If you can recover the horse, do so. I hope that you have a note in writing on the debt. You may have to go to court over this. Try to find out where she moved if you can.

Good luck,
Dan

For horses from Nebraska they require a CVI (health certificate), the EHV-1 permit, and a coggins test. You can call their office at (303) 239-4161 Monday through Friday 8am-5pm (MST to obtain the EHV-1 permit.

A bill of sale will transfer ownership – if it is a registered horse you will change ownership with the breed registry also.

2. Is he beginner/kid friendly? If it’s a show horse, can a youth or amateur show him successfully or does he need a professional to work at his potential? Does he tolerate beginner mistakes?

3. Is he easily maintained (training-wise) at home by a kid and/or amateur adult, or does he need to stay in training in order to perform his best?

4. Has he ever had any soundness or health issues? Who is his vet? If he has had an issue, what was it, how did it heal, and does it have a lasting effect on him? (All of that can be confirmed/checked by the vet)

5. Is he currently shod? Has he always been shod/does he need to be, or is he sound barefoot?

6. Is he an easy keeper or hard to maintain (physically)? Ie, does he require special supplements or feed or have a hard time keeping weight on, or does he look at a blade of grass and get fat?

7. What type of turnout does he currently get? Is he usually alone or with other horses, and how does he act in either situation? (This is important–we bought a mare who had never been turned out, and she spooked, bolted, and flipped over a fence within six weeks of being home, where she was turned out occasionally, and it means she’s going to be on medication/supplements to stay sound for the rest of her life and will never pass a vet check).

8. Is he stalled at all? Does he do okay when stalled or does he develop bad habits or have too much energy?

9. What bad habits does he have? Weaving, pawing, biting, cribbing, etc.

10. When he spooks, what is his natural reaction? Does he stop and stare or turn and bolt?

11. If a rider irritates him (ie, lands hard on his back, jabs him accidentally, etc.) what is his reaction? Does he erupt into a bucking fit and take off or does he just keep going?

12. What is the furthest he’s gone in the discipline you want? (Ie, how high has he jumped, how fast has he run barrels, how big of a show has he placed in, etc.)

13. Has he ever been hauled? How does he do in the trailer?

14. How does he handle new places? Does he require a lot of lunging/riding down or is he calm from the second he steps off the trailer?

15. Has he ever shown? If so, where/what type of shows? How well did he do? Who showed him? If he’s done breed circuit, you can look it up. With smaller open shows you just have to go by what the owner said. Not sure about bigger h/j, dressage, etc. shows, but if he’s done well, you should be able to check year end standings and that sort of thing.

16. What disciplines/events has he ever tried/competed in/been trained in, and how did he do? Is there any reason to believe he won’t be suitable for (whatever discipline you might want to try)?

When you go ride a horse, try him in whatever area you plan to use him. If you want a jumper and they say he jumps, then jump him. If you want a trail safe horse and they say he is, go on a trail ride. If they refuse to let you try it, stay away (they may be willing to take a partial deposit on him and let you take him on trial before you pay in full). Get a vet check. If he’s registered, look at his papers. If you’re buying a horse with "potential" but who isn’t proven, take someone along who can also look at his conformation and movement and help you decide if it’s worth the risk. If he’s shown, ask people around the shows if they know the horse. If he’s been with a trainer before, call the trainer and ask about him.

I would just take precaution when buying these products, because of the recent outbreak of EHV-1. The disease can be transmitted through any shared horse products, brushes, saddles, and sheets are excellent breeding grounds for these bugs.
Although the chances are very slim that the products are all contaminated, and the number of cases of EHV-1 are dwindling down, it’s always to better safe than sorry.

If you are traveling over state lines, you need a negative Coggins paper and a health certificate from a vet. If you are staying within a state, I would personally still want a negative Coggins, but it is not required by any regulatory agency.

Also, what are the pros and cons in general of the Arabian temperment?

Pros: Good stamina, especially since she is crossed with Paint. Fast
Cons: The Arab in them usually makes them fairly flighty and they tend to think with the ‘reactive’ side of their brain. I’ve met Arabs that were very clingy and spooky, and I’ve met ones that are aloof and want nothing to do with the people who work with them. It really depends on what kind of personality the Arab and the Paint had.

In theory, the Paint should make her more level headed and more reasonable (Most Paints I’ve met are fairly nonreactive. Mine is kinda reactive, but he is also bred to be a cutting horse, so he is a little bit more high-strung than some others might be). The Arab in her should also make her even faster, but it can also make her too close to you and make her rely on you too much.
My biggest thing with a Paint/Arab cross would be the conformation. You are crossing this tiny chested, lean, fairly light horse with a- if of good quality- large boned Paint with a big chest, big butt, and just overall a big horse. This combination could either turn out to be a perfect middle, or it could end with a really awkward looking horse when it gets bigger because of how different the parents were.