Buying & Selling

Buying a Horse Online: What Your Contract Must Include When No One Has Test Ridden

A right of withdrawal is almost never applicable when buying a horse. If you're buying or selling without an in-person viewing, your contract is your safeguard. Four key points truly mitigate the risk: defining the intended use, a pre-purchase examination with a clear deadline, staggered payments, and an honest video.

Equidara editorial team · 6 October 2026 · 4 min read

Horses frequently change hands across distances today, sometimes even across borders, without the buyer ever having sat in the saddle. This can work out well. It works out well when both parties clearly document their agreement beforehand, rather than relying on a right of return that usually doesn't exist.

The Right of Withdrawal Applies Less Often Than Most People Think

The fourteen-day period familiar from online retail originates from distance selling laws. This requires two conditions: one party must be a professional seller, the other a consumer, and the contract must be concluded exclusively via means of distance communication (§ 312c BGB, § 312g BGB).

For the horse market, this means:

Private seller to private buyer: no right of withdrawal, regardless of the platform where contact was made.
Professional seller to private individual, entirely remotely: right of withdrawal may apply.
Professional seller to private individual, but the buyer was on-site: typically no longer considered a distance sale.

And even where this right exists, the reversal of a transaction involving a living animal over hundreds of kilometers is an imposition for all parties involved. So, don't rely on it; rely on your contract.

The Description Becomes the Benchmark

If you haven't test ridden the horse, you lack a personal impression. What's written in the contract takes its place. A horse is considered defective, among other reasons, if it's not suitable for the contractually agreed-upon purpose (§ 434 BGB).

Therefore, the intended use must be explicitly stated. 'Leisure horse for occasional trail rides' sets a different standard than 'young prospect for M-level show jumping competitions.' Sellers should only confirm purposes they can genuinely assess: confirming a more specific purpose creates a liability they wouldn't have with an on-site sale.

This also includes a clear list of what the horse demonstrably knows and doesn't know: loading, farrier, clinic stays, traffic, dogs, stable and pasture keeping, behavior in a group, rider changes. During an in-person visit, these things become clear incidentally. From a distance, they might otherwise be overlooked.

The Pre-Purchase Examination is Your Real Protection

Three points should be included in the contract.

Who commissions it. The buyer chooses the veterinarian, and specifically not the seller's regular vet. This isn't about mistrust; it's fundamental: whoever commissions the exam is the vet's contractual partner and receives the findings.

By when. When will the examination take place, when will the results be available, and by when must the buyer declare their decision? Without deadlines, the sale remains in limbo, making both parties anxious.

What consequence. A clause like 'in case of a negative PPE, the buyer withdraws' is of little help, as hardly any examination is entirely without remarks. Better is a threshold related to the agreed intended use: findings that, in the veterinarian's assessment, significantly restrict this use, entitle the buyer to withdraw.

Also, ensure you receive the imaging data, not just the report. This allows for a second opinion without needing to travel again.

Video Instead of Test Riding: What Makes it Meaningful

A video doesn't replace a ride, but it can reveal a lot if it's made honestly:

uncut sequences instead of a compilation, filmed crosswise to the camera
all three gaits, on both reins
trotting up in hand on a hard surface
the entire process: leading, grooming, saddling, mounting
filmed in landscape format, with original sound, no music

For sellers, this isn't a risk, but protection. If you edit out a stiff side, it will come to light during the examination at the latest, but then with a disappointed counterpart.

Staggered Payments

A down payment upon signing the contract, with the remainder upon handover or after the examination: this is the fairest solution for both parties. The contract should also specify what happens to the down payment if the purchase falls through due to the examination. Without this clause, you'll inevitably argue about it later.

Until full payment, the horse remains the property of the seller if you agree on a retention of title (§ 449 BGB). This is not a declaration of mistrust, but standard practice.

Before Transferring Funds: The Horse's Identity

Scan the microchip and compare it with the entry in the equine passport, inspect the original passport, and verify ownership. This takes minutes and answers the question of whether the horse in the video is the same as the one at the stable. If you're buying remotely, have the person who is going there anyway handle this: the veterinarian during the pre-purchase examination.

The corresponding sample contracts with fields for intended use, examination, down payment, and retention of title are available here for free.

Common questions

Do I have a right of withdrawal when buying a horse online?

Only if a professional seller sells to a consumer and the contract is concluded exclusively remotely. Between private individuals, there is no right of withdrawal, even via an advertising platform. If you visited the dealer on-site, it is generally no longer considered a distance sale.

How can I protect myself if I can't test ride the horse?

With four points in the contract: the agreed intended use, a pre-purchase examination by a veterinarian of your choice with a clear deadline, a clause specifying which findings entitle you to withdraw, and staggered payments with retention of title.

What should a good sales video show?

Uncut sequences filmed crosswise to the camera, all three gaits on both reins, trotting up in hand on a hard surface, and the entire process of leading, grooming, saddling, and mounting. Landscape format, original sound, no music. A compilation can look like you're hiding something.

Who should commission the pre-purchase examination?

The buyer, and specifically from a veterinarian who is not the seller's regular vet. Only the party who commissions the exam is the vet's contractual partner and has a right to the findings. Also, ask for the imaging data, as this allows for a second opinion without further travel.

How do I check remotely if it's the right horse?

Via the transponder number: scan the microchip and compare it with the entry in the equine passport, inspect the original passport, and verify ownership. If you're not going there yourself, have the veterinarian handle this during the pre-purchase examination.

Sources

Written by Equidara editorial team. Last checked: 6 October 2026.