houses, do move quickly if they are desirable. Experience had taught me that if I did find a horse I liked, I should put a deposit down in an amount I could stand to lose.) At this point, several red-flag phrases were thrown at me (see sidebar). I was dumbfounded because I had not expected it. Because I really liked the horse, I pleaded with the seller to hold the horse until my vet could see him—a very reasonable request. No dice. The seller wasn’t budging.
THE HARD-SELL SALES PITCH
When horse shopping, the following claims should raise a red flag:
“At this price, the horse won’t last long.”
”You had better make a decision—I have people lined up to see this horse every day this week.”
“Most of the people I sell to are just starting out, so I try to have really quiet horses.”
“My veterinarian has already looked at the horse, and he says the horse is fine.”
“I have recent pre-purchase exam records right here, so you won’t need one, which will save you money.”
“The first or second person who sees this horse will buy him.”
And, if you hear any of the following during negotiations, hang on to your deposit and look elsewhere:
“I don’t make sales subject to vet checks or pre-purchase exams anymore,” followed by some story about how the seller lost two weeks of valuable sale time when a customer didn’t end up purchasing a really great horse.
“I’ll take your deposit, but it won’t hold the horse while you make arrangements for your vet. If someone sees the horse and writes me a check for the purchase amount, the horse is sold.” (Then essentially, your deposit is meaningless.)
“You can have a right of first refusal. If someone wants to buy him, I’ll call you and give you the option of purchasing the horse first.” (You don’t know if another buyer even exists.)
The horse was not the best mover and a little short-strided in front, which I assumed was due to his fairly upright pasterns. I held the gelding’s right front leg bent for one minute, and then we trotted him off. He was lame. I flexed the other front leg and the gelding was off on that side as well. He certainly did not appear sound enough to stand up to any kind of work for any length of time.
I realized then how easily someone could get pressured into buying a horse. Because I really liked the gelding, I was a prime candidate for the “hard sell.” A horse might be offered at a great price, but you need to know what soundness and maintenance issues may be awaiting. Your “cheap” horse won’t be cheap if he is chronically lame requiring frequent visits from the veterinarian, pain medication, and expensive supplements every month. A reputable horse person will allow you to have a horse vetted, honor your deposit, and hold the horse for you for a reasonable amount of time.
The True Cost of an Unsuitable Horse
Unfortunately, when a new horse is purchased, he doesn’t come with a guarantee that he will be a perfect match in temperament and ability for the rider. Just as people are affected and shaped by their experiences in life, a horse comes with baggage, too. Evaluating a new horse takes time, much longer than the two-week trial period prospective purchasers may be able to negotiate. Sometimes, it may take months for a horse to adjust and bond with his new owner, learn the new rider’s communication style, and unlearn bad habits he may have picked up in former homes.
However, if a horse and rider are not making progress after six months, or the horse is exhibiting unexpected and dangerous behavior not caused by the handler or rider, it may be time to assess the long-term viability of the partnership. Consult your instructor and veterinarian if you are having difficulty with your new mount. You may have purchased an animal you simply don’t get along with or that wasn’t properly represented to you. If this is indeed the case, you should find a trainer or rider who is more compatible with your horse to work with him and prevent any bad behavior from becoming habit. The trainer can evaluate the horse, correct unwanted behaviors, and reeducate the horse, if needed. This process can either better your own relationship with the horse or facilitate the sale of the animal to a buyer who is a more appropriate match.
Clinging to a horse that is not going to work for you may cost more than just board and maintenance. While there are inherent risks in handling any horse, those risks are increased with a horse that you are afraid of, or one that exhibits particularly dangerous behavior. Plus, horse ownership is supposed to be fun. If you are not enjoying your horse and the time you spend at the barn, you are defeating the reason you purchased a horse in the first place.
YOUR DECISIONS AFFECT YOUR HORSE’S AFFORDABILITY
Cost-Benefit Analysis
“If you understand the motivation for your decisions, you can make good decisions,” says Ernest M. Swartz, M.S.W., a licensed clinical social worker. According to Mr. Swartz, “balanced” persons “are self-aware and know why they are doing what they are doing.” If you take this rule for your personal decisions a step further and always do a cost-benefit analysis—a comparison of the positive and negative aspects of a course of action—you can make good financial decisions as well.
A cost-benefit approach should be used in all resource allocation decisions. Resources♦, including both time and money, should only be spent if the expected benefits from using those resources will exceed the expected costs of those resources. Benefits should outweigh costs. In other words, if you spend a dollar, what you’re spending it on should be worth more than a dollar to you.
Let’s say you are flipping through the livestock catalog because you need to purchase fly spray. Do you purchase the economy brand for $4.20 per bottle, or do you purchase the premium fly spray, which lasts ten minutes longer than the economy brand, for $13.50 per bottle? If you don’t ride your horse for very long, or flies don’t really bother him, there is no real benefit gained from spending the extra $9.30 a bottle. However, if you have a horse that goes into a bucking fit when a fly lands on him, then the benefit justifies the extra cost (and you get to dismount in one piece.)
SO YOU KNOW…
♦ A resource is a source of supply of revenue or information or something else that adds “value” to human life.
To give another example, perhaps you have to choose the type of fencing for a piece of land you intend to use as a paddock. Fencing an acre with three-board sections would cost approximately $1,300 (not including labor), and electric-tape fencing with wooden posts, approximately $950. Both are safe and effective for horses. If you absolutely love the idea of a wooden fence and know you will smile every time you see it from your kitchen window, then the extra $350 is worth it. However, if you don’t have an aesthetic preference, the electric tape is the better choice.
A good financial decision is one that survives cost-benefit analysis and fits into your budget. You need to have both for your choice to make sense financially. Whether you have the option to spend the $13.50 on fly spray depends on the amount of resources
