Horse trading is the buying and selling of horses, also called "horse dealing".

It is sometimes not easy to judge the merits of a horse on offer. That's why some horse traders have duped their customers. For this reason the term horse trading is now often used to describe difficult negotiations in which things are not always entirely honest.^[1]

The price for a three-year-old horse includes the cost of raising the horse for three years, the cost of keeping the mare for at least one year, the stud fee and other costs. A responsibly bred young horse costs a lot, even if it is just for leisure. A horse's suitability for a task depends on factors like breed, age, sex, health, and character. Other factors are the quality of the gaits, talent for jumping, speed, endurance, or strength in working horses. The horse's training level and background are important.

You can buy a horse directly from the breeder. Many horses are purchased through classified ads, at an auction^[2] or at a horse market. There are also horse traders. Young horses are often sold when they are weaned from their mothers, when they are one year old, or when they are three years old.^[3]

When you buy a horse, you should have a purchase agreement. You can buy a horse with a handshake even without a purchase agreement. However, there are often misunderstandings.^[4] If you buy a horse, you should also consult a veterinarian.^[5]

The ancient Tea Horse Road was a network of caravan paths going through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in Southwest China.^[6] This was also a tea trade route. Many old hiking trails, bridges, way stations, market towns, palaces, rest areas, shrines and temples can still be seen along the route.^[7]

The dictionary definition of horsetrading at Wiktionary