EC Blog: The Do’s and Don’ts of Horse Shopping (From Someone Who’s Been There)

EC blog by: Steven Pelzer

When looking to find your next equine partner, whether it’s to buy or lease, here are some tips to help make your shopping experience more fun and stress free. Now, most of these are common sense, but if you find the “perfect horse,” you may get excited and forget to protect yourself.

DO: When you go to look at a horse, to purchase or lease, be sure to take someone with you. They might notice things that you overlook. Also, they can suggest questions you might forget or not think to ask.

DON’T: Don’t be a tire kicker. Don’t waste the trainer’s time or owner’s time. If you know deep down that you aren’t going to buy or lease a particular horse, be upfront from the start. Don’t waste their time and potentially cause them to miss out on selling or leasing to a willing, paying customer.

DO: Ask questions. The only dumb question is one that’s not asked. Some people tend to get shy when it comes to asking certain questions. I like to think, if I’m spending my hard earned money, I want to know everything there is to know about that horse. Does he currently have any soundness issues? Has he had any soundness issues in the past? What’s his level of trainability? Does she ever act marish? Has he ever exhibited signs of being ring sour? Does she crib? Does he have any health issues besides soundness? Remember to ask questions.

DON’T: When you try out the horse, try not to pick any fights. Now, hear me out when I say this, I know it sounds very easy not to do this, but many people do. To give an example, say you’re riding a horse for sale and it has a little more energy than you were expecting. Don’t take matters into your own hands and retrain the horse. Reason being; IT’S NOT YOUR HORSE. It’s still the trainer’s/owner’s horse, and you can do more damage than good. If the horse isn’t cooperating in the way you would like it to, ask the trainer or owner for help. If all else fails, get off and move on. The horse is probably not the right fit for you.

DO: Make sure to be kind and courteous. In the world of equine sales, trainers, breeders, and owners go to great lengths to make sure the horse you’re coming to see is nicely turned out. I can’t stress enough the act of being kind, mannerly, and easy to work with. The horse world is a small world; everyone knows everyone. If you show up an hour late, or you’re being a very difficult buyer with unreasonable demands, you could end up being branded as someone who is too difficult to do business with.

DON’T: Do NOT lease or buy a horse without signing a written contract. Friendships have been torn apart due to the lack of having a contract. It sounds somewhat cold and untrusting to ask for a contract, especially if you’re buying or leasing from a friend. However, at the end of the day, this is business. A contract can keep you and the seller safe. All the terms of the sale/lease should be put in the contract, and it’s left up to you to sign it or not.”

I hope these tips can be of some use for you when it’s time to buy your next equine companion.

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