About to try a few horses out at a dealers yard - any advice welcome!

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CharlesMax

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Hi all,

I am about to leave to try out a few Hunters at a dealers yard. They have been recommended by a few people, however, this is my first horse buying experience.

Any tips/advice on what to look for or ask will be most welcome! I will get my instructor to go over if there is something I like, so I just need advice for the initial meeting.

I have given them my max budget and am slightly concerned that they will just mark everything up to that figure.

Thank you!
 
see the horse trooted up, in the stable being tacked up etc.

see it ridden, in all paces and jumped over a decent sized jump.

hack it.. and ride it away from the others. then carry on alone for a bit.

if possible make sure you have a canter and see traffic.

normal tricks of dealers.. underweight horses, make sure its got/had water etc.

ask about vettings, make sure there happy to have a vet of your choice.

chances are they dont no much about the horse so go on what you find on the day..

oh and passport.. ask to see it!
 
yeh.. you shouldnt really have given them a top price.. but never mind.
Check the membranes of the horse, note the colours.

If the horse doesnt look right, or your not happy to ride it then dont.. that simple. Dont endanger yourself.

Get what ever you think of bying 5stage vetted.

Have fun!

Lou x
 
Lift the lips, and look into the corners on the eyes. Membrane should be bright salmon pink. If its pale or slightly discolours.. make a mental note of this.
Lack of fluids.
Dope,
Poor nutrition
general bad health can all effect the colour of these.

Lou x
 
hi well good luck for today and make sure you are not pressured into anything as i went to one dealer that pressured me into what could have been a very large mistake!!
also feel the horse over for lumps and bumps you never know what you will find.
maybe even write your self a list of what you want to ask.

good luck let us know how you get on.
Nicky
 
I would be very careful and not rush into anything. I bought from highly reputable dealer and horse was totally unsuitable for purpose. I have had a nasty accident and only got my money back after a huge amount of stress. Just remember that they often don't know alot about the horses themselves or have not known them very long. I would also ask around about the dealer as much as you can as again I only found out that there had been problems once I had purchased- luckily they did give me back my money. Hope you find a nice horsey!
 
i agree with msmaisey, i too have bought from a dealer before as i was left with no choice but to trade one of mine (not proud), however she told me that she kept them for at least six months-my old horse was on her website within weeks. i got a friend to call and pretend she was interested in him and was told complete rubbish. i have heard of good dealers but i would buy only with a five stae vetting x good luck x
 
Rotchana, why not? Just wondering as I have bought several horses from the same dealer in the past; she had a reputation to keep and wanted me to keep coming back! On the other hand, I have had private sellers blatantly lie to me about their horses
 
personal choice and I've been burnt, I've not on the other hand, had a bad experience buying privately. People learn by experience, like you.
 
I would also add, go with your gut feeling, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t go with it. You know what you need, so don’t differ from it, if that makes sense.
I just wanted to stand up for good dealers, both my Cob and my Fjord (in my sig) were from the same dealer, and both have been fantastic.
 
I'm not sure whereabouts you are but both of our local dealers had horses out hunting on Saturday and all behaved very well. Two that caught my eye were a cracking 16 hand heavyweight black gelding and the other was a middleweight grey mare about the same size. Both dealers have great reputations locally and are in East Sussex. If you want more details please PM me.

Good luck with the horse hunting!!
 
If you can take a friend with you that's a good idea coz someone else can be more objective than you and won't be carried away with a wrong choice.

Also be very careful what you get on; make sure you see it ridden first and only ride it (1) in an enclosed area and (2) only if you're completely happy.

"No foot no horse" is the old saying, so have a look at its feet generally. Don't go picking up feet yourself, initially, ask them to do it and see whether the horse is OK for having its feet picked out etc. Look at the shoeing; a farrier once told me that if the horse is difficult to shoe, then it probably won't be the best-shod in the yard coz its a case of the farrier having to get the shoes on pretty-damn-quick and then get the hell out!

Also see what bit its ridden in and make a note coz I saw one at a yard in a snaffle and rode it in the arena there, then when it came to me on trial it had a Kimblewick!

Ask whether the yard is open to any vet coming in to do a vetting: I once went to a very dodgy place where you could have any vet - as long as it was one they said!!! This yard was later done by Trading Standards for all sorts of stuff apparently.

A good dealer will make sure you have the right horse for you and your ability, and a good yard will make sure you make as good a choice as possible. You need to have a good look at the set-up - and be discerning!! Posh loose-boxes and new paint everywhere might hide a multi-tude of sins! - and a place that looks run-down might turn out some stunning horses. You just need to follow your gut-feeling really - plus take your instructor/friend along with you as they will know you and the way you ride and will be able to be detached.

Good luck!
 
There's an article about "Buying from a dealer" in Your Horse mag this week, which might be worth a peek.
I have lots of negative stories but forum rules permit me from listing them, however, positive stories can be listed.
 
If you are a first time horse buyerthen do not buy from a dealer you are asking for trouble.
Buy locally directly from the owner as locals will know the true history, temprement and medical history of the horse.
Do not buy a horse unless you have it fully vetted as the owner may not know it has a problem.
You need to take someone with you who is very knowledgable about horses. Unfortunately most riding instructors may know how to teach horse riding but in many cases don't lnow that much about horses.
Dealers tend to buy at sales, markets and from each other. They rarely know the true history, medical history or temprement of the horse.
 
PeterNatt said:
If you are a first time horse buyerthen do not buy from a dealer you are asking for trouble.
Buy locally directly from the owner as locals will know the true history, temprement and medical history of the horse.
Do not buy a horse unless you have it fully vetted as the owner may not know it has a problem.
You need to take someone with you who is very knowledgable about horses. Unfortunately most riding instructors may know how to teach horse riding but in many cases don't lnow that much about horses.
Dealers tend to buy at sales, markets and from each other. They rarely know the true history, medical history or temprement of the horse.
Click to expand...

with all due respect i resent that comment. there are plenty of good dealers out there that have and value their reputation.

bying privatley theres plenty of scam masters about MORE to the point bying privatley you have very little come back if it all goes wrong.
 
You have already posted about dealers with good reputations so I would feel comfortable about going to them anyway.. take a friend, and a video camera!! amazing how different everything looks when you are away from the excitement and back in your own home. Horse should be untacked in its stable so then you see it has no vices (weaving, cribbing etc), see it brought out and look and assess it, check feet legs, then get it trotted away (note - horse should be on a relaxed rope, not held tight), trotted back. Then if happy, see it tacked up, should be in a snaffle, and then shown, including jumping. As the others have said, do not get on board unless you are really happy to. If you really like the horse, then arrange to come back with someone like a trainer. Also agree about the 5* vetting but do get bloods done too - if your new horse gets home and suddenly becomes a raving loony in 24 hours, then its good to be able to rule out doping! Do not buy unless you feel really comfortable with the horse - if you feel a little bit unsure/scared don't buy! and dont expect to buy the first horse you see. You might be lucky but horse hunting is just like normal shopping - if you are specifically looking for something its almost impossible to find. When you have no money/need, lots of great things turn up!!
 
Having just sold a horse to a so-called reputable dealer and then seeing him advertised several days later with a complete work of fiction describing him I would say go very, very carefully and definitely make sure you see the horse being ridden at all paces and being jumped before you even think of getting on yourself.
 
If I was looking for a hunter at this time of year (the end of the season) I'd be looking on websites etc rather than at a dealer as I can't help thinking that a good hunter would be in use currently by someone rather than sat at a dealer. Its a good time of year to pick one up - end of season / start of summer off, people wanting to sell and have the summer free. Also if a hunter has been out regularly you should be able to get a hunt reference before memories fade heading into Spring, and you would be getting a good idea of what the horse is like when fit, rather than at the end of the summer whilst being brought back to fitness for the new season.

A couple of things I do when trying out a horse; ask the owner which way to ride it around the block, and then go the opposite way! I also ask to canter it around a field with another horse, then half way round pull up and get the other horse to carry on past. It soon shows you if you have brakes / manners!
 
Have a very clear idea of the sort of horse you are after and be very clear to the dealer about what you are after - a good dealer if they do not have anything like that in stock will say so a bad one will try and offload something else on to you even if it is not what you are after.

A friend of mine bought a lovely horse from a dealer - she paid a lot more than he was probably worth but he was just what she wanted even down to colour - dealer did not have what she wanted in stock but went out & found one!
 
Would echo what others have said about vetting and having an experienced friend/instructor etc. Only thnig I would add is don't turn up in a new/fancy/expensive car. A dealer I knew priced her horses according to how much she thought the buyers would pay - those with expensive cars were obviously richer and in her eyes wold pay more
 
I took my instructor with me this time.Worth every penny.The first two were at dealer yards.She turned them down, tactfully in front of the seller, more frankly to me.One had very poor conformation,one a bit of a dodgy temperament.We went to a private seller and found the newbie who is brilliant!We may have found a suitable horse at a dealers.The point is though, having someone knowledeable with you.I have a very good instructor.
 
I think it is a point worth making, just because someone is a BHSAI doesn't make them an expert on buying and selling horses. Some have a great eye for a horse, others very little experience at all. I know of at least one qualified BHSII who has only ever bought one horse and bought that from her employer - so no offence to her at all but I wouldn't take her looking at horses.

As with everything it is about horses for courses and buying and selling is a different game to teaching someone to ride. Your instructor is a good start if you want someone to help you look at horses and I'll be taking mine but do think about their level of experience before you go and trust your own instincts.
 
Another who feels it necessary to stand up for the good dealers out there.
My new boy came from a dealer. They were totally honest about him in what they knew and didn't know. Met all my requests to do things with him. Put jumps at any height I asked, let me hack him out un-accompanied and then came with me mounted on the second viewing, weren't pushy in the slightest and didn't get annoyed when I discounted a horse within minutes of seeing it ridden even though it behaved perfectly.
Apart from all the good advice re-vetting and experienced eyes my one bit of advice is, try riding the horse very very badly. You can learn a lot about a horses temprament if you mess it about.
 
Dealers aren’t all bad, my horse came from a dealer and he is the best horse I have ever bought.

My instructor is also a dealer and I have been there when she has turned people away because none of her horses were suitable for them. She always takes a horse back if it doesn’t work out because she has her reputation to protect and without she is nothing.

I would say, like a few others have, go with your gut instinct i fell in love with my lad in the field before I had even tried him.
 
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