How do you buy a horse long distance??

[Blair]

I am just curious as to how you evaluate a horse when you can't meet it, see it in person, etc????

How do you handle it if the horse just isn't right for you after you get it across the country?????

I have only purchased one horse and that was after many farm trips and test rides. I also encountered a bunch that weren't exactly what I was expecting from ads or discussions. Is it a shot in the dark type of thing????

Thanks for any advice!
Blair

[Paso Matchmaker Extraordinaire]

I would start w/loads of video, and maybe a near by board buddy going by to look at it. But still, ppls opinions differ about what "calm" is. ;-) I would also like some referrences on the seller if I could get them. I'm sure there will be loads of great advice offered here.

[ErinC]

no, not a shot in the dark....
get as much info as you can, ask it in different ways, to see if they answer the same or not. to see if they are honest people.
get lots of pictures, and a video, a vet check,
and if someone lives close send them out to be your eyes.

[appyday]

I am just curious as to how you evaluate a horse when you can't meet it, see it in person, etc????

How do you handle it if the horse just isn't right for you after you get it across the country?????

I have only purchased one horse and that was after many farm trips and test rides. I also encountered a bunch that weren't exactly what I was expecting from ads or discussions. Is it a shot in the dark type of thing????

Thanks for any advice!
Blair


I ask questions get pics and sometimes videos. I have bought sight unseen MANY horses...never lost any money on resale either (knock on wood) I did buy a nice QH gelding for $4K for my daughter..he cribbed and weaved which I was NOT told about..still sold him for $5K he was from PA

I bought Vence from Missouri and love him

I got Fancy from Salah Washington for $3,500 she was in the trailer 7 days..sold her for $7K

Got Star for like $600 sight unseen from PA

Got Misty sight unseen..though much SMALLER then told he is a very nice mare and well worth what I paid...

ummm when I think of more I will let you know....as questions and if you get a "funny feeling" from the people...dont buy without seeing

[Boyd R]

all of the above but be honest in yourself. If you are confident with any horse, not a problem. But if certain things intimidate you. No one can judge that but you. I require that people that buy from me ride with me. I want the horse to act its worse with them on it. And even then some come back.

[Terry Wallace]

I buy them off videos... Ask to see SPECIFIC things on the video...like tacking up the horse, gait, trailer loading, etc... things you need to see.
Confo shots, both sides, front and rear...full body shots, no cut off legs, no knee high grass, etc... if breeding stock..a shot of the bite, if a stallion a shot of the "breeding equipment".... I'm REAL picky about breeding stock...

Its really not a gamble if you are a frequent horse buyer. get somebody off this BB to go see the horse if possible...if the horse is close to someone on here....most people love to go look at horses! ;-)

I do it all the time... ;-)

get pics and ask for an evaluation...post the pics and many of us will tell you via PM things we see, that you might not... things you may want to consider that could affect the soundness of the horse for example.... "ten eyes" are better than two...that kind of thing..

[CarolU]

You know, I just saw a great video for a gelding..

The person walked out in the pasture, caught and haltered the horse.
Led him in, cleaned all four feet, groomed him quickly.
Handled his ears, tongue, mouth.
Saddled, bridled on the tape.
Rode walk, corto, largo, canter, walk, stop and back.
Along with a history of the horse...trail rides, vaccinations, etc.

They did a VERY good job with the tape. They want a good sum for a trail trained horse...but this horse looks to be everything they say it is.

----------------------------------

On the other side of the coin, I bought Zar, my very favorite horse, sight unseen, no video..but had a few stills, knowing she had many issues...like catching and 'sensitivity'....
She was the only Favorito offspring I could find. I was delighted to find her.
No, a horse like her is not for everyone...but she was right for me. She has no price tag now.
Sometimes you have to go with your gut and your heart.

[Heidi]

I live in Georgia and bought an 18 month old filly from Colorado in 12/2004.

The lady I purchased her from, we exchanged many phone calls and she even called some people who knew me for a reference to be sure the filly would be coming to a good home. (That meant she cared about who would be buying her filly!)
We discussed the type of riding I liked to do, how many years I'd been riding and what my horse-handling experience was, what I looked for in a horse, what I expected out of my Paso shopping...
She had extensive knowledge of the filly's family...sire, dam, siblings (full and half) and knew their temperaments, how they were to train and smoothness of gait.
She made a video of the filly being handled, tied, groomed, loaded into a trailer and also loose in a round pen to show her movement.

It was after these many conversations and emails that we determined that Q would be a good match, temperament-wise for me, and we agreed and completed the sale. Just over a week ago I took Q on her first trailered ride at a State Park with water crossings and she did GREAT!

If you are going to buy long distance, you have to have information, information, information! Lots of it!
You need to be honest about what you are looking for and about your skills, and the seller needs to be honest about their horse and how they think you will match with it.
Heidi

[motorgypsy]

We bought Silken sight unseen because we already owned her full sister and her almost full sister (same father, mom is sister of the other). We knew she had spook issues but hoped she'd outgrow them and she really has for the most part.

We pretty much committed to buying our stallion sight unseen on the word of a friend who brokers horses. She knew how crazy we were about his grandmother so she called us when she got him in for sale after one of his owners died. If we hadn't been able to go see him I suspect we'd still have bought him.

I'd have to really trust the seller. In some ways I kind of prefer brokers because they sell a lot of horses so they know what to look for and if they don't tell you the truth they really damage their reputation and if they can't sell the horse they send it back. Our broker friends do that all the time.

[Beth Worden]

Like Shelley, I've done it a lot, but I have also bought and sold a bunch of horses. One thing you want to consider is to get an estimate on shipping before making a final offer. It can really cut into your profit (if re-selling). I would say to use your head like anything else. Ask ALL the questions...some people are honest but unless asked will not devulge a particular problem, or what YOU may precieve as a problem.

It just depends on how much I'm paying for a horse as to how many "hoops" I ask a seller to jump thru. Same as when I'm selling one. If someone wants to pay 5-6K for a horse, I will bend over backwards to show them everything with video, etc. If I am asking 1000-1500 for a horse then don't expect to have me do radiographs, vet checks, bla, bla, bla at my expense. Usually by the time a buyer gets around to getting all the rigamaroll done and making up their mind on an inexpensive horse, someone else has already bought it. I'm honest and tell them the good and the bad. They can either believe me or not.

[Barbwire]

I bought Amante online. He was from IL, so I had the breeder send me a video. It was a great video, with footage of him being groomed, loaded into a trailer, ridden in a parade, on the trails and in a show. I actually had the seller on the phone telling her to put him in a trailer heading east before the video was over. :D

[Blair]

Great advice so far! Thanks. Next question, if you want a vet exam, do you have the seller arrange with their vet?

In the particular situation I am considering, I have known the seller via email and forums for a year and they have been a very helpful person. I do trust the seller to not take advantage of me. It is just intimidating to me to buy something without ever having "met" them!!! The whole prospect of shipping and the potential costs are also big issues.

Keep the thoughts coming!
Blair

[PasoJoy]

I would find an equine vet that the farm doesn't use, so you can get an 'unbiased' opinion of the horse in question... ;-)

[roadrunner]

If you know the seller from the forum, other people who live in the same area probably do also and may even know the horse. I'd PM some others who live in the same area and ask their opinion of the horse. As far as shipping the cheapest way to get the horse to you is going to be with a person who's already coming this way. If you make up your mind that you want the horse you can post on the forum for the names of shipping companies. Or do a search because a lot of names have been mentioned that were reasonable and had very good service.

You could at least mention the state the horse is currently in and let people PM you also.

[Rose Mary Axell]

Have the seller send you a list of the vets that deal with horses in their area. Then phone the vets and discuss their policies and what they will do in a pre-purchase exam. Pick the vet you feel comfortable with and make arrangemets to pay the vet yourself.

Do not use the sellers vet as there is a conflict of interest involved.

[Terry Wallace]

Yes...the seller sets up the vet exam.....you pay for that and any other charges like for example, a state inspection, and a Coggins blood draw & health certificate. I usually have my buyer deal direct with the vet, or by credit card number...The vet bill is made out to your name. It is your "property". Prepurchase exams can run from $100 to $700 depending on what you want done...if you want all legs x-rayed...it would be at the higher dollar end...if you want an ultrasound on a mare to see if she is in good breeding shape, etc...

[LynnG]

I may request a video if seriously interested after seeing pics and having questions answered. It puts me off if not all my questions are answered, and I have to ask more then once...if for specific views to see. Otherwise I have gone and seen in person every Paso Fino I have ever bought... to see upclose, to see how it handles and acts, how it moves, teeth, conformation, legs, tracking, etc. If I am buying it is usually for my personal herd, so I do want to see it in person. I'll see what shipping costs are plus my travel expenses will equal the total cost of the horse for me. I have been to look at several horses long distance I did not buy. That is my policy.

Also as a seller, I want to meet and know anyone who would buy one of my horses I have bred and/or raised before I would sell them a horse. I would want to know it was a good match and could evaluate the person's experience with the horse. And I want to know what kind of home and environment the horse would be going to. I don't want one of my horses to get in that revolving door of being sold and resold, etc.

[Cathy]

I had a most pleasant experience w/buying my first long distance horse from B. Hall on this BB. I've never done that before. I've always looked and ridden the horses I've bought. Some of them have to pass the trail ride test before the sale is final. Unfortunately I had surgery and was unable to go ride this particular horse. I've gotta tell ya Brenda bent over backwards answering questions, sending me videos and helping me get in touch with people that had owned the horse previously. He is everything she told me he was. A big lovable trail horse that I hope to enjoy for years to come.
I think the most important thing when your buying long distance is to be comfortable with the person your buying from. Most professionals are not going to risk their reputation by selling you something that's not what you were told it was.

I still prefer the old fashioned way of buying but I would consider doing it this way again.

[Bonnie M]

I have always set up the vet exam myself when I am buying a horse.

I used the same vet in one case, but that was because my family knew her and her family. She told me usually she would not do a prepurchase exam for one of her own clients.

I had one experience with a girl that I got the exam all set up, I couldn't be there for it, even had it okay'd with the seller that she would be home. Well I get a call from the vet and he is at her house and she wasn't there! I couldn't even get her on her cell phone. Claimed she forgot. The vet had to charge for the travel, but I made her pay for it since she was the one that screwed it up.

[Andrea G.]

If this horse is for you to ride and enjoy - and not for resale, and the horse is a considerable amount of money...my advice is that it is worth getting on a plane and go see the horse. Some horses are smoother than others, and we all have different ideas on what is calm and what is hot. You can tell alot with photos and video before you decide to spend the money to go see the horse.

I have bought a couple of horses long distance, and the ones I bought without riding first are the ones I was least happy with. I have thought I found the horse for me - and then ridden it and was not as comfortable as I needed it to be...but then again, I have physical problems that necessitate an extremey smooth horse.

Some people have been very lucky like Barb!!
Good Luck horse shopping!

[GeorgeGuns]

I agree with Andrea - unless its a real 'in your heart" horse. go see it, and still go see it. Its cheaper to blow some money on a plane ticket and know that its not the right horse (and get to meet new people) than to get him home and then find out that its not a good horse for you.

I wanted Bri just from one pic that Stella sent me. He was "in my heart". I knew he had issues, I didn't care. I'll probably never do anything like that again, but ya'll know how special he is to me. I did go to meet him though, a good excuse to go meet Stella!! But then working with someone that has such a great reputation, if this was a bad first stallion to have, Stella would have told me.

Prepurchase vet exams can be wide open to individual interpretation. I've heard of vets that pass everything, fail everything, pass only dressage horses, or can't do a good exam on a giated horse.. or just don't like a horse. Why not have the seller video the vet exam, then YOU get to see what the vet may or may not be doing or talking about. I admit this is probably an unusual hoop to put a seller through, but ya never know...

[appyday]

I have never paid for a vet exam on a horse I have bought...NOT even Roger and I paid alot for him (Well alot for me)

[Pasofinoguy]

You need to go see it. And spend time with it first. Its really the only way to do it. I am one who has bought 3 horses without seeing them so I cant really talk i guess lol.

[Minouri]

I think some of these questions can be answered differently by people depending on how much or little experience they have with buying and selling horses and how capable you are of reselling if the horse doesn't fit you.

People who are great with all sorts of horses......those who consider a horse with issues to be a project and not a disappointment might do really well buying a horse without much prior knowledge of it.

And then there is just plain dumb luck....which we've all encountered at one time or another.

But if you know that you'd have no idea how to resell the horse if it arrived and you hated it.......or you haven't bought many horses before.....I'd suggest you go out and see the horse yourself.

I look at a horse as a long term investment. A $300 plane ticket and a $200 hotel room is nothing when spread out of the 15-20 years I hope to own the horse. I need to ride the horse (I call it my butt test). There are plenty of gaited horses I got on and just didn't like the feel of their gait. They all feel a little different.

So take the great advice here and take a good look at what kind of buyer you are.

On the other hand.....I think I'd take a horse (sight unseen) that Erin, Terri, or Abbie recommended because I've ridden their horses and I have a sense of what they like and I think they have a sense of what I would like. So you could connect with some people in different areas and through those relationships get a good idea of if the horse would fit you.