Trialling a horse

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HarlequinSeren

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If you were selling a horse and had someone ask if they could trial for a week before committing to buy, what is the standard procedure? Would you take a deposit and have a contract? And if so what would be included on the contract? Any help much appreciated :)
 
Trialling should be done from your yard, once you let an animal go you may never see it again or get your money. Sad but too risky, what if they give it a bad time and you are left with a problem horse, so much can go wrong.
 
I would let them do any trials at your yard but agree with Adopter not to let your horse go to their yard. If they were selling I'm sure they wouldn't be so keen to let their horse go off for a week's trial.
 
I had the last one we got for my other half on trial at my home ( six hours from the owner ) we draughted a loan agreement based on the BHS one
He was insured so the owner just rang the insurance company to tell them .
If he had not been insured I would have done so ( I have done that in the past )
We agreed that I would only turn him out alone and that he would be hunted during the trial and vetted at the end of it.
The price was agreed before hand .
 
I would want to make sure they were absolutely committed to purchase not just taking it to see if it was right for them and I would have to be pretty desperate to sell to consider a trial away from home so much can go wrong.
I would ideally have a large deposit and it to be vetted before going on trial, more of an option to return if it does not work out, if it goes and they do too much and it gets unsettled, it gets injured or fails the vet at the end of a week you lose out.
A contract should be detailed on what they can and cannot do, think of worst case scenario, I know someone that had a horse on trial with no insurance and the horse was turned out got kicked and had to be put down in that case the people that had it on trial did pay the owners but not everyone would, be really careful and try and avoid letting it go.
 
be positive said:
I would want to make sure they were absolutely committed to purchase not just taking it to see if it was right for them and I would have to be pretty desperate to sell to consider a trial away from home so much can go wrong.
I would ideally have a large deposit and it to be vetted before going on trial, more of an option to return if it does not work out, if it goes and they do too much and it gets unsettled, it gets injured or fails the vet at the end of a week you lose out.
A contract should be detailed on what they can and cannot do, think of worst case scenario, I know someone that had a horse on trial with no insurance and the horse was turned out got kicked and had to be put down in that case the people that had it on trial did pay the owners but not everyone would, be really careful and try and avoid letting it go.
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In the case I am talking about the horse was an expensive hunter and was not performing as it ought
The owner knew this and really wanted us to have him as we did have the ideal job for him.
I was happy to take him as he was insured the insurance company where told exactly want was happening ie he was coming to us to hunt to see if he behaved with me on his case , I paid no deposit and would not have done so .
 
My facilities are very basic and my yard is my own, so only my horses on it. The prospective buyer is wanting the horse to compete on, and asked tonight to trial at her yard so it'll be in the environment that will be needed (coloured jumps, bigger school etc). I understand that she wants to see how the horse goes in a different environment, and she does seem really lovely, but as some of you have said, if she takes my horse to her yard it will put me in a difficult position if anything happens. My horse went beautifully for her though when she rode at my place, and she seems to be very serious about buying, but wants to make sure she's getting a horse that will be suitable to do what she wants.. I can see her point of view too which is why I want to work out a fair way of doing this if its what we are going to do.
 
Might you arrange to take the horse some places for a better trial.
I have also done this with young eventers when facilities where basic on the yard but I loved the horse I arrange to go back and try somewhere with XC course and show jumps , that might be a better way forward in your situation.
A trip to her own yard and perhaps a trip to somewhere else should be enough.
 
I can try, but I currently have no transport so that could be a bit difficult trying to organise a time to suit me, her and whoever I borrow a trailer off.. I'll suggest it to her though when she comes to visit again this weekend, thanks.

Would it change your opinion if you knew the yard she wanted to take the horse was one of the big well-known ones on the area? So not exactly slipping away into the back of beyond somewhere. And if you knew other people who have horses there? Not hugely well but maybe well enough to ask to keep an eye? Obviously I'd go down and visit too.
 
I would suggest 2 or 3 day trips to 'her' yard,with the transport being at her expense (or, perhaps,if she goes on to buy the horse after,split the transport costs 50:50). Whether you do it or not&whether you pay transport costs etc depends on a) how much other interest you've had in the horse (if it's just her,you need to accommodate her a bit) and b) whether you like her/think she's likely to look after him well etc. (Well,they'd be my 2 considerations, anyway!)
I've had 2 ponies on trial for a week each,at my yard. Both were potential kids' ponies (we bought the 2nd) and I drafted a trial agreement which the owners/vendors approved & we both signed. (I'm a solicitor,so just drafted in the stuff we needed to cover-accident,illness,insurance,'return',when ownership would transfer etc). I put a clause in that pony would only be turned out individually unless/until we bought him-not worth risking field injury when on trial. As a goodwill gesture,I gave a deposit in the form of a cheque post dated to last day of trial.
I'm glad we did it (and grateful to vendors) as 1st pony turned out to be clearly unsuitable after the 2nd day(tho still sweet!) I phoned the vendors that night and we cut short the trial on the 3rd day and returned him to vendor-both parties were happy,as neither of us wanted him to be somewhere where he and child weren't suited to each other.
In those instances,both ponies had come from locations under an hour's drive from me. Both vendors came to my yard with pony (tho I stood the cost of transport each time) and had a look round etc.
 
I would definatly feel happier if I knew the yard and people there and if where near enough to for me to get there.
But there is of course a risk , I would decide exactly what you are happy with in terms of turnout with the one I was talking about I said no turn out the owner wanted the horse turned out as she felt lack of turnout was one of the issues causing it bad behaviour ( it was bucking ) we agreed on limited turn out on its own and I only turned out when I was there to watch.
I would also specify diet and anything else you felt strongly about.
But look into transport it would be easier to trial him that way perhaps the buyer has access to transport and you could transport him in hers and you go along.
Good buyers who suit a horse are at a premium at the moment so don't lose one for some extra effort.
Keep him well shod what ever you do don't let him go for vetting in a worn set of shoes it a common way horses get failed that just don't need to fail.
If you decide on the loan the important thing is good commucation before and during the trial I emailed the owner every evening and let her know what we had done with him each day.
 
Thank you :) there's going to be a lot for me to discuss with her at the weekend then! I'll run all these ideas by her and see what we can come up with together that suits us both. I'll definitely want daily contact if I do agree to a trial, and instructions on what she can do with the horse (not hugely fit right now! Not out of work but not at peak fitness, so I won't want her going wild and causing an injury). Individual turnout is also a very good idea, thank you.
 
I would not have paid for a vetting unless I knew I wanted the horse a five stage vetting from my vet is around £400 no way I would have forked out for that before I knew he would suit.
 
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I get both your points about a vetting. It's a lot of money to pay before being sure, but then what if my horse gets injured whilst on trial and fails a vetting because of that, when the vetting would have been passed fine if it were done before? There's much more to consider than I realised!
 
I had my horse on trial before I bought him. The seller had their own small yard with no facilities making it difficult to try him properly. After riding him in her field and going out for a hack with the owner she offered me a two week trial. We agreed a price assuming no problems during the trial period. She delivered him to me with a new set of shoes. I arranged individual turnout during the trial period. In the two weeks we did everything including cross country and show jumping and I spoke or sent a text to the owner daily.

After the two week trial he failed the vetting 2/10ths lame on a small circle on a hard surface after a flexion test. On vets advice and with owners agreement I continued to work him and had him vetted again two weeks later. He passed the vetting and I paid the amount agreed. He's not had a day sick or sorry in the 2.5 years I've owned him.

I don't know if my story helps but I do think you have to trust your gut instinct. I'm not sure I would have bought my boy without the trial as although I liked him he wasn't exactly what I was looking for. He was such a superstar during the trial period he sold himself to me hence I was prepared to give him a chance after the first vetting.
 
HarlequinSeren said:
I get both your points about a vetting. It's a lot of money to pay before being sure, but then what if my horse gets injured whilst on trial and fails a vetting because of that, when the vetting would have been passed fine if it were done before? There's much more to consider than I realised!
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That's exactly the risk you run however your could well be injured at home at any time.
In the horse I was talking about I definatly would have left if required it vet before trial ,
There are lots of horses out there and sellers desparate to sell.
In the horse I was talking about we tried him decided to buy he then failed the vet big time.
He ended up being given to me.
Two year hard Graf later I got him right it cost a lot but I got a lot of horse who we love and is excellent at his job.
He's with us for his whole life now and is a big part of the family.
 
Incidentally,the pony we bought in the end had failed the 2star vetting we had done at the end of the trial period. He was 2/10 lame on a foreleg. He had not shown the slightest sign of lameness during the trial period and so,due to (in a small way) his advancing age, (I expected the odd niggle/stiffness) but mainly (in a massive way) the utter super-star temperament and general loveliness he had shown during the trial,I was prepared to overlook the 2/10ths lameness.
The next day he trotted up absolutely fine. Vet came out to another horse on yard later that week,I trotted him up to her (out of interest/to show her he was fine!) and she commented that was the prob with vettings-tis but a snapshot in time,on that particular day... ;)
My point is,due to his perfection in the trial period,I bought him anyway:D Had I just had him seen him&had him vetted with a fail,I probably would not have bought him. (Obviously,it depends on the problem found&intentions for/the career of,the animal as to whether a failed vetting matters a lot.)
He is still with us and is so wonderfully sweet I could eat him up,every day!:D
 
Goldenstar said:
That's exactly the risk you run however your could well be injured at home at any time.
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But thats different, as you're responsible for him when he's at home, whereas the purchaser would be while he was on trial. The purchaser could damage him and just send him back, and you'd have no proof he wasn't like that before.. I would want him vetted before going if he were remotely expensive, especially as they're wanting to compete... I wouldn't do a trial full stop, but would personally want them to pay in full, with a contract that you would refund if they didn't like him.

I think a good horse will still sell.
 
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