Being honest if new owner contacts you.

Serephin

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 April 2007
Messages
2,153
Visit site
Just musing really, as I already replied to the email I received from a new owner of a horse I used to own. But I was wondering if, as a new owner of a horse, you would appreciate honesty from a previous owner or prefer to live in blissful ignorance with your new steed?

Reason being, I received an email out of the blue a while ago from a woman/girl who found me from my details on her new horse's passport. The horse had had a few owners in a short period of time and she asked me if there was any particular reason that I knew of for that. I replied honestly (he was a serial bucker with me, real bronco twisting to get you off bucks, whilst squealing with delight! Turns out it had a reputation for bucking, which I hadn't been told when I bought it as a confidence giving ride) and I haven't heard anything since.

A part of me feels bit bad, but then again, I wish the person who sold me the horse had been honest and hadn't lied to me, as the horse made my confidence issues even worse!

So, would you tell the truth if someone contacted you?
 

madlady

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 October 2006
Messages
1,654
Visit site
I would always tell the truth - I'm honest when I'm selling (on the rare occasions that I do) as I think it's not fair to the horse or new owner if I'm not.
 

montanna

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 July 2013
Messages
627
Visit site
IME if they are contacting you, it is usually because something has gone wrong and they are doing a bit of digging!!
 

Serephin

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 April 2007
Messages
2,153
Visit site
IME if they are contacting you, it is usually because something has gone wrong and they are doing a bit of digging!!

I did wonder that, but she said that he was the perfect gentleman - so maybe he has changed his ways?!

And yes, I would always be honest - I sold a TB years ago and was blisteringly honest in my advert and he went to a great girl who was under no illusions that he was an easy horse.

But I have found out the hard way that other people don't seem to factor honesty too high up when selling! (I sold the bucker to a dealer, BTW and the dealer was well aware of the issues with the horse and found out more about him before agreeing to take him off me - whether he was honest when he sold it, I have no idea).
 
Last edited:

Grumpy Herbert

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 March 2007
Messages
1,868
Location
Nowhere, middle of....
Visit site
I wish the owner of the gelding I bought had been honest with me about all his problems - I would still have bought him because I am a total sucker, but at least I would have known what I was facing and could have tackled the problems from the outset, rather than having to uncover them one by one over a period of time. I think you were right to tell the new owners about your experience with the horse - at least they can prepare themselves for problems, and it'll be a bonus if they don't arise.
 

Juni141

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2013
Messages
166
Visit site
I see what you are getting at OP, natural instinct is obviously always to be honest...but at the same time, if you are told to expect something from a horse it can often be self-prophesising!!

I mean this in a mild way i.e. if you were told your new horse didn't like bins (for want of a better example) you would probably notice every bin you went past, possibly tense up etc whereas if you didn't know, you wouldn't bat an eyelid at said bins and horse would gain confidence from your indifference!!
 
Last edited:

misskk88

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2012
Messages
923
Visit site
IME if they are contacting you, it is usually because something has gone wrong and they are doing a bit of digging!!

Not always! I was musing google for past history on my mare, just out of curiousity. I stumbled upon FEI records of a foal that was bred from her when she was 4 (she is now 17). It was a lovely suprise and he has competed with many a successful showjumper- so I emailed one or two on there, just generally asking about their horse and if they knew his dam.

It was nice to find a bit about her past, a bit which I had no clue about :) If they had emailed back saying they knew her and she was a nightmare, had serious issues etc, it would be nice to tell them that she is now a 99% perfect school mistress!

I guess in general though, a lot of people are only concerned when they want to know if the problems they have are historical, or recent. In my view, probably a sensible step, so I would always tell the truth.
 

Serephin

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 April 2007
Messages
2,153
Visit site
I see what you are getting at OP, natural instinct is obviously honesty but at the same time, if you are told to expect something from a horse it can often be self-prophesising!!

Yes, thats what I mean. As far as I know he might have never bucked with her and now I have told her what he was like with me, and his previous reputation, it might ruin her enjoyment of the horse. I don't know. Hope she is enjoying him, he just needed a really confident and firm rider who wouldn't take his nonsense and who could sit some serious bucking!
 

Alchemy

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 September 2013
Messages
524
Location
Hogwarts
Visit site
Yes i would have certainly appreciated knowing that my horse had had a tramatic fracture of his cannon bone resulting in surgery and a screw through the bone! before i went x country and show jumping
 

Tnavas

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 October 2005
Messages
8,480
Location
New Zealand but from UK
Visit site
I was in this predicament some years ago when someone looking at buying a horse I had owned in the past. I told her what he was like when he was with me. I then got an ear bashing from the current owner as he had not shown any of the behaviour he had while with me.

Horses change with owners and grazing, with us he had been aggressive in the paddock, and grumpy when handled in the school. He obviously loved his new environment and was thriving.

I now only pass on positive info along with the 'Disclaimer' that I have had nothing to do with the horse for some time so have no idea what the horse is like now.
 

SpottyMare

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2013
Messages
441
Visit site
I would be honest, as I think it's only fair on the horse and the person.
In fact, I have been on the receiving end of such honesty from a previous owner (the seller kindly gave me several contact details out of the passport as she was an unridden broodmare and I wanted to know if anyone had ever ridden her). The one I was able to contact probably saved me from dramatically over horsing/financially crippling myself with a horse that had significant problems that the previous owner suspected had been caused by the starting process going very wrong previously to them buying her.. (they had bought her from the field as unstarted, and she had eventually been sold on as unrideable...)
 
Top