Before examining any one horse, honestly answer the question: what sort of horse can you ride and what do you want to do?
It seems obvious but very few people actually manage to do it right. The most frequent and most costly error in the entire sport is to buy a horse that has been trained well above your own level, on the assumption that the horse’s training will take you along with it. This usually doesn’t happen. A dressage horse that is highly trained is generally a sensitive one, adjusted to a professional’s seat and rhythm. When ridden by someone whose aids are still being developed, it does not patiently wait for you to get better; instead it becomes confused, then anxious, then difficult, and as a result the partnership deteriorates. The money would have been better spent on a horse that is suitable for you at the moment, together with lessons.
Begin by taking a clear and honest look at yourself. What movements can you carry out with confidence on a normal day, without relying on your instructor’s expert guidance during a good lesson? How do you deal with a new horse, a spook, or a disagreement? How much assistance will you get at home and how frequently will the horse actually be put to work? A horse that is undergoing daily professional training can be considerably more skilled than the same animal would be in the kind of routine that an amateur carries out with just three rides a week.
Now specify your objective. The kind of horse you need if you’re buying for the sake of enjoyment and to gain experience is different from the one required if you’re competing at the national level, which in turn differs from the type needed if you’re aiming at the international level or if you’re raising a young horse yourself. Each of these situations calls for a different kind of horse.
Put it in writing and prepare one page which should include your current level, your objective, the capabilities of your yard and your schedule, and the items that you won’t compromise on; then hand that page to each seller and agent with whom you communicate. This will save everybody time, and the way a seller responds to a clear brief will tell you a great deal about them.
International buyers tend to be more aware of this point. You will most likely purchase the horse from a distance, based on videos and the word of another person, and then have it shipped thousands of miles; this is something that can be managed, as later chapters explain. However, it means that your margin for error is narrower, so the horse you select should have a bit of extra capacity. A calm, honest horse that is only slightly more than adequate is able to cope with the surprises that arise during a long journey and when it arrives at a new home; one that is bought right at the limit of your ability, without having seen it in person, cannot.