Which is the safest way to buy a horse?

[Hutchlou]

Been trawling all the internet sites, tack shops ads, pc website, word of mouth etc looking for a suitable horse to buy or loan locally. Can't seem to find much! Is it riskier to buy from a dealer or from a private seller?

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Buying a horse is normally quite a difficult & risky thing to do. If you don't get it right it can cost you a fortune in retraining if the horse has a problem, vets bills if there is something medically wrong you didn't know about or you could end up seriously hurt if you & horse part company at speed.

That aside, if you don't believe you know sufficient about horses yourself then surround yourself with people who have knowledge. An experienced rider to ride the horse & notice if something isn't right. A vet for examining the horse if you are interested in puchasing the horse. As to who to buy from. if you are buying through a dealer always do some homework & use one that has a good reputation. To be honest you will have more recourse if you have a problem if you bought from a dealer than a private individual. You have very little rights buying from a private seller. Additionally be careful when buying from a dealer. Ensure the horse they are selling you is there's & they are not selling it on behalf of the owner. If they are doing that you will not have the same protection in law if you later have issues.

The last horse I bought I had from a dealer. The horse has been fantastic & infact is achieving more than was ever invisaged. The Dealer is sick as a pig because he didn't examine the passport to check on the breeding. If he had of he'd have upped the price

Stick with your search, don't just rely on the internet, you will end up travelling hundreds of miles around the country looking at horses, many of which will be nothing like as described. You should, unless you are after a world beater, get what you want within 30-40 miles of where you live. There are thousands of horses out there & one will have your name on it.

Good Luck

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The safest way...

Buy a weanling/yearling with good breeding, temperament and conformation from a reputable stud. Make sure that both of his/her parents are sound, sane and meet both if possible. Also get the youngster 2* vetted.

Then pray that nothing bad happens (eg, field injury) and don't mess up their training!

 

[Ladybird]

It's always going to be a massive risk, however dealers have trading standards to fall back on if something does go wrong, and you can find a hell of a lot of recommendations/barge pole comments on this forum!

Having said that of the three I've bought not one has come from a dealer, although two did just turn up!

 

[lara b]

from a toy shop..in a wooden form...on rockers!

Sorry know that's not helpful, but it's a minefield out there. I would probably go with word of mouth and a decent trial or loan with view to buy period.

Best of luck

 

[Hutchlou]

Ha ha, Lara! At least I wouldn't get my fingers burnt with a rocking horse!!
Thanks all for your sound advice. I have bought my previous 2 from a small local dealer, only one of which has worked out very well (my current forever pony), so have mixed feelings for buying the next.
I am surrounded by kind knowledgeable friends who will advise & come & try any possibles & I would always have a vetting. Just need to find some local plods to try now!

 

[arizonahoney]

Do you have an instructor? They will know how you ride, your likes and dislikes etc. They will also have other pupils presumably looking to buy and sell...so think of your instructor as a match making service!

Being a smaller adult, I tend to look at Pony Club websites to see what members have for sale. I then ask the DC for references...