General Horse Buying Advice
Just Some Thoughts...
There are scads of websites on the Internet that provide horse buying advice, so we will concentrate mostly on ways to recognize unscrupulous dealers.
Well, we said mostly. For those of you who were weaned on Farley's Black Stallion stories, or ate your breakfast every morning while watching old episodes of Fury and My Friend Flicka on TV...it's fiction. If you fall in love easily, don't mistake the moment a horse rubs his head on you as a gesture of affection. It's not. It means the horse has an itch and is using you as a scratching post.
Most people want a "safe" horse. No horse is completely safe. Even a 600 lb. pony still weighs more than three times the average man. No horse is completely consistent; they are, after all, individuals just like us. They have bad hair days, and they make poor decisions. You'll be less likely to get hurt if you keep that in mind.
As Aladdin says, "Rule Number One": Try to think with your head and not with your heart. Don't let your emotions run away with you, or you'll end up with a horse that might.
Dishonest traders frequently buy horses at auctions and many of those horses are sold with no information about their backgrounds. Bad traders also buy from individuals who have given up on their rogue or unsound horses. Before you buy, ask about the animal's history. If the horse is registered, obtain a copy of the registration papers and contact the previous owner. You may be very interested in what you hear. Also, examine the animal's description on the paperwork and be sure it matches the steed in front of you. If the horse is grade (unregistered) ask for documentation of the horse's history (prior bill of sale, veterinary records, photographs, Coggins results, etc), regardless of how long the seller says he has owned the horse. If the seller cannot provide any proof of history, ask for a trial period and get something in writing before you fork over any money. If you don't believe us, read the trader horror stories Gold Eyes and Too Good to Be True.
Try really, really hard not to buy a color. If you find a horse in your price range, make yourself a little checklist:
There's nothing wrong with wanting a particular color, but any healthy, well groomed horse will shine and look gorgeous, no matter what his coat color.
If you get too excited at the prospect of buying a horse and your wits fly out the window, click here for a little questionnaire you can use when you are calling horse ads.
If you're looking for "safe" and "gentle," look for an older horse. No matter how calm the 3-year-old is when you go out to look at her, she's still only 3. There will be countless times when new experiences will frighten her and you can't blame a youngster for blowing up or bolting. A healthy horse can still be very active well into her 20's and even 30's. If you are 50 years old, remember that a young horse could easily outlive you. Not a pleasant thought, perhaps, but one you may want to include in your horse-buying equation.
We know that most of you are looking for horses in the $500-$2,000 range. For riding horses, the higher the level of training, the higher (usually) is his purchase price. Remember, though; you may find a horse perfectly suited to your needs for $500, or you could spend $6,500 for a complete rogue. A horse's price tag does not always reflect his value.
We'd be remiss if we didn't strongly recommend that you have a pre-purchase exam done by a veterinarian before you buy a horse. Most basic pre-purchase exams start at $200, and might be a deal-breaker for some people. However, please consider the following examples:
Even a healthy horse can rack up a $2,000 vet bill pretty quickly if something goes wrong. The chance of a big vet bill increases dramatically if your horse already has health problems when you buy it, so a veterinarian could save you a great deal of money and heartache down the road. If you don't have a pre-purchase exam done before you buy and you're not very experienced with horses, take someone knowledgeable with you.
When you go out to look at a horse, ask the seller if you may bring your own saddle, if you have one. There's nothing worse than going to try a new horse and finding out the saddle is way too big, or way too small for you. Ask before you go whether someone will be available to ride the horse first. If no one is available, bring along an experienced friend. If you will be riding first, be very careful. BRING A HELMET OR HARD HAT. Ask the seller to let you watch the horse being tacked up. If the seller is able to ride, NEVER NEVER get on first. Always let the seller demonstrate how the horse behaves under saddle. Ask the seller to walk, trot and canter the horse. Observe how the horse stops. When you ride, ALWAYS wear your helmet or hard hat!
A worthy bit of advice from a reader has just arrived through our website. If you are a novice or beginning rider, please consider getting help from a professional trainer, at least for awhile. It could mean the difference between a successful relationship with your horse and failure.
If you are a complete newbie and have never owned your own horse before, please click here!
Well, we said mostly. For those of you who were weaned on Farley's Black Stallion stories, or ate your breakfast every morning while watching old episodes of Fury and My Friend Flicka on TV...it's fiction. If you fall in love easily, don't mistake the moment a horse rubs his head on you as a gesture of affection. It's not. It means the horse has an itch and is using you as a scratching post.
Most people want a "safe" horse. No horse is completely safe. Even a 600 lb. pony still weighs more than three times the average man. No horse is completely consistent; they are, after all, individuals just like us. They have bad hair days, and they make poor decisions. You'll be less likely to get hurt if you keep that in mind.
As Aladdin says, "Rule Number One": Try to think with your head and not with your heart. Don't let your emotions run away with you, or you'll end up with a horse that might.
Dishonest traders frequently buy horses at auctions and many of those horses are sold with no information about their backgrounds. Bad traders also buy from individuals who have given up on their rogue or unsound horses. Before you buy, ask about the animal's history. If the horse is registered, obtain a copy of the registration papers and contact the previous owner. You may be very interested in what you hear. Also, examine the animal's description on the paperwork and be sure it matches the steed in front of you. If the horse is grade (unregistered) ask for documentation of the horse's history (prior bill of sale, veterinary records, photographs, Coggins results, etc), regardless of how long the seller says he has owned the horse. If the seller cannot provide any proof of history, ask for a trial period and get something in writing before you fork over any money. If you don't believe us, read the trader horror stories Gold Eyes and Too Good to Be True.
Try really, really hard not to buy a color. If you find a horse in your price range, make yourself a little checklist:
- Is the horse gentle, sound, and well-trained? Check!
- Is the horse appropriate for its intended use? Check!
- Is the horse the right size for me? Check!
- Will the seller sign a contract/detailed Bill of Sale? Check!
- Finally, is the horse the color I've always coveted! Check!
There's nothing wrong with wanting a particular color, but any healthy, well groomed horse will shine and look gorgeous, no matter what his coat color.
If you get too excited at the prospect of buying a horse and your wits fly out the window, click here for a little questionnaire you can use when you are calling horse ads.
If you're looking for "safe" and "gentle," look for an older horse. No matter how calm the 3-year-old is when you go out to look at her, she's still only 3. There will be countless times when new experiences will frighten her and you can't blame a youngster for blowing up or bolting. A healthy horse can still be very active well into her 20's and even 30's. If you are 50 years old, remember that a young horse could easily outlive you. Not a pleasant thought, perhaps, but one you may want to include in your horse-buying equation.
We know that most of you are looking for horses in the $500-$2,000 range. For riding horses, the higher the level of training, the higher (usually) is his purchase price. Remember, though; you may find a horse perfectly suited to your needs for $500, or you could spend $6,500 for a complete rogue. A horse's price tag does not always reflect his value.
We'd be remiss if we didn't strongly recommend that you have a pre-purchase exam done by a veterinarian before you buy a horse. Most basic pre-purchase exams start at $200, and might be a deal-breaker for some people. However, please consider the following examples:
- Many horse traders use phenylbutazone (bute) to mask lameness
- They can use drugs to temporarily stop chronic head shaking
- They can use acepromazine (and similar substances) to calm excitable or dangerous horses.
- A vet might suggest a blood test if the beautiful, spirited "gelding" you're looking at actually has retained testicles (cryptorchidism).
- A vet could tell whether the mare you like is pregnant, something you would certainly want to know
- A gentle jog around a paddock will not tell you if the horse has heaves/COPD
- Filing down a horse's teeth to make it appear younger is called "bishoping." A vet might notice such tampering during the exam.
Even a healthy horse can rack up a $2,000 vet bill pretty quickly if something goes wrong. The chance of a big vet bill increases dramatically if your horse already has health problems when you buy it, so a veterinarian could save you a great deal of money and heartache down the road. If you don't have a pre-purchase exam done before you buy and you're not very experienced with horses, take someone knowledgeable with you.
When you go out to look at a horse, ask the seller if you may bring your own saddle, if you have one. There's nothing worse than going to try a new horse and finding out the saddle is way too big, or way too small for you. Ask before you go whether someone will be available to ride the horse first. If no one is available, bring along an experienced friend. If you will be riding first, be very careful. BRING A HELMET OR HARD HAT. Ask the seller to let you watch the horse being tacked up. If the seller is able to ride, NEVER NEVER get on first. Always let the seller demonstrate how the horse behaves under saddle. Ask the seller to walk, trot and canter the horse. Observe how the horse stops. When you ride, ALWAYS wear your helmet or hard hat!
A worthy bit of advice from a reader has just arrived through our website. If you are a novice or beginning rider, please consider getting help from a professional trainer, at least for awhile. It could mean the difference between a successful relationship with your horse and failure.
If you are a complete newbie and have never owned your own horse before, please click here!
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