Professional Pre-Purchase Assessment

Buying a horse is a big decision

I can provide professional advice

Buying a horse is a big decision, and it is worth taking your time and seeking professional advice to ensure that you make a good choice. It is always advisable to  have a horse vetted before buying it, to assess its physical well-being. However, assessment of a horse’s suitability in terms of temperament and behaviour is often overlooked, and many problems arise because of this.

Even experienced riders will often have a ‘type’ of horse they are more comfortable with – some may be used to, and comfortable around, a slightly nervous and  reactive horse whilst  others may be adept at managing more confident, pushy personalities but would not enjoy dealing with a horse who leaps sideways at every leaf blowing down the road! Some buyers are looking for a ‘project’ horse and would welcome a bit of a challenge, others want a quiet, well-schooled horse to enjoy relaxing leisure time with. 

Unless you are getting a horse on loan first, the time you have to assess his temperament and behaviour will be quite limited. It takes experience and a good knowledge of horse behaviour to make such an assessment, sometimes based on fairly subtle signs. It can also require some experience to gather relevant information from the seller about the horse’s history and current behaviour.

A pre-purchase assessment will include evaluating:

A written report following the assessment can be provided, for an additional charge of £15.