How far would you travel to view a horse?

[Birker2020]

There's one I'm really keen on that's 3 hrs 30 mins away and another that is 2 hrs 15m which is more do-able. What makes is harder is that we have a dog in tow and I really feel that we would be better stopping over night for anything over 3 hrs drive as neither of us are used to driving long distances. Obviously that's hard finding a dog friendly place.

I am definitely interested in the second one more as he fits my criteria to a tee except for one thing which I need to speak to the owner about.
The other one is much younger by 4 years but has done quite a bit judging by the video I've been sent and I think he would also be suitable.

All six previous horses that I owned were within an hours drive away from home at the time, but I know the market is different now.

What doesn't help is that I've started a newish job (in my sixth week I think) so can't really ask for a day off to go mid week so stuck going at the weekend and if I'm going to have a day off it will be to go to the vetting as I've never had that pleasure before.

 

[Bernster]

It’s a flipping long way and basically a full day trip but I ventured 3 hours for Bertie (recent purchase) as he ticked all the boxes. Went with a friend, had a pit stop along the way, and nattered about horses pretty much the entire journey ! I had mis judged the distance and would probably say 1-2 hours max but hey ho.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My limit nowadays would be an hour's distance from home tbh; it is easy to get carried away and go and see something and then realise within 10 mins of arriving at the yard you've had a wasted journey. It sucks.

Went to see one which seemed right in every regard (this was 4 yrs ago when I was last looking). Rode it, hacked out with seller with it, everything was hallelujah Praise the Lord till we'd untacked it and were discussing vetting arrangements. Then the damn thing windsucked, loudly. I walked away. That one was one-and-a-half-hour's distance, but was actually 2hrs as I'd got mega-lost. Had the seller been up-front and told me about the windsucking I'd have stayed home!

Another one I went to see about the same time was more-or-less the same distance away; it had a golfball-sized lump right on the girth area! I found it, owner hadn't told me! Oh it won't be a problem the owner said, it's ridden regularly and doesn't cause any problems. I walked away.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

4 and a half hours - but did stop over night and travel home the next day. Wasn't worth the trouble though, the exact opposite from seller's description in almost every respect lol!

 

[Skib]

I cant tell other people how to drive. But OH and I went regularly from Surrey to Suffolk to visit his parents and also on long motor journeys through the USA.
Every 2 hours you need a break and walk about a bit, either in a service station or up a side road. Or at a public car park or pub with loos. If needed, we can do 4 of these 2 hour stretches in a day.

 

[bouncing_ball]

If you’ve good recent video and horse ticks all your requirements and you’ve asked lots of questions on the phone, I’d happily travel 3 hours.

 

[TPO]

I did 7hrs each way for one horse. It was 2008 during the bad floods so it was a hard drive in one day.

I did 8hrs to see another horse but stayed over with a friend down there so it wasn't a 1 day trip.

Did another 5.5hrs each way trip to buy a mare.

I almost did a 7hr+ each way trip to view my current horse (& a previous filly I had intended buying) but ended up buying unseen.

Basically distance is no object to me if I see a horse I like. The closest horse I've bought was 2hrs away and the second closest was 2.5.hrs.

Given how mental the market is just now I would travel whatever it took for a horse that ticked all the boxes and didnt require remortgaging!

 

[splashgirl45]

depends on whether you feel able to make a decision on one visit and feel confident its the right horse. i think ,at the moment sellers want to sell quickly as there has been such a high demand so may not be open to 2nd visits even locally. for me it would also depend on the price, can i afford to lose money if horse is not suitable for me,,and i have to sell on knowing its quirky or not good hacking alone etc,

 

[PSD]

Probably 1hr30 max.

I hate driving, plus it’s the cost of transporting the horse back to that I would have to think of. Luckily the furthest I’ve travelled has been around 40 minutes

 

[Lipglosspukka]

About an hour.

Driving is dull.

 

[Lady Jane]

I travelled 4.5hrs and wanted to try the horse twice so I stayed overnight. I want good video before I view any horse these days - basic video isn't difficult to do and could save me and the seller time. I want the full video not just cuts put togther from the good bits. Its amazing how horses change pace between one clip and the next - let me see the transition!

 

[spacefaer]

There's one I'm really keen on that's 3 hrs 30 mins away and another that is 2 hrs 15m which is more do-able. What makes is harder is that we have a dog in tow and I really feel that we would be better stopping over night for anything over 3 hrs drive as neither of us are used to driving long distances. Obviously that's hard finding a dog friendly place.

I am definitely interested in the second one more as he fits my criteria to a tee except for one thing which I need to speak to the owner about.
The other one is much younger by 4 years but has done quite a bit judging by the video I've been sent and I think he would also be suitable.

All six previous horses that I owned were within an hours drive away from home at the time, but I know the market is different now.

What doesn't help is that I've started a newish job (in my sixth week I think) so can't really ask for a day off to go mid week so stuck going at the weekend and if I'm going to have a day off it will be to go to the vetting as I've never had that pleasure before.

Roughly whereabouts are they? Can anyone on here do a preliminary viewing for you?
I'd be happy to if they're anywhere near me

 

[Zuzan]

I did a week long froad trip around the UK visiting a number of breeders

 

[Sossigpoker]

I drive from the SW to Yorkshire and back in one day to view a horse that I didn't particularly want to get on once I got there!
In the current climate with horses selling like hot cakes I'd expect a decent horse to be sold by the time I got to view it if it was such a distance away. Something to keep in mind.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Mine have been:

5hr round trip
3hr round trip
2hr round trip

I do my best to limit wasted trips, although I've had a few. I get friends local to the area to check out the horse first if possible (which I did for the 5hr one), but the 3hr one I'd decided I was having her before I even stepped foot on their yard, as long as she had 2 eyes, 4 legs and a tail ? ?

 

[FlyingCircus]

It's worth considering what you'd do if you came off the horse you're viewing, if you're the one driving the long distance. I did a 2hr round trip to see one that promptly bronced me off. I'd thought at the time that I'd broken my arm but luckily just badly bruised and strained. But, it did mean I couldn't drive home as intended, which was a huge pain in the bum.

 

[wiglet]

Furthest I’ve travelled is 2.5hrs each way but it was to a dealer and I tried 5 horses there. They were all nice but, I didn’t buy any - the horse I ended up buying was 45mins down the road ?

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I’d do up to 3-3.5hrs each way in a day quite happily. But both dog and I are well used to driving around all day. I’d only go that far for somewhere I was trying multiple horses or one I had good video of and was pretty sure would be suitable.

 

[Leah3horses]

I've been to France and back from Yorkshire,24 hour round trip, just me in a 3.5t, yes I brought her back with me. Also to Surrey and back same day, straight there, straight back, yes he came back with me too. Don't think I've driven far been to view and not bought, I'm a vet nurse so more or less decide from a few videos, although would never actually buy unseen. The trick is to get videos, as many as you can, including of horse being turned out, at turn out and being groomed in the stable. Not just ridden. You can tell an awful lot from these kind of videos, trust me. I'm always critiquing from videos for people, if anyone wants an educated and experienced , completely honest and confidential opinion regarding prospective horse purchases, you're welcome to ask me

 

[Leah3horses]

I've been to France and back from Yorkshire,24 hour round trip, just me in a 3.5t, yes I brought her back with me. Also to Surrey and back same day, straight there, straight back, yes he came back with me too. After all, the UK is a very small country. Some people in other, much bigger countries, drive for 2/3 days are are still in their own state, just to put things in perspective.

Don't think I've driven far to to view and not bought, I'm a vet nurse so more or less decide from a few videos, although would never actually buy unseen , can't believe anybody would! The trick is to get videos, as many as you can, including of horse being turned out, at turn out and being groomed in the stable. Not just ridden. You can tell an awful lot from these kind of videos, trust me. I'm always critiquing from videos for people, if anyone wants an educated and experienced , completely honest and confidential opinion regarding prospective horse purchases, you're welcome to ask me

 

[cauda equina]

It's worth considering what you'd do if you came off the horse you're viewing, if you're the one driving the long distance. I did a 2hr round trip to see one that promptly bronced me off. I'd thought at the time that I'd broken my arm but luckily just badly bruised and strained. But, it did mean I couldn't drive home as intended, which was a huge pain in the bum.

This!
I viewed a horse 3 hrs away, the seller didn't have his usual saddle there so put a different one on
As I went to get on his back went up so I called it a day there and then

 

[PSD]

It's worth considering what you'd do if you came off the horse you're viewing, if you're the one driving the long distance. I did a 2hr round trip to see one that promptly bronced me off. I'd thought at the time that I'd broken my arm but luckily just badly bruised and strained. But, it did mean I couldn't drive home as intended, which was a huge pain in the bum.

This is such a good point. Not something I’d consider either!

 

[mini_b]

It's worth considering what you'd do if you came off the horse you're viewing, if you're the one driving the long distance. I did a 2hr round trip to see one that promptly bronced me off. I'd thought at the time that I'd broken my arm but luckily just badly bruised and strained. But, it did mean I couldn't drive home as intended, which was a huge pain in the bum.

That’s actually a very good point you’ve raised. If you take someone along to view with you, you’d hope they could drive back should something like that happen.

 

[cariad]

I bought my schoolmaster dressage horse unseen, untried and unvetted some years ago from a seller who lived 60 miles north of Aberdeen. I was then living near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. She just sounded trustworthy (just did) and the horse was just what I wanted/needed if he was what she said. I just decided that although it would have been a bit of a squeeze if he was a total disaster, the price wouldn't completely break me and I knew the risk I was taking and that I wouldn't have any comeback. We spoke on the phone several times and I did get videos. I took the plunge and he turned out to be a total gem and the horse of a lifetime. He was 18 when i bought him and 32 when he went and was fine right till the end if that makes sense, though he had retired completely in the field for a couple of years before.

I wouldn't recommend it, unless you know what you're doing and can afford to take the risk and lose the purchase price, but it can work. I bought a Fell colt the same way last year, but not so much money. He has been a success as well. Come to think of it, I did it with my two puppies as well....hmm, getting a habit.. But so much does depend on your "feel" for the horse, both on the ground and riding, so seeing is best.

I don't mind travelling in itself myself, but I think it's the time factor with trying to get time off work etc so on balance I think I'd rather just try and wait till something came up near home than travel huge distances with the risk of being disappointed. On the other hand, I now live in Lincolnshire and it takes ages to get ANYWHERE from there.

 

[Leandy]

A couple of hours is generally my limit although would go to 3/3 1/2 hrs to see several in one place or v close together. Always do my diligence re everything I view so rarely find I have an entirely wasted journey.

 

[blitznbobs]

Any distance for the right horse - been to germany before now — thinking about making the trek to london at present… but it does depend what im looking for …

 

[Sossigpoker]

It's worth considering what you'd do if you came off the horse you're viewing, if you're the one driving the long distance. I did a 2hr round trip to see one that promptly bronced me off. I'd thought at the time that I'd broken my arm but luckily just badly bruised and strained. But, it did mean I couldn't drive home as intended, which was a huge pain in the bum.

That's a good point as a horse chucked me twice in one viewing (can't believe I got on again after the first time) and I had to drive for 2 hours to get home with what turned out to be a broken shoulder!

 

[seamoth]

Went from mid Cornwall to Selkirk took about twelve hours, did B&B viewed horse, she was a yearling so not rideable then did a few more days in Scotland which I had never visited before so all good. Journey down for her not so good left on Monday morning and arrived Thursday afternoon after a wagon breakdown and changeover but trotted off the lorry as if she'd been travelling all her life. Still here in Cornwall after 10 years and is going nowhere.

 

[Julia0803]

We did a trip from Watford to the Wirral/Liverpool which should have been under 4 hours… but we went up on the day the universities went back, the weekend before freshers week. An absolute disaster.

We left our yard at about 830am and got there mid afternoon, I think at about 230/3- we didn’t stop, the traffic was horrific.

We only tried him the once, but he was an experienced PC pony and i had spoken to the PC DC and several instructors as well as lots of video and Facebook stalking. In addition I trusted the family he came from, they were clearly really sad to see him go, and wanted to keep in touch etc- as it happens the transporter told me the whole family cried their eyes out when he loaded him up.

We couldn’t be there for the vetting and we had him transported down rather than pick him up ourselves.

I’d do it again in the same situation- with a trustworthy and independent reference/lots of video and evidence that the horse was already experienced at doing the job I wanted.

 

[ihatework]

France and/or Ireland. But would do 2 days with an overnighter and have a few lined up to view.

For a one off, if I got decent video and a good vibe I’d easily do a 3-4h there and back in a day, and prob try and find one or two more on route. I don’t take my dog, she goes to a sitter