Advantages and disadvantages of different providers.
An own horse is the dream of many. First you should think about whether you really have the time to take good care of a horse. An own horse needs sufficient movement as well as an appropriate response. So there should be someone on site every day to check if the horse is doing well. Smaller injuries can happen very quickly.
Once you are sure that you do justice to the horse, the search begins.
In online sales portals you get an overview of what horses are sold. You can also contact the seller directly via portals. There are different types of sellers.
Dealers
Instructor
Mediator
From private
Breeder
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each provider:
1) Dealer
A trader usually earns his money by buying horses cheaper, training some of them and selling them at a higher price. With some traders, many horses are bought at the same time and sold again as soon as possible. Therefore it can sometimes happen that they do not know the horse and its characteristics very well. As a buyer, you often do not know the animal's past history and cannot exclude the possibility that the horse has had negative experiences or has had illnesses in the past.
At a dealer you can also find exactly the right horse if you know what you are looking for and have experience of what to look for.
Because the selection at the dealer is usually large. Therefore you can try different horses directly. The price is also negotiable. But be careful! A dealer is a professional trader and knows all the tricks to make a deal to his advantage.
+ usually larger selection
+ Negotiation possible but not easy
+ with experience a good offer possible
- not every dealer is reputable
- often mass instead of class
- History of the horse often not known
- Potentially unknown characteristics or diseases
- hard negotiating partner who knows all the tricks
You should always buy from a dealer with the necessary scepticism and rather have the horse examined once too often.
IMPORTANT: Before selling, it is always advisable to have your horse examined by a trusted veterinarian.
2) Instructors
A trainer does not own the horse himself and usually only presents it.
When can this be the case? For example, a trainer has a customer who finds out during training that the horse no longer suits him or he is looking for a new horse himself. The trainer usually continues to train the horse, so that it can be presented in the best possible way to achieve a good price.
The trainer usually receives a percentage of the sales price. This gives him an interest in selling the horse at a profit. But usually the trainers know the horse very well. This means that they usually only recommend the horse to riders or buyers who should be able to handle the animal. In some cases it can also be the case that a horse is sold because it has peculiarities. These would then be avoided if possible. Therefore one should always ask the question: "Why is the horse being sold?
The answer may be dishonest, but if you can read between the lines you can see if the question makes you feel insecure or if the answer is not clear or confident.
Note: Most of the time you will find a very solid horse but no clear new Olympic star. The trainer would probably already buy this one himself.
+ mostly well trained / good to ride
+ often honest recommendation
+ you know the horse well
+ usually well groomed horses
- Mostly no bargains
- in some cases the horses are sold because of training problems that are not addressed
- Negotiation often difficult, little leeway
With a trainer you can usually find good horses, but they also have their price. Because the seller also pays for the training of his horse, which logically means that the costs incurred also influence the price.
IMPORTANT: Before buying, it is always recommended to have the horse examined by a trusted veterinarian.
3) Mediator
Agents do not own the horse but are only instructed to sell the horse at a good price. The agent takes care of the appointments and usually leads the communication with potential buyers. They are happy to offer the seller a complete package in which they create videos and photos of good quality and place the sale advertisement on websites and portals in a visually appealing way.
There are intermediaries who act more like traders who know little about the horses in the portfolio. Especially for videos they like to help you to make the walk more effective. Therefore you must always be critical and never buy a horse just because of a sales video.
The agent has his arrangements with the buyer. Whether he earns a percentage or a fixed amount is not known to the buyer and of course he will earn money. But he is also interested in a good feedback. Only if an agent gets a good reputation he will get more orders and customers. The agent will therefore usually only recommend a horse if it fits well. If the runner would be dissatisfied and give it back to the seller, both seller and buyer would not be satisfied with the service of the agent. Therefore he usually tries to find a good mediator.
The intermediary often has experience and is interested in good horses. He also knows a lot of breeders and people who entrust their horses to him. So you can get a good horse for a justified price.
Since the agent can usually assess the quality of the horse, there is a certain amount of room for negotiation, but not much room for improvement.
+ Well presented horses
+ mostly good quality horses
+ often horses you would otherwise not be able to reach
+ Competent mediation, search for the right horse partner
+ Organisation of appointments usually simple
+ usually realistic price
- not every intermediary knows the horse in detail
- Negotiation possible but usually not much leeway
- Videos or photos sometimes not necessarily real relaxed walk, often effectively staged
It makes sense to find out which intermediary has a good reputation. Because an agent usually offers a good complete package, which can be especially helpful for the first purchase. The prices are usually very realistic, so that there is usually a good price-performance ratio.
IMPORTANT: Before buying, it is always advisable to have your horse examined by a trusted veterinarian.
4) From private
When selling a horse privately, the most important thing is WHY the horse is being sold.
Frequent reasons for the sale can be:
-> financial shortage
-> private circumstances such as moving, separation, studies, illness of the owner
-> problems between rider and horse or they do not fit together
-> Training problem with the horse (limit to learning ability)
-> Disease in horses, limited riding ability
Therefore, a detailed conversation is a prerequisite when buying a private home. It is necessary to find out the reasons why a private individual decides to sell. Usually a horse is not sold carelessly and there are good reasons for the seller to do so.
There are reasons that are clearly understandable, but there are also reasons where the alarm bells should ring.
Many sellers overreach themselves financially and must then sell the horse quickly. The seller usually meets this quickly in negotiations in order to avoid having to bear the monthly running costs. Even in private circumstances, the horses are usually only to be sold because it is no longer suitable for the individual person. If you can't find the right time for the animal, owners sometimes decide to sell it so that the horse can continue to be well looked after.
If there are problems between rider and horse, it may simply be that the horse and rider simply do not fit together. If horses are sold for this reason, you should check whether you yourself are a better match for the horse.
But you should critically question if the problems are caused by bad habits. Climbing, humping and refusing can be better with another rider, but it does not have to be.
This can also result in training problems. But it can also be that a rider of a larger line is sporty and the horse's learning ability or potential is not sufficient for the ambitious plans. Here you can usually get good horses, if you do not intend to enter the big sport with the horse yourself.
Diseases in horses are particularly problematic. For example, chronic diseases drive sellers to sell an animal. If the selling price seems to be quite low for the quality of the horse, there may be an unspoken disease behind it.
+ Private person usually knows his horse well
+ You can find good horses
+ usually the seller is interested in finding a good home
+ mostly honest negotiation possible
- Motives for a sale can be critical
- You may not learn the full truth
- Prices are not always realistic
- Horses not necessarily in good condition/ level of training
With private sellers you never know exactly what to expect. You can find the perfect horse or buy problems. You should therefore think very carefully before buying whether the horse suits you.
IMPORTANT: Before buying, it is always advisable to have your horse examined by a trusted veterinarian.
5) At the breeder
The life of a horse always begins with the breeder. The breeder has the mother mare and usually knows the horse from day one. Of course there are also less serious ones at breeders. But usually a breeder is very concerned about finding the best for his bred horses. As a buyer you know what the horse has experienced. Because without an intermediate owner you can always find out directly when the horse was where, what it might have had and what it has experienced. At a breeder's you usually get mainly younger horses or horses that are not yet well trained.
But if the breeder has a trainer in the stable, you can also find further trained horses there.
If you buy a horse from a breeder you should definitely continue to work with an instructor and training, so that the horse can be trained properly. The breeder offers good horses at a fair price, which often have a lot of potential.
Negotiations with the breeder should not go too deep. Because the breeder usually sets his price adequately. Offers that are too low are often perceived as impertinent, which can lead to a sale bursting.
The breeder calculates the price on the basis of rearing costs such as the seed, the feed, the costs of keeping the young animal and its mother, as well as costs for vaccination, worming and other regular things (e.g. hoof care).
Of course, the potential/quality is usually priced in as well.
+ Breeders know the horse from birth
+ Life story of the horse is completely known
+ Horses are usually in good condition
+ Fair prices
+ mostly serious seller
- often little trained horses, experience and/or support in further training necessary
- little room for negotiation
At the breeder you can often find very good horses at a fair price. You can usually see directly where the horse has grown and how tall it is. By buying a horse from a breeder you support a good breeding.
However, it is highly recommended to consult a professional with whom you can support the further training of the horse after the purchase.
IMPORTANT: Before buying, it is always recommended to have the horse examined by a trusted veterinarian.
Once you have found the right horse for you, you will find high-quality equipment for a good start at: https://www.equifinity.de/collections/all