I bought a new horse today!

[King_s_Ransom]

That seems to be another of those priceless, good egg type horses.
How do you keep finding those?
They are extremely hard to find for sale.

I absolutely know! Cash’s owner said she looked for TWO YEARS before she found the right horse.

I think there are a couple things you can do to stack the odds in your favor, though. I am always “looking,” you know? Skimming DreamHorse, Craigslist, etc. Mentally evaluating the horses, the prices, the market in general. It’s just fun on the first level, but it’s valuable on a real level. Helps you know what your price range is, or needs to be, for the kind of horse you that interests you.

I decided to look for a Quarterhorse because of temperament, size and price range. I wanted to stay away from anything Western because I think those folks are hard on a horse and I don’t ride Western. I wanted something with some years on him (and yes I wanted a “him”) because I wanted proof of personality. I also insisted on “registered” because I wanted proof of age. I expanded my search to include Appendix and APHA; I wanted to stay in the 15h range if possible because it’s closer to the ground (ha!).

The big thing is, though, that when I found it – I just knew. I dropped everything, cut my vacation short, drove halfway across the country so I could get him and catch a flight on the first day the trainer was available to show him to me. I transferred the money from savings to checking so I could write a check. I knew I would either pay full price or pass – no negotiating. (I figured if he wasn’t worth full price to me, I didn’t want him). I checked out shippers and got a quote before I left to go see him.

When I was sure he was for me, I told the lady – “You better call and cancel any other appointments you have to show this horse because he’s sold.” (She had to cancel a lady who was coming that same afternoon to look at him, and I stood right there while she made the call.)

I wrote out a check, got a bill of sale and it was a done deal. I did not hem-haw around, quibble over price, etc. I knew who he was the moment my seat hit the saddle.

If I’d hesitated even one day, as it turns out, even a few hours – I’d probably have lost him to the next lady who came to take a look.

[starsandsun]

Congratulations!!! What a nice guy! I’m sure you will tons of fun on him.

[OldLadyYoungOTTB]

[QUOTE=King’s Ransom;8782247]
Thank you so much. I was so happy while I was riding him and when I got off and we walked to the rail to chat, he was in my pocket. Would not take his eyes off me. He knew I was a good one, too. :)[/QUOTE]

That’s so cute! Congrats!

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=King’s Ransom;8783600]
I absolutely know! Cash’s owner said she looked for TWO YEARS before she found the right horse.

I think there are a couple things you can do to stack the odds in your favor, though. I am always “looking,” you know? Skimming DreamHorse, Craigslist, etc. Mentally evaluating the horses, the prices, the market in general. It’s just fun on the first level, but it’s valuable on a real level. Helps you know what your price range is, or needs to be, for the kind of horse you that interests you.

I decided to look for a Quarterhorse because of temperament, size and price range. I wanted to stay away from anything Western because I think those folks are hard on a horse and I don’t ride Western. I wanted something with some years on him (and yes I wanted a “him”) because I wanted proof of personality. I also insisted on “registered” because I wanted proof of age. I expanded my search to include Appendix and APHA; I wanted to stay in the 15h range if possible because it’s closer to the ground (ha!).

The big thing is, though, that when I found it – I just knew. I dropped everything, cut my vacation short, drove halfway across the country so I could get him and catch a flight on the first day the trainer was available to show him to me. I transferred the money from savings to checking so I could write a check. I knew I would either pay full price or pass – no negotiating. (I figured if he wasn’t worth full price to me, I didn’t want him). I checked out shippers and got a quote before I left to go see him.

When I was sure he was for me, I told the lady – “You better call and cancel any other appointments you have to show this horse because he’s sold.” (She had to cancel a lady who was coming that same afternoon to look at him, and I stood right there while she made the call.)

I wrote out a check, got a bill of sale and it was a done deal. I did not hem-haw around, quibble over price, etc. I knew who he was the moment my seat hit the saddle.

If I’d hesitated even one day, as it turns out, even a few hours – I’d probably have lost him to the next lady who came to take a look.[/QUOTE]

Kind of how I bought my two “keepers”, except I didn’t even have a chance to go try them, had to buy them right over the phone and the sellers and I already had done business before, so we could be confident on each other being on the same wavelength about the horses.
Those go so fast, unless you live right there, a few hours any more can make you lose your chance.

It helps to have a very good idea what you want, but that horse would fit so many people, you had plenty of competition.
Glad you got on the ball and made Cash your own.
Not that many huggable, pettable horses out there for sale, they sell themselves and he also had everything else you were looking for going for him.

Have much fun with him in the years to come.

[Donkaloosa]

He looks like a real sweetheart! So glad that you found each other.