Quote Originally Posted by flamepony12
You'd hire someone to trailer it. I'd definitely go and try it first.
Yes, I strongly advise to 'try before you buy'. The horse could turn out to be strong, nappy, aggresive in the stable, it's always best to see the horse in EVERY aspect of its daily life before you decide you want it. Unfortunately, videos, photos and words don't prove anything. When you want to buy, you should always watch the horse:
Being caught from the field
Behavior in the stable
Being tacked up/rugs put on/groomed
Led in-hand
Ridden by someone else
THEN ridden by you.
Unless you are extremely experienced in horse handling and riding, you really should look at all those things. You'd probably also need to get the horse checked over by a vet to make sure that its joints are OK, doesn't have any diseases etc. It does seem like a very long and labourious process, but it really is important that you choose the right horse!
Also, if the horse is 16 hours away, I really think that is too far. Horses aren't to keen on travel, most I know get moody in the trailer after about 20mins. The horse will be very stressed out by the time it arrives at your house, and in completely new surroundings may even become frantic. I think it would be better to get a horse a littl closer to where you live. Hope that helps