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Buying Process?

3K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  liz48170 
#1 ·
OK so tommorrow I will make a 4 h trip to go see a horse I`m interested on buying.
So my "horse"friends cancelled me in the last minute so I will be going ALONE:shock:.....I know not the best idea:?.....BUT I come armed with my questionaire and my video camcorder.:cool:
I will not make a decision on buying this horse tommorrow so I figure I gotta drive where I gotta drive even if its all by myself....:?:shock:

This is my crazey plan:
I go there check him out,ride him etc.....sleep on it. Either make a decision then or go back the following weekend and ride him a second time and then make a decision.
Now I`m 4 hours away should I get a vet from that area that I don`t know and get a vet check?
Would you guys think I should/have to be there or do you think its ok for the vet to report to me via phone?

Or do you guys think its rude If I would ask if they offer to bring him to my vet,pending a clear vet check and then I buy him,or better said I agree to buy him as long as the vet check goes good.

My friend bought her 2 horses from a broker 1 hour away and he offered to do that all for free.....is this normal practice?
 
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#2 ·
I also heard of people saying the agreed on a test run of 30 days...Is that normal?
I would say 2 weeks would be fine for me ,but my horse will have to sit in 10 day quarantine first so 30 days would have to be...what if you do that...is it best to sign a contract?What should it state?
 
#3 ·
I had a 30 day trial with my TWH mare. The sellers had my check and held it until the 30 days was up. The contract said that I'd get the vet exam and if she wasn't found to be sound, she went back. I also stated that I intended to trail ride her and if she didn't suit, she went back. For their part, they wanted it in the contract that she was kept separate from the other horses and kept on the same feed and hay nutritional plan (to keep her from getting fat or thin, and to keep the other horses from tormenting her). Also, their part said that if she was injured in any way while she was on trial, vet bills were my responsibility and I would have to buy her. It all worked out great.
 
#4 ·
A lot of people are leery about trials... Here's what I would do: Go try out the horse. When you test ride, don't overdo it. If you get on and right away don't like him, be polite about it but say you don't think it will be a good match. If you do like him, don't ride for an hour. You should be able to tell pretty quickly if you feel like it could work out. Afterwards, try to make a decision. If you think you need to try him again, do so. If you decide you want him, I would suggest using a vet out there. I wouldn't ask if they'll bring the horse up to your vet- not without paying them adequately anyway, and even then I know I personally wouldn't do that. If you can be there for the vetting, that would be good. You could bring your trailer up with you, meet the vet, get the exam, and as long as the vet sees nothing wrong take him home with you then. If you want to ask about a trial, do it before the vetting though. Most owners will take a horse back if it turns out to be a bad match, but of course there are also plenty who don't want to take back a sold horse. I can't say I always agree with that, but if you buy the horse it's yours. Don't buy it unless you're sure. Also, if you could get a friend to go up with you (maybe for the second ride, should you like him and be interested) that would be better. I think it's helpful getting another opinion so you don't overlook any major issues and end up with a horse that isn't suited for you. Hope this helps, and good luck!
 
#5 ·
I went and rode him. I planning on riding him a second time this weekend.
The owner will not agree to a trial period,however the people who are selling him(he is on consingment) said if he would not work out I could trade him for another horse....
Here is my thing, as it looks like all my horse friends are all bussy this weekend so I will be going there alone ...again....that is disapointing,but oh well.
The people who are selling him are also the once who trained him,the guy is a trainer,he shows and he has also judged shows(from were I`m from) there reputation is very important to them,I would not think they would sell me a horse that they know something is wrong with it.....
so here is my question please don`t choke me through the pc screen ....lol
Can I risk it without a vet check?
If I get one of the vet from up there to do it...I don`t know him from anything he could tell me anything he wants...I would never see him after this again......
Taking that into consideration also....How many would or would not do a vet check?
 
#10 ·
The people who are selling him are also the once who trained him,the guy is a trainer,he shows and he has also judged shows(from were I`m from) there reputation is very important to them,I would not think they would sell me a horse that they know something is wrong with it.....
so here is my question please don`t choke me through the pc screen ....lol
Can I risk it without a vet check?
You certainly can if you believe their reputation is strong enough. All our mares are from a local breedrr/trainer/instructor family that has been in the horse business for 40+ years. There business is based on their reputation. We didn't vet check any of our mares, and none have had any problems.
 
#6 ·
I would not think they would sell me a horse that they know something is wrong with it.....
^ People do crazy things when money is involved, not to mention, there are more than a few things that could be wrong with a horse that they may not really know about, or do not think is an issue, etc.

I would HIGHLY recommend getting a vet check, I would never buy a horse without at least a general soundness check personally. I have never heard of just a random vet trying to trick you into buying a lame horse, I have heard of the seller's personal vets doing that though.

If you are worried, ask your own vet if they know any reputable vets in the area, and see who they recommend
 
#7 ·
Vet check always! Sometimes people get lucky but most of the time they aren't experienced enough to see that the horse has a problem or it's not visible to the naked eye and is internal.

But it is entirely up to you. Can't you ring up a well known vet and have them check her? Or if not a local one to their barn. I doubt he'd say "anything" that wasn't 100% true, especially if you made him write it all down. He went to vet school and his reputation would be on the line.
 
#8 ·
That's a difficult question... Of our 3 horses, only one of them was vet checked. Has my first horse been vetted, he probably would not have passed. That being said, he is a wonderful horse who we would never be able to part with. He served our purposes and now, though he is only sound for walk/trot, we still love him just as much. My mare has had no real problems that would have come up in a vetting, but the old owner was a friend of a friend kinda deal. My sister's horse was vetted and passed. We went all out on his vetting too. Before we purchased him, we had been planning on buying 2 other horses. Both of which were vetted, and completely and utterly failed. One of whom had a gigantic hole in his bone (part of his leg, I don't remember what part as it was a couple years ago) and would have likely wound up dead lame within a couple months of consistent work.

Anyway, I think it depends on what you need the horse for. If you plan on using him for high level competition, I'd get him vetted. If you just want a trail horse and it doesn't make a huge difference if he comes up lame for a week or two, don't worry about it too much. However, make sure you know what you're looking at and do a mini "check" yourself. Check his back and legs. Make sure his feet are big and have the correct angles and he's overall put together nicely. If you aren't sure, try taking some pictures and posting them on here.
 
#11 ·
Here are some pics I took while I was there.
5 y unreg. paint.They have told me the last time the hooves were trimmed was 8 weeks ago.
What price woudl you offer?
Asking price was $2500 they said the seller is willing to take 10% off so it would be $2250.
For a 5 year old he is well behaved and calm,trail rides good,started over a few small jumps and stops if you say Woah.The only vices I have seen is that he doesn`t like flies and nipped at the other person after the carots were gone.
He has a nice walk and trot and also a nice going calm canter.
He tested me once and then it was ok........Let me know what you think.
Can I be bolt and offer$2000 or $1800?Thanks in advance for your input!
 

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#12 ·
I posted the pics in the critic section...sorry about that.
Who can help me with my next step?

Tommorrow If I decide i want him ...what to do from there?
what should I do next?i won`t be able to pick him up until Wednesday.
Should I buy him on saturday with signing a bill of sale contract(will the seller produce this or should I type something up?)
Or should I wait this wednesday to buy him?
 
#15 ·
The way I would do it is to take the horse on trial (one to two weeks, more if the seller is amenable) and get a vet check IF you decide you want to buy the horse at the end of your trial period. Within 1-2 weeks, any drugs will have worn off, and you can see the horse on a day-to-day basis and learn about any quirks that may have been hush-hush during your original ride on him. With him at your own barn, you can use your own vet to check him out, and if you don't like him....you don't have to waste money on the PPE.
 
#17 ·
The owner did not agree on a trial basis.
I will get a Vet check,its in the contract we signed that if he does not pass the check they will take him back and refund my money. I`m getting the vet check at my vet.
Horse shopping was a rather interesting process specially as both visits I had to go alone,my horse friends left me hanging:cry:
Thank you to all you helped me a lot!:)
 
#18 · (Edited)
Have your vet pay good attention to his hooves. It may be just the pics but I'd sure want either the vet's or a good farrier's opinion first. There appear to be under run heels for starters.Again it might be the pics but it appears the hoof wall angle isn't matching the growth of the coronet band, especially between the toe quarters.
 
#20 ·
They're definitely long and flared in the pictures, in need of a good trim.

Without close up front, side, and sole shots it's hard to give a good opinion, but they don't look horrible. A few trims with a competent trimmer or farrier should get them set right again.
 
#21 ·
I am not a super experienced horse buyer. I leased 2 school horses for 3 yrs before buying my first horse 7 yrs ago, and the same formula for my second horse purchased 2 weeks ago. I used the same method of selecting a horse that I advise my clients who purchase my products (fine high quality costly flutes and clarinets). Perhaps in the horseworld, I broke all the "rules". I have no idea but this seemed to work well for me. 1). Buy from a very reputable person that cares about their reputation; more so than money because they care about the next sale, not just getting rid of a horse. Buy from someone who is not desparate for the sale and has a few "extra" worthless animals around that they feed and take care of "just because", and also take in a few unwanted or undesirable throw away horses to give a good home or try to re hab and place with a good home. Now, write down your want list. #1 for every horse purchase: A healthy, sound, sane, well mannered, well handled, well loved (for me - I wanted someones pet); for a newer horse owner or a non trainer - a used horse with miles and miles; trained for and or used for what I wanted to do (I trail ride, long rides so I focused on horses that were used to go distance, were comfortable, and could go the distance); color (I don't care); breed (I did not care), gait (my first I wanted a gaited horse and bought a Paso; my second I wanted a very smooth non gaited horse and bought a Morab); Size (I prefer smaller horse as I have a difficult time mounting these days but could not find one "small enough" so settled for a slightly larger horse 14 2 hands and 15 hands, small by today's horse standards); training (my first horse was only for me; finely tuned and finely trained; my second horse was for me and my friends, more easy going, I bought a former school horse that was tired of giving school lessons). I made sure I had all the records, vet records, vet checks, worming schedule, called the vet to verify the data, met the horse to see if I liked her (perhaps silly but we humans and horses need to feel a bond), had the horse delivered with a 2 week written guarantee on soundness and health (not suitability - no one would give me that guarantee and I don't blame them, I try to help people select the right product in my own business and offer a 3 day in home or with teacher / technician review - no playing hours on my instrument. Well, end of story I am happy. I look at it this way; if I do not handle a well mannered horse correctly, and the horse turns into a bomb, or is unsuitable for my experience level or purpose, who's fault is it, the seller or my fault? It is my fault. You can always take a trainer or expert but I have seen trainers and experts select a horse for a rider, only to see that rider ruin a good horse. Good luck.
 
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