Buying a horse safely in Ireland
Updated · HorsesalesIreland.com
Most people selling horses in Ireland are honest. The small number who aren't rely on buyers being rushed, excited or far away. Slow down, follow the steps below, and you'll avoid nearly all of the trouble.
Warning signs in a listing
- The price is far below what the horse should make. There is no such thing as a cheap, perfect, ready-made horse.
- Photos look professional but don't match each other, or you can find the same photos on another site with a different name and county. Try a reverse image search.
- The seller can't take a call, only messages, or is "abroad" and will arrange "delivery".
- You're asked for a deposit, transport fee or "vet fee" before you've seen the horse.
- The seller won't give the horse's passport details or microchip number.
- Pressure: "another buyer is coming tomorrow", "deposit tonight or it's gone".
Before you travel
Ring the seller and talk. Ask how long they've had the horse, why it's for sale, what it has done, what it's like to catch, load, shoe, clip and hack alone, whether it has ever had a lameness or a vice, and whether it's been vetted before. Ask for a video of the horse being caught, tacked up and ridden, filmed recently. Ask for the passport number and the name of the issuing body. An honest seller answers all of this without fuss.
At the viewing
- Bring someone experienced, ideally your instructor or a knowledgeable friend, and go in daylight.
- See the horse caught from the field or taken out of the stable cold, not already tacked up and warmed up.
- Watch it led up and trotted up on hard, level ground. Watch the seller ride it first, then ride it yourself, in the arena and, if you can, out on a hack.
- Handle its feet, run your hands down its legs, look in its mouth. Check the passport: the markings and microchip should match the horse in front of you.
- Ask to see it loaded if loading matters to you.
- Don't decide on the day. Go home, sleep on it, and come back for a second viewing if it's a serious purchase.
Vetting
For anything beyond a cheap project, have the horse vetted by your own vet, not the seller's. A pre-purchase examination is the best money you'll spend. Our guide to pre-purchase vetting explains the stages and what they cost.
Paying
Agree the price, what's included (tack, rugs, passport) and whether the sale is subject to vetting, in writing, even if that's just a text message both of you keep. Pay by bank transfer, which leaves a record, or in cash with a signed receipt. Never pay a deposit to someone you haven't met for a horse you haven't seen. If you do pay a deposit after viewing, state in writing whether it's refundable and under what conditions.
Collect the passport with the horse. Without it you can't legally move, sell or, in an emergency, treat the horse properly. Register the change of ownership with the passport issuing organisation within 30 days.
If something goes wrong
A private sale in Ireland is largely "buyer beware": your protection is the questions you asked and the answers you can prove were given. If you bought from a dealer or business, consumer law gives you more rights, and the horse must be as described. Keep every message, photo and receipt.
Common questions
Can I return a horse if it isn't as described?
From a dealer or business, usually yes, if you act quickly and can show it wasn't as described. From a private seller it's much harder, which is why a vetting and written answers to your questions matter so much.
Is a deposit normal?
After a viewing, a modest deposit to hold the horse pending vetting is common and reasonable. Before a viewing, it's a red flag. Always agree in writing whether it's refundable.
Does HorsesalesIreland.com check sellers?
We're a noticeboard, not a dealer. Sellers create accounts and confirm their email address, and we remove listings and suspend accounts when we see something wrong, but we can't inspect horses. The steps above are your real protection.