HORSE PURCHASE Services

Trying to find a horse to buy can be very time consuming and near impossible, unless by some miraculous luck your friend is selling their solid and sound horse that you have known for the last five years.  However, this is a rare occurrence as far as I have seen and if you manage to find your perfect horse this way, you are one of the lucky ones, knowing a horses history is very handy but also very unusual.  

Given the difficulties and risk associated with finding your perfect horse, I have recently started offering a horse finding service whereby I will do as follows on the buyers behalf:

  1. Discuss your requirements with you and get a feel for exactly what you are looking for.  We will discuss the type of work the horse will do, your time-frame, who will be riding it, the level of work, the age, the height you are looking for, whether it is a mare or gelding (or stallion), what breed and/or type, whether the horse needs to be able to live in or out and any other specific requirements you may have. 
  2. I will then research horses that are available using my knowledge of the industry and that fit your description of what you need - whether this is a kids lead reign pony or a hedge hopping hunter or a happy hacker.  I will then narrow down the results and prepare a detailed list that you can review of horses that are for sale from both private sellers and dealers. 
  3. Using this list, I will then begin contacting the sellers and speaking with them about the horses background and trying to ascertain the horses suitability, as well as ascertaining whether the seller seems sane and reasonable.  This is often a problem, the description sounds amazing and perfect, but the more you speak with the seller, the more cracks that can appear - for example, not wishing to disclose a horses vet history or being cagey about a previous owner, or why it hasn't been ridden for the last 6 months. 
  4. Once I have a solid list of sellers and their horses, having then done some additional research on the seller and the horse where possible, I will again sit down with you and work out which ones you would like to go and try.  
  5. I will set up viewings and attend the viewings with you if needed.  I will also try the horse for you if you need, then arrange for you to try the horse at a later date or at the same time depending on what you would like to do. I would always recommend that you try the horse yourself at least 2 to 3 times and in different environments, for example out on a hack and then in the school, depending on what sort of horse you are looking for.
  6. Once we have tried the horse a few times and you are satisfied that it is the right horse for you, I can then assist with arranging the transport, the vetting, obtaining veterinary medical history (where possible) and arranging strangles tests where needed.  If everything runs smoothly, I will then leave any price negotiations to you and let you proceed as you wish. 
  7. I am also happy to help with arranging transport to get the horse to you as well as finding recommended near-by livery yards, farriers and vets as needed.
  8. PS: Don't forget to insure the horse as soon as you have bought it.  Please see my other helpful tips below. 

THE COST

To find you your perfect horse to buy in the UK, I charge a fixed fee of £500.  This is payable in full at the time the search for your horse commences.  For this fee, I will carry out the items as set out above in order to find a horse that will match your requirements as precisely as possible. 

Please note that this fee will only be refunded if, in my opinion, I am unable to locate a horse that matches your needs within 6 months of my search commencing.  The fixed fee does not include travel time and costs.  Full Terms and Conditions can be found here. 

GET IN TOUCH

To discuss, please give me a call so we can find out exactly what you are looking for.  Tel: 07590 075701.

other things to think about

A few things to keep in mind when considering buying a horse:
  • Have an idea of where you want to keep the horse you buy and the costs involved - don't forget fees for the farrier and your horse insurance;
  • Your purchase budget and your livery budget;
  • Will you need to buy a new saddle, bridle and rugs or does the horse being sold come with everything?  This can be a large cost that buyers do not think of.
  • Always be prepared for the advert to say one thing and when you attend to view the horse, it is the opposite of what it said on the tin;  I am always happy to go in first and make sure a viewing is worthwhile.
  • Does the horse come with a no quibble refund and return policy if it does not meet the requirements of its new owner within the first 28 days?
  • Does your new yard require an advance strangles test?
  • Will your new horse live out 24/7 or be on full livery?  What does full livery include?
  • What kind of vetting do you need - a two stage vetting or a a five stage vetting?  In a two stage vetting the horse is not seen ridden.

These are just some of the things to think about when investing in a horse.  There are many many more but I don't want to bore you with a very long list. Get in touch for a chat and I will be happy to help.