What to Look for in a New Horse

Kirk wrote in and asked: "Can you provide some tips or detail what you look for when 'shopping' for a new horse? Once gender, size, breed is determined, what do you specifically look for? Reason for asking, my first horse purchase was less that great, which taught me some great lessons. The horse has an incredible mind, but has limitations on his front end -that's for another question on another day."

Great question Kirk,...I don't know if I can begin do justice in answering it. One of the best places to get a really good young horse is the numerous ranch horse sales. Ranches such as the 6666, Pitchfork, Haythorn, Wagon Wheel, WYO, and a host of others will sell off geldings that they have been using (and training) to the public. These ain't your local sales barn horses. However, making to one of these sales may not be possible for most people. There are many production horse farms that breed for performance events such as reining, cutting, etc. So barring the option of buying from a ranch horse sale or from a large breeding operation, that leaves buying from a private owner or a small horse operation.

First question I'd get an answer to is what do I want to do with a new horse. Am I looking for just a trail -pleasure horse? Maybe a stout, solid horse that can take me up into the mountains for hunting and maybe packing? Is this going to be an arena roping horse? What you want this horse to do should not only impact on the size and chacteristics of what you are looking for, this horse but it's breed as well. Color is way down the line, but it's nice to get a good looking horse.  So I think purpose comes before gender, size and color.  

A Vet check on a prospective purchase and having your farrier look at the horse's feet are good things to do if they are available and if you can pay for it.  AVet check can reveal things like subtle chronic lameness or previous injuries doing a flexion test on the horse's legs.  Maybe you have a knowledgeable friend you can take along to look at prospects - a second set of eyes can help you make a better decision.

I had a Vet Check done on a roping horse prospect years ago.  The vet told me the horse has a heart murmur and he recommended against purchase.  I was convinced that the horse's problems were associated with a lack of nutrition, so against the Vet's advice I bought him.  One of the few times I kept my own counsel and it paid off.  That horse was Roy who I unfortunantly lost to a broken leg not too long ago.  He's the horse in the foreground of the picture above.

The second question I'd ask is why that person is selling the horse. Listen closely to what they say and don't say when you ask this question, and, unfortunantly you will have to read between the lines and take the answers with a grain of salt in most cases.

Some times you can get a great horse that was originally purchased for children who no longer ride, or the owner got too old or has physical problems that don't permit riding anymore....or in today's market, the owner can't afford to keep a horse anymore.

Visually when I looking at a horse I start looking at the overall conformation. What the general body score is. The head being proportionate to the body; not too long or short of neck; the neck not tying in to the chest way too low or too high; what the withers look like - they could be practically non-existant or of medium height or even really high; the length and straightness of the back. Does the overall look of the horse, including his teeth, match which what I am being told the age of the horse is.  Is there any evidence of previous injuries. 

I look at the front and back ends to see if the horse is too narrow based and if the horse looks to be knock kneed or bow legged. What does his hip and overall muscularity look like.

What does his feet look like? Is there too sharp or too narrow of an angle from pastern down the front of the hoof. If so, is this because he was trimmed too long in the toe or did the leave too much heel.

Dished or concaved hooves may be a sign of previous founder and therefore some internal hoof issues that may make him unsound for what you want him for. Is the hoof flaring at the bars? Does the hoof and frog appear to be balanced? What do the hoof walls look like? Are they really thin or do they have a healthy thickness. Sometimes, if a horse is on non-consistent and/or low quality feed the hooves will grow down from the cornorary band with ridges. Speaking of feed, poorly fed horses can be a lot different once they get regular, quality feed.

If everything else is acceptable on the horse except maybe feet in poorly maintained condition, sometimes conistent and good quality feed, and good farrier care, can fix that within 9-12 months. All these considerations is why sometimes paying a farrier to check out a prospect horse can pay off. There are some foot problems that can be migitated with good farrier care and can make that horse functional for you, but there is only so much even the best farrier can do and they can't fix conformational defects.

The owner should allow you work work the horse on a lunge line or in a round pen, and ride the horse. It would be a good idea to find out what Veternarian and Farrier have seen this horse and ask them what they think of this horse.

I would ask to see Vet records on this horse. Owners who don't regular vaccinate or worm their horses maybe be giving you a horse that is going to cause you problems real soon.  Having said all of the above, I like a stout, shorter horse in the height range of 14.3 to 15.1 hand high with a short back, and I prefer geldings that are bays or sorrels. 
Good luck to you Kirk. I'll leave you this little of bit of truth in humor.