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Veteran
Posts: 116
| Anyone here ever purchased a prospect without seeing them in person?
If you have received pictures and discussed the horse over the phone?
He isn't crazy far away, but I'd rather not drive in the snowy mountains this time of year. He isn't very expensive so wouldn't be a huge loss if something was wrong with him.
Your experiences? Thanks :) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| Yes I have the pedigree was to die for, the price was cheap.
I look at the resale value, if the horse ends up lame can I recoup my losses by selling the mare as broodmare only.
So far I haven't been burned.
Edited by cheryl makofka 2014-03-21 9:38 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | Last year i bought a mare off BHW. She was off the track, with a really good pedigree. I checked the people out as best I could, and bought her from Ohio, and shipped her here to TX. She is a turning out nicely. I really prayed about it, and did my homework. i don't know I would recommend you do that, but it worked for me... |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I bought a long yearling. He toes out some which didn't show up in the pictures as he had just been trimmed. If I keep him trimmed, it's not hardly noticable, but I know it and that is a bummer. Vets say it won't hurt a thing for what I have planned for him. I love him though and have really enjoyed him. I get him back next week after having 30 days under saddle. |
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 Keep those crap slapping tails away!
Posts: 8871
 
Location: Around here somewhere... | II have bought several unstarted prospects online, and would do it again. I was burned with one that I got from a long time acquaintance, all of the others were great. |
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Veteran
Posts: 116
| Thanks everyone! Due to him being a gelding.. wouldn't have the option to sell as a broodmare :P
Did everyone get vet checks before bringing them home, or just hoped luck would be on their side?
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I just bought sight unseen for the first time last week. I did my homework on the seller, they were even straight forward about an abscess that had just blown and sent me lots of pics of that, even though the filly isn't sore on it in the least. She didn't cost me anything that would put me in a bind to lose.
So far I love her! She is prettier and has had more handling done than I expected. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 502
Location: United States | I have bought 4 young prospects (1 yearling, 2 2 yrs old, 1 3yo old) sight unseen, with photos and video of 2. Worked out great. I bought from reputable people that had sucess in the arena and breeders that produced. No vet checks. All are good friends too! |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | mystiboo - 2014-03-21 10:39 PM Thanks everyone! Due to him being a gelding.. wouldn't have the option to sell as a broodmare :P Did everyone get vet checks before bringing them home, or just hoped luck would be on their side?
Mine was cheap enough I didn't do a vet check. Plus he was a long yearling that hadn't done much but hang around. If it was much money though, young or not...I would do a vet check and maybe x ray a few places. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| mystiboo - 2014-03-21 11:39 PM
Thanks everyone! Due to him being a gelding.. wouldn't have the option to sell as a broodmare :P
Did everyone get vet checks before bringing them home, or just hoped luck would be on their side?
A
No I didn't do vet checks, but mine were all young.
I did buy a started 2 year old and he is the only one I have had problems with, he is 7 he has never been really worked as he has broke his splint bone a few times, and now his hocks have severe arthritis. I have had to fuse them as it affected him loping. The vet said in this case all his problems were due to malnutrition. This wouldn't have shown up in a regular prepurchase exam.
In your case you must ask yourself if this horse has soundness issues, can you afford to fix them? And can you afford to buy another horse?
I would ask if the horse has ever seen a vet, if so I would ask to see the records.
If the horse has been ridden for a few years, I would encourage you to do a vet check |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1115
| I have not personally done that, but a boarder at our barn bought a stallion and yearling filly from CA sight unseen. He paid under $10,000 but he did get taken. The stallion was advertised as sound and it turned out he wasn't. The filly was nice but nothing that would get the guy his money back. Due to an issue with his hind leg the stud couldn't even be used for breeding. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | We buy almost all our horses sight unseen. We get videos ask lots of questions and I research like mad. I've been lucky though and not had many issues and made some great friends doing it.
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | A friend bought one sight unseen.........the owners left out the part where he was a diehard cribber.
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| No, I wouldn't do it again. |
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Veteran
Posts: 116
| Thank you everyone! It sounds like the majority of you have had good experiences.
He is unstarted and just halter broke, so less chance of unsoundness *hopefully* I will ask about vet, vices etc, they seem honest to me. I'll just have to cross my fingers it all works out!
Worst case scenario.. He'd be a beautiful pasture pet. But let's hope it won't come to that for at least another 20 years ;) |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1196
Location: Wide open spaces, Canada. | Yes I have , I always vet check . Way easier to walk away than end up with a cripple, especially if its a gelding .
Edited by porky 2014-03-22 11:09 AM
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| I've purchased my broods sight unseen, and the closest came from SD or OK. I know brood makes it some different, but I either had confidence in the seller or lots of photos to go on even for them.
I bought one prospect off a couple pics on BHW. Knew the seller was honest and knew at the price of the filly she wouldn't last the day. Had the money wired by noon on the day the add was placed.
I'd buy that way again with the same conditions: either lots of pics or a seller I know at least by reputation.
Edited by lonely va barrelxr 2014-03-22 11:45 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | Yep, we have bought and sold sight unseen - well, from pictures and videos - for years. Have also bought in person and sold to people that came to look.
I should sit down sometime and count, but just off the top of my head, I'd guess that the success of the sale/purchase wasn't any higher on those that came to look or that I looked at.
To me, as a seller, I think what makes the best chance of a successful transaction is a buyer who really knows what they want/need in a horse. When someone like that contacts me, if I have the right horse for them, I know I can count on years of happy emails from them about that horse.
To be clear, we only buy breeding stock and we mostly just sell prospects. I'm not suggesting anyone go buy an expensive rodeo horse without trying him/her out.
Our most recent site unseen purchase has turned out better than I hoped. We bought a son of Seattle Slew off pictures and had him shipped. Since he's a stud, and an old one, we did have a vet check him . . . I want someone to check teeth and testicles for me! ha! The sellers kept telling me how quiet and nice to handle this horse is and I kept thinking, "yeah, sure." Wow, they were actually telling the truth! And he's an even better horse than his pictures show - not uncommon in old studs. Anyway, my point there is that if you are buying a prospect site unseen, a good pedigree suited to what you want will make the odds you like your colt much higher.
Any horse deal can be great or terrible. I'm not sure that going to look necessarily increases your odds in general. Vet checks probably do but frankly on a prospect are probably a waste of money 9 times out of 10. Of course if you are that 1 in 10 . . . .
Good luck!
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I would not buy a high price horse like that. But a young started horse or a broodmare maybe even a stud. But i have bought tons of prospects that are green broke like that no problem. Made money on most. Usually the less i paid the more money i would make. I know it sounds stupid.
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Expert
Posts: 1414
| I have bought yearlings to finished horses sight unseen. If the horse was within a couple of hours I'd definately go look first but I seem to be attracted to horses 48512 hours from home.
I know it isn't for everyone but it's worked out good for me. |
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Buying horse sight unseen?