May be getting another horse! (update)

It's really not advisable to use the forums for real-life advice . . . any questions would be best addressed to the individuals within the situation, rather than people online.

All the best with your horse search Pistol, it's great you'll be getting a riding horse!
I second River about the advice though :3 do what you think is best and consult someone you trust !!

@River: My bad. I've asked others in the situation and they don't really know, and I figured some other members have gone through the same thing. Sorry.

@Stormy: Thank you!!

I would suggest requesting a video of him moving out (preferably with someone riding him) so that you can see if he is sound or not and how he behaves under saddle before spending the time to go see him in person. It would also be a good idea to request some proper confo pics just to make sure there aren't any obvious problems that he might have and also give you an idea of how comfy he will be to ride.

When you go to see him, have the owner ride him before you do! Always always make sure the horse is safe and sound before you get on. Ask tons of questions (what bit he is ridden in, does he have vices, past injuries, why they are selling him, personality, pedigree). Make sure he isn't drugged or anything when you go see him, might seem crazy but people actually do this when they have a troublesome horse they want to get rid of. Check to see if his lip is droopy and how responsive he is to pressure to make sure he isn't drugged.

If you're paying a lot for him I suggest getting a vet check. Owners are seldom completely honest when selling horses and some people flat out lie to you. I would also recommend trying him more than once unless you are really convinced that he is "the one". It's up to you if you want to bring a trailer but even if you don't take him home the first visit you could still try loading him to see how is in the trailer.

He's a cutie! I hope you have good luck with him, always super exciting when you're getting a new horse :D

Last edited on 2016-10-22 at 02:04:48 by Sherwood Meadows

@Sherwood: Thank you!

His ad did have a video, and I did not notice any lameness and I also asked the owner if he had past or current soundness issues, to which he replied he had none. I will definitely ask a lot of questions; most were answered in the ad but I am planning on asking lots more, don't worry.

The seller is a well-known dealer with no bad reputation, so I trust him as a seller however I will always be cautious. I will ride him for around an hour to get a feel, and I'm sure the owner will ride first.

Unfortunately my parents aren't willing to make another drive out there to check him out twice, but that's why I will be riding him for an hour+, and the 90-day-deal works out just as well with that.

Again, thank you! I will make my decision properly this time, as I ended up with a lame horse last time lol. Learned from my mistakes!

Then I agree, taking a trailer is the best decision. I just wish you'd have time to get a vet check. Speaking from experience, a friend of mine purchased a cheap horse who had a severe case of tying up (a muscle disorder that caused the horse to have temporarily paralysis, at one point the horse collapsed suddenly on top of her while she was riding on the trail alone). It sounds like you're pretty sensible, but situations like this can happen, unfortunately. If an ad seems too good to be true, it probably is.

I hope he works out for you! I'd be curious to see the video just because I love checking horses for lameness haha. In case you don't want to show it, just make extra sure you check to see if the horse is pinning it's ears, short striding, or preforming any bucks (no matter how minor), and if they are reluctant to pick up a certain lead into the canter. A lot of the time that can be a hint that the horse is uncomfortable. It could be due to pain, behavioral problems, ill fitting saddle, or simply a mistake the rider is making, but pay attention nevertheless. Gosh I'm rambling.

Horses's are honest animals, so even if the owner doesn't tell you that something's up, the horse will let you know!

Of course! If I could link the video I would, however it's on Facebook and so the link isn't really "grab-able" if you know what I mean.

He looks okay, no pinning ears and is responsive to the rider's seat and hands. He has beautiful turns and a nice strided canter. The only issue about the video I see is that the rider has very ill posture and slightly rough hands, but that's all I noticed.

I'll definitely be careful, no worries! I'm also bringing a couple trusted people (instructor and my farm-owner) that know more about buying than I, so that's a plus.

Awesome! Sounds like you have it all figured out. Keep us updated :D

Definitely will! :D

Names:
Gillet
Honey
Tobby
Poco
Cash
Dash
Trout
Dawsyn
Tanner
Dawn
River
Bishop
Boomerange

Thank you NSNS! Those are very nice indeed c:

Marquee
Beignet
Cannoli
Macaron
Monsoon
Monster
Mace

so aglet isn't great with names; but he is a gorgeous horse so I thought I'd throw out my suggestions.

Ooh I love the French names :3

Come on Pistol, he TOTALLY looks like a Cookie ;)