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previewing a horse before a trainer

2K views 27 replies 17 participants last post by  nikelodeon79 
#1 ·
i'm using my trainer to help me buy a horse, she gets paid by the hour. i just had a horse that failed the ppe so i just blew a bunch of money (with my trainer driving an hour to see a horse and ride it, plus vet exam + barn call, plus the owner had to haul it [which i paid for of course]). i don't mind spending money on horses but hate wasting it. i was thinking maybe it'd be a good idea to preview a few local horses before i have my trainer come look. do you all think this is a good idea? i'm probably an advanced beginning/intermediate rider that has leased 2 horses, one my trainer referred to as somewhat green. i can jump 2 feet (probably higher as horses i've been riding have taken the jumps bigger than they should).

if you think this would be a good idea, what should i do while i'm there? just test ride, watch the owner tack up (and maybe help) and ride the horse (so basically everything i did with my trainer). or is this a disaster waiting to happen (not sure what all can go wrong)? i would obviously watch how it acts and not ride it if it something seems off.
 
#2 ·
I feel like it's over exaggerated the need to have your trainer with you all the time. You don't need your hand held unless you are a total beginner.

You know about horses. You've got some experience. You can tell if a horse is being a dink or not. I would go out without the trainer, examine it, then schedule the PPE and bring the trainer back when you do that.

As a seller, I HATE it when people want to come back a million times to see one horse. I've got better things to do and other people to show the horse to. I take a maximum of twice if they want a PPE, and I prefer those visits be as close to each other as possible. I know a lot of people emphasize taking your time, but IMO it is disrespectful to the seller who is continuing to feed the horse for that amount of time.

Rant over, I think you are more than capable of handling this on your own.
 
#3 ·
I would contact other trainers to see if they have a client wanting to sell a horse that fits your needs. I'm not sure if they would get a commission for the sale, BUT, they do want to continue to training relationships, so it's a vested interest for them to help move one horse out and another one in. You won't be paying them a fee, and I believe that you'll find what you are looking for. I know that you trust your own trainer, but you'll get poor fast with this one. Showing you a horse that failed a soundness exam? That's pretty poor performance. Maybe you should be looking for another trainer, while you're at it.
 
#5 ·
I think it would be a good idea to check the horses out yourself before having your trainer involved. I would do that. If you go to look at a horse and it doesn"t impress you at all and you know this is not the horse for you, you are not wasting your trainer's time. You know what you are looking for in a horse and when you go to see it try to ride and test it for what you want in a horse, think what you want this horse to be able to do and ride it with that in mind. example: if you want a trail horse, just riding it in an arena is not a good enough test, you have to take it out on the trail, or if you want a horse that can go out alone, you have to do that before you buy. This can save a lot of hard work and training after the horse is bought.
Maybe after you have found a couple of horses that would suit you, you can have the trainer assess them. Just be sure the trainer knows exactly what you are wanting in the horse that you buy.
I will also add, when I go to look at a horse, I don't ride it until I have seen the owner handle and ride it first. I'm older now and don't need any surprises.
 
#11 ·
No, you don't need to discuss it with her, go look at a few, if any strike your fancy, then take the trainer. And don't think of it as wasting money either. Wasting money would be buying a horse that has soundness issues and bring it home and can't ride it. Think of it as "investing" in the right horse, lol.
 
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#12 ·
I would just tell my trainer I went to look at a horse, but then I am not at all reliant on my trainer. It all comes down to what agreement you have with your trainer and your comfort level for looking at horses on your own. I would think your trainer might be more use to you in terms of watching videos of horses to weed out the ones not worth seeing. As to going to ride the horse, ultimately it's you will be riding it. If you're not comfortable on it, there's no sense in having your trainer out too.
 
#13 ·
I must have looked at 20+ horses before finding the right one. I can't imagine bringing my trainer to see all of them! My trainer knew I was looking and was keeping an ear out for me (and ultimately I ended up getting one that she heard about that was only being advertised through word of mouth) but the bulk of the search and leg work was largely done on my own.

I agree with MyBoyPuck- if you're not comfortable trying the horse out on your own then it's probably not the right horse for you. You don't have to go all out and try everything on your own (like maybe you don't want to jump a strange horse, though you could certainly ask the seller to jump while you watch) and that's OK. But you should at least get on, go through some basic W/T/C and see if you "click" with the horse. If you find one you like after seeing it on your own, then bring your trainer in.
 
#15 ·
You don't have to go all out and try everything on your own (like maybe you don't want to jump a strange horse, though you could certainly ask the seller to jump while you watch) and that's OK. But you should at least get on, go through some basic W/T/C and see if you "click" with the horse. If you find one you like after seeing it on your own, then bring your trainer in.
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To expand on verona's post, I would not get on a horse until I watched the owner W/T/C anyway. If you get some BS answer such as, "we haven't cantered him in a long time" or "I'm a little out of shape" thank them and move on. Statements like those are usually code for "he'll buck me into next week" or "he has kissing spines and we're trying to hide it". If your little red caution light goes off at any time, move on.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I guess it really depends on the type of horse you are looking for. If its just a backyard trail horse that's one thing, but show stock that's another. I would never let someone jump at any time without their trainer present. I require your trainer to be with you , when you come to look at one of my horses. In fact I prefer to speak with the trainer , before you even make the appointment. This gives me a chance to weed out people who are not qualified to be riding the horse
 
#16 ·
Hmm i'm shopping for a new show prospect with the help of my trainer:D Guess i'm lucky she doesn't charge me anything:wink:. She has made inquiry's for me,made some appointments ,gone with me to look at horses.I am forever getting her to look at videos for her input. In the end she will be having my new prospect{if I ever Find one} in training & will be showing with her.She has had other of my horses in training so we have good working relationship & also do stuff as friends outside the horses so maybe that make difference?:?
 
#20 ·
You don't have to say anything to your trainer. She isn't the one buying the horse, and since you are paying her for her time, she's your employee.

Find horses that might suit your needs and go look at them. If they're duds, you're only out the cost of gas money. If they have the potential to be what you want and you REALLY like them, then get your trainer, the vet, and your wallet out.
 
#22 ·
When I was looking, I would ride, ask a family member to video the ride and then take video, my own thoughts and the advert to my trainer. If she thought it was worth while, we'd both take a look.

Saying that, I bought my last horse without her help.

When selling, I am MORE than happy to let people come back as many times as they like. HOWEVER, if they don't make a firm date, I will let someone else come. When I sold Dubai I had someone out every day after I put the advert up, and it got too hectic. The buyer came out twice, but made a serious enough effort that I stopped another rider coming so Dubai, as a baby, could have a day off as he'd been worked so hard.
 
#23 ·
OP-do you have a horse savvy friend who could go with you and help you weed out the ones that won't work? They could also video as Duffy said. No, trail-you are not the only one shopping without a trainer…..I refuse to spend extra $$, and Bugzapper-not sure why you will not let a person who is experienced come look at a horse without a trainer. I show some, but do not have a trainer attached to my hip all the time. I have one I hire as needed,and just because I don't have one on retainer does not mean I am any less capable. I really find it offensive when I may have the cash in hand just as easily as someone who walks in with a top trainer.
 
#24 ·
Franknbeans, I am looking for a specific type of owner. I dont want my show stock to end up in a backyard home. In addition, I dont want a wanna be to get their hands on something they are not qualified to be riding and then make both the horse and my farm look bad.
Now, if I am selling an open show horse, which is normally a retired breed show horse, I want to speak with the trainer first, as many times by that point it is a maintenance horse and I need to ensure everyone clearly understands how much it will cost to keep the horse in the show pen.
These days, I rarely sell anything over a year, directly off my farm. Normally, its word of mouth and mail ordered to whatever state or picked up at a show. Many times my show stock is tried and sold at shows
 
#26 ·
Bug-you just dig the hole deeper. Just because I do not choose to spend every weekend on the road, just some, I am now a lesser person who would not deserve one of yours? Oh-nevermind, since I have a life other than horses, and I think that is precluded in your scenario.
 
#28 ·
When I was horse shopping my trainer was extremely busy and all the horses I was interested in were 3+ hours away.

I went on my first horse shopping trip alone. It was terrifying. I really wish someone, ANYONE would've been free to go with me, even a non horse friend, but I ended up going alone.

The best thing I did was bring a video camera. I had the sellers video me riding. I felt all over the place on the first horse and very secure on the second. I almost bought the second horse. From a trader. With no PPE. Outside my budget.

I texted my trainer and she immediately called and told me to put my wallet away, get my butt in the car, and bring her the videos to see before I made a decision.

I drove 3 hours straight to the barn and took my trainer and a friend out for burgers and beer.

I made a TON of errors on the first horse. HE did amazing despite all I did to screw him up. My trainer's comment was, "I really like this horse!"

The second horse was just OK. My trainer said, "Next."

I took one of my trainer's more experienced students down with me to take a second look at the first horse. Again I took a video camera. Again it was my saving grace.

The student thought he felt lame. I had written him off with a heavy heart but still drove straight to the barn to show my trainer.

She didn't think he looked lame at all. I had a PPE done, which he passed with flying colors. I now have the perfect horse for me.

The moral of the story is that your trainer doesn't have to go with the first time. Heck, your trainer doesn't have to go at all. But definitely make sure your trainer is involved.
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