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The Buyer's Viewpoint

Having a horse on trial for a week or two, or sometimes longer, is often a good idea. It is the only way to really get to know a horse on your own. Most sellers will agree to a short trial if the horse is kept in its home paddock or stable. Some sellers will allow a horse to go out on trial to another place but think carefully before doing this. The purchaser then takes on full responsibility for the horse and may be liable for any veterinary costs should the horse injure itself while on trial. Unless the horse is a long way away, it is far safer to leave it in its own paddock or stable. If the horse is to be used for showing or competition ask if you can take it to a local event just to ride around (i.e. not to compete) to see how it really behaves at a show.

The Seller's Viewpoint

Letting your horse go out on trial is very risky. Unless you know the person well, or know something about where it will be kept, it is better to keep the horse in its home paddock. Even a slight injury caused by moving the horse to a new location might reduce the value of the horse and even if you can prove that the potential buyer was negligent, getting some sort of financial compensation out of that person could well prove to be impossible. One way of insuring against this situation is for the buyer to pay a bond of about 10% of the value of the horse to an independent third party, to cover any costs should the horse be injured.

Do not agree to a trial of more than two weeks. The more time that goes by, the more control you lose over the horse. If someone is serious about finding a horse they should be able to make up their mind in two weeks. Any longer and it is quite likely that they are just using your horse for free riding.

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