Looking at purchasing a foal directly from breeder. I would be making pmts on the foal until weaning age. Breeder will require mortality insurance which is fine. Any other thoughts to protect myself (as the buyer)? Purchased many horses before but none this young. Also the foal is located way out of state so basically I am doing this sight unseen off of videos, pictures of foal and sire/dam.
I find it very interesting that people buy horses off of pictures and videos. Maybe because I have spent a life time in the business of horses and learned from my mistakes and paid dearly for them. That being said, knowing what I know and have learned, paid for. There is just no way I would buy any horse based on pictures and videos.
Foals are far more trickier to buy. Depending on oneās expectations and future plans what you see now may or may come close to what you hope for in the future. IMO it takes an extremely well educated eye. An eye that takes years and years to train. A lot of what the foal will become is based not only on it linage but also the people that raise it and how it is raised, managed. I would want to see the facilities, management. I have a pretty good gut instinct for these things.
When I canāt make a personal inspection I usually know someone in the area whoās judgment I trust, weāre on the same page. I have rarely if ever used a vet for this purpose. They look at horses by and large with a completely different perspective.
Sorry, not trying to be a Debbie downer. But the majority of people have not or ever bought foals. I know a lot of people who I have a lot of respect for their judgement. But the ones who donāt have a lot of experience buying youngsters are the first to say ānot my area of expertiseā.
In addition to mortality you should carry accident, sickness and disease IMO. Doesnāt add much to the coverage. I assume you are the Loss Payee?
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I suggest you get as much of a vetting as possible. I almost bought a yearling once until the vetting revealed congenital cataracts.
There are definitely breeders from whom Iād buy a foal, even off of video, however, most of the breeders in that category are close enough that Iāve been to the farm, know the mares etc etc. So maybe itās not quite the same thing.
I donāt know the contract terms, but Iād get major medical in addition to mortality.
Vetting horses at this age is tough, so much stuff can change. A basic wellness exam, sure. But thereās no way Iād be x-raying from top to bottom.
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I would go see the foal before purchasing it, or send someone I trusted.
When purchasing off of a video (Iāve sold many that way), ask for video of it walking straight towards you; straight away from you; video going all the way around it and āat willā in the pasture. Be sure the grass is short so you can see (ask for that).
You wonāt get much with a vetting of a foal, there isnāt a lot that can be done short of a wellness check, which isnāt a bad idea.
Regarding insurance, you canāt get much on a foal (I do marketing for an equine insurance agent) but definitely inquire. Feel free to message me for a contact and phone number. 
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I have sold quite a few foals over the years to people who bought from pictures and video. As a seller, Iām happy to take pictures from just about any angle, of any part of the horse. I release any vet records, and recommend the buyer contact my vet, if only to get the well baby report. I recommend that a buyer have a basic PPE, which includes eyes, heart, having the vet see the movementā¦all the basics. For a foal, it isnāt very useful to have x-rays. I have had buyers take x-rays, which is fine.
Having someone you trust look at the foal for you is useful, Iām sure, but anytime you buy a horse that young there can be pitfalls, even if you saw the foal in person. If such things as how tall the foal will grow will be a deal breaker for you, donāt buy a foal. There is simply no way to accurately predict finished height. I think buying a foal can be a relatively inexpensive way to get a well bred, very nice horse, but it isnāt for the faint of heart.
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There was a thread earlier this year about a horse, purchased as a foal, that developed a club foot. The breeder and buyer were at odds whether it was a congenital (purchase price refundable?), or environmentally acquired (tough luck sucker!) defect.
It got ugly.
Just know that foals donāt always grow up looking like their parents, or like their siblings, or like their baby pics ājust biggerā.
I do know folks who have bought weanlings, and are very happy with their [now grown] horses.
Will foal be coming to live with you? If not, who and how the foal is cared forā¦ and everyoneās responsibilitiesā¦ needs to be well understood and contractually defined. That is where the wheels came off in the earlier thread.
Do you feel lucky? 
Hope you are!!!
Get video that shows you everything you would want to see if you went in person. Vet check, and get a good vet. I have bought sight unseen, some went wellā¦one in particular, made me say to myself, never again. I like to see the conformation, the gaits, and the pedigree. I must see the personality, and the temperament, and those are non negotiable. To protect yourself, hopefully it is a breeder that is doing it right on their end. Good fences, proper care, etc. unfortunately with foals, and horses in general, stuff happens. I got into a disagreement with a buyer of a foal, that I was not upholding my end. They did not have a clue, and had no experience with raising a youngster. If you do not trust the seller, it can make the transaction difficult. I have also sold horses sight unseen. I try to make the process easy for the buyer, and I am beyond honest in everything with the horse. Itās always a risk though, and when you buy, you are assuming that risk. Buy proper insurance, and hope for the best.
I agree 200% with you!! I always love your post which show so much knowledgeā¦
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You couldnāt pay enough to buy a foal!!!
I sell foals almost always from photos, videos, and long conversations. Sometimes people visit; sometimes not. I take pride aa a breeder in my stock and in my reputation. I am honest, forthcoming, and thorough with information. I have nothing to hide. I love to talk holsteiners, pedigrees,and production from my mares. I work hard to put my foals in great situations. I will board foals at my place until they are as old as 3 if desired. My program is very successful (measured by the fact that I almost always sell my foals as weanlings) and I get a ton of satisfaction out of making buyers comfortable and happy, while also doing my best for the horse.
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Iāve bought many horses sight unseen, including foals. no regrets.
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We breed and sell - almost entirely as foals. That said, almost no one buys in person, despite our very centralized location. I think that it helps that we have been doing this for years and our mares are well known - with a breeding and/or showing history and that we provide the buyer with a registered/inspected foal and try to provide photos and video of the inspection process so that the buyer can see what judges thought of the foal as well. We are absolutely transparent about medical histories and welcome vettings (no flexions!).
Why? Because I like having return buyers and people who come to us because they saw one of our youngsters and they were referred.
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It suddenly hit me after reading this thread that Iāve never bought a horse (other than resale/project ponies) from anyone other than that horseās breeder. The first one, though, was 5 and going under saddle when I bought him; I still have him 17 years later, so weāll call that purchase a success.
Ten years ago, I bought a two-week old filly off of photographs. I just sold her last fall. She ended up smaller than I planned, but not so small that it was a major problem for me. Sheās a great little mare. She just doesnāt have enough āsparkā for my current desires, but I donāt consider her a disappointing purchase at all.
Most recently, I committed to an in utero purchase on a 2018 foalā¦
Itās not for everyone, for sure, but Iāve always been under a fairly tight budget for my horse purchases. Additionally, within my breed of choice, the horses that fit my requirements are few and far between - and when they do exist, they are well outside my price range! So, this is the compromise that I have to make to get the quality and type of horse I want. Hopefully the next one works out just as well as the first two did.
I would definitely recommend covering yourself for accident and sickness, either through the contract or an insurance policy. Foals are terribly good at finding ways to injure themselves. I completely agree with gumtree on the risks associated with not seeing the foal before buying but if it is from a highly reputable breeder with proven lines on both parents you should be okay
Get a good vet check, although at this age X-rays really are not that helpful. What you are really looking for are good clean, correct limbs, eyes, etc. I sold both of my foals off photos with no issue, and I buy horses from Europe off videos. It completely depends on what you are comfortable with, but buying sight unseen does not make me squeamish at all. Most of all, good luck and enjoy!
In this case it was a utero purchase, so I think a lot of the argument was based off of contract issues with what was considered a āhealthyā foal at birth regarding the supposed club foot. Which after reading the discussion from back to front I think was blown COMPLETELY out of proportion. In this case this is avoidable based on the fact that the foal is already on the ground.
I would get a work up from a vet that includes notes on conformation and do not necessarily rely on the fact that is āpassedā the vet. Read the notes, decide what is a deal breaker for you conformation wise.
Someone already mentioned videos walking directly toward and away from the camera as well as trotting, this will show a lot. Slow the video down, they will be wobbly in that they wonāt be going in a straight line, watching in slow motion you will be better able to see any paddling or shifting in gate.
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I have bought young horses sight unseen, and sold foals and in-utero contracts sight unseen.All with very positive results. Honestly, with a foal, the biggest benefit of seeing the foal is knowing it actually EXISTS, and hasnāt been injured recently. Otherwise - babies change so much. What you see in person today will change dramatically in a few months.
If you know someone who is familiar with babies, ask them to evaluate the videos and pictures. And I WOULD have a vet evaluate the foal - check its heart, lungs, eyes, watch it at liberty for basic soundness. No flexions, and personally I wouldnāt xray a foal. Xrays are pretty ineffective for a foal unless it has a broken limb (which should show up in an at-liberty evaluation).
Ask for video and pictures of both parents, and if the mare is a broodmare because of soundness or temperament issues - be very careful. Both of those could very well show up in the baby!
Foals are a huge gamble - so I hope you are getting enough of a discount to make it worth it! The first couple of years of life are high risk - for injury or ANYTHING. I always joke that babies spend their first 2 years trying to kill themselves - especially colts!
I would check with the insurance company to see if you can add major medical to the policy. Also realize foals should grow up on acreage - so make sure you have a boarding situation that will work. A stall and small turnout is NOT the way to raise a baby.
I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of Canadian breeders have sold weanlings to American buyers based only on photos and video. Really, all you can do is a very basic pre-purchase and mortality insurance, which, for a foal, will not be much. I even bought our last riding horse based only on video and I have absolutely no regrets about that purchase.
Buying any foal is a gamble, whether you eyeball it yourself or not. That is why foals are less expensive than under saddle or ready to start horses. Either you are comfortable with that level or risk or you are not. Certainly you can mitigate that risk with mortality insurance and dealing with people who have a good reputation, but is still a risk.
