Many Hobby Farmers decide to buy a horse for one reason or another.
They have a mystical and romantic effect on some folks that just drives us to adore and own them. Then the stark realization that we are now enslaved to their care feeding and training takes over and we, in fact, become their indentured servants. If you refuse to fight the feeling, drop me a note and I will try to talk you out of it. If you still insist on owning a horse, welcome to one of the most challenging and FUN things you will ever do with your shorts on. (Yes, I have ridden my horse on more than one occasion in my shorts.) Here is the plan we use:
Do Some Research:
- Decide what you want to do with your horse. Trail ride, rodeo, an English discipline etc. Many western disciplines do well with an American Quarter Horse, Paint Horse, or Appaloosa. English disciplines have many European breeds to pick from with Thoroughbreds also being a good choice at an affordable price.
- Look at your farm and decide if you have the ability and the resources to keep a horse. You will need about 2 acres of pasture land for grazing, a water source, a stall in a covered building is a plus. Other logistics include a source of hay and grain, a farrier, a tack store (Dear God please make it STOP!) See what I mean about indentured servants...
Get Assistance
- If you are buying your first horse, chances are you ride like I do and require significant professional training to separate you from the ground. Most trainers will also help you buy a horse that suits your needs. Take advantage of this service.
- Not all veterinarians treat large animals. The quaint little office that gives Sparky the cat her shots probably doesn't "Do Horses". Find a vet that specializes in horses to make sure you get a thorough check and clean bill of health prior to purchase. Make this man or woman your best friend as you will undoubtedly make his house payment, pay his truck off and put his kids through school. Or, you can do what I do and trade web site development and hosting for vet services.
The Search
- I try to steer people away from horse auctions in trying to buy a horse. This is a big expense that has the potential to be dangerous if done incorrectly. In addition to the local newspaper should have classified ads. Look on bulletin boards at the feed store, and most importantly, word of mouth. This is how we find most of the horses we buy and sell. Additionally, here are some web sites we use to find our horses.
- www.equine.com This is the site we use to sell our horses. They have a great market, lots of viewers and the site is both seller and buyer friendly, A bit more expensive if you are selling, but definitely a haven for buyers.
- www.dreamhorse.com This is the site where we found Hayley's little pony Apache (See our horse page). The search tools are a bit parochial, but many people list their horses here.
- www.horsedirect.com I actually had a web site customer turn me onto this site. It is full of some of the more exotic breeds such as Gypsy Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses, Appaloosas, and the like. Still lots of good Ol' AQHA entries and Jockey Club members, however, it seems there is a wider selection of the off breed horses. Inexpensive to list a horse as well. Check it out.
The Process
- We follow this process when buying a horse. The term horse trader doesn't represent a person of questionable integrity for nothing. Some people bute (just like aspirin for us) their horses or even go as far to sedate the a bit if they aren't well mannered. Here is what we try to do.
- As the owners to have someone with the same riding ability as the new owner/rider ride them in an enclosed area (A round pen is good for this.). If the horse seems to be what was advertised, then go ahead and try to ride him your self, preferably in an enclosed area.
- Check the horses health records. MAKE SURE YOUR HORSE HAS A CURRENT COGGINS TEST. West Nile Virus vaccine is another good check. Ask for all of the horses health records before you make an offer. Plan on having their teeth floated as soon as possible. We float teeth 1-2 times a year. Most folks wait until the horses mouth is like razor wire before having them floated.
- If he seems to ride all right and you decide to make an offer, remember, the better a horse is broke/trained the more it will cost. I have bought too many $1,000.00 dollar horses to know there are no free lunches. Make a respectable offer, many horse sellers will easily take an offer of 10-20% off the asking price. Some will not. Do not fall in love with their eyes or color. There is no such thing as a bad color in a good horse.
- Once you agree on a price, we like to set a time by which we have a vet check done before the seller cashes our check. We normally try to have them checked in the next day or two.
- We also offer to the seller to keep the papers until the check clears and then provide a self addressed, stamped envelope.
This is a basic overview of what we do. if you have a good tip or other technique, or any questions, send them to me at fasteddie@thehobbyfarmer.com
Beware of Fraud When buying over the Internet