certain 'type' but, this time round, I like to put it down to fate ;)

I was looking (naughty, I hadn't sold one at that point :eek:) and spotted Len. Thought 'Oh, he's nice, oh well'

Dad, about 3 days later told me he had gone to see a horse! :D:eek: My Dad, is semi-horsey so I was a little wary, but he said he, and I quote "Has a nice eye, and big feet. And he tried to open my pocket for a treat. So I liked him"

Oh gawd.

Anyway he sends me a link. Guess what?! It was Len!!

And Lenny is now my gorgeous, wonderful, honest boy, who will live out his days with the best I can afford for him, even if I have to sell my organs to do so ;):p He's not your typical show jumper, he's not the flashy black warm blood I had before, and as much as I loved her (and I really did) I couldn't ask for anything more. I will never not look at something based on breeding or looks again :D

J&C
 
Yup.....but only because he looked like a plate rack....but thinner! The yard was dreadful and was no way we would ever have left him there. He has turned into the best horse I have ever had!
 
Janah said:
I fell in love with his bum!

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It's a lovely bum!

To me, overall looks aren't as important as the look in the eye and the attitude of the horse. I don't normally go for coloureds but bought a nice looking one who turned out to be unsuitable for my purpose/lifestyle. She was replaced by the fourth bay horse in my life, who just had 'something' I couldn't resist - he's probably quite ordinary to most people but I think he's gorgeous!

Let's face it, we spend a lot of time looking at our horses, so we might as well have horses we like the look of. Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder!
 
none! it's her personality and temperament that won me over!

my previous horse I bought based largely on his looks, and he turned out to be way too much for me and I lost my confidence

I learnt my lesson, personality is definitely more important to me!
 
My horse was described as "looking like a horse made of spare parts"!I thought she was very immature,but had(and still has) a lovely nature,and very safe to handle and ride.This is more important to me than looks,so I bought her and hoped she would grow into herself.She nearly did,her head is a bit big,but easy to disguise with clever tack.;)
 
Loans - Not really, were either chosen for me or came to me by chance!
First horse - No!! I felt sorry for him!! Bought him for no other reason than that! He turned out quite nicely though :p
Second horse - Yes, all the way :p Bought him as a rising 3yo, paid a fortune for him considering his age (well, a small fortune - £4k :p feels like a lot to me!) so temperment, conformation, paces, looks and presence were all I had to judge him on! I think his pretty-ness was possibly the reason why I bought him. I've always been partial to a dark bay! That and he was affectionate :)
 
not at all. all i wanted was an easy to handle pony, which i could trust with my kids on and around, but was lively enough for me to have fun on. first time round i got a chestnut welsh mare, bit chunkier than i would hve chosen, but she proved a bit too much for the kids and wouldnt hack alone, which was a major issue for me being on a small yard. second time around, i specifically wanted a gelding, and not grey, but thats all, temperament was vital. and i landed the pony of my dreams. he will give rides to the smallest kids, tolerate bumping beginners learning to trot, try his hardest to understand clumsy aids, is as gentle as a lamb when kids are brushing him etc, but will gallop like the wind with me on the Downs, and be a cheeky sod when its just me and him and his buddies out to play. and as a bonus he is the most handsome gorgeous pony in the world, but i wouldnt care if he was butt ugly to other people, he's all mine!!
 
My poor lad has a big, common head, huge dinnerplate feet and was a like a hat rack when I went to look at him. Feeling sorry for this unfortunate chap, I of course bought him - SUCKER!!!!

So, no, looks didn't play a part in my decision to buy.....

And neither did common sense!
 
too much! i only went to see her in the first place cause she was an appaloosa (i wanted a 'been there done it type' and she was a just broken 4you ;D) and when i went to her first time, i thought she was gorgeous and wanted her from then, just helped that was just as fabulous under saddle too (;
 
Nothing. Nada.

When I bought Aviv, I had no recollection of what she actually looked like (cute as a picture, as it turns out, if you look at my album) - it was all about the feel she gave me and the confidence: I bought her purely because I spent an entire flight from Stuttgart back to London and on back home grinning at the wonderful feel she'd given me that day.

Ebby: I'd always liked the way he looked, but I've known him for a couple of years when with his previous owner. But again - it was all down to the feel of the ride he can give you. Superior, superior, good-minded horse - you can't bottle that feel, leaves you grinning all day. Awesome horse.
 
100% was on appearance!
He has a beautiful face and when he put his head over the stable door and I first saw it I was like omgggggg!!!!
Then I saw his extremely skinny body :(
My ex rode him and got bronked off twice... so I brought him lol! :D
It was at a dealers yard and I said before I went I wanted a mare and no greys! Hes a grey!
He's been the best horse ever, took him back to basics and re-started him, some hiccups along the way but I wouldn't swap him for the world! Was offered £10,000 for him a couple of times (paid just over £1000) but would never let him go- ever!

My young horse I brought at 2 months (obviously didn't have him til 6 months) and I only went to see him cause I was impressed with his blanket spotted bum! On meeting him I loved the fact he was so independant even at 2 months- the breeder took hi mum off and he just stood still watching and neighing! There was a rug thrown on the floor off his sister, he went to explore and walked straight over it! Compared to the others I saw he was loads more bold and confident. Again, I love him to bits but the initial attraction was the colour.

I like a horse to really catch my eye and both my boys did and others comment all the time on their looks!

However if helping friends find horses I help them find whats suitable riding/ handling as a priority to suit their needs so I think it depends on the person!

Shame I didn't choose my ex the same way lol! :p
 
I have to confess all of the horses i have bought that i remember have been mostly based on their appearance (confo, overall look, movement and colour) :o

However my last 3 horses have all been youngsters, and there's not much more you can base the reason for buying on when you cant ride them yet lol.

We were suckers when we got our appaloosa, he could only walk or gallop and knew nothing of trotting or contact/outline and if i remember rightly we were actually after something that was much more reasonably trained and could start competing fairly quickly. He was to pretty to pass up though :D
 
I won't even go and view a horse unless it has the bloodlines I want. If it does have these bloodlines then I will look at its conformation and looks. If it has the conformation and looks I want then I look at colour. If it has the colour I want then I will go and view the horse. If the horse lives up to all the expectations on paper and has a nice temperament then I will buy it.
 
Nil ! He has a funny droopy bottom lip and as round as a barrel ! However thought I may as well try him, jumped on and rode him and he was great fun, most enjoyable horse Ive ever owned !

Having said that, wouldnt fancy a grey, too much hasstle to keep clean and I cant abide a horse covered in stains ! :S
 
It has to have a pretty face. I will make a pretty much immediate decision on the face but I have learned to look further. I like facial markings but horses can be pretty without them. I love TB heads for example. When i bought Dozie I was not really taken by her but decided to look further and liked the way she moved when ridden so bought her. She does have a pretty face though! Big kind eyes!
 
The current Appy is a good looking mare, with a beautiful dished face, however that did not really show when we went to look. She was solid colour and did not look anything special, however when I got on, she grew and filled out under me and moved so well I decided in the first 30 seconds that she would be coming home with me.
I would like to think that every horse we have bought is a good example of it's type, with good conformation and a reasonable temperament.
 
My first horse I got because I was hacking out when I tried him and a motorbike wheelied past us and he didn't bat an eyelid.
The only things looks wise I look at are health and conformation.
 
First thing I do is look at the eye, and see what expression it has.
Then I see what it does when I touch around it's nose/mouth (I have never been bitten, yet!)
Then I check it's teeth (if it's not a private sale)

Then after I've done the initial checks, I have an actual look at what is infront of me! Confo the first thing, then looks etc.

I'm not really bothered about what it's done, how it is to ride etc etc (mad, mad woman).

I'd take on a mule if I liked it. I just have to have a connection.
 
I didn't buy these because of their appearance in their ad photo! Dreadful isn't it?
I was specifically after a palomino so it wasn't her colouring, splitting hairs - she isn't a palomino at all, but a dunalino ;) but I did love her temperament and her lines were what I wanted too. "Baby" was 6 weeks old and came as part of the deal, she did actually grow into herself and is a cracking long yearling now. (Mare is over 15h, the chap holding her is over 6'5")

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Hope and Glory I bought cheap as chips, partly because they were pretty, plus they were only 4 and 3.5 months old and due to go to the stockyards, so partly a pity buy as well.
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