How did you find your horse/s?

[FjordBCRF]

As a kid it was part of the progression; lessons, lease a lesson horse, buy the lease horse. She was a 1982 AQHA mare; we (aka my parents) bought her in 1996.

Second horse as a kid I was looking to start something green to finish in 2001/2002ish, and the barn I was boarding at took me to look at a place they had gotten several really nice ApHC horses that showed and won on the ApHC circuit. The place wasn’t a show facility by any means, multiple run down barns and lots of pasture…I think the owner there got a lot from auction for pennies and sold them after a bit of work. Anyways, the one I picked ended up being a nightmare in progress after the 30 days I had him for trial. He was broke to w/t/c under saddle and had some serious pain going on (that no-one looked for then) or needed a refresh by a cowboy…either way, he was dangerous. He launched me about into space, and did the same with another trainer in the barn. The BO found someone who needed a pasture pal and that was the end of that.

As an adult, I found my 2017 fjord gelding on Dreamhorse in July of 2020. I had been riding with a friend on her own private horses for about 15 years, and she came with to meet, ride and be there for the PPE as I had basically no experience with purchasing a horse at that point. Total unicorn of a horse and total best case scenario seller story as well. And I got him before horse price tags REALLY shot up.

[2DogsFarm]

Grab a beverage, this will be lengthy

#1 I’m going to call “mine”, was a shareboard at the lesson barn. Trainer (not mine) friend suggested him as owner was an absentee who worked as an Aerobics instructor ( this was 1980-something), horse was a wedding gift.
QH gelding from Racing stock, back as long as a school bus, 4yo, bright blood bay w/socks & a snip. I taught him - with my trainer’s help - to jump, showed locally PreGreen & Ammy with some success.
Owner was more than generous, letting me take him to weekend 3-day shows.
On the rare occasion, she’d show up on a Sunday & ride him in the U/S classes.
Then she moved to a distant 'burb & I was back on schoolies for a couple years.

#2 was a 6yo never-raced (racetrack trainer kept him as a Pony) TB plain dark bay gelding, bought through my trainer who had a pipeline to that track.
Her MO was for clients to buy a “starter”, then move up the following year to more horse.
And more comi$$ion for her
I’d told her straight out this wasn’t my agenda & got her Seller’s asking price down to what I wanted to spend. She took a gamble on less commission & we showed regional Hunters.
That 1st year, mid-season, she told me a local BNT would pay 3X my purchase price for him.
I declined.
A couple years later she held a Diane Carney (then a local BN) clinic at our barn.
Trainer’s Newb Rider sister was then shareboarding my horse & rode him Saturday.
I was working that weekend & couldn’t ride that day.
When I showed up for Sunday, boarders told me my horse had packed sister around, saving her from an involuntary dismount in a Bounce:
“He cantered in place!” I was told.
I rode Sunday, had fun when Diane had us swap horses & I got a Point & Shoot.
Gal who got my horse later told me “I now respect your leg”
Trainer told me Diane would give me 10X what I’d paid
I mentally added her 15% to that & seriously considered the offer.
But, I was having too much fun to want to start over.
I had that horse for 20yrs, through 3 more trainers - Hunters, Dressage/Eventing & back to Dressage - 4 more barns, then bought my farm & brought him home.
Where I lost him 5yrs later to a trailering accident

#3 was really DH’s. Found through a former employee of mine who bought him, got pregnant & couldn’t ride.
TWH, registered Racking, w/o a lot of Gait.
But he was a bold Xcountry horse & his natural Sit & suspension made him a good Dressage prospect.
Sadly I lost him - 2yrs after I lost DH - to a mystery wasting lameness. NQR in October, PTS in February.

#4 was 10yo registered TWHBEA, gelded at 8 with a colt on the ground. 17+h of dark bay. My vet called him The Belgian Walking Horse
I got him after losing #3 because I worried TB couldn’t be alone on my farm (then under construction). Friend who sold youngstock sold a mare to the BO whose boarder had this horse, she’d bought him as a stud, had him gelded, but he scared her.
Big sweetheart who never trotted, not even in pasture. But his gait was like a backrub & my Dressage trainer was able to work with us, with me doing all the riding, even correcting his tendency to crossfire at canter.
Lost him in the same trailer accident w/TB

#5 was a COTH Giveaway. 15yo Buckskin Australian WB (Hanoverian stud out of Stock horse mare). Former GP Jumper - COTH poster linked to his show records in Australia as a 6-10yo. Imported to FL, he’d ended up in a Sale barn, where another COTHer bought him for Jr client. But he’d been misused & limited to under 3’ - fine for me.
I had friends near him in FL, flew down to test ride & owner generously let me have him.
We had 5 good years before he developed an anaerobic infection in a hoof capsule. He would have sloughed the hoof & at 19 I wouldn’t put him through that.

#6 was a Freebie. Hackney Pony given to me as a companion by my shoer. Broke to drive, but shoer (with Driving expertise) had crashed & warned me not to drive him.
I’ve ground driven him, but he’s now largely ornamental at 23 last month.
Typical Hackney, he could pass for 5 if his face hadn’t gone so gray

#7 is an “alleged” TWH (no registration) given to me by a trailriding/horsecamping friend when I lost #5. 16h dark bay with a white nose & leftside socks. He was gaited, but working with my Dressage trainer & me in the irons, he now trots & canter is a Work in Progress.
Budget has forced me to give up my 2X monthly lessons & Lazy has me riding a lot less, but he’s been on rides with my Driving Club & trails.

#8 is my Old Lady Folly - a Driving mini.
At County Fair he & his 1/2 brother were being shown as 2yos in Halter. Friend showing them asked me to help while he clipped. Bro required a Headlock, my guy stood like a rock: ears, muzzle, anywhere. As a pretty new Driver, temperament sold me.
He’ll be 9 next month & Driving friends tell me I’ve won the Mini Lottery.
He has a motor, but is pretty unflappable & fun to drive.
We have CDE aspirations. May never cone to pass, but I’m okay with that.

[NC001]

I found mine on my own but had a trainer go with me to try them. I manage all the details and sale.

[joiedevie99]

The last few:

1. Found myself through my connection with the breeder on Facebook. Tried him myself, then brought trainer back for second ride.
2. Found myself on Facebook. Tried him and sent video to trainer for review.
3. Trainer found through her connections; not advertised. I tried him and trainer reviewed video.
4. Trainer found and tried. Brought me back for the second ride.

[Bogie]

Horse #1 was offered to me when I stopped into a tack store and started to chat with the owner. 6 year old Hanoverian/TB who had some bad habits and had scared the owner. Being 22 and without fear or common sense, I took him on as a free lease where the owner paid 1/2 the bills. People could hear me riding in the indoor as said horse would throw himself into the wall when he got frustrated. Horse turned around to be a cute little eventer and I rode him for several years before I moved to a place for my job where I couldn’t have a horse.

Horse #2 was a school horse who no longer liked kids. He would stand in the middle of the ring and refuse to move. I had just started riding again after a 10 year hiatus and needed something to ride. Horse decided I was his person and I bought him when I moved out of state. Super fun to jump, although he never took to xc, so I did low jumpers with him.

Horse #3 was owned by a teen who ran away from home. Barn was going to sell him for back board, but a friend of mine stepped in and paid the fees. He was a beautiful Trakehner with some quirks that made him a tricky ride. Eventually I discovered he was meant to be a foxhunter and we had many happy years hunting first flight.

Horse #4 was an OTTB who didn’t work out in his first home. A friend at CANTER convinced me to take him on and work with him so he could be rehomed. I retired him last year (age 24) but he (eventually) became a great foxhunter. It took some time, and a few really long hunts, to convince him he didn’t have to be first in every field.

Horse #5 was dropped off at my barn by my CANTER friend who needed her sold. My plan was to foxhunt her and sell her for a small commission. I told my friend I didn’t care for mares, didn’t want a draft x and had two kids in college so didn’t need a second horse. She was stubborn, big and had no work ethic. It took me about 6 months to sort her out and then she decided she could work with me. That was 7 years ago!

Since my CANTER friend picked out my last two horses, I’m just going to have her send me my next one and skip all the looking. She knows what I like and has a great eye for potential.

[blue_heron]

The only horse I ever consciously purchased was my first horse as a tween. Or rather, my parents purchased her, for a very small amount of money. The rest I’ve owned just… end up here? I’ve also ridden a lot of “quirky” but talented horses for owners, sometimes for months at a time or a couple of years. I was hoping to buy a nice horse for myself this year but somehow ended up with a “rescue” filly who I’m still not sure what I’m going to do with.

[RemarkableOwl21]

Somehow I was super lucky and found a diamond in the rough, considering I knew way less than I thought I did getting back into riding as an adult and finding my horse mostly on my own (sent a video to my trainer at the time). But, he was greener than I expected and it’s been a long road to be able to ride him decently. He’s been safe, almost always sound, and he tries hard for me. At the barn with many fancy five-figure horses, my small-budget dude gets compliments for his conformation and being an overall solid citizen. I count my blessings all the time that things worked out well for us, knowing how badly it could have turned out with a green re-rider selecting a green horse.

[J-Lu]

I’m “none of the above”. I never paid for a horse but had plenty of help finding great rides/owning great horses.

[Manni01]

This one I saw on a pasture when I walked by and liked it. She was about 5 months at that time …The breeder only breeds jumper horses so I was confused why I liked it…. Later I found out that at least her sire is a dressage horse so I bought her

[KurPlexed]

AA rider who buys all my own horses. I may send video to a trainer for review but ultimately I’m the rider and I know EXACTLY what I want to feel when I sit on a horse. I want 3 clean gaits with a good balanced canter, a soft back and mouth and a go button. After that I can train what I need. I also know what temperament I’m looking for. So I suppose the most important thing to keep in mind is to have a very clear picture in your head of what you want and then a trainer isn’t really necessary.

Eta. I dig in barns to find what I want bc by the time they hit the market the demand is so high, they seem to sell so quickly and I don’t like to buy under pressure. So I’ll call around and ask people what they have coming up for sale that fits my requirements. They always have something that they just haven’t had a chance to advertise yet.

[foggybok]

First horse as a teen, Dad promised we’d go horse shopping on a certain day. That day came and it was a blizzard, but Dad was not going to disappoint his little girl. Off we went. Found a beautiful sorrel gelding who was out in the blizzard running around like a mad man. Made arrangements to come back and ride and get vetted. Vet said he was too much horse for a little girl so of course I took him home. And of course we had a great time together!

Second horse was when I was working for a trainer. I got the position because they needed someone to show their AQHA horses in the English classes. When I got there Goliath (as they called him) would only buck or go backwards. One day he bucked so hard when I was riding he snapped off both billets off the saddle. I didn’t realize it until I got him stopped and noticed the saddle was off center a bit. I shifted my weight and it fell off. I found the billets in different corners of the arena. We got him out to the shows and eventually did OK, but the owner had reached the end of her rope (after a year of 'training") and abandoned him. The trainer hated him so I said “I’ll take him” and home with me he went… We had some good years together and I eventually sold him to a youth rider who did quite well until she went to college and he went to another youth rider.

Along the way during my Goliath years, I added one I picked up from the stable owner for my husband and another we found up in the North Woods for a bargain as a resale. My friend an I were good at scouring the countryside for good resale prospects.

Next was when I wasn’t looking. I was helping a friend buy a horse. She answered an ad by a racehorse trainer who had some coming off the track. They were nice, but not quite it. He mentioned his brother had another one we might like. We went to the brother’s place and saw this mare. I watched her trot around a paddock and I was smitten. But I wasn’t looking so I gave my friend first chance. She was a little timid and wisely decided this mare was too much for her (she was very hot) so I snapped her up without ever even riding her. My best horse ever. My heart horse. She unfortunately suffered a horrible pasture accident while I was on my internship so I lost her. Got one really nice foal out of her though. Since then, I’ve used that breeder when I want to find a nice horse a number of times. He rarely sells anything and only if he likes you. And he has the best horses around.

They next few were off the track, 2 from my friend and 2 from a woman who gathers OTTBs for resale. One of them was actually sent home because she was according to the trainer “too dangerous for the track”. And of course, me being me I said “I’ll take her!”

Next came the colt out of one of the OTTBs I had sold to a friend with a foal agreement. Best husband horse ever, nothing rattled him.

Then a friend of mine decided I needed a gaited horse for some silly reason (I think more for my DH) and she went and picked up Zsa Zsa Gabor’s old show horse for me. She was fun!

Next came another gaited horse (from online ad) and a Fjord from a friend.

The rest and most recent have all been online ads except the one really nice gelding I got from the breeder of my really nice mare. He has a few more right now I’d love to get my hands on.

[Cowgirl]

I bought my first dressage horse (I was a hunter/jumper person before and rode OTTBs) through a dealer and a trainer who went with the dealer to europe. Horse was imported, trained to GP and bought as a schoolmaster. He was 14 when I bought him (24 years ago) and the most money I ever paid for a horse. While I did learn a ton from this horse, he had chronic issues with ulcers and turnout (difficult to manage in boarding situations and difficult to have both issues together as he neeed turnout, but got hurt alot). I showed him through PSG and had to euth at age 24. The next one I bought at 7 months old in Denmark (flew there myself), imported and self trained to GP. That one was kind of an emotional purchase because she was related to the first one and he was so freaking rideable and fancy. She was a completely different ride–hot and spooky, but a super trier, had some conformation issues that presented challenges (short neck, small room in the throatlatch) so I did a ton more research about the bloodlines I was buying after that. She is now 23, enjoying her retirement, and still rideable. Then I bought a well bred 3 week old from a top American breeder out of stupendous dressage lines; and then contracted to have bred another one by another top breeder also from stupendous lines. The mares are both fantastic and I saw multiple offspring of the mares (including two full siblings of the second one). I raised them both from weanlings. The first one is 5 this year, almost a year under saddle (he started at 3.5 years but has had two three month breaks in the last year to grow and mature) and going to his first clinic this summer; the second will be 3 in June and will be started in the Fall. I am excited by them both. I love having the 23 year old to ride from time to time to give me positive reinforcement about what I have been able to do, while the young one humbles me because I totally forgot what it was like to ride a baby horse!

[MsM]

I have never been “in a program” and had a trainer help to purchase a horse. As an adult, my three horse purchases were a retraining project and two young greenies!

Previous horses were found through newspaper ads - that’s how long ago that was! I found current horse when BO where I was leasing a horse was looking for a school horse. I went online to browse and was taken by this little yellow horse with his tail swinging like a sexy ponytail. After several trips two states away and much self debate I bought him. Not that I really needed a retirement present of a horse that wasn’t even cantering under saddle! No regrets.

[athelas]

1st horse was a classified ads find after I’d lessoned on several saints and did 4H’s Clover Climber, previously cutting my teeth on an ancient pony. IIRC, my grandpa saw the ad and called my parents. She was a grey arabx…we think either QH or maybe Morgan. My mom was an RN and I think we visited that mare 4 or 5 times before my dad in half exasperation, half encouragement told my mom outright they were buying her.

2nd horse was a bay mare AQHA sale/auction find. She was I think 5? She still had her wolf teeth because I remember that dental appt very vividly. My 4H leader was with us and convinced my parents to buy her before she hit the ring. Anyway, she could have definitely benefitted from Regumate, had we known it existed then! I do not remember her breeding now but I do know her AQHA name.

3rd horse was a red dun AQHA gelding, again found a QH sale/auction. He was the ultimate husband horse and I loved him dearly! He was what got me into dressage and did everything; 4H (western, english, jumping), dressage, middle & high school equestrian team. He was Somethin Impressive–Im Impressive Jack x Somethin or Nothing, Somethin Sunny.

4th horse was a bay gelding TB/Trak who wound up being given to us with a retirement contract after we discovered he had ringbone. He was my very first heart horse but he was always NQR, I suspect there was some autoimmune issues going on. I wish I knew then what I know now! He was a retired eventer and we did lower level (1st, schooling 2nd) dressage. He was retired with his former owners when I was a senior in high school.

5th horse was a chestnut OTTB gelding (Forward Charger x Neutron Bomb, No House Call) that I refreshed/legged up for his owners who were looking to sell him as their kid was afraid of him. He wasn’t mean, just a shit who tested boundaries and she was too afraid to ever tell him no. Turned into the SWEETEST little gelding ever. I rode him my senior year of high school on our equestrian team, did dressage schooling shows, and he went as an alternate to an IDA show my school co-hosted. I sold him to a lesson barn at the end of my freshman year of college.

My current Dutch Harness x Morgan (Gino R.V.F x DHH/Morgan mare by Toronto) chestnut gelding was sort of an accidental find! I was looking for another OTTB and messaging with a friend of mine who owns a boarding business and I was going to board whatever I bought with him. He had sent me a picture of a 4 year old Dutch Harness x Morgan gelding he’d just picked up at a sale after I had expressed annoyance with the horse hunting process. He sort of jokingly said I could buy this gelding he’d picked up and I went to see him and jumped at the chance once I saw his feet

He’s my best friend and by far the nicest I’ve ever owned! We are at a different barn with a new trainer now who specializes in making her own horses and has worked with a ton of DHH and other ~off breeds~. He’s so cool and turns 7 tomorrow! My goal with him was to earn my bronze and then see where we go! When I told my current trainer what my goals were, she sort of gave me the knowing look and said, “he can do so much more than that!”, which is very exciting. We’re going to hit some schooling shows this year and then maybe next summer start toward some bronze scores

[outerbanks77]

@MsM

I have never been “in a program” and had a trainer help to purchase a horse. As an adult, my three horse purchases were a retraining project and two young greenies!

Pretty much this for me. Current horses were:

1. Racing-bred QH found through an online ad (was it Equus Now!?) as a two year old from the breeder.
2. Appendix QH found word of mouth purchased from a local barn owner as a green four year old.
3. Westphalian mare found word of mouth resulting in a straight-across trade for my Oldenburg mare (Oldenburg had issues so I couldn’t ride her, new girl was a two year old, so we traded so I could get a riding prospect and other person could get a brood mare) as a two year old. She has been a lot of work, but is turning out to be a pretty great fit for me as we go into our fifth year together.
4. No longer owned but bought an unstarted 3 year old foundation appaloosa mare sight unseen off of Dreamhorse. She was smaller than advertised, but an absolute darling of a horse.

Incidentally, I put the most time, effort and money into the purchase of the Oldenburg, and did have a grand prix trainer (not mine) review some videos and make recommendations for me. That was the biggest fail of all.

[Bogie]

So, not too long after this thread first ran, I lost my amazing mare to founder. Not sure why as she’d been turned out on grass for 10 years, but weighing 1550 lbs didn’t make it easy.

I called the woman who’d owned her and found my last TB and asked her if she knew of any horses. Sure enough, she had a friend who needed to find a home for her 8 yr old TB as she’s been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. I flew to NC and looked at the horse, who hadn’t been touched in almost a year. He was way too thin and had no muscle, but he’s going to be lovely when he’s recovered. I’ve had him for almost a month now . . .

I did look at two other horses before buying him and realized that I like having someone else choose my horses for me!

[TheDBYC]

@Bogie

I did look at two other horses before buying him and realized that I like having someone else choose my horses for me!

It’s like going on a blind date! It helps to have “references”.

[quietann]

Mine was kind of the little sports car version of that mare but she actually is very safe as long as you can handle some silly spooks.

[Caol_Ila]

Always on my own, and without searching that hard.

Horse 1: I was 13. We went to a sales yard, and the dealer thought the little 15.1hh QH would be an appropriate first horse for a teenager. She was, but a few years passed, and I got more into dressage as my riding progressed, which wasn’t the right sport for the QH. I sold her to someone who wanted to trail ride, and bought Horse 2.

Horse 2: We’d been thinking about selling QH but hadn’t committed to a plan. Then a random boarder at my barn asked if I was thinking about buying a dressage horse and if I’d seen the advert for a 7-year old Shire-TBx on the yard bulletin board. She said she’d seen the mare at a show and knew the owner. Thought she was a good horse. My Mom and I made a half-baked decision to see the horse that afternoon. I bought her and had her for 21 years. Dragged her to university in MA (we were in CO), then overseas to the UK for grad school.

Horse 3: After finishing my undergrad and moving back home to CO with the Shire-TBx, I got the idea in my head that I wanted to try backing my own horse. I’d helped a few people do it during college. Looked at a couple youngsters. My only criteria was that had to be very sane and sound. I didn’t have to love it because it would be sold after backing. First one I looked at was a sweet little Fjord mare, but she had locking stifle. I spoke to vet on phone who said don’t touch with bargepole. The second one I looked at was a PMU draft cross baby called Dante. He fit the criteria, so I bought him. He was sold when I moved to the UK. I often wonder where he is.

Horse 4: Horse 2, the Shire-TBx, was 27 and age was starting to catch up with her. Unfortunately, it was lockdown (2021) and most of the UK was under some kind of travel restriction, so I could not travel to East Bumblef*ck and back looking for a horse. I knew I wanted an unbacked youngster (because I’m an idiot). I wanted a 3 or 4yo. Looked at one Highland mare, but she was tiny, and I did not know how much more she would grow at 4. Some do, some don’t. Then I realised there was a PRE stud farm nearby, within the zone of our travel ban. Who’s dream horse isn’t an Andalusian? Well, probably a lot of people, but it was all 12-year old me ever wanted. I contacted them about a 3yo, but he was already sold. However, I went there to view a couple 2yos. I quite liked one of the fillies. She was sweet and cuddly. Her parents were from old Carthusian lines. She was younger than I’d planned for, and unhandled, which was fun. No wonder they were cheap for PREs. The breeder doesn’t even halter break them. But I bought her anway, stupidly optimistic that my old horse would bounce back in the spring and I would have another year while the youngster matured.

Horse 4.5: Horse 4 was pregnant. A teen mom. Awesome.

Horse 5: Old horse went downhill in April and May, and I decided I would buy a riding horse once she passed. Filly could grow up without pressure to be ridden (whilst she learned useful things, like wearing a halter and picking up her feet). I did not know that she was pregnant. PTS old horse at the start of June, discovered that my teenage PRE was up the duff that very same day, and she foaled a week later. Put plans of buying a horse on hold in case mega vet bills ensued. Luckily, they did not. My best friend offered to buy the baby. Excellent. I resumed plan A. We were still in bloody lockdown with travel restrictions (I am told buying a horse is not ‘essential’), so I still could not travel very far. My criteria was that it had to be mostly sane, sound, and not pregnant. Tried a mare, and when I asked, half-jokingly, if she could be pregnant, the owner (who had not had her long) said, “Her previous owner tried to get her in foal last year and don’t think it took.” Nope! Clearly anything with a uterus was risky, so I decided I would only look at geldings. Next, I tried an ex-feral Highland pony gelding who was green as grass and quite sharp, but he was sound and definitely not pregnant. Good enough.

Highland is still a bit of a spooky weirdo but steadily improving. PRE is now 5 years old and a useful member of equine-human society. She carried me to my wedding wearing a dress (me, not the horse).

[Shagyas_Rock]

Well, my answer is a lot shorter than anyone else’s:
I went looking for reputable breeders. They had nice horses. I became their customer.