Starting the search for a new horse is a minefield to say the least. It can easily result in hours of wasted travelling, putting yourself at risk by riding an unsuitable or dangerous horse and potentially having to pay for a vetting that the horse unfortunately doesn’t pass, taking you back to square one!
I thought that I would share my experience of over thirty years of vetting all types of leisure and sports horses with some advice that might help you avoid some of the pitfalls. So here goes;
Firstly and probably most importantly, be really honest with yourself about what horse you are best suited to. Do not “over-horse” yourself. More new equine purchases go wrong because people don’t abide by this simple rule. If the horse is too much for you, however beautiful he or she is, you are likely to scare yourself, lose confidence and possibly fall off!
Unless you are experienced in bringing-on young horses, they are best avoided. Let someone else take the risks in educating and introducing them to new situations. With age comes experience which is usually a good thing, but it also means there will be miles on the clock which means some where and tear. However, sometimes a late teenage schoolmaster is absolutely the best solution for an inexperienced rider to gain confidence and progress.
Don’t rush into a purchase. Research the horse in terms of previous owner history, competition record and ask for the horse’s previous veterinary history. If this is not forthcoming then there may be some skeletons in the closet! In my experience of purchasing horses, it is always useful to ride them on more than one occasion to check if their behaviour is consistent. If possible it is advantageous to try the horse at a different venue to see how they behave.
Private vendor versus a professional dealer: If you buy from a private vendor who does not make their living from selling horses or doesn’t regularly sell, then you have less rights if you want to return the horse. Your only right to return is if the horse is not as described in the advertisement. If you buy from a professional dealer then you have the right to return the horse within 30 days if the horse proves unsuitable on behavioural grounds for example, or clearly won’t perform the tasks that you expected them to. The one thing that you do have to be clear on is whether the dealer is the actual owner of the horse or whether they are merely selling on behalf of another owner on a commission basis. The latter situation means that your contract is with the actual owner rather than the dealer so if any money is to be recovered, it has to come from the owner. Some dealers will keep hold of the funds for a period until they confirm that you are happy with your purchase before releasing them to the owner which can prove helpful! Most established, professional dealers want a successful sale and a happy customer so that you will come back again or tell your friends. They may also offer good advice on whether a particular horse is or isn’t suitable for you.
When you have found your perfect equine partner and you have agreed a purchase price, you have to decide whether you are going to seek veterinary advice by way of a two of five stage vetting. Before you pick up the phone to your vet, ask the vendor to trot the horse for you on a lunge on a flat, firm non slip surface if such an area is available. If not, then an arena surface or firm paddock is the next best thing. If you know a lame horse when you see one then check to see that all looks good. If you are not sure, then take a video on both reins and send the footage to your vet for their opinion. If the horse is lame then you may want to keep looking rather than waist your money on a vetting. If you plan to insure your new horse, then check with your insurance company on what type of vetting they require; this will often depend on the purchase price and whether you are insuring for loss of use. This will also determine whether or not you need to submit radiographs or x-rays of the horse a long with the vetting certificate.
I hope you have found this helpful and if you have any questions, please give us a call.
The information above was provided by Tim Galer B Vet Med Cert ESM MRCVS.