Horse Sense

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.

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.

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 or she is called? 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?

Wearing a hard hat is always recommended. We don't practice this ourselves but recommend it to beginners and younger children

Matching your skills to the proper horse. We often recommend a horse for a potential buyer based on their description of their riding abilities and the buyer wants to purchase another horse that as not as well suited to their skills. It is important to know your skill level.

Not going too fast on dangerous terrain. You should not run a horse downhill or ride too fast on uneven ground or unexplored terrirtory .

Rechecking cinches a second time after a few minutes of riding. We always recommend checking the cinch on your saddle after riding for a bit to make sure it is still safely secured and fitting the horse properly and comfortably.

Horses are living creatures that respond to their surroundings and circumstances. Even if you are riding a very well trained gentle horse, they are capable of spooking at something that catches them by surprise or off guard. It may be a loud noise, a strange item or unfamiliar event. You should maintain your balance and remain alert when riding at all times in order to respond should your horse react unexpectedly to something in the environment.

Not riding when excessivley overweight and out of shape. It is important that you maintain good balance on your horse whenever your are riding. If you have not rideen in years or are out of shape, it is recommended that you get back into physical shape before attempting to ride a horse.

It is not recommended to bail off a horse that is attempting to run off. A knowledgeable rider will be able to turn the horse and maintain control to avoid such incidents. Horses do sense fear and inexperience in a rider. Some horses may or may not take advantage of the rider. To avoid any bad experience or possible injury it is important to know how to ride a horse and seek instruction..

Never allow a horse to rub their head on you or walk into your personal space by pushing you out of the way. A horse has to respect their human handler at all times. It is in fact, not cute or sweet, to allow a horse to use you as a rubbing post or to push into you, this type of behavior leads to really bad habits and an ill mannered horse who does not respect human beings.

Avoid being excessively hard on the horses mouth. Pulling back on the bit with force or too much aggression can lead to the horse rearing up to get away from the pain in i'ts mouth. This is a terribly dangerous situation and again can be avoided by leanring to properly ride a horse and work the horse with your legs and seat rather than through the bridle.

Horses and Horseback riding can be dangerous, if you are not an educated handler we recommend that you take the time to learn to ride a horse properly. Horseback riding accidents can cause serious injuries to an unsuspecting rider. The most common injuries are: broken bones, spinal chord injuries and head trauma. These serious injuries may lead to major life changes as well as cause a lifetime of complications. One only hs to look at the affects of Christopher Reeves' horseback riding accident to know that serious injuries can and do occur, even to the most experienced rider.