Learn What to Look for Before Buying Your Desired Horse:
For every horse lover, buying a horse is a very exciting moment. Regardless of what you are going to use the horse for; there are several important things to keep in mind before buying it. Do you know why it’s essential to learn how to buy a horse whether Elite or Grand Prix?
Assuming that you are not going to choose the horse for “love at the first sight”; I’m going to give you a brief checklist and guide to choose the right horse for you and tell you what to do once you have found it to avoid having future problems and headaches. Owning a horse should be something gratifying, but it’s very distressing and nerve-wracking when you have an injured or a sick horse; that’s why without ignoring the fact that things could happen to a horse at any time, you want your new horse to be perfectly healthy when you buy Grand Prix Horse or an Elite Horse.
Test it first – “Drive Testing” a horse:
Horses and humans get to connect in a very special way and end up forming a true team.
When you are looking for a horse to buy, remember that you are the one that is going to ride it. What matters is not how beautiful it is, how many ribbons it may have won, or what the horse looks like when it’s being ridden by someone else. Of course, these are important factors to help you make a decision; but what matters the most is how you feel riding that horse. Is it comfortable? Does it suit your riding skills? Try to do a few laps trotting it and then other laps at gallop. If you are buying the horse for doing trail rides; is it comfortable for you? Is it manageable? If you are buying it for show jumping, ask the seller if he would let you take a few jumps. It would be ideal to try jumping a vertical fence and an oxer trying not to interfere when you get “in the zone” and feel what the horse does.
Depending on the horse training level and your horse riding knowledge, see how responsive to aids it is. If it’s not very responsive, do you think that you can train it to improve this?
If you don’t have enough riding skills yet, you could ask your riding instructor to help you find a horse that suits your riding style and level but that could also grow with you as you are improving your riding skills. Even if you go to test the horse with your instructor, make your own decision; after all, you are the one who is going to ride, keep and be responsible for that horse.
Have the Horse Checked by a Veterinarian:
Once you have found the perfect horse for you it’s very important that you ask the seller to let you call a vet to check the horse. Bring in a veterinarian who is not related in any way to the seller of the horse. If you have an instructor, ask him if he can be there too to help you ask the vet the right questions. The veterinarian will first check the horse’s general health, will look for marks, old injuries that could tell if the horse has suffered a bad accident, he will be able to tell you if the horse was well taken care of, and more. If the horse passes this test,
you can still ask for a more complete evaluation including further testing like X-rays, blood tests, and a hormonal profile. These tests can be quite expensive but are the best way to make sure that you are buying a horse that does not have any hidden defects that might appear once you have purchased the horse. Remember that you want to enjoy your horse, and dealing with a horse with health problems is a heavy burden. These additional tests are quite expensive; that’s why many experts advise giving them only to expensive horses or to high-performance horses. In the end, it’s up to you and your budget, but also keep in mind that no matter how low the selling price of the horse is, the veterinarian´s bills are always huge.
Paperwork is Important Before Buy Grand Prix Horse or Elite:
Once you have chosen the right horse for you and you have checked that it’s in great shape it’s time to close the deal. Before paying any money, work out a purchase contract with the seller. State the terms of the purchase, try to include some guarantee or trial period, and get as many documents as you can, such as the pedigree, the FEI equine passport or its equivalent, and the health book in countries where it’s mandatory to have one.
Horses for sale; Buy your Best Horse:
Good luck finding the perfect horse. Once you have completed all these steps, enjoy your horse. Very probably the horse will have found a perfect partner too!
Looking for the perfect horse? Take a look at NorCordia’s horses for sale, NorCordia horses for sale