# Commission when buying a horse



## coffeemama (Jul 10, 2009)

Who pays the commission when you buy a horse? The seller like in most other cases or the buyer? Does the buyer pay the "finder fee" or is that also paid by seller and is that the same thing as the commission. I wanted to pay my trainer for her time taking me to places to look at horses to buy and she told me not to worry about it it would be worked out with the commission so I don't feel comfortable asking her exactly what that meant so does anyone know how this works?


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## Lobelia Overhill (Nov 3, 2009)

Buy her a nice present for her time and trouble helping you out


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

sound like if she brings a buyer,the seller wil reat her out of the deal


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Usually, you pay about a 10% commission to the person finding you a horse(AKA your trainer)


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Your trainer, in this case, is acting like a buyer's agent. If I were a seller that she is taking you to and you bought my horse, why would I expect to pay a commission to her? I didn't authorize her to find me a buyer - but you authorized her to find you a seller.

10% is the typical commission you would expect to pay but that should have been worked out in advance. It is very poor business on her part to take you around without advising you as to a cost involved. I would talk to her immediately so that there are no hard feelings latter.

It is possible that she could collect on both ends if she takes you to a seller who asked her to find a buyer and you are the buyer who asked her to find you a horse. Even in that case, you should expect to pay a commission for her services.


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

The seller pays the commission for their trainer to advertise and sell the horse. You pay the fee for your trainer to find you a horse. Your trainer has no contract with the seller so they are in no way obligated to pay her anything.


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## luvmyperch (Oct 5, 2009)

Since your trainer is acting as a buyer's agent, you are responsible for any fee paid to her. I would sit down with her ASAP and determine what she expects to be paid, either a flat rate or a percentage of the purchase price. No seller is going to agree to pay her costs, and it would be extremely rude to even ask a seller to pay that. You could end up with a seller who doesn't want to deal with you as a buyer in a situation like that.


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## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

^^ Agreed. The seller is usually looking to make $$ here, not pay your agent for buying her/his horse. 

If someone told me I was paying a commission to the buyer's agent I would probably not sell the horse to you. I would go to the next person on my list.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

sillybunny11486 said:


> The seller pays the commission for their trainer to advertise and sell the horse. You pay the fee for your trainer to find you a horse. Your trainer has no contract with the seller so they are in no way obligated to pay her anything.



exactly what sillybunny said. often when a trainer works with another trainer they get a price with a commission (10% is usually standard) already in the price. There is a trainer coming out to our barn this weekend to look at a horse we have for sale. I told her, the horse is $10,000, with a commission built in. Her client will pay the $10,000 and a portion of that will go to her trainer for helping her find the horse. The seller of the horse would receive $10,000, but a portion of that would go to her trainer for helping her sell it. 

Every once in a while we'll look at a horse that doesn't have the commission built in. I'll inform them ahead of time so they can add in an extra 10% on top of the price.


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