HORSE BUYER GUIDE

Purpose: to assist first time or inexperienced buyers of horses with practical and legal information.

Finding and purchasing a suitable horse can be very difficult. We don’t accept that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Mistakes are costly and stressful. We want this Guide to help buyers avoid mistakes and be more informed.

The Guide is presented in 7 sections

1 to 4 are:

• Enquiry: including Sample Questions to ask the Seller with a check list
• Inspection: advice about things to do and ask
• Vet Check: why it’s advisable to engage a vet
• Payment and Collection: addresses transfer of ownership and risk

5 to 7 are:

• Buying Sight Unseen: why extra caution is needed
• Purchase Contract: a basic contract is included containing terms to protect the buyer; and
• Horse Law: a brief overview of Australian consumer law applying to horses

The Guide is supplied as an interactive PDF which allows you to easily move from one section to another and includes an editable/printable contract you can use repeatedly.

PURCHASE 

Purpose of this contract – to protect yourself when buying a horse.

Buying a horse is a risky matter. A buyer relies on the accuracy and completeness of advertising and information passed on by the seller during enquiry. If the seller is not in the business of selling horses, it is a ‘buyer beware’ situation, so the buyer needs a contract for protection as consumer laws do not apply.

This contract addresses: when ownership of the horse passes to the buyer; who is responsible for harm to the horse before the buyer takes possession; disclosure by the seller of any nuisance habits, behaviours or vices; suitability of the horse for the buyer’s purpose, along with other matters.

The paper copy version of this contract contains 2 contracts –  one for the buyer and seller so that each retains a signed original. Information about the parties and the horse is inserted in the schedule. There is an edition for each State and Territory of Australia. Select the edition where you reside, not where the horse is located.

TRIAL & PURCHASE

Purpose of this contract – to manage the expectations and risks of both parties during the trial period and to document the sale if one should occur.

There are terms covering a condition report of the horse at the outset, the obligations of the potential buyer towards the horse during the trial period, liability for harm to the horse, the time frame for a decision to be made to buy the horse, the conditions of the purchase (if any), veterinary costs, amongst other terms.

Definitions of contract: a single use paper copy is posted to you and a multiple use copy is emailed. The email version is more expensive because you may use it more than once. When an order is received, we manually process your credit card before dispatching the contract by post or email.