thank you so much ! we do love her beyond. tried to link the video of her as a weanling…to give perspective.
You must not live in a state with a long list of other states that you have to quarantine if you travel to.
1 Like
if that is the buyers situation of course I recall my suggestion. in our case, BEFORE Covid, obviously, we DID buy prior to seeing our filly in person. based on PPE. did visit her soon after. Thread was asking if anyone had/would buy ‘sight unseen’ I gave my situation and experience of doing just that.
in our case the husband of the breeder is a vet, horse came with a guarantee of passing a post purchase inspection once arriving.
But our case is not a normal one since we have had prior experience with the breeder, nevertheless everything was in writing and in a contract.
Daughter purchased the horse with a down payment, insured it, then paid board until she could pick up the lad (three months later) when she made final payment.
I bought a 2 year old from Canada off a few videos, emails, and a phone call. I had a vet do a PPE and she called me several times throughout to describe her findings as well as sending results and xrays to my vet for review.
I thought about going to see the horse in person via a 7 hour drive or flight, but I weighed the cost versus the benefit. With a 2 year old, I’d basically just get to do some light handling and see it loose in the indoor…which was on the video already. I feel like other than general personality impressions, you don’t really know how they are going to be under saddle until you start them. I wanted something middle of the road, not a dominant horse, and curious but didn’t have to be bold. The money I didn’t spend travelling to see the horse I can/could spend on a trainer if the horse and I didn’t click and I needed to sell.
Yes, the one in my avatar… I bought him as a yearling and he’s growing up in a field with another young horse. I’ve only been able to visit him twice due to this plague. 
But he’ll be three soon and will be coming home.
The Connemara Pony world is pretty small, no one is a complete stranger. I hadn’t met the breeder/seller in person but a good friend of mine lived nearby and knew her. I did a basic vet check (heart, eyes, conformation, movement,) and then went forward. From video and performance history I really liked the mare, and this is one of her last foals, so I crossed my fingers and did it.
If you do this, (well, for any horse purchase,) consider not finalizing the purchase until you have insurance in place. Horses being horses… what happens if you send the money and the horse has a catastrophic injury in the interim? If you would have a hard time with losing the purchase price, (plus vet bills, probably…) then make sure you’re protected.
Yes, quite a bit actually. I have three draft crosses all by the same Saddlebred stallion. Two were bought off of photos and video; the third in-utero with his Mum because I loved the others so much. These boys are now 13, 12 and 10. My current Clydesdale x Cross colt, also bought off of photos and video as a foal by the side; brought him home at 7 mos, again very happy. I’ve also bought a very nice Fjord gelding from Ironwood Farms on here, and have recently purchased an Andalusian colt from Old Stonehouse Farm in PA who I’ve not received yet because it won’t stop snowing, but am excited about getting.
Purchasing from an established, well-regarded breeder definitely is the way to go. Shady business practices do not lead to longevity and word inevitably gets out.
I’ve had better luck doing this with youngsters than I have with adults. I’ve bought OTTBs where I was told they had zero stall vices only to have weavers and stall walkers. Other horses were represented as being a certain height and were not, so I finally learned my lesson and if height were important to me, I would send a vet out to verify. I’ve spent a small fortune on vet checks to verify details.
So yes, I find it much easier to buy a nice youngster with some confidence from good, established breeders. That’s not to say though I haven’t been screwed over, but it’s always been an adult horse via an individual, so I won’t do that again. Never a bad idea to have a vet out it you can’t go yourself, and verify the details at the very least.
1 Like
I bought a yearling sight unseen from a reputable online auction. The online ad had pictures showing conformation, video and gave a description of her temperament. I would say she arrived as described and I am very pleased with her. However, she came from a reputable breeder that I had been following online for years.
1 Like
sure does take a lot of the questions out of the picture, daughter just entered into a contract for a 2023 foal since the breeder’s current crop of the bloodlines daughter wants is already sold. The breeder is the same one daughter has purchased two horses from, the program produces a limited number few foals a year.
Rather than wait to see what hits the ground and having had a few decades experience with the breeder they were able to draft a contract that was agreeable to both parties for Next year’s foal crop. Breeder has the first right of keeping the foal for their breeding program but daughter has first right of purchase of the limited supply.
There are a couple threads on this 
I did this last year, with a weanling. I will say mine went so well because the seller was a great communicator. In addition to the sale pics (which with a baby is going to be beside dam, and maybe some liberty video), when I asked for additional confo shots, she went and got some from all angles, and once we entered a contract pending PPE, I got pics or little videos nearly daily. The vet who did the PPE was not good (frankly sucked to the point that I question his medical degree) and he missed several important things, but I requested some xrays of a few things ahead of time and had them sent to my vet up here. What he missed weren’t deal killers, epiphysitis and a teeny hernia that resolved on its own, and I’m very happy with my yearling.
1 Like
I have bought three yearlings (well, 2 yearlings, 1 at a day old) that way. The first was just a chance ad playing around on Dreamhorse, called the owner and he came home two weeks later, in MUCH worse shape than any pictures showed. Skinny, wormy, and covered in rain scald from head to toe. He’ll be 20 this year and is an amazing horse.
The 2nd I bought, again, cruising Dreamhorse, semi-looking after I’d put one of mine down a year before. He’s had some health problems (KS surgery and arthritis), but nothing I think would have been found on a PPE. But he’s a total sweetheart and will be 15 this year.
The last one will be 2 next month, bought when he was a day old from a breeder I know well. Brought him home when he was 7 months old and just adore him.
(Pic of Merlyn, the coming 2 year old, just because. Full disclosure - he was the only one in his class. LOL)
2 Likes
