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• How do I safely purchase a horse in Germany?
• What about the pre-purchase inspection?
• How much is the sales commission and who will have to settle it?
• What aspects need to be covered in the sales contract?

In this article, we are presenting some advice for buying a horse in Germany.

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9. Dec. 2011

  

Make sure you’re on the safe side!

 

German Horse Center: Some advice for buying a horse in Germany

 

How do I safely purchase a horse in Germany?

In order to minimise the risks involved, you should always establish your own impression of the horse and the stables. German Horse Center only works with very successful and renowned stables like Balkenhol, Böckmann, Klatte, Stud Farm Jens Meyer. We recommend the following approach: You are investing a significant amount of money in the horse and its transport home, so we recommend that you budget for some travel costs so that you can really get to know the horse first.

It is also important for the German Horse Center partner stables to see that the horse and purchaser are well suited to each other and that they can therefore both be happy together. Jens Meyer, a German Horse Center partner and owner of the Meyer Stud Farm, comments: “I only sell a horse when I am convinced that the horse and rider are a good match for each other. If the customer ends up not getting along with the horse then I am always happy to take it back and to try and find a more suitable horse.”

 

What about the pre-purchase inspection?

It is important to check a horse’s health prior to purchasing it. Usually, the vendor has carried out a pre-purchase inspection and taken x-rays before breaking the horse in, so make sure to check that with the vendor. However, a further pre-purchase inspection should also be carried out. Such inspections can be carried out by the large horse hospitals in Germany, or you can look for a professional veterinary working for horse auctions or horse associations. These veterinaries usually have international experience and can carry out a detailed inspection.

 

How much is the sales commission and who will have to settle it?

Clarify the commission payable to the agent in advance, including what services are covered by this fee and who should pay it. Check with the vendor as well about the agent’s commission. Ask if the commission will be reimbursed if the purchase is cancelled. For example, our partners pay German Horse Center a commission of 9.5% for our services, which include the provision of advertising and a hotline as well as the booking of appointments and travel planning for customers etc. In the event of a cancellation of the purchase, German Horse Center pays the commission back if the cancellation occurs within a year of the purchase date.

 

What aspects need to be covered in the sales contract?

The sales contract should always be concluded directly with the vendor. This does not necessarily have to be the actual owner, as the stables can also be authorised to carry out the sale. The party with which you conclude the contract is liable for any possible shortcomings.

A piece of advice from Michael Klimke, a lawyer at our legal partner Klimke & Kollegen and a specialist in equine law: “In the sales contract, make sure to include a statement about the horse’s level of training and health status at the time the contract is concluded and ensure that this forms an integral part of the contract. Then, if at the time of transfer the horse has an illness of which the purchaser was not initially aware, there is a legal right of return in Germany, depending on the exact nature of the illness and the specific circumstances. Discuss a possible solution with the vendor if the horse does not live up to your expectations. If necessary, you should also obtain legal advice in advance with regard to the modalities of the sales contract.”

 

German Horse Center: Complete service for the purchasing of horses in Germany

More than 20 renowned German stud farms and sales stables unite under www.germanhorsecenter.com to offer mainly dressage and show jumping horses for sale. The full service concept of German Horse Center addresses prospective international purchasers, and covers everything from arranging travel plans for a ‘Horse Tour’ and providing accompanying personal guides in Germany to the provision of impartial purchasing advice and handling of the actual purchase and subsequent transport.

In addition, the German Horse Center organizes global procurement services which enable top German riders and trainers to be booked for the training of horses and riders. The entire portfolio of services is based on a concept of equine wellbeing as well as the principles of transparency and high quality service provision.

 

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