Dressage Horse?
with a long history of breeding and ar destinations for horse shopping.
By Amber Heintzberger
do whatever is appropriate for the horse’s age and experi- ence. It shouldn’t be any different than trying a horse in America. I also want to see the horse without tack on— take the boots off, take the saddle off and look him over. I’ll look one day, come back the next day and then arrange a vetting. Most of my horses have been imported, and they’ve all been quite nice—but like anything, if you get a funny vibe about a person or a horse, always listen to that,” she advises.
She also points out a horse might behave differently in a new environment. “Sometimes horses come over and are completely different—we try to avoid that, but that’s another reason to work with people you know and trust. If something goes wrong, it’s not easy to send it back! You can re-sell a horse here, but you still want to pay attention.”
Germany holds prestigious auctions for buyers, a common way to purchase a young horse there. Here is an example of a horse at the Oldenburg’s Fall Elite Auction held in Vechta last Octo- ber. This is Bianchello (Bordeaux x Sandro Hit x Rubinstein I) who was presented for sale.
The All-Important Test Ride While you can find a lot of information on the internet or in conversations before you go, you’ll want to be sure to put horses through their paces if you travel to Europe to try them. It’s really not much different than trying a horse here in the United States: you should ask the same basic ques- tions of the seller and use the same process when you sit on the horse. When she goes to try a horse, Reese says, “Typically someone rides the horse first and if you like them you get on them. If you don’t like the horse, don’t waste everyone’s time. You are there for a limited time and you don’t know whether, if you spend time on that horse, you’ll miss one that you like.” Reese points out many sales barns have professional
riders who are skilled at presenting sales horses in their best light. “If you go to a professional sales barn, consider that a horse could be ridden by a very good rider who presents it well. That’s their business.” For her test ride, Reese says she generally follows a typi- cal pattern: “Walk, trot and canter, move it sideways, and
Be Prepared to Buy Before you pay the high cost of shipping and quaran- tine, you’ll want to have a thorough pre-purchase exam performed. “You need to have a good veterinarian in a reputable vet clinic,” says Reese. “When I’m getting on the plane I let my vets at home know. I’m really prepared so I can fax information to them. I try to be there for the vetting, but it doesn’t always work out that way. If I’m not there, the agent is there and gives my vets exactly what I want. I want to talk to them after the flexion tests, or if there are any issues with the films. If there’s an issue I want to know before they proceed with the rest of the exam. Typically you have to move quickly on these things, and it needs to be clear who has what informa- tion,” she explains. She adds it’s also not a bad idea to have someone with
you who speaks the language. “I speak German, but I never speak it while I’m looking at a horse. I listen. Don’t blow your cover!” she says with a smile. Reese encourages everyone horse shopping abroad to
have everything in order in case you decide to make a pur- chase. “A lot of times you need to move quickly—you need to make a decision. They don’t want ‘tire kickers’; you don’t want to waste everyone’s time. If you’re going to Europe, have the money ready and be ready to buy a horse. It’s okay if you don’t find anything that you like. But if you find a horse, you need to move. I’ll typically bring a colleague if I’m shopping for myself, just for a second opinion, so they can watch from the ground and let me know what they
Warmbloods Today 29
German Oldenburg Verband
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