How to Buy a Dressage Horse

Dressage is one of the more complicated equestrian sports, and if you want to pursue this discipline aggressively, you'll need a horse that is capable of performing the movements. When you decide to buy a dressage horse, focusing on skill and innate talent will put you ahead of the game.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Think and Then Shop

1. Determine how much experience the dressage horse must have before you start shopping. Schoolmasters, for example, are usually more expensive, but have competed successfully at the higher levels of the sport, while a younger, less experienced horse might require significantly more training. It is important to evaluate your own skills at this point.
2. Schedule appointments with at least three dressage horse owners in your area. These can be individuals who are looking to sell just one horse, or barn owners who have many horses in their stables. Either way, diversity will give you a broader selection and a better idea of the market.
3. Watch the owners ride the dressage horses you are viewing for purchase. This will allow you to see the horse in action, and you can request to see certain movements if the horse has been sufficiently trained.
4. Ride each of the horses yourself, and spend enough time in the saddle to adequately judge each aspect of their personalities. Some horses might be softer in the mouth, while others might require less leg. Evaluate them for suppleness, responsiveness, willingness to work and attitude.
5. Request a list of the horses' accomplishments, if any. The owners should be able to provide you with a list of shows, along with the scores the horses earned and whether or not they made the ribbons. You shouldn't buy a dressage horse based solely on its performance with another owner, but it helps.
6. Schedule a check-up with a veterinarian when you've narrowed your options to one dressage horse. Make sure that the vet screens for navicular changes, parasites and hock maladies, which are most common in this sport.
7. Make an offer on the horse based on the market prices for other comparable horses. Remember that the horse market is always fluctuating, and a for-sale price doesn't necessarily mean that the owner won't go any lower.

Tips & Warnings

• View the place where the horse has been stabled with its current owner. Poor ground, dirty stalls and exposed nails indicate that the horse hasn't been properly cared for.
• Ride several times before you buy a dressage horse. Personality quirks sometimes won't surface in the first two or three rides.