Marketplace rules & safety

The Horse Academy marketplace is a free classifieds board. We host listings and private messages; buyers and sellers agree on the deal and the payment between themselves. These rules keep it safe for people and horses.

Buying safely

See the horse, trailer or item in person, or by live video call, before you pay anything.
Get a pre-purchase exam (PPE) from a vet you choose, not one the seller picks.
Ask for registration papers, a bill of sale and a current Coggins test or health certificate.
Pay in person or with a traceable method. Never pay with gift cards, wire services (Western Union, MoneyGram), crypto or PayPal "friends and family".
Never pay a "shipping agent" or "pet transport company" the seller recommends. That is the most common horse scam.
If a price looks far too good, or the seller is always "abroad" or "deployed", walk away.

Selling safely

Describe the horse honestly: temperament, training, vices, soundness and health history.
Never accept a check for more than the price, and never refund "the difference".
Meet at the barn or a public place, and bring someone with you.
Keep your conversations on Horse Academy until you have met. Scammers push to move to WhatsApp or email early.

Not allowed

Horses offered for slaughter, or listings that put an animal at risk.
Stolen horses, tack or trailers.
Prescription medicines without a prescription, controlled drugs, weapons and anything illegal where you live.
Fake, misleading or duplicate listings, and listings in the wrong category.
Anyone under 18 buying or selling. Listing and messaging require confirming you are 18 or older.

How listings are moderated

Listings go live right away. The first listings from brand-new accounts, and listings that look like known scams, wait for a quick review first.
Anyone signed in can report a listing. Three reports from established members hide it until a moderator reviews it.
Moderators remove listings that break these rules and can ban accounts. A banned account cannot list, message or report.
Listings expire after 60 days. Sellers can renew them in one tap.

Your privacy

Listings show the nearest town, never an address. Do not put your address in a listing.
We remove location data (GPS) from every photo before it is uploaded.
Your email is never shown. Buyers reach you through private messages on the site.
"Near me" uses your approximate area from your internet connection. We never ask for your exact location.