I am usually talking professional to professional. It’s rare
for me to be buying from an amateur. I’m not against buying from an amateur, but for the horse to catch my eye, he has to be presented in a professional manner. The pros know how to write the ads and produce the right videos—not the ones with the horse in the corral at liberty or eating a bucket of carrots. Also, early on, I sit with my client and ask about her goals.
What kind of training program are we going to have? Am I going to ride the horse five days a week and you ride on Saturday? Or do you want me to ride him one day a week? Or never? We’ve all seen miscommunications. The client buys the horse and the trainer says, “Now I have to ride him for three months to make it ready for you.” And the client is thinking, “Huh?”
What to Take with You HEIDI: Always bring someone; even better, bring a profes- sional. If your trainer can’t go, go with another professional, maybe someone your trainer knows. If I had a client traveling to a particular area and I was out of the country, I might ask a local trainer I know to help my client. Of course, bring your riding clothes, helmet and boots.
Bring a video camera. Maybe bring your own saddle, but not usually for the first ride. Most people are not going to want some random saddle on their horse. JEFF: Bring your trainer. You might be able to buy a horse without a trainer, but maybe you got lucky. I hear from people constantly about making a mistake. They didn’t have a solid plan for making the evaluation. You need a pro involved. When I talk to the trainer, I learn what kind of rider you are. I often ask for a video if I am unsure.
Time of Day to Ride HEIDI: It doesn’t matter if the time you schedule is morning or afternoon. If you suspect that you have to go at a certain time because the sellers might be doing this or that to the horse ahead of time, then it’s probably not a person you should buy a horse from. Deal with people you trust.
When You Arrive HEIDI: I ask them not to tack him up until I get there. Typi- cally, I am buying for young riders or amateurs, and they don’t want some horse that is a nightmare on the ground. I don’t like surprises like he doesn’t stand in the crossties or he’s trouble to put the bridle on or he kicks the shoer. If you have the time that day, hang around to see how the barn works and if he’s flighty every time a horse goes in and out of a stall. It’s probably not a good idea to rush in and out. JEFF: I ask if the buyer wants the horse tacked up when he or she gets there. When I buy myself I want to see the horse come out of the stall and then I will look over the legs. Later on I don’t want a client falling in love and then find bad legs under the polo wraps. Other things I would look at include: how does the horse
react to being girthed up? If he spooks, what does he do? How is the facility? Is the tack dirty? On the other hand, I’ve
“I oſten see horses that were picked out for the
trainer to ride, not for the buyer to ride. Te buyer thought she was geting a horse for her to ride and is disappointed.” —Heidi
Heidi Gaian of Villa Rosa Dressage riding Matheus, one of her many top horses over the years. Here they were Fourth Level champions at the USDF Regional Championships, region 7 in 2007.
seen some really bad horses come out of very clean, fancy facilities. If something concerns you, find a way to ask about it a
few times. For example, if someone asks about the tempera- ment from one to ten, I have an idea of what one to ten is, but it may be different than yours. It needs to be in context and clarified.
Getting Ready to Ride HEIDI: As for lunging, I only want to see a horse lunged at the vet check to see if he’s sound, not to see if he’s an expert lunger. With a trained horse, I don’t care too much if he lunges well. If he’s young and needs to be lunged before we ride, I will see that. I don’t care about seeing the horse at liberty. I try to
respect the seller and the management of the horse. Like- wise, if someone comes to me to try my very nice Prix St. Georges horse and asks me if I can turn him out in this giant paddock, my response is, “No, actually, I can’t.” JEFF: Most buyers don’t want a horse that has to be lunged; I don’t lunge before the buyer comes out. If someone says the horse is bombproof and he has to be lunged, there is a problem.
The Ride HEIDI: Never be the first to get on the first day. Never. I don’t get on first because I don’t want to fall off. And I want to see how the horse goes in his best light, which would be with his current professional. Typically, when people come to us, I or one of the girls rides the horse, then the trainer rides the horse. I try to have the buyer come another day to take the horse out of the stall, groom and get on it as if it’s the buyer’s own horse. If a seller isn’t willing to let you do something like this, it is a red flag.
Warmbloods Today 13
Courtesy Heidi Gaian
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