[Mukluk]

Was not on the market for a horse. Called up a warmblood breeder who had yearlings for sale for $20,000 (WAY to pricey for me)- Left a message telling him I was not on the market for a horse but I would love to visit (thinking maybe this could develop into an opportunity to spend time around horses). He called me back and told me about a OTTB mare he had for sale: Four years old, 16.2, chestnut, good mind. "Does she have any white?" Two white socks and a big blaze. He invited me to come and see her. I was trying not to like her because I figured I really shouldn't be buying a horse, let alone the first one I looked at. Saw her on a Saturday. Asked to see her again on Sunday. Ended up buying her on Thursday. Next November will be 5 years! She has been just amazing. Everyone loves her. She will always have a home with me. I love her way too much to ever sell her. She is the sweetest thing on four legs, and is beautiful, smart, and athletic. And wants to please. I couldn't be happier.

[Mali]

One of my customers is a racehorse trainer. I told her my friend was looking for a horse coming off the track, as a re-sell project. She called me the next day and said she knew another trainer that had 3 coming off the track in the very near future. Emailed over photos of 2 of the horses, spoke on the phone to get background of horses. Picked one we liked which was running his last race nearby. Went to the track, loved what we saw in the paddock, won his race, went unclaimed. Wired the money the next day, without so much as laying a hand on him. I decided I really like the sound of horse #3 (no photo), so the trainer threw him in for free & I just paid shipping cost to get him from the training center to the track for pick-up. Again, never saw a photo or anything. Needless to say, 4 years later and we have both decided that these are our "lifetime" horses and will remain with us for the rest of their lives. Both have been everything we could've wanted AND MORE! I would NEVER EVER condone horse shopping in this manner, but boy did we hit gold

[Nomini]

Horse #1: My parents took me horse shopping at age 9. They bought me my pony because, according to my mom, I didn't stop grinning the entire time I was sitting on her. She's 27 this year and still teaches lessons.

Horse #2: Daughter of Horse #1. I really wanted to start my own baby, ended up with a pony that exceeded my wildest dreams. Took me Intermediate. Will spend this year playing polocrosse and hopping around a few prelims for fun. Horse personification of the Honey Badger.

Horse #3: I helped break a couple 2 year old TBs that came to MD from a breeder in IL when I was in college. There was one mare I just "liked". A few months later, the woman that owned all of them was moving and was looking for homes for them. I took that mare on a whim. She's going solid prelim now, and although I originally took her as a resale, 5 years later she keeps jumping bigger and I haven't sold her

3 completely different situations, 3 mares that I love. I haven't sold a single horse I've owned!

[PNWjumper]

3 completely different situations, 3 mares that I love. I haven't sold a single horse I've owned!

I just clicked on the link in your signature, and I don't know which of the latter two Maddie is, but what a fabulous mare!

[Meredith Clark]

My 6 year old OTTB that I adored died suddenly. I was living on a farm that I was renting with my retired OTTB who is a complete spaz (but I love him!). He went NUTS with out his friend and I called my friend who ran a racehorse lay-up farm and asked her if she had ANYTHING she could send me to keep him company.

She sent me down this bratty little bay who, even though he ran like a donkey, still thought he was hot sh!t. He was really rude on the ground and studdish. The first night when I went to feed him he attempted to double barrel me in the head.

I couldn't stand him, not only because he was a jerk, but the only reason I had him was because Shorty died. I couldn't wait to find a horse I actually WANTED and get rid of him!

....that was 4 years ago, I love him now.

[NSRider]

Bought my gelding Koda off of a recommendation/heads up from a fellow COTHer! He was a private sale, not advertised very much at all, and I was in the right place at the right time and someone knew I was looking who knew the horse

[Loopy]

well we have a whole bunch of horses, but my favourite two...

We went to have a look at a Irish Sport horse mare for sale and as we were approaching I saw this scrawny unkempt young (2 yr old) colt in a paddock and I just knew he was 'my' horse.
We did buy the mare, and another mare, and we came back having bought him too, and I got him for a birthday present

He really did look awful but he turned into a really nice horse and i'm lucky to own him. It wasnt a pity buy either, I just felt like he was supposed to be mine

My 'second' horse is his half sister, from the ISH mare we went to view.

The story with her is complicated.

I owned a gelding I'd had for most of my life and he was ill and died, I planned to breed myself another horse (not as a replacement as such because those horseshoes will never be filled), and sent my TB to an Irish Draught stallion. At the same time another mare (the ISH) went along with her to another RID at the same stud.
The foal from the TB was supposed to be mine and the foal from the ISH was to be sold.
As ever, plans go awry, I fell for the wrong filly I thought she was completely awesome from the start, I helped her mother deliver her and it was love at first sight for me.

So the one that was for sale isn't and the one that wasnt for sale is. The filly I was supposed to keep is bright chestnut with...chrome, do you call it in the US?, and a flaxen blonde mane and tail. Altogether too blingy for my tastes

[hightide]

Found the ad of a Trakehner online that fit my needs and called to set up an appointment to visit there. Rode him and he was just too much for me at the time. Next horse she took out was a bit out of my price range and 17.3 and again, too much for me at the time. Third horse was one of her personal ones that hadn't been doing well in a lesson barn, but she was reluctant to get on. Got on him and here we are, 2 years later.

[tle]

A lady gave her to me. Both of them. She knows me in that she's my vet's wife, we've talked a few times, her daughter has ridden with my barn owner. She had a couple mares that she simply did not have time for. Technically they're both resale projects. But we've more or less pulled the one from the market for the time being so I can get her show miles (aka so I can show her a bit). She's got a TON of talent and yes, I go back and forth daily on if I should keep her or stick to the plan.

[InRavensHonor]

I was in a bad personal relationship and needed something to keep me out of the house. Up until this point I was riding friends horses and getting a bit bored. I wanted a big project. I found her on equine.com, and got her for dirt cheap because she was a 4 year old OTTB with no retraining and the woman that had her was heading back up north for the summer. I watched her trot on a lunge felt her legs, and came back the next week to get her. That was 2 years ago now. We've had our ups and downs, but she's taught me alot (and I her) and was just what I needed at the moment I bought her. She's off to an event trainer in a few weeks to get back in shape from having the winter off

[Nomini]

That's #2, my 14.2 homebred mutt. Thanks! The plan is to breed her too, but she refuses to get pregnant!

[Blugal]

Craigslist. Initially I overlooked him as the photo was nothing special. I thought the horse was sold when the listing went down. On Christmas day I was checking the listings, and saw the ad went back up. This time there was some identifying information, so I did some Google sleuthing - and came across a free-jump photo that made me go WOW. I forwarded the ad to my coach, we jumped on it, and owned him by New Year's.

Sure enough, he is a total sweetheart and a great jumper.

[sarah88]

I will stick to the event horses: My first I found on dreamhorse- he turned out to be an amazing confidence builder! (And pretty darn competitive too- thru Training) The second was through word of mouth/my trainer. FWIW my sister just bought a new guy that she found on dreamhorse as well. So generally a mix between word of mouth (others have come through the farrier (2), friends etc) and a couple from online listings.