Before you go to the great expense of buying a horse, you need to evaluate how good a rider you are, and just how much do you really know about horses and horse care. Make no mistake, you need to really be honest with yourself as this is a huge commitment. Ask yourself what size and age of horse would work best for you as well.
Okay you have just fallen in love with a flashy looking equine and now what? What do you want to achieve and is THIS the horse for you? Are you going to be hunting, driving, barrel racing, trail riding or jumping? Are you going to ride at all? You can get horses just to drive.
What about this horse’s temperament? Quiet, feisty, pushy, amenable, or grumpy? If you aren’t comfortable with horses, don’t get a pushy horse, as you will find it ruling you and not the other way around. If you are planning to just trail ride, don’t buy an eventing horse.
If you don’t have horse experience then do not buy a young horse and try to train it. Two newbies who don’t know much do not make a good mixture. Wait until you have more experience or pay the price for your mistakes – such as injuries to you and your horse because you did not know what you were doing.
Take an experienced friend with you to check out horses. Better they help you assess the horse so you don’t wind up over horsed (buying a horse that is way too much for you to handle). Your experienced friend can also ride the horse for you to assess if it would work for you. If the current owner is riding the horse, and they insist you don’t need to try the horse – run, don’t walk as far away as you can, and keep looking.