How many of you have had your "dream horse" change over time?

[Another-Bay]

When I was a kid, I wanted an appaloosa that looked like my Barbie’s horse.

When I was a teenager, I wanted a fiery thoroughbred with agility for the upper-level jumpers. Liver chestnut, 4 socks, star, minimum 17 hands. This gelding would be the “black stallion” that only I could ride (hah). I think I was angling for COTH to write an article about our partnership (double hah).

Now, I am happy with any breed or color as long as it has the elusive good mind. It would be great to be the 1.10m jumpers one day, but also be able to go off property and on the trails with minimal fanfare. I love a dark bay these days. Good feet. Shorter backed. Uphill. Healthy within reason. A low hit on vet costs, if that exists.

It’s funny how your tastes change over time! Anyone else experience this phenomenon?

[Cattitudervt]

Oh yes when i was a kid i wanted a big fancy warmblood to show in dressage. Now 20 years later i have my dream horse a polish arabian mare who does dressage and rocks the trails. I never want anything but arabs now!

[Scribbler]

I never really had a dream horse. My grade horse as a kid was my horse, and I would never have traded her in. And my horse bow similar, I took her on and she grew on me.

[ohmylivia]

When I was teeny tiny, I wanted a chestnut QH that I would gallop effortlessly through fields of wildflowers. He would live in my backyard and I would ride him to school.

Then as a teenager, I wanted a slow (extra extra slow) hunter that would see his own distances. And be slow.

Now I have my total dream horse- a dark bay (with no white to keep clean) tall sturdy gelding who will fire up for the big (to me) sticks, or toodle on the trail in a halter. He’s my sweet safe unicorn!

[HeyJealousy]

When I was a kid all I wanted was a big dappled gray gelding. Now that I’ve leased grays, I have determined I will never own anything gray if I can help it! Dark bay all the way for me! Also, a safe and willing partner is more important to me than fancy at this point.

[Foxglove]

Wanted an Arab mare --hot and full of spirit when I was pre-teen --actually had one for 21 years after I married. Then I wanted a Thoroughbred --fast as could be --got one. Next I wanted a big, big draft horse --got a Percheron. Then reason began to prevail (all the above lived to be 20+) and I fell into a quiet, very quiet QH barely 15hh. He is the nicest, calmest fellow --but time marches on and he’s 20+ now --so I looked for his twin and found another QH --not quite the same (first fellow is a stocky old style; second a cutting sorting type). And along the way I learned to ask the shoer what he/she thought before I bought the horse. Neither of my two need shoes. Such a savings.

[beowulf]

I’m not sure if I ever had a “dream horse”, but I sure did have a type: 15.2, quirky, and athletic (and thoroughbred!) – that hasn’t changed, despite me having a 17h unquirky, only-a-little-bit athletic TB as my horse right now! :winkgrin:

[hairystockings]

When I was a kid I wanted a draft horse, but I’m 5’2 so that wasn’t really realistic. I ended up with a draft pony when I was 16, she’s a gypsy vanner around 14h. She was the horse of a lifetime for a kid like me. We trail rode constantly, she loved to jump, in college we did all the way up to 3’3 jumpers (still have no idea looking at her now how she did that, so much heart). Reliable, safe, bombproof but opinionated and one of the best jumping ponies you’d ever see in your life, definition knees to nose. There will never be another her. I would love to have another younger her (she’s 25 and enjoying retirement in all her fat, cushings/medicated glory). I’ve had a couple others in the interim, fancy jumper horse and pony and now have entered that adult amateur phase of life where I don’t have time or desire to fix or train something and went out and sought an easy going wb with a good brain for the working ammy lifestyle to do hunters and eq (gone for a week for business, no problem let’s play! type).

But the dream will ultimately always be to get another gypsy at some point. It’s just a matter of time when either life or finances dictates that I need to stop showing or show a whole lot less I’ll go try and find another. She was a needle in a haystack what she was willing to try and do for me and I have no expectations of finding another just like her but god do I love that breed’s brain. Right now I want to and have the time to show at rated USEF shows and another one of those just wouldn’t fit what my goals are for that, but I’ll come full circle eventually.

[mmeqcenter]

Nope.
I always wanted a painted Warmblood. Still want a painted Warmblood. Might breed one out of my OTTB mare in the future.
I have a gray Warmblood in on consignment right now and he’s pretty much my dream horse, he’s perfection. Also he’s a piece of cake to keep clean, so I’ve never experienced the gray-woes others seems to have. :lol:

[2DogsFarm]

Funny, even as a horsecrazy kid I never wanted any specific breed or color.
If it had 4 hooves & breathed I would have gladly taken whatever.
Growing up in the horseless 'burbs with only weekly lessons did that.

When I was 39 I got my First Very Own horse & he was a 6yo OTTB - failed his speed test & worked for 4yrs as a pony horse. Somewhere I have a pic of him ponying at the Arlington Million, ears pinned, hating his job…
Trainer had taken him to KY, where on a whim they showed him & he won Pre-Green Hunter classes.
Plain bay with a white anklet LH.
Sometimes his Summer coat approached bloodbay, otherwise mahogany.

When DH committed to riding we ended up buying him a waaay-roaned-out TWH, strawberry sabino with 4 high whites & almost-bald-faced blaze.
His breed/color had no place on the Shopping List for a lower-level Eventer, but he worked out smashingly.
@mmeqcenter keeping him clean for shows was a nightmare.
Here they are at their 1st rated Event:

Added another plain bay TWH - 17h - not a white hair on him.

Then a ginormous - 17h+ - buckskin Australian WB.

Hackney Pony companion for the WB - dark bay, one anklet LH.

Now riding another Walker who I’ve gotten trotting as I ride Dressage.
He is black bay but bleaches to near-buckskin in Summers, big snip, small star and white socks LF & LH.

And recently added a Mini to drive.
Mini started out dark brown but @ 4yo is showing considerable roaning (like the sorrel sire) all over, including patches in his mane, ears are lined with white.
Hence his showname: Wascally Wabbit, barn name Bugs

[WildLittleWren]

My current horse picked me. I have always really enjoyed riding Thoroughbreds and fancy Warmbloods. What do I have? A 14hh BLM Mustang. And while everyone who meets her always asks “Why a mustang? I don’t see a mustang being the type of horse you would own!”. Well, she picked me. I am her person. She doesn’t care for other people. And what was originally going to be a project has evolved into my dream horse, and my heart horse! So yes, my dream horse has evolved over the years :lol:

[RAyers]

Nope, my dream horse is still the same. Hot TB that nobody else wants to ride, springs for legs and bottomless speed. The only thing that changed is my desire for a shorter horse. The ground is getting harder (must be due to climate change).

[EquestrianRunner]

Kind of…my dream horse desires have come full circle. And not like a “oh I can’t steer lets go in a sorta circle-ish if you get creative” circle.

When I first started riding, I wanted a Connemara/TB like the horse I learned on, Jigger. Then I wanted a big fiesty event horse. First horse was Lilly, a made TB mare. Stood at 15.2, dark bay except for a white hind pastern and what I called her Harry Potter (I was 11…) scar on her cannon bone. While sweet as could be, was more schoolmaster than I could handle. She was a prelim horse, and did not like doing 18"… but tolerated it.

Then I got a big paint horse, Ollie…stood at 16.3/17 hands (mind you, I was only like 12 at this point, maybe I was 5’3 on a good day, and weighed maybe 110 pounds soaking wet), mostly white with a brown chest, brown ears, brown flank, and brown speckles… Ollie was a good boy, but he much preferred having a big old western saddle and a big guy on his back, than me in my little children’s close contact saddle.

Then came A.K. My heart horse. Who I tried to “return” at the time… I thought my parents got me a horse that was too slow, but turns out that was just him having Lyme. Once he finished that Lyme treatment, he wasn’t nearly as sluggish. But at 16.1, un-raced TB, chestnut, off center blaze, one hind sock, built more like a QH. Even our vet said “are you sure he’s a TB? He has an awful big butt and no tattoo”.

Then Moms horse, Xander, was a QH ish guy. Big butt, long back, no withers, big head, short. Only about 15.2. Xander was the ultimate mutt but he was great. Dark bay, blaze, one front sock, one hind sock.

Then I have had several other horses…none of which I have owned, but I had my first pony at the age of 20. Grey, 13.2-13.3 hands. Then a big Irish draft mare, who looked like a bigger version of Jigger.

Right now, “dream horse” would be, 15 hands (probably more like 14 hands but don’t want to pay for the large pony price tag), sturdy, bay, big feet (not just b/c I like the practicality, I think they are cute). Star and/or snip. And GELDING. Only geldings. I am not a mare person!

[EquestrianRunner]

@RAyers

Nope, my dream horse is still the same. Hot TB that nobody else wants to ride, springs for legs and bottomless speed. The only thing that changed is my desire for a shorter horse. The ground is getting harder (must be due to climate change).

Spring legs! And yes, shorter! I agree that the ground is getting harder…must be climate change

[phoenixrises]

Kid me wanted a nice PB Arab to do Show Hack with and win all the things.

Younger adult me wanted a bay with short back and 15.2h whatever breed to do everything! I’d like to event, trail ride, heck I’d try competitive trail etc.

Have a 16.3 (still way too tall) TB bay with 2 socks, short back who does everything if she is sound… Hurt her back last year and we still haven’t gotten over it. Honestly I love her to pieces she’s perfect for me and a fabulous dressage horse and trail mount. She’s done 25 mile competitive trail competitions then dressage without batting an eye. This back thing is killing us.

If I was buying right now, I’d like a 15.2 morgan, who rides and drives. I have a mini who I drive and I’m having a blast, I’d love to do CDE with a full size horse but 1) my mare would kill me and 2) I can’t afford a marathon vehicle!

[browneyedcowgirl]

When I was a teen, I wanted nothing shorter than 16 hands, I loved Andalusians, and I wanted a feisty mare with a thick long mane, beautiful dapple gray. I also had an illusion of doing Grand prix dressage on my feisty tall Andalusian mare (HA).

Now, I much prefer something around the 15hh range, but has a little scope for some Hunter classes. Sure footed and quiet as can be out on the trail. Oh and who will get onto the trailer without fussing. Couldn’t care less about color. But I prefer my manes simple now and my horses dark (easier to clean).

[drafting_dots]

I always wanted a paint growing up and I ended up getting one in high school. For some reason I loved APHA HUS even though I rode actual hunters. Then, as an adult, my dream horse was a draft or draft cross and i wanted it to be solid bay, because pinto was too predictable for me. But I couldn’t fight it and ended up with a pinto draft cross :lol:

[Another-Bay]

@mmeqcenter

Nope.
I always wanted a painted Warmblood. Still want a painted Warmblood. Might breed one out of my OTTB mare in the future.
I have a gray Warmblood in on consignment right now and he’s pretty much my dream horse, he’s perfection. Also he’s a piece of cake to keep clean, so I’ve never experienced the gray-woes others seems to have. :lol:

Sign me up for one of those too

[Another-Bay]

@browneyedcowgirl

When I was a teen, I wanted nothing shorter than 16 hands, I loved Andalusians, and I wanted a feisty mare with a thick long mane, beautiful dapple gray. I also had an illusion of doing Grand prix dressage on my feisty tall Andalusian mare (HA).

Now, I much prefer something around the 15hh range, but has a little scope for some Hunter classes. Sure footed and quiet as can be out on the trail. Oh and who will get onto the trailer without fussing. Couldn’t care less about color. But I prefer my manes simple now and my horses dark (easier to clean).

Hah! I definitely suffered from a stint of unrealistic breed to ability notions. I didn’t mention this, but I was planning to do showiumping in the Olympics with my Appaloosa.

[Another-Bay]

@2DogsFarm

Funny, even as a horsecrazy kid I never wanted any specific breed or color.
If it had 4 hooves & breathed I would have gladly taken whatever.
Growing up in the horseless 'burbs with only weekly lessons did that.

When I was 39 I got my First Very Own horse & he was a 6yo OTTB - failed his speed test & worked for 4yrs as a pony horse. Somewhere I have a pic of him ponying at the Arlington Million, ears pinned, hating his job…
Trainer had taken him to KY, where on a whim they showed him & he won Pre-Green Hunter classes.
Plain bay with a white anklet LH.
Sometimes his Summer coat approached bloodbay, otherwise mahogany.

When DH committed to riding we ended up buying him a waaay-roaned-out TWH, strawberry sabino with 4 high whites & almost-bald-faced blaze.
His breed/color had no place on the Shopping List for a lower-level Eventer, but he worked out smashingly.
@mmeqcenter keeping him clean for shows was a nightmare.
Here they are at their 1st rated Event:

Added another plain bay TWH - 17h - not a white hair on him.

Then a ginormous - 17h+ - buckskin Australian WB.

Hackney Pony companion for the WB - dark bay, one anklet LH.

Now riding another Walker who I’ve gotten trotting as I ride Dressage.
He is black bay but bleaches to near-buckskin in Summers, big snip, small star and white socks LF & LH.

And recently added a Mini to drive.
Mini started out dark brown but @ 4yo is showing considerable roaning (like the sorrel sire) all over, including patches in his mane, ears are lined with white.
Hence his showname: Wascally Wabbit, barn name Bugs

I love that barn name. Bugs! You have a great story, I hope I can similarly trace back my horses like that.