So, I’ve been horse shopping for a little over 5 months and I’ve posted previously about some issues I’ve had along the way. That said, a month ago, I found the perfect one, but the owners led us down a rabbit-hole of road blocks which ended with them asking me to just lease which I, unfortunately, had to reject. The search continues. It is very difficult for me to travel beyond 3 hours, and I have discussed with my trainer the possibility of her going to try horses for me. Unfortunately, her schedule does not really allow for her to do so. As a result, I have started thinking about shipping in a horse (sight unseen) on a paid trial. I believe my budget (mid five) allows me to do so, but I have many questions about the mechanics of unseen trials and if I (a young amateur currently competing 2’6”) have any business doing so. My main questions are: How much should you expect to pay for a trial? Are sellers generally open to sight unseen trials? Would you vet before, during, or after the trial? What type of video should I want to see before deciding to trial? Would the trial be viewed as a short-term lease, meaning would it require a contract?
Thank you in advance for any feedback.
Your trainer should be able to answer all of those questions for you. We send horses out on sight-unseen trials all the time. Some are paid, some are not. In all cases, the prospective buyer typically takes out insurance to cover the horse for the period that it is at their farm. In many cases, but not all, they will vet the horse prior to the trial. There is typically always a contract of some kind.
Regarding what videos you want to see, only you can answer that. For my most recent purchase (off video, from Europe), a 3-minute W/T/C with lead changes and jumping around a course was sufficient.
Sometimes trials are paid (I’ve paid a 10% deposit myself), sometimes they’re unpaid. Depends if your trainer has a relationship with the seller or not.
Are owners open to sight-unseen trials? I would say the majority are not unless, again, your trainer has a relationship with the seller/seller’s pro.
I would recommend vetting the horse by your own vet. That’s one of the perks of a trial. Do it early in the trial.
Ask for a video of an amateur of your skill level riding the horse. I would also want to see a video of the horse being tacked up/untacked if possible.
Yes, a contract is most always required. It protects everyone.
You’ll want insurance over the course of the trial, too.
Honestly this is going to vary greatly depending on the seller. However in my limited experience:
Anywhere from $500 to $1500 per week.
50/50. Most amateur owners selling are not.
As a seller, I always require that the horse is vetted before it leaves my property. Something could happen on the trailer, or the buyer could use and abuse the horse, then vetting says it’s lame when I know it wasn’t lame when it left my farm and buyer either backs out or tries to get a discount. Nope. All terms and vetting must be agreed to before it leaves my farm, and the trial period is for buyer to decide if they want to buy at the agreed-upon terms or not. It’s not a further negotiation tactic.
Depends on what you’re looking for, but basically, a brief video that shows what you need to see (wtc, no spooks, transitions, over fences, at a show, whatever). No different than a typical sale video that would make you want to travel to try the horse. You’re the one choosing to trial the horse sight unseen, you don’t get to demand the seller takes 500 hours of video and thousands of pictures so that you feel comfortable with your decision.
Yes
In my experience, sight unseen trials only happen between trainers with existing relationships or well-known reputations to uphold. In those situations, the actual terms will depend on the relationship - paid v. free, 1 week v. 1 month, vetting before or during trial period, etc.
These can also get expensive if you/your trainer doesn’t have a good eye for what you want. If you can watch a video and say with a decent amount of accuracy whether you will or won’t like the horse, and then be correct when you ultimately try the horse, they it isn’t so bad. If you like 5 horses on video, and only one when you actually ride them, your odds are not so good.
Thanks so much for the response. It has given me some clarity. Also, I reached out to the owner of the horse I was interested in and they accepted. Hopefully it works out.
