A Horse,
of Course
with Don Blazer
|
 |
If there are a million ways to buy a bad
horse, there must be at least five ways to buy a good one.
To get a good horse, you have to use a little
horse sense. Hard to do, being human. Emotion usually gets the best of us.
It’s natural to be anxious and excited by
the thrill of owning a new horse. But whoa, hold it, shorten the reins!
I know the horse is beautiful, and the story
that goes with him is reasonable, and he may be sold tomorrow. But you asked,
so accept this fact: buyer beware!
Before you start looking for a horse, determine
what it is you want. Write down your requirements. Your list should include
breed, age, size, amount of training, color, sex, price and suitability for
performing in your area of interest. Only you know the answers, and you are the
one who must be satisfied.
Knowing what it is you want gives you a
direction in which to search.
Bargain horses usually aren’t bargains, so
beware of sad stories, auctions and the fast deal. Bad places to start your
search.
Your horse may be anywhere, but there is a good
chance he is with a professional trainer who specializes in your area of
interest. A well-known trainer has a reputation to protect, and seldom, if
ever, will he let you get stuck with a bad horse, or a horse he thinks
won’t fit your needs.
Make appointments to see horses which fit your
criteria, and then go see them--all of them. The first horse you see may be the
one you want, but see the others so you’ll know what you don’t want.
Here is the first rule: follow your heart. You
will know almost instantly upon seeing a horse if it is one you should
consider. If you heart says, "yes, yes, yes," and the next four tests
are passed, this is your horse.
If there is the slightest doubt in your heart,
after four more tests, this is not the horse for you. You’ll find your
horse, if you listen to your heart.
Second test: study the person selling the
horse, and take a good look at the horse’s surroundings. If the seller is
neat, clean and takes some pride in himself and his facility, then he probably
cares for his horses in much the same manner.
Ask to see the horse in his stall or pen. Wood
chewers and cribbers leave tell-tale signs. So do weavers and hole diggers. Bad
habits are physically hard on a horse’s condition and health, and they are
always hard to break. You don’t want those problems.
Ask to see the horse turned out so he can run
free and you can see how he moves and uses his body. The horse should be happy
to see people, curious, but not jumpy. He should have a clear, bright eye and
should be smoothly put together.
The horse’s conformation should be
pleasing to you. Conformation faults or less than desirable traits for the
performance which interests you can be pointed out during a vet check. If you
have conformation questions, be sure to tell your veterinarian exactly what you
intend to do with the horse.
The third test is for performance ability and
training.
Of course, if you are looking at a horse not
yet trained to a saddle, then you won’t be riding. But you certainly can
watch the horse being longed, tied, groomed and handled. Note carefully the
horse’s ground manners.
If the horse is performance trained, the seller
may wish to ride the horse first to show off the horse’s talents. This is
fine because it gives you another chance to make some observations. If the
seller is a bad rider, chances are the horse has had a bad start and much
reschooling is ahead. If the seller jerks, bangs, spurs or hits the horse, pack
up. You don’t want that bundle of trouble.
If you decide to ride, then the secret of the
test is to see how responsive the horse is to your cues, and how relaxed the
horse is as he performs. You want a partner with a good attitude and a
willingness to learn.
If the horse is already a champion, then you
want a super pleasant attitude to go with his performance record.
The fourth test is the vet check. You only want
to know a few things. How is the horse’s breathing, his heart, and does he
have obvious soundness problems? (Look at the horse’s shoes. Special shoes
mean special problems.)
If there are soundness problems, you want to
know how to manage them.
Don’t ask for and don’t accept a
pass-fail examination. You want information to consider, not someone
else’s choice of horses. You need to make the final decision; it is your
responsibility.
There is no way to predict the future or the
soundness of a horse, so don’t try. Accept the uncertainty and enjoy what
you have at the moment.
The final test is price. You set your price
before you started looking, so there should be no question now. If there is,
what happened?
Don’t overpay! If you feel you have
overpaid for the horse, the horse is going to suffer in any number of ways.
Don’t over extend yourself financially.
On the other hand, if you can afford the price,
buy the horse. A horse is worth exactly what you believe he’s worth, and
are happy to pay.
There’s no price limit on a perfect
friendship.
 |
