Right now Coco is on a 2 week break while I’m off galavanting in Texas on a much needed holiday, so I decided this would be a good time to tell the story of how I came to own my nutjob of a horse…
I first spotted Coco on Facebook in a horse selling group called Horses for Sale North & South Ireland. There was no price on her advert so I hoped for the best when I made my first enquiry. One thing I decided when I started my search was that I would be honest with myself and I wouldn’t waste anyones time. And unfortunately Coco was just that bit over budget so I decided not to pursue it. After viewing two other horses, one of which I was very close to buying, I had another look at Coco’s advert and decided for the right horse, I would be willing to extend my budget..so I arranged a viewing.
“..I fell in love the minute I saw her..”
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon when I set off on a 50 minute drive to the yard where Coco was kept. No one was available to come with me that day so it was a solo journey. I arrived, met her owner and then he brought her out to me. To say I fell in love the minute I saw her is an understatement. She was stunning. He gave her a quick trot up and down..all looked good. We brought her back into the stable and I had a quick feel around. She was so calm and chilled..not jumpy at all which can be rare to find in a young horse. We tacked her up without any problems and brought her out to the arena..and that’s where things got a bit more interesting.
“..she was just so on her toes!”
Her owner hopped up first and straight away I could see that this was a buzzy mare. The action in her legs was incredible, she was just so on her toes! Every now and again she would try to pop into canter only to be brought back to trot. She was very interested in everything that was going on around her and did show some signs of napping towards the gate and the other horse that was in the arena but worked out of it which was the main thing I needed to see. He also popped her over a few fences which did show her lack of confidence in jumping..but even with the fuss she put up at the start, she jumped every fence in the end so that told me she was a quick learner who just wanted to test her boundaries which is only to be expected in a 4 year old. So next it was my turn…
“..I got the feeling that once I
figured this horse out, she would be incredible.”
With some hidden nerves I hopped into the saddle and walked her around to get a feel for my new steed. I then asked for trot and it felt like I was being pinged out of the saddle with every stride..but there was something about her energy that I just loved. I have to say, I’ve always liked a horse with a bit of speed and buzz. They can be tricky at the best of times but when you get them where you want them, all their energy can create some amazing work..and I got the feeling that once I figured this horse out, she would be incredible. In saying that, she did test me. She tried to nap a few times, particularly when we were circling, and when I jumped her it seemed she was just fed up and wanted to be done. After 2 attempts she jumped it quite nicely the 3rd time so I decided to leave her there.
“I was completely sold.”
All in all, I left the yard feeling very excited about this horse. She wasn’t an easy ride by any stretch of the imagination but I always did love a challenge. I went home, took a few days, and eventually decided that I wanted this horse. But first, she had to pass the vetting and I wanted to see her on my turf. I arranged for her owner to bring her down the following Saturday where I had a vet waiting..she passed with flying colours and received some great compliments from the vet! Next we went out to the fields to see how she would react in the new surroundings..she didn’t bat an eyelid. She even popped over some of the small cross country fences we have out there. So I was completely sold.
And that’s how I came to own Coco. Finding the right horse can take time but sometimes when you know, you know..and I have never regretted my choice 🙂
So what’s you and your horse’s story? How did you find your steed? Let me know in the comments!
Orla