We Consider A Horse Sold When

We receive 100% of the purchase price in the form of cash, credit card, check or electronic transfer with a signed purchase agreement OR we receive one half of the purchase price with a signed purchase agreement.  The horse cannot leave our property until the funds clear our bank.

We require all buyers to sign our standard purchase agreement as written which clearly defines our policies.  The buyer is obligated to complete the purchase unless the horse should fail a pre-purchase exam at the buyer's expense by a licensed veterinarian stating that the horse is permanently not sound for riding or has a life threating illness.  If the horse is found to be temporarily lame from an abscess or suffering form a common cold, thrush, scratches, or proud flesh that does not affect the horses soundness or any other physical blemish, does not relieve the buyer of the obligation to complete the purchase.

We do not hold horses for people due to the number of issues that it has caused in the past.  Most of our customer want to buy a horse sight unseen so we sell the horse to the first serious buyer that completes the purchase.  We adhere to the policy that the first buyer to commit to the purchase of the horse will own the horse.  99% of our horses are sold sight unseen over the internet and sell within 30 days of being listed.  If you are really interested in a horse, we highly recommend that you put down a deposit which is half of the purchase price.  The deposit is refundable should the horse fail a pre-purchase exam.

Horse Pricing

Some buyers may feel that a particular horse is overpriced and we recognize that.  You certainly may be able to find a similar horse for less money, however, we price our horses according to what they are worth to us and at the amount that we are willing to accept in order for the horse to leave our life.  We do sell a great deal of horses for family use, military reinactments as well as police mounts, which requires a horse with a fabulous disposition and tremendous abilities.  We do offer attractive discounts to buyers who are looking to purchase more than one horse at the same time and who purchase the horse over the internet.

We Do Not Sell Horses On A Trial Basis Or Provide Refunds

Horses are living breathing independent thinking animals, these are not christmas sweaters that can be exchanged back and forth or shipped back across the country if the buyer is not happy.  Once you purchase a horse, you own the horse.  We do not view horses as "merchandise" that can be returned, exchanged or rejected at a later date.  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 horses' suitability for a particular rider.  It is impossible for the seller to know the buyers skill level, abilities, knowledge of horses, or to know the circumstances and conditions in which the rider will place themselves and their horse in during any particular ride or event. Our horses mean too much to us to lend them out on trials which most often has negative consequences for the horse who is placed in an unpredictable situation with handlers completely different from ourselves.  If you would like to ride and enjoy the horse as we do, you will have to make the purchase and take full responsibility for the horses care, future and any riding issues that my develop once in your possession. 

Internet Pricing & Farm Pricing

We often offer special discounted pricing for horses purchased over the internet.  Internet sales are for the horse buyer who is comfortable purchasing a horse sight unseen. These are generally horse professionals who know what they want in a  horse and are comfortable making the purchase without riding the horse in person.  This type of purchase allows us to sell the horse sight unseen, which means, the sales process is considerably easier and more cost effective for us.  When we show a horse in person, we require that the interested buyer make an appointment, more often than not, the buyer fails to show for the appointment and does not call.   We bath the horse to be shown and make sure that the horse is looking their best, which takes additional barn help and time.  The process of showing a horse to a customer in person takes an average of 3 to five hours from start to finish, again which is very time consuming and requires a lot of energy and commitment.   We are happy to show our horses in person, however, we will continue to offer discounted sales pricing on those horses that are purchased sight unseen.  The customer is taking a risk and we are saving a great deal of time in the process, which allows us to reduce the horse's price.

Horse Transportation & Delivery

99% of our horses are sold over the internet sight unseen outside of Michigan.  The buyer in most all cases is responsible for all shipping costs unless we agree to cover transport fees in unique situations.  We assist all buyers in making the transportation arrangements for their new horse.  We will contact several professional licensed horse haulers and strive to provide the customer with the best possible rate available. We do encourage the buyer to place insurance on their new horse if they wish to be fully protected duirng the transport process should injury or death occur.

Deposits On Horses

We cannot hold horses for customers.   Giving us a small sum of money to hold a horse and turn away other perspective buyers is not advantageous to the seller in any way.  We highly recommend placing a deposit on the horse if you really wish to purchase a particular horse, since our horses are sold based on word of mouth, repeat customers, website exposure and numerous ads placed throughout the country in various publications and internet based sites. We require half of the purchase price down which is non refundance unless the horse you have selected does not not pass a pre-purchase exam by a licensed veteriinarian, or should the horse die prior to leaving our property.  A deposit by a customer in our view is a good fatih gesture that you fully intend to purchase the horse and you wish for us to remove the horse listing from consideration by other perspective buyers.

Vet Exam

We encouarge buyers to have a pre-purchase vet exam done on the horse that they wish to purchase if they have any doubt as to the horses soundness or health condition.  We represent all horses to be 100% healthy and sound to the best of our knowledge and if the horse has a condition, it would not be listed for sale.  However, all customers can have a pre-urchase exam completed as long as it is done prior to the horse leaving our property and being shipped.  The customers can have a veterinarian of their choice conduct the pre-purchase exam, however, with all due respect to horse profesionals in the industry such as chiropractors, accupuncurists and all other alternative health treatment services, we do require that a pre-purchase exam be conducted by a fully certificed and licensed vertinarian only.  We have fantastic veterinarian services available to us, but please understand that due to a conflict of interest, our veterinarian will not conduct a pre-purchase exam or discuss any horse that we have for sale.  We are happy to refer you to other veterinarian professionals in our area or you can do your own research as needed.

Finalizing The Purchase

We require that all horses are purchased via credit card, cash, cashiers check by a reputable bank only or an electronic wire transfer.  These methods have been determined to be the safest measures possible for both parties involved.  We will not accept Western Union, WalMart Money Grams or any other instrument of that kind.  In certain circumstances, we are comfortable if the buyer wishes to overnight a personal check, however, the horse cannot leave our property until those instruments have successfully cleared our bank.  Once a horse is purchased, we do require that the buyer sign our standard purchase agreement which serves as a receipt as well.  This ensures that all parties are of the same understanding as to the process should any issues arise.  From the date of actual purchase and the date of the signed contract, we are able to keep a horse on our property for 30 days at no additional charge for the new owner.  We feel that is a reasonable amount of time to allow for the arrangement of transportation, vet exams, completion of fencing, etc and for funds to clear as needed.  If the horse is with us beyond 30 days, we do charge a non pro rated amount of $200.00 board per month until the horse can be transported to the new owner.

After The Sale

We feel very strongly that a new horse owner should take full responsibility for their new horse.  Horses are living, breathing creatures that are to be respected and valued.  We do our best to assist all buyers in purchasing the horse that is best suited for their skill and intended use.  However, customers are not always forthcoming or realistic as to their own riding abilities which could cause issues with a newly purchased horse.  We see a fair amount of buyer's remorse when customers are intent on purchasing a horse strictly based on looks, in spite of our best adivce to purchase a different horse based on better suitability.  In most cases, any issues that arise are related to the inexperience of the buyer and the rider.  We highly recommend that buyers seek professional training with their horse and lessons in order to develop the necessary skills to ride safely and confidently.  If the buyer is ever uncomfortable getting on a horse, they should seek immediate professional horse training or place the horse for sale to avoid placing themselves in a dangerous situation.  Horses are unique in that they are animals with individual personalities, we ask all buyers to be patient with their new horse and allow them to settle in, get to know their new owner and treat the horse with kindness and respect.  If you are having issues, please contact us immediately and we will do our best to advise you as to the best course of action based on the situation.

Eternal Shoppers & Unauthorized Buyers

There are a number of frustrating situations for a seller but these rise to the top of the pile:  We receive hundreds of emails and calls in a months time from buyers who are "shopping."  We have found that "shopping" can mean any number of things from, we have looked at a couple of horses and would like to see yours, to we have looked at hundreds of horses and still not a made a purchase, to we are wanting to look and ride your horses because we intend to purchase a horse a year from now.  All of these scenarios are those wich we strive to avoid at all costs.  We consider some to be eternal shoppers who have looked at seemingly dozens of horses and never made a purchase in a year or better.  Or, they are people who actually enjoy traveling from farm to farm, taking photos, vidoes and riding horses of interest to them with no intention of making a purchase.  It is entirely a waste of the buyers and sellers time to come ride a horse that is listed for sale if the buyer does not intend to purchase a horse in the immediate future, such as within the next 15 days.  Most of our horses are listed and sold within 30 days.  Most sellers want to sell their horse and don't intend to list it and show it for months or years. 

We feel strongly that individuals who indicate that they have been either looking at dozens of horses or looking to buy a horse for months is a red flag for us.  We also encounter buyers that contact us routinely and not only sign a purchase agreement, commit to sending funds and allow us to arrange transportation, only to find out that this individual has no authority to make the purchase.  Often we encounter horse trainers or brokers merely looking on behalf of an individual.  We are not interested in showing horses to any third party.  We are happy to show a horse to the actual buyer with their trainer present, but we will not show a horse to a trainer or broker who does not arrive with the actual buyer.  The number one scenario is: "I have to check with my spouse...."   This is entirely normal but we would hope that the buyer would check with their spouse or the indiviudal who has the financial means or who can provide permission, long before contacting us, riding the horse and before signing a purchase agreement.  The number one reason buyers back out is because they did not have their spouses' permission up front.

These scenarios are some of many that we encounter but are incredibly frustrating because they are entirely a waste of our time and yours.  We often receive calls from all over the contry at all hours of the night and day requesting information, photos, videos of horses only to discover that the person is not in the position to complete the purchase.  Please contact us if you are serious about purchasing a horse within the next 30 days, you have the financial means to buy the horse and you have all respective permissions needed to follow through.  We are very respectful of our customers time and we would expect the same courtesy in return.

Personal Farm Visits

We are more than happy to show our horses to a serious buyer in person.  We do require that all buyers make an appointment with us to view any horse.  Our horses run free in pastures 24/7 and there are a lot of horses and other animals in large pastures.  We also have other commitments and other work responsibilities in our lives that require that we have advanced notice of a visit.  We will schedule a day and time to have you come to our farm and we will have the specific horses that you have expressed interest in brushed, in the stall and ready for viewing.  We do not ride or work any horse prior to a customer visit and we do not give any horse any medications whatsoever. 

Our property is private and fully gated, it is necessary for us to meet you at the gate in order to allow you access to the property.  We also have numerous other animals and security dogs that we make arrangements to put away prior to your arrival.  We do not have access to any altering drugs or medications including sedatives or any item that is capable of disguising lameness or other issues.  The products in our barn are related to worming, regular vaccinations, antibiotics, topical ointments or specific medication prescribed to our personal horses.  We do pride ourselves on showing a customer a clean and groomed horse which requires that we have ample time to make those preparations.  Please do not construe the requirement of making an appointment with the intent to conceal anything about a horse.  We have numerous animals on our property that require special fencing and enclosures.   Due to insurance restraints, we allow our customers to ride horses in a secure fully fenced round pen area that is more than sufficient to introduce the customer to the horse and his abilities. We do not allow customers to ride horses in open fields, on the roads or outside of the round pen area while visiting us on our property due to obvious liability reasons and legal constraints outlined in our insurance coverage.  We ask our customers to respect those requirements. 

Drugs, Sedatives & Medications

Unfortunately the horse industry is filled with all kinds of people.  Each specific area related to horses has endured its share of bad press including the racing circuit, the show circuit and even specific breeders accused of unethical or inhumane training methods.  We avoid this arena entirely.  We own numerous breeds including Tennessee Walkers, Saddlebreds and other breeds that have been scurtinized for questionable training tactics.  Our horses are all handled in the most natuarl manner possible.  We do not use any training devices other than a saddle and a bridle.  We do not use weighted shoes, bands, chemicals, chains or any other alternative training items.  None of our horses have ever been subjected to any questionable training techniques or methods.  We do not use any drugs, sedatives or any medications on any horse that is for sale.  These are practices that no reputable horse professional would be engaged in under any circumstances.

Reputation

We have a fantastic reputation in the horse industry and should you hear otherwise, you should be skeptical as to the source.  We have thousands of satisfied customers over the past 25 years in sales, breeding, raising, training and all areas related to horses. We have reputable veterinarians, trainers, horse professionals and breeders who have worked with us for over 25 years.  We always say never believe anything that you may hear or read, we don't!!  We have seen numerous good individuals and businesses in the horse industry subject to unfounded and prejudicial negative feedback.  In these cases, the sources are most always unprofessional, random horse people with little to no experience who simply perpetuate a false rumor or opinion that is baseless.  The world of the internet has made communications easier and faster and for those who thrive on gossip and blogging, it can be a dangerous avenue for those unfairly targeted or given poor reviews.  We also will not engage in bad mouthing any other indivdual, farm or organization in the horse business.  Please be a responsible person when fielding any type of negative remarks or comments about any farm, individual or their horses.  This type of information is often based on some personal motive that is entirely unrelated to the individual or buisness that is the recipient of the negative feedback.  We are realistic in that no matter how hard we strive to please every customer, not everyone is going to be happy or speak positively regardless of the steps that we take.  In those cases, we do everything that we can to satisfy the customer and mediate the situation so that all parties have an acceptable outcome.  It is impossible to please everyone but we continue to try.

Photos - Videos - Website

We work very hard to maintain an updated and accurate website for customers to view the horses and services that we have available.  We are now providing short videos on our website of each horse that we have listed for sale when possible. These videos are merely short clips in order to show the customer that the horse is sound, sane, has a quiet disposition and show their movement and behavior under saddle.  Please do not ask us to provide an additional video with the horse doing every movement possible.  We are providing videos as a courtesy since most of our horses are purchased sight unseen to out of state customers.  We have hundreds of photos of our horses because we either bred, raised, or trained the horse so we are happy to provide those upon request.  The video cannot serve as a substitute for riding a horse in person, but it does provide the buyer with a good idea as to the type of motion and disposition that the horse displays under saddle.

Reason For Policies