After sales service - 3-4 months on..

EQUISCENE

EQUISCENE

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7 February 2007
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Just after opinions really. Sold a 14.2hh great to ride schoolmistress which we had owned for 3.5yrs to an experienced home to share with a 12 yr old girl & her instructor an experienced 50 plus lady at the end of Sept. Only negative with the pony is that it can be mareish and nip on the ground otherwise the perfect riding pony, when viewing all parties were told of this and how we had managed it.. Contacted new owners after first couple of days, then month everything going very well, everybody happy. Tonight just had a call from the experienced older lady saying that although the pony is perfect to ride she has bitten the 12r old and now she has lost all her confidence and asked us if we would take her back or give a partial refund! Have talked her through the pony's management regime and she is being fed ad lib haylage (no short feed), kept in and working lightly about 4 times a week, the problem isn't ridden its when they bring her in/out the field I have suggested that they don't feed her ad lib in the field and keep her on the regime we did eg: out 24/7 with hay am/pm she is a good doer and very food motivated. For some reason I feel very stressed about this as I had been honest and told them the pony's fault and they have had her for 3 months.. She was a friends daughters pony who kept her with me so I sold her on their behalf and can't take her back myself, the daughter has grown out of ponies and is at college, that is why she was for sale in the first place.
 
We had a mare exactly the same, we told her buyers who were fine with it although they did post a pic on FB of a massive bruise!
I think they have had the pony too long to expect her to come back, maybe suggest an adult handles her for a while and tie her up short when grooming etc.
 
All horses can bite....... And if they knew this was a trait of the horse then they accepted this by buying the mare! Obviously the 12 year old was not careful enough around the pony!
 
Thanks jrp204 we advised to tie her up short etc when we explained how we had managed her and the older lady is experienced and about 50 but she now says she can't have a pony like this around children..
 
Children plural? And she is an instructor? Is she using the mare for lessons by any chance? Or has the shine of owning her simply worn off now that winter is here?

I do not see why you should have to take her back, but I do feel rather sorry for this mare, and you! As said, any horse can bite. I certainly wouldn't be prepared to refund their money. If things are really that bad, perhaps they can pay you to take her back and sell her on for them? At full schooling and sales livery costs, and with a percentage of her price to go to you too...
 
I have a pony club schoolmaster that can bite when girthed up, when mounting and will barge out of the stable. I bought him from a friend knowing this and I have loaned him out several times successfully, his foibles are written in his contract. He is a saint when ridden and everyone has always worked round him, his behaviour is predicable and I always advise adults handle if the child is small.
You can not please some people, would they rather it be a g** to ride where you have little control. I just do not understand how a child that wants to ride can be frightened just because her pony bit her, apprehensive yes at the front end. I would advise that only adults handle it and its tied up short when she is around it, but to honest I think there is another reason. I do not think its yours or the ponies problem, its their poor management skills.
 
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