Where to find the perfect horse
My friend
loved a rather obscure breed of horse called a Bashkir Curly. There weren’t any
in her area, so she found an older stallion online in Washington state. After
much communication with the seller, watching videos, and examining photos, she
bought him and had him shipped to her barn in Pennsylvania. Chuck ended up
being a delight for her, and she still has him many years later.
I
know others who weren’t so lucky. Yes, if you do your research well you can buy
a horse and have it shipped from Germany. There are actually horse brokers who
can help you with this, but it’s very important to find someone reputable. You
will be making a huge investment that may or may not pay off.
I am
of the opinion that, given at least good genes and conformation, it’s the
correct training of a horse that matters more than the fancy price. I have seen
beautiful, expensive horses ruined in just a few years and other not-so-fancy
horses excel with the right training.
In
our technology-driven world, armchair shopping is the new norm, and that goes
for buying horses too. One of the first things we did when beginning our search
was open up the computer and visit some popular sites. These included:
http://www.dreamhorse.com (where we found
our first prospect, Misty.)
http://www.equinenow.com (where I found
what sounded like the perfect horse… who was already sold.)
There are many more, but
these were enough to get us started.
There
are caveats to online listings. A seller can present a horse any way they like,
making a backyard pony look like a show horse star. And unfortunately there are
many shady horse traders. But there are also many people who genuinely care
about their animals and want to find them a good home.
Word of Mouth
Many times the perfect horse
for you is right under your nose. At the barn where I currently board, one of
the lesson horses was not working out. This mare was a great horse who just
needed someone to understand her. One of the girls who worked at the barn
part-time saw her potential. Jewel now has a lovely partnership with her
devoted owner, a win for both of them.
Put
the word out to your horse-loving friends, and chances are you’ll get some
pings on good prospects. Is there a barn with a lesson program that needs to
retire a horse? Sometimes older lesson horses are a great way to start if you
are a beginner. These tried- -and-true mounts have been there, done that and
can help teach you the ropes.
If
you take lessons, ask your instructor for suggestions. They may know of horses
that would fit your level of experience and can help you in your search. Just
keep in mind that ultimately it’s your decision. Learn as much as you can so
you’re not relying entirely on someone else. I know of a few instructors who
would often match people up with the horse they wanted to ride and
didn’t necessarily think of the students as much as they should have. When in
doubt, trust your gut.
Rescues
Our horse Sky’s current
pasture mate is a retired Thoroughbred named Zeta. Her owners got her when a
local farm was closing and needed to get rid of their horses. Zeta had raced in
her younger years but had mostly been a broodmare. She hadn’t been ridden much,
and if she couldn’t be re-homed there was the chance she’d be put down. The
family that rescued her has given her a wonderful life, and in return she has
given them much joy.
Check
with your county and see if there’s a large-animal rescue group nearby.
Adoption is a beautiful thing (for animals and people!) and there are horses
still in their prime just waiting for homes. A rescue organization can also be
a great fit if you’re willing to take the extra care needed to help an abused
or neglected horse. Just keep in mind that a rescue horse usually has a
negative history. They can be the most loving, caring horses out there, but you
must be patient and understanding as sometimes they have issues of trust to
work out. Don’t write off rescues by any means, but spend time talking to
others who’ve rescued horses before you jump into those waters.
Auctions
One of the greatest modern
horse stories of all time is that of Snowman, a horse Dutch immigrant Harry de
Leyer bought for $80 in 1956 at the New Holland, Pennsylvania auction house.
Snowman was a former plow horse already on the truck to the slaughterhouse when
Harry saw him and gave him a new home. Snowman became the 1958 and 1959 United
States Jumper Champion.
If
Harry hadn’t attended that auction Snowman would never have had the amazing
life the de Leyers gave him.
Still,
I usually don’t recommend first-time horse owners attend auctions. It takes an
experienced eye and an unemotional mindset to purchase at an auction. I know if
I went I’d want to bring every horse home!
Tack
shops
Haunt your local tack shops and scour their bulletin
boards. Often owners will post flyers of horses for sale, and the shop owners
may be able to point you in a good direction too.
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