Trial before you buy?

We took one on for a month trial.. It gives you an idea but he has still changed since we bought him.. Have had him a year now & he's totally different.
 
There aren't any limitations at all, just full payment at the end they told her.

I've personally only done LWVTB and they've been a good 6 months so I've been really lucky.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Gosh, its unusual to be offered a trial........ but sometimes this is because the owners are wanting to be sure the home is the "right" one for the horse and they're doing it for that reason.

Its hardly time for the horse to settle properly, but better than nothing.
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Is it that unusual? I know I've been really lucky but I thought it was fairly normal?
 
I had Barry on a week's trial. I suggested a week, she agreed instantly.

The horse I'd looked at before (the seller now owes me my £200 deposit because the horse failed the vetting...and this was in march) I asked if I could have a trial and was told no for blah and blah reasons. Should have walked away then.
 
EquestrianFairy said:
Is it that unusual? I know I've been really lucky but I thought it was fairly normal?
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A trial? Very unusual and many owners will refuse one. Too many things can go wrong. What if the horse is injured, who is responsible for vets fees and possible loss of use? What if the buyer does a runner or refuses to return the horse?
 
I've only ever trialled one of the childrens ponies out for 2 weeks. (Thats only because i knew they would love her and she did what was on the can so to speak, and it was for a child) They rang up after a week and bought her. I've never been asked since. I tend to say to the buyer you can come and visit as many times and at any time you want just let me know the day and just turn up.
 
Yes pretty unusual. As others have said though its not a long time to get an idea of a horse. Would having the trial at the horses current yard be an option so you could see what it is like once settled somewhere? Some horses can take a few months to settle so two weeks wouldnt really give a proper idea and not that fair on the horse
 
Years ago I was looking for a horse and one of the local horse dealers phoned me up to tell me that they had just what I was looking for. I went down to their yard for a test spin and took her down a busy main road in North London (Totteridge Lane) and she was absolutely fine.
I was told she was an 8 year old.
They told me that they were full up so if I wanted to I could take her away and try her out which I did.
While with me my vet popped in to do an annual Flue and Tetanus on my horse and asked me about the horse. How old is she? - I replied about 8. He took a look at her teeth and aged her as rising 3! Horse had been completely safe but I returned her because of the age.
Many years later with her new owner she was merrily hacking about and 100% safe.
 
One thing Please please make sure they get the horse insured as a friend had a horse on two week trail and the unthinkable happened horse bolted rider came off and horse ended up on main road with both front legs broken. She thought the dealer had insurance and he thought she had. Long and the short of it horse shot and she had to pay EVERY thing disposal of horse vets bills and full price to dealer.
 
A two week trial is definitely worth having and worked well for me. I had my horse on trial for two weeks before I bought him. In that time I had a couple of lessons, took him cross country schooling, hacked alone and in company (large and small groups) and got someone more experienced than me to show jump him. He never put a foot wrong and has proved to be a fantastic horse.

Insurance is a bit of an issue. I tried to insure him but couldn't. I think it was because he was already insured by his owner or it may have been because I wasn't his owner. I took out rider insurance for the trial period. During the trial period he wasn't turned out with other horses. During the trial period I kept in daily contact with his owner who was welcome to visit any time.
 
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