Can someone give me a list of questions you should ask when buying a horse like what type of food is he eating daily?
1. What training does he have, and who has done it? (Ie, he had 30 days of basic training with _____, then 60 days of Western Pleasure training with ________)
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.