What to look for
Buying a Horse or Pony | What to look out for when buying your first Horse or Pony | Where to buy a Horse or Pony
What to look out for when buying your first Horse or Pony
When considering buying your first horse or pony, there are a few very important things to look out for. It is always advisable to attend all viewings in person and preferably with an experienced horse person as well and as it may be the case that you’ll be travelling quite a way to view the horse that really catches your eye. It is always good business to confirm that you are keeping the appointment made with the seller beforehand and to make sure that you arrive on time, dressed suitably in riding gear.
Always keep your eyes open for signs straight away, even as you arrive. Make sure that you check the condition of the yard to see how the horses kept there are being stabled and the behaviour of the other horses on the yard. This is very telling. Also make sure that you are business like at all times and not over friendly or excited for obvious reasons.
The person selling the horse should bring him/her out groomed and un-tacked so that you can see for yourself if the horse has any marks or bumps on its body that could indicate ill health or injury. And watch the way the horse walks, spend sometime with the horse in the stable also and check the horse over yourself once more just to double check. Once you are happy that the horse looks fit and healthy, the owner should then tack the horse up in your presence and then proceed to ride it so that you can see how the horse acts throughout. As all horses should be warmed up before putting them through there paces, this may take some time so allow for this.
As I said before, always keep your eyes peeled and observe everything. You should ask the seller to do all of the things you will wish to do yourself with the horse, such as jumping, grooming etc. Once you are satisfied that the horse is sound you should then ride him/her yourself. Just remember to relax and take your time, you can’t afford to miss anything. Also feel reassured that it is absolutely fine to ask as many questions as possible. Remember the reason you are buying the horse as well, if you want to jump with him then put him through his paces and make sure he is exactly what you are looking for.
If everything seems fine you could then ask the experienced friend you have brought with you to try out the horse themselves. It is also a good idea to get the owner to trot the horse up and down the yard in front of you so that you can watch his movements carefully, and look carefully for any lameness. It is best to watch from every angle, so that you can look out for poor conformation. It can sometimes be hard to spot lameness if the horse has been lame some years ago and there is still some weakness there. If however the horse has done a lot of work for you this visit then it may be better to arrange a second visit, just to make sure, as horses can be very unpredictable and if the horse really is sound as the owner states then they should have no objections to this.
What to look out for when buying your first Horse or Pony
