10/28/2026
Horse shoppers spend a lot of time describing the horse they want. Quiet. Careful. Brave. Scopey. Comfortable. Experienced. Enough blood, but not too much. Easy enough for an amateur, but talented enough to move up.
Sonja Ochadlik thinks buyers should spend just as much time describing themselves. Before deciding what horse you need, she recommends taking an honest look at the rider who will actually be sitting in the saddle.
“What type of rider you are as a person” matters, she said. That means more than identifying your competition level.
Ochadlik recommends sending video of yourself riding to the people helping source horses. The seller or agent needs to see how you naturally ride, not just hear what division you compete in. The goal is to give that person enough information to understand your normal riding style and whether a horse is likely to be comfortable with it.
If the person sourcing the horse understands your style, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, they can ask whether the horse is likely to be comfortable with and accepting of that riding style.
Ochadlik does something similar when she trials horses for American riders. She deliberately rides in ways that resemble the American forward style to see how the horse reacts. She wants to know whether the horse becomes confused when the type of support it is accustomed to changes. That information matters more than presenting a flawless trial ride.
📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/10/27/before-you-shop-for-a-horse-know-what-kind-of-rider-you-are/
📸 © Heather N. Photography