The Search Begins – How to Find Horses for Sale

But where do you find horses for sale? That is a great question! Embarking on the journey of finding that ‘perfect horse’ can be exciting and frustrating at the exact same moment. However, thanks to the internet, the world of available horses for sale has never been so huge! We have the world of potential horses at our fingertips to aid in the search for the ideal equine companion.

Whether you’re a seasoned equestrian or a first-time buyer, navigating the virtual landscape of horse sales can be overwhelming. Believe me, I get it. I am doing that very thing right now. Well, I am taking a break from searching for a moment so I can write this article.

But let me walk you through the maze of online horse marketplaces. There are some good, and then there are those that will break your heart. Either making you want to buy every horse that you see or stop searching. But there are a lot of options. And I will also share my personal experiences thus far as I look for a few ponies to bring home for myself. I won’t have all of the answers, but hopefully, I can offer some guidance that might be valuable.

So grab a cup of coffee in your favorite horsey mug, and let the search begin as we get started with how to find horses that are for sale!

Where to Find Horses for Sale

And like I said, this is a happy, exciting, and frustrating thing to do. I don’t know about you, but as I begin my search, I feel like I need to get a horse here now. I don’t know why I feel that way. Maybe it’s because I feel as if my life is not complete unless I have a horse to take care of. BUT that is not the right frame of mind to begin searching for a horse. Patience is the most important attribute you have to have when trying to find a horse. I keep telling myself this. It’s beginning to work, sort of.

And you have to be ok with the fact that not every horse is going to be the right one for you, and that’s ok. Your perfect friend is out there, you just have to be patient until you can find him (or her).

Make a List

And I think a good thing to do before you start your search is to think about the attributes that are very important for your future horse to have. This will help you to narrow your search a little bit. If you are set on a certain color, sex, or breed, this will narrow your search even more. For example, attributes to consider in your next horse:

• Age
• Gender
• Height
• Color
• Level of training
• Health
• History
• What you will be using the horse for

Ok, health should really be number one. But you can see by the list I created, these are the things that I want to know about a horse. Do you see what is at the top of my list? Age. With the recent experiences that I have personally gone through, the age of my next horse(s) is at the top of my list. I am not looking for a senior horse. I have done that. While it was a wonderful 3 years – it was way too short.

And when considering purchasing a senior horse, you also need to take into consideration the special needs of a senior horse. And for better or for worse, once you buy him and bring him home, you will need to take care of all of his needs. This goes for any horse really. But seniors are very special horses that do require more care in order to continue at their optimum as long as possible.

But this is my list of what is important to me. What is important to you? That is what you need to think about when gearing up to begin your search for your next horse.

Where To Start Your Search

If you are already submerged in the world of horses, put some feelers out there with your community. Right now I have a very dear horse friend who is putting it out there that someone she knows is looking. I am also going to reach out to my farrier and ask him to keep an eye out for potential candidates for me. These 2 people know me, they know my history with horses, and they know my character and how I care for my own horses. So this is a really great place to start. Reach out to a few horse people that you know and trust. This way your reach has been multiplied by however many people you have joining in on your quest.

Next stop, the internet…..

Where to Find Horses for Sale Online

Oh my goodness. There are sooooooo many places to look for horses online. If anything this gives you many places to search for your equine partner. But this can be overwhelming. So let me break down a few places to start.

Facebook Groups

I have had some good success with finding potential horses via Facebook Groups. If you type in the Facebook search bar something like “horse for sale Colorado” you will get options for potential groups that can help narrow your search.

For example, some of the groups I am in are listed in the image above. You have to ask to join most of them, but it can help you to narrow your search for horses located in your area. It can be fun to find out more about horses that are available near to you, as well as gleaming advice from others who are looking for horses too.

Local Horse Rescues

If you can be strong of heart, a horse rescue is a good place to look too. But be forewarned, some of the histories behind some of the horses can break your heart. And most of the horses that are in a rescue are there for a reason. It could be they were neglected or abused. Or there could be health considerations.

And there are good rescues and not so good rescues. Keep this in mind when you are doing your search. But if you have a reputable equine rescue near you, this could be a great place to begin your search. For example, there is an incredible horse rescue near me. It’s called the Harmony Equine Center, and it’s part of the Denver Dumb Friends League. This is an incredible facility. It is a private rehabilitation and adoption facility for abused and neglected horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules that have been removed from their owners by law enforcement authorities. Since Harmony opened in 2012, more than 2,030 horses have been helped. Isn’t that incredible?

So if you have a reputable rescue close to you, I would highly encourage you to check them out. If you don’t know of any rescues, do a Google search and find out if there are any in your area. Did you know that May is Adopt a Horse Month? According to the ASPCA it is! Pretty cool, I didn’t know that, but now I do!

Online Horse for Sale Sites

There are a lot of different websites that are totally focused on horses for sale. The ones that I have searched are shown above. I would recommend caution though when searching through these websites. Some of the ads seem suspicious for potential scammers – so I would proceed with caution.

Another thing that I noticed was the crazy high prices that people are listing their horses for. $5,000 for a green broke Mustang? Um, hard pass for me. Especially when there are many, many rescues that work with mustangs. Just as an example, if you visit My Right Horse, they have a lot of horses who could use a wonderful home.

This horse, Tik Tok is available, and that $750? That is his adoption price. I find that a much more realistic price tag for a Mustang instead of $5,000. But hey, that could just be me. I have had a half Mustang/half Arabian. I have no idea why someone would breed a Mustang to an Arabian, but they did. And I thought I would be able to work with him, but he was literally out of his mind. I even had a trainer tell me – this is a dangerous horse and you should not be riding him. She was right.

I have been doing a lot of browsing on My Right Horse, and there are so many horses looking for homes! If you are searching for a horse of your own, I would highly encourage you to visit My Right Horse. It is an incredible site.

Where to Find Horses for Sale

I am pretty sure you can see where my heart lies when it comes to considering finding a new horse. To me, there is just something special about being able to share our home with a horse (or two) that has had a rough start. Or hasn’t been given a chance. I would prefer to find a horse that is already here and is just looking for a second chance. These horses have a special place in my heart.

And finding a forever horse is not something to be taken lightly in my opinion. Just like a marriage, having a horse means for better or for worse right?

Let’s face it, no horse is perfect. They have flaws and bad habits – just like we do. So being understanding, compassionate, and caring of those flaws, and getting professional help if needed to me seems far better than spending a lot of money on a horse that probably has some issues of his own. You have to remember – we all have issues right? There are so many incredible horses out there!

The one thing I keep telling myself is to be patient. And that is sooooo hard for me! But in order to find the right horse for me, I need to be patient. Hopefully, I have shown you, there are a lot of horses available. But patience is needed in order to find the heart horse you (or I) have been searching for.

I wish you the best of luck in your search, and I am so excited to be searching myself! We will see where this journey takes me. And hopefully some of what I write might be helpful for you too.

Happy Riding – and horse searching!