I agree with the many very good pieces of advice above.
I also wanted to add that you cannot overlook the importance of diet as part of a horse’s management. Make sure you ask the seller what they feed and how much. If you buy a horse that eats nothing but timothy and beet pulp and switch him over to a diet of alfalfa and large quantities of sweet feed, you may end up with a fire-breathing dragon.
Good luck in your search for the perfect horse for your daughter!
I don’t think you are addressing the point of this post which is not about the normal variability of horses but the issue of a buyer trying a horse who is “under the influence” without the seller revealing this to the buyer.
check the horses eye. they should be bright and alert.
(if gelding) is his ‘old fella’ swinging in the breeze, or poking out from the sheath?
are the ears pricked and paying attention to whats happening, is it interested in surroundings/new people in its space?
(it’s an oldie but a goodie) turn up 40minutes early (oh gosh, didn’t take as long to get here as we thought. the traffic was sooo good! 
- sorry, we’ll just hang out here petting horse/his neighbors until you’re ready - no rush)
if possible and you have an afternoon appointment, do a slow driveby to see if horse is out in the field or is it being lunged/ridden?
ask direct question: has horse been given anything via needle orally or anus to enhance performance?:
painkillers could be masking any amount of unsoundness - let alone behavioral unsoundness.
tell them that if your serious after this trial, that a vet tech will accompany you to the next ride where they will pull bloods…
watch closely for their reaction.
(plus the many other intelligent suggestions from previous posters)
also find out, which means asking some pointed questions, just what cut your trainer/agent is getting.
are they also getting a cut from the seller?
personally, your trainer/agent sounds like a doozy.
just going by this thread, i wouldn’t be interested in using them to buy what is a SIGNIFICANT investment.
goodluck.
As others have said you can only tell really by pulling blood and having it tested.
But you can have a horse that is perfect at a place, move it to a different paddock on the same property and it goes mad until you put it back in it’s own paddock. They are not bikes they are horses.
I had this happen. I had an agistee come and get me when I put my tb in another paddock. He was going mad. I just caught him and put him back in his original paddock.
She couldn’t believe that I let him go and he just stood there and grazed when he had been going mental in the other paddock.
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