I am going to view a horse tomorrow?

Question

I am going to view a horse tomorrow, for part loan. It has been ages since I bought a horse. I know the lady very well. And have seen him being ridden many times.

What sort of questions should I ask?

What will I be expected to do at a viewing?

Answer 1

You should most definitely ride him.  Not riding a potential new horse would be like buying a car without test driving it first.

You should know what you are to pay and what the owner is to pay.  For instance, how much do you have to cover of vet/farrier bills?  You should also know how much of the board you will have to pay on a per month basis and if tack is included or not.  You should find out what exactly this horse is capable of doing under saddle and know if that is what you want or not.  For instance, would you be able to take this horse to a show?  Would you be doing the beginner division/baby green division? Would you be doing the hunters?  Would you be doing the jumpers? Eventing? Dressage? Or, is this horse simply for pleasure?  Know what the current owner's intentions with the horse is before you get into the deal because what you maybe want to do is not what the owner wants (and since it is part-loan, the owner still has the say in what goes on with this horse).  You should also inquire about riding times...by that I mean which days of the week is it appropriate to ride?  How many times per week can you go up and ride?  Does the price include one lesson per week?  If so, is the lesson a private or is it a group lesson?

By the end of your session, you should have a good feel on where you will be able to go with your riding and the horse.  Since you know the lady very well, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I have found that the best partboard/part-loan situations comes from two people that already have a good rapore with each other and open communication.  There is nothing worse than getting into a deal with someone that you don't know and won't communicate anything to you (whether it be about your riding, the horse, the next steps, etc.).

Answer 2

is he good to shoe/box/catch/with traffic?

are vaccinations up to date?

when was he last wormed?

can he be mounted from the ground?

when was the last time he was ridden?

what bit/tack does he use and does any come with him?

does he have any bad habits (such as cribbing/wind sucking etc)

what is the reason for the loan?

how long will be loan be for? what can/cant i do with the horse when on loan?

what is the horse's experience, i.e. can he jump etc

will I need to insure him or pay towards insurance?

who pays for the shoeing? how often is he shod?

can i take him to horse shows?

when was his teeth last checked? has he ever had his back checked?

You will probably need to sign an agreement, if an agreement is not mentioned, i would ask that one is drawn up (you can get it off the british horse society's website) so everyone knows where they stand

you should provide references. I would request that you see him being ridden by someone first then you have a ride to check that you are happy with the horse

Answer 3

You should ask questions like

Is he up to date in shoeing?

Has he had any past injury's?

Has he ever reared or bucked?

Does he have any vices (cribbing, bucking, rearing, pawing, pacing )

Does he clip, trailer, cross-tie, bath

Turnout schedule?

What grain he eats?

The most important thing when viewing is check an signs of sedation (droopy lip, low head, not to excited about whats going on) And Lameness, if hes limping or bobs his head up when he lands on a certain leg. If the owner does not ride him first I would suggest not to ride him unless you know for sure hes not going to be bad. Also watch for ways the she works him more. Say she works him more to the left and hardly does anything to the right there might be something wrong going to the right good luck.

Answer 4

Is it UTD on shots/vaccines?

Has it had any pass injuries?

What are its vices?

Does he need special treatment?

Is he neck reined, or does he do either?

Can he trailer?

Can he go on trail?

Is he safe around kids?

Does he have good ground manners?

Can he show?

Has he ridden in both english and western saddles?

Does he have any particular fears?

How spooky is he?

Does he rear?

Does he buck?

HOW does he spook?

How old is he?

How advanced of a rider does he need?

Can you pick up his hooves?

Is he good around the farrier?

Is he good around the vet?

Is he good around the dentist?

Are his teeth floated?

What type of bit does he need?

Is he sound?

Has he had any major medical problems?

Is there any type of feed in particular he needs?

Any allergies?

Answer 5

Semi Detached?

3 Bedrooms?

Garage?

Answer 6

age and ability. make sure that you aren't responsible for any thing other than paying your lease--nothing more.

Answer 7

you'll want to know if he has had any health issues in the past. Is he up to date on all shots, teeth floated? You want to make sure he has good ground manners (nothing worse then a horse that doesnt). If he stands good for vet, and farrier, if he loads good, ties, showers, that kinda a thing.

Good luck! =]

Answer 8

Who is responsible for vet bills in case of injury or illness?  

Answer 9

well you should ride him. i've been looking at horses to buy.. so im utd on q's lol.. ok anyway

any leg injuries

UTD on coggins and shots

stands for farrier and vet

cross tie, ties?

baths?

trailers?

stands for grooming, tack up, and mount

overall sound?

any vices?

and anything else. like me.. i like to ride bareback and trail so i always ask if they've ever been ridden bareback. or what they are afraid of on the trails, etc

and figure out payments

Answer 10

horses are cool!  

Answer 11

Who is responsible for bills?

Does he have any bad habits?

Is there anything I cannot do with the horse, ie jumping, hacking etc?

Who is responsible for insurance?  And if you have to arrange it make sure you do to cover for vets bills and accidents.

How often will the owner want to ride the horse?  What days?  Will they carry out stable duties when they ride?

Can you take the horse to shows?

Does notice have to be given on either side as to when either want to terminate the loan, and if so, how much?

When was the horse last wormed/vaccinated?

These are a few things I can think of at the top of my head.

Best to get things in writing and both should sign in front of a witness so that you both know where you stand.

Good luck and enjoy.  Do not take the horse on if he is too much for you.

Answer 12

Make sure you check for rust.

Answer 13

For part loan you need to clearly establish:

Who is responsible for paying for what

What terms there are in the event you want to take the horse away to a competition or something

Whose responsible for vet bills/farriers/dentists etc

If something breaks - tack etc who is responsible for that

I would also advise that you get the above in writing and signed by both parties so you have it there in writing

xx

Answer 14

Ask if he has any bad habbits such as cribbing or bucking or kicking and what are some things he hates and what does he love

make sure you get to ride ther horse as well as do some ground work

Answer 15

At the viewing, you should first ask the seller to tack him up and ride him (it's best to be safe than sorry ;/). You should take note on how he responds, whether he bites or hates having the girth done up or anything. Then she should ride him first, for say quarter of an hour. If you see him having any problems, then feel free to say you are not interested in riding him. But if everything goes okay, you should get on and have a ride in an enclosed field/schooling arena. Do a bit of dressage or jumping, whatever you want. Then ask if you can take him for a hack. This way you can see if he is 'bombproof'.



The sort of questions you should ask are...

-Does he live in or out?

-Does he have any vices?

-Does he have a passport? (he has to have one legally)

-Is he allergic to dust or anything?

-Is he shoed or does he go barefoot?

-What's he like when travelling?

-Has he ever done...(eventing/dressage/showing/pony club etc)

-Does he ever kick?

-Has he ever bucked or reared?

-Is he up-to-date with vaccinations etc?

-How is he like around other people and animals? (e.g kids and dogs)

-What food does he have?

-Has he ever been majorly ill? (e.g colic, tumors, laminitis etc)

Hope the horse turns out right for you ;)

Answer 16

you should ride him just so you know if you like him!

here are some questions:

does he have current shots and coggins?

any bad habbits?

what level rider does he need?

does he lead without any problems?

does he spook?

is he healthy?

hope some of these help(:

Answer 17

You should probably ride him too

Is he a cribber?

Does he tie with no problems?

Has he ever bucked or reared?

How does he do in a trailer?

Has he ever pulled back when tied up?

Is he current on all vaccines, dental, and hoof care?