Finding Your Dream Horse in 90 Days or Less
Submitted by: Susan_Cooper Jeff_Johnson
Phone: (540) 296-0836
Email Address: info(at)impulsionunlimited.com
Date Added: 12/15/2009
For starters, it's helpful to remember that our dream-horse requirements often change over time and are highly individualized. A horse in my youth was a Dream Horse at the time but he would not suit me now. As a twenty-something, broke, working student aspiring to turn my passion into a living, any ride that I lived through and learned from was a good ride. Now that I hold all three USDF medals and am approaching midlife my needs are not the same.
You may have longed for an FEI horse to compete Grand Prix in the Olympics at one time and realize now that's the last thing you're interested in; or you may know that you're happiest working independently trying to figure it out on your own, and seek out professional help on an as needed basis. Or you could be looking for a school master that you can learn from because of someone else’s training efforts.
The point is Dream Horses aren't a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. So your mission is first to understand what you're looking for and decide which elements in your wish list are most critical for you; then make and execute a plan to go out and find that horse. The worst way to find a Dream Horse is to shop without a solid written PLAN.
First things first, develop a plan and put it in writing.
We have all heard the value of planning in life decisions. At Impulsion Unlimited Dressage Horse Sales, we believe the reason 90% of serious horse buyers don’t own their Dream Horse after 90 days or make the wrong decision is that they have no “defined†plan.
Jeff and I routinely see better planning done in preparation for a horse show than buying the horse! Show us someone who has been looking for months and striking out and we will show you a flawed planning process.
Buying your Dream Horse is also a highly emotional decision. Emotions are your friend and at the same time often an enemy that cannot be trusted. In Dream Horse buying, emotions must be managed to lead to the best decision. Emotional Management begins with self reflection followed by written planning to maintain Focus while screening then trying horses.
What are your goals?
Your Dream Horse could be one that takes you from here to retirement, or one that gives you a burst of learning and accomplishment and prepares you for the next level of your dreams. Some dream-horse seekers are burnt-out on the frenetic pace and demands of the competitive dressage and want to retreat to a quieter, slower pace. Some just want to have fun and do a few local shows. Others would be bored to tears if they weren't competing in Florida CDI’s and Devon bound. What are your goals and time frames?
Do you seek a Dream Horse that will let you create your masterwork together? Or are you looking for a partner that will allow you to learn all it can teach you? Is your fondest wish a horse that will partner with you to win year end awards? Or is it about enjoying the ride and time together every day?
More questions to answer when you are deciding that serve as a reality check: What can I offer my new horse? Who'll train and coach? Is this a do it myself project, a full training situation or a combination of both? What will the time-frame be for accomplishment? What is the budget? How much trot can I really sit? Surprised
What kinds of horses do I prefer to work with? Some of us love to work with sensitive, huge moving horses that can explode or be channeled into a jaw dropping performance, while others need a friendly, supportive horse that couldn't care less about our worst mistake.
Creating your plan
As you begin to write your plan, it's helpful to think about your Dream Horse in two separate categories. In your first category, you'll list the "must have" criteria you will use to pre-evaluate horses: Size, Sex, Temperament, Age, Level of Training, Issues your Can and Can’t Live with. Think really hard about these needs, because these criterion, determine what you will need to invest and will allow you to Focus efforts when you start shopping.
Next, summarize your hard criteria into a written statement and refer to it daily for a week or longer to test and refine your must haves until you are certain and committed that it is truly what you want. Now is time for second thoughts, NOT when you are actually shopping.
Be as specific as you can. For instance, "I want a gelding that is competing at second level or higher, has gaits I can sit, will tolerate my ...losing my balance, tendencies to hang on a rein, that is not over 17H or under 15.2H. He cannot have the following vices (list). He clips, cross-ties, stands for mounting. He is not cold backed and will pass a vet check, with clean x-rays. He is 5-7 years old and so on". A well thought out scope of “deal killersâ€, makes it easier to identify potential horses and avoids wasting your, a professional’s, or the seller’s time, effort, or money on the wrong match. These screening criteria must be carefully considered in advance and should be non-negotiable.
Budget is often a major consideration for most buyers and it has to be realistic relative to the hard criteria. So, remember as you are deciding, must have criteria directly influence price and availability.
Soft Criteria
Next, before you start traveling to meet possible matches, let's revisit our process and identify some 'soft' attributes of your Dream Horse. After all, it's these soft elements that make these horses so dreamy.
On this list, you want to dig into what makes your Dream Horse appealing but not critical for you, including items like: Color, Breed, personality, the way he nuzzles back when you scratch his withers or follows you around in the pasture helping you look for his missing shoe. These items are your soft criteria that should not be overlooked because they are a big part of your ‘relationship’. What looks like a Dream Horse on arrival could quickly turn into a nightmare if you and your new partner don’t click.
Final Review
Once you have a picture in mind and a written plan of what you're after, begin your research and retest your budget for reality. A good professional is your best asset for a reality check provided that they assist in enough buying and selling of horses to know the market or know someone who does and respects that the horse is to be your Dream Horse not their Dream Horse. Your trainer or someone else who knows you well may also be helpful as you complete your final review of your plan.
Once you are satisfied that the criteria are right, create a checklist to use for screening and write out questions to ask that will get you specific answers from sellers.This is a VERY important step to saving you time and money in your search efforts.
Faster Results but Not an Easy Road
Planning, research, and follow-up are keys for success, and you now have a huge advantage over less proactive horse seekers. If you follow the advice in this article, you will be using a process proven to get results that save times and money.
* You will know what you want and you can spell out clearly what your Dream Horse is and is not so that your trainer or another professional can locate or get the word out to others about your needs.
* You will be able to have directed conversations with sellers that will get you answers and avoid unnecessary trips and saving you time and money.
Having defined goals, a written plan and asking great questions shows everyone that you are for real about finding your Dream Horse. People will work harder to help you.
Most horse-seekers who complain that sellers or professionals are not interested, don’t return phone calls, emails etc. are the same people who blast out 20 emails a day to whichever sellers have posted horses on the biggest internet sites asking “how much is so and so and can you send me a video�
Even while using this process, it could still take you 1 to 3 months bring home your Dream Horse. It might require a trip with several stops across the country or even the world. You will invest some hours on self reflection upfront, research, and more hours of follow-up to locate and test ride prospective matches. If that sounds too daunting, you could take the next horse that comes down the pike. But don't you deserve at least one Dream Horse in your life?
About the Authors:
Susan Cooper and Jeff Johnson combined have over 45 years experience specializing in Dressage Horse Sales. They own and operate Impulsion Unlimited dressage horse sales in Huddleston, Virginia which is one of the top dressage horse sales facilities on the East Coast. They are located in Virginia and can be contacted at http://impulsionunlimited.com or info@Impulsionunlimited.com
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