So the horse she buys had 30 days training put on it 3 years ago and has been a broodmare ever since. DUMB!! So the people who sold the horse to her said they would happily put another 30 days on the horse for her, which I know the people and Thank heavens they are actually HONEST horse people, but still. She never rode the horse, tested it out, nothing!! Which is the same thing that happened when she bought her other horse who hurt her! WHY?
Why do inexperienced horse people do this??? Why do they take horses at face value??? There is so much to buying a horse it is not funny! Just because it looks
like a Mercedes on the outside doesn't mean the engine isn't that of Dodge Dart. So it is what it is... She is going to do what she wants and has already bought the horse, BUT, here are a few tips for the rest of us when it comes to buying...
- PRE-Purchase EXAM!!!!! Get a Vet to tell you what how your "Engine" works. And that it functions PROPERLY!!!! No Lameness, health problems, Etc.
- Show up a few minutes EARLIER than your scheduled time. You want to know what they're doing to the horse before you get there. IE: DRUGS!
- Take a trainer or experienced rider with you, for help or a second opinion. A second set of eyes is a HUGE help.
- See the horse be lunged or work at liberty with NO tack on.
- Have the owner ride the horse FIRST. Then you can get on. And ALWAYS ride it!
- Do some in hand work with it to see how it's ground manners are.
- Look at the tack that is being used. Harsh bits, Tie Downs, and other "devices."
- Question EVERYTHING you want to know or don't understand.
- Find out what it eats and how it lives. Easy keeper? Hard Keeper? Stall? Pasture?
- Is it Up to date on everything? And what was given?
- Talk to other people at the same barn as the horse seller. Get their take on the horse.
- MAKE sure the horse will and can perform to your abilities safely and for the appropriate discipline. If you want a trail horse then don't settle for just an "arena" horse.
- Go out and ride the horse TWICE. To make sure the horse is consistent.
11 comments:
And in the prepurchase exam, have the vet draw blood and test for drugs. Let the current owner know that is the plan.
Had a client years ago who rode a very quiet TB mare several times. Advised the above, owners took her off whatever she was on and she flipped over on the vet.
VERY good advice, TX! I hope people actually listen. Especially in today's market where good horses are selling cheap and are readily available, buyers can really afford to picky and take time to make an informed decision.
The bit about riding a horse twice -- very smart. When I was a kid, I got a horse that I had only ridden once. Let's just say that horse wasn't the same on ride #2 (or on rides 3 through 100 either, for that matter). Ahhh, live and learn.
Very good advice, but, unfortunately you can't always ride a horse before you buy. IE..track horses still at the track. Trainers won't let you pop on a horse still on the track because there is too much liability. That's when a second set of eyes, experience and horse sense is a MUST. I've picked up a couple off the track and have never, ever been able to ride first. Most don't know how to lunge and there usually is no opportunity to see them move at liberty so, what you see at the end of the lead rope is what you get.
I know too many people who have bought ill-suited horses simply because it was "purty."
Or they liked the colour..
Great post, TrexX!
grrrrrrr..
Did I tell you you two are gorgeous?
can't remember..
scritches to all!
If I was the owner of this horse and found out that an inexperienced horse person was thinking to buy THAT horse, I'd tell them to look at another horse. Or where they looking to be put in a wheel chair permently. Apparently some people DON'T learn. Which is sad. Because when they do learn it is usually far to late to do anything about it.
I bought my first horse last year, and since I knew the woman I was buying it from was a snake...I took lots of pre-sale precautions, including X rays of her front feet.
Her feet were wrecked by a bad farrier, she hadn't been ridden or trained on a consistent basis EVER, she had never gotten her shots EVER, the owner lied about her age (12, not 10, not soooo bad...) and (nonexistant) registration status which I found out about after I bought her....my fault.
Fortunately the horse turned out to be sane, sound, and very trainable even at 12. I just got soaked for the dough because of her highly unusual color, which I don't give two shits about. She is perfect for endurance, and I REALLY like her personality.
Its hard to find horses that are TRULY sound mentally and physically for endurance.
Its AMAZING how hard it is to find the right horse no matter what you do, I don't mind having paid more than I should have...yes I could have gone to auctions or looked longer, etc...but the time and expense of many vet checks was saved. If you don't ride the horse several times before you buy it AND have it vet checked....you're asking for serious trouble.
I agree with all this. My first horse we didn't even see, told a friend of the family we were looking one week later he called and told us he bought a horse...the thing was crazy. Learned that lesson. Second horse we did almost everything right except the vet exam...4 months later she's lame with ringbone...Hahaha I was not a smart kiddie.
Those are the basics. I would only break some of those rules if you've been leasing the horse or something similar. THAT is the only exception for doing those things. Then you're still smart to kick the tires to be sure. Good post!
If you can't ride you should always watch them go in some form. Jog in hand, chase around the ring WHATEVER. I've helped with PPE on unbroke younguns - some with better ground manners/basic training than others. You can get them to move out an assess things... you're crazy if you don't.
My rule for myself is it's okay to do something stupid once. I rode a horse the owner wouldn't ride... once. Lets just say I won't repeat that mistake. The fact that the owner had a broken foot should have been my first clue... *facepalm*
In this situation you've described it's really ludacris why the buyer didn't check the new horse out! That's why she is in the situation she is in now!! I'm sure you realize this, hence the post!
Thankfully the sellers realize it's in the horse's best interest to have another 30 days training put on the mare. Lucky mare.
I did buy my first and most recent horse sight unseen but had a PPE and sought the opinion and comments of others who could either visit the horse or knew the horse. In my most recent quest, lo and behold, my "tire kickers" looking at the first prospect could tell almost immediately the mare did NOT stand tied, as the seller had professed more then 3 times in 3 DIFFERENT conversations when I asked him DIRECTLY if she did stand tied.
I did get some feedback on the horse I decided on and his seller. High remarks and glowing comments on both!I'm looking forward to meeting my new horse next month!
Good advice! My first horse was 21 years old, and a naughty girl to start with, but I eventually got the hang of her (she was an arab)!
Just curious, what is up with the tytle?
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