"I have also found that most sellers won't do that kind of thing. They
want to sell the horse, or then they have to run more ads, etc. At any rate,
when I try a horse these days, I am a whole lot more cautious than I used to be.
If you want the horse for trail, be sure that you get a chance to try it on the
trail while at the owners place. Make sure it does the things you will expect
the horse to do. Like walking across water, bridges and mud, stepping over
logs and poles (which can be a huge problem). Put the tack on the horse yourself
and see that it doesn't try to kill you when you do that. If you want the
horse to walk down a busy street, see if it can go by cars.
One interesting thing I have learned....look at the horse's tack. If the buckle
holes are all shredded on the halter that the horse wears all the time, that
means, he may pull back very hard when tied. Maybe he can't be tied. Be sure
that the horse will let you touch his feet and lift every foot up.
Consider the thought of getting the horse in and out of a trailer before you
take him home. What if it takes him an hour, do you still want him? Things like
that. Really think about what your routine is, and what your expectations are,
and try him out. You may also video him when you check him out, walk him and
trot him like a soundness exam, and ride him. Show it to your horse buddies. Get
their opinion. Take someone with you if you can. Pay them if you must. Go see
the horse twice, or three times. "
Beth has some great thoughts on things to observe when horse
shopping. When buying horse for distance, be sure you or the vet can
examine the horse's mouth; have their ears touched; lead in hand as well as walk
& trot in hand with a nice "whoa". They should also back in hand and
in the saddle. Does this horse lunge nicely and in both directions?
Check the horse out as if you were taking him to a competition.
I ride competitive trail and any horse I own can do an in-hand
presentation, lunge and be examined for vet-in. If you are buying a young
or novice horse, expect to have some work with ground manners, but an advertised
horse for distance should be somewhat trained for this horse sport.
And....trust your gut feeling. Consider the horse as if you and
he were lost in the wild....would you trust him to get you home?
Check the headgear this model is using--does it come with the horse or do
you purchase your own? Same for the saddle.....does your gear fit this
horse or do you have to purchase same?
Hope this helps!
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 4:03 PM
Subject: [RC] Trying out horse
Hi Tracy. Only once have I let someone take a horse out on a trial , and
that was because she was such an odd horse, I wanted to make sure that the
owners really liked her. I gave them two weeks, during which time I didn't
cash their check for the full amount. They also signed a sales slip when they
took her, so they owned her. It was a "gentleman's agreement" that if they
hated her, I'd take her back . We spoke on the phone frequently, and at the
end of two weeks they loved her and kept her.
Good luck to you, and hope your horse turns out wonderful.
Beth
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