Some things to Know About Purchasing a Horse from

Summerfield Farm

You've looked over the web pages, reviewed the videos dozens of times, talked endlessly to friends and family, built some irresistible dreams in your mind, and now you think you're ready to take the plunge and buy that Lambert Morgan you just can't live without. Based on our past experience and the questions of many people just like yourself, here are some things we think you should know before proceeding further with your purchase.

Our Prices

Our horses are moderately priced in comparison to other quality Morgans. We are small breeders, raising one to three foals per year. In order to keep breeding, we must sell most of our annual production to make room for next year's crop. We also live in a remote area, a long ways from major population centers and Interstate highways. These factors require us to keep our prices reasonable. While our stock is second to none in quality, our prices are often considerably lower than you will find listed by other breeders of classic Morgans. We offer a 5% discount after the first horse for multiple purchases of 2 or more horses by the same party at the same time. We will also give you a 5% discount on your next purchase if someone you refer to us purchases a horse.

Payment Plan

A 25% deposit is required to take a  horse off our sales list and reserve it for your purchase. You may make full payment and take your new companion home immediately. We are also very open to installment payments over a reasonable period of time. If you wish to make payments, please discuss the details with us individually. Each situation is slightly different, and a custom payment plan can be prepared to meet your needs. We will retain your new horse until payments are completed, at which time you are free to take him home.

Purchase Agreement/Bill of Sale

If full payment is made initially, a legal Bill of Sale will be prepared to show proof of ownership and guarantee health and soundness of your new purchase. If you elect to make payments on your horse, a modified Bill of Sale/Purchase Agreement will be prepared upon receipt of the downpayment, setting forth the terms of the payment plan.

Pre-purchase Exam

Purchasers are encouraged to obtain a pre-purchase exam by a qualified veterinarian and to inspect their horse in person. Since we are in a remote rural area, the availability of vets is somewhat limited. There is a good general veterinarian here in our town of Libby, which we use for most of our needs. There is an excellent equine vet in the city of Kalispell, approximately 100 miles from our farm. This vet makes regular visits to Libby and could be scheduled for an exam. We will provide names and phone numbers upon request, and we are happy to help in any other way that we can. Our horses are wormed with a rotation of 3 different paste wormers at an interval of 8 weeks. They are vaccinated annually in the spring.

Registration Transfer

All horses on our sales list are registered with the American Morgan Horse Association (weanlings may still be in "registration applied for" status). We will provide the current registration certificate and the form for transfer of registration. Expenses for transfer of registration from Summerfield Farm to the new owners is the responsibility of the purchaser. The transfer fee is currently $25 for AMHA members and $70 for non-members.

Shipping

Purchasers are encouraged to pick up their horse themselves whenever possible, as we've found that owners generally provide better care for their horses than do commercial shippers. If you plan to use a commercial shipper, we can provide the names and phone numbers of several prospective shippers. We refrain from recommending specific shippers, as we've found that the quality of subcontractors used by shipping companies varies considerably. In order to ship a horse across state boundaries, three things are required:

• Negative Coggins Test -- Our veterinarian can provide this service. It takes a week to 10 days for the test results to come back.

• Health Certificate -- Again our vet can provide this. A health certificate is valid for 30 days from date of exam. In other words, your horse must arrive at it's new home within 30 days from the date the vet examins it.

• Brand Inspection -- Although we do not brand our horses, a brand inspection is required for interstate transport. Our local livestock brand inspector performs this service.

The price for all the above is approximately $65-70 and is the responsibility of the purchaser. We can arrange for these things to be done upon your request.

To give you an idea of likely shipping costs, we've shipped several horses from the east coast to Montana, and the average cost was around $750-800 per horse. We recently shipped a horse to southern California, and the cost was $650. If two or more horses are shipped at the same time, shippers will often give a price break.

Insurance

It is rare for something to go seriously wrong when a horse is shipped. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that purchasers acquire equine insurance on their new horse in the unlikely event that something unexpected does occur. We can provide names of insurance companies upon request. Commercial shippers normally carry only a minimal amount of mortality insurance on horses, which is usually not sufficient even to cover the shipping cost.

Communication and Followup

At Summerfield Farm, we don't forget our horses when they leave us. We will phone you as soon as your horse is loaded and on it's way home. We very much like to hear from new owners periodically as to how the horses are doing. Feel free to contact us at any time with any questions or concerns you may have. Each purchaser of a Lambert Morgan from our farm is given a free one year subscription to The Lambert Morgan News and Lambert Directory. Lambert owners are much like a big family, and as a new Lambert owner you are welcome to join our e-mail group, participate in video exchanges, have a listing on our web page, and participate in various other Lambert events.