Advice on broadening horse shopping
I’m in Canada, and in light of the recent post highlighting issues with finding horses, I’m experiencing a lot of the same challenges.
I’ve been looking for over a year and still haven’t found the right fit. I’m specifically hoping for a younger horse, ideally between 2–5 years old. Unfortunately, I’m finding that many horses around 3 years old are already being started under saddle at 2 and sellers are asking quite a lot, which raises concerns for me about potential long-term joint issues.
I’m starting to wonder if I should broaden my search to areas I can’t drive to, but that honestly makes me nervous. I’ve never bought a horse sight unseen, and I wouldn’t even know where to start. Do people ask sellers for specific verification videos like having them say the date or write their name on camera to confirm authenticity? 😅
I’m not sure if this is a bad idea or just part of the process nowadays. I’d really appreciate advice or guidance from anyone who has been in a similar situation.