Advice on letting a horse go on trial...update (long)

madhector

madhector

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Well after a lot of deliberating my friend finally agreed to let her horse go on trial. She took the contract from the BHS website and altered it to suit, and the plan was that they would have her for a week, during which time they would have her vetted. Well we went up for the vetting, all was fine until the vet pronounced she was the tiniest bit lame on her near hind. He carried on with the vetting as he really wanted to pass her, but after a few more flexion tests and putting her on a circle he stuck to his guns. But he did say she had probably been like it all her life, she is a heavy weight cob and it is very hard to see how she moves as she is very lollapy. He said for her age (12) and for what the buyer wanted to do (hack) she would be fine, but he technically couldn't pass her. The buyer discussed with her friend and seemed very keen still, so we left them to think about it and went home (leaving the horse with them even through according to the contract the trial ended that day)

That evening she rings and says she want the horse but she doesn't want to pay full asking price as she failed the vet, fair enough, friend reduces price to a fair amount, and the buyer says she will get back to her after talking to her husband. Mean while friend rings a couple of the people who are still really keen and explains about the vetting, both of whom are completely happy to come and try her still, for the same asking price.

Buyer gets back to her and offers 2/3rds of the asking price, to which friend says no, she is worth more than that as the vet had said it doesn't effect her job what so ever (if she was going to event fair enough
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) Eventually they reach an agreement and we arrange to collect money the next day and say goodbye to the horse.

Friend rings the 6 people she has that were still interested and says she has sold

Next day, on our way to her house (not close by) and half way there get a phone call saying she has changed her mind and doesn't want to pay that much for her. Friend by this point has had enough, says thats fine, but bring her back tomorrow as agreed and stop messing us around. Then she replies she cant bring her back for another week.

We are now going to get her tomorrow, squeezing her into my trailer (she is very wide, hence us wanting them to transport her in their horsebox) We have a deposit check which buyer wants back, but is this fair? After all the time wasting and putting off of other potential buyers (who would happily have her even though she failed the vet) should my friend keep the deposit?

Take this as a lesson, never send your horse on trial, I knew in my heart it was a mistake, but was convinced, as was my friend, but never again I'm afraid
 
Hmm not sure whether this helps, but I accepted a £500 deposit on my horse under the condition that if anything came up on the vetting, the cheque would be returned. Therefore I would expect not to have to return a deposit if such an agreement had not been reached.
 
With the deposit being a cheque she will prob stop it anyway tbh! Try and negotiate for petrol money/time wasting etc, and then cut losses I think.....
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When I have let my horse go on trial, they had to get it vetted first at my place and they pay the full amount up front before it leaves the farm. Luckily the horse has always worked out, if it hadn't I would have given all the money back, but would expect them to transport the horse back to me.

Next time get it vetted first, also if you have all their money they would be keener to return it. Is there a show on this week or something that they want to go to?
 
I did suggest they had a vetting done before they had her on trial, but they didnt want to fork out for a vetting if she wasnt suitable.

My friend did take a deposit check (that she would then keep if they didnt have her) and a check for the remaining amount (which she could return if they didnt have her)
 
I am assuming that this is the lovely cob that your friend has decided to sell? I hope she never puts the horse out on trial again. Keep the deposit against expenses. The horse is sound enough for what the purchasers wanted her for - i.e. a super safe bombproof genuine hack. I think your friend will sell her without any problems and probably without any potential purchaser having her vetted as she is so genuine. If I was looking, I would snap her up.
 
I only once let a horse go on trial - never again. They had an 'accident' getting her off the horsebox and cut her face. She failed the vet on something minor. THey still wanted her and I - younger and more naive than now - let them have her for about half the asking price. Nowadays I'd say try her as much as you want, but do it at our yard.
 
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