Bulletin E-Edition:
more photosTumalo-based trainer Eduardo Braun talks to Courtney Frederick, of Oklahoma, as she test-rides an 8-year-old Argentine warmblood gelding named Juan Z. in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Braun and his wife, Amy Huson-Braun, are buyers’ agents who often accompany clients on horse shopping trips to Argentina.
Photo Courtesy of Amy Huson-Braun of Future Street
Buyer beware
People should be patient and picky when in the market for a horse
By Lily Raff / The Bulletin
Published: November 21. 2008 4:00AM PSTIt happens every autumn — show season ends, and a new batch of steeds floods the market.
This year, because of the sagging economy, even more horses than usual are being offered for sale.
The increased supply means there may be some real bargains out there, but experts advise potential buyers to do their homework and know exactly what they’re getting.
Nancy Stearns, a dressage trainer and co-owner of Stonepony Ranch Dressage Centre in Redmond, offers a few tips for riders shopping for a mount.
Potential buyers should always ask if the horse has any vices, Stearns says.
She usually talks to the seller on the phone, as well as in person. Stearns believes it is easier in a phone conversation to stay focused, and to notice any passing references to potential problems.
“The honest seller will tell you everything about the horse, but it might be vague,” she says. “They will disclose the flags, but they’re not going to (turn on) neon blinking lights. There’s no such thing as a perfect horse. So you just have to listen and then read between the lines.”
For example, Stearns remembers one seller who casually mentioned, “This horse really likes his grain.”
That’s not exactly a lie, Stearns says of that horse, which now lives in her barn. But the seller declined to put it the way Stearns does: “He’ll paw the barn down at feeding time.”
“It’s not terrible,” Stearns says, laughing. “But I think about it every day when I feed him.”
When a buyer goes to look at a horse, he or she should request that the owner leave the horse in the pasture until the buyer arrives.
“When I’m coming to look at a horse, I do not want the horse ridden or lunged that day,” she says. “If I say that, the person would have to be pretty unethical to take the horse out and exercise it before I get there.”
And Stearns urges buyers to always remember that a horse with good ground manners does not necessarily behave under saddle.
Instead of jumping on a horse’s back to find out, buyers should ask the owner to ride the horse first. Watch the ride carefully, Stearns says, and then decide if you want to mount the horse.
“You can put your foot in the stirrup and get blown to the sky,” she says. “You don’t know if the horse is sweet until you ride it.”
Tim Rawlins, a local reining trainer and consultant, urges horse shoppers to spend as much time as possible with a horse before buying.
“You should see how the horse behaves in a variety of different circumstances, on several different days or outings,” he says.
If the seller is willing, work a trial period into the sales contract. Some sellers will agree to return money and take back a horse if the buyer changes his or her mind within a specified period of time.
“I’ve noticed that in a new situation, most horses tend to mind their p’s and q’s until they’re more comfortable, which usually takes around two weeks,” Stearns says.
Prospective buyers should get a trusted veterinarian to examine any horse before making a deal.
The more expensive the horse, the more thorough the exam should be, says veterinarian Wendy Krebs of Bend Equine Medical Center.
“A standard exam probably lasts 1 1/2 to two hours,” she says. “And we pretty much look the horse over from head to toe.”
Pre-sale examinations are the most common cause of lawsuits against equine veterinary practices, Krebs says, so vets take them very seriously.
Krebs generally examines a horse’s teeth and eyes, then watches the horse walk, trot and canter on various surfaces. She tests the joints for lameness. She listens to the heart, lungs and abdomen. She examines the skin for tumors or wounds. She looks at the horse’s conformation, or overall structure. She scrutinizes the legs, neck and hooves for any weaknesses.
Krebs recommends that horse shoppers pay for routine blood work, to check the horse’s immune system and organ function. This usually costs about $100.
And in many cases, Krebs recommends testing the horse’s blood or urine for drugs. Unscrupulous sellers may drug a horse to mask lameness or to sedate a particularly high-strung personality.
Genetic testing may be recommended for certain horses. Heavily muscled quarter horses or paints, for example, are susceptible to a genetic disorder called hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, or HYPP. A horse with HYPP suffers from seizures.
Any horse with a history of tie-up episodes — painful muscle cramps that can result in muscle or organ damage — should be tested for equine polysaccharide storage myopathy, or EPSM.
Both genetic tests require that a few hairs from the horse’s tail or mane be pulled and sent to a lab. Each test costs about $30.
For performance horses, Krebs recommends a full set of X-rays to help rule out early arthritis or joint deformation.
“The horse could, of course, get an injury the day after you buy him that could predispose him to arthritis,” the veterinarian says. “But it’s good to know that you’re starting with a normal joint. And they also can be handy if you’re planning to resell the horse down the road.”
Experts urge potential buyers not to get swept away by a pretty face or a fancy gait.
Buyers sometimes talk themselves into a horse that is not a good match, says Stearns, the dressage trainer. It never hurts to seek a trusted second opinion.
“It’s hard once a person gets attached,” she says. “That’s why it’s good to take a trainer with you — because they take the emotion out of it.”
Buying a horse can be stressful, but it can also be fun. Eduardo Braun and Amy Huson-Braun, owners of Future Street Farm in Tumalo, often accompany clients from all over the country to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to buy horses there. They have a number of clients who go there regularly to buy horses.
“A lot of our clients come down and have a great time,” says Huson-Braun, who is currently in Argentina. “They’re going out to dinner, they’re going out dancing, and they’re looking at some beautiful horses.”
Lily Raff can be reached at 541-617-7836 or at lraff@bendbulletin.com.
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