Horse Viewing

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fruit_fly

New Member
Jan 5, 2015
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Hi, does anyone have any advice about buying a first horse as an adult without the support of a network of horsey friends please? I'm hoping to start shopping in a couple of months but as I've come back to riding as an adult about 4 years ago I don't have knowledgable people that I can ask to traipse about the country with me every weekend.

I've had a horse on full loan for the last year so know what am signing up for, and will obviously drag along family and normal :) friends where possible and someone who knows what they're doing/vet when I think I've found the right horse - but has anyone had the same sort of experience and just got on with it? I feel like I can't ask the people I've got to know over the last few years as we haven't stayed in proper touch once I've not been involved with their horses/yards anymore - and horse people really don't have spare time!

Thank you....
 
Do you have an RI, a riding instructor? Mine was very helpful when I got my second horse.

The first one I did on my own, and really I would have done better to ask for help then! You are very reliant on the honesty of sellers if you have no help.
 
Well... I've been having the odd lesson at pretty good local riding school but don't know the instructor well yet, and me and loan steed had lessons with the lady (she is qualified!) who ran the little yard I was keeping him at - but I'm not sure if asking for help from these people is a bit above and beyond?!

I sort of assumed would've needed to be going to a riding school for years to approach an RI there for that kind of assistance?
 
I agree with Jane&Ziggy.

If you decide to do the first viewing yourself then always make sure you see the owner handle & ride the horse before you do & if you feel uneasy say it isn't for you & walk away. If the owner has someone else riding then ask why & be wary. Assess the rider as well as the horse, if you think they're a lot better than you it may not be the right horse & be careful if you do try because a horse that's used to a quiet but firm rider may change very quickly if you get on & accidentally bang it in the ribs (not saying you would, just an example)!

There's always the risk that you'll lose a horse you like if you have to take a professional back for a second viewing, but better that than getting the wrong horse.
 
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There are knowledgeable horse people around, professionals one can employ. It would be very unusual for a rider to have no contact with any expertise.

I went for a first viewing on my own (after checking on the reputation of the yard. networking etc.) The idea was that if I really liked a horse, a trainer I know would come and ride it for me and give an opinion. I would pay her of course. I knew her, trusted her judgement and liked her riding. Some very excellent instructors are pretty hopeless at buying and selling horses.

But my RI gave me in put. Most people have an RI or trainer somewhere in the back ground. Mine told me to look at at least 3 horses before taking a decision to buy one. She also told me not to buy anything under 15 hands. This may sound silly, but she has taught me for well over 10 years and knows how I and OH and grand daughter ride and how tall and thin our grand daughter is.

The other possibility is to ask someone to search for you. One of our local riding schools buys from dealers, brings on horses and re-sells them, so some years ago (I bumped into him at a party) I asked the YO who did this to look out for a horse for me. Obviously you have to pay commission to do this. He told me he knew a horse that was right for me, but I was then offered my share and didnt view the horse nor follow it up.

The other thing I did was to get together info about the vets, farriers and saddlers used at our local livery yards and riding schools.

I only ever went to view one horse and never bought one, but I was obsessed with getting together the info. That is because as a RS rider, one is sometimes offered a horse for sale and one has to take a pretty quick decision.
 
Thanks for the replies.
Time to start getting back in touch with some people and asking for some help think...
 
Viewing via private ads can be a minefield. There are very good equine agents who find horses for you. I'd explore that option. Also good dealers are worth exploring. Small businesses with a reputation to uphold who aim to match horse and rider.Where in the country are you?
 
Out of interest where are you? You may find some helpful forum members willing to tag along as a second opinion.

My main comment, be truthfully honest to the sellers about your ability. A good seller won't be opposed to telling you you're not right on first contact and save you the hassle of making the journey and them poncing the horse for you for nothing.

If you have any horsey contacts at all, it may be worth asking if they know of anything for sale which might suit you. Word of mouth is so much better. Be very wary of exRS horses, most seem like a dobbin in the school, but with less discipline and less work, they can turn into menaces! We have one, she was never truly sedate though, but took her out of her comfort zone of the RS and she turned into a bolter. Not now, but it took some hard work and persistence.
 
I'd second scouting around for forum members. I have been along as a test pilot for many forum friends' viewings!

ETA chosen as test pilot because I am not nervous and will climb on anything, but not a great rider either :p
 
I'm on the Suffolk/Essex border, full details of what I'm after can be supplied if anyone is nearby!

Good tip about riding school horses (which I can totally understand - they're so good in the school but personally I'd rather go on a spooky hack than trust a rs horse that isn't listening to me at all in a big group out on the roads :) I'll definitely set some asking around in motion in the next couple of months, the more I think about it the more people I can pester, have perhaps been having a crisis of confidence about the whole thing - suddenly not having a full time horse has made me feel quite cut off from that world.

Thanks....
 
Doesn't it depend on the RS? I don't know what eml would say but horses sold by our RS have done fine for their new owners. My share was ex RS lesson horse. And I would be glad to buy Maisie. And a couple of others too. Dressage schoolmasters fetch high prices too.
 
My riding school do a 'find a horse' service - it's expensive (about £500 I think) but they will find, ride and test the horse and recommend for purchase. I know several people who have used this service and all have been happy.
 
Yes, sorry, I'm sure it does depend on the riding school Skib, the school I go to do have some really lovely horses. their hacks do sound chaotic but that's probably riders rather than ponies :)
 
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