I feel for y’all out West. I used to live in CO and horse shopping was impossible. Now I’m in NC and it’s so much easier. It really might be worth your time to spend a week looking between VA and FL. I know it seems like a royal pain in the arse, but for a forever horse…
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Horse shopping is awful, a few years ago I tried 23 horses and had 3 failed PPE’s before buying one that then didn’t turn out to be the right horse for me. I bought a horse earlier this year, after looking for 5-6 months. We had several to try in the fall, then the market here in the SE went kind of dead over the winter when no one was out showing, and it picked back up again in mid-to late January when people were getting their horses back out showing to be ready for Florida circuits. If you were willing to look as far away as Florida, taking a week and doing Ocala and/or WEF would likely be worth your trouble. I shopped in Ocala in late February and tried multiple good options (which was often rare because we were looking for a very particular size and very particular ride) and found my perfect match. I would think 2021 would be even better in Ocala with both HITS and WEC running shows. One thing that proved useful was posting an ISO post in a couple of the FB groups like Hunters, Jumpers & Equitation Unicorns and the 2020 WEF/Ocala Horses for Consideration group (I think they updated it to 2021 now) to be able to line up some options before you get there and not just have to rely on what you find once you are there, particularly if you aren’t showing where your trainer isn’t going to be networking at the rings. We actually got some great options sent to us in PM’s in that group - 2 of my top three came to us that way, including the horse I bought! The travel and shipping would add a lot of costs, of course, but it is definitely a target rich environment and the competition made prices more negotiable than I might have expected - people that spend the money to send their sale horses there don’t want to end up bringing them home! There is also a vet on site at HITS that has a good setup for PPE’s, and I would guess WEC will have the same, so you can set up a PPE pretty easily and they are happy to coordinate with your home vet and send everything digitally. So, if you don’t find anything by then, it’s an option worth considering.
Travel might make sense if the market was just kinda rough but let’s not forget there’s an active pandemic going on and a lot of places where the horse shopping is thick are also places where 'Rona is rampant. Not to mention the risks of travel (especially if you have to fly). It just kind of sucks but this year is atypical is SO many ways.
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OMG @vxf111 I am apparently in complete denial this week, this is literally the second or third time this week my brain has completely chosen to block out the pandemic! Yeah cross-country travel probably not so appealing this winter <sigh>
You can drive to FL. She cannot 
This year is just the pits
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Ain’t that the truth! On top of it all, I feel like 2020 has just been terrible as far as losing pets. Our barn alone has lost 4 horses (3 of which were already retired, but still…) and my family/friends have had to PTS several dogs as well.
Same here. I lost one horse and one cat and many other people I know lost pets too. 2020 has been terrible. Sorry for your loss
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I have been looking for 4 months and my 81 row spreadsheet of horses I was interested in has yielded 17 test rides, 3 horses my vet wouldn’t even PPE due to issues seen on rads or health records, and 2 failed PPEs ($3500 so far on that). Just today the ONE I was in LOVE with - he won’t go see. Avulsion fracture on pre-import rads. Looked into importing one from Europe - too much stress, and that one ended up having horrible club foot and low opposite heel.
Its tough to go try fit eventers when I haven’t been able to ride except on test rides. Trainers are setting xrails with ground poles… I’ve driven 6 hours south, 4 hours north, multiple times. I have a pretty good budget… I know exactly what I want and I’m ready to buy… I slog thru the FB groups, Dreamhorse, warmbloods for sale, and so on all the time… I’m so tired of it and I desperately want to ride. :sigh:
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It may be worth it if you can visit a “hub” of horses that has several barns with prospects.
For example, I know here in DFW there’s a plethora of H/J barns and some eventing barns scattered around, plus lots of OTTBs since we’ve got a track and some decent restarting trainers who usually have 10-15 horses per barn that are all for sale if asked. Make a list, see how many test rides you can knock out in a weekend and go from there, versus traveling to see 1 or 2 each time.
I’ve been doing that… still no luck. Called every trainer within 6 hours of me…
So much this. I took three weeks off work and decided on whim to get on my WB (for the first time this year, yes face palm) and try to sell him. I’m hoping for the sellers’ market everyone keeps talking about. He is great, but he is NOT the right horse for ME. He is forward and sensitive. I’ve been riding my medium green pony this year and the happiest I’ve been in about 14 years (a couple bad fit horses, then this guy) because she is a dgaf kick-and-crop ride. I loff her. He is a wonderful, expressive horse, truly the most hunter-type-y and gorgeous horse I’ve ever owned, could jump the moon with room to spare, but we are a bad fit because I am spookier than he is :lol:. So the “right horse” isn’t always the “correct horse.”
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I just purchased a horse a month ago. I’m also in SoCal but didn’t have a terribly healthy budget and wasn’t very keen on an OTTB. I was really excited about one horse but it literally sold in a day. This is a tough market to buy in, in my opinion, unless you want an OTTB project (and even those often seem very expensive for amount of training and potential). I was looking for an eventer (up to Training level) who would also be decent in dressage up to at least 3rd level. I ended up buying from Canada off of videos. The key for me was lots of videos spanning 18 months under saddle (and more spanning his whole life before starting training) and a super open & honest seller (who was the breeder and who I knew reasonably well). I am also pretty flexible about the feel of a ride and can adjust to most horses so no test ride wasn’t a big deal. Temperament was the most important and I was able to get information from 2 trainers plus the breeder (who also has a reputation of breeding amateur friendly eventers). Shipping added a fairly big chunk to his price, but so far I am completely thrilled with him.
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I’m so sorry that you’re going through this! I’m assuming that you also have a trainer who is looking? Or are you the primary searcher?
I would be interested to hear your criteria, as with a healthy budget there should be options. I also agree with expanding your search. if you’re comfortable buying off a video, that might be the way you’ll need to go.
Are there any pieces of your criteria you would be willing to compromise on to open up the pool of prospects a little bit? Are you looking for a 2’6", 3’, or 3’3"+ prospect?
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My horse that had passed away last spring just fell into my life some 20 years ago, sparing me from shopping. Since I’m having to shop now I have a question. Now a days, if you like a horse and have arranged a ppe, is it standard operating procedure for the seller to go ahead and sell the horse to another buyer that wants to buy the horse (they’re not interested in doing a ppe) before your scheduled ppe?
Did you ask the seller to take the horse off the market and either sign a contract or pay a deposit or both?
Depends on the seller. I’ve had the majority say they will hold on their word alone, giving a week to complete the PPE. Some want a deposit, and I don’t like to gamble like that. Some say they will let you know if another interested party wants to PPE the horse. Some are very restrictive about what vets you can use. Some will try to sneakily get you to use their vet practice.
(There’s ALWAYS another buyer. They never want to put you under any pressure but oh dear, someone is coming to see the horse next week!)
To sell the horse when you’ve arranged a PPE is weak. I wouldn’t want to do business with that person. If you’re worried that might happen I suggest making a contract outlining your intent to buy pending PPE that says you get first right of refusal.
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Definitely this. In the multiple PPEs I’ve done over the last few years, I haven’t paid a deposit (doesn’t seem to be standard practice out here?), but the sellers have kept their word in allowing me a week to conduct the PPE. If a seller sold the horse during that time, I would consider it a good thing that I didn’t end up doing business with them. But getting it in writing never hurts!
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I discussed this with the seller of the horse I just bought. There were other inquiries on the horse, which was unsurprising given a variety of circumstances. We agreed a sale price pending PPE and she agreed to tell others who were interested that he was sold pending PPE. We discussed a deposit but given the international nature of the deal (he was in Canada and I’m in the US), we agreed that it wasn’t worth the hassle as we knew each other well enough to know we would be honest regarding the transaction.
Prior to finding my new horse, I had made an arrangement to try a horse for sale locally. Someone went to see him the day before I did and wanted to buy him pending a PPE the following week. The seller advised me that of these circumstances and cancelled my appointment to try him with the understanding that if the deal fell through, she would call me back and reschedule. I got the impression there was no deposit, but obviously don’t know for sure. After the PPE, she let me know he was sold.
I would be unimpressed with a seller’s ethics if they sold the horse between an agreement to buy pending PPE and the PPE without at least offering me the opportunity to purchase without PPE, but I can understand that a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. An offer to purchase with no contingencies is a much safer bet for the seller as PPEs can be a real crap shoot for the seller.
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I won’t hold a horse without a signed agreement and a paid deposit, however, everyone does it differently, and each seller should (ideally) be up front and clear about their expectations. As the buyer, you should also make sure that that’s a question you ask if the seller doesn’t mention any terms to hold the horse. Don’t leave it up in the air, then get mad if they sell the horse to someone else before your PPE.
If the seller has agreed to hold the horse for your PPE, they should do exactly that, even if someone comes along and offers to buy with no contingencies. An agreement is an agreement.
I asked the seller what would happen if someone came along and wanted to buy the horse before my ppe could happen. Was told that if that happens, the horse is sold. Deposits are not accepted. Signing a contract was not an option.
Thanks guys for your info. Good to know!
