Advice Needed!! New horse lame, should I send it back!?

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dobbin27

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Help!! I have very stupidly bought a horse in poor condition without vetting it (BAD BAD IDEA!!) which was completely sound when I tried it on both occasions. Now had it home just over two weeks and it hasn't been sound for a whole day yet, vet can't find anything wrong from external examination and on the day he came, it apparently wasn't lame enough to nerve block (despite being crippled hours before) Looks kind of 'footy' in both/either front foot, no sign of abcesses etc.. so is either something that will disappear and remain a mystery, or something really nasty!

Now looks like supposed private sale is possibly a dealer, obviously with no morals so don't want this horse to be sold on, but vet has a 'bad feeling' and trading standards are telling me I am able to potentially return it, and hopefully get my money back as it is not sound as advertised.... Help!!
 
Has the farrier looked at the feet???

If it's any consolation my horse went chronically lame 1 month after I had bought him, and I thought the worst.

He had an abcess which was soon discoved by my trusty farrier.

I would definately have the farrier to really look at the feet before you make any final decisions.
 
Return it. You are going to be throwing money into a horse that you may never get anything out if. Shame for the horse, but unless you have the money send it back!

At least you will know for next time....

If vet had a 'bad feeling' and there are no obvious ailments, I think you should do everything in your power to get rid of it. Possibly buted up when you tried it.

Good luck, and let us know your decision.
 
Yes, he came within a couple of days of collecting her because she was in dire need of shoeing, he expected her to possibly be footsore afterwards because it had obviously been ages since she was last shod, and found nothing. but she was less lame after his visit. The vet did a pressure test yesterday, and my farrier came again last night, and still nothing!!
 
I would send it back. Make your first loss your last as the saying goes. Especially if the vet has "a bad feeling." It is a shame for the horse, but there are plenty more around.
 
Can you send it back?

What's to stop the seller saying "bought as seen" especially since it wasn't vetted and that you have lamed it so they won't refund on a lame horse?

Been in kind of the same situation myself. Drove to Liverpool to see a horse for my mum, she decided on the spot to buy it and went against my advice and didn't vet or insure her. 1wk later she was a bit footy and 2wks later she was lame/couldn't step through etc. Got the vet and he examined her and x-rayed. They found a cyst on her navicular bone and said she had arthritis in her joints. With hindsight it's clear to see she must have been on a pain killing anti-inflammitary when we went to see her.

Our thinking was if this person was capable of doing it to her once if we returned her she would do it again to sell her on. At least we are now aware of the issues (and now have her 100% on joint supps) and can work with her to keep her happy and pain free; if someone new bought her unawares they could do a lot of damage to her.

Our x-rays proved that the "lameness" was more than 2wks old due to the changes that had taken place. The vet agreed mum was an idiot to not get the mare vetted but said that sometimes you've got to let your heart rule your head.

Don't know if that helps at all but hope it shows you that there can be light at the end of the tunnel...
 
Just to add my 'might come right' story. Friend did the same (actually was lame when she saw it just to go one better!). Has been on off lame for a year - sometimes crippled. No sign or diagnosis has been possible with local vet. However, horse now sound as a bell and going brilliantly. So if sending back isn't an option don't totally despair - it might come right and you'll be doing the right thing by the horse. Very important in my eyes.
 
To be honest I'm not sure, As far as the lovely, but not horsey people at trading standards go, as she is not suitable for the purpose described in the advert so yes, they will assist me in exercising my right to return it and be refunded, but I doubt it will be that simple. Only plus is I have tried to communicate via email, so have it all in writing. I also notified the previous owner within hours of bringing her home that she was not entirely sound, but put it down to overgrown feet, loose shoes that had slipped etc.. and just got my farrier to the yard more quickly.

Also I was told the horse had been bought for somebody who had lost interest, hence the state of it, but surprise, there is another one for sale now from the same field, with calls going to the same voicemail!!
 
Do everything over email or letter, then you have it all in writing. You should be able to get your money back - I bought a horse a couple of years ago for showing, within 6 weeks he went lame and showed signs of sweetitch. Granted I did have a vetting done, but certainly the sweet itch had not been declared at the vetting. Clealry the horse was not fit for the purpose of purchase. We went through a lengthy process of sueing the seller who claimed they were not a dealer, but had a website advertising their services. Get all the evidence you can on the seller you should be able to get your money back. Do you have an advert from when the horse was for sale - if that says what the horse would be suitable for, and clearly he is not that may support your case. Dont the BHS have a legal support advice line that you could maybe try?
 
The lady is based in Norfolk? And yes, now doing everything in writing, have saved a copy of the new advert for a different horse, which wasn't there two weeks ago and requested a copy of the one for the horse I bought from the publication that published it. She also emailed me photos before I went to see it, so hopefully she won't be able to say its not the same horse etc..

Its just awful potentially sending such a nice well mannered horse back to be sold on again, not sure if there is anything I can do to prevent her being able to try it again..
 
Get the farrier 1st. You may be able to send it back but whether you will get your money back is another Q. Don't part with it until you have the cash!
 
It could be possible that when you tried the horse it was on bute therefore didn't feel any pain?! We have a horse with arthritis and can look stiff and lame without bute. She has had a steriod injection and has bute after competing, the vets checks her regularly.
I think it could well be possible that she was given bute before you rode her both times or constanly and they conveniently forgot to tell you that! Therefore now she isn't on the bute the lameness shows!
How frustrating for you, my friend has just had to send her horse back to the dealer and was heartbroken as she had bonded with him so i know how you feel.
 
She wasn't, but there is quite possibly a connection! Don't want to say too much because I am new to this and not sure who everybody is, although I really appreciate the advice/moral support!! Can you tell me a bit more??
 
[ QUOTE ]
Did you buy it from Rachel in Outwell?

[/ QUOTE ]

Bad idea to be mentioning names!

I live in stoke on trent, a friend of mine lives in Outwell, so i know the rachel your on about.. i dont think its an idea to be mentioning names...

Get your farrier...

Horse pottery on front feet but no outward signs sounds like navicular or the poss of.

Lou x
 
The problem could be anything, minor or major.
I would certainly be suprised if you could return horse unless you have advert or receipt saying horse was sound on purchase or sound for purpose.
 
Have you contacted the seller to tell them what has happened? They might well offer you your money back without any fuss???

I wonder if the horse has been out of work before you tried it, and then has been worked/viewed with feet out of balance etc? That is enough to make it lame, but with you getting the farrier to sort it out as well - it could well be just adjusting to a fairly radical trim etc?? It may need time to settle and some light work to return it to fitness?

On another note - abscess's can take a long long time to appear - my mare was lame for 3 weeks before we found hers. another horse I know was off for longer and then it burst out above coronet.............................
 
My horse had an abcess and it took 2 weeks to be found, she was hopping lame for that time and was mis diagnosed as there was no sign. Happyhorsex is right it could just appear.
 
I've kept them informed, and they are aware it has been lame since practically stepping off the lorry, but I yet to start conversations about returning it for the reasons you have listed above. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, rather than start demanding they took it back, and cause a whole load of bad feeling tht wasn't justified. It is only now it looks like they have been very dishonest about a lot of other things, and the grim face my vet pulled, that I am beginning to think that it is likely the horse had a problem before I bought it!
 
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Be aware that the longer you keep it after discovering the problem the less likely you are to be able to return it as you will be considered to have accepted it faults an all!
 
I know! I really need to make a decision today and call her this evening. I think I am going to have to try and return it, just feel really rubbish doing it.
 
Send it Back you could spend a lot of years wishing you had not kept it. I bought a horse many years ago that reared the day after I bought it and I broke my heart with it and nearly gave up riding. Later found out it had been a naughty little horse (if you know what I mean) before I bought it and had been sent away to be sorted. The seller was posing as the owner as the owner was frightened of it. I know lameness is totally different but you can spend a lot of time and heartache trying to fix sort it out and there are many more horses out there.
 
This is a tough decision, unless you can prove that this person is in fact a dealer, you could find it very difficult to return the horse and get your money back. Even if the person is a dealer, you could still find it a struggle as the seller could say that to the best of their knowledge the horse was sound when you bought it and has since gone lame while in your care. The fact that Trading Standards will get involved may well help.
How long have you had the horse - obviously long enough to get her shod and a vet to look at her?
In hindsight, you obviously should have returned the horse straightaway - but I have been in exactly the same position as you. I bought a pony who came off the lorry pottery and thought he was a bit footsore - after 6 months of top farriery, top veterinary treatment, we had to call it a day and sadly had him PTS.
Good luck - I hope you manage to get some if not all of your money returned.
 
No offence, but without a vetting, how can you prove it didnt go lame AFTER you got it home if you know what I mean. Surely you'd need to get some proof the horse was lame before you bought it or had a history of it?
 
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