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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
  
| Like the title says, what are the pros and cons of buying from a farm that goes our west, buys a load of horses, and sells them?
One thing that I don't like is that they really probably don't know THAT much about the horse..
I'm having a tough time finding a horse for myself. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| I would never buy from a dealer again unless they allow trades if the horse doesn't work out for you. I have 3 horses from dealers. Only one was from the type of dealer you described and this guy would let you trade back if you werent happy with the horse you had bought. He had a trail riding business and had a kids camp so these horses were actually used. I bought my one horse in the fall after he was used for kids camp. I have had the horse 7 years and he is the best horse I have ever owned. We had actually bought 3 horses from him, one we had sold because I wanted a mule (stupid decision!), the other we bought for my sister who still has him. If that guy was still in business, that would be where I would have gotten another horse.
And then I have two other horses from "dealers" that just sell for people locally. The one I had 3 days and found out I had a completely different horse than what was sold to me. He is now a pasture ornament. The other was from a friend's of the dealers and she just looooved this horse sooo much and if it didn't work out just bring him back. Ha yea right! I was stuck spending $3000 in vet bills the first couple months I had him. Complete scam artist.
Edited by Buckles 2017-08-02 7:58 AM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
 
| Depends on the level of horse I'm buying.
Prospect - sure. If there isn't much training on the horse then there isn't much to know that can't be descerned from handling him on the ground and a good vet check.
As more and more training has supposedly been done I get more and more curious of why a nice horse isn't being sold by an individual owner privately or at a quality auction.
It also depends on the "dealer" or "trader" and their reputation - ask a lot of questions and ask around for others who have purchased from them.
My first horse came through a trainer who sold a LOT of horses on consignment - a lot of folks would call him a trader. But the trainer I was with at the time knew him well and trusted what he had and we got one of the best first horses there could have possibly been. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| We've got a guy in our area that goes out West and buys trailer loads of ranch geldings. He's made a good name for himself, but he also has a 10 day money back guarantee. From personal experience, he stands by what he says.
So, I think you just have to do your homework on who you are dealing with. |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | It depends on the reputation of the DEALER ....... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Long story short, I'm an ex-dressage rider looking for my 1st western/barrel/gymkhana horse. This place seems very reputable, they have countless great reviews not only on FB but on Google, also. They are about 6 hours from us, but he said that if in 30 days the horse is not working out, you can bring it back.
I think the one thing I don't like is that you really don't know ANY of their vices, etc compared to a private sale.
How do these horses end up being sold this way? |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | emricmacy - 2017-08-02 8:32 AM
Long story short, I'm an ex-dressage rider looking for my 1st western/barrel/gymkhana horse. This place seems very reputable, they have countless great reviews not only on FB but on Google, also. They are about 6 hours from us, but he said that if in 30 days the horse is not working out, you can bring it back.
I think the one thing I don't like is that you really don't know ANY of their vices, etc compared to a private sale.
How do these horses end up being sold this way?
There are a few different types of "dealers." There are good and bad ones, just like you can buy from a good honest individual or a lying scumbag individual. I think there are 2 most common ones.
There's what I call the "horse trader" people who buy from auctions, or buy a bunch at a time for rock bottom prices. They know nearly nothing about the horses at the time of purchase, they're just taking a gamble because they're so cheap. They get them home see what they know and try to sell them as fast as possible to hopefully make a dollar. This seems to be what your post is asking about?
There's also consignors. Those who have a lot of horses to choose from because they are selling them for other people. They generally know the horse by reputation or by what information the owner has provided. They work on a commission for people who don't want to/don't have the time to/don't have the skill to sell the horse on their own.
Like others have said, it really depends on the individual. Horse traders typically have a bad rap, and for good reason. But there is one here in AL that I wouldn't hesitate to buy from if she had something that sparked my interest. She may not know much about the horse, but she will tell you everything she does know, and be as honest and upfront about it as possible. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Thanks for all the replies!
They seem to have rave reviews about them all online. The horse I am interested in is a 13 yo grade QH gelding. They bought him from Iowa on Monday. I'm going to call the guy I've been talking to today on my lunch break to get some more info about him. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| emricmacy - 2017-08-02 6:32 AM
Long story short, I'm an ex-dressage rider looking for my 1st western/barrel/gymkhana horse. This place seems very reputable, they have countless great reviews not only on FB but on Google, also. They are about 6 hours from us, but he said that if in 30 days the horse is not working out, you can bring it back.
I think the one thing I don't like is that you really don't know ANY of their vices, etc compared to a private sale.
How do these horses end up being sold this way?
"I think the one thing I don't like is that you really don't know ANY of their vices, etc compared to a private sale."
With private sales, that person can still with hold vices.
I like buying from trainers, especially ones Ive known for years and have seen several nice horses run through her barn. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 380
| I have found dealers and owner sellers to be equally dishonest. Buying a new horse is a risk because you have zero history of that horse regardless where you buy from unless you are buying from someone you know personally. The only horses I have found to be exactly what the seller said they were are horses owned by friends.
I was horse shopping early this year. Every person misrepresented the horses they were selling. Every single person. One horse looked like she had a mild case of ring bone. I told the seller she had a hitch in her step and a rough lump on her pastern. She says "oh she just walks that way and she is 11 years old and probably just bumped herself at some point".
Another private seller says the horse is sound. I go out the and the horse is terribly pigeon toed. Can't even go in a circle without tripping over herself. Lady says "oh she got a bad trim. A good farrier will fix that" . I laughed out loud. Told her the horse was probably hot housed as a weanling when they were showing her in halter. She is ruined.
Another gelding I tried almost flipped over in me.
Those were just a few of the horses I looked at. And I probably looked at 20.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| So what really can I ask the dealer if I go look at the horse that he's only had for a few days? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 380
| You can ask if you can do a vet check. Ask if has any coggins or vet records. Ask if you can have a trainer ride him for you. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| SloRide - 2017-08-02 10:27 AM I have found dealers and owner sellers to be equally dishonest. Buying a new horse is a risk because you have zero history of that horse regardless where you buy from unless you are buying from someone you know personally. The only horses I have found to be exactly what the seller said they were are horses owned by friends. I was horse shopping early this year. Every person misrepresented the horses they were selling. Every single person. One horse looked like she had a mild case of ring bone. I told the seller she had a hitch in her step and a rough lump on her pastern. She says "oh she just walks that way and she is 11 years old and probably just bumped herself at some point". Another private seller says the horse is sound. I go out the and the horse is terribly pigeon toed. Can't even go in a circle without tripping over herself. Lady says "oh she got a bad trim. A good farrier will fix that" . I laughed out loud. Told her the horse was probably hot housed as a weanling when they were showing her in halter. She is ruined. Another gelding I tried almost flipped over in me. Those were just a few of the horses I looked at. And I probably looked at 20.
Pretty accurate, I google past owners, the horses name, call previous owners, research as much as you can since you are not familiar with his history. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Can someone tell me the difference between a horse dealer and horse trader? Never heard the term horse dealer befor, but it does sound better then a horse trader. |
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| Depends. . . I have no desire to deal with buyers on horses I am selling. Hypothetically, I might send them to a dealer to sell for me. . . doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the horse. It would be tough wondering if they have all the background info on the horse. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
| I bought a horse from a dealer and I would do it again in a heartbeat! BUT the people I bought one from let me trade him back if I did not get along with him (within a reasonable time frame). I think the clause was that they would buy him back after 6 months but could not guarantee the full price or something along that manner. But the thing I liked about it was that I was able to try a large amount of horses in a single day, I think I rode about 8 or 10 different horses and this was helpful because I had traveled about 15 hours to look at them. The con that I had with the situation is that someone had purchased two of the horses that I had wanted to look at BUT I understood that they could not keep 12 horses around for me to get down there and try and I was not set on one particular horse before I came down. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 502
Location: United States | Depends on dealers reputation - totally. The buyer must have horse sense too. |
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Veteran
Posts: 220
| I had someone who did the exact same thing. Told me she would take the horse back if it didn't work out. I called her that day and told her I would like to bring him back for a less some money for her time. "Oh well I am sorry I have already promised that money somewhere else, but you shouldn't have a problem selling him." Luckily in the end we actually ended up loving the horse. But we felt he was a little small for the job we were buying him for. She eventually stopped responding to my messages. I wasn't being mean or rude just asking questions. Found out later thru word of mouth she is a known horse trader. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | Where are you located? |
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Veteran
Posts: 220
| Curious. What is hot house? |
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