|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 449
 
| I am currently looking at a horse that is about 8 hours away from me. Really like the mare and the papers, but a little nervous about purchasing before looking at. But, its a little too far to just jump in the truck and go look at. Anyone take a chance on something that far away if it is reasonable enough? |
|
| |
|
 Guys Just Wanna Have Fun
Posts: 5530
 
Location: OH | Many a time. |
|
| |
|
 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | All but one of mine were bought sight unseen. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | Make sure to get a vet check. |
|
| |
|
 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I'll be very carefull buying sight unseen after reading another thread that is on here. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
| I did! Had a vet check at a reputable equine practice, got a few references of mutual friends and all went great.
FB is a good tool for learning about potential sellers or finding friends of friends who could provide a little insight. As someone posted, the horse world is pretty small. You can almost always find someone who knows a seller.
Good luck!  |
|
| |
|
  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Depends. I've bought broodmares unseen and have been very pleased. Videos, lots of pictures from every angle help. I wouldn't buy a prospect without seeing them in person, unless a very trusted friend could view it for me. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | I have bought several prospects sight unseen, and I have been pleased with all of my purchases so far. I buy from reputable sellers, whether I personally know them, or someone I trust does. I get pictures from all angles, specifically the legs/feet, and a video of them moving through their gaits.
If you are paying a lot of money, or particularly nervous about buying unseen, then go ahead and get the vet check too. |
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 165
| I did and it worked out great! He was an unbroken 3 yr old. I liked the papers and just had them send me lots of photos of his legs... first and I knew of the sellers so I knew they were reputable. Not sure I would do it with an older horse though. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 326
| I will never buyer another horse without seeing it. I was taken advantage of so bad and lied to unmercifully. This person sells lots of horses on here. She has cheated so many people. My advice would be 8 hrs. could be cheap for what someone can say. Also vet them. Just be careful and proceed with caution. |
|
| |
|
 Sorry I don't have any advice
Posts: 1975
Location: Sunnyland Florida |
YES, I took a chance twice. Total loss of $13K between the two. NEVER again. People lie, Big Names Lie, Small Names lie, backyard people lie. If you are OK with losing the total investment, do it. If you're not OK with flushing the money down the toilet, do not do it.
I know there are honest people out there selling, I've met quite a few, and I'm one of them. I will tell you everything negative since I've owned it, point out conformation flaws if you don't see them, etc. However, why would you take a chance on getting one of the bad ones. Go see for yourself, and get a vet they don't know to do the check.
|
|
| |
|
 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I am in the process of hopefully picking up a young broodmare. She is being ridden and all that good stuff, but I only want her for a broodmare so I am not going to run her through an intensive vet check. I have seen pictures and am happy with them. I sell young horses- babies -2's all the time sight unseen. No one wants to come to the middle of nowhere Wyoming to look at a horse. So we ship them instead lol |
|
| |
|
 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| All the time under riding age and broodmares almost 100% of mine were bought sight unseen. I've sold most of mine sight unseen as well and never had any complaints |
|
| |
|
 Veteran
Posts: 151
| I'm in the "never again" group. I have all the lies in text and pretty sure she paid off the vet. Nightmare purchase and I can't get rid of him.
Second sight unseen purchase is just not a good fit at all.
A plane ticket is a lot cheaper than feed, vet bills, etc on a horse you can't sell. |
|
| |
|
 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | I will not buy sight unseen. Right now I'm planning to fly to Iowa to look at and ride one. The $250 roundtrip ticket is cheap insurance in my opinion to assure the horse is what they say he is. A couple of years ago I flew to Wisconsin to look at three -- owned by three different people. NONE were are represented. One was lame (video did not show it) -- one had really bad legs and hooves -- and one had big knees that required injections. None of this was mentioned or evident in videos/photos. I had a vet on site with me. There are some good folks out there -- but there are only a very, very, very few I would trust to send me a horse. Very few. Go look at the horse. If you buy and get stuck with a bad one -- it will cost you day after day after day..... |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| I would suggest driving to go see the horse. Perhaps you could meet partway? Regardless I'd go look at it, especially if it's something that is currently rideable. Now if it's not and it's a baby/weanling that's maybe another issue/thing. If you do buy it you could always hire a shipper or pay extra to get it closer to you |
|
| |
|
 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Mighty Broke - 2015-12-22 2:04 PM Many a time.
So have I, but you have to be willing to take a big risk. |
|
| |
|
 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| I've bought 6 sight unseen, sometimes things are slightly different than you dreamed, but overall I've been very happy. I've also sold several this way. |
|
| |
|
Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| i just bought one on her last year. a friend of mine looked at the 5 minute video she was trying to tell me horse was lame. she wasnot. i bought a 4 year old daughter of little corona out of a doc bar blondee dude mare thar was a little underweight and only trail broke. nice quiet mare not a mean bone in her body. not broke as i wanted. no lamnews. i love the mare she acts like she has a bottle of ace in her she so quiet. really atheletic. just need some ground to start practice on i just have grass. mo buck no rear, stands ground tied in center isle. quiet in trailer. couldnot ask for a better horse to ride and on the ground. would not take that 3500.00 i paid for aldso she was supposed to be 15 hands she is 15.1 and probably 1350 to 1400 lb. her but is so wide i cant hardly get my arms around her but. can catch her anytime of day. i wish i had the extra dough to sent her for a month to a reiner and thirty days to a barrel trainer. when you ride her you can tell how athletic she is. i would buy two dozen like her she moves off your legs anyway you want and she is easy on your hands too. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | That's the way I like to buy! I have had really good luck. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | I dont know if I would buy a finished one sight unseen but broodies and weanlings, sure. I just have a contract that they have to her past a vet check. |
|
| |
|
I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | I tend to buy a lot of prospects this way. I've lucked onto some pretty good deals, as well. I go into it knowing that the seller might be a phenomenal photographer. So long as the horse is structurally as it appeared, I'm prepared to deal with anything else. |
|
| |
|
 Go For It!
Location: Texas |
I can't help but think that it's only an 8 hour drive... That's not very far. You could do it in a day. But I have bought some sight unseen, and sold a couple that way too. But nothing that was only eight hours away. That I would go look at and bring home myself if I decided to buy it.
|
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | oija - 2015-12-22 9:00 PM I dont know if I would buy a finished one sight unseen but broodies and weanlings, sure. I just have a contract that they have to her past a vet check.
this |
|
| |
|
Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | grinandbareit - 2015-12-23 1:00 AM I can't help but think that it's only an 8 hour drive... That's not very far. You could do it in a day. But I have bought some sight unseen, and sold a couple that way too. But nothing that was only eight hours away. That I would go look at and bring home myself if I decided to buy it.
Exactly. Hook your trailer up, make a vet appointment in advance and go prepared to vet and get back home. 8 hours is a very doable piece of cake. Now clear across the country would be a different matter, but 8 hours leaving at 5:00 a.m puts you there at 1:00 p.m. and set the vet for 3. Get hotel room and head out at 5:00 a.m and your home by 1:00 next day. Piece of cake. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434
Location: Northwest Florida | I've bought and sold sight unseen, no complaints here! Yes, you're taking a chance but just go with your gut. |
|
| |
|
 Proud to be Deplorable
Posts: 1929
| I have bought several off the track 3 year olds that way. It worked out good for me. I also have bought more than a few just on pictures shipped them to trainers and later sold them for a profit without ever seeing them in person. I can say I only got burned once and that was buy a dealer who lied his butt off. |
|
| |
|
Member
Posts: 25
Location: siberia it seems | If it being ridden, go in person. People will lie, lie and then lie some more. I bought two different 3 year olds early in the year on two different occassions without looking and got took both times. I live in Colorado and the first one came from a big name in South Carolina just starting to lope the barrels. I made the mistake of not checking him right away and giving him time off because I had plans to get him better broke and riding nice before I started him on barrels. He ended up having an old, pre existing stifle injury and he would not stay sound for barrels, he got a year off and was sold at a loss for a trail and ranch horse. He was also a Cribber, which of course, they denied knowing. The second horse came from a well known race track operation in Louisiana that sells a ton of them. I asked tons of questions, had her shipped. Well of course, she gets here and has a blue spot on one eye, and "oh," which of course, she didn't think it was important to tell me because she has just had it all along and was fine. I did not want to pay $1000 again to ship her back, so I took her to CSU to check it. It ended up being an old, deflated cyst and would not change or get worse. It is on the very front, upper corner and does not affect her vision for barrels, so I kept her, but it should have been disclosed. I also personally know of a horse for sale right now on here being grotesquely mis-represented (SP?) by people who don't miss church on Sunday , so be cautious. For some reason, selling horses turns some people, I know not all, greedy and ugly. God bless those that are honest and stand up kind of people! |
|
| |
|
| MObrlrcr - 2015-12-22 2:03 PM I am currently looking at a horse that is about 8 hours away from me. Really like the mare and the papers, but a little nervous about purchasing before looking at. But, its a little too far to just jump in the truck and go look at. Anyone take a chance on something that far away if it is reasonable enough?
I bought a 3 year old paint filly this summer from someone I've never met personally but have known of for quite awhile, seen their horses run at events and have sort of followed their progress. Some people you can just tell they are honest so I wasn't afraid to buy sight unseen from them. This filly was over 8 hours from me. They had her hauled to me by a friend of theirs so it worked out great! I think you need to know a little about the people you are buying from and make sure they have a good reputation. I am excited for this filly's future as she's an own daughter of Judy's Lineage, just what I was looking for! |
|
| |
|
 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | Depends.
I've only bought one horse sight unseen. She was a coming 2-year-old filly, barely halter broke, for $800. I had the owner send me tons of pictures, sent a deposit to hold her until I could get her, and then picked her up.
Generally, I do like to see the horse myself, even if I showed up with the trailer to pick them up.
Ultimately, its your call and what you can "afford to lose" if the deal goes south.
|
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| If they are cheap, I will take a gamble.
4 yrs ago I bought a judge cash daughter sight unseen, was told she was injured as a barrel horse, could not handle daily riding, and the people who were selling her could not get her in foal. For 500 plus the 800 shipping, I could afford to loose if I couldn't get her in foal. Currently I have 3 babies on the ground. Best gamble I ever took.
If the horse is cheap I ask for the basic, 4 views of legs, conformation shots. I won't be excessive, as with anything it is a gamble, even vet checks are subjective. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 449
| ThreeCorners - 2015-12-23 8:38 AM
grinandbareit - 2015-12-23 1:00 AM I can't help but think that it's only an 8 hour drive... That's not very far. You could do it in a day. But I have bought some sight unseen, and sold a couple that way too. But nothing that was only eight hours away. That I would go look at and bring home myself if I decided to buy it.
Exactly. Hook your trailer up, make a vet appointment in advance and go prepared to vet and get back home. 8 hours is a very doable piece of cake. Now clear across the country would be a different matter, but 8 hours leaving at 5:00 a.m puts you there at 1:00 p.m. and set the vet for 3. Get hotel room and head out at 5:00 a.m and your home by 1:00 next day. Piece of cake.
Might be a piece of cake for some, but not me. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1414
| I've purchased many horses sight unseen from weanlings to finished barrel horses. Pictures and videos show a lot but in the end you gotta go with your gut. |
|
| |
|
 Color My World
Posts: 4940
Location: My perfect world bubble | I bought 2 ponies sight unseen but both had a trial period and both worked out superbly.
However - I would never again purchase site unseen without a trial period of some sort. And I know that's not common in most disciplines - the ponies I referenced above were hunter ponies where it is common.
I've been burned and lost thousands of dollars before. It's just not worth it when you can buy a plane ticket for a few hundred bucks. |
|
| |
|
 Can You Hear Me Now?
Location: When you hit the middle of nowhere .. Keep driving | I've done it both ways. I just drove 8 hours each way to see a horse... was there loved him and another one so I ended up buying 2. Went back the next week to pick them both up. I've bought several sight unseen as well and if I've done my research and vet checks have never been worried or had a problem. It depends on how much risk you are willing to take.
Eta: I actually feel safer buying sight unseen then locally. Horse people around where I live will say anything to sell a horse and they trade like crazy. My horses all come from far away.
Edited by ndiehl 2015-12-25 10:32 AM
|
|
| |
|
| Have sold every weanling this way-I give references from previous buyers so the potential buyer knows I'm up front on whatever I tell them. No complaints yet-only feedback is how much they like the colts. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | I had a bad experience and won't do it again. Not worth the risk for me. |
|
| |
Buying a younger horse sight unseen???