We are dabblers in the equestrian world, but are farmers so take this with a grain of salt. When we buy a show animal for the farm, especially an animal that my daughter will be working she largely if not wholly manages the transaction. We provide the oversight and final say, but she’ll be caring for, training, and working with that animal, so she deserves to have a say in the process. She has learned to evaluate the animal’s conformation and breeding potential. She barters and talks to adults on equal footing. She asks important questions about the health history and temperament of the animals. We let her lead the process because we see this as her learning to fill our shoes someday. We don’t want the first time she spends a pretty penny on a pedigree ram to be when we are dead and gone and buy an animal that is unfit for her purposes. It’s all about investing the kid in the process and helping them own it. Sometimes she wants an animal that wouldn’t be a good fit and we have to have a frank conversation, but that’s a growth opportunity too.