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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
  
Location: Idaho | Just curious, what's your take on it? I know people who have done it before and have got some pretty nice horses. They find them online and decide to buy them.
I have done it once before, bought a horse from a friend of a friend, and it didn't turn out so well. So what are the pros and cons? If you have bought sight unseen, how did you pick the horse? What precautions did you take? Did you know someone in the area to come to try them? Vet checks? Share your story with me!  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
| I bought my 3 sight unseen. I had nobody to check them out for me. I know what works for me, I know what to look for in videos of runs and slow work. I had vet checks on all 3, and knew what I could and couldn’t live with. I don’t expect prefect vet checks.
I do have two trainer friends who know me and know what I need and I relied heavily on their opinions.
I still have and love them all!!!!! I’m all for buying sight unseen. :) |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Why buy sight unseen? |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Pro: I saved $500 not having to buy a plane ticket.
Con: I lost $20,000 and now know who not to trust.
Go see the horse first, it will be cheaper in the long run. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Whiteboy - 2019-02-09 3:23 PM Pro: I saved $500 not having to buy a plane ticket.
Con: I lost $20,000 and now know who not to trust.
Go see the horse first, it will be cheaper in the long run.
This ^^^^  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Southtxponygirl - 2019-02-10 12:58 PM
Why buy sight unseen?Â
Not planning to, just have a lot of people waving the "buy this horse, sight unseen" flag. So just wanted to know more about it because I do know a lot of people who have. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I have done it before, but expected a lot less than was advertised. I based it off of pictures and conformation. I wasn’t dissapointed, but only because I didn’t expect what was advertised.. |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I bought my show horse as a long yearling off pictures. He toed out a lot more in person that any of the pictures she sent me, and I asked for plenty. Otherwise there weren't any surprises and the price was cheap.
Bought quite a few broodmares off pictures. Most were what I expected. One was not as thick as I like and seller said she was heavy made. But that might just be a matter of opinion. It is a trait I see often with Takin On The Cash bloodlines so I shouldn't have been surprised.
All my mares are checked for reproductive soundness or are currently in foal before I will buy them. I can only think of two that had 1 or 2 foals for us and never would get back in foal again. One I have no idea why, the other had a lot of cysts.
None had bad attitudes but that is probably just luck.
I sell 99% of my horses sight unseen. Most are weanlings to unstarted 2 yr olds. I have a ton of references for being honest and even bought back a filly that had an unknown injury that caused high ringbone. Lady had her 2 months but I believed the vet when he said the injury was old per the x ray. She never vet checked, but I was excited to have a filly by my late stallion so it all worked out.
I think I would be pretty hesitant to buy a $5000+ riding horse without jumping through all the hoops-vet checks, riding and seeing in person. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | DashNDustem - 2019-02-09 3:53 PM Southtxponygirl - 2019-02-10 12:58 PM Why buy sight unseen? Not planning to, just have a lot of people waving the "buy this horse, sight unseen" flag. So just wanted to know more about it because I do know a lot of people who have.
Edit to say good luck on your new horse when you find that right one.. 
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2019-02-09 4:34 PM
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 Saint Stacey
| I bought a 16 year old show mare sight unseen. She had AQHA points in something like 10 events. I only did it b cause the guy that told me about her said if I got her and didn’t like her, he’d buy her for what I paid so I really couldn’t lose.
I wouldn’t recommend it though. I did sell a mare sight unseen to a lady a long ways away. She’d watched the mare for 3 years via Facebook and saw all the videos and pictures. I was very upfront about the mare and it ended up being a win win for both of us.
I would never buy sight unseen from any trader types or brokers. If I did buy sight unseen, I’d try to and fine someone trustworthy to look at the horse in the area. I’d also stalk like crazy and get lots of pictures and videos with time stamps . |
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 Expert
Posts: 1630
Location: Up North | I did it twice. First time I traded a grulla nephew of Dial a Red Rooster for a bay mare by ASOF. Mare looked super nice, but had some quirks. Needless to say, got those worked through, she is a super nice 1D mare now, and I have owned her for 10 years now. Second one I just bought in August. Really cute 3 year old gelding by ASOF. He is everything ad said. He is really short at 14 hands even....which turns a lot of people off, but I love it! He was a steal of a deal pricewise for how well along he is. I could not afford him otherwise. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 705
Location: Weatherford, TX | I did it back in early January in 2002 for the first time half way across the country!
All I had a was a really, really bad race/win photo on a DTF 2YO gelding.
All the ‘faxed’ photo showed was that he was huge, had a tail and two front white socks! It was truly an awful photo.
I did get papers a day after though and told my Hubby that it was just a question/matter of just how good/great he was going to be.
(My Hubby thought I was certifiable).
And...we bought from a unknown broker to boot!
We paid so much more for that gelding than we had prior to that for any colt...like double.
He has been by far the best horse I have ever owned...all his quirks considered. LOL
He has always been all business and all go.
I truly do absolutely love that horse and have done right by him (owned him 17 years now and turned down big money for him over the years).
I really truly wish I had 10 more just like him...knowing what I do now. LOL
We have done it since then and made some money, but not like that one.
I cannot say we ever bought sight unseen and got screwed.
You just know in your ‘gut’ if it is right and a big time move. 
Edited by Gator Bug 2019-02-09 6:32 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 357
| We have pretty much bought all of our horses this way. We know what questions to ask, videos to ask for and always always research the horse well. Nothing irritates me more then asking for videos and the response is I don’t have any and not I do not have any at the time but will get some for you. It only takes a few minutes
I have a style I prefer and can easily tell in a video if it is my style or not.
From a seller stand point it is a lot less hassle, like time spent entertaining tire kickers and waiting around on people to show up but never do.
Edited by bbennington 2019-02-09 8:37 PM
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | I purchased a long yearling this past fall sight unseen, talked to the people a lot about his temperament and conformation. Signed a contract with them and hired a shipper. I couldn't have been more pleased with the colt, I'm pretty excited about him, he's my buddy. If it were a riding horse, I would have to try before I buy, I have a definite style of training I like, both on barrels and just riding. |
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | I’ve flown/travelled all over the US looking at horses for people and sometimes for myself. I get paid to be the buyers “eyes” and represent the buyer’s interests.
If you’re not confident about knowing what to look for without being hands on or you don’t want to have to re-sell something you’re unhappy with then it’s well worth the money to go see the horse in person.
If you think you’re safe buying a young horse (1-3 yo) because he’s had nothing done and won’t have anything wrong with him, that’s highly inaccurate.
Edited by Liana D 2019-02-10 9:22 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 863
| Well, I bought a very well bred mare off the track basically from a horse jockey I guess, sight unseen. Shipped up to me, she had a cut hock area, she was as pretty as in the pics, however once we got to riding her, she was always "off" going to the left. I had $5000 in her but wasn't going to keep vetting and vetting to find out why, so I sold her cheap as a broodmare. The sellers told me she was 100% sound but I still wonder what she has wrong with her
I bought a gelding that was already running sight unseen as well. We never did get along after owning him 2yrs I lost my ass on him and sold him to a gal to ranch on him. |
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 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | In my opinion there is no Pro to buying sight unseen.... |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | I don't buy anything without seeing or touching it.
By the way.
How many people got screwed by the young couple that were jockeying horses.
I can't remember her name. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | I bought a weanling sight unseen end of dec/beg of jan. But i owned her mom, kept bugging breeder for pics (keep in touch with her as i love the babies mom) and when vet was out for shots/coggins (which i paid for) i had him just run eyes over her to make sure there was nothing major that i wasnt disclosed about (ie crooked legs). Would i ever do it again? prob not this was a random thing and had sentimental value as well as love how shes bred. I swore i was never getting anything younger then 3 and if i had there was no way i wouldnt have gone and rode it and laid eyes on it |
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Veteran
Posts: 220
| Ive done it three times. And will never do it again. I know three times to learn my lesson stupid. First was from a well known barrel racer and the mare got here and had a knot on her back leg and I called to ask about it and she said she didn't have that when she left here. Yes she did. Vet said it was old but would not bother her. But she bold face lied about it it was irritated me. Next was someone who I later found out was crooked horse trader and will tell you anything to get you to buy then ghost you after, including if you end up not liking him I will take him back. Of course I called and said he is not for us and got a "oh well you shouldn't have problems selling him but I have that money promised else where and stopped taking my calls about all these people that were supposed to be soooooo interested in him. Funny thing a friend of mine came across a horse she had for sale a couple years later and I told her to stay away. Her curiosity got the best of her, she went and took horse to vet and tried her and found out this girl will tell you anything to get you to buy because a total snot when she finds out you are not buying. Girl became very rude. The horse apparently got hung in a fence but girl said she took it to vet and it cleared. Friend took horse to her own selected Vet and he flat out said if it was me I wouldn't buy this horse. She also went as far as calling the vet the girl said she took this horse too too be check and vet stated they had never seen that horse.
Last was from a company that trained and from what we thought through mutual contacts could not go wrong. Mistaken and taught our last lesson. Horse was supposed to be gentle and get along with anyone. He bucked the first day we got him home. Got hung in a fence and when I went to look at him has some boogers on his hocks that looked like maybe he set back hard or something. Once again we got the "oh he didnt have that when he left here" Once again vet said those are at least a week old. Tried to give the horse the benefit of being in a new place to settle down. He never got rid of the wild eye and took a huge loss on both of them just to get them moved on honestly. I felt like a stupid amateur every time but was hoping for the best and got screwed every time. Almost made me want to sell out of horses and never look back. I beat myself up almost daily how stupid I was and how much money we will never see again. |
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