So I am again doing the dreaded horse shopping dance and would like to avoid some of the bigger mistakes I’ve made while buying a new horse. A good friend once told me that there is always a reason a horse is for sale. The good ones are never sold! And I tend to believe that! So rather than asking the obvious questions like vices, lameness issues, etc. what questions have you asked in the past to sellers that are useful in revealing more about a prospect?
I don’t think it’s true that the best ones are never for sale. More like, there’s always an issue with a horse, which can you live with.
I think you get what you pay for, in many senses. Of course you can overpay, but the bargain basement horses are usually just that, something is not quite right.
I would start with barn habits: what are their stable manners like? Picky eater, doesn’t get along with others, snarly when tacked, chews wood (not a vice–it’s not cribbing), eats blankets for lunch, hates bugs, cow kicks … and then decide what you can live with given your barn situation. If the horse is a mess in the stall, lots of turn out is best. If they are a hot house flower and get beat up by the herd, pasture board probably isn’t the answer.
Good luck!
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Ask them ‘what’s theworse thing he’s done under saddle?’
I sell horses occasionally. I do it as part of my job and as i get TBs off the track and re-train them. I can’t keep them all…lol…i have 5 horses of my own…so those get sold. What people have asked me and what i think are important would be:
How are they when without other horses (in a stall, in paddocks, on trails, etc.) Can you ride the horse out on trails by itself? Do they have to be brought inside first or do they run the fence? etc.
How are they after not being ridden for a couple day? weeks? months? (lol if you have months of winter and no indoor…)
How are they with the vet/farrier/dentist?
Are they ok with small animals (goats/sheep/deer/dogs/cats…), children…etc. (Even if your barn doesn’t have them it’s good to know if they know about that).
What are they fed? Do you change that in the winter/summer?
Does wind bother them when being ridden?
How are they for bathing/clipping/sheath cleaning…
Can you ride them at feeding time?
Do they have any quirks? (Do they dump buckets/water their hay/…etc)
That’s all i can think of right now.
Has he ever bucked
Has he ever reared
Has he ever tried to kick anyone
Does he load onto the trailer every single time (and ask to see it)
Has he EVER been even slightly lame
Has he EVER been even slightly sick
How often does he spook
etc
I do not assume a horse is being sold because something is wrong with it. The horse may be limited to 3’ and the owner wants to show at 3’6". If I only want to jump 2’6" that isn’t an issue. Or the owner now wants to trail ride and the horse does not like going outside the ring. No problem if I am a show rider.
Horse doesn’t like to jump and the owner is an eventer, I want a dressage horse.
I friend had a very nice jumper for sale. She had no time after having a baby 9 months before. Good horse got sold.
People lose their jobs, have health issues, don’t click with that particular horse. There can be a number of reasons a good horse is getting sold.
I think many of the questions that you should ask depend on the potential buyer’s own situation. If the buyer plans on keeping the horse at Barn A and barn A does not allow cribbers you need to ask about cribbing.
If Barn A has limited turn-out and horse is currently out 24/7 you need to ask about how horse is when stalled. Or vice versa I have seen a few horses that really don’t want to be out longer than a few hours.
Some riders don’t mind a horse that gets a bit of a hump in his back in the spring on a windy day. Others that is a dealbreaker.
Weaving and cribbing would be deal breakers for me. Both drive me nuts.
Not being able to clip ears/face without a lip twitch or drugs, annoying but not a dealbreaker. If you show all the time having to drug for everytime your horse needs a face trim might be an issue.
What questions you ask about a child’s pony is going to be different than for an upper level eventer or adult jumper.
Are they currently fit for the level of work you want to do? If not, how long since they have been fit to do that level of work?
If you want to knock out 18-20 miles of trail riding on a weekend and then a few other miles mid-week, but the horse is only ridden 20 minutes 3 times a week…you aren’t going to know if it will hold up to the miles/hours/pace/grind that you are expecting.
Just another thought- I always nonchalantly pet the horse down both jugular grooves-but especially the left then quietly observe my hand for blood. Not foolproof by any means but occasionaly you can pick up one that has been given an IV injection before your visit. The hair sometimes will cover a speck of blood from the injection so the person who gave the injection doesn’t notice it is there but you will see the blood on your hand. I usually am talking to the handler or the horse while doing this. “What a pretty bay etc etc”
I am not saying that everyone drugs horses. And in certain situations I might not even be concerned about one that has had a bit of ace but that is another thread. This is just another quick and easy thing to check when trying out a horse and one more thing to add to your arsenal of knowledge about the horse. Most owners will not even notice. And sometimes they are not even the ones who gave the horse anything. Of course he could have just had his Coggins drawn or an injection of Legend. But those are also valuable things to know about a horse.
Also look for signs of wearing a cribbing strap. Discolored or white hairs around the neck.
I think most sellers are honest but these are two things that are easy to do and as I said add to your knowledge about the horse and his possible shortcomings.
But there are no perfect horses except maybe mine 
Plenty of people sell horses because they have appreciated in value and it is time to sell and take the profit. These horses sell because they are at their prime or close to it.
I always ask, “What is the horse’s program? If I want to recreate his life at your place in terms of turnout and how much he goes per week, what do I do?”
“Why is the horse for sale?”
“Tell me about what you do with the horse in an average day/week.”
“How long have you had him?”
“Where did he come from?”
“What did the previous owners do with the horse?”
- who rides this horse - is it suitable for a kid/beginner/ammy/junior?
- how does the horse behave off the property?
- show record - when, levels or classes shown, recognized or schooling shows
- feeding, hay, supplements the horse currently gets
- shoeing requirements - how often, any special shoes
- how does horse respond to learning new things, what is his/her reaction to being pushed during training
I would start with asking your deal-breaker questions and if all those are ok then ask the questions you would be able to live with if the answer wasn’t what you want to hear.
[QUOTE=MissAriel;8140047]
- how does horse respond to learning new things, what is his/her reaction to being pushed during training [/QUOTE]
This is my go-to, but more of, “When the horse sees something new, how does s/he react?” because I trail ride and do MSAR and that’s what’s most important to me. You have to have a clear idea of what you want to do with a horse, what you want in a horse, and what you want from a horse.
We always ask “What’s the worst thing he will do?”
We’ve gotten honest answers. Although the 80+ year old trainer who told me “oh he’ll kick up a bit” really meant “he’ll double barrel as high as your head”. But that old man was a much better rider than I’ll ever hope to be and it probably didn’t bother him as much…
Actually, most people I know are more in the camp of “Everything is always for sale.” (With the caveats of to the right people, for the right amount)
For example, I love my gelding. I was offered $65K for him in November. I’ve waited three years to get him truly going under saddle and we came off a big win in August.
I declined, because that money wouldn’t buy me the same horse. It might buy me a nicer horse, but I’d have to trade out time. I’ve already waited three years for this one.
If that same buyer had a budget of $80-85K? We’d talk and my horse would probably have a new owner.
I try to find horses through avenues I trust. People I know, their trusted connections, etc. I find that with a decent network, you can usually find a sane, safe horse that will fit your needs.
I think the big issues come into play are your focuses and that becomes very personal:
- Attitude – Do you want a horse that’s a snuggle bug? Do you want a work machine? Does it matter?
- Ability – Can the horse do the job you’re wanting (plus probably a slight bit more)? Does it have a track history of performing well or is it a prospect? Show me it’s history (USEF records, etc). What about it makes it a prospect?
- Soundness – What are you comfortable with? Not every horse will be sound. My horse above I bought as a two year old with a bone chip in his ankle. Vet said it was probably fairly minor, happened in the pasture… it in no way affected his movement, but I negotiated price down to cover surgery cost to get it removed. If the horse needs twice yearly injections, is that okay? I had a horse at one point that cost five figures annually to keep comfortable and sound. Would he go win? Yes. Is that price worth winning? Your call. Factor in the price of any supplements and regular vet work to see if it’s worth it.
- Upkeep – Is this a horse that requires daily workouts to stay in the right mindset? Is this a horse that can go a week without riding and be a saint? Do you have to lunge every time before you get on? How does he do away from home? Is he a hard keeper or an easy keeper? (I am charged a monthly fee for “extra” hay because my horse needs the extra calories. That cost factors in too.)
I think if you’re buying from a stranger, I would definitely see the horse multiple times if possible. I would ask them to do all of the normal routines and observe. From pasture or stall to grooming, tacking up, riding. Maybe ask if they will load the horse in the trailer if that’s important to you. Come back a second day and see if you have “the same horse”.
Obviously a lot of this depends on your price point and where you’re purchasing. If you’re trying a horse that’s several hours away multiple trips may not be feasible. If you have a small budget, you may have to compromise on a bit more. It’s not un-doable, it’s just more difficult the narrower your windows adjust.
Good luck!!
“How tall is the rider in the pictures/video?”
–purely because I’m a big, tall woman and lots of people don’t list the horse’s height correctly in the ad.
“How experienced is the rider in the pictures/video?”
–because while I’m not a terrible rider, I’m no Beezie or McLain!
I’ve been burned enough times that unless the person is well known in horse community for being honest, I would not believe anything they told you.
Ask the horse. She will tell you exactly what she is. Put her into every situation you can that you have questions about and let her tell you what she’s like,
Or buy from a breeder. It is in their best interests to get the horses they have bred, to sell, into the right situation.
I would rather find someone (other than the owner) who knows the horse and quiz him/her rather than talk to the owner. If the horse has been used in Pony Club or 4-H, has been shown, boarded or ridden on organized trail rides there is always someone who knows the horse and the owner. I think you get a better idea about the horse and, if it has problems, where those problems stem from.
“Tell me about your horse.” Then wait patiently and just let them talk. Don’t jump in with more questions if there is a small gap in their talking. Take notes while you’re listening so that you can ask questions once their done.
As others have said, something along the lines of “what does he do when he’s upset?”
For a lower priced horse…
Ask them “Why is the horse for sale.?”
The answer will tell you a lot.
Acceptable answers
Getting out of horses, divorce, other money problems.
If they are buying another horse try to find out why the for sale horse wasn’t good enough to keep or honorably retire.
That is all I have to offer, it also works for cars, trailers etc. on the theory that no one sells something because it is ‘Too good for them’.
