Comments on: Considering a horse- what should we do?

By: zakiit

zakiit — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

I would be very suspicious. For a start I would want to know why the horse had not been worked since the winter. The seller is not the one to do the vetting – you need to find out who the vet is of this horse and contact him to confirm and then get another vet who does not know the horse to do the vetting.

Then – how do you know if it is true about her losing her job and having problems paying rent etc? How do you know that this is not just a sob story? And why has it taken so long to think about selling the horse?

And third – the saddle. The saddle is unlikely to fit the new horse if she should get one. She has no reason to keep a hold of the saddle – especially if she really is in dire straights and she will not be getting a horse soon! And I would have thought she would let you have the saddle and get some more money for it!!

I would steer well clear.

By: SnapShot

SnapShot — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

Sure take the time to check him out. Especially if it won’t cost too much and you have experience to take with you.
Consider asking if you can ride before you buy- if she says no, don’t waste your money.
The vet issue is fishy, but it is possible she’s just broke. Look him over the best you can, check his joints for swelling, teeth, hoofs, skin condition, and eyes to the best of your ability.
Do a fast trot or slow lope for 10-15 minutes and see if he is breathing harder than you would expect.
Ask for any and all paper work- past vet visits, age, registration [ if applicable], worming and general vaccine info, etc.
Good Luck

By: x_IME_x

x_IME_x — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

This sounds very suspicious. No saddle, no vetting, no proper viewing, no trial.

What you COULD do is bring your own vet with you, or someone experienced. Get them to check over the horse to make sure he’s sound. Make sure you ride him and do all the things you normally would to check there’s no hidden vice.
(If you bring a vet you will have to pay, but if you really like the horse maybe it’s worth it?)

You could also ask her if you could have a trail for a week but take the horse to your stables. That was she wouldn’t have to pay the rent that week and you could experience the horse yourself…?

Good luck with whatever happens! xx

By: Debi

Debi — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

It can’t hurt to look! – But, don’t feel pressured into buying a horse that you haven’t thoroughly checked out. Definitely take someone with you who knows a lot about horses. There is a free report available about what mistakes to avoid when purchasing a horse. You can click on the link below to request it.

Happy Riding!

By: HorseBizGirl

HorseBizGirl — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

Even if the current owner vetted the horse first, it wouldn’t matter. Never rely on the owner’s vet for a health check. You need to have YOUR vet check out the horse. I don’t think it’s an issue that the owner didn’t have the time to vet the horse.

I also don’t think it’s an issue if the owner wants to keep the saddle. Although the saddle has to fit the horse, it also has to fit the rider so there’s nothing to say that her saddle would be the right one for you. Plus, we riders get very attached to our tack. My horse passed away several years ago and it was soooooo hard to finally sell the saddle 5 years later. It was a reminder of all the fun we had and what we accomplished together.

You or an experienced rider (ideally, both of you) should definitely ride this horse to see if it’s the right fit. If it is, then you need to have your vet do a pre-purchase exam before buying it. Whether you buy this or any other horse, you need to have it ridden and have a vet look at it if you think you’d like to buy it.

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

I’ve never heard of the owner that is selling paying for a vet (at least not in the U.S). Either you bring your vet with you (or the person who will be the vet in the future if you don’t have a vet now) and you pay them, or you pay a friend or trainer (usually 10% of the purchase price to a trainer) to come with you and check the horse out, so I don’t find it at all suspicious that she won’t pay for a vet. And I have a friend who is 47 and hates riding in the winter, she’s too cold, she doesn’t ride for 4 months, so I can see why the horse was not ridden this winter. Take a look at him, you can always say no.

By: rabskiller

rabskiller — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

I would say buy him

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

I’ve just googled the phone number. The woman seems to be (or was) a dealer, there are lots of adverts for different horses connected to that number and she was previously advertising on horsemart as a trade advertiser. Unless you are extremely experienced and can spot something is not right with the horse, and have the experience, time and money to take a gamble that if something comes out later on when its back at home you can sort it out, I would not look at this particular horse.

By: MARK

MARK — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

My names are Mrs.Anita Johnson.I am a single parents.I needed an urgent loan for business and clearing of debts.I met a reverend who directed me to Erivan Jonker loan firm who granted me $30,000 without stress.Since then i have decided to publish them all over for those who require loan to see.I have been scammed not until i met them my story changed you can contact them on erivanjonkerfirm_lender@yahoo.com

By: Ms A

Ms A — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:10:41 +0000

She may be selling it because it costs alot of vet bills, I heard of something like this a while ago a man was selling his horse cause it was prone to colic and he was fed up of it I would ge your friend to check the horse out and do some reashearch if it has any show records. Good luck. A x