How much does a horse cost to keep?
The purchase price is the cheapest part of owning a horse. Here is what the first year actually costs in the UK and the US, line by line.
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How much does a horse cost to buy?
What horses actually sell for by type, age and level — and why the asking price is the smallest number in the decision.
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What actually fails a horse vetting?
Vets rarely say pass or fail. Here is what the five stages really look for, the findings that come up most often, and how to decide once something is found.
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Viewing a horse: what to do on the day
The order to ask for things in, what to watch while someone else rides, and why the best information comes before the horse is tacked up.
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Buying your first horse: what actually matters
Temperament, age and honest self-assessment decide whether a first horse works out. Breeding, colour and paperwork almost never do.
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How to negotiate a horse's price
What is actually negotiable, what a vetting finding is really worth off, and the terms that matter more than the number.
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How to read a horse sale video
Sale videos are edited to sell. Here is what the cuts hide, and the four clips to ask for instead.
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The paperwork you need when buying a horse (UK and US)
Passports, microchips, Coggins tests and bills of sale — what is legally required, what protects you, and what "sold as seen" really means.
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Horse insurance: what it covers and what it doesn't
Vet fees, mortality, loss of use and liability — which parts earn their premium, and why most declined claims come down to two words.
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How to tell a horse's age from its teeth
Eruption, cups, the dental star and Galvayne's groove — how ageing by teeth works, and how far you can actually trust it.
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Crib-biting, weaving and box-walking: what they mean for a buyer
Stable vices are welfare signals, not character flaws. What causes them, which ones affect health and resale, and when they should change your decision.
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Checklists
Reading one specific advert
Shorter and more practical than the guides — open one alongside the listing you are looking at.
HorseQuest red flags: what to check before you view
How to read a HorseQuest listing like an experienced buyer — the wording, pricing, and gaps that are worth a second look before you book a viewing.
ehorses warning signs: reading a listing before you travel
ehorses lists horses across the UK, Europe, and the US. Here's how to spot the warning signs in a listing before you spend on travel or a vetting.
Horse listing red flags: a buyer's checklist
A plain-English checklist of the wording, pricing, and photo red flags experienced buyers watch for in any online horse listing — and what to ask before you view.
Buying a horse from a Facebook group: what to check first
Group adverts carry less structure and less accountability than a marketplace listing. Here is what experienced buyers read for before they message a seller.
Horse sale scams: the checklist before you send any money
Most horse-buying losses follow a small number of patterns. Run this list before a deposit leaves your account.
Questions to ask a horse seller — and what the answers tell you
The questions matter less than how they are answered. Here is what experienced buyers ask before travelling, and what a good answer sounds like.
When a horse price looks too good to be true
A price well under the market is not always a scam — but it always has a reason. Here is how to find out what it is before you travel.
Buying a horse in the US: the paperwork and checks that differ
American horse sales run on different documents and different norms than the UK. Here is what a US buyer should be checking before money moves.
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RSSStirrup is a screening tool, not veterinary advice. Always commission an in-person Pre-Purchase Exam before buying.