# sight unseen buy?



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

if something were to happen were i didnt like him or whatever, i could probably re-sell him no problem. A huge red roan gelding like him that would make a fantastic rope horse or ranch horse. There are alot of ropers and ranchers here that would probably buy him in a heart beat.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

im still very much so on the fence about it. Here is his craigslist add 6 yr old - Big Stout Red Roan Gelding


----------



## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

I'm kind of an in between, but I'll but a "sure why not" because it isn't an insane thing to do either. I have never done it but I know people who have and they didn't have any issues. It all depends on how trustworthy the seller is and how accurate you are in judging the horse. Push what you can do at home to the max: phone conversations with the owner, videos of the horse etc. If you can, research the horse on databases/online to see his history or if he is actually stolen. If you are doubtful ask them to hold a specific sign next to the horse and take a picture (like asking them to hold a sign that says 120546 next to the horse and take a picture). Getting a trustworthy friend in the area of the horse to look at the horse is ideal. The vet check is also a very important factor, especially with a no-show purchase. Use a good vet you preferably know and take information directly from the vet, do not believe what the seller says the vet said. You said the horse has resale value which is a good thing, also I would have caution with buying a very pricey (18k+) horse or a very cheap (below $700) horse due to the higher prices being a larger sacrifice or scam and low priced horses run a greater risk of being lame/sick etc.


----------



## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

I would say get some kind of contract with a 30-day test policy. That way you wont even have to resell him, you can just get your money back. If a seller isn't willing to do that, then you shouldn't buy him even if you are able to see him.


----------



## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

My Aunty bought a ASH un-seen and it turned out to be fantastic. However, there are many things to take into consideration.
1)Is the seller reputable?
2)Does the seller seem honest?
3)Is the horse exactly what you're looking for?
4)Was the vet check good?
5)Has the seller been co-operative and willing to answer all questions?

Its really important that everything has been looked at. I wouldn't buy unless you say get a 2 or 3 month return policy. Thats just in case he suddenly goes lame or isn't what you expected.
I would buy un-seen if the horse was exactly what I wanted.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

hmm i will have to see about a contract thing. The only thing, is that i have absolutly no idea how to do one.


----------



## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

we got my horse from south Dakota, I had only ever met her once a few years ago, but we knew the seller as a friend and the horse wasn't for sale to anybody but us... Haha, so I guess that's a little different. Btlut if you have your heart set on that horse ( he's beautiful by the way!) then I would make sure to try and find as much info as you can on the seller, and on the horse if he has a showing record. I would be worried to do that because, what if you don't like the horses personality or something like that? LOL Im sorta specific on personalities, I have met alot of horses I would not be able to own cuz I don't like their charactor. But he's pretty, so I think it's worth a try!


----------



## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

Hmm, try typing a simple contract like,

I, (Insert Name Here) hereby agree to pay the full purchase price of (Insert Horse's Name Here) and pay it to the vendor, (Insert Seller's Name Here) if it passes a (Insert Time Here) trial period.

Then go on to say who's liable if anything should happen to the horse in the trial period, and yada yada.


----------



## AztecBaby (Mar 19, 2009)

I have never bought a horse sight un-seen before BUT we have SOLD a horse sight un-seen before. 

I all worked out very well, the lady was coming to see him on the weekend but decided she didn't want to risk losing him to someone else so she called and explained that she would like to purchase him sight un-see. We agreed and she came to pick him up the next day. 

A bit different to your situation but I guess my ponit is that it's not really an outragous thing to consider. 

I'd probably take the chance.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

Ok thanks Gidiji. Thanks guys for the help. I e-mailed the owner asking about a video and what not, so we will see what she says i will keep you guys up dated.


----------



## Taihoa (Nov 11, 2009)

I brought Tai sight unseen. Best thing I've ever done!! We saw a video and a photo, then I had the vet check him over and had him sent down. Only problem when he arrived - he was advertised as 16.3hh, and was actually in excess of 18hh ROFL


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have bought several horses sight unseen, but that was a whole different ballgame. None of them were advertised as being broke to do anything. I think that if you could get videos of him in the arena, on the trail, and at all 3 gaits in both places, showing his stops, turns, and whatever else they claim he can do, that would be a good start. You might also ask if they would be willing to agree to the contract with the trial period in it. I didn't even know that this guy was still in the running . I'm glad that you are still working on getting him and I hope it all works out for you.


----------



## GottaRide (Dec 10, 2007)

I bought my horse sight unseen & had him delivered to me. I'm very happy with my purchase. You have to know what you want when you are horse shopping. If you feel he is what you are looking for & you can afford to take a gamble with the purchase price, then go for it. If you can't lose that much money, then pass on him. For me, I was paying a very low price for the horse & only gas money for the transportation so I was able to "throw that money away" if the horse turned out to be not what I wanted. 

I don't like doing contracts or trial periods. The only contract should be that the horse changed hands from seller to buyer for such an amount & is being sold as is. Sort of like a reciept. Nothing else really stands up legally if there were to be an issue.


----------



## cobbywob (Nov 24, 2009)

I bought a TWH from a lady in Tennessee sight unseen - and shipped him all the way to Ireland!:shock:

The owner and I did get a pretty good relationship going via email and she sent me video clips and answered any and all my questions very honestly. Also had him vetted over there and spoke at length to the vet afterwards.

Well he eventually turned up and he was everything and more that the seller had stated. Sadly I had to sell him later for personal reasons but he is still very happy in the home he went to

Would love to import another one but it would have to be a bit older and been there and done that type but dont know if I could trust anyone else I didnt know as I think maybe I was just very lucky with this lady from the US.:wink:


----------



## CheyAut (Nov 26, 2008)

I have many a time, and might soon again (there's a horse about 5-6 hours from me I'm very interested in but not sure I can make the trip simply because of the animals at home and I can't get a hold of the person who I've always used to feed for me when I'm gone!). But you DO need to be careful. Like you said in your post, if this particular horse doesn't happen to work out, the price is very right that I can sell him and not loose out. It's not that I WANT to buy without meeting/riding, but I simply cannot find this breed of horse in my state 

So, if you cannot find a horse of that... um... what's the word... breed, color, training, ability, ect, for that price locally (don't forget to add on hauling costs to the price of the horse!), then it's worth checking out.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

ok thanks guys. Ya smrobs he is still in the running i never forgot lol. Im still awaiting an e-mail, ugh. But i will keep you guys updated.


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I highly suggest against it, but if there is no way you can see a horse you've fallen in love with, I highly recommend doing the following:
- Ask to see a few recent videos (very recent, not "oh, this was shot a year ago") of him being worked with; i.e. groomed, led, lunged, turned loose (to see gaits), and ridden in whatever they advertise him being trained in. Anything that is important to you (ground manners, movement, temperament, willingness under saddle etc etc) ask for a video of.
- Get a vet check from a reputable vet that does not work with that farm. You want an unbiased opinion on the horse. 
- Get everything you agree on in writing and signed by both parties - express mail is your friend in this case. For example, if the horse is guaranteed sound for 30 days (barring injury), or guaranteed in any way, get it in writing. More than that, ask the party to initial each and every point, so they can't claim that you changed a portion of the contract. 

Red flags to watch out for:
- Getting the brush off; if the seller won't answer questions or seems rushed to get you off the phone, walk away. Same goes with answering certain questions, or refusing to get current photos or videos. If you show that you are absolutely serious about purchasing this horse, they should be doing everything possible to make you 100% comfortable with the purchase. 

I'll add more as I think of it


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

reining girl said:


> if something were to happen were i didnt like him or whatever, *i could probably re-sell him no problem*. A huge red roan gelding like him that would make a fantastic rope horse or ranch horse. There are alot of ropers and ranchers here that would probably buy him in a heart beat.


RJ, I do caution you with this - the problem with a sight-unseen buy is that (other than the seller's word and the vet exam) you really don't know what his flaws are. He could be good as gold, or he could have some issues - unfortunately that's a big risk you take with buying sight-unseen.
I do urge you to proceed with caution if your heart is set on this horse  and of course you know I wish you the best of luck with your decision and the outcome.


----------



## SpringWolf (May 6, 2009)

I bought our Trakehner sight unseen basically...all i saw was 2 videos and some pictures....emailing money is way to easy!! I had a good feeling about this horse and felt i didnt have the time to wait to see him due to another party interested (also sight unseen)...so i fell for it. 

he was two years old and was claimed to be halter broke and also work on getting him on a trailer. well....took 6 hours to get him a on trailer. also discovered too he was not completely halter broke as well as not being handled enough and had an issue of him freaking out and jumping the fence. All this in the first 2 weeks at our place.

at that point in time...i thought i had made a HUGE mistake, i cried lots lol

after time went on, he began to trust us and we worked on his halter training. He is 4 yrs old now and just recently backed and he is the sweetest thing ever!! I have NEVER seen a young horse this quiet...my 16 yr old son loves him...as its his horse. we have him boarded where they have an indoor arena, and the barn owner is totally in awe over him...says he normally doesnt like Trakehners and this is the first one he actually likes!


----------



## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

i bought my horse without seeing anything but pictures, hes the best horse ive had.


----------



## Curly (Mar 21, 2007)

I would advise against it if you can do it any other way. If there's no way to make it happen then try and get a video of the horse. You should also get a vet check. 

Having said this... I have bought two horses over the internet. The wiener I bought is truly a great horse (with un-broke horses you have less risk of getting a lemon as you get to train them). I also just bought a 2 year old site unseen. I have not seen her yet but I'm confident with the seller so I'm sure she'll be great. 

The internet allows us to buy horses so much easier and more efficiently. We can narrow down our search and get several horses to choose from. Its a great tool but one needs to be careful.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

The owner e-mailed me and said she will try and get the video done asap! I know what you mean allie, there are alot of risks, but i really do love this horse, he is truly my dream horse. And if he does have some training problems, i have a trainer that can help me. I asked for her to get me a video of his ground manners, being tacked up, and some lunging also. This seller seems like a very nice trustworthy person. Im also gonna see if i can get a friend to go check him out, she only lives 1hr 44mins away (but im not sure if she will do, but it doesnt hurt to ask). Well if i take him for a 30 day trial couldnt i just get a vet check done here by my own vet?


----------



## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

> Well if i take him for a 30 day trial couldnt i just get a vet check done here by my own vet?


 Yep, alot of people do that. Also make sure your vet can communicate with theirs.


----------



## sillybunny11486 (Oct 2, 2009)

A 30 day trail will hold up as a contract. All contract are legally binding unless its an illegal act (some other caveots as well). It dosent matter how silly, if both parties agree, and arent hiding anything it is binding. I just studied contract law for a few months from two good lawyers, and passed the exam so I might know a little something about it. They can be as simple as you want, just dont leave anything implied. It should all be explicit.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

ok! thanks for the help sillybunny.


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

justsambam08 said:


> I would say get some kind of contract with a 30-day test policy. That way you wont even have to resell him, you can just get your money back. If a seller isn't willing to do that, then you shouldn't buy him even if you are able to see him.


I don't know of ANY seller who would agree to that kind of time frame. 30 days for some stranger to do God knows what to my horse, and then say 'No thanks, give me my money back'? Not in this lifetime.

You either make time to go see the animal, or you take your chances and buy him sight unseen. Besides, if you buy him without a PPE, you're asking for trouble anyway.

Buying a horse is _caveat emptor_. You're responsible for doing your homework when purchasing any animal. The seller is under no obligation to give you your money back if you decide you don't want it anymore.

I MIGHT let you have a horse on a 14 day trial period, but I wouldn't allow the animal to go more than an hour away. If you think this horse is 'the one', you should be more than willing to make time to go see him and have him vetted.


----------



## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

Actually, I've seen plenty of sellers willing to do this---14 days is only just long enough for the horse to get settled in and you don't even get an inkling for his real personality. However, you have to specifically state what can and cannot do while in that trial period, and put it in writing. 

If you got the sort of feeling that potential buyers were going to do "god knows what" to a horse, why would you sell the horse to them in the first place?


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

well there is no way of me getting over there so thats that.


----------



## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Speed Racer said:


> I don't know of ANY seller who would agree to that kind of time frame. 30 days for some stranger to do God knows what to my horse, and then say 'No thanks, give me my money back'? Not in this lifetime.
> 
> You either make time to go see the animal, or you take your chances and buy him sight unseen. Besides, if you buy him without a PPE, you're asking for trouble anyway.
> 
> ...


While I personally wouldn't do a 30 day trial, I got Denny with one. The seller recommended it, and it made my buying experience just that little bit better. I think it is more common for multiple horse owners, or barn owners to do it, rather than a single horse owner - it's just too risky when you don't have property of your own to take the horse back on.


----------



## AlmostThere (Oct 31, 2009)

reining girl said:


> Im also gonna see if i can get a friend to go check him out, she only lives 1hr 44mins away (but im not sure if she will do, but it doesnt hurt to ask). Well if i take him for a 30 day trial couldnt i just get a vet check done here by my own vet?


The only way I would do this deal, if I were you, is if your friend can see the horse in person, maybe do a trial ride for you. I'd offer to pay her to go look at the horse for you if that would get her to do it.

Also, I'd do the vet check *before *taking possession of the horse. It's a lot easier to just not do a deal, than try to reverse a deal after the horse was shipped all the way to you. What if the seller claims damage was done during transport? Or claims the horse was sound before she sent it and something must have happened between the time you took possession and your vet looked at it?

What if the horse is being grossly misrepresented? Even if you managed to give the horse back you would still be out the shipping costs both directions.

I've heard too many stories of sellers misrepresenting their horses to trust in one I haven't been able to meet and ride myself. 

Good luck.


----------



## Kashmere (Nov 30, 2009)

Hmm.. I guess if you have some good horse experience, perhaps it will work!
Try to keep good contact with the seller too, why is she selling him? Did he ever occur (medical) problems? What training did he have before? And how is he with New things?
If it all sounds too sugarcoated, I'd say that it ain't so trustworthy ;-)
Although I would never do it (Yet! I just don't have the experience for it at this time), I'd say go for it!
Your heart wants him, and why not give it a shot? 
Who knows, it might just turn out to be that big Dream horse you always hoped for!


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

well im kinda thinking agaisnt it, there are just sooo many cons. I think im still going to wait for a video of him just in case. But at this point im probably not going to do it.


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

justsambam08 said:


> If you got the sort of feeling that potential buyers were going to do "god knows what" to a horse, why would you sell the horse to them in the first place?


That's not the point I was trying to make. Why should a seller be willing do a 30 day trial with a money back guarantee, and let the horse go more than an hour away off the property? 

The seller has no way to protect themselves financially if the purchaser injures the horse during the 30 days it's gone. So not only are they out the purchase price, they've got a vet bill and an unuseable horse as well.

In this day and age of people not admitting their own guilt, responsibility, and culpability in a situation, there's no way I'd let a horse leave for parts unknown with a contract slanted to give protection ONLY to the purchaser.

If multiple-horse sales barns do it, I'm sure their contract is ironclad and written in a way to protect themselves.

People are trying to make money when they sell horses, not give a 30 day free lease to someone who may or may not have the horse's best interests at heart.

As I said, it's the responsibility of the _purchaser_ to do their homework when buying a horse. Seeing one on the internet and falling in love doesn't mean when you meet the horse in person that it'll be a good match. 

If you buy based on pictures/videos alone it's a caveat emptor situation, and you have to be prepared that the animal might not be what you envisioned.

I spent a lot of time, money, and wear and tear on my vehicle this past summer/autumn looking for a new horse. I visited every one I was interested in, regardless of distance. I wanted to make sure that we were physically and mentally compatible. 

If someone's not willing to do that, then they have to be able to live with the consequences if they go ahead and buy the animal. It's certainly not the seller's fault if the purchaser and the horse don't get along.


----------



## blush (Feb 10, 2007)

I am somewhat against buying a horse sight unseen. JustDressageIt and Speed Racer have covered the cons and as you can probably see, they outweigh the pros. It's just wayyy too risky doing something like that.

However...a sight unseen buy is how I ended up with my boy. The only reason I agreed to ship a horse from another province that I've never seen, tried, or been around before was because my trainer was positive he was everything I was looking for and more. I trust my trainer 110%, so when she only saw a video of him and told me he is "the one" I knew he would be my dream horse. Now, I only agreed to a sight unseen buy because my trainer (who has experaince comming out her eyeballs) said it would be in my best intrest to buy him, not because little old me fell in love with a horse I really didn't really know anything about. The only reason I ended up buying him was because I had my trainer's approval. 

I think a sight unseen buy is fine only if you have an experianced horse person there with you when you're making your choice.


----------



## TwisterRush (Sep 8, 2009)

i have bought a few horses unseen, Such as my new mare twister who is coming on the 11th, I am doing a contract though.


----------



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

The weird thing is that the horse in my avatar was not only a sight unseen, but completely unlooked for addition.

To try and make a very long story short, I got him in trade for a horse that I'd bought, and who wasn't working out because of illness.

However, I'd known the seller for many years and he felt bad that the horse he'd sold me was sick and costing me a ton of money in vet bills, so he went out and FOUND another horse without telling me.

I didn't even know I was getting another horse until the day he came to pick up Asaad. I thought I was just getting my purchase money back.

Conny turned out to be my once-in-a-lifetime heart horse, but our beginning was quite rocky. He was tiny, underweight, liked to bite, and had a nasty temper. The ONLY reason I agreed to keep him on a trial basis was because the man who'd brought him to me asked me to give the little horse a month.

Had I _not_ had a relationship with the seller, I'm sure he wouldn't have gone above and beyond to take back the sick horse and find me another one. He was under no obligation to do any of that, and we both knew it.

Conny won me over within that month's time frame, otherwise I'm sure that gentleman would have honored his word and come to pick him up.

However, just because _my_ story turned out okay doesn't mean that yours will, if you buy sight unseen. Conny was the only horse I've ever gotten that I didn't go and see first. So good or bad, at least the decision to take on a particular horse was mine.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

Well as i said before, i am probably not going to do it.


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

Tho I would not recommend it to anyone, I have done it once with a filly I bought. She was a weanling and all I had to go by were pictures and what the sellers told me. With the pictures and knowing enough about her breeding, I was able to assume what she was likely going to be like and bought her.
Seeing a horse first hand should always be your first option but if you know what you're doing and what you're looking for it's definitely possible.


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

JustDressageIt said:


> Red flags to watch out for:
> - Getting the brush off; if the seller won't answer questions or seems rushed to get you off the phone, walk away. Same goes with answering certain questions, or refusing to get current photos or videos. If you show that you are absolutely serious about purchasing this horse, they should be doing everything possible to make you 100% comfortable with the purchase.
> 
> I'll add more as I think of it


You posted exactly what I was telling you a few days ago.

Thats what happened with a youngster I was looking at at the other end of the country. Things went along quite well, got the info I initially wanted, then when things started to get serious regarding the purchase, the seller started to stand off qutie a bit. To me it felt like I wasn't even dealing with the same person anymore.

Go with your gut. If you ever have an uneasy feeling, don't do it.


----------



## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

Didn't you say you are only 3 hours from the horse?? Take a drive and go see him!! That's not very far at all, I have to drive farther than that just to get to the mall!!
I have bought all of my horses site unseen and then driven a LONG ways to get them but they were all youngsters so I didn't have to worry about someone telling the truth about their training. I think I'd be scared to buy a broke horse without riding it first.


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

As long as you are mentally prepared for it to go either way, I don't see it as a bad thing. Three of my current four horses were purchased sight unseen and transported to me from halfway across the country. I had a LOT of phone calls with the seller, she was very happy to help and answer questions and very instrumental in arranging the transport (something else I had never done before). She also put me in touch with several references of other people who had bought horses she had bred. I did have a vet check on the three horses before the sale. That being said, I have a mixed bag as a result. My gelding far surpasses what I had hoped, he's amazing. My colt was a little wild indian and took a lot of work, however now he is priceless and I have high hopes for him as he matures. My mare, however, was in deplorable condition - while not sick, she was so skinny and in such poor shape it's clear the pictures I was shown of her were "old" ones. I think if you go in with your eyes open and aware of the risks - it's a chance worth taking.


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

appy luvr, there is something called a pass in my way, which is basically a road carved threw a mountain and its covered with snow and ice right now, so i am not going to risk my life to go see a horse.


----------



## Appy Luvr (Mar 16, 2009)

reining girl said:


> appy luvr, there is something called a pass in my way, which is basically a road carved threw a mountain and its covered with snow and ice right now, so i am not going to risk my life to go see a horse.


Eww, that doesn't sound fun!!! Winter can really be a pain!!!
Good luck in whatever you decide, he's a nice looking boy!


----------



## reining girl (Jan 30, 2009)

ya stupid winter, wish it would go away!


----------

