Where to buy
Buying a Horse or Pony | What to look out for when buying your first Horse or Pony | Where to buy a Horse or Pony
Where to buy a Horse or Pony
Before you start looking to buy your dream horse, really think about the height, age, health, character and experience of the type of horse or pony that you require. A fit and healthy horse that is easy to ride and look after should be your main requirement, and not so much the breed or colour at this stage.
The best place to start looking, especially for first time buyers, is in the ads section of the equestrian magazines and in your local tack shop. Tack shops sometimes also do their own publications. It should be a given that the adverts provide information on the age, height, breed, health information, and include information such as whether the horse is good to shoe, box, clip and if its good in traffic etc as these are some of the most important factors to first consider. A horse that has problems in these departments has either had a bad past or inadequate training and so will probably cause you a lot of time, money and unnecessary problems.
Another good way to hear about horses and ponies for sale is through word of mouth. Friends of friends can recommend horses that they think would be perfect for you, however still be cautious and do all of the necessary checks that you would normally do for any horse or pony that you are considering buying, as you just never know!
Teachers and trainers usually have excellent contacts and through them can be good ways to buy a horse. You may already been regularly riding a horse at a riding school that you may wish to buy. The only difficulty in doing this is that it will have a lifestyle that you will need to gradually change, and it may find life outside of the school hard. This may be because the horse or pony is used to living with other horses and may find it difficult adjusting to a life on its own. It may also be very fit due to it being used for riding lessons and so may need various adjustments to its eating habits.
Dealers can be hit or miss. It may be hard to distinguish between the sharks and the reputable dealers. So its always best once again to be recommended to a good dealer through word of mouth and don’t be scared to ask for contact details of previous owners. This way you could also visit the previous owners and their horses and gets lots of background information on the horse in question. A plus side of using a dealer is that there are various ways to protect yourself and you may be able to have a trial period with the horse, but make sure that you use a contract and don’t hand over the full price all at once!
Outgrown horses and ponies often find themselves up for sale and this can be one of the best reasons for buying! This is because it is more likely to be safe, reliable and a pony that knows the ropes. There will also be lots of third parties who will know the animal well and would be able to give you lots of information.
Where to buy a Horse or Pony
