Choosing a Horse - Trained or Untrained?

When looking to buy a horse, one of the first decisions is whether to get one which is untrained, partly trained, or fully trained. Most people, especially if it is there first horse, will be better off getting a horse which is already trained for whatever they intend to use if for. For example, if one intends to use the horse for basic riding it should already be trained for riding, whereas if you are using it for show jumping, it should already be trained in show jumping.

It is of course possible to buy an untrained or partly trained horse. The obvious advantage of an untrained horse for sale is that it will be less expensive than a trained horse. Also, you can have the horse trained exactly the way you want by your choice of instructor, and have the pleasure of being part of this. However, there are a number of substantial disadvantages, such as:

• Training Costs. The cost of training will be in addition to the cost of the horse. To begin with, there are the costs of the trainer. In some cases the trainer will come to you but if not, you will need to transport the horse to the trainer or stable the horse with the trainer, either of which will be additional costs. Due to individual differences, it can be difficult to state precisely how much it will cost to train a horse, but such costs are frequently (one could even say ‘usually’) under-estimated. It is often the case that when one adds in all the final costs of training, it would have been less expensive to have purchased an already trained horse.
• Accidents. Occasionally there are accidents during training, even with good trainers, especially during early training when the horse is less predictable. Even in the case of minor accidents, there may be vet costs.
• Mis-Training. Trainers vary both in terms of approach and in quality. Furthermore, in order to secure the training contract at an economical level, trainers may rush the training or under-estimate the amount required. If this occurs, at best you end up with an incompletely trained horse and at worse a horse which has been mis-trained, resulting in undesirable behaviors.
• Riding Feel. Horses are individual living creatures, with their own characteristics. Two horses, with identical training, will behave and feel different to a rider. Consequently, one cannot predict precisely what an untrained horse will feel like after it has been trained, so buying a trained horse which you’ve already ridden is more predictable.
• Health Check. It is easier to evaluate the health of a trained horse than an untrained one, as one can ride it and also watch it while being ridden in each gait. With an untrained horse, health checks are not quite as complete.

Due to these considerations, buying untrained (or partly trained) horse can be both more expensive and more risky than buying a fully trained horse.

Unless you are a professional trainer (or working under the close supervision of one), you should not train a horse yourself. Otherwise there is the risk that the horse will acquire bad behaviors or habits, which can be difficult and expensive to correct.

You should also be wary of buying a partly trained horse based on the seller’s commitment to fully train it. Having made the sale, many sellers will rush the training and cut corners, in order to minimize their costs and receive payment as soon as possible. One should only make a purchase commitment when the horse is fully trained and you have ridden it to ensure that you are completely satisfied with the result.