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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? |
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 Guys Just Wanna Have Fun
Posts: 5530
 
Location: OH | Many a time. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | All but one of mine were bought sight unseen. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | Make sure to get a vet check. |
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 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. |
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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!  |
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  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. |
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 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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 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.
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 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 |
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 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 |
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 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. |
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 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..... |
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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 |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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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. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1526
Location: Texas | That's the way I like to buy! I have had really good luck. |
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