Equine
Match.Com It seems so simple right? You
spend your evenings, lunch breaks, stolen moments at the office, trolling the internet in search of pretty pictures of pret- ty horses with interesting Biographies and tantalizing show records. You paw through dozens of websites looking at what seems like hundreds of pictures and video links hoping that “The One” jumps out at you. You dream at night of that first ride on your new horse and imagine the moment that you will unload him or her in your own barnyard where they will nicker softly and become your best friend for life. A big sigh escapes you as you sit fixed to the beautiful picture that glows from your com- puter screen. This is a complete fantasy. The reality
of what I call “Horse Hunting” is very simi- lar to that of finding a mate. Many of the photos and biographies that are posted online are often exaggerated or outdated. Some videos are cut and pasted so as to show the horses’ best features while omit- ting things that are better left on the cutting room floor. Whether we like it or not, all’s fair in love and war and each and every one of us are trying to promote our horse’s best attributes. That said, this is where it helps to employ the services of a professional that we know and trust; someone who has mar- keted horses themselves and who knows sale horse “lingo” and can interpret how a video is made or how a horse is presented to the public. Certainly, good horses have been found by individuals who know how to assess a video or have an arsenal of well worded questions to ask, but the truth is that many of us don’t know exactly what we need, exactly what we are looking for, or the right questions to ask the right people. I often tell my clients that finding the right horse is very much like finding the right partner. Sometimes we go through a few partners before we find our perfect match……this doesn’t make us bad riders, nor does it make the horses we have chosen bad animals….it just means that we didn’t have the perfect marriage and we need to move on in search of that perfect partner. Whether or not you employ an equine
54 . March 2012 .
www.PacificCoastJournal.com
professional to help you locate your dream horse, it is best to be informed and prepared before you hit the internet or start ranch hop- ing. First, set some realistic goals and define the type of horse you are looking for. Do you want a performance horse, a trail horse, a ranch horse etc? Make a list of goals and define what you hope to achieve with this new purchase. What sort of quali- ties do you wish this horse to have? What level of talent are you looking for? It is ben- eficial to assess your own ability level so that you can search out a horse that will sup- port your short comings while at the same time allow you to capitalize on your
strengths. Do you need a quiet horse? An experienced horse? An olde/youngerr horse? A broke horse? A forgiving horse? Finally, and one of the most
important things to have is a budget. What can you afford to buy and are the goals and expec- tation levels that you set within
that budget? Much like buying a car or a home, we often have a laundry list a mile long of what we hope to get, only to find out that our budget and our expectations simply aren’t in line. This is another reason to search out someone who has a feel for the market and can advise you as to what you might need to spend in order to get the horse of your dreams. Not always, but often times we find that we must a) increase our budget to get what we want or b) prioritize what we are willing to sacrifice in order to bring our budget in line with our wish list. In any event, a strong set of guidelines is important as you search for the horse that best suites you, your goal set and your personality. Ultimately, be prepared to have patience.
Buying a horse in haste almost always ends in disappointment. Try a few horses to give yourself a means of comparison. Keep a list of the things that you liked and disliked about each one and know which traits or skills you unequivocally require. Know what you can and cannot compromise on before you transfer that money and cut that check!
After graduating from college, David and
Becky Hanson spent 5 years training reining horses in Europe before starting a business in Central California in 2000. The couple trains and shows Open and Aged Event horses while at the same time running an extremely success- ful Non Pro Program in Clements, CA. In addition, both David and Becky are active with the NRHA on both the Local and National lev- els as David is West Coast Reining Horse Association President and an NRHA Professional and Professionals Committee Member while Becky is on the NRHA Board of Directors and a member of the NRHA Non Pro Committee, NRHA Affiliate Committee, and NRHA Events Committee. Not only do they train, show, and coach, but they buy, sell, and offer consulting services to both advanced rid- ers and industry new comers.
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