Has anyone bought w/o trying?

[Ames]

Title pretty much sums it up. Has anyone found a horse they liked from video/pics etc and, whether you had someone try them for you, or just relied on your gut, bought the horse without actually seeing them in person?

If so, how did it work out for you and what price ranges were those purchases?

TIA

[DarcyW]

Yes! I know what I like and what works for me. However, I vet them up one side and down the other.

[Ames]

Definitely a given!

What kind of distance are we talking, and what price range - under 10k, 10-20k or beyond?

Did they work out for you?

[butlerfamilyzoo]

I've bought a bunch off videos, i've sold a bunch too... I think its hard because you arent quite sure if the personalities click. To me, thats important. It wouldnt make much difference if i had a friend ride that horse for me, she wouldnt be able to tell me if I would like the personality, just the training it has/doesnt have and if she liked it.

I have had more success buying youngsters off video alone. My cob mare i bought that way from a short 3min clip even. And i LOVE her. I think you can "mold" their personalities a little bit and really get to know them threw the starting process. She was 5k as a 2yr old. I think the best experience for me was doing a trial though, and its hard to get people to let their horses go for that. But hands down, best experience! Another under 10k pony though. I havent spent more than that and dont plan on it! Not in my budget!

ETA- my cob mare was 1k miles from me (ND to OK), but i've bought from PA to OK, and CA to TX. Just keep in mind, i dont own the others! The lesson horse i have right now, i purchased off video and had delivered, he was only 3hrs away, but i just didnt have time to try him. Now there are things i dont like about him, but for the most part, he has fit the bill wonderfully and everyone loves him.

[ToN Farm]

Three times! One was a foal, and the other two were 3 years old. One came from Canada and the other from Holland. The foal purchase I regret not having seen in person. The other two worked out.

My situation is that I don't fly, so unless I buy a horse locally, I'm sort of stuck buying sight unseen. That said, I would likely not purchase an older horse without riding it. The young ones I bought had not been ridden yet.

Ames, I sent you a PM on Yuku. Did you get it?

[Ames]

thanks everyone :)

ToN - nope - haven't been on YUKU in a while - send it here or the UDBB if you dont' mind?

I'm kind of in the same situation in that I *can* fly, but I really dont' like to. Have two potentials I'm interested in but they are a distance away.......

[Carol O]

I imported my FEI schoolmaster out of Holland without trying him, and without a vet check. I had seen a video. We have been partners now for 7 wonderful years. He is completely sound, and still going strong now at 24(!). I had a lot of horse friends, and even more non-horse friends tell me I was nuts to do this, but I trusted my gut. I had a complete inner peace at the time, that this was okay to do, and I am normally a cautious person. I have never regretted my decision. He has taught me volumns.

[Ames]

Carol - did you have anyone try him for you, or was it solely based on a video? Did anyone "find" him for you that had first hand knowledge of the horse, or was it mostly a shot in the dark?

[Happy Feet]

I have both bought and sold off of videos. I don't like selling off videos 'cause I wanna know that the horse is with someone who will really enjoy the horse for a long time.
I have to say I have not had any worse or better luck buying off video than, going out and trying them. I would say the price range doesn't matter, it's fairly relative. Meaning $15k to one peson may be like $5k to another, or $50k. What ever the price is, you have to ask yourself would you be okay with the horse arriving and not being totally happy with it or worse hating the horse! Right now it is not easy to sell horses so, can you sit on teh horse awhile, do you have the detication to stick with a horse and keep him going even though you hate going to the barn and riding the horse? On the other hand, maybe he/she arrives and you couldn't be happier. Is there a trainer or friend who knows the horse, have you talked to the sellers trainer? Have you gotten the vet records released? Getting vet records tells a much more thorough picture of the horse than a vetting done on one day....

[Tiffani B]

I purchased my current horse without trying him. However, I and my trainer both talked to his previous owner, three prior trainers, and a trainer who had recently tried him but didn't buy. I of course had him vetted and the x-rays were overnighted to my vet.

I was fully aware of the "issues" he had (two years off, totally needed to be re-bridled and gotten back into shape, toes out in front and sometimes whacks himself if not shod properly, but x-rays were clean and he vetted great). But he was billed as SAFE which was my #1 concern.

I couldn't have gotten a nicer horse. He has turned out to be worth his weight in gold and I'm VERY happy.

[inca]

Yes, I bought at a sporthorse auction without riding the mare AND without a vet check. But she went for the ridiculously low price of $2,050. I saw her being ridden as soon as I walked into the auction site and both my trainer and I thought she was adorable. I did talk to the owner before bidding. I bought her as a resale project and she was a GREAT little horse. I sold her to a family and she was a wonderful Pony Club mount for the little girl. She is for sale because the girl doesn't ride any more and I would buy her back if I didn't already have 6 horses! (And no job at the moment.)

[Couture TB]

I honestly have only gone and tried a few horses before purchase. Other then that I usually just purchase without seeing the horse. This year we already purchased 2 and both are awsome a ATA mare and a TB stallion. Last year an Oldenburg from out east who did some dressage, he is stunning, and I think 3 the year before that.

[RiverOaksFarm]

I've sold riding horses in the $10K to nearly $30K range without the buyers coming to try them in person, plus a repeat customer who bought one horse from me without coming to try it, and then bought another one the same way.

I've also sold (and bought) youngsters without going to see them in person, but I think that is actually pretty common with youngsters, and they're in the <$10K range. There also comes a point in your horse shopping where the cost of travelling can eat up alot of your budget, if you're looking for less expensive horses or youngsters.

It also goes without saying that you want to deal with someone reputable and honest, especially if you're considering buying a horse without going to see it first! Things like show results can be nice too...

[mzm farm]

Got my schoolmaster off a video and a phone chat. Don't regret it for a minute. He is a perfect fit for my personality and a wonderful teacher. Love him to pieces. Got a youngster off a video and a phone chat - she is great too.
No vet checks on either horse and no problems.

I would not mind selling off a video and a phone chat, but I really enjoy meeting the people the horse will be with. Although a personal meeting is not always a guarantee. Sold a lovely horse - wonderful trainer, lovely AA rider/owner, they both rode the horse and did great with her, bought her; but a while later I bought the horse back - it was just not working out for them or the horse.

It is a gamble one way or another.
Good luck

[Bellfleur]

Two. One I adore and worked out fine the other I lost 18K on.

[lewin]

One, she was two and unstarted so I only got to see her run around and lunge. But there was something I really liked about her attitude.

[Ames]

million dollar question then, is how do you know when the people you are dealing with are reputable? I *almost* didn't try my guy I just had to put down last week. Had a friend go try him for me - distance was pretty far. At the last minute did go try him - even if I hadn't and bought him it would have been the best purchase ever.

Obviously prefer to shop locally, but when you aren't made of big bucks and have big dreams your options become limited.

For sellers - how much weight does it carry if a potential buyer gives you vet references? Would you actually call them to make sure they are going to be a good home? And likewise, how can the buyer make sure the seller is being honest?

[Windswept Farm]

For sellers - how much weight does it carry if a potential buyer gives you vet references? Would you actually call them to make sure they are going to be a good home? And likewise, how can the buyer make sure the seller is being honest?


Depends on different factors for me. If I am giving a horse away or selling at a price much less then what I wanted, I check refs to make sure the person isn't conning me, for the sake of the horse. If its a more expensive higher end horse, if the seller starts making a bunch of requests like wanting vet, farrier refs, yada yada people start running away. As a seller, I welcome potential buyers to speak to my vet and farrier if they want information. An example that comes to my mind is I have a 2 year old TB colt that has feet issues. We have had plans to put him in a sale as a 2 year old in training, but due to the feet issues we are going to bring him along and race him ourselves due to the fear of someone getting the horse and being unhappy with him and saying that we are dishonest sellers. If your want to be in business very long, you have to protect a good reputation.

[Carol O]

Carol - did you have anyone try him for you, or was it solely based on a video? Did anyone "find" him for you that had first hand knowledge of the horse, or was it mostly a shot in the dark?

Absolutely, solely, a shot in the dark. He was on Equine.com with a short video of him doing a PSG test. I found him there, and contacted the owner through that site. No agent, no vet check. Prior to finding him, I wasn't even really looking. True story.

[exvet]

I've purchased a few [long distance] without trying them/seeing them in person first. Only two had any type of training under saddle. One of the two had only been backed. The others were all youngstock. As others have said it's somewhat a leap of faith. Only once was I disappointed with what was delivered to me. A year later the seller refunded my money, a gesture which was unsolicited. That pony was the one who had been "trained". The other who had been backed and actually driven before then was purchased for my daughter. When I started on my search for my daughter's mount I specifically wanted to practice the "try before you buy" method. However after almost a year of dud spuds I had to expand my search yet my dollars were still limited. I got lucky. I in no way regret the purchase. I will say that in "that" particular case who the seller was and who the prepurchase vet was made such a "leap of faith" much, much easier. I received exactly what I had thought I was purchasing.

My price range is rather limited. My "pony" who is now going PSG only cost me $4000 as a two year old which is the maximum I've paid for any horse/pony here. I have 3 others I'm riding/competing and/or did but now retired due to old age who were given to me for free. Though I've sort of made purchasing youngstock a practice of trusting and knowing "your" breeder as well as bloodlines, I did "breakdown" and drive 1300 miles one way with my trailer to look at a "selection" if you will. It was the smartest thing I did 'cause who I came back with was not exactly who I set out to pick up :winkgrin: Though to be honest, if I had never seen the one I ended up with I can't say that I would have been disappointed with the one that initiated my interest in a specific group of colts. So would I purchase without trying first if the opportunity presented itself again? :yes: most likely.

I do not sell that many. I have sold sight unseen/not tried only once. All of the others I've sold have been seen, ridden and/or leased prior to purchase. I have one for sale now that I do not intend to sell sight unseen or untried. For me it depends on the horse/situation as to what I feel is necessary in order to insure a good match/satisfied buyer.

[merrygoround]

Only one, a very skinny, very cheap "TB". which turned out to be when fat, shiny and strong;gaited.:sigh:

Another one of those-"I'll never do that again" things. :lol:

[slc2]

Never. Not in a million billion trillian years. It's enough of a crap shoot without going in blind. And I would not be too trusting of someone who pressured me to buy a horse without trying it out, either.

Sometimes people luck out and with cheap horses and dealers of cheaper horses people do luck out sometimes. But I would think plopping down fifty or sixty thousand dollars on something without a try out ride, vet check, etc would be a very risky thing to do unless your goal was to spend money and up your chances of coming up with a mismatch.

[kayandallie]

I bought Allie sight unseen on a sale ad in the newspaper and a talk with the owner and her trainer who was in PA with Allie. After I gave the owner a check for half the price she showed me a picture of Allie looking in the door of a car. That was it. When she showed up I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Allie was the perfect horse for me, tall, sweet, and gorgeous (Dutch/TB cross). Unfortunately she contracted EPM within 2 years and that did that.
I bought the retiree in the pasture after going to try him and have him thoroughly vetted. Seller was a liar, trainer was incompetent, and so was the vet. Rode that horse 7 times before retiring him.
I've bought others seen and unseen. I can't say that going to see them has made any difference but I try to do it as my advisors have a fit when I think of not.
I myself would not advise against buying sight unseen. Just make sure that you ask every question (one I'd definitely advise is to confirm present height )

[FriesianX]

I've bought youngsters off video - in fact, I've bought a few youngsters from the same breeder! I don't think I would buy a horse already going under saddle without trying him/her. But a prospect that isn't yet started, sure, get some video, talk to the seller, have a vet check the horse out, don't be afraid to ask for MORE video (for example, the horse being led, loaded, feet picked up, etc). A horse already going under saddle, I just think you are better off getting on the horse, make sure you can ride the gaits, make sure he/she isn't too sensitive for you, make sure the two of you can communicate, etc. You'd be surprised, some "schoolmasters" can be rather passive aggressive if they don't like your seat and aid system:eek:

[spaceagevalkyrie]

I have twice. First one was a rescue who I got sight unseen from a less than reputable person. Horse turned out fabulous after she realized I wasn't going to beat the crap out of her for every little thing. Horse 2 hasn't arrived yet, but he's also a rescue/bone rack. Both were free though, not like 10K horses, so I guess my opinion doesn't really matter :p

[Carol O]

million dollar question then, is how do you know when the people you are dealing with are reputable? And likewise, how can the buyer make sure the seller is being honest?

I didn't know if the seller was reputable or not. It all worked out for me, though. I don't know what more to say, except that I had this inner peace that it was the right thing to do. I expected to get an older horse with some soundness issues. Lucky me; he is completely sound. He gets Legend now, but that is all. I had his hocks x-rayed a couple of years ago, and the vet said they were the hocks of a 4 year old.

Good breeding perhaps? Amour and Onyx.

[CatOnLap]

I bought a nice yearling from video and website and he's turned out to be exactly what I expected and better. The breeder was reputable, well regarded by other breeders and personally recommended by someone ( on the web, hahaha, but anyway) who had bought horses from them in the past.

I bought another after watching someone else ride him for 5 minutes on a day I wasn't even shopping for a horse, but that's another story.

[cranky]

I just bought a horse this way (like, 2 weeks ago!)

My trainer found her while she was in Aiken. She tried her and then took her to her farm in Aiken to try her more extensively. It was a big risk not to run down there to try her myself, but I felt that my trainer knew well enough what I was looking for, what type of horse would compliment me and knew what to to look for in an event horse for an adult ammie (who hasn't competed in over 20 years and will just be starting BN). In a way, I actually trusted her judgment more than my own, I was more likely to make an emotional decision. I'll also say that it's rare for me to completely click with a horse on the first ride anyway, and it's even more unlikely that I'm going to completely hate a horse too. So all the one trial ride was going to tell me was whether we had the potential to be good partners for each other, so still a bit of a crap shoot, really.

So, my trainer rode her a lot over the course of two different days. Liked her a lot, liked her mind, liked her potential and liked her for me. I had the vetting done and she passed with flying colors, so I decided to go ahead with the purchase.

She's been here in New Hampshire for a little over a week and so far I couldn't be happier -- I am thrilled with her! Carries herself in a lovely frame, is sweet on the ground and under-saddle, seems to have a very sensible mind, seems fairly unflappable. I've ridden her a couple of times in the ring and on one long trail ride so far and she's been great with everything. I haven't jumped her yet, but plan to this week in a lesson. She really is great and I absolutely know that I would have made the same decision to move forward had I made a trip down to Aiken to meet her.

So, it's only been a week, but so far I would say that this was a success. I don't know if I would have done it this way if my trainer hadn't been as involved as she was however.

Oh, and I paid 8K for her.

[slc2]

"she wasn't a 10k horse so my opinion doesn't matter"

Oh, I don't know about that. Plenty of people have gotten horses from rescues or bad situations and have wound up with really nice horses that are just what they're looking for. A little time and TLC does wonders.

[Brookes]

I did it eons ago with a horse for my hubby. He was a lovely american warmblood that had been sold at auction, I snagged him. The only problem was he turned out to be "too nice" for my husband, too bad so sad, so I had to ride him myself. Poor husband. We found him a nice quiet QH for tooling around on. Sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield. bzzzzzzzz.

[Czar]

I just sold a horse that way this month for the first time. The buyer was over a days drive from me but loved the videos. I was very honest about the horse but was still nervous that he wouldn't be what she wanted when he got there especially since he was green (which I stressed).

There's a number of factors that come into play - decent, clear videos being the most important (soooo frustrating to receive a video of a "broke" horse that is hightailing it loose in the arena). Good conformation shots are a bonus but the movement has to be there for me so I wouldn't buy a horse on a photo alone.

I've bought several times without vetting so that's not a big issue for me but I've also learned to trust my gut when it comes to that...I've been burned only once with a dishonest seller that sold me a horse who hadn't been ridden all winter b/c she "didn't have an arena". Three weeks later with consistent (but easy) work, horse was dead lame & never recovered. Thousands of dollars later in vet bills led me to this conclusion: Never buy a $3000 warmblood :lol:

I wouldn't suggest a horse for a kid without having them sit on it though. A good match is absolutely crucial for your first few years of riding.

[RodeoQueen]

Yes - called Breeding! LOL:lol: I got a boy who's sweet, gorgeous and uphill - not bad for gambling, huh :D. Sure makes purchase of anything you can see on video and vet check a no-brainer, right? Good luck!

[ASB Stars]

Yes, I have. A lot. I have bought horses through sales, off of videos, and bred them. I also have rescues. In fact, as I think about it, I do not have a single horse on the farm that I tried before I owned them. Not ONE!

Go figure. :lol:

[CTM]

I bought one off a video w/o trying. My trainer at the time had gone to Holland on a shoppng trip and came back w/ several videos of horses she was comtemplating importing for her sales business. One caught my eye as my type (I wasn't even shopping at the time); trainer had sat on horse and thought I would get along with it when I inquired about it as a possibility for me. Had it vetted and shipped. Loved it and still do. Important points were trainer that knew me had sat on horse and she had a good relationship with dealer in Holland and I had enough experience to know my type. Horse is a Zangersheide gelding that was 3 1/2 years old at the time 4 years ago. Price tag was $37,500 before import. Pedigree - www.allbreedpedigree.com/carliletto+z . Some things were meant to be.

[angel]

First horse that I ever bought was a long yearling, so did not try. In fact, I didn't even have a vet check, but only requested a negative Coggins. Second horse that I bought, I did try. He had been represented to me as green broke. Owner put a western saddle on him that was too big, and could not be properly cinched. Lunged the horse a little in a round pen, and then I got on. :lol::lol::lol: Owner started to lunge me on the this horse (A stallion, by the way). He was fine at the trot, but started to get a little crazy at the canter. The saddle slipped around, and I ended up hanging under him.:eek: He didn't kill me through all of that, so yes....I bought him!;) No vet check for him, either. Ah! The interesting things we do when we first start with horses!

[Sabovee]

I've bought without trying. NEVER a horse that was over $1000 though! It's worked out a couple of times, and really not worked out a couple of times. I think all the horses (but one) that I've bought sight unseen have been for resale projects, so it didn't matter if I liked them or not. Plus I also have the luxury of having my horses at home, having multiple horses and being able to add training (and therefore value) to a horse that doesn't work out. That being said, I've purchased a couple of horses that I didn't try before buying that I ended up giving away for one reason or another.

As far as buying a horse just for me, I'd want to ride it myself. Any horse I was paying over $5k for I'd want to ride at least twice before deciding. If you're not getting it dirt cheap you probably won't be able to resell it later if it doesn't work out without losing money.

[NoDQhere]

We've done both, bought and sold, off just video, with good success.

[graustarkian]

I've purchased both by video and by trying the horse out in person. Neither method has proven better for me. I got so sick of putting up with the repercussions of poor handling, I just breed my own now and raise/train them properly.

I do buy breeding stock without meeting them, based on their pedigree and videos/photos. I've put up with annoying broodies and had their foals turn out wonderfully.

[JLR1]

7 months ago I purchased a horse in the less than $5,000 range with only a video, photos and a prepurchase. He is 4 years old and at our first dressage show last weekend we scored a 67%. He is the best horse I have ever had!

[OnyxThePony]

No, BUT I was totally sunk when I saw this guy's pic. I did go see him- oddly enough, he happened to be about 20 mins away from me, about 10 mins from my barn.
He was three (edit- he is two in the photo) not started under saddle, and exactly the 'way' I thought he would be. I had the chance to do very little work with him on very bad footing but as I said, I was sunk from the photo, seeing him in person just confirmed my gut feeling. Go figure.. I honestly don't know why that photo did me in. It's not like it's any kind of good photo.
I've only had him two months and I LOVELOVELOVELOVE him to pieces. He is simply an amazing individual. I just started him under saddle.

http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a89/PondDucks/?action=view&current=poweras.jpg

(if you can peek around the album,there are two goofy pics of him ... standing like a baby.. about a month after I bought him. He's still out in the field)

[FlashGordon]

My late gelding belonged to a COTHer and I always adored him, even though I only knew him in cyberspace! I'd get all giddy and silly talking about him with her. It was ridiculous. :)

I did go down to try him, but it was more of a formality... I knew we'd be a perfect match long before I ever met him. Strongest gut instinct I've ever had about a horse.

[Ames]

he is super cute Onyx!!!!

Trusting your gut is huge. I bought two horses before that I *thought* were great, but somewhere between the check being handed over and the horses appearing at the barn I had doubt, big screaming doubt. No wonder they didn't work out. Last horse was a horrible in-person visit - out of shape, slipping stifles, robot personality etc. But I trusted my gut - he was my dream horse up until a few weeks ago when I had to send him over the Bridge. Guess I'll ahve to trust myg ut again....

[OnyxThePony]

Thanks Ames.

I'm sorry to hear about yours. I think you're right though.. it's a gut instinct, somehow.

[FillyMe]

Never say never. I always said I would "never' do that and my current horse was purchashed off of a video. He came from a boarding/training facility with a good reputation and I liked his training and look so after a prepurchase and the green light, I sent the check. It was love at first site when he walked off that trailer. We have now been together for almost two and a half years and I adore him. He is so freakin' talented and smart too. He will piaffe and passage all day if you let him, such a show off, lol.

[Leena]

Very interesting post !

After reading the pro and con...I find myself a little chilly. Personnally, unless it comes from a reputable source, I would not buy sight unseen/not tried.
I refused to sell one of my greenie last year for that matter. He found a good home nearby my place; I figured if something goes wrong what sort of experience my young horse would be in ?

This year, I am really surprised about the people looking to buy a horse, but they are green. A green with a green is not a good match.

Anyway Ames, I am sorry for your horse and you ! Good luck in your research and reflexions.

[gooselover]

I have purchased three of them this way. About 10 years ago, bought a horse off Equine.com from a picture only. Trusted the gal and the horse turned out to be lovely - had him brought in from Calgary. Wonderful horse. I have since sold him about 3 years ago.

About 8 months ago, purchased two of them again. One of them, however, was from New Vocations - did not try her, trusted them...The other, however, was on a website I stumbled across and had never heard of. Didn't know didley about the horse or the owner (he was still on the track). The owner of this guy, 17.2H 4 year old could have been a con artist from the gitgo, but something said it would be okay. Didn't vet, didn't try, just trusted (fell in love with his picture so alot of my head vs. my heart came into play). I certainly was gambling.

Had both horses brought down together in September. The mare from New Vocations tries her hardest to please. Her ONLY vice is that she doesn't want to be caught in the pasture, but what a lovely mare in mind and soul. The gelding is one of the mildest mannered, well trained manners, tries his heart out for you horse I have ever owned. He is an absolutely joy to have.

I feel so lucky that this turned out for me. I couldn't be happier. So far, I have found that OTTB's are absolutely the best horses out there. JMHO

[DarcyW]

I posted that yes I have purchased sight-unseen and now have a mare for sale and I am concerned about selling to purchaser that I don't meet in person and see how they interact with my mare. Clearly I feel like I am the BEST HOME EVER!!! At least I can say it out loud :eek:

[Ames]

good point Darcy - I could see that on my end as well :)

If my friend likes him (she's going to ride him for me) and sees no issues with him (and I've had pretty lengthy conversations with the owner) I'll probably bite teh bullet and buy him...

[spaceagevalkyrie]

"she wasn't a 10k horse so my opinion doesn't matter"

Oh, I don't know about that. Plenty of people have gotten horses from rescues or bad situations and have wound up with really nice horses that are just what they're looking for. A little time and TLC does wonders.

My point was, they were free horses so I didn't/don't feel like I got ripped off, as both were rescues and I really wasn't sure what to expect. The fact that the one mare turned out amazing is nothing short of a miracle. And about $100 in horse cookies :lol:.

[Jealoushe]

I bought mine after looking at him through a stall.

Best purchase I ever made!!:cool:

[Vesper Sparrow]

I had a somewhat similar experience to Cranky's. I had been horse shopping for about 3 or 4 months with my trainer, looking for a back-up horse for my 23 year old but I hadn't found any I really liked and wasn't in any hurry to buy.

My trainer was in Florida visiting her sister, who manages a polo barn. She usually rides a few of the ponies for a lark and happened to ride Max. She thought he would be a natural as a dressage horse and ideal for me. She wasn't pushing it, though. I looked at his photos and decided to trust my gut and my trainer.

He was a coming three year old at the time, and he was in Florida and I was in Canada. Although I contemplated flying down there to try him out, I didn't think I was up to riding such a young horse.

My idea was for my trainer to put some miles on him first before I got on, but I ended up getting on him as soon as he arrived. Although my trainer has done the lion's share, I have been getting on him once or twice a week and my confidence level on him has really increased. This summer, we will be doing Intro together and my trainer will ride him Training Level.

[Horseshoe2]

I have bought lots of horses over the past 10 years and only gone and ridden 2...it was close to 60 horses we've purchased. Not a bad one in the bunch. My friends say I have a gift for picking great horses. I have more than I can ride at the moment...Anyone looking to free lease in exchange for a few stalls?...

[Ames]

well, I did it :) He's still in Canada, hoping he comes down in the next week or two - still working w/the shipper, but he's paid for and mine :)

Thanks for all the experiences that were regaled here - it helped me make my decision :)