Assessments

"Can you help me please? - This is a horse that is for sale."

Requests for help come in to us every day via Fb, emails and phone asking us to look at ads, photos and videos from all sorts of horsey people from quite diverse backgrounds.
Below is our response that should cover most enquiries, AND if a prospective purchaser is still interested after we do a quick review we do conduct intensive Pre-purchase Assessments,  can be involved with a Vet Check if organised, or both, BUT these days we are often being asked to look at photos and videos of horses that are Interstate and Overseas which can result in plane travel and considerable expense, so the more thorough the initial investigation is carried out, using the information below, the more time and money can be saved.

Please direct the seller to this page so they have the best chance possible of selling their horse, or not, without unnecessary humbug to both parties; and that includes us too if we are involved. Feel free to direct friends to this page that are on the hunt for a horse or pony, now or in the future.

Here is what we ask you to organise to send through to us as we very rarely receive helpful pics and video.

Dear prospective purchaser.....
Can you send us a link to the ad, photographs for conformation (horse standing alert - looking straight ahead not left or right, up or down, natural - taken side on and both the left and the right sides, not just one side, and also one from directly behind and one from directly in front) on level ground with the handler out of the way. Prefer legs not square, natural stance. No equipment but a halter.
Video is next - at liberty, without human interference - nothing on the horse - taken not too far away - all 3 gaits if possible. It is good to see horse cavorting, playing, quick starts, stops, turns, natural airs above the ground.
Next - film lunge work, liberty, in hand, being driven - whatever the horse has been trained to do from the ground.
Last, film under saddle, in harness, performing tricks, Working Equitation, jumping - both show jumps and x country, dressage at home, horse out competing, Western, all and sundry, to help make an educated decision - let's see whatever the horse or pony that is being sold has been trained to do.
If being sold as a riding proposition - film of the horse or pony taken from inside the arena
(eg. not from outside arena too far away and our experience is that the people filming don't zoom in and out - also fences get in the way) rather take from inside the arena - firstly from the centre with horse going around the camera, all 3 gaits if horse is up to cantering (eg we are asked to look at young horses that can only be filmed at liberty in a paddock and with unbroken youngsters walk and trot in hand is helpful - taken from both sides, coming towards and going away from photographer.)
Back to ridden - take footage at end of long sides with horse coming both towards and away from the camera - especially for filming two track work and film from the shortside front on and from behind for half passes. Also, filming side on eg from longside for extensions, piaffe, passage, rein backs, flying changes. Footage of transitions (very important) into and out of everything horse has been schooled to perform, filming horse from A and C coming down centre line towards photographer, and going down centre line away from photographer and including entry, halts and salutes, piaffe, passage, flying changes, reinback.
The 3 paces - working walk, trot and canter, plus all 3 paces showing lengthening and shortening depending on horse's level of training. Walk on a loose rein out to the buckle is very important to see.
A copy of the advertisement plus any additional information about the horse that will help us to help you decide whether to go further with your enquiry. I hope I haven't missed anything. We look at lots of horses for prospective purchasers and usually whart we are sent is very poor, even when we ask explicitly as detailed above.
Feel free to copy and paste the above details of how to photograph and film to anyone selling a horse that is for sale or lease that you would like to know more about.
Video of catching and letting go, loading and unloading onto and off a float or truck, being saddled and bridled and then unsaddled and unbridled, being led (preferably from both sides), being rugged and unrugged, hooves being picked up and handled.
Any video of the horse being led and/or driven, ridden at outings, eg. trail ride event, show, dressage, show jumping, cross country, hunting, whatever the horse has had experience doing, all helpful.
Over to you....Kind regards, Barrie & Sarita Stratton