SALES POLICY

Before Purchasing A Horse

Please Read the Below Information

Horses are not like vehicles, they have a mind of their own. They are thinking, living, active beings that react differently to various surroundings & situations

We encourage new horse owners to take the time to learn about these beautiful animals and their gentle forgiving nature

Horses are herd animals by nature and were not designed to live their lives separate from other animals or other horses. Their postive mental health is dependent upon their companionship with other animals

We highly recommend that horses be stabled or pastured where there are other horses or have continued companionship such as a goat, lamb or other herd animal.

There is no such thing as a perfect horse, although we all strive to own one. Horses have issues and imperfections just like us.

All horse buyers are responsible for understanding their own riding skills, abilities and limitations. When buying a horse, be honest with yourself and realistic in your expectations

Be patient, allow your horse time to settle in to their new home and with a new owner. This will pay off in the end and allow you to foster a positive relationship & great experience with your horse

We encourage a buyer to have a vet examine the horse they wish to purchase if there are concerns that the horse may have a condition not known to the seller or not visible to the human eye.

"PLEASE BUY AND RIDE YOUR HORSE RESPONSIBLY"

Once a horse is purchased and leaves our property, we cannot be responsible for the horses actions, behavior or health. We cannot guarantee any horse for any particular purpose or a horse's suitablitly for a particular rider. It is impossilbe for the seller to know the buyers skill level & abilities or to know the circumstances and conditions in which the rider will place themselves and their horse in during any particular ride or event.

WE ONLY CONSIDER A HORSE TO BE SOLD AND WILL MARK THE HORSE AS SOLD WHEN:

We receive 100% of the purchase price in the form of cash, cashiers check, paypal or wire transfer or
We receive one half of the purchase price along with a signed purchase agreement or
we have a signed purchase agreement which documents an even trade.

We do not hold horses for people due to the number of issues that has caused in the past and the number of upset customers we have had who called and wanted to buy the horse outright sight unseen. We adhere to the policy that the first buyer to commit to the purchase of the horse will secure the sale.

Once you purchase any horse from Dances With Horses, you are the owner and are more than welcome to sell, breed, race, trade, or do whatever you deem appropriate or desire to do with your new horse. We expect that same courtesy. When we purchase a horse, we don't expect to receive a call from the seller stating that we were not supposed to ever resell the horse and that we certainly cannot sell the horse for more money than what we paid.

Some buyers may feel that a particular horse is overpriced and we recognize that. You certainly can find similar horses for less money, however, we price our horses according to what they are worth to us and for an amount that would place us in a position that we will part with them. We price our horses according to what we are willing to accept in order for the horse to leave our property and our life, which will include our investment in that horse whether it be training costs or emotional attachment. That's the beauty of horses, they don't have a bluebook value. What is worth $550 to me may be worth $5,000 to someone else looking for that specific horse.

WE DO NOT PROVIDE REFUNDS ON ANY HORSE UNLESS THE HORSE DOES NOT PASS A PRE PURCHASE VET EXAMINATION BY A LICENSED VETERINARIAN OF THE BUYERS CHOICE PRIOR TO THE HORSE LEAVING THE SELLER'S PROPERTY.

We generally do not respresent any horse as "bombproof." Although we sell a number of kid safe horses and horses that we feel anyone can ride, horses are subject to react to the surroundings and the circumstances that their owners place them in. We have no way of knowing what circumstances may present themselves and how any given rider will react to them.

Please do not ask to buy a horse from us that "never spooks." Horses are living animals that respond to various stimulation and surrounding events. We are happy to tell you if the horse has a spooky nature, however, it is unreasonable to request a horse that will never spook. If you expose your horse to new things, be patient with them and allow them reasonable time and understanding to provide them with a proper introduction to new things. If someone jumps out from behind a building and scares me, I am going to jump. If a vehicle runs up on your horse and blows the horn, he most likely will spook also.

If you decide to purchase a horse from Dances With Horses, we do require the buyer to sign a sales contract indicating that they have read and understood the policies spelled out on this page

We love our animals and our horses and we encourage buyers and new horse owners not to spoil their horse or allow the horse to run the relationship. We have seen numerous good horses become bad horses in the hands of inexperienced horse people. Please seek professional training or direction if you are new to horse ownership.

We love to hear from customers who purchase our horses and are kind enough to keep us posted on their progress. However, we cannot possibly be responsible for the horse once someone else assumes responsibility. If anything should go wrong or go right for that matter, we are not responsible nor entitled to the credit since as a buyer, you assume full responsibility for the horse once it leaves our property and is under your ownership. All horse people have different handling techniques, beliefs as to training, riding styles, feed regiments, and numerous other aspects. We respect your right to handle your horse as you deem fit, however, once you assume ownership, the horse has entered a new home with entirely different philosophies on horsemanship. We no longer own the horse nor are we responsible for the horses behavior once out of our immediate control.

We DO NOT provide refunds on horses
We DO NOT sell any horse on a trial basis

It is perfectly understandable for buyers to have a number of questions about horses and the purchase, especially since they are generally a large investment . Here are our thoughts on the following:

Why are you selling the horse? - People sell horses for hundreds of different reasons and if it were because the horse was ill, dangerous or lame, a seller most likely isn't going to share those things. We can tell you why we have horses for sale: We own numerous horses and horses are a big part of our everyday life and a good portion of our breeding business. Also, people bring horses to us to find them new homes or ask that we sell their horse due to their lack of time or inexperience in representing the horse. We take horses in on trade for breedings to our stallions or in combination with a cash sale on a horse. We guarantee all horses to be sold sound and healthy and will provide the buyer with a full refund if any horse does not pass a vet exam prior to leaving our property. Our horses are for sale generally for the following reasons: financial issues, limited space on our farm or because we have invested in additional horses including stallions or mares for breeding purposes. We can't keep them all. We will not sell a horse that is sick, lame or dangerous under any circumstances.

How long have you owned the horse? - Our feelings on this question is that it is entirely irrelevant. Personally, if we find a horse that meets our needs and expectations and it's the horse we are looking for, we aren't concerned if the seller has owned the horse for 5 minutes. In searching for a horse the primary concern is that the horse meets your needs and is the kind of horse that you are looking for. The length of time in which the seller has owned the horse does not change what the horse is, nor is it directly correlated to the horses health. There are hundreds of reasons why a horse may be for sale, none of which relate to the horses health, skill level or abilities under saddle. If you find the horse of your dreams, give the horse a chance and don't judge it based on the length of time someone else owned it. Maybe the seller found the horse of his/her dreams and now decided to sell the horse. Whatever the reason, what should matter is that the horse is what YOU are looking for and what YOU want for yourself.

Can I have my trainer look at the horse? - We have found in 100% of the cases that if a buyer needs to have the trainer look at, video tape or approve the purchase, the buyer is not in the position to buy a horse from us. If you are interested in any of our horses, we ask that you be authorized to make the purchase before coming to look. You are welcome to bring a trainer with you or any other experienced horse person, however, during the shopping process, please do not schedule a visit without your trainer if you require them to be present to approve the purchase of the horse. We feel very strongly that if you are relying on the trainer to pick out the horse for your child, provide the trainer with the authority and the checkbook to purchase the horse. We have shown beautiful horses that were perfect for the rider in question and the rider and family fell in love with the horse in every way but the trainer felt the horse was not ideal. Please remember that your trainer often has their own opinions and likes and dislikes as to what THEY would look for in a horse and it may not be what YOU are looking for in a horse including breed, skill level, color, size and disposition. Don't buy the horse for your trainer, buy the horse that is suitable for your child and buy the horse that your child wants to ride. Your trainer's job is to train the horse that you bring to them, not for them to pick your horse.

Please don't ask us these questions: Will my horse come to me when he/she iscalled? Can you guarantee that the horse will never spook? Can you tell us if the horse has ever had a cold? Will the horse carry my 1 to 7 year old child on the trails unattended without issues? Can I call you and ask for a refund 6 months after I have owned, ridden and shown the horse because the horse gets an absess in his/her foot? The horse rode fabulous for 4 months but is beginning to have behavioral issues and we are inexperienced, can we have a refund? Can you guarantee that the horse will always be sound? We are inexperienced horse people and the horse is beginning to bully and push us around, would you take him back and give us a refund?

We would like to come out on Monday at 2:30? - Please contact us by phone or email to schedule an appointment. Our property requires code access and has security dogs, but most importantly we have other work responsibilities in addition to our horse operation. Please do not assume that we are available at the time and date that you have already arranged. We work very hard to accomodate prospective customers, however, sometimes our schedules do not allow us to connect at the time that you may have in mind.