The Question of Etiquette

A while back after purchasing a horse that ended up being something completely different than what I thought I was getting, I have had the "rules" of horse selling instructed to me over and over again by my friend Jay.

1. If you are buying, the seller should "Show" you the horse. Riding first, showing you all the things the horse can and cannot do.
2. If you are buying, never get onto a horse that the owner is not willing to get on themselves.

Those are the two biggest ones.

So far out of every horse I have bought I have only stuck to these rules once and that was with Killian. His owner was fantastic about showing me what his horse could do. 

Killian and his previous owner Chris.

With Trax his owner I think was afraid of him but wasn't willing to admit it.  I said, "show me what he can do" he says, "I don't care if I sell this horse, so if you are interested you ride him otherwise I'll put him back."    So I rode him.   Jay scolded me for it.  Trax ended up being a handful but not bad and I love love love this horse. 

Trax the first time I saw him

With Sassy, she wasn't broke so there was nothing really to show. In fact you could hardly catch her, but she was "free", so the rule did not apply here. The only thing she really had going for her was that she loaded wonderfully.

The day we brought Sassy home

There was another horse I had bought for a "fair" price of 600 dollars.  She was a registered paint named "Miss Revlon".  She had a turned in foot, was awful to load, and although I did ride her it was in a round pen and very controlled. I am not entirely convinced that she wasn't a little buted up when I looked at her.  When I called the sellers and said I wanted to return her, they refused.  She ended up putting me face first in the dirt 3 times in one day, was horrible to load, you could not move her feet.  Her upside was that you could always catch her, and she was a dream to trim. I worked and worked with her and she came a long ways but was getting to be more work than I could handle. I gave her to a girl in Riverton.  She has taken this horse and done wonderful things with her.  Because of that I believe that horse and owners a predestined to be together.

Miss Royal Revlon

BUT when I gave her away I spent an hour telling her everything I could about Revlon, her good points, but especially the problems, because I wanted her to know what she was getting into.  And of course I always said, if you don't want her call me.   She loves her and sends me new pics all the time of her giving lessons on her and now she is teaching her to run barrels. I am thrilled!

Then there was Tom's first horse Gambler.  He was a Tennessee walker.  His owner did not ride him for me, she had just got out of the hospital.  Her other horse had stepped on her and done internal damage. Again I got scolded because I rode him.  But he was a nice horse and everything she told me about him was true.  One time though he dumped Tom when he shied at my hat which flew off, and Tom decided he didn't like him as much then. Not because Tom fell off, but because he would shy and jump a lot.  Plus he hated Danny and that was a serious issue.

Gambler (AKA Big G)

We sold him to a lady who only had one other gelding, and that last I heard they just loved him.  Every time I sell a horse I always leave the door open for return. I don't want any horse I have loved to end up in the slaughter house.  Or any horse period!!!!

 

So anyway, what prompted this post was that I just got scolded again because Bricks's owner did not ride her first for me.  He was dressed for a wedding and had to go soon.  I understood that.  So I conceded and rode her myself.  So when I told Jay I was nervous the first time I rode her at home, he didn't understand why.  Didn't I see someone else ride her?  Well no I didn't.  He says he is gonna break me like a wild horse!  It was my second ride on her.  It had nothing to do with the horse and everything to do with me...my age....my lack of confidence.  The truth is I try to follow the "rules of selling"  But not everyone does.  In my mind that doesn't mean it is a bad horse.  It means things aren't exactly how I would like them.  If I had tons of money and could buy any horse I wanted, then you bet...the seller would be SHOWING me the horse they wanted to sell. 

 

But I am poor.  Most of my horses are someone elses rejects.  Because that is what I can afford and because I am not very savvy I guess.  It makes for some hard lessons learned, that is for sure.

 

But here is my question to the few followers I have.  If you sell a horse, do you show it to the potential buyer? Do you ride first and give an honest assessment?  What if you are buying?  If the owner does not ride the horse first is that a deal breaker for you?

 

Am I out of mind for riding these horses I do not know?

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts.