A viewing to buy. What's the procedure?

[kya]

Blow by blow, how should I view my next riding horse (trial to follow of course). Should I tack up myself etc? What would be useful things to do in the school? Leg yielding? What? Should I ask to take a short hack?

[ukshowjumper]

I'd ask to see it caught, brought up and groomed....doesn't matter too much if you do it yourself but I'd want to see it all happening. Depends on what the horse is advertised as having done as to how much you ask for in the school but basic walk, trot, canter, circles, leg yeild etc if it's not a green horse. If you're looking for something to jump then ask to pop it over one and a short hack too so you can see how bombproof etc it is.

[rummi]

Not sure what the 'official' advice would be...but this is what I'd do......

Ask for horse to be out in field when i arrive.

Catch horse myself, observing how he behaves with other horses, where does he seem to be in the hierarchy of the 'herd'?

How does he lead, does he have manners at the gate, tieing up etc.

Groom him - how does he interact, any areas he's not keen on (I'd check with owner first before in case he has a quick kick!)

Picking up feet and check condition, ask how often he is shod/trimmed.

Ask for him to be walked and trotted up to look for lameness.

Tack up - note what tack they use, and if it seems a bit OTT, ask why?

Ask someone else to ride first, all paces, and jump in applicable. What you want to see the horse doing depends on the horse, and what you want in the future!

Get on myself, does he stand for mounting. Ride as before.

Dismount, untack put in stable. See how he behaves in stable, is he possessive of his space, does he yield to your pressure and move away when asked?

Ask any other questions, medical history, what has he done, previous owners, vaccinations, worming, teeth, live in/out etc.

Don't forget the killer questions, has he kicked, bit, rear, buck, nap, crib-bite, wind-suck, etc.

And finally, go with you gut (and a vetting of course)!

[rummi]

when I got Rum, I came back for a second visit to hack out, with company, roads and fields.

[indibindi]

my biggest piece of advice to you is: look at the owner closer than you look at the horse. Look for any uncomfortable shiftiness when you ask certain questions - looks for those tell tale signs of lying (pulling at the ear lobe, avoiding eye contact) and question them on what they have already told you. I would want to know about catching, leading, manners, how trainable it is, give it a physical once over yourself - feel along the back for any sore bits or face pulling, get in there and get your hands on the horse. See what you *feel* from it - is it wound up? Annoyed (look for the nose wrinkling), fed up? Do the things YOU will want to do with it and watch for how it reacts...

[mudlark]

Agree with Rummi, and might also add -

there's the old trick of turning up early so you can catch them in the act of trying to exhaust it by lunging or dope it before you arrive.

before or after grooming (or if it's already been groomed) touch it all over, including ears etc, and have a good feel for lumps and bumps on legs and saddle area and look for laminitis rings on feet. I'd also ask carefully about sweetitch given that it would be invisible at this time of year

definitely go for a hack if you're happy with how it's gone in the school. this can also show up any nappiness as many horses will expect to have finished work after two schooling sessions (as they see it) with two different riders. One horse i went to see point blank refused to go out of the gate at this point, and the thrashing it got in response also told me a lot about the kind of treatment it was used to, poor thing...

[mudlark]

crossed posts with smudge - yep, the laying on of hands is vital!

[janetgeorge]

rummi said:

when I got Rum, I came back for a second visit to hack out, with company, roads and fields.

When I'm buying, I inspect, see ridden, ride, see it back in the stable and decide (although I don't ALWAYS tell them if I want to knock the price down - I ring back that night and make an offer.) But if I like the horse and the price is right, I pull out my check book. It's really funny how some people react - when I bought Gus I took him out hacking as there was nowhere to ride, brought him back and pulled out the cheque book. Seller was somewhat aghast and said: "Do you WANT him? Don't you want him vetted?"

But when I'm selling, unless someone if from MILES away, I always suggest they come back a second time to catch it, tack it up, hack it etc. etc. etc. Apart from anything else, it helps reassure ME that they are suitable for my horse. If they're from a long way away, then I suggest that after seeing it ridden, and trying it in the school, that of they're still interested they come out for a hack then and there.

[kya]

I appear to have sold my horse today (final say tonight) and can't understand it actually. The woman came flying off when he refused a jump (not his fault). You don't expect an offer after that, but there you go!

[Casper]

There's nowt as queer as folk Kanga! And Blue is an exceptionally scrumptious horse. Good on her for recognising a genuine horse when she sees one, and for treating him as a horse, not as a machine. Hope everything goes well with the sale, and also for you in your search for a new one xx

[joto]

first of all , before you even go to the yard ask the seller if they are the owner and is their name and address in the horses passport and any registration documents as the owner.

[zannado]

Echo all the above I just wanted to add to make sure you ask about headshaking as it's a common trick to sell headshakers in the winter.

[iceberg]

That a good point zannado, I went to see one in realy september once, it was raining and he was fine, 2 days later I went back for another viewing, it was warm and sunny - he threw his head all over the place and when I 'persistantly' asked about it, finally they said he was usually ridden in a nose net!

All the best kanga, for Blue and in your search for a new girl or boy.xx

[megnum]

Personally I would ask if I could bring in, and get the horse ready myself and then have a go at everything you would hope to do when I went to try my boy I did a little schooling some jumping and walked out by the road.

[lizziee]

A couple more tips:

While looking, watch the ads like a hawk, get on the phone asap for any you like the look of, prepare a list of qualifying questions (make these as rigorous as possible to save your time and the sellers) and try and get to see the horse first. Ask here what questions to ask on the phone so you don't miss any. The type you are after is what everyone else wants too, and "first to see will buy" happens all the time with the best horses (though often not with ones that say "first to see will buy" in the ad ). Take the deposit with you in cash just in case. Saying that, don't be pressured by the "I've got 500 people coming to see the horse and 499 of them have already said they want it" line.

Always take an experienced friend when horse hunting, and make sure that friend is as cool headed as you are hot! You need him/her to be strong enough to be able to stop you buying something unsuitable even if you fall totally in love with it.

When you go for a hack, make sure you try to do the following:
- Canter away from and towards home
- Go with another horse and separate from this horse for part of the ride
- Try to go on a road with reasonably heavy traffic

As Janet says, a good owner who really cares for their horse will always be more interested in the home the horse is going to than actually selling the horse. A good sign is when they ask as many questions about the prospective home as you ask them about the horse. To buy the best-behaved pony I've ever had I was literally interviewed, then had to wait a month for the seller to call back and say that of the people she had seen I had "got the job"!

Be cautious of owners who just go on about the horse's good points: ALL horses have a few "quirks", and good sellers generally point these out. If they do you may well find the quirks are less serious than the seller implies; if they don't volunteer the information, ask what the horse's quirks are, and then multiply by ten.

If you want to buy the horse, leave a deposit (10% cash is the usual) and make sure you get a signed, addressed receipt making it clear that you will get your money back of the horse fails its vetting. If you can get a trial that's great; not many people will let their horse go on trial though.

Good luck