What To Look For When Buying a Sport Horse Foal

Buying a horse is a tough business, but it`s made even tougher when you`re buying a foal and even more difficult for a sports horse. There are very specific qualities and features you want the foal to have, but you also need to know their potential and that`s hard to know when they`ve barely begun training at all. While this is a tough task, it`s not impossible and being on the lookout for these few specific things will help you find the foal of your dreams.

Look At The Parents
There`s a reason why really foals with great pedigree (usually of famous horses) sell for quite as much as they do and as quickly. The parents of a horse give a pretty good indication of what the foal will be like when they mature since genetically they will share some qualities. This is of course not a science and there are still some things that will be unique to your foal that the parents don`t have, but looking at the parents is a great first step.

If possible, don`t just observe the parents in a stall or in a field, but see if you can also observe someone riding them to look at their gait and movement.

Look At Conformation
You`ve certainly heard this term in the past and it essentially means the skeletal structure of the horse. While the foal is still young and will change as they mature, their overall conformation is going to stay pretty much the same so it does give you a good idea of how well their built for the sports purpose you`re looking for.

While they will gain muscle and skills later on, ultimately how well a horse can perform boils down to the structure of their bones, so if it`s not good at the beginning it`s unlikely to improve any as they get older.

Gait
Gait is another one of those things in a foal that will improve once they`re actually trained, but their foal gait gives you a pretty good idea of what they`ll be like once they grow up. Their gait has a lot to do with their conformation, so these two things together can give you a pretty solid chance at determining their potential later on once you begin training them in your discipline.

Don`t Pass Over In-Person
While this may seem obvious, you should never buy a foal you`ve not seen in person. All the photos and videos in the world will never give you the necessary aspects to adequately evaluate their potential. At the very least, meeting the foal in person will give you a better sense of their personality, and that`s just as important as everything else.

Buying a sports foal can be exhausting and stressful, but these tips and things to look out for will ensure you find one that`s perfect for your needs.