I am planning to purchase a horse and was wondering how do I go about doing it and how would I know if the horse had been mistreated by the prevous owner. Also would i have to go somewhere special to get a horse that is schooled in barrels or cutting.
Any feedback would be great, I have ridden and been around horses much of my life but sadly have never owned one.

Thanks,
Jenn

Look on this web site under Horses. Six tips to buying a horse. Plus I would have someone who is knowlagable about this kind of thing with you. The first horse I bought (I was a green horn) the guy said was 15 years old, turned out he was 23 years old. I like the horse but I paid way too much.

Another good sense tip...Before you buy and make a huge investment...HAVE A VET EXAM...possible xrayed legs and feet...have those stifles check also...if it breathes loud....stay clear....its winded or the flap in the airway is gone....Their are so many ways that some of our so called caring horsemen hide things with the horses that are for sale.....needles, ace and slow working prozac that lasts for 30 days to take the edge off....herbs...etc and he list goes on and on....VET CHECK FIRST and take somebody that you trust and knows horses and what to look for.....I've been raised in the trader market and was taught what to look for...but I still would have a vet check to be safe.....it'll pay for itself and also get a guarantee from the seller. and watch the seller ride the horse and show you everything the animal is professed to do...if they won't ride say thank you for your time and get in your automobile and head for the road.....Good Luck....be safe...

After buying horses for the past 15 some years I have learned alot about what to look for. When you get there, if they already have the horse saddled or haltered. Not a good sign for me. I want to see how easy the horse is to catch for myself and also does he stand still when saddling.
I want the owner to ride him first before I step into the saddle. Also ask if the saler would care if you had your Vet out to check the horse. If he don't want that get back in your truck and leave. Also, pick up the back leg and hold it up to the horse's belly for about a min. then lead him off. If he is stiff I would wonder about the stiffules. Bought one that way and learned from it.

As far as buying performance horses, barrel horses and cutting horses need to be trained for these events, and if they are decent are going to cost more than the average horse. I owuld not recommend a performance horse for the first time horse owner. A plain old horse that you can trail ride on and do some showing on is probably a better bet. As far as the buying goes take someone who knows horses with you. It is not always easy to tell how a horse was treated by previous owners but have the seller demonstrate what ever the horse is advertised to do and then ride them yourself. Look for head-shyness, jumpiness around whips (we owned a horse that had been whipped so bad by a previous owner that you couldn't even pick up a whip anywhere near her which wasn't safe when riding her or handling her near other horses being lunged)and that they tie well.

All of the above(especially the vet check, it costs a bit, but well worth it in the end) and see if possible, sometimes sellers will give you a trial period, anywhere from one week to 30days. Great idea if they will agree to it. Also somewhere in the purchase agreement it should say something about pre-exhisting conditions. ie. if we get said horse to property and within 72 it's lame on three legs....(happened at a barn I worked at) or some other fault(same horse destroyed 7 fences in a matter of 2days!). Anyway, just some ideas.