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Test Riding

3K views 19 replies 20 participants last post by  5Bijou5 
#1 ·
How many horses did you test ride before you bought your horse?

This is assuming you didn't breed for your personal horse or if they were a "free-bee."

Before I decided on Sonny I test rode five horses. What about you?
 
#3 ·
LOL I bought the first horse I looked at and didn't even ride her. (Didn't have a vet check, either, or see anyone else ride her). I was looking for a 12 year old gelding, and wound up with a 2 year old filly. By the way, I got lucky - she's absolutely perfect!!! Sound, bombproof and willing. There was just something in her eyes...
 
#4 ·
The last horse I got, I was in the market for a weanling-2yr old filly, I guess I wasn't "test riding" more like "test groundwork" lol. I inquired about half a dozen or so before I went and looked at a yearling, and after handling her, I couldn't run away fast enough, then after that I went and looked at a little 2 yr old filly and after 10 minutes with her, I was set on her coming home with me, and that afternoon she was loaded up in the trailer and headed home.
 
#5 ·
I've cycled through plenty of horses, and it's been more than just "test rides" :lol:

My first horse was a freebie / rescue, an ancient Arabian mare who was perfect (or would have been if she was ten years younger). She stayed sound until she started losing her teeth, eventually old age got her. Around the same time two more 'freebies' fell into our lap. Two more rescues, much less perfect than the first horse (not that any of that applies to the question).

I went horse-less for awhile and now I have Jackson BUT before him I tried out a handful of horses: 2 or 3 that I passed on immediately, another 2 oldies that didn't last long (one was retired to pasture, the other retired to a trail string), a greenie that was entirely the wrong horse for me and 1 that I free leased for about a year. It was the middle of my free lease when I went to see him and knew he was basically 'the one'. Horse shopping is a long process that can span a couple of years. :lol:
 
#8 ·
I looked at and rode 3 others before buying Link. That's a record I think, I was early shopping a bit to though I might have bought one if I had had my mare sold at the time. Friends had him so I tried him while I could. Normally I've always gotten the first horse I look at and it's worked for me. Link was pretty much expected to be bought when we called about him, as long as he was what the ad said. He was so he came home right away.
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#9 ·
This round in the horse world (returning after a ten year break) I bought the first horse I looked at in person, though I had inquired on several prospective horses in the months leading up to it. I was looking for a green 3 or 4 year old to finish, but ended up with a halter broke long-yearling because the bloodlines were nice, the price was considerably below budget, and I just had a gut feeling about him. 9 months later, I do believe I snatched up a diamond in the rough for a STEAL.
 
#12 ·
I didn't test ride my horse at all. I loved his attitude and that did it for me. But, even though he was broke to ride, they were selling him as untrained so I knew I'd have my work cut out for me.

Looking back did I make the right decision. NO, definitely not. I was just getting back into riding and so buying a horse like this just because I liked his personality and conformation didn't do either of us any favors and we have had a very very long road. We are doing fairly well now but are still a bit on a roller coaster. It's been almost 4 years and I am just now starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My horse has never dumped me nor has he harmed me or my daughter in any way but I think I got really LUCKY about that. I found out 2 years after buying him that he had put somebody in the hospital and that's the REAL reason he was sold as untrained.

My next horse will already know his A's and B's, and preferably be showing decently in training level dressage with potential for more.
 
#13 ·
Hmmm trying to remember back that far... I haven't test rode horses since I bought my mare Lily. That was oh 10+yrs ago? My first horse was an untrained/untouched 10yo TB mare. Sold her. I believe tried 3 horses with my barn manager who couldn't pick anything that suited me... Bought a 16yo Polish Arabian gelding from a lady we met at an auction. Test rode & brought him home. When he passed my grandpa went on the search for another Polish Arabian. Bought Lily on the spot because he liked her personality. I didn't even go with him.

From there my horses have either come to me through auctions or as freebies. I've always been the type who scours the horse ads for hours before I remotely find something that can do kinda everything I'm looking for.
 
#14 ·
I test rode A LOT of horses over the course of several months before I found the right one. I don't remember exactly how many... more than a dozen, probably less than 20. I even brought home one on trial and ended up sending her back after she injured my trainer and nearly my vet, too... But when I test rode the one I ended up buying I knew he was the right one immediately, and I don't think I could have found a better horse for me :)
 
#15 ·
Of our 3 riding mares, we bought 2 after the first ride and 1 after trying 1 other horse, but we work with a breeder that knows what we're looking for and they are good at coming up with the top 2-3 matches.
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#16 ·
Not that I'm riding or shopping right now, but I always prefer to ride and lesson at barns who offer their stock for sale. If I ever get interested (which is more than rare) I don't have to leave home to find the horse I'm interested in, and I can special request that horse for a lesson as a test ride. But I'm extremely picky and closed off in that way. lol
 
#17 ·
I test rode one but knew from the seller's ride that he wasn't for me before I set foot to stirrup. I'd driven a long way and wanted to see if he had any aptitude to undo all her ridiculously linear riding. NO bend in that beast!

Other than that, I've bought every horse I test rode (for me - ridden a few for friends shopping) and bought one without a ride (shipped directly to trainer).
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#18 ·
The mare I had growing up promptly ran me straight into some bushes the second I got on her. She was a hotheaded TB and Of course I Immediately fell In love with her and bought her on the spot. ;)

She also had a horrendous striking problem and reared up at the site of anything smaller than her.....cows....sheep....even foals. She was quite the adventure. But she taught me how to ride. Get dumped enough times and u figure it out!! She ended up being an amazing horse and my goodness was she beautiful!! My vet actually ended up buying her foal many years later.

When I went horse shopping the second time around I did a little more research. Lol
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#20 · (Edited)
I seem to be the most picky, I bought my first horse on the spot, the second one I bought was the second one I went to see, the third one I bought was the 4th or 5th I had test rode, the fourth one I bought, I bought from my BO, and before settling on my latest horse I TEST RODE CLOSE TO 20 AND INQUIRED ABOUT MORE THAN 40. ;D
 
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