Purchase Exams: Safe and Sound

Buying that first horse can be exciting and scary. Getting that dreamed-about horse is the exciting part, and being concerned that you don’t make mistakes in choosing the right one is the disconcerting and worrisome part. In this article, we’ll first look at the situation through the eyes of horse owners, then we’ll turn to a panel of veterinary experts who will discuss what to watch for

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Buying that first horse can be exciting and scary. Getting that dreamed-about horse is the exciting part, and being concerned that you don’t make mistakes in choosing the right one is the disconcerting and worrisome part. In this article, we’ll first look at the situation through the eyes of horse owners, then we’ll turn to a panel of veterinary experts who will discuss what to watch for concerning health and soundness problems in the various disciplines.

From a horse owner’s perspective–and at this juncture I draw on years of personal experience plus mentoring from some top hands–it is very important that the novice have some professional help when making that first purchase. The word professional often is used when discussing someone who trains horses for a living. In this case, I’m using it to describe a person who has had years of experience in dealing with horses, even though that person might not be a professional trainer.

Horse traders through the years have developed a somewhat unsavory reputation. In some cases, the label of unscrupulous was unfairly applied to individuals who dealt in horses, but in many other instances, it was a fair description. While we like to think that those unscrupulous sorts are fading out of existence, some still remain who are lurking out there waiting to prey on the unwary.

This story will help explain my point. On an occasion during my years of operating a training stable, a lady came to me with a beautiful palomino mare. The lady was in her mid-sixties and all of her life had dreamed of owning her own horse. She was now at retirement age and took some of her savings to buy the horse of her dreams. The owners had assured her that the horse was safe for anyone to ride. She trusted them totally

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Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.

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