| My definition of a horse trader is someone who buys horses for a cheap price and immediately resells them for more than they paid for them. Rehabbing a horse is when someone that puts time and money into training or spends months rehabbing a horse that was sick or starved. The difference between being a trader and a rehabber is that the trader usually does not know much if anything about the background of the horses they sell. They may feed a skinny horse but they usually do not spend extra on training, vet bills, or special farrier work. It is possible to find some great horses from the trader. An honest horse trader is a valuable tool. They know where to find good horses, they are helpful in finding lost or stolen horses, and they know who the creeps are and can direct you to other honest horse sellers. My problem is with horse traders that lie, cheat, and drug horses. My advice is to always bring several people with you when looking at a horse. You need to have a person experienced with the breed you are considering. You should also bring someone that can be neutral and will not get caught up in the excitement of buying a horse; a non-horsey spouse or relative is great for this. A pre-purchase vet exam is a no-brainer. Use your own vet or someone your vet recommends. Never use the seller’s vet. Make sure you have the seller show you the vet records before you purchase the horse. |
A simple Google search can save you a lot of heartache. Make sure you search the name of the farm, the name of the seller, the name of the horse, the seller’s phone number, and the seller’s email address. Each piece of information may show different results.
Here are several websites that have information on bad rescues and complaints.
You can also check the BBB of the location in which the seller resides. Just remember the BBB only has detailed information on their members so a seller might not be listed.
If you have any questions feel free to email me.
