| Buying a horse is a huge investment in both | | | | |
| time and money, and there are some things | | | | Ask the horse owner to show you what his |
| you'll want to know before you start | | | | horses for sale can do. Have the owner pick |
| searching for horses for sale. Buying a horse | | | | up the horse's feet. Watch to see if the |
| can be compared to buying a used car. | | | | owner can touch the horse anywhere on it's |
| | | | body, inside the ears, above the tail, on the |
| Unscrupulous horse traders will alter the | | | | flanks, legs, and belly. Watch the |
| appearance or behavior of their horses for | | | | interaction between the horse and the owner |
| sale to fool you. Even among the honest | | | | to see how the horse behaves. Remember that |
| horse traders, most wouldn't purposely | | | | if something bad is going to happen it's |
| mislead you, but they may not tell you the | | | | better to have it happen to the guy who's |
| whole story about their horses for sale | | | | trying to sell you the animal! |
| unless you ask. Ask the seller some | | | | |
| questions that relate to what you are looking | | | | Watch the horse move at liberty. Look for |
| for in a horse. Some of the following | | | | anything that is a sign that the horse may |
| questions may help you decide if the horse | | | | have medical problems, lameness, or a bad |
| you're looking at is right for you. | | | | attitude. Watch the head when the horse |
| | | | walks, excessive bobbing of the head might |
| Why are you selling this horse and how long | | | | signal a problem. Pinned ears or a swishing |
| have you personally owned this horse? | | | | tail all of the time in horses for sale can |
| | | | indicate other issues. |
| Does the horse have any medical problems? Has | | | | |
| the horse ever been lame? | | | | As a rule, don't get on any horse first - |
| | | | have the owner ride the horse first. If the |
| How are the horse's teeth? Have you ever had | | | | owner won't get on, there had better be a |
| the horse's teeth floated? | | | | good reason. Ask the owner to bring the |
| | | | horse into a walk, trot, canter, change |
| Has the horse ever foundered? | | | | leads, etc so you can see all the paces. |
| | | | Watch for lameness, length of stride, range |
| What type of worming program are you using? | | | | of motion, problems with the right and left |
| | | | lead, etc. If the horse doesn't look safe, |
| What type of riding do you do? (Trail, | | | | don't ride him. |
| English, Western, Three day Eventing, Barrel | | | | |
| racing, etc.) | | | | There are many other things to consider when |
| | | | buying a horse, such as whether you prefer a |
| What do you feed the horse? | | | | Mare or a Gelding (we never recommend buying |
| | | | a Stallion unless you plan on using him for |
| How is the horse kept? i.e. in a pasture, in | | | | breeding purposes, and have appropriate |
| a stall, in a small paddock, alone or with | | | | facilities to accommodate a potentially |
| others. | | | | aggressive and dangerous horse). |
| | | | |
| Has the horse ever hurt anyone? | | | | You will also want to consider the ages, |
| | | | level of training, and constitutions of any |
| What type of training has the horse had? Does | | | | horses for sale before making a purchase, and |
| the horse have a trainer? Can I call the | | | | how these characteristics relate to your |
| trainer? | | | | purpose for buying a horse in the first |
| | | | place. Be careful not to get carried away |
| How is the horse with the farrier? Can I | | | | with a horse just because it's beautiful, and |
| contact the farrier? | | | | buy a horse that won't meet your needs. |
| | | | Remember, the most important thing is how a |
| How is the horse with the veterinarian? Can | | | | horse behaves and performs not how it looks |
| I contact the vet.? | | | | in the barn. |
| | | | |
| Does the horse load into a trailer easily? | | | | Good luck as you search for horses for sale, |
| How about unloading? | | | | if you find the right match, you will have |
| | | | made a very good investment to bring you |
| How is the horse with water? i.e. bathing, | | | | satisfaction for many years. |
| walking through it. | | | | |