# Would you buy a horse you haven't ever met?



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

For me personally, no. But there are plenty of people who have done it, and not have it turn out badly.


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I did :lol:


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Speed Racer said:


> For me personally, no. But there are plenty of people who have done it, and not have it turn out badly.


Agreed. One of my riding partners freely admits to doing all the wrong things when he bought his first (and only) horse 9 years ago. He bought a 9 year old OTTB right off the track based only on a phone conversation and a couple of pictures. This horse turned out to be 1 in a million and a week after getting him home, he took him out on the trails and has been trail riding him 2x per week ever since. New rider, unretrained TB, and they just worked. I would never do that but for him the stars aligned and the horse never took a bad step.


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

I've done it, though it is a risk. Actually, when i got my Fjord mare Bella all i had seen were some pictures & knew only what her owners told me. It turned out rather well for me though.
I wouldnt buy a cheap horse from far away or a really young one but if their is good evidence, records, _current_ videos & photos and even a vet check then i would consider it.


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

i did with my TB. was that the best way to go about it? probably not. haha but it worked out for me.


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## Citrus (Feb 26, 2010)

I did this time... but this was not the first time I purchased a horse and I am good at knowing what I can train and untrain.... I asked lots of questions that gave me answers and I asked the questions different ways.... I got videos. I knew what I could handle and what I couldn't and it worked out beautifully. 

Check out the seller in all ways possible. Google them, google the barn, ask to call the vet they use, the farrier they use. 

I did all of these things and now have the sweetest boy with us in Colorado- he came from North Dakota..... so I understand not being able to find a horse in CO.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

I did! Well I met her in person but I never rode her etc. I just looked at her XD She came to the yard the next day and I rode her on the lunge with people who know if she is good or not. They told me she would be ok so I bought her. We have had our ups and downs but she is not bad at all!

Wink Wink 




























And she was reeeeeeeeeeally cheap!


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## Texana (Mar 22, 2011)

First-Sarahandlola-cute pic!! Second, I've done it before too. I only saw a picture of her and called, asked the questions necessary and picked her up the next day. She is turning out to be a wonderful TB off the track. My Only issue I had was the owner wasn't truthful. When I got there she had a back knee that was bigger then the other. I had a vet look at her before I brought her home and he said it wouldn't be an issue just a cosmetic flaw. When I did get her home she came down with symptoms of colic. So I had vet out again to my place this time and he said it not colic but possilby ulcers, which is common in race horses due to high stress levels at such young ages. I called previous owner and specifically asked him about ulcers and he said "oh ya forgot to tell you she has ulcers". But, when I talked to him previously he said there was no history of colic or any digestive problems. So I think he knew she wouldn't sell unless he kept it to himself. So after finding this out she gets special feed now and is wonderful. But some sellers keep these things to themselves due to the fact they want to sell and know its harder to place horses with conditons such as these. And unfortunately her condition was only seen when her symptoms arose. So, as some get lucky, others are not so lucky. Just be careful, they might look good on outside and sellers say they are healthy, but sometimes symptoms arise that are not seen by the eye at first glance.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Me, I would never. The only exception is if a horseperson I knew and trusted checked him out for me first.


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## Rachel1786 (Nov 14, 2010)

I did twice, they came from a kill pen about 2 hours away and there was no way to go see them before hand(very shady i know) so all i had was a few pictures and a video, i got Bella(ottb) at the end of May and then Legacy(leopard appy) beginning on June, both have their issues but overall are great horses


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

I bought Sunny sight unseen. Best thing to ever happen to me. :wink:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Scoutrider (Jun 4, 2009)

I bought Scout without seeing him in person. Found him through an online classified site, only a few minutes from home, but I was away at school and unable to see him until the next weekend. He sounded like exactly what I was looking for, and I didn't want to lose out by waiting, so I called my family at home and sent them to take a look (they've indulged my equine obsession for so many years it isn't funny...). My sister checked him over and test rode him (the sellers had only had him for a month, and had never ridden him). Dad was willing to drive away - Scout looked pretty rough in terms of condition. Sis was impressed with his potential, though, and offered to buy him from me if I decided that I didn't like him when I met him. Of course, I loved him. :lol:

If you're planning on buying a horse sight unseen, definitely do all research possible, and, if you can, have a trusted horseperson check it out and report back before buying. :wink:


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## CJ82Sky (Dec 19, 2008)

ive bought a few of my horses sight unseen or untried.
lucky i never met.
sky i met when lame with severe abscess when i went to pick up lucky and had him dropped off to me a few months later.
his sister opal i knew about and rode once. got her a year after that.
duke i got after meeting him without ever riding him and had him on x-ties for a few minues tops the one time i did meet him at about 10pm.
ridge was a rescue and i had limited handling with and rode once but he was on my property after quarantining so it was pretty clear he was mine. 

lol now that i think of it, all my horses have pretty much found me! even my first horse nevada was basically a gift - though i DID know and ride him for a year before he became mine (which was good since i was 16 at the time)!

lucky








sky
















opal (student on her)








with her son max (regis OLD NA)








duke








ridge









follow your gut


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

I dont think I would, but then again, if I really liked the look of a horse, I might. One of my friend's bought both her horses from a video, and she has had great success!! Guess it really just depends on the horse, and on the person


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

I have bought 3 horses sight unseen. I will never do it again. I love each of them, but none were what they were marketed as.

Romance was advertised as an in foal mare with a history of doing pony club. She turned out not to be in foal and I have a strong suspicion she has never had a saddle on her back before coming to us.

Nippa was advertised as an awesome little pony that hadn't been broken in properly, but had packed around kids bareback roll. What I got was a nervous wreck who couldn't be caught and gets even more nervous when children are around.

Trojan was advertised as a calm, mellow boy ready to be broken in, previous injury, but declared sound by multiple vets. He arrived high strung and freaked out. He appeared to have a history of abuse as well. We also discovered that he was completely unsound on the leg we were told was sound and also had a spinal injury. Both were deteriorating rapidly. We had to put him to sleep. 

Now I can not imagine my life without having any of these horses in it, but I have also learnt my lesson.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I personally would not. I took a horse on a trial after a friend saw it as the horse was a distance from me. I ended up spending $800 on a horse I did not own to find out what was wrong with it before I committed to buying. If I had seen the horse in person before it arrived home I would have walked away.


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## LikeIke17 (Mar 18, 2011)

Personally, no, I wouldn't. Especially if I were looking for a horse to ride. But I also think it depends on the person. I'm the kind of person I cannot ride a horse well unless I have a connection with them. However, if you can happily ride just any horse and don't need that connection, it may be a different story. Even if a friend looked at the horse and rode it and said I'd love it, I still wouldn't.
Example: Someone in our pony club saw this horse on Dreamhorse all the way on the East Coast. She had a friend who lives in Florida, go over to check the horse out. She did this, loved the horse and said he would be wonderful for my friend. 
WRONG. Horse was supposed to be a gentle, solid 2'6" jumper. He's very sweet however the first time she ever jumped the horse, he fell over a twelve inch cross rail. Never buy without seeing.
The only time I would ever even consider it would be if I was rescuing a horse and knew of all the issues it could be. Still, even then, I'd be worried. 
I think it's very based off of what you're looking for in a horse and what you expect. Personal preferences


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## Clair (Jun 7, 2010)

I wouldn't do it. But like others have said, that doesn't mean it will be a disaster!


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I was considering several out-of-state horses before I bought my gelding, my trainer would have visited and tried them out first though. I trust my trainer, so I would have been fine going by her opinion.

I wouldn't buy a horse that neither of us had ever seen/tried though.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

If it came from a trainer I trust, my coach approved of it and an independent vet in the area was satisfied with it I would. I would probably want to ride it first as I pick my horses based a lot on feel, but for something exceptional of course I would give it the benefit of the doubt.
For example, had I the money meliano on dressage daily would be mine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gksohyes (Feb 18, 2011)

This post is something of an update and a little bit off topic, so sorry in advance for that. btw, i'm not confused about the gender of the horse, just trying to make sure the seller stays anonymous on this forum :lol:

I found a horse in my area that has a experience in what i want to do and won't cost me an arm and a leg. however, the seller told me in an email, "
_******* is a horse that is safe, and willing. S/he can sometimes have his/her "baby" moments, but most of the time its NOT something to try to hurt or get his/her rider off. His/her regular rider, age 62, has ridden him/her from the age of 3. Sometimes ****** can buck while lunging, but he/she does not do it when riding, and its more of a playful thing _.... " 
"_ S/he likes to jump, and is honest and bold. Since s/he is younger, I believe that you would be a good match, as you can learn while fences are low, and s/he can re-learn too_. "

The seller also told me that the horse works better when being ridden regularly, which is what I planned to do anyway (riding 5-6 hours a week, 1 hr/day). The catch is that the horse hasn't been ridden all winter and isn't in "work mode". I'm a little bit concerned about the bucking thing when s/he starts working because I have never experienced anything like that and I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. :? However, other than that, the horse seems to be alright for what I want to do (eventing) and has been trailed extensively.
What do you guys make of this situation? The only reason I am skeptical is because I know that while on older/expereinced horses (the only horses I've ridden are school horses) I am confident while riding, but I have no idea how I would react or what would happen should this horse get excited.


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

I bought Persia without seeing her first. I was on a tight budget but still wanted a draft type. There just weren't very many draft horses in my area and definately not any I could afford. I live in Arizona and I bought her from a rescue in California. I wouldn't have bought her from a private seller, even with a vet check people can be shady just wanting to get rid of their horse. I trusted that she was a sweet horse and everything turned out fine. She was untrained and still is but I have no doubt she will do great at whatever we do with her.


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## spookychick13 (Jan 1, 2011)

No, I have to meet any animal I might have and see what my 'gut reaction' is.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Depends on the situation. If I was rescuing one or buying from an auction, sure. But not if I was looking for a horse to actually compete on or do any serious riding on. Which I don't usually do.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

For me, it would depend greatly on what I was looking for, whether the horse was trained, and what I wanted to do with it. I have bought several unhandled horses sight unseen and have yet to be disappointed. However, if I was looking for a horse that was trained, I would certainly not buy one sight unseen. I am too particular about how I want my horses to handle and have serious trust issues with a horse that someone else has trained.


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## Stormness (Apr 6, 2011)

I have bought young horses from auctions... which has had mixed results. One ASH filly was wonderful, but had to be put down - snakebite. The other filly, an arab X TB X QH could kick with incredible accuracy.. she crushed a coke can in a guy's hand because the sun hit it... and there were a few other times with shiny objects and other things, but that's the best example. She was bad tempered and I resold her to someone who wanted her conformation (which is why I bought her) but thought she'd breed nice cow horses, whereas I wanted her as an eventer and hack.

Also from auction I bought a BEAUTIFUL TB mare who turned out to be in foal (bonus!) and was wonderful under saddle. She was low in cond, so being a TB I turned her out into an agistment paddock to get a nice grass belly before she got too far along - and she was hit by lightning. So no mare, no foal. I was devastated. 

So no more auction horses for me.. they're bad luck!

And I'd definitely want to at least ride a horse that's broken before I bought it. 

We bought our (then) unbroken mare Rosie from the paddock, we'd seen her there in a roadside paddock since she was a foal, someone we knew had had no problems with her half-sister, and Christian was already in love with her and was determined to buy her anyway, so when she came up for sale at $500 (her sire's stud fee was $800, it's $1300 now) it was an absolute no brainer. When we went to pick her up, what a mess... she was boisterous, had her owner bluffed with her big tough fat filly act, and it took us hours to catch her, then get her into the float, we ended up having to get her mother on too (this was a 4 year old horse, and it was my 21st birthday, fun!). Next time I'm not buying anything not at least properly halter broken, she was supposedly, but I very much doubt it, she had zero respect, and was difficult to control, either on top of you or trying to get away. 

The only good buying experience I've had was Rusty. Bought him from horse deals, went and rode him, and then bought him. Wonderful. Easy (besides the 4 hour drive) simple... thank god!


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