The purchase of your first horse will be probably the most crucial
decision that you will make in your riding career.
A substantial percentage of
the general horse community handle the truth a little carelessly shall we
say, when they sell horses. There are outright crooks and then the many
others who will tell the white lie or simply omit to tell you the
negative.
The following is information and hard lessons learnt over 40 years, being
a Government assessor for Consumer Affairs, Consultant and Court witness. It is
information designed and aimed at the amateur or those entering the
Industry.
CATEGORIES OF RIDERS.
There are five categories of riders and there are also five categories of
horses. Lucky for us!!
1. Learner Rider
2. Novice Rider
3. Average Rider
4. Good Rider
5. Excellent Rider.
The trick is to buy the horse that fits your category.
LEARNER RIDER HORSE
Normally bombproof or as close to it that they come. (Incidentally, there
are no bombproof horses.) The 'Learner Rider horse' normally has a bad mouth
and this is one area that most amateur advisors' do not understand. 'Learner Rider Horses' by their description have Learner Riders' on them all
of the time. Learner Riders' have bad hands and this gives the horses they
ride, bad mouths. I have ridden and purchased hundreds of them and the
fact that they have bad mouths does not preclude them from being good
Learner horses. They all can be tuned up and given new brake pads later by
professional riders.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER
Try to lease or get the horse on trial.
Always consult experts in the Industry. Have them assess the short list of
horses that you have located and that you think may suit you.
It is advisable to get a Veterinary examination prior to buying the
horse, however, this may be economically unviable on horses under $1,000.
Your expert should have an idea if the horse has been drugged to mask bad
behavior. In a gelding, a tell tale sign is the penis being dropped out of
the sheath and in a mare, a droopy bottom lip. Ask your Vet to take a
blood sample.
Question the seller on the history, breeding, soundness, past veterinary
history, vices, quietness, what ability rider does the horse suit, who has
been riding it, what ability are they and floatability.
Do not buy at Auction Sales.
Never trust a riding test in the horses own arena, yard or paddock. Horses
feel comfortable there. They are comfortable with everything around them.
Have your professional ride the horse off the property and in traffic if
possible. That rider should put the horse through as many paces and tests
as possible in an effort to expose any suspect areas. This should include
galloping the horse both away and towards home and pull it up prior to
reaching its destination, riding it past the entrance gate a number of
times.
THE CROOKS IN THE HORSE INDUSTRY
Because of my involvement with assisting Lawyers and others in matters
involving Horselaw, I see a lot but unfortunately I cannot talk about
most of it on my site. It is certainly not diminishing however. In the
past, I have related some of these where they have mostly involved the
small players in the Industry, individual Horse owners or back yard
Horse Dealers. It is with disappointment though that tonight I have to
warn you about some of the Professionals, Trainers', Riders, EFA Coaches
and even 'household names' within the Industry who fund their chosen
fields of excellence by ripping people off with their Crookery.
These are the worst kind of Crooks because they are really 'fraudsters'
who have won the Trust of their victims and then raid their pocket books
by deceptive practices where they use their learned skills to cover
defects in horses at point of sale or use one or more Drugs amongst a
plethora of them, to mask hidden Veterinary issues in horses being sold
in the knowledge that down the track, the horse will not make the grade
but time would have moved on far enough whereby the Purchaser is
reticent to act as they tend to blame themselves. In reality, these
people are common thieves who really are sneaking in through your
Bedroom windows during the night and stealing out of your purse. They
are dead set thieves.
Their victims are often young up and coming Riders' who are rising up
through the ranks and therefore on the desperate lookout of good horses
and are all at their most vulnerable state because they look up to their
Icons and will believe anything they say. They cannot wait for the Pro
to close the deal and are not remotely interested in the details because
it is the experience of buying from those they worship that is often
good enough in itself. The damage that this does to the Horse Industry
is immense of course because it seriously sets back and jades the
innocent youngsters and often financially cripples the Parents who are
out their working their asses off to fund the dreams of their child.
They too are most vulnerably.
DRUGS & VETS
The Drugs of choice are varied but their are many used so where do they
get these S4 prescription based Medicines? How come they always have an
unlimited supply of them? Well they get them from Veterinary Officers of
course and that means that there are not enough controls out there to
stop the illegal use of them. No self Regulation of their Industry
otherwise it wouldn't be happening in plague proportions.
THE EFA
Who is controlling the activities of the Coaches out there? There is a
thing called the 'Code of Ethics' that is held dear within the EFA and
Coaches are often reminded of their responsibilities by written word
here and there and I noted with interest a couple of weeks ago when Mrs.
HP received advice about her selection to the State Dressage Squad, that
a big deal was made about the chosen people upholding the 'Code of
Ethics' within the Industry, however, in reality, these lofty ideals are
not always working and certainly not being Policed.
WARNING
So Boys and Girls, if you think you can trust ALL of your Idols, your
EFA Coaches or even your Vets' to do the right thing by you, all of the
time, you are sadly mistaken. Read my Lips, beware!!!!!
So what have I heard this week? Oh yes, the Founded Horse being sold to
New Zealand, the completely unsound Horse being that full of Drugs at
the Horse of the Year that it was only marginally unsound but now for
sale for over $10,000 (congratulations to the future Buyer) and the
$30,000 OTTB because it won a few hack ribbons with a Crooked Pro on
Board who probably had bribed the Crooked Judges. The $17,000 horse that
is unsound, the $250,000 unsound horse being sold to Europe by one of
our Representatives and the $21,000 horse that is also unsound, the Vet
who acted for the Purchaser but who was having an 'each way bet' and
another Vet who was supposed to be acting for the Purchaser but who
acted for the Vendor and who wrote on the Vet certificate, "Nice
Temperament' and the second Vet who failed a Vet check on the same Horse
because it had a crap temperament. (a breath of fresh air indeed) Have
fun :)
THE THROW AWAY LINE
The smoother they are the more seasoned in experience, the better the
'throw away line' and the timing of it, becomes. This is the key to the
defense of the Scammer and they just throw it in, normally after the
sale is consummated. Some of the one's I have run across lately are:
In answer to "how does he float?"......."oh don't know, he has only been
trucked " which means that he scrambles like a drunk in a float, has
probably been down, injured and possibly even smashed the head on the
roof.
Just as the horse is about to leave the property...." He may move around
a bit in the float. " ....he arrives at the owners property in a 'muck
lather of sweat'.
There are many others and they are all completely subtle but just
injected for 'Ron'. Later On.
DRUGGED HORSES
A lot of people think that they have been sold drugged horses because
horses change personality down the track. I must admit that I have rarely
met a drugged horse at the point of sale although I do know that it
exists. There are other reasons why horses change their personalities
later though.
These days, their is mass use of "Be
Calm" pastes etc.
Skinny horses that are then fattened up by the loving new owner
often change
Horses that have been feeling down due to worms, sand in the stomach
etc can change personalities later when fixed up.
Horses that have been worked hard on a regular basis and suffer
fatigue, i.e. Riding Schools, almost always jump at least one category
later with the new owner. I also know that when I was buying horses for
a Holiday on Horseback Company, that if I bought an average rider's
horse, within a few weeks it would be downgraded to a Novice or even a
Learner Riders horse. Simply because of the daily grind.
The horse may just get sick of the new owner because of their lack
of care, love or just their incompetence.
Buying a horse can be a hazardous exercise. You can get injured if you get
on them yourself or lose your money very easily.
Always make the owner ride the horse first. If they have a
representative rider find out why. The answer would want to be a good
one.
Do not buy for looks or because mother loves it. There are heaps of
mothers out there who want to ride through their daughters and they buy
what they always dreamed of.
Learner Rider Horses are often ugly and are rarely pretty. Just
because a horse is pleasant to the eye doesn't mean it goes well. You
can upgrade next time.
Never buy because of registration papers, show ribbons or breeding.
None of these have anything to do with how the horse goes.
Buy the size of horse that fits you or can carry your weight. Taller
horses are often just as quiet or quieter than small ones. They also
move slower when they zig and zag. They are also more comfortable to
ride. I find that you hit the ground just as hard or harder of the small
ones than the big ones. You have more time to set yourself for the
landing off the bigger horses.
If you are on the heavy side, you must buy the horse that can carry
your weight. I weigh 85 kg but ride lighter than a 50kg leaner rider.
It's all about balance. You need the build of horse that can comfortably
carry you and the type of saddle that will accommodate your backside.
The larger your backside the larger the saddle and the thicker the
saddle blankets you will require.
Weight carrying horses are generally X-bred horses and not
Thoroughbreds or Arabs. They also should have short backs if possible.
If you give your horse a sore back, you must rest it for a minimum of a
week and test it before riding. If you are over weight, go on a
diet, I do.
The best source of horses is out of the major newspapers or the Internet.
Normally private sales. The best horses a normally passed from hand to
hand through word of mouth and never reach the newspapers etc. Pony Club
does this a lot. If you have an Instructor (accredited), ask them. They
are often told about them.
Dealers have a bad reputation but are often honest. Especially the ones
who don't hide the fact and have money back or swap the horse over etc.
The ones that deal behind the scenes are almost always crooks.
CONSUMER LEGISLATION
I have heard it said many times,
"Caveat Emptor" which means, "Buyer beware" I hear it said to clients by
Vet's a lot. They mean, that if the Buyer is silly enough to buy a
Problem Horse, that it is at their own risk.
That may have been the way in the old
days but now, this is simply not the case. In fact, imho, it is 'Seller
Beware' Depending on the State Legislation at the time, if a 'Buyer'
gets sold a shonkey horse and can prove it, the Seller is in trouble. In
fact, if the 'Buyer' got killed or injured, they may even have a case
against the Seller for damages. On the contrary, these days there is
almost an 'implied warranty' situation as in America and certainly in
Holland.
This doesn't often get tested but is starting to become used. I have
assessed horses for Government and have been advised that the horse comes
under the legislation of being a product and must be sold as "Suitable for
the use" This means that if you can prove that you advised the Vendor that
you were buying for a Learner Rider and that it can also be proved that
the horse was a Good Riders Horse, the Vendor may be liable at Law. I have
given evidence in such cases and consulted on others. Never on a loosing
one. Have a witness with you when buying horse.
FLOATABILITY
Buyers of horses rarely check out the floatability of the intended
purchase. I had the case just this week of the $15,000 purchase that
wouldn't go on the float when it left the property, was a climber
(psychological fears of floats caused by fast drivers) and kicked the
stable to bits when it arrived at it's new home. In my opinion, the two
worst things in the Horse World are the horses you can't catch and the
ones that won't go on floats. This is the stuff that divorces are made of.
SALVATION JANE
In Australia, we have a weed called Salvation Jane or Patterson’s' Curse.
Horses don't ordinarily eat this weed but will if not fed properly with
other food. If they do, they get progressively more toxicity in the blood,
which causes liver damage and eventually a lot die.
This is tested by a Vet via a blood test. This is why you should check the
history of the previous homes of the horse.
VET CHECKS
Before choosing a Vet, first find out which Vet acts for the Vendor. Then
go and get any Vet other than that one. I hear you all go “Tutt Tutt” Well
you may as I have had several experiences where the family Vet has not
represented the Purchaser to the best of their abilities or duty of care.
I generally wouldn’t Vet a horse under $1,000 but that is up to the buyer.
Veterinary Surgeons check horses for soundness and suitability for the
purpose for which the horse is being purchased and Vets' always ask that
question. They will check a horse that is going to be used for 3-day
eventing far tougher than the pleasure horse. Things such as soundness of
body, legs, eyesight, heart etc. are checked. There are things that Vets'
generally don't or can't check for:
Sand in the stomach.
Stifle problems or temporary locking of the patella in the rear hind
legs.
Worm damage and infestations.
Horsemen can feel if there are problems in this area and Vets
acknowledge that. Vets' rarely detect horses with stifle problems. It is
amazing how many of these cases I get through my hands after purchase. You
cannot blame the Vet for missing this problem because you really have to
ride the horse and test it under saddle quite extensively to feel the
symptoms.
It is not the Vets' responsibility to suss out vices that the horse may
have. That is for the professional advisor and by now you would be
seeing just how much knowledge they need to have to do the job properly.
You do not want your resident "Stable Expert"!!
Always check out the newspapers for a few weeks back to find out
who the
dealers' are or the difficult horses to sell or the problem horse that no one
wants. You will also see horses that a dropping in price and this can give
you an idea of what the market thinks of the horse. There are bargains out
there but also dangers.
GO TO THE VIDEO!!!!
BUYING IN THE COUNTRY
City people don't like ringing STD phone numbers for horses as they think
that towns 100k away are the other side of the world. For this reason,
horses are generally cheaper in the country and in my experience, almost
always; Country people don't lie to you like the City people. So don't
rule out the Country trip, but get a number of horses to look at and make
a day of it so you have more chance.
CHESTNUT HORSES
There are good and bad horses in every color but in my experience and
other horse breakers and Vets' that I have spoken, the chestnut horse can
be by far the most temperamental. Don't rule them out, but be wary of
them.
GREY HORSES
In Australia and I suppose in other hot climates, steer right away from
grey horses, appaloosas', paints, pinto's and anything with a lot of white
on. The days of these horse surviving the damaging Sun due to the
breakdown of the Ozone Layer, are over. In South Australia where I am, 85%
of all grey horses that go through the abattoirs have melanoma (cancer)
Look for dark colored horses with as little white on the face (other than
a star) as possible.
WHITE HOOFED HORSE
Horses with dark or black hooves are preferable. White hooves normally
have to be shod otherwise they break away. They are softer hooves and in
general you have more hoof problems with them. Black hooves are tougher
and stay sound.
TESTING THE POTENTIAL BUY
Be half an hour early .Ask that the horse not be caught before your
arrival and that it be preferably in a paddock.
Observe if the horse has recently been ridden by looking for sweat or
saddle marks
Ask the following questions:
How old is the horse. (Teeth, brands, papers)
How long have you had it
Why are you selling it
Where did you buy it
Who from
Is it sound
Is it suitable for a learner rider
Has it been ridden regularly? How regularly
When was the last time it was ridden
What does it get fed, when and how regularly does it buck and does
it have any vices.
Does it have to be lunged prior to mounting.
Is it aggressive towards other horses
What is it like in traffic
What is it like to load and float
What is like to shoe and who is the farrier
Does it shy?
Can it jump
What is it's breeding. Has it got papers?
Is it branded? Check them. Remember 1 over 9 can mean 1 year or 11
years old etc.
Does it tie up solidly?
Who broke it in?
Have you had it re-educated. Who?
What ability of rider was the owner when they purchased it and now?
When last inoculated, wormed, teeth done, drenched for sand.
Which Vet attends the horse.
How many years has it been broken in?
If a mare, is it a problem when on season?
What is it like to worm.
What is its personality?
Is the horse a member of a Pony Club and which one.
Don't buy there and then. Ring the Vet, Pony Club, Farrier, and Breaker
etc. It doesn't matter if you miss out…take your time…. don’t rush in.
Don't buy Colts or Stallions.
Don't buy horses less than 5 years of age.
OBSERVATIONS TO MAKE WHEN BUYING
Watch the horse being caught. How, in what manner, in what sized
yard. The horse caught in the paddock is the best.
Observe how it is tied up. Is it tied solid or to twine or just
held.
Does it stand well whilst being saddled? Does it turn it's head and
object to being girthed up, cow kick, switch it's tail, make bad faces
etc.
Do they have to lunge the horse prior to mounting? That is suspect.
Ask that standard or running martingales be removed for the showing.
What type of bit does it have in its mouth? The snaffle-bitted horse
is the best.
Watch how readily the horse accepts the bridle or does it evade. Is it
"Ear Shy"?
Ask the vendor to put the horse through its paces. You are the buyer
and have all of the rights in the world. You tell them what you want
done.
Request activities that will show if the horse is stirry.
Have the rider take the horse away from their elected riding spot
and down a road if possible.
Have them gallop the horse and pull it up quick.
Have the owner pick up and hold each of the four legs farrier style
not Pony Club style!!
Watch the bridle being removed. Is it "Ear Shy"?
How does it accept rugs if rugged
If it jumps, have the owner jump it for you.
BUILD OF THE HORSE
The build of the horse is largely irrelevant unless you yourself are in
the upper weight scale. This can also mean weight versus height.
If you are over 75kg, you should be starting to look for a more weight
carrying horse as mentioned earlier. If you are 110kg you need to buy a
Clydesdale or Heavy Horse Breed.
The weight carrying horse is the horse built like a quarter horse, not an
Arab? I.e. Big chest, short back, shorter legs, big bum etc. Certain
shaped people really shouldn't be in the Horse Industry for a couple of
reasons.
It is unfair on horses. The heavier the rider, the less athletic they are
and they always hit the ground very hard and invariably do more serious
injuries that others. Learner riders give horses backs far more punishment
than better riders because of balance etc. Most stockily build horses
appear in the list provided.
BREED AND TYPE
Most Learner or Pleasure horses are crossbreeds.
People develop bias for or against certain breeds of horse. Especially
breeders who usually have tunnel vision.
Most people are not qualified to comment having not had a cross
section and large numbers of horses through their hands.
Some breeds suit the Learner Rider more than other.
This is a warning. A warning to anyone who is of the mind to purchase a
new horse and is considering an 'OTTB' (Off the track Thoroughbred)
horse.
Yes, I know, there are some nice one's but the percentage of nice one's
is miniscule. In my experience, based across a sample of say 1,000 of
them, that less than 5% will suit Novice Riders'.
I don't enjoy writing this article because of the possible impact on
horses of the future but I take heart in the fact that I have saved
lot's of Standard Bred Race Horses due to me recommendations towards
them. They have not let me down.
One of Australia's leading Vet's, Dr. John Kohnke, puts the percentage
of these horses that are unsound when they leave the Racing Industry at
least 60% and I put it higher because we ride them. This is typical of
the problem:
Place Utube Video here
It is not only the present and real Veterinary problems with them
however, it is the mental breakdown and the state of their minds that
completely rule them out of any successful re-education by average
riders'. I have to admit that if you tried to give one of these horses
to my wife she would refuse, no matter how beautiful it may be.
PRE-PURCHASE EXAMINATIONS
When we examine the Veterinary soundness of these horses, after taking
the above figures into account, I have to tell you that the Vets', miss
a lot of problems during the Vet checks of these horses for sale. We
have lost count of the number of horses that have successfully passed
Vet checks, only to be found immediately unsound when we ride them. That
is not the fault of the Vets' however as they don't ride them and they
don't really focus too much on the rear end of the horse either, apart
from the stress tests of hocks down. One of the purposes of this article
is to get them thinking too. Not that they can anyhow, without X-Rays
that is and even then, the deep injuries in the engine location of the
horse cannot show a lot of the conditions that we encounter and which
you see in the video's here. The Veterinary Colleges need to change
their policies to take into account the viewing of ridden or lunging
tests of horses which would help, but unless the Rider was trained in
the identification of the problems, that would not help either.
Holland has just gone to Vet checks for horses before breaking in and
what a great idea. There you are Vets, happy now?
NORMAL INJURIES By far the most prevalent are
the problems with 'stifles' or 'patella locking' problems.
Then there is the Sacroiliac tears.
Pelvic fractures
Bone Chips
Calcification of the spine and other parts.
Tendon and ligament damage, thickening or enlargements. and so many times, the problems are not recognized by Riders' and that
is a tragedy caused by the inadequacies or the Curriculums of the
various Equine teaching Organizations in this Country. This has probably never been advanced before in the World of Equine
Veterinary investigation but we can tell that the act of requesting a
horse to put it's head down (call it whatever you like) triggers pain
that increases with the advancement of the paces. The canter becomes the
most difficult, that when the horse has to engage the rear end more and
we can feel that there is a direct correlation between submissiveness
and pain. Something happens to the Race Horse, something that has never
been studies, questioned or investigated. Don't doubt me as it is such a
shame to say that we are yet to be proven wrong when we label a horse.
Are there good ones?...of course there are but take a look at who is
riding most of them. Don't kid yourself, they mostly aren't 'Novices.' TERROR Think about this. Thousands of horses per day around my Country, are
terrorized, flogged with whips, hit with spurs, jagged in the mouth and
sent off to Horsemen for the good old 'tune up' translated into a good
'flogging'. Why? because they are "NAUGHTY HORSES" I see it weekly, almost daily. I saw it at the Dressage last Sunday.
Horses crying out for help, desperately trying to communicate to their
owners through various means and because of the kindness of such horses,
rarely dump their owners onto their sweet asses as they should. They
just don't 'listen to their horses' They don't understand the 'language
of eques' THE SIGNS It is a tragedy that people are not taught about the signs, how to read
the horses, to even think about it. To consider that it may be a problem
that the horse has rather than the horse being a problem. So for those
of you who read this, here are some signs for you. The horse doesn't want to weight bare on one of the hind legs. The horse carries it's hind end to the inside or the outside, regardless
of which way it is traveling You cannot get the horse straight The hind legs do not track through and are short in action. Standing behind the squared up horse, you see muscle de-generation on
one side of the rump Temporarily locking of the stifle and up the scale Bouncing on the back legs like a Kangaroo Kicking up during canter transitions A breaking from trot to canter on the spot when ridden round. Difficult to keep the head down in a frame with the horse often and for
no real reason, reefing it's head up, normally associated with a break
to canter Difficulty in walking down Hills and the horse wanting to zig zag to
diminish the steepness. A refusal or unwillingness to back up Difficulty or unwillingness to flex Walking off during the mounting process. Excessive sweating in short time which exhibits pain A fear of the Dressage arena and a marked reticence to enter into it. Running away. Difficulty in bending or leg yielding. Stress. 'Jig Jogging' for no reason Bouncing or kicking up during flying changes. Bolting when all else fails at telling the owner. Rearing. Stopping dead as they enter a canter pirouette. Increasing speed and threatening to run during lines of flying changes. Not showing any signs of problems when on a loose rein with the head in
the face of the rider. An unusual neck height, higher than normal. Calcification of the lower back bone. Clicking in the rear legs. Marked incorrectness of wear on the rear hooves. Bucking Running backwards Failure to go forward and coming behind the leg A high percentage have stomach ulcers. Continually changing leads on the back legs only during canter. After video of the horse walking away, you see one side of the rump drop
further than the other Have you ever squared your horse up on cement and stood behind it to see
if it's body is the same on both sides? Have you ever videoed your horse
as it walks straight away from you and checked to see if one Rump goes
lower than the other?
and the list goes on. How did you go, do you think about those things
with your horse?. Is your Coach saying the horse is naughty? Has your
Coach got on and given it a flogging over the jumps for a few weeks as
one of these? Has the horse been sent to a Thug Trainer as one of these?
Congratulations if you have an open mine, an investigatory mind, given
the horse the benefit of the doubt or finally come to the conclusion
that the horse should ride off into the Sunset with a pleasure Rider?
Congratulations.
DRUGS IN SPORT Then you have the veritable "Chemist Shop' that often goes down their
throat as they say in the Industry. Who knows what damage that may
cause. The future arthritis and many other conditions caused by the
stress, impact, and often force feeding and hormones prior to the
Yearling Sales and the possible deleterious affects that may come later.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
This is the sad area and the one that makes it so difficult for most
Riders' to manage them. These include: Wind Sucking
Weaving
Float wall climbers
Pull back tie up horses
Running, ever increasing speed, racing, failing to walk and even trot.
Terrible mouths
Can't put 'leg on' them without rocket eventualities. the frustrations are too many too list and I had better shut up about
it. The thing is, I strongly warn everyone to steer clear of them unless
they are 'thrill seekers', a 'hectare short in the top paddock', have
money to burn or they just want to prove themselves against all the
odds. "Don't Bover" as few have succeeded. Take care
The following assessment is based upon my experience with at least 100 of
every breed.
THE STANDARD BRED. (TROTTER OR PACER) This is the most trustworthy
of all horses and every person who enters the Industry should own one.
THE QUARTER HORSE (2nd most reliable)
PERCHERON
CLYDESDALE
CLEVELAND BAY
AUSTRALIAN STOCK HORSE
WELSH MOUNTAIN PONY
ANDALUSIAN
APPALOOSA (These are good but on average
and across the board, the QH ranks higher in trustability)
The Arab and the Purebred Arab in
particular.
Any combination of the above
THOSE THAT DO NOT SUIT AMATEURS'
Thoroughbred ( 5 0ut of 100 only)
German Warm Blood
Australian Riding Pony
AND THEN THERE WERE ARABS
Go to any Pony Club and you will see them left right and centre. I hadn't
thought about this until recently but I have never had to re-educate an
Arab horse. They are great horses.!
THE PRICE
The question you must always ask is "What price my life?"
There are three basic prices.
Too cheap, the fair market price and over priced.
When horses drop in price, they normally do so because of behavioral
problems at point of sale or Veterinary examinations that they have not
passed.
The more that this occurs, the cheaper the horse gets until it is in the
bargain basement price bracket.
People with genuine horses however, don't like to drop their price and
this is usually a good sign. Most of the legitimate horses fit into this
bracket.
The overpriced horses are usually the product of an owner with "Rose
colored glassed"
Horses that are advertised for high prices rarely are sold at those
prices. We don't always get to know what the bottom line eventually was.
Genuine Learner Horses are like diamonds and they always sell
automatically. I have owner one particular horse four times because it is
such a pleasure to pass on to someone.
Stud and registered horses can be more expensive but this does not make
them go well necessarily. You must take each horse on its merits.
THE AGE OF THE HORSE
Age is an important factor when buying a horse.
You should buy between 5 and 10 years.
There are lot's of good horses under 5 years old but you would need
constant professional help to get away with that. That can work though.
Don't rule out horses over 10 years however, especially when you are
learning to ride.
If a horse is older, one must look at how they carry their age. Age
does effect the value though. As they get up towards 15, the value
starts to drop markedly.
Ponies seem to last longer than bigger horses and there are many
running around Pony Clubs in excess of 20 years old.
Many horses that have been in the Racing Industry have a severely
diminished life span because of wear and tear.
Age does come with the risk of Vet problems in the short term.
THE HEIGHT OF THE HORSE
The horse should fit you if possible but quietness is more important.
Often, the smaller they are the quicker they move and so do you. It is
probably more important that the tall person has a horse that fits them,
whereas the shorter person can ride a taller horse than is suitable, and
get away with it.
The shorter they are: The more cunning, the faster they move and the less
comfortable to ride. If you are small you can:
Drop the nearside stirrup to get on.
You can stand on a bucket.
You can put the horse in a hole or on the side of a hill.
Young riders are continually growing anyway and often grow into
them.
It is easier to learn to ride on a larger horse because of the
smoother movement.
GETTING A HORSE ON TRIAL
To thoroughly test a horse in your own environment, try and get a
couple of week's trial.
You can test it extensively and have it accessed at your leisure.
See if it changes personality.
Determine if it was drugged.
Have it checked for soundness at the end of the trial thus saving
wasted Vet fees.
However, you have the responsibility to look after the horse. To
feed it correctly, to keep it on the straight and narrow, not let it
loose weight etc.
REMEMBER….."You bend it, you may have to/ should buy it." A lot of
people won’t trial and for very good reasons. We will not.
THE SEX OF THE HORSE
There are:
Stallions or colts.
Gelding.
Fillies or Mares.
Don't buy Stallions or Colts. (Entires)
Geldings have a more even temperament than female horses but there are
good ones in every sex. At least you can breed a mare if the riding
doesn't turn out, but make sure you put a Quarter Horse Stallion over her
to even out her temperament.
HORSELAW
Go here:
www.horselaw.com.au for some
idea of your rights and Lawyers who are qualified to act in Horse
Matters. However, most of your problems can be sorted out in the Small
Claims Court (Judge Judy) or Tribunals, depending upon the State. I
consult on a lot of these for a token $50 which can be paid through the
above site. I have never been on a losing case. Never allow Lawyers to
be used by the other side in these Courts. That brings them back to the
field :)
