Ask direct questions about stable vices such as crib-biting, weaving and box-walking, about behaviour under saddle including any napping or rearing, about past injuries and illness, about how long the seller has owned the horse, and about the reason for selling. Vague questions earn vague answers, so every question below is phrased to invite a fact rather than an impression. An honest seller answers specifically, admits the awkward parts without being cornered, and stays consistent between the stable yard, the ridden viewing and the written reply. A seller who dodges, jokes away or contradicts the horse in front of you has answered your real question already, whatever words were used.
Stable Vices and Behaviour in the Yard
Ask the stable questions directly: Does the horse crib-bite or windsuck, and on what surfaces? Does the horse weave at the door or box-walk when stabled? How does the horse behave to catch, clip, shoe, load and travel? Is the horse settled turned out in company, or does the horse need individual turnout? How is the horse with traffic, dogs, clippers and the vet? Stable vices matter because they affect management, stable wear, some insurance discussions and the horse's daily welfare, and they are exactly the details a dishonest seller hopes you will discover after the money has moved. Watch the stable itself while you ask: chewed door tops, worn weaving grooves over the door and a crib-biting strap hanging nearby are evidence that speaks even when answers stay smooth. Ask what the stable routine looks like on an ordinary day and whether the horse is ever given anything to keep the horse calm for viewings, and note whether the answers match the horse's behaviour while you stand there.
Under Saddle, History and the Reason for Selling
Ask the ridden questions just as directly: How does the horse behave under saddle on a good day and on a fresh day? Has the horse ever napped, reared, bucked a rider off, bolted or refused to leave the yard? What work is the horse in now, and what demanding work has the horse done while staying sound? Then move to history: What injuries or illnesses has the horse had, and what treatment followed? Has the horse ever been lame, colicked, or treated for ulcers or breathing problems? How long have you owned the horse, where did you buy the horse, and may I speak to previous owners, the farrier or the vet? Why are you selling, and what home do you think suits the horse? Ownership length is a quiet honesty test of its own: a seller who has owned the horse for years can answer history questions in detail, while a horse bought weeks ago to sell on carries a history the seller genuinely cannot vouch for, and a straight seller says so. Cross-check the story against the passport, competition record and any veterinary paperwork the seller offers, and treat reluctance to share records as information in itself.
Testing the Answers: Vetting, Trial and Writing
Put three closing requests to every seller. Will you accept an independent pre-purchase vetting by a vet of my choosing? Will you allow a trial period, or at least repeated viewings including catching, stabling and riding the horse away from home? Will you put your key answers about vices, behaviour and history in writing as part of the sale? Honest sellers expect these requests and often welcome them, since a vetted, well-matched sale protects them too. Resistance narrows your options usefully: a refusal of any vetting, pressure to decide before a second viewing, or answers that change between visits each tells you to walk away, however much you like the horse. Write your own notes the same day, listing the questions asked and the answers given, so memory cannot soften a warning sign later. Transferrable Profiles through KinsLe supports exactly this moment, since the seller can transfer that profile to you with its recorded history and routines intact at handover.