Many people believe that buying a horse is easy. Nothing can be more further from the truth. Buying a horse isn’t like buying a dog from a breeder or adopting a cat from a shelter. Buying a horse requires a lot of planning, mentally and financially, akin to buying a house. Here are a few steps that we’ve put together for how to buy a horse the right way. Speaking of buying a house, if you are looking for a horse property in Colorado give us a try. We have the largest selection of listings of horse properties in the state!
Steps For How To Buy A Horse In Colorado
The first step to buying a horse is figuring out exactly what you want. Make a wish list of age, height, level of training, and temperament you’d like in your new equine companion. At the top of the wish list, write down your budget. How much you can spend will have an effect on your wish list. Now you can begin searching. Word of mouth is great when you have a good community of horse people around you, but that doesn’t always happen. You’ll probably have to look online. Facebook is a great place to start. Once you’ve found a few reliable sources, talk to the sellers. The key is to ask a lot of questions.
Be honest with sellers about your riding ability and exactly what you are looking for. In the best scenario, the seller will be willing to let you have a trial run with the horse. Ask the seller is they’ll allow you to take the horse for a day or two to see if he is a good fit. Before buying a horse, make sure a veterinarian or horse clinician does an exam of the horse’s overall soundness. You don’t want to buy a horse only to find out that it has a medical condition that you didn’t account for in your budget. There is a certain level of maintenance required to owning a horse. This includes food costs and routine check-ups. All of this will factor in your decision.
