32 SIDELINES FEBRUARY 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
My Line
“CAVEAT EMPTOR”
Buying a Horse…
By Sarah Ward
Over the years, I have had a variety of horses that have
ranged in size, breed, temperament, ability and personality
from a feisty Miniature to fancy hunters to speedy jumpers.
Each has come into my life at the appropriate time when
they suited my needs and ability as a rider and some are
still happily back at the barn. But “Caveat Emptor,” or
buyer beware, really are words of advice when it comes to
searching for the right horse.
While purchasing a horse is exciting, it can also be
daunting, confusing, and yes, even frightening. Knowing
how I felt about horses, any kind of horse, I could have
easily fallen in love with the frst big set of brown eyes that
looked my way. Luckily, I had my mom and an experienced
professional there to make the decisions.
I recall one top trainer, when asked what color he liked
best, dryly responding “the color that doesn’t touch the
fences!” Of course, if you found several horses that had
equal conformation, movement, scope, age, training,
soundness, minds and price…then sure, buy the color you
like! But in reality, how often is that going to happen!?!
I was so obsessed with riding that we began looking for
a mount just a month after I had my frst lesson. My mom
loved grays, though I just wanted to fnd something I could
stay on. At one of the stables we visited they put me on this
big gray horse named Casper and had me jump around a small
course. I stayed on, we were sold. We re-named him Happy, a
typical off the track Thoroughbred, a little wild if he didn’t have his
turn-out and he was not really a beginner’s horse, but I was in
love. Today he is happily enjoying his retirement back at our barn.
Just looking at the classifeds can be overwhelming, amusing
and truly misleading if you don’t know better. That is where the
trainer really is important. A friend was selling her jumper and her
ad could not have been more clear to an experienced equestrian.
Her ad read: FOR SALE Jr./A-O Jumper, 8 yr old, TB mare,
16.2hh, bold, athletic, careful, fast, sound, for experienced rider.
Any trainer worth his salt would know that this was NOT the choice
for a novice kid looking for a children’s hunter. Yet more than one
parent called because their child fell in love with the photo and
wanted THAT horse! It wasn’t going to happen!
A few red fag terms that come to mind include: “Serviceably
Sound” (does that mean for the paddock, cross rails or what?)
“Eventing Prospect” (usually a big fast horse, runs at jumps and is
fearless, but causes fear to rider!); “Dressage Prospect” (big slow
horse, can’t or WON’T jump) and of course “Companion Horse”
and/or “Brood Mare” (unsound or unable to ride).
Honestly, fnding your “dream horse” can turn out to be a real
nightmare (or gelding) if you are not lucky, so leave any impulse
buying at the grocery store check
out ‘cause a horse is going to be
with you a lot longer than a pack
of Dentine gum or a Kit Kat bar!
H
O
R
S
E
S
H
O
W
Sarah Ward is currently living in
Atlanta. Sarah rides with Finally
Farm’s Jack Towell and Liza
Towell-Boyd and competes with
Finally Farm in the hunters and
jumpers in both the amateur and
open divisions.
Established 1975
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