Buying a Horse Sight Unseen: How It Works, What to Ask, and How Your Horse Gets Home
Every week we hear from somebody four, six, twelve hours away. They've found the horse they want. Then they hit the same wall:
How do I buy a horse I've never sat on?
Fair question. You're spending real money on an animal you're trusting with your family, and you're doing it off a phone screen.
We've been selling horses since 1996. A good share of them now leave this farm headed to buyers who never made the drive to Blairsville — Florida, Virginia, Texas, New York.
Here's how it actually works.
Is it safe?
It can be. It depends almost entirely on who you're buying from.
The risk isn't the distance. It's the information gap. When you can't ride the horse yourself, you're trusting the seller to tell you the truth — and a seller willing to shade the truth has a lot of room to work with.
So the real question isn't should I buy sight unseen?
It's does this seller stand behind the horse after the check clears?
A seller who guarantees the horse has to be honest. A misrepresented horse comes back and costs them money. A seller with no guarantee has every reason to tell you what you want to hear.
That's the whole line right there. If you aren’t 100% happy with the horse you chose, we will replace it for any equal horse at our stable.
Trailer training
7 questions to ask before you send a deposit
Ask every one. Pay attention to how fast and how specifically they get answered — vague answers are the tell.
1. How long have you owned this horse? Someone who bought him at auction three weeks ago can only tell you about three weeks.
2. Who else has ridden him? You want to hear about beginners, kids, nervous riders. Not just "he goes great for me."
3. What has he been ridden through? Water. Traffic. Dogs. Gunfire. Bridges. Steep grades. Mud. ATVs. Trail-safe is a list of experiences, not an adjective.
4. What does he do wrong? Every horse has something. "Nothing" means they aren't paying attention or aren't being straight with you.
5. Can I see unedited video of someone else riding him? More on this below.
6. Can my own vet do a pre-purchase exam? The answer should be an immediate yes. Hesitation is your answer.
7. What happens if he isn't what you said he was? The most important question on the list. Get it in writing.
How delivery works
Four steps. Most buyers have never done this, but it's simpler than it sounds.
1. Deposit Takes the horse off the market.
2. Health paperwork A horse crossing state lines needs a current Coggins test and a health certificate (CVI) from a licensed vet, usually dated within 30 days of travel. We can help handle both.
3. Transport
Our own rig — for buyers within 50 miles, we usually deliver ourselves. The horse gets handed to you by the people who raised him, and you can ask questions on the spot.
A commercial hauler — for longer runs. Rates are per mile and depend on the route and how many horses share the load.
4. Delivery day Most Southeast hauls are a single day. Longer runs may include an overnight layover at a certified layup facility. We will be in direct contact every step of the way.
Delivery Day!
Have this ready before the trailer shows up
A safe paddock or stall he can go straight into — walk the fence that morning
Clean water in something obvious
Hay, ideally the same type he's been on
A halter and lead that fit
Vet and farrier numbers in your phone
A quiet first day — no visitors, no group ride, no kids on him yet
The first 30 days
The horse that steps off the trailer is not the horse you'll have in a month. That's normal.
Travel is stressful. Expect a few days of picking at feed, hanging by the gate, calling out. Give him a week before you judge anything.
Then ride him at home like any new horse: groundwork, then arena or pasture, then a short trail, then a long one.
Nine times out of ten, the "he's different than you said" call we get in week one is a tired horse in a strange place.
And if after a fair settling-in period he genuinely isn't the horse we described — call us. That's what the guarantee is for, and we've honored it every time.
Rosie walking her new horse before purchase
Common questions
Is it safe to buy a horse sight unseen? Yes — when the seller offers a written guarantee, provides unedited video, allows an independent pre-purchase exam, and has a long public review history. Those four together make distance a non-issue.
How much does it cost to ship a horse? Commercial transport is priced per mile and varies by route, season, and how many horses share the load. Tell us where you are and we'll commit to a fair deal.
What paperwork does a horse need to cross state lines? A negative Coggins and a health certificate (CVI) from a licensed vet, typically dated within 30 days of travel. We handle both before he leaves.
Can I have my own vet examine the horse first? Yes. We encourage it, and we'll coordinate access for any vet you choose.
What if the horse isn't what you described? Our horses are guaranteed. If he doesn't match how we represented him, we make it right. That's been the policy since 1996.
Do you offer payment plans? Yes. Call Curtis and let's talk about what works for you.
Have questions? We'd love to help you find the right horse.
New to buying? Read how buying from us works — guarantee, test rides, and all.
A Step Above Stables has been matching riders with safe, trail-tested horses from Blairsville, Georgia since 1996. We deliver nationwide. Call (706) 745-9051 or message us on Facebook.