A Jacuzzi Family Endeavor
1901 Midland Road
Alexander, AR 72002
(501) 240-4889
Nervous About Buying a Horse Online?
Buying a horse you have never met is a real risk, and the worries below are the right ones to have. Ask these questions of anyone you buy from, including us. Here is how we answer each one.
“Am I bidding against a real person, or is someone running the price up?”
In an online auction you often can’t tell. Many platforms let the seller or the auction bid up to the reserve, and when you enter a maximum bid, the system is holding a number nobody else should ever see.
With us, there is no bidding. Every horse has one set price, the same for everyone, and nobody asks what your maximum is. No auction clock, no buyer’s premium, and no pressure to decide in minutes.
“Who actually owns this horse?”
At some sales the same people list horses under several farm names, so it is hard to know who you are really buying from, or whether the seller is also the one bidding.
We own every horse we sell, and our Sale Agreement says so in writing, with clear title free of any liens. You are buying from the family that has been riding him every day.
“Can I trust the vet exam?”
Ask who chose the vet, who paid, and what was actually checked. A “vet statement” at an online auction is often one page on the seller’s own letterhead: a few tick boxes for eyes, teeth, feet, breathing and temperature, sometimes with the lameness section left blank, and a line at the bottom saying it does not replace a real pre-purchase exam.
Every horse we sell gets a full pre-purchase exam by an independent veterinarian, at our expense and included in the price.
- A complete physical exam, system by system
- Flexion tests, with any lameness graded on the AAEP 0–5 scale veterinarians use nationwide
- Radiographs (x-rays)
- You receive the complete written report and every radiograph, not a summary
You are also welcome to have your own vet examine him at your expense. Most of our buyers do it the smart way: their own vet examines the horse after he arrives, during the 30-day exchange period. If their vet finds anything they don’t like, they exchange him.
| Typical auction “vet statement” | Our pre-purchase exam | |
|---|---|---|
| Who arranges it | The seller | An independent veterinarian |
| Physical exam | A few tick boxes | Complete, system by system |
| Lameness | Sometimes left blank | Graded on the AAEP 0–5 scale |
| Flexion tests | Rarely | Yes |
| Radiographs | Rarely | Yes, and you get them |
| What you receive | A one-page letter | The full report and every radiograph |
“Has he been drugged to look quiet or sound?”
Pain relievers and sedatives can hide lameness or a bad attitude for a day or two. That is why a guarantee that only lasts 24 to 72 hours worries experienced buyers.
Our horses live and work here for weeks or months before they are sold, two to three months on average. No medication hides a problem that long, and by the time you see a video we have been riding him nearly every day. On top of that, your own vet can examine and test him at your place during your 30-day exchange window.
“What if he’s lame when he arrives, or not what you described?”
At most auctions, once the clock stops the horse is yours. The guarantee covers a short list of things for a few hours, and the sale manager decides any dispute.
You have 30 days from delivery to exchange him for a horse of equal value, of your choosing, for any reason. If he isn’t as described, doesn’t suit you, or doesn’t get along with your other horses, you can exchange him. It is written into the Sale Agreement you sign, not a promise on the phone.
- It is an exchange, not a refund.
- You cover the shipping for the exchange, and he comes back in the condition he left.
- We send his registration papers, but please don’t transfer them until your 30 days are up. Once registration is transferred, the horse can no longer be exchanged.
“Is the horse in the video the horse I’ll get?”
Scammers copy real horses’ photos and videos to make fake ads, and ours are copied almost every week.
Ask us for a live video call with the horse. We will show you him, his markings, and anything else you want to see, in real time. His registration papers come with him, so you can match the horse to his papers.
“Is this seller even real?”
If an ad looks like one of our horses but the price is low, the seller is rushing you for a deposit, or the money goes to a person rather than a business, it is a scam.
We are Horse Of My Dreams, a family-owned and operated business that has been helping people find exceptional horses for more than 25 years. Our farm is located at 1901 Midland Road, Alexander, Arkansas. Before you send money to anyone, call us at (501) 240-4889, the number on this website, and confirm the payment details by phone. Never pay someone who contacts you claiming to be us from a different number. You are always welcome to visit our farm, read our reviews, and talk with past buyers.
“Will he really be kid-safe or ‘bombproof’?”
Every ad says it. The honest question is how the seller knows.
We only sell horses we have put our own children on, after they have been through tarps, flags, ATVs, traffic, water and much more. Horses that don’t meet that standard are not sold to our customers. We will also tell you what a horse is not good at, and we will be honest that no horse is ever risk-free.
“What will this horse really cost me?”
At an auction the winning bid is only the start: a buyer’s premium at some sales, the vet exam you couldn’t get beforehand, hauling, a Coggins and a health certificate. A $14,000 auction horse can easily cost $17,700 before anyone has ridden him.
Our price includes the pre-purchase exam, the health certificate and Coggins, shipping anywhere in the continental US, and a new leather halter and lead rope. The price you see is the price you pay to get him home.
“What happens if something goes wrong on the trailer?”
It is a fair question for any horse bought from a distance, and the answer surprises most people.
We use professional horse transporters we have worked with for years, and you will have the driver’s contact details from the moment he is loaded. Transport companies carry insurance, but their policies don’t pay out the replacement cost of your horse, so it is smart to have your own. We recommend a mortality policy from Covered By Cori. Her policies are transferable, so if you ever use our exchange, you simply move the policy to your new horse.
Before you buy from anyone, ask:
- Can a veterinarian I trust examine him, and will I get the full report and x-rays?
- Can I see him on a live video call?
- What happens if he isn’t right when he arrives, and is that in writing?
- Who owns him?
- What will he cost me all-in, delivered to my barn?
If you don’t get clear answers, keep looking.
