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you are buying a horse following some basic techniques will help you find
a suitable partner. If you are buying a horse for your children, their safety
will be your first concern. Many first-time owners get caught up in the excitement
of buying a horse and make an impulse purchase. Buying a new horse for the first
time is a big step. Horses may vary in size, temperament and price. To
begin the selection process you need to develop as much information about a particular
horse as possible, so we recommend that you ask every seller the same questions,
note the answers and compare answers from all of the sellers you contacted. This
process is important for many reasons:
Many people buy horses on emotions only. 
After all, buying a horse can be an emotional purchase. We don't want to fall
in love with a pretty horse, get him home and later on find out he's got all kinds
of problems we should have known about before the purchase. To further complicate
the situation, both you and/or the kids are now "attached" to this horse and it
would break your heart to have to get rid of him. Knowledge is strength and power.
The more you know the better your selection will be.
Age of the animal is always a factor in determining the price.
Is
the horse young, old, mature etc. Generally horses are considered in their prime
from about 5 - 6 to 10-12. Older horses are considered better for beginners because
some are characterized as "Dead Broke" or "Bombproof". Ask
your riding instructor if he knows any horses for sale.
Most instructors
are happy to make recommendations. If nothing in their barn is for sale, they
may know of a great horse from another stable. Perhaps you've fallen in love with
a lesson horse. Wise safe lesson horses are perfect for beginners.
Sometimes, stables sell lesson horses because the workload is getting too much,
or they've simply acquired too many. 
There are other places you can search too:
Classified
ads in the newspaper
Horse classified magazines
Internet classifieds
Horse dealers
Riding stables
This process will save you time looking
at horses and may save you $ by preventing you from buying a problem.
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