Questions to Ask When Buying a Horse
For riders viewing a horse for sale, whether it is a first horse or a replacement for one you have outgrown. These 30 questions cover the work he is doing now, his manners on the ground, soundness and lameness history, hoof and dental care, paperwork, and how to arrange the vetting and a trial.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
What are you doing with this horse now, and how many days a week is he ridden?
Why ask it
A horse hacking out twice a week is not fit for the work a five day program asks of him, and horses coming back into work often show soreness that was not visible when you tried them. Ask what a normal week looks like rather than what he is capable of.
How old is he, and how long have you owned him?
Why ask it
An owner of six months knows the horse's habits but not his history, and cannot tell you what he was like the last time he had a winter off or an injury. Short ownership is not a fault on its own, but it means you need the previous owner's name and the vet who has treated him.
Why are you selling him?
Why ask it
Outgrown, going to college, or too much horse for the current rider are all common and easy to verify against what you see. Vague answers, or a reason that does not match the horse in front of you, usually mean there is a behavior or soundness issue you will find later.
Who rides him now, and how do you think he would go for someone at my level?
Why ask it
Watch who gets on him first. A horse that is quiet under a professional who rides six days a week can be a very different animal under an amateur riding twice a week, and an honest seller will say so plainly rather than telling you anyone could ride him.
What is he like to catch, groom, tack up, clip and load?
Why ask it
Most of horse ownership happens on the ground, and the horse who cannot be caught in a field or will not load for a vet appointment costs you far more time than a stiff canter transition. Ask to do all of it yourself instead of arriving to find him already groomed and tacked.
How does he behave away from other horses, hacking out alone, or near traffic?
Why ask it
Plenty of horses are settled in the arena at home and unmanageable once they leave the yard alone. If you intend to hack out, ride him away from the property and past whatever traffic exists near where you would keep him.
Has he ever bucked, reared, bolted, or planted his feet, and what set it off?
Why ask it
Nearly every horse has done one of these once, so a flat no is less believable than a specific story. What you are listening for is the trigger and whether it is avoidable: clipped in cold weather is manageable, unpredictable rearing under saddle is not.
Does he have any stable vices such as cribbing, weaving, or kicking the walls?
Why ask it
Cribbing wears teeth and can be linked to colic risk, and some yards refuse cribbers or charge extra for the damage. These habits also tend to reappear under stress even in horses who have stopped, so ask whether they show up when his routine changes.
What is his soundness history, and has he ever had time off for lameness or injury?
Why ask it
The pattern matters more than any single event: one abscess years ago is noise, while three separate episodes of front end lameness is a horse with a problem nobody has named. Ask for the treating vet's contact details and permission to request the records.
Is he on any medication, supplement, or joint injection at the moment?
Why ask it
Anti-inflammatories can mask lameness for a viewing, so ask directly what he has had in the last week and get the answer in front of a witness. A horse who needs a joint injected every six months to stay comfortable is a horse with an ongoing bill and a shortening career.
Has he ever had colic, choke, ulcers, or a respiratory problem such as heaves?
Why ask it
Each of these tends to recur under changed circumstances, and moving yards is the classic trigger. A horse who has been scoped and treated for ulcers can be perfectly manageable, but you need to know so you can keep his forage and turnout close to what he is used to.
When was he last shod or trimmed, and how does he behave for the farrier?
Why ask it
Shoeing runs on a roughly five to eight week cycle for most horses, so a horse well past due tells you about the current owner's routine. A horse who will not stand for the farrier costs you money on every visit and eventually costs you the farrier.
Has he had hoof trouble: abscesses, thin soles, cracks, or any episode of laminitis?
Why ask it
Foot problems are the most common cause of lost riding time and the hardest to see on a single viewing. A past laminitis episode in particular changes how he must be fed and turned out for the rest of his life, so ask whether it happened and what caused it.
When was his last dental check, and does he hold his weight easily?
Why ask it
A horse who needs constant hard feed to stay in condition is an expensive horse, and the cause is often teeth, ulcers, or worm damage rather than appetite. Look at him yourself in daylight rather than relying on photographs taken in summer coat.
What is he fed, and how much turnout does he get each day?
Why ask it
A horse used to all day grazing can struggle badly on limited turnout, and one used to a low sugar diet may not tolerate rich spring grass. Get the actual feed, the amounts, and the schedule so you can either match it or change it slowly.
May I see his vaccination, deworming, and Coggins records?
Why ask it
Paperwork gaps are practical problems, not formalities: many yards, shows and transporters require a current negative Coggins test and proof of vaccination before he can arrive. A missing record also suggests the routine care may have been just as loosely tracked.
Does he have registration papers, and is his ownership free of any loan, lease, or shared arrangement?
Why ask it
Horses are sometimes sold by a person who does not solely own them, and part-loan or syndicate arrangements can leave someone else with a claim. Check that the name on the papers matches the person taking your money, and get a written bill of sale either way.
What is included in the price: tack, rugs, delivery?
Why ask it
A saddle that has been fitted to this horse is worth having and expensive to replace, and a horse who has only ever gone in one bit will go better in it. Settle inclusions in writing, since these are the items that quietly disappear between the viewing and the collection.
May I have my own vet do a pre-purchase exam, including any radiographs I ask for?
Why ask it
The exam has to be done by a vet you hire, not the seller's, and you should be present. Ask for blood to be drawn and held so it can be tested later if the horse behaves differently at home, and expect a seller who refuses a vetting to be refusing it for a reason.
May I ride him more than once on different days, and would you consider a trial period?
Why ask it
One ride shows you the horse at his best, prepared and worked in advance. A second visit unannounced, ideally on a cold morning before he has been ridden, is where the real temperament shows up, and a seller who agrees to that is usually telling you the truth about him.
What has the horse been trained to do, and where is its training still unfinished?
Why ask it
Asking where the training is unfinished invites an honest answer in a way that "is it well trained" does not. A seller who says nothing is unfinished either is not paying close attention or is not telling you.
Has the horse competed, and can I see video from an ordinary schooling day?
Why ask it
Competition results can usually be checked against a show record, which makes them firmer evidence than any description of how the horse goes. Ask for unedited video of a normal ride rather than a highlight reel, and note whether the horse was longed first.
Has anyone come off this horse, and what happened?
Why ask it
Asked plainly, this often gets a more honest answer than asking whether the horse is safe. You are listening for the pattern: a slip on wet ground is different from a horse that bolts, naps at gates, or bucks when it is fresh. Also ask who was riding when it happened.
What does this horse do when it is frightened?
Why ask it
Every horse spooks, so what matters is the shape of it: a jump sideways and back to work, a spin, a bolt, planting and refusing, or going up. Ask for a recent example rather than a description of temperament, because the story tells you what you would be sitting on.
Can I catch and tack it up myself today, and has it been ridden or lunged before I arrived?
Why ask it
You want to meet the horse as it is, not after an hour of work has taken the edge off. Ask directly whether it has been exercised, sedated or given anything today. A seller who is relaxed about you arriving early, catching it in the field and doing everything yourself is showing you something useful.
How is the horse kept at home: stalled, out alone, or in a herd?
Why ask it
A horse that has lived out around other horses may not settle in a stall, and the reverse is just as true. A sudden change in turnout after a sale is a common trigger for weight loss, ulcers and behavior the seller never saw.
May I have the names of your vet and farrier, and your permission to speak to them?
Why ask it
This single question separates straightforward sellers from the rest. A vet with the horse's file can tell you about lameness workups, medication and repeat call outs, and a farrier knows the feet better than anyone. Refusal, or a horse that has no regular vet, is itself an answer.
What will this horse cost me every month, and what am I holding back for an emergency?
Why ask it
Add board or land, hay and feed, farrier every five to eight weeks, routine vet, dentist, worming, insurance, tack and rugs, lessons and transport. Then plan for one serious bill: colic surgery and a long lameness workup both run into thousands, and the decision you least want to make is a financial one at three in the morning.
What would an honest trainer say about me and this horse together?
Why ask it
Ask someone with nothing to gain from the sale. The pairing that goes wrong most often is a green horse with a returning or inexperienced rider, and it usually goes wrong slowly, through lost confidence rather than a single incident. A good instructor will say so before you buy if you ask them plainly.
If this does not work out in six months, what happens to the horse?
Why ask it
Decide now, because the honest options are limited: sell on, loan out, keep and pay for a horse you do not ride, or retire it. Some sellers offer a right of first refusal, which is worth having in writing. Thinking this through in advance is also the fastest way to notice whether you can really carry the commitment.
Trying and Vetting a Horse
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
How to Run the Viewing
Ask to see him caught and tacked up
Arrive earlier than arranged if you can, and ask that the horse be in the field or the stable rather than already groomed, warmed up and standing in the aisle. How he is to catch, how he stands for tacking, and whether he has clearly already been worked that morning all tell you more than the ride will.
Bring someone who knows more than you do
An instructor or an experienced friend watching from the ground will see the lameness, the crookedness and the evasion that you cannot feel while you are busy riding. Brief them beforehand on what you want the horse for so they are judging him against your actual plans, not a general standard.
Ride him in the conditions you will actually use
If you plan to hack, ride him out of the yard alone. If you plan to jump, jump him. If he will live out, look at him in the field with other horses. A horse can be genuinely lovely in a familiar arena and wholly unsuitable for the life you are about to give him.
Go back a second time, unannounced if allowed
Second viewings catch what the first one hides. Ask for an early slot before he has been ridden, in weather that is not ideal, and see whether the horse you meet is the same one. Sellers who welcome this are generally the ones with nothing to manage.
What the Pre-Purchase Exam Does and Does Not Tell You
The vet works for you
Hire your own vet, not the seller's, and tell that vet exactly what you intend to do with the horse so the exam is judged against that use. Be present for it, and ask the vet to explain findings in terms of risk to your plans rather than a simple pass or fail.
It is a snapshot, not a guarantee
A vetting describes the horse on that morning. It cannot promise soundness next season, and a clean exam does not mean a clean history. This is why the treating vet's records and the owner's account of past lameness matter as much as the exam itself.
Decide about radiographs before you book
Imaging is usually an optional extra and adds a good deal to the cost, and findings on films are common even in sound horses. Discuss with your vet which views are worth taking for the horse's age, breed and intended job, and agree in advance how you will interpret an incidental finding.
Ask for blood to be held
A stored blood sample can be tested later if the horse arrives home behaving unlike the horse you tried. It costs little at the time of the exam and it is the only practical protection against a horse who was medicated for the viewing.
Reasons to Walk Away
- The seller refuses a pre-purchase exam, or insists on their own vet doing it.
- The horse is already warmed up, sweating, or clearly worked before every viewing you attend.
- You are not allowed to ride him yourself, or only in a small enclosed arena.
- Nobody will name the vet who has been treating him, or give permission for the records.
- The reason for selling changes between phone call and viewing.
- Pressure to decide today because another buyer is coming this evening.
- The name on the registration papers is not the person selling him.
- A recurring lameness that has been treated repeatedly without anyone reaching a diagnosis.
Costs to Price Out Before You Buy
- Board or grazing, and what is included at that rate: bedding, hay, hard feed, turnout, staff handling.
- Farrier visits on a five to eight week cycle, priced for shoes rather than trims if he wears them.
- Routine vet work: vaccinations, dental, Coggins testing, deworming based on egg counts.
- Insurance, and read what is excluded for a horse with any recorded lameness history.
- Tack that fits this horse, saddle fitting checks as he changes shape, rugs, and a spare set of everything.
- A reserve for one unplanned veterinary event, because colic surgery or a long lameness workup arrives without notice.