Where to Look for Horses for Sale

There are quite a few web sites that advertise horses for sale. I recently used two of them: Dreamhorse and Horsetopia (links to both are at the bottom of this page). To find others, enter a search term in your favorite search engine such as "horses for sale" or "horse classifieds" - and remember to use quotes.

Your local newspaper may well have its classfieds online. Mine has horse classifieds under "Pets" but it also includes ways to narrow down the search that help.

If certain breeds interest you, check out breed association websites, too. Many of them have classifieds, or links to local associations that will. There are some links at the bottom of this page.

Visit the boarding barns in your area - many people who are selling a horse will post a notice on the bulletin board. And, if you are also looking for a place to board your new horse, this will give you an opportunity to evaluate some barns.

Use word of mouth. Ask around at your office. If the subject of horses has never come up before with your coworkers, you may be surprised to learn how many of them have horses and are part of the grapevine.

If you are specifically looking for an older, experienced horse, look for schools with equine programs in your area. They may have a school horse who can no longer work for many hours each day but who would be perfectly suitable for a lighter workload with a single owner.

If you are set on a certain breed or activity, attend some shows or events. In fact, if you're not set on any certain breed or activity, attend some events - get an idea of what the possibilities are.

Two words about auctions: Avoid Them.

Unless you are very experienced, auctions are a dangerous place. The excitement of bidding and getting a "great deal" may overwhelm good judgment. And good judgment may not be given any room to operate: you will not usually have the chance to interact with the horse before it is trotted out for sale. And even if you go early, mingle with the sellers and have a look at the horses in advance, it's not sufficient. While there are certainly good horses that go to auction, it's a challenge even for the experienced to sort out the good from the. . . not so good.

Two different words about rescue groups: be cautious. Some horses go to rescue groups simply because their owners can no longer afford to keep them, but others go because they have serious physical or behavioral problems. . .or both. Responsible rescue groups try to match horses to adopters. Don't hesitate to check into the group(s) near you. Ask questions such as who started the organization and what is their background, what are their criteria for taking in a horse, how many horses do they take in each year and how many are adopted out, how many horses come back from adoptions that don't work out, what sort of handling or training do the horses get while they're at the rescue, and how are the horses' physical and mental capacities evaluated. Is the group a non-profit? Obviously, there are many motives for dealing with horses.

Use as many methods of finding horses for sale as possible. For a recent horse-hunt for a client, I pre-screened more than three dozen horses, and we saw more than a dozen (not all in one day, of course!).

Take your time: don't buy in a hurry just because an owner may be in a hurry. A responsible owner is looking for the right person to buy their horse - not just the first person with cash in hand. One owner refused to even show us her horse because she felt that her horse needed different stabling arrangements than my client's setup. That's fine - an owner should ask you questions to decide if their horse will be a good match for you.

Note: inclusion here doesn't necessarily mean an endorsement of any of the above sites - use all web sites (including this one) with care and your own common sense!