Now being a dog is a pretty spiffy job on account of there’s really not much work to do and I eat good so what else could there be?...Well, every now and then, Dave seems unhappy after talking to a client.

He seems upset about something the voice says on the phone. From what I can figure out, the person exchanged “bones,” for a horse, (humans call that “money”…which, by the way is no use to me ‘cause I can’t chew or bury it).

Me and my dog friends would just go bite the bad human but Dave’s clients just hire a lawyer…go figure!

Mr. Page is pictured here showing “Landsohn” in
the New York HITS I May, 2005 Level 6 jumping class.

With an extensive riding career which shows no signs of letting up Michael continues to be one of the busiest and most successful riding clinicians in the show horse world; he regularly gives 10 to 12 clinics still judges 4 to 5 major horse shows annually.

He won the prestigious AHSA Medal finals in 1956 and represented the United States riding on the US team in 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1967, and 1968.

I’ve been in the horse business for well over 40 years and it never ceases to amaze me how smart people do some very dumb things when buying the 1st show horse.

Lots of great people have written volumes on horse buying but from my perspective here’s what you HAVE TO DO:

1. “Trust but Verify,” from an old Russian proverb, applies now more than ever. Know from where your trainer is getting the horse and if there’s a show record…get it!

2. Get every scrap of prior veterinary history on the prospect and if the agent stalls around go elsewhere to look for a prospect animal.

3. Verify all registration and show recording numbers making sure that everything matches up to the horse you’re looking at.

4. The pre-purchase exam is an absolute “must.” Make sure you pick the veterinarian…not the seller; the vet will need to see the previous records we talked about in number 2 above.

5. If everything checks out make sure you wire transfer the funds to the actual person who really owns the animal. The horse’s owner will then be responsible for paying out commissions due to their agent or broker.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST…CALL ME AT 623-582-8635 IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, AFTER ALL, IT’S FREE ADVICE AND IT COULD SAVE YOU LOTS OF MONEY!

When looking for the “perfect” horse it’s often a very good idea to retain the services of an agent.

Whoever the professional is, make sure that they sign a document drawn up by your attorney that simply lays out what you expect of them as an agent and what fees are to be paid back to them.

Remember, the agent has a fiduciary, (IE, “money”), responsibility to act only in your behalf as if you were right there.

Should you have even the slightest doubts… trust your instincts. Perhaps there’s just a normal misunderstanding but there could be a potential fraud that’s about to be perpetrated on you, your child or your horse.

I need to point out that most horse professionals work hard and are honest but unscrupulous professionals can’t cheat their enemies just their friends. Even “good” people can be tempted
when in a position to get big dollars.

The answer is to do your horse purchases in a very businesslike way; in other words, FULL DISCLOSURE. (The honest professionals will gladly comply with your wishes).

Yuk…paperwork!

It is so very important to keep track of all documents relating to your horse…here’s why.

I was asked to appraise eleven Quarter Horses for an estate that’s in probate. The current owners of the horses could provide nothing in the way of breeding records, show results or anything that could possibly increase my valuation of these horses.

More importantly, the level of filth in and around the barn did nothing to make me believe the horses were well cared for. In addition, the horses were either very thin or were lame.

It doesn’t matter what was paid for these poor horses years ago! Right now they’re really not worth much.

Legal rules of evidence demand that there be as many specifics as possible…so keep your horse files up to date.

Talking about fraud is not what gives the horse industry a black eye: it’s the people who commit fraud that give it a black eye.

When a trainer tells you your horse is worth $50,000, but sells it to a third party for $75,000 and takes the extra $25,000 without telling you, that is fraud. When a trainer convinces you to buy a horse for $100,000, but the seller was only asking $80,000 and the trainer takes the extra $20,000 without telling you, that is fraud.

Dave started NAES more than 10 years ago with an eye to making sure all horse owners and those interested in horses could depend on NAES for the straight scoop on horses and prices. In addition, Dave is one of the busiest horse activity experts in North America.

Because of his long history of working with so many breeds and disciplines he's called upon to give his opinion in literally hundreds of legal cases and horse appraisals.