I believe that the whole process of buying a horse should be fun!

One should begin by deciding the purpose for buying the horse. Is it to be a show jumping horse, a show jumping pony, an eventer, a hunter, a working hunter, pony club or a riding club horse? Will it be a family horse, which can be an all-rounder? Or will it be an investment horse or one to ride and enjoy?

Then the horse must fit the rider. In order for you to put your heart and soul into this horse, you need to enjoy every moment that you spend together. You need to love seeing that horse from the first thing in the morning until the last thing at night. You need to look forward to taking him to shows or events.

The riding experience needs to be fun for both you and for your horse.

If this bond does not exist it may be a battle between the two minds, which will not be enjoyable and the level of success will be less.

You need to ask yourself, ‘Do I want to buy a young horse and produce it?’ The pride of developing a young horse to its maximum potential is extremely gratifying to a true horseman, regardless of how much money the horse makes.

My advice, however, is that you will need a lot of knowledge and you should be part of an experienced team to develop a young horse, or you need to be able to work with a trained and fully qualified professional. Unless you have that knowledge and the facilities, you might well be better off paying a little more to buy an established, experienced horse.

For the purpose of this article, I will explain some of the basics I look for when I work with a client to buy a potential show jumper. One of my most important tasks is to assess my potential client and decide exactly what they are looking for and what type of horse they need in order to be successful.

On the day of the trial I want to carefully test the horse’s reliability, scope, carefulness, character and soundness without overchallenging him and while still being respectful to both the horse and the owner or trainer. Specifically, I would look for the following.

RELIABILITY

The horse’s ability to be trained, to learn and to respond to the rider, and the horse’s temperament while doing so are vital. I like a horse with a good walk which should be long and loose. A good free trot gives an indication that the horse will be comfortable to ride and that he is basically sound. I need to see an active yet balanced canter with good hind-end engagement and an ability to carry out basic changes. A well performed flying change in both leads is always welcome.

I like a horse that accepts the bridle and rides forward into his bridle naturally. I avoid horses that lean on the bit, thereby pulling their rider forward. I also avoid horses that shake their head excessively.

This, however, can sometimes be corrected by improved bridle-fitting, bits or more sensitive riders.

THE JUMP

The way the horse leaves the ground is vital. It must approach the fence on an even canter, on the correct lead and balanced. It should make a pair behind i.e., push off both hind legs evenly. I want to see real power off the ground. It should lift its withers up and back towards the rider.

Look at the photograph of Sea Top Blue, ridden by Jenny Rankin, with this article. Sea Top Blue is a modern type of show jumper using his shoulder and withers to maximum effect. This is a four-year-old gelding being produced by Bourns Sport Horses.

The jump should be round and the back should be flexible. An example of this can be seen in the picture of Casper, ridden by Andrew Bourns. This is a horse who has great flexibility of his back over the fence. He can round his body over the top of the jump.

He is the perfect example of a modern competition horse - fast, careful and athletic. The landing should be light and the horse should continue in the same balanced canter after the jump. I do not like horses who land heavy after the fence, or those that jump so high that they nearly turn over on landing.

Both of these types will not be easy to ride in modern competition with technical courses. I often feel sorry for those horses ridden by potential buyers who try them way over the horse’s capabilities. This scenario usually ends in a no sale.

TEMPERAMENT

The most successful horses that I have known are cool and calm. This helps them to be the best in the sport. You can tell a lot by looking at the eye of the horse. If he or she has a big honest eye that looks at you without fear, but with interest and kindness, then it is more than likely that this horse will have a good temperament.

Watch to see if the horse is easy to handle when taken from his stable and brought to the cross ties for grooming and tacking up. Does he stand quiet? Some horses can be head-shy and dislike the bridle going over the ears. Others are impetuous and paw the ground, making it more difficult for those taking care of them. These can be characteristics that can become problematic.

CHARACTER

Like humans, horses have varying degrees of intelligence. I have been lucky over the years to have produced many great horses who have gone on to reach the top of their game. All have had at least one thing in common, they were smart!

If a horse is intelligent, he will be easy to train. He will remember what he learned last week, last month and last year and he will be able to deal with most situations. When he is given the best education, he will make the best use of what he has learned.

That means when he enters the great arenas of the world, he will not bow down and become scared, he will rise to the occasion, he will see the crowds and know that today is extremely important.

That kind of horse will give you his very best and always dig you out in tight situations. A true champion has heart, they are brave and will never question their riders.

ABILITY

Some horses are brave, some are careful and some have extra scope. I believe that horses have to have some or all of these attributes. These characteristics must be inherent in the horse. None can be trained.

I look for the best combinations of these three attributes. For a young rider I have a preference for a brave and careful horse who wants to win. For an ambitious amateur I look for a brave and scopey horse who can jump out of trouble when the occasion arises.

Then there is the horse that we are all looking for - brave, careful and scopey! This is the horse that has it all, the one that will take you to the Olympics and on Nations Cup campaigns.

CONFORMATION

Conformation is key. Horses with good conformation tend to stay sound longer. When I am judging a horse’s conformation, the first thing I look for is overall balance. A horse that has balanced conformation with a neck, back and hip of equal length will generally be a good mover and this balance translates into good performance. A good example of this is MHS Attraction (see photograph) a modern, well balanced, sport horse recently purchased by Bourns Sport Horses.

Ideally, I look for an athletic type with more blood, which is very powerful behind (see picture) and is fairly light in the neck and shoulders.

The sport of show jumping has changed dramatically in the last number of years. Safety release cups and lighter materials, along with more technical tracks means that the modern sport horse must now be fast, athletic and careful. We are moving away from the big slow power-houses of yesteryear, like Big Ben, tending more towards faster modern types like Hickstead. They are better suited to the modern sport.

The length of the back is something I withhold judgement on until I have seen the horse move and jump. Too short in the back is unlikely to be comfortable to ride and may well lack scope. Too long can bring another set of problems but primarily back pain. Head and eye are also very important to me. I look for a head with a good deep jaw, eyes and ears set wide. Eyes are so essential; they are the soul of the horse! Additionally, the hoof is very important. Remember the old saying, “No hoof, no horse”.

THE FINAL PURCHASE

To sum it all up: One needs to remain focused and to follow the procedures. Before even trying a horse understand the process of trying, vetting and payment.

We spend seven days a week searching and researching horses for our clients. We also consult with a trusted group of professionals worldwide. Once a suitable horse has been identified we establish the asking price with the owners before we have a trial.

Assuming that the trial is successful, we then complete the negotiation on the terms and price. The next step is the vetting.

There is no such thing as a perfect horse. The vet will have findings on nearly every horse. The key is to know what you and your vet can live with and what you cannot live with. Also, keep in mind the horse’s eventual job and assess this against the veterinary issues. Look at the details carefully, and then forget the details and focus on the overall view.

The best advice that I can give is - you really need to love the horse. Good luck and have fun with your new horse!

Richard Bourns of Bourns Sport Horses, Lisbeg House, Ballinasloe, Co Galway. With kind contribution from his son, Andrew Bourns and wife, Deirdre Bourns. Web: bournssporthorses.com