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 Jr. Detective
    
Location: Beggs, OK | I bought one before it was ever even conceived.... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 823
Location: East Texas | I had someone buy my house sight unseen. So does not seem to far fetched that someone would by a horse that way.
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | Never in a million years would I do that but my friend did........Gawd-awful worse cribber ever.
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 Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | rachellyn80 - 2014-10-16 2:40 PM
I bought one before it was ever even conceived....
When I saw the title of this thread, I wondered if "sight unseen" would include photos and videos or not.
Now I've decided that THIS is the real definition of sight unseen! 
We have bought horses we haven't seen in person. With and without vet checks. Bought two studs this year - a son of Dash For Perks and a son of Seattle Slew - with vet checks and without seeing them first. I don't just like these horses, I am in love with them. We darn sure could not have gotten luckier with either.
Over the years I'd have to say that horses we have bought without seeing them haven't been more likely to turn out better or worse than those we have seen first. Often I think auctions can be the best place to get screwed. That said we have bought a few mares at HP that have been incredible.
Have to admit that reading these comments makes me wish I liked spending time on FB more . . . but geeze i just do not like it. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I've had it go both ways. Will never buy another broke horse without riding first. The yearling I traded for sight unseen is my favorite horse to ride. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| No finished horses only young horses. Bought a daughter of little corona that was broke to ride for 3500.00. About 13/14 years ago i knew a lady who had a full sister to a good horse a friend had, they said they where gonna sell her, there trainer told then she was gonna be too small, i said yes. She is 15 hand and 1250 lb. She turned out to be a 1-d horse and they told me a few years back they regretted selling her. She was a nice mare. I was however horrified at her feet she had one underslung heal and 8 inch toe back the imused a wedge on that foot, i retired her because she messed her stifle up. But i bet in 10 year i did not knock over ten barrels.
Edited by daisycake123 2014-10-16 6:54 PM
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Mrs. Troy
Location: western Nebraska | I guess I am the winner or loser here. I have 10 horses here right now and bought 8 of them without seeing them. Several I saw videos of though. I bought them and had them sent. I knew most of them had problems-some were mental but most were physical that caused the mental meltdown. I figured most of them were a 1-2 year project. Some I am thrilled with -some I think -what the heck was I thinking!! But when it works and they smoke a run it sure is a great day. We have also bought some calf horses that way but my husband is quite a bit more particular than I am. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 747
| Yes, I have three friends that all purchased sight unseen and they have turned out to be amazing horses! Two of them bough sight unseen and had them shipped to them without ever actually seeing the horse. The other purchased the horse, then drove 15 hours one way to pick it up, where she was able to ride it before taking it back home.
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  Expert
Posts: 1960
Location: NW Arkansas | Murphy - 2014-10-16 12:18 PM I bought my LHDI mare from RockinAS sight unseen. I don't even think we spoke on the phone, did the entire transaction via email! Great experience, and love the mare. I think you just have to buy from someone who has a great reputation, because there are a lot of shady horse people out there.
I just bought a mare from Rockinas sight unseen, too. LOL! She was just as nice looking as her pics showed her to be. Now I need it to dry up enough so I can ride her this weekend. Rockinas posted a lot of pics and sent me videos of her. I wouldn't buy sight unseen from a stranger, though. I've met Rockinas and her husband at the BFA a couple of years ago. I know Rockinas wouldn't sell something didn't represent her brand well.  |
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 Proud to be Deplorable
Posts: 1929
| Yes I have done it several times on off the track colts. It has always worked out well for me. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | I've bought 8 horses sight unseen and only got to see them off the trailer.
Of the 8, I purchased 7 in private sales with no vet checks and I've been thrilled with them all. The 8th I purchased through a well known broker who flat out lied about the horse and it's history and had him vet checked and the vet was less then honest as well. The most expensive horse in the bunch and I was the least happy with him.
I will now only deal with the horses trainers/riders. I've learned over the years how to intensely research the history on a horse and how to ask questions in a way that tells me a lot about the horse.
I agree though Facebook is a great way to learn a lot about a seller. |
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 Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Two of the horses I have in my barn right now I bought from Texas sight unseen. The older one I didn't even pick out. Kenny Nichols picked him out for me as a weanling. He's now my open 1D horse. The other I wasn't looking for. Came across a photo of him and bought him. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | I bought one from a horse trader sight unseen over the phone during a snow storm. I gave $1000 14 year old gelding. He did turn out to be a decent barrel and pole horse. He was very droppy and front endy and not really a style anyone at my house liked. My daughter hauled him for a summer and I ended up selling him for $3000. All in all not too bad a deal. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I wouldn't be as concerned about buying sight unseen for a baby or broodmare (neither of which I have any interest in right now), but for a horse I'm going to be riding, I have to ride it first. There have been several horses that had great ads, great videos, and great pics, but when I went to ride them, it was a definite "no". Not necessarily the horse's or owner's fault, I'm just particular about the kind of horses I like to ride, and it seems a lot of people think their horses are a lot better than they really are.
I need to make sure I click with a horse so that I actually have fun riding it. I don't want to dread heading out to the barn each day :)
Edited by Gunner11 2014-10-17 11:32 AM
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 Last Comedian Standing 
Posts: 10919
Location: South Texas | I have probably bought more than 50 horses this way from broodmares to colts and the 2 I am running that were already trained........only 2 bad deals on 2 cheap horses. One crooked legged broodmare and 1 four year old cribber..... Seller made the cribber right.....sold the broodmare......as a breeder and marketer of prospects I have sold over 100 horses sight unseen from $2000 broodmares to $20k Dash Ta Fame weanlngs and have never had issues arise from the buyers |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | Never bought finished horses sight unseen and never would, I'm not the type of rider that could jump on anything and run it to its full potential, I have to click with it.
Have bought prospects this way and it has worked out well so far. I always get a video, even if they know absolutely nothing, I want to see them move conformation pics, and I buy from reputable sellers. |
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Member
Posts: 25
Location: siberia it seems | I would only do it on yearlings or weanlings now. I bought a three year old gelding out of south carolina from a very well known name and had him shipped to colorado thinking I was getting a nice horse. The mistake I made was not getting a vet check right then as I gave him a couple weeks off to adjust and rest. First of all he was a cribber, but low and behold they had never seen him do it, I guess he learned it on the trailer ride here. secondly, I noticed a few wierd things in his riding the more I worked him on the pattern. I had him checked, and he had a career ending stifle injury. The vet that checked him is a pretty well known and respected lameness vet and said the way it looked to him, this horse had already been like this for sometime and was pre-existing when i got him. I ended up giving him a year off and just selling him for a ranch/riding horse at a loss since it is all he can do now. I learned my lesson on being that trusting and stupid, I would only take the chance now on youngsters that no one has hurt or messed up. |
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Member
Posts: 25
Location: siberia it seems | edited to add: my three year old was only just loping the pattern, no speed and had not been exhibitioned or anything and was already injured |
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 Quiet Riot
Posts: 2568
Location: North Dakota | I bought a 2 yr old from Amy Laymon and kept my mare in training for 6 months with her, before I ever met either one of them. Love my mare! Amy did a wonderful job and I gained a new friend in the process! |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | That's the way I buy the majority of mine. I don't have time (nor can I afford) to fly all over the country trying horses. I figure if I don't get along with them, someone will, and I can sell them. I've been burned on a couple, but not lately. :) Edited to say: You can buy mine sight unseen, snoopy! lol
Edited by dianeguinn 2014-10-18 10:42 AM
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