01/13/2024
Great article on buying horses...
Finding that needle in the hay stack----
There are thousands of horses for sale, probably several hundred thousand at any given time. Big, small, lean, chunky, old, young, every color, every breed, all price ranges from free to in the millions.
The reality is that many of these horses will come with some sort of precondition that will cause the new owner to think---“Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
It might be some sort of chronic lameness, or any of hundreds of health related issues. It might have to do with the level of training. Or temperament. Or skill level and ability for some specific use. We hear about the home runs more than we do the strike-outs. Touch Of Class winning Olympic gold makes a far better story than the one that ended up lame in some field, or worse.
But for most buyers it seems like some gigantic gambling game, and if there ARE some strategies to make finding the “right match” more likely, what ARE some?
Well, there are lots of possible answers, and I will list a few, and I invite others to add ideas.
First, I think too many people go into horse purchasing mode without CLEARLY DEFINING what it is that they want and need. Start there, write it down, discuss it, have a clear idea before you grab that checkbook.
Then, big one---Is this horse sound enough for me, and for what I want to do with it? Here’s where you must involve expert veterinary advice, even though it is not cheap. There are some buyers who will back off a purchase if the horse has ANYTHING that the vet check discovers, even if the issue is minor and unlikely to ever cause a problem. Many good horses “fail” the vet check, not really, but in the anxious minds of prospective buyers. Vets are cautious about giving opinions about long term soundness---Too many have been burned in lawsuits.
So deal with that in whatever ways you can handle.
Try not to buy what those in the trade call “too much horse.” This happens all the time. Mr and Mrs Smith take 13 year old Susie horse shopping. The child turns down the plain brown wrapper 14 year old quiet gelding in favor of the beautiful 4 year old mare. The Black Stallion syndrome strikes again. Usually against better advice from those who know better.
“Too much horse” can be simply too green, or because the horse is too high energy, or has a difficult temperament. So many fall into the too much horse trap.
Walt Gervais was a tough old guy who was somewhat cynical about the human condition based on decades of experience, He told me, “Denny, the only people who take your advice are the ones who agreed with your advice before you gave it.” They are not interested in your opinion if it runs counter to what they want to do, and they will keep asking until they find an opinion that they want to hear.
“Caveat Emptor” buyer beware, is about as accurate a saying as you can find in trying to find the right horse. If you are an expert, it is hard enough. Most top riders and trainers have had plenty of strikeouts. And if it’s tough for them, it’s a lot trickier for everyone else---.
Other thoughts, suggestions?
