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A coloured cob is a sought-after equine for riders and drivers - but do you know enough to buy at a market?

IT seems a simple enough idea - you like to ride, you may even be good at it, you have always wanted to have your own horse and now, for whatever accumulation of reasons, you have the money, the time and somewhere to keep the animal of your dreams.

What could go wrong? From the pre-side of horse buying - not much; from the post-side, a lot. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

You buy an armful of horse journals - "Horse and Hound", of course, and there are many others; some dedicated to buying and selling, some with a section at the back, and don't let's forget the local newspapers which, these days, often have quite extensive equestrian sections. The internet has endless websites all over the UK and "abroad"; local dealers; the friend of a friend inevitably; not to mention something your trainer just happens to have or know about. Sales and auctions abound; breeders often sell their horses direct from the stud; and then there are trips to Europe.

So you decide what type of horse interests you; its breed, height, age, sex, colour (perhaps), experience in hacking and/or one of the disciplines - dressage, show jumping, eventing, showing, riding club, endurance, western - and just about anything else you can think of. Then you get out your red pen and go through the adverts, circling those that tick the boxes you've decided upon. Then you phone and make an appointment.

Trembling with the excess adrenaline that excitement and anticipation produce, you turn up having got lost several times due to the vagaries of local directions or, worse, the sat-nav. When you get there, either they've just sold the horse you came to see, it is lame, the colour, the size or even sometimes the sex is not what you expected or, if it is what you expected, it has the paces of a giraffe and the demeanour of a camel with attitude. Welcome to the world of horse buying.

After this has happened a few times, you get cuter. You have lots of questions that you ask before you leave your house; if there is a competition record, you ask for the registered name and you look up that record on the appropriate website. You start to listen as much to what is not said as what is, and take what is said with a large pinch of salt. You ask the reason for sale. You decide if it sounds valid. There are hundreds and, of course, quite a few are true; lots more are doubtful. Don't assume that all dealers are crooks - quite a few private owners are less than generous with the truth - and there is little comeback from them whereas a reputable dealer is just that and his/her reputation is worth more than making a fast buck. Make sure that there is someone there to ride the horse for you - never agree to ride a horse you don't know, in an environment strange to you, before you have a chance to decide if you want to get on at all - more than one potential buyer has ended up in a heap on the floor by being too previous. In the main, it's better to say up front that the horse is not for you if you don't like the look of it on first sight or when you've seen it out of the box - don't become a "time waster" - you don't have to ride it and first impressions are often very accurate.

It is a very good idea to take someone with you when looking at horses. More than one pair of eyes is usually good but do make sure that your "expert" actually is one. See the horse ridden by the owner or, anyway, by the usual rider at all three paces; then let your expert ride it and then you, last of all. Don't try to be clever - ask all the questions you want and find out as much as possible but be polite, considerate and reserved.

Experience is what you get just after you need it. This is definitely true with horse-buying. There are lots of rules to follow but the main one is "do not fall in love"! Take a video camera, get someone with a steady hand to film, take it home and look at it objectively. Try very hard not to buy a horse on the spot. If you are told that there are several people after the horse and you are pressed for a decision, do your best to hold out - there are thousands of horses for sale out there and "buy in haste and repent at leisure" holds good here too. It is better to let the horse go rather than be rushed into something.

Know your limitations. If you can't ride the horse well on the day, either go back again or accept that this horse may be beyond you or simply not one that you gell with. Don't buy a horse that you know, in your heart of hearts, you can't cope with - it's not likely to get better at home and you'll join the many people who own horses that they can't and don't ride.

And please don't buy a young, green horse if you are also young (or old) and green - you won't learn together, you'll have a bad time together and that's not the point of the exercise.

You have found the horse you want - ask to have it vetted - if there is a hesitation or, occasionally, a refusal, walk away. Even having just a basic check of wind, eyes, heart and action is better than not having a horse vetted at all. Use an equine vet, preferably one you know and who knows you. Do not be talked into using the owner's vet; don't buy on the basis of a vet check done several months or years previously; do listen to the vet's opinion of what is wrong - and there will be something, trust me! - and base your decision on what you want to do with the horse and whether or not what is wrong will be a significant problem. However, do remember that a vet check is what the vet sees on the day, and only on that day, and it's an opinion, albeit hopefully a knowledgeable one. It is not the job of the vet to tell you whether or not the horse is right for you and it is not his fault if you find out subsequently that you can't ride it!

All this and you haven't got the horse home yet!

The endings are as follows: you have bought the right horse for you and you keep him/her forever - it does happen, honestly! It isn't the right horse for you and you return it, exchange it, or move it on swiftly; it is lame from day two and you spend much money, time, effort and tears and never quite find out what the problem is - but you keep him/her; as before but you have him/her put down or find a companion home and then try again to find the horse of your dreams; your trainer rides the horse, you become a groom/owner and the horse is a huge success. All these scenarios happen - just try to pick the right one for you. Happy horse hunting!

n Next article in May "Smallholder"- where to keep your horse and what to look for in a livery yard?

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