One of the most tiring things is searching for a new horse and I know the search makes a lot of people want to give up looking. I’ve been very lucky over the years when we’ve been searching. The past 4 horses we have bought they were all the first ones we viewed so it made it very easy. This search was a lot trickier and a fair bit longer. But I’m here to say if you keep going you eventually will meet the perfect one. Just like I did. Also don’t compromise just because you’re desperate to find a horse because you may live to regret it. The perfect horse will come along, it might just take time.
We spent countless hours on the road, we drove all over the country, travelling through 20 counties and seeing over 20 horses in the space of a couple of months. We spent more hours in the car than we did at home. We saw over half of Ireland and saw so many different yards, people and horses.
So it all started around august 2019, when I finally convinced my mum I was ready for another horse and I was determined to improve and get into the Showjumping world. We were then in the market for a fab schoolmaster to teach me the ropes of Showjumping which I think is the hardest type of horse to find. We had a very long list of criteria but we also had a substantial budget.
We started the search in September and we went to see what we thought was the perfect guy. When we got there he was a bit more stocky than he looked in the videos but I fell in love with him. He was so easy and just did everything for me. He had automatic flying changes and I had never ridden them before and it was an amazing feeling. I didn’t even have to ask. We jumped a small course and he just helped me out in so many ways and it was effortless for him. Sadly we lost out due to him getting snapped up.
We then started searching online. Looking at the adverts we had a few contenders. We decided to bite the bullet and just drive to see them. We drove over 3 hours to see a grade A schoolmaster. Only to turn up and one he was a lot bigger than described and when they got on him, he was damn right lame. It was so annoying because we then had to drive all the way back home without even trying a horse. Next day, we drove roughly another 3 hours. We had rang the owner explained that we had seen a lame horse and we wanted reassurance and he reassured us there was nothing wrong with his horse and he was sound. Once there we looked into the stable and he was nothing like described. He was a skinny underweight pony who was meant to be 15.2hh. He was far from that. We tacked him up and they legged me up onto him. The owner immediately said “he might sit back down but he won’t buck, he’s just always done it”. Obviously that rang alarm bells but we carried on. Walked to the arena to see it was flooded and extremely deep. Started trotting round and this poor pony was just tripping in the deep sand. I knew he wasn’t for me and I knew I wasn’t going to jump him but we took him in the field to trot round. He trotted much nicer there but he wasn’t for us. So off we went heading home. One of our coaches had a horse for sale on the way home so we stopped there to try it to try and make the journey more worthwhile. It was evident he was too much for me but I got on and schooled him on the flat a little just for experience. Then he actually had another horse who I also got on but again I didn’t jump. They were both a bit too much for me, absolute fab horses but I wasn’t at the right stage in my riding for a horse like them.
We went home and we were back to square one. We started being more open to compromise and we ended up seeing a lovely small 6 year old chestnut mare. We saw her in the stable, we saw her being tacked up and schooled as well as jumped. She looked lovely. I got on and I felt safe on her, I schooled her a bit and then jumped a few fences. She had such a petit canter and such a big jump, she really threw me out the saddle but I did enjoy riding her. But I was just missing that ‘feeling’. They were actually competing that weekend so we decided to go and watch. And that’s when we decided she definitely wasn’t for us. She had a run out in the 1.10m due to a bad line and stride, completely justified by rider but it just showed us that I needed something to help me out not the other way round.
The same day we drove to see another horse. Not at all what we wanted being a 4 yo but we knew the owners so decided she was worth a look. And that she was. She was so pretty, very chilled about life, not spooky in the slightest and very experienced. She was very balanced on the flat and didn’t ride at all like a 4 yo. We watched her owner jump her and then I had a spin. I immediately had that ‘feeling’ I was missing from the other horses. I felt so safe and I had the biggest smile on my face. She really helped me out when we started jumping and she made everything feel so easy. On the drive home I couldn’t stop thinking about her and my mum also liked her. I couldn’t stop watching the videos of us together and I really wanted a future with her. So we put an offer in, didn’t get accepted, upped the offer, it was then accepted. I was over the moon. Sadly things didn’t work out with her and that broke my heart because although I only met her once, I really did love her. I wanted to give up, I didn’t think I’d ever get that ‘feeling’ again. I just felt numb, I cried myself to sleep for days and I couldn’t get her out of my head.
We tried putting the search on hold but that didn’t last long. We drove to northern Ireland, Meath, Tipperary and various other places to see more horses which were either not as described or just not suitable. We also went to see a few horses at a dealers yard. I got to ride a few and I did jump 2 of them and it was fun to jump something else but again they just weren’t right.
We then found one pretty local to us so thought we had to see him. We met with his owner at a show and he actually got him clipped there so we saw him being clipped and being ridden straight after a clip and he was good as gold. We watched him in the warm up and he looked lovely. However he was pretty big. I got on and I really liked him although I did feel pretty small. Anyway we decided to see him again and we hired an arena with a full course up. He was really lovely but for a horse who is being sold as a showjumper up to 1.30m, we didn’t even get to try him over anything above 90cm as he was quite unfit. We decided that we couldn’t take the chance and we kept looking.
Then we heard about something else local which sounded nice. So we drove over and he was a lot bigger than we were told but it was alright. He was lovely and when I got on him again I felt safe. We jumped a few fences and then jumped a double a few times, he really looked after me and he had a really good jump on him. We went home and had a think and decided we wanted to try him again. Next day we go back up and put a course together. We decided to jump some of the jumps both ways. And that showed us just how spooky he can be. We knew he was spooky but considering he was jumping at home and the fences look the same on both ways it was not what we wanted. As I already have one spooky guy (Blu). So again we decided he wasn’t for us.
This now takes us to the middle of November.
Didi’s owner had actually contacted me in October but as she was 5 hours away we never got around to seeing her. I finally persuaded my mum to make the drive. We had planned to see Didi and then drive up north to see a range of horses. I really liked the sound of Didi and she looked class in all the photos and videos but I wasn’t getting my hopes up. Once we got there we watched her being ridden and jumped by the owner. She still looked amazing. I got on and I felt safe. If I’m honest I didn’t get that ‘feeling’ but I think it was just me trying not to get my hopes up. Started jumping her and the more I rode, the more I jumped, the more I started to fall in love. I got off and my mum hopped up briefly. Once she was off, I just looked at her and immediately she knew. We said we want her, I don’t think the owner really knew how much. We didn’t haggle, just went with the full asking price. I was so happy to have finally found a horse (well subject to vetting).
I didn’t want to leave her and I just wanted to take her home. But we didn’t, we drove home and spoke to the vets. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every moment of every day was spent thinking about her.
After the vetting we got the call saying she had passed and I actually just burst into tears. I was so relived something was working out. And I was so thankful that I was finally going to have her home. I rang my mum straight away as she was in England and I just cried on the phone. It was like a dream come true. And that is all thanks to my wonderful mum. I actually cried myself to sleep that night because in complete honesty I was shocked something was working out and obviously I was super happy.
A few days later she was due to arrive. In those days we drove to every shop to buy lots of things for her arrival. I spent every day thinking about her, thinking about our first show, our first lesson, our first hack and so on. The day finally came about and my friend and I were waiting on the yard. It felt like a lifetime waiting for her to arrive but she finally did. She came out the lorry so relaxed and chilled. We put her in the stable for a bit and then took her for a lunge so she could stretch her legs. It was like she had been here her whole life. She was so settled and I couldn’t help but smile. I just felt such a strong pull to her and I couldn’t believe my luck. I really liked her but I actually didn’t love her. I don't know if it was just because I was still holding onto the others horses or that I just didn't see her for what she is.
It wasn’t really until she had been with us for a few weeks when I really started to fall in love with her. And realise quite how special she truly is. Now I can’t imagine not having her. She had a little holiday and these past couple of weeks since she’s been back in work, she has gone from strength to strength and I fall in love with her more every single day. Every time I get up on her, I have a huge smile on my face and I never want to get off. She gives an incredible feeling over a fence and she puts her whole heart into anything I ask of her. I truly love this mare. She has given me so much in these past couple of months and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us.
But we wouldn’t be where we are now without so many people and I’m thankful to every single one of them. So a massive thank you to everyone who has got us to where we are!! I’m so grateful!!
Exciting things to come with this mare!
Thank you for reading, let me know what you think below.
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