buying a horse...

Lucy Chaplin Trumbull (elsie@calweb.com)
Tue, 15 Oct 1996 11:25:42 -0700

I think I'm going mad - I thought I'd sent a whole
lengthy message to ridecamp yesterday about vet checks,
but it never showed up - goodness knows what I did...

So, to repeat... (sigh)

I'm anticipating the completion of part of "Lucy's Life Plan"
in the next six months - the purchase of my very-own, first ever,
in the flesh horse.

Two questions:

1) choice and cost

Bearing in mind I don't want to buy a "super-horse", I just
want an easy-keeper who will be capable of some limited
endurance-type activity, some dressage, some jumping, ...
nothing fancy. Ideally >10 years, arab-type (I have a soft
spot for arabs)... etc.

I'm hoping to spend no more than $2500 (preferably less). Does
that sound doable?

I see horses advertised in this area a great deal, but most
of them seem to be mares. Can anyone see any reason for this?
Are they all in my price range because they are green-broke
brood mares? Any thoughts on mares v. geldings? I read that
mares can be a pain because they are walking hormones, but
how much of that is true...? I have this nightmare thought of
going out in public with a mare in season and being jumped
by someone's eager stallion... is this a reality, or am I
letting my paranoia show?

2) pre-sale vet check

Apart from obvious illness/lameness/unsoundness, what should
a vet check for?

Thanks

Lucy [who will no doubt post more and more as she becomes
more and more anxious, and thinks of more and more worries]

-- 
**************************************************************
Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
Displaced English person in Sacramento, CA 

http://www.calweb.com/~elsie http://www.calweb.com/~trouble **************************************************************