If you are seeking to buy a horse for the very first time in your life, you might find yourself between a rock and hard place wondering if you are making the right decision or not. The internet is laden with stories of first time horse owners who ended up getting a raw deal because they bought a horse that did not fit the purpose for which they needed it for. Literally put, buying a horse is not like entering a showroom and picking a car of your choice, it requires immense research and due diligence. So how do you go about buying a horse from a horse shop? What are some of the factors or things that you need to consider?
Have a clear understanding of what you need
Prior to buying a horse from an online horse shop site, it’s essential that you have a clear understanding of the purposes for which you need the horse as well as the temperament required. Don’t just hop into a horse shop and buy one simply because you want to fulfill one of your childhood dreams. Go for a horse that is well trained and which won’t bring you problems especially if you are a novice rider. Conversely, make your decisions from your head and not your heart as you will be forced to live with the ultimate decision you make for many years to come.
Buy what you see
The first rule of thumb is that you should never buy a horse unseen. The convenience and simplicity of buying from an online horse shop site might be too alluring but it’s highly recommended that you make a purchase after setting sight on your preferred horse and ensuring that it is the one you need. There are many unscrupulous dealers out there willing to make quick bucks and might end up selling the same horse to 3 different people hence to the need to buy what you see from a reputable online horse site.
Always tag along an experienced horse person
If you are a greenhorn and not versed with horses, it would be suicidal if you went to buy a horse on your own. The logical thing to do would be to tag along a person who is well versed or experienced with horses and will tilt the balance when it comes to making the ultimate decision.
Such a person would be better placed to ask objective questions and you will be surprised that he would ask questions which hadn’t crossed your mind.
Have the horse vetted
Vetting is instrumental for the purposes of ensuring that the horse you are buying is not only fit but that it is for the purpose for which it was bought. You should make sure that you use experience vet for vetting irrespective of the value of the horse you wish to buy.
Check out horse history
Majority of people make the mistake of taking the sellers word as gospel truth. This is catastrophic as sellers tend to say things that would persuade the buyer. It is therefore essential that you check out the history of the horse you intend to buy, any veterinary records if any, any problems the horse has encountered in the past and so and so forth.
In addition to the above factors, it is important that you ensure the horse you are about to buy is fit for the purpose, is within your budget and that the return agreement is favorable to you.