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 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. |
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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. |
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 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.
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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 |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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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! |
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| 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! |
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 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.
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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 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. |
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 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
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| 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. |
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 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. |
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