The next farm was only 15 minutes away and was down an old dirt road. It was an interesting layout with multiple smaller facilities sharing this road and connecting into a POA, similar to an HOA but with property. There was a shared grass arena at the very back.
I was a bit put off when I arrived to find a stand in for the seller who knew absolutely nothing about the horse I was slated to see. I gave them the benefit of the doubt though since I tacked them on last minute and she wasn’t even in town having traveled with several show horses somewhere up north. Still, you would think she would have educated the stand in about the horse.
B is a 16H OTTB. I can’t recall his age, somewhere between 6-8 I believe. He was going novice and described in his ad as amateur friendly with a non traditional jumping style that was easy to ride. He had no vices under saddle and no known soundness issues.
The one warning I got from the seller was that he did not do well in a stall. He “stall walked” as she put it, but did great outside and was good to be groomed and bathed.
He seemed like a well put together fellow but he was a psycho and there was no way I was getting on him. He looked scared to death in the cross ties and on the verge of rearing.
I told them to put him outside. I wouldn’t be testing him after all.

Which was a shame because to date he was the best looking horse I had seen. His condition was perfect and his coat shiny and healthy compared to all the others that looked like they needed a whole lot of groceries and some conditioning rides. Truth be told I was a bit hesitant to check out this place, even though it came highly recommended by KC of Pilgrim fame, because I had never been to a barn that focused on sales before and I worried the horses wouldn’t be as well taken care of. I was very wrong and every horse I saw on the property was in a great weight with good muscle and a shiny coat.
I can’t have a half crazed horse around my 5 year old son though and this poor guy would not have fit in well at our house.
As I was turning to walk away and head back home I spotted this cute little head in the stall down the aisle and inquired about him….
The gorgeous bay horse in the stall next to Mag at the dealer had that same look on his face. If he’s terrified in his own stall, no thanks, I don’t need to see him saddled.
It sure is fun to shop with you virtually and not have to be the one doing it myself. Then again, you have your beloved mare at home rather than an empty barn.
Next!
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It is helpful to have my Gemmie waiting patiently and getting fat while I hash out my life
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When I went to try Frankie, the very first thing I noticed was his soft, kind expression. I was halfway sold on that alone before I even sat on him- it’s so important to find a horse that you click with on a personality level!
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Yes! A kind and forgiving horse is worth their weight in gold.
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I just found your blog yesterday, but I’m already so fascinated by this horse-shopping experience! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the world!
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It’s an adventure!
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Not gonna lie, totally living vicariously through your and your shopping right now. I’d love to be on the same path to search for another horse but its not in the cards right now. I’m so excited to see if the cute face in the back is The One! XD
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It was a very adorable face….
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Quick fizzle on Crazy Eyes! Don’t blame ya. Now, ONTO THE CUTIE PATOOTIE IN THE BACKKKKKKKKK.
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Tomorrow! I promise!
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I’ve been to sales barn like you were worried this place was going to be like. It’s depressing bc you just want to buy every horse there just so you can feed them properly!!! Glad it wasn’t what you were expecting bc there really are some very good sales barns out there!
CANT WAIT FOR TOMORROW’S POST!!!!! DETAILS DETAILS!!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
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Yeah it was a bit nerve wracking but all the horses looked fantastic and if I was ever to look again I’d check them out for sure. Super easy going, seemed honest about what each horse was like and the horses looked good
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You are such a tease. I thought you were a NICE person. PFFT 🙂 HA HA HA HA
I would have passed on him before they tied him up. I look at eyes first then the rest of the horse. Any horse can go nutsy at times but if they are just having routine stuff done…nope no crazy eyes, thanks….no way would i have gotten on him either…
All I can see is a bit of a blaze on the chestnut….MORE MORE MORE 🙂
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Hmmm…maybe I will just show a hoof tomorrow and then another Friday etc….
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I would not put it past you…at all…..:)
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you have to look past the lack of shine and groceries sometimes. Just because they are pretty doesn’t mean they are good! And. People pay more for pretty.
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To me pretty means healthy. I’m not talking about color but a shiny, healthy coat and good muscling means someone put time and effort into the horse. Plus a lot of horse have good behavior when they are underfed and then turn psycho once in good condition. I’ve seen it time and again when someone gets a well mannered, calm rescue horse that turns into a nut job once brought back to life. I’d much rather look at and try a horse in top condition
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All of that is true as well
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Geez, that’s terrible about that horse being, well, crazy. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s post!!
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I sorta felt sorry for him. The stand in girl even commented that it seemed like his quarter ran out. No thanks!
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This is some serious cliffhanger shit, man, I’ve been on the edge of my seat all week! LOL
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You need to talk to Michelle. I knew she would kill me so I emailed her before I even began. I think she still wants to kill me!!
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What the hell, that ho is holding out on me???
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good on you for trusting your gut!!
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He was crazy!
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I’ve loved hearing (and seeing) the horses you’ve met and what you’ve learned after each of them! Looking forward to more on #5! 🙂
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It was such a cute little face peeking around the corner
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Where is the next one pleeeeaaase!
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Tomorrow I promise!!
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This has been highly entertaining. I think you should look at ten more horses just to keep us going. 🙂 HA HA HA
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I could easily do that!!!
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