27/06/2025
Some good advice.
Let’s talk about Unrealistic Expectations in Horse Purchasing or Adoption.
We come across so many potential horse buyers/adopters that have unrealistic expectations during the purchasing process, sometimes treating horses like machines where any minor imperfection is seen as a major flaw. Especially when a horse is deemed a “rescue”, that is a major mark against the horse to begin with, especially by the adopter’s veterinarians. Hate to point this out, but if the adopter even mentions the word “rescue” then the horse is looked at as though they must have something wrong with them, because ‘why else would the horse be a rescue?’
Buyers/Adopters often dream of an animal that is flawless in health, conformation, and performance, which is often not realistic. They are not machines created in a factory, they are living, breathing beings.
Buyers/Adopters often see the pre-purchase exam (PPE) as a pass/fail test, rather than a thorough assessment of the horse's health and potential risks. They “fail” the horse when there is a minor issue. There is a saying that the more you look and dig (like x-raying every joint, spine, etc.) you WILL find something wrong. It’s often a quest to find the perfect machine, not a living horse! If you are competing at a world championship level maybe, but a trail riding horse?
Let’s take my horse Sharif as an example. He was turned away by every potential adopter. He doesn’t have the greatest conformation, is pigeon toed, and has a lumpy scar on his front left foot that forms a bump. Yet, he has been the best performance horse for the past eight years. Everyone who encounters him is in awe with him. His imperfections that would have made him “fail” the PPE are nothing, because he has heart, loves being out there, and competes.
Or another example: a mare that was found to have side bone (bad name for some extra cartilage in her front feet, which was hereditary as she was young) and a couple of minor other things, was “failed” in her PPE because of it. The potential adopter turned her down. The mare went on to be adopted and has been successfully riding LD rides and 50-mile endurance rides for the past five years. In the meantime, the woman bought a horse that “passed” the PPE, but she can’t ride the horse because the horse has psychological and training issues. But she got the perfect PPE horse.
Online advertising can sometimes present a romanticized image of horses, leading buyers to believe that perfection is attainable. That’s what this adopter was sold on because the horse came from a well known performance trainer and cost three times what our adoption fee had been.
The impact of these expectations results in missed opportunities. Buyers/Adopters may overlook suitable horses that have manageable or insignificant imperfections.
We came across another potential adopter who “failed” every horse even without a PPE and others with a PPE and is still looking for a horse four years later! She is frustrated and disappointed because no horse has met her idealistic criteria.
Did you know that more and more equine veterinarians have stopped providing pre-purchase exams? Buyers are placing more and more pressure on veterinarians to give a “pass” on a horse as a guarantee that this horse will be sound for years to come. Buyers are suing veterinarians if the horse comes up lame in the future or has some other health issue. We were told of a veterinarian who is being sued three years down the road! So veterinarians are having to make a “pass” or “fail” judgement, rather than providing an objective assessment. And if a veterinarian hears “rescue horse” the slightest imperfection becomes a “fail”.
Buyers/Adopters need to have realistic goals, and specifically define their needs and riding goals before starting their search. They need to be educated about what a PPE is and to understand that the PPE is a snapshot of the horse’s health and a PPE CANNOT GUARANTEE ITS FUTURE!
Buyers/Adopters need to have acceptance of minor imperfections: Many horses have minor issues that are manageable or don't affect their ability to perform.
The process of buying or adopting a horse often feels both exciting and scary. You’re trying to find your partner for potentially the next decade, even longer. It’s a process that can be especially overwhelming for first time buyers, or buyers who don’t have much riding experience.
Riding a horse used for lessons at a club, or riding your friend’s horse of 10+ years, is a completely different experience to having to bond with a new horse who doesn’t have as many miles on him.
We also encounter many adopters that are looking for a new horse after their horse of many years passed away, and forget that it takes time to bond with and understand a new horse; you unfortunately can’t pick back up where you left off. Sharif threw me off many times in our first few years together! And even today, I know his quirks and I know what he excels at. That is the beauty of true horsemanship: getting to know and working with your horse.
Instead of looking for a "perfect" horse, aim to find the right horse for you, an animal that meets your specific needs and goals, understanding that it will have some level of wear and tear. Otherwise, maybe get a brand new bicycle instead?
