When shopping for a new horse, there are so very many things to consider. Let’s look at some of them.
Possibly the biggest problem is deciding if a horse is the right fit for you. There are four different categories of “fit” to consider. Three can work, and one can’t ever work.
Category 1
The first category is when a rider knows a lot about training, has the experience to back up their knowledge, and the horse has an excellent understanding of how to be a reliable riding horse.
This type of partnership has the greatest chance of success. There is a strong chance that both the rider and the horse will understand each other and find a path to overcome any differences.
Category 2
The second category is when a rider knows a lot about horse training and behaviour, yet the horse is very green and knows little about getting along with people and the demands of being a riding horse.
Because the rider knows a lot, there is a good chance they can guide their new horse through basic training, build a solid foundation of education, and create a rewarding relationship.
Category 3
The third category is when the rider knows very little, but the horse knows a lot about being a reliable and steady riding horse.
For this to be a good match, it usually requires the horse to be a little shut-down so that the horse can be forgiving of the many mistakes a green rider can make. The horse uses its training and past experience to fill in the holes and mixed signals the green rider leaves there. This type of partnership can work, but it is less reliable because a green rider will add to a horse’s anxiety through their lack of clarity. Eventually, the poor communication wears the “try” out of the horse and can lead to it being a serious mismatch.
Category 4
The last category is when the rider and the horse both know very little and have few skills.
This type of combination almost certainly has no chance of working out. The rider and the horse do not speak the same language; they have different needs and are more likely to spend their time clashing than in agreement.
In order to help you decide if you and the prospective new horse are the right match, I cannot emphasise the value enough of getting advice from a horse person you respect and who knows your needs and skills. Make sure they are not invested in whether or not you buy the horse. Pay them if you have to. Find 2 or 3 horses you think might be the one. Go and look at them. Then make a second visit with your expert friend and ask them to assess the horse as being suitable for you and your needs.
If you are close to a decision that one of the horses is the right one, ask the owner for another look at the horse, but somewhere other than the owner’s property. Have a session with the horse that is not their home so that you can assess whether or not the horse’s good behaviour is dependent on whether the environment is familiar or not. Many horses appear to be going great until you take them away from home.
I am sometimes asked about the value of a check up by a veterinarian. In my view, this is a must. Even if the horse is free to purchase, a vet check can save you a lot of money and heartache when it comes to the future cost of health care for a horse. I would make passing a vet check a condition of any purchase agreement.
There is a common belief among some that when shopping for a new horse, it would be better to consider an unhandled horse or, at the very least, a horse with very little handling. The premise being that if you buy a very green horse, it won’t come with a lot of baggage that has to be fixed. I have heard many times that it’s better to buy a clean slate than a horse with some bad training done by somebody else.
In my view, the flaw in this logic is that if you are not skilled enough to address and fix problems already in a horse, you are probably not skilled enough to ensure you won’t put problems in a young green horse yourself. The skills needed to address training issues you might inherit when buying an older horse are the same skills you need to avoid training mistakes and putting problems in a horse.
You need to be just as good a horse person to solve issues with horses as you do to make sure you don’t screw them up. However, the one advantage of buying a horse that's already messed up is that you can blame somebody else for it!
It’s a tricky business to be sure you are buying the right horse for you and your needs. Be smart. Don’t rush a decision, even if the owner is telling you there are other interested buyers. A horse should be a long-term investment, and the decision to purchase should not be based on an emotional need that urges you to rush into a decision.
