Know the people you are buying from. Ask for references. Did people buy more than one horse from the farm? Would they buy another horse from the farm? Look around, did the boarders buy the horses from the farm? Talk to the boarders. It is a good sign if the boarders stay at the farm after they bought the horse there. [FEF: 20 boarders bought their horses from FEF and more than ½ of our clients bought more than one horse from us].

Buy a horse from people in the horse business with a lot of horses to pick from. They are trained to help you avoid problem horses, and match you with a horse appropriate to your needs. If you are buying a horse from a private individual or a small farm, you may be buying someone else’s problems. [FEF: We have the largest herd, and sell the most mountain horses in the North East section of the country.]

Select the right horse for you and have realistic expectations. Make sure your trainer is aware of, and focused on, what you want from a horse, not what horses they want to sell. Your horse is like a child; they have their own personality, good days and bad days, and need correction and regular training.

Invest in yourself as well as the horse. Whether you are a first time rider, or an experienced rider making the switch to a gaited mountain horse, you need some training. Our horses are all naturally gaited, which means we don't need to “train them to gait”. That does NOT mean they only gait. You need to ride the horse in a way that he gaits. Every time you interact with your horse, you are training him. Make sure the training is positive. Horses need consistency. Horses are herd animals; they have a definite pecking order. Make sure you are at the top of the pecking order with your horse. Select someone that trains horses and people as equally important. [FEF offers one on one training and also brings in nationally known trainers for you and your horse.]