If you are a dressage rider looking to buy a dressage horse, online horse marketplaces are a perfect place to start. Since starting and training a dressage horse is very demanding, depending on your budget and expectations you can also buy animals with many years of training behind them. Online, you can indeed find dressage horses at a wide range of training levels. There is hardly an upper limit on price. As a rule, a dressage horse's training results and reputation are quickly reflected in the purchase price.

Buying a Dressage Horse at Different Training Levels

 

[caption id="attachment_234" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Buying a dressage horse Buying a dressage horse[/caption]

Talented dressage horses are sold online at various quality levels. Reputable dealers from whom you can buy a dressage horse can usually also tell you the show name of a trained horse. From high-potential youngsters to seasoned show stars, listings can be found in every price range. In principle, you can buy dressage horses at roughly the following training stages and in these categories:

  • Untrained horses
  • Young horse classes
  • Basic training
  • Dressage
  • Jumping
  • Cross-country horses
  • Sport horses
  • Show winners in various categories

Buying a Dressage Horse in Basic Training

If you enjoy training an animal yourself and have plenty of time, you should definitely look at the listings for promising, strong youngsters. After all, nothing is more rewarding than having trained an intelligent, enduring horse entirely on your own, and for any serious dressage rider, bringing a horse up to a show star is the greatest achievement of all. Every step forward is motivating all over again, which is what builds a bond with the animal in the first place.

A good dressage horse is marked, among other things, by excellent rideability and a calm, well-balanced temperament. Since not every horse is equally motivated, enduring and willing to learn, you should get to know the animal a little first, especially with young horses. A balanced character is particularly important in young horses so that the first training successes do not take too long to arrive.

Buying a Dressage Horse After Show Success

[caption id="attachment_232" align="aligncenter" width="640"]Buying a dressage horse after show success Buying a dressage horse after show success[/caption]

Award-winning horses and show champions are offered at different prices depending on the level of competition, and, as you would expect, dealers charge a good price for the prestige of a multiple show winner. If a dressage rider wants to buy a dressage horse online, they should therefore think carefully about whether training one themselves might make more sense. If you do not have to limit your budget when buying dressage horses, though, you can also find truly special animals with an impressive record for sale. A dressage horse that has already won a few prizes certainly makes an impression.

Buying a Dressage Horse - The Checklist

A promising dressage horse should have the following qualities, among others, to make training easier:
  1. Is the animal healthy and from a good bloodline?
  2. Enduring, strong and with good rideability
  3. Intelligent, willing to learn and motivated
  4. Well-balanced temperament that is not easily rattled
Finally, one principle always applies: a dressage horse is only as good as its rider. Horses, as sensitive and intelligent animals, depend on consistent but compassionate training so that they can reach their true potential.