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A
Horse,
of Course
with
Don Blazer |  |
I’m a thoroughly modern man.
I just bought a horse on the Internet!
It’s the way things are done these days.
Checking on Internet sites that feature “horses for sale” in classified advertisements, you’ll find nearly a hundred thousand horses to choose from.
The first rule I learned is: never buy from an advertisement that doesn’t have a picture of the horse. I pretty much guessed that rule before I bought. So I only considered horses that were pictured in the advertisements. The more pictures of the horse, the better.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the story can be deceiving. You know how photos can distort things; they can make a horse’s conformation look better than it is, and they can keep you from seeing certain things the seller doesn’t want you to see.
The first minor mistake I made was accepting a horse that wasn’t pictured from front, left side, right side and back. And the horse was “tacked” in all three of her pictures.
The mistake: because she was tacked, I couldn’t see she is a tad low in the back. In her case, it isn’t a major problem; but it’s a conformation weakness, and I’m sure the seller knew that and pictured her every time with a saddle. Tricks of the trade. Tricks learned.
One of the great things about buying on the Internet is selection and the ability to search for specifics. In my case I wanted several things: a registered Quarter Horse, a buckskin or dun, a young horse with 30 to 60 days of riding. Put in the specifics you want—even include a price range and a geographic area—and begin your search.
Up pop 300 possibilities.
I found about seven horses that I thought would do.
Start e-mailing the sellers…or make telephone calls. Ask for videos of the horse moving or performing with a rider… and answers to any questions not answered in the online advertisement.
Here are things you must know: Does the horse have a current negative Coggins test? Are the papers in order and ready for transfer—have copies faxed or e-mailed so you know there are not going to be problems with ownership. Will the seller provide a health certificate at his or her expense? Will the seller provide board and care for the horse until it can be shipped or picked up? Will the seller give you a written guarantee the horse is sound and will the seller accept return of the horse if it proves to be unsound within 5 days of acceptance?
Of the horses I was considering, 3 had been sold by the time I contacted the seller. Four were available, but three were far away and one was within 100 miles.
The seller sent a video of the nearby horse…that horse was eliminated immediately upon seeing her in action. She didn’t look like her advertisement picture and she wasn’t much to look at in her video.
A gelding I really liked was 500 miles away, but would be worth the trip if he could perform as advertised. The seller promised to send a video, but never did. Skip him.
A video was sent of the horse claimed to be a show winner already, and was priced like a champion. In talking with the owner by phone, I knew I could get the price down a little, but I definitely wanted to see a video.
The seller e-mailed a video.
If this horse was a winner…it had to be in a class of one.
I settled on a 3-year-old mare 1,000 miles away. No video, just a chat with the seller. I figured it was kind of like buying at an auction, and I’ve done plenty of that.
How bad could it be?
I had to pay to have the horse shipped, so up goes the price. (How to select and hire horse transport is another story).
When the horse arrived, she is not as refined as she looks in her pictures…has a low back, has a splint on the left front (not advertised or mentioned)…is in good health, is sound and is very quiet, gently and easy to handle…all as advertised.
I’ll ride her for 30 days and then decide if she is a keeper.
I’m a thoroughly modern man and not afraid to buy a horse on the Internet. It’s fun…like going to an auction (which I love) while sitting at home.
Don Blazer has worked
with horses for the past 30 years. We hope you enjoyed
his column and will drop him an email
with your questions or suggestions for other columns.
You can visit his website at http://www.donblazer.com.
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