Post by Casper on Feb 20, 2007 18:47:09 GMT -5
How to Buy a Horse
The best horsemen agree not much has changed in 2,000 years.
How many times have you ridden your well-mannered horse, perhaps with just a Natural Hackamore or rope halter, when someone notices you and asks, "How much do you want for him?"
The next question usually is, "Where can I buy a horse like that?"
Buying and selling horses is an inescapable part of horsemanship and horse ownership. But, as with everything else, there's the horseman's way, and the other way.
"In case the intention is to buy a horse already ridden, we will write out some notes that the buyer must thoroughly master if he is not to be cheated over his purchase." - Xenophon from The Art of Horsemanship
The type of horse one gets is very important. You should decide for yourself which type you like and want. Don't let anybody influence you about the style of horse that appeals to you. To me, personal choice is number one. Every person should have an idea in mind about what they want, and why.
Then follow a skeleton for buying a horse. When shopping begin with a many-fish-in-the-sea frame of mind. Take the time to make a thorough search because when you have a horse in your life, it's like having a child. You've assumed responsibility for a dependent, living thing, and you want to make sure you've got the right chemistry between you.
Some people always tend to pick good horses, good dogs and good friends. They know how to be in good company. Others seem to always pick their poison. And still others who, lacking the power of discrimination, just let things happen.
They let the dog that trails them home follow them into their house.
"This dog picked me", they say, or "this horse looked at me in the corral and he picked me." I hear this all the time. I don't let that happen. If I'm picking him and he's picking me, too, well, that's mutual attraction. But I like to squeal the tires a little more than just a look across the corral. It's very important to know how to make good choices. Here's my five-step selection process.
Step 1: How's the Horse's Home life?
Presuming the horse you're considering is ridable, set up the situation so that the owner does everything in the horse's own environment.
If it lives in a pasture, a corral or a stall, go see it in its normal situation. Try not to show up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon when the horse is already saddled and groomed. The owner may have spent an hour-and-a-half trying to catch it. You want to be there to see that.
Then, watch how the owner grooms and saddles the horse. Observe the communication between them. People are habitual and will show you the relationship they have with their horses, and they'll do so without ever realizing it. You will see if the owner puts the bridle on first, ties the horse with the reins, or asks permission of the horse before mounting. You'll see the mannerisms the human has around the horse; whether it is slapped with little good boy pats or rubbed. This will also give you clues about how the horse's attitude has been shaped.
"Ask yourself if the horse has a really good learning frame of mind or has that already been ruined? Is this horse naturally open to rapport when someone starts trying to communicate? How's his teach-ability?"
Then watch the owner ride the horse before you ride. Let him or her ride first. Accidents can happen whenpeople try out strange horses for the first time. And I think it's safe to say that most people who are about to buy a horse don't know about natural preflight checks, such as testing to see if you can disengage a horse's hindquarters before throwing your leg over his back. All normal riders seem to know is to get on a saddled horse, kick it to go and pull it to stop. And then they blame the horse when they get hurt.
The other reason for accidents is that most horses for sale haven't been ridden for some time. It's common for horses to come up for sale in the spring when there's a lot of rust under the hood or there's a behavioral problem or the seller has just lost interest.
Let the owner show you what's going on. Then, after you've seen it, if you feel you're still interested and it's a safe bet, go to the next step.
Step 2: Interact With The Horse
I stress to PNH students not to be too obvious about their PNH studies. Don't immediately get out there and start playing the Seven Games. If you do you may hear the owner say, "Wait. What are you doing to my horse?"
At this point, if it looks obvious that the horse is ridable, I'd play a little Friendly Game, a little bit of Porcupine and that would be it.
If you have got a good, safe feeling when you get up there, then go for a ride. See how comfortable the horse feels. Are the gaits comfortable to you? Despite what the owner may say, you'll know what's comfortable and what's not.
Assess what you like about the horse; it's size, color, gaits, its general horse-anality and its spirit. Then that's about it for the first day. Decide if you're really convinced whether this horse is still worth pursuing.
If you like 80 percent of everything about this horse, if everything so far feels really good, then the next thing to do is ask the owner if he or she would let you try the horse for no less than a week at your place. Not many people are going to allow you to do that, and if they do, they'll probably require a deposit. I wouldn't blame them. Suggest an agreement you both could live with. Then tell of your involvement in PNH and that you want to see if this is going to fit. Once at home, start with the Seven Games.
Use this time to sleep on the purchase. Let the emotional part of the purchase wane somewhat to see if you're still in love with the horse. Once you're in a more objective frame of mine, see how you get along with the horse when you start playing the Seven Games.
Ask yourself if the horse has a really good learning frame of mind or has that already been ruined? Is this horsenaturally open to rapport when someone starts trying to communicate? How's his teach-ability?
Some horses naturally love rapport. Others learn to love it. See if you can get to Level 1 within the week you have.
If all of that checks out, and you're at least 80 percent confident that this is the horse for you, you've got two more major steps.
Step 3: Hello, Ma? I'm Getting Married
Take your horse home to meet your mother. That means finding someone whose opinion you respect. As in dating, an engagement, or marriage, let others indicate how this new love sizes up in their eyes.
Let them see you interact with the horse so they can give you the upside and downside from their perspective. Since they're emotionally detached from the purchase, they're able to say, "Gee, John, you're 6'9"" and that horse is only 13 hands. Are you sure that's a good match?"
Someone else might see something you can't or suggest something that's worthwhile, good or bad. If all that passes, we've got one last step.
Step 4: The Vet Check
I would suggest a veterinarian pre-purchase examination. I've seen people who put this into the wrong spot, making it the first step. They look at a horse and tell its owner they want it vet checked even before riding the horse. I would wait entirely to the end of my evaluation.
Something very important to be aware of is its soundness. There's almost no such thing as a perfectly sound horse. But the health check will tell you the status of this horse. Your veterinarian will suggest to you the extent of the necessary exam.
Now, if you're gong to buy a horse to go to the Olympics or for world-class competition, you should be more careful than if you're choosing a partner for recreational riding or for personal development and relationship.
I've seen horses with bumps and bings on their legs that were still ridable until they were 25 years of age. They wouldn't have passed a vet check as perfectly sound. Yet they were still perfectly serviceable horses.
I've seen people pass up a good horse just because it was not perfectly sound. This is a mistake a lot of people make. Assess just what the apparent defects will mean.
Step 5: Adios, Amigo
Pay for him, smile and ride off in the sunset.
These four simple steps will hopefully lead you to be the best horse you have ever had.
"In examining his body, we say you must first look at his feet. For, just as a house is bound to be worthless if the foundations are unsound, however well the upper parts may look, so a warhorse will be quite useless, even though all his other points are good, if he has bad feet; for in that case he will be unable to use any of his good points. - Xenophon
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved
The best horsemen agree not much has changed in 2,000 years.
How many times have you ridden your well-mannered horse, perhaps with just a Natural Hackamore or rope halter, when someone notices you and asks, "How much do you want for him?"
The next question usually is, "Where can I buy a horse like that?"
Buying and selling horses is an inescapable part of horsemanship and horse ownership. But, as with everything else, there's the horseman's way, and the other way.
"In case the intention is to buy a horse already ridden, we will write out some notes that the buyer must thoroughly master if he is not to be cheated over his purchase." - Xenophon from The Art of Horsemanship
The type of horse one gets is very important. You should decide for yourself which type you like and want. Don't let anybody influence you about the style of horse that appeals to you. To me, personal choice is number one. Every person should have an idea in mind about what they want, and why.
Then follow a skeleton for buying a horse. When shopping begin with a many-fish-in-the-sea frame of mind. Take the time to make a thorough search because when you have a horse in your life, it's like having a child. You've assumed responsibility for a dependent, living thing, and you want to make sure you've got the right chemistry between you.
Some people always tend to pick good horses, good dogs and good friends. They know how to be in good company. Others seem to always pick their poison. And still others who, lacking the power of discrimination, just let things happen.
They let the dog that trails them home follow them into their house.
"This dog picked me", they say, or "this horse looked at me in the corral and he picked me." I hear this all the time. I don't let that happen. If I'm picking him and he's picking me, too, well, that's mutual attraction. But I like to squeal the tires a little more than just a look across the corral. It's very important to know how to make good choices. Here's my five-step selection process.
Step 1: How's the Horse's Home life?
Presuming the horse you're considering is ridable, set up the situation so that the owner does everything in the horse's own environment.
If it lives in a pasture, a corral or a stall, go see it in its normal situation. Try not to show up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon when the horse is already saddled and groomed. The owner may have spent an hour-and-a-half trying to catch it. You want to be there to see that.
Then, watch how the owner grooms and saddles the horse. Observe the communication between them. People are habitual and will show you the relationship they have with their horses, and they'll do so without ever realizing it. You will see if the owner puts the bridle on first, ties the horse with the reins, or asks permission of the horse before mounting. You'll see the mannerisms the human has around the horse; whether it is slapped with little good boy pats or rubbed. This will also give you clues about how the horse's attitude has been shaped.
"Ask yourself if the horse has a really good learning frame of mind or has that already been ruined? Is this horse naturally open to rapport when someone starts trying to communicate? How's his teach-ability?"
Then watch the owner ride the horse before you ride. Let him or her ride first. Accidents can happen whenpeople try out strange horses for the first time. And I think it's safe to say that most people who are about to buy a horse don't know about natural preflight checks, such as testing to see if you can disengage a horse's hindquarters before throwing your leg over his back. All normal riders seem to know is to get on a saddled horse, kick it to go and pull it to stop. And then they blame the horse when they get hurt.
The other reason for accidents is that most horses for sale haven't been ridden for some time. It's common for horses to come up for sale in the spring when there's a lot of rust under the hood or there's a behavioral problem or the seller has just lost interest.
Let the owner show you what's going on. Then, after you've seen it, if you feel you're still interested and it's a safe bet, go to the next step.
Step 2: Interact With The Horse
I stress to PNH students not to be too obvious about their PNH studies. Don't immediately get out there and start playing the Seven Games. If you do you may hear the owner say, "Wait. What are you doing to my horse?"
At this point, if it looks obvious that the horse is ridable, I'd play a little Friendly Game, a little bit of Porcupine and that would be it.
If you have got a good, safe feeling when you get up there, then go for a ride. See how comfortable the horse feels. Are the gaits comfortable to you? Despite what the owner may say, you'll know what's comfortable and what's not.
Assess what you like about the horse; it's size, color, gaits, its general horse-anality and its spirit. Then that's about it for the first day. Decide if you're really convinced whether this horse is still worth pursuing.
If you like 80 percent of everything about this horse, if everything so far feels really good, then the next thing to do is ask the owner if he or she would let you try the horse for no less than a week at your place. Not many people are going to allow you to do that, and if they do, they'll probably require a deposit. I wouldn't blame them. Suggest an agreement you both could live with. Then tell of your involvement in PNH and that you want to see if this is going to fit. Once at home, start with the Seven Games.
Use this time to sleep on the purchase. Let the emotional part of the purchase wane somewhat to see if you're still in love with the horse. Once you're in a more objective frame of mine, see how you get along with the horse when you start playing the Seven Games.
Ask yourself if the horse has a really good learning frame of mind or has that already been ruined? Is this horsenaturally open to rapport when someone starts trying to communicate? How's his teach-ability?
Some horses naturally love rapport. Others learn to love it. See if you can get to Level 1 within the week you have.
If all of that checks out, and you're at least 80 percent confident that this is the horse for you, you've got two more major steps.
Step 3: Hello, Ma? I'm Getting Married
Take your horse home to meet your mother. That means finding someone whose opinion you respect. As in dating, an engagement, or marriage, let others indicate how this new love sizes up in their eyes.
Let them see you interact with the horse so they can give you the upside and downside from their perspective. Since they're emotionally detached from the purchase, they're able to say, "Gee, John, you're 6'9"" and that horse is only 13 hands. Are you sure that's a good match?"
Someone else might see something you can't or suggest something that's worthwhile, good or bad. If all that passes, we've got one last step.
Step 4: The Vet Check
I would suggest a veterinarian pre-purchase examination. I've seen people who put this into the wrong spot, making it the first step. They look at a horse and tell its owner they want it vet checked even before riding the horse. I would wait entirely to the end of my evaluation.
Something very important to be aware of is its soundness. There's almost no such thing as a perfectly sound horse. But the health check will tell you the status of this horse. Your veterinarian will suggest to you the extent of the necessary exam.
Now, if you're gong to buy a horse to go to the Olympics or for world-class competition, you should be more careful than if you're choosing a partner for recreational riding or for personal development and relationship.
I've seen horses with bumps and bings on their legs that were still ridable until they were 25 years of age. They wouldn't have passed a vet check as perfectly sound. Yet they were still perfectly serviceable horses.
I've seen people pass up a good horse just because it was not perfectly sound. This is a mistake a lot of people make. Assess just what the apparent defects will mean.
Step 5: Adios, Amigo
Pay for him, smile and ride off in the sunset.
These four simple steps will hopefully lead you to be the best horse you have ever had.
"In examining his body, we say you must first look at his feet. For, just as a house is bound to be worthless if the foundations are unsound, however well the upper parts may look, so a warhorse will be quite useless, even though all his other points are good, if he has bad feet; for in that case he will be unable to use any of his good points. - Xenophon
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved