Bought unseen problems returning

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Its not the horses fault though. Buying a horse is not like getting your shopping from Tesco. I dont know anything about that dealer but going on some of those photos on facebook I doubt you will get anywhere.
I understand that and I really don't blame the horse but yesterday was very worrying as I thought someone was going to really get hurt.
 
Based on the spelling and grammar alone I wouldn't buy a toy horse from them. It doesn't make them look very professional, and if they can't be arsed to pay attention to someone so basic, what else are they skipping?
I’m very out of the loop with buying these days but I can’t believe anyone would engage with a business who is so overtly unprofessional, including sales photos of what looks to be a girl in slip on trainers?! (I’m not on Facebook so can only see limited photos)

I am 62 and don't want to be waiting for a horse to learn his manners. He should be as described.
Unfortunately you seem to have been bitten by a bad dealer. And you have a case for your money back as others have described above. But in the meantime the poor animal needs a little compassion and time to settle, yes your last one may have settled in two weeks but I imagine this one has come from a less than ideal background and needs a chance. The first thing being turnout and see if that makes any difference.

And I would be having a word with the yard, I wouldn’t expect them to use a barrow to block the door with any new horse, whether it’s apparently an angel or a bolshy g1t. They need to have a rethink on their standard practices, to keep the horse AND themselves safe.
 
turning him out or away in a herd for a couple of months to eat grass would probably be hugely beneficial to him in allowing him to settle into his new environment (he may have been through several environments and mixed handling in a very short space of time which would explain a lot of his anxiety, and anxiety leads of lack of manners and can escalate to dangerous behaviour). Just befriend him gradually, let him come to you, let him chill. Over time you may then find you have a trusting animal, who trusts you, and can then be brought into work and a part-stabled routine once he feels safe and secure in your environment and with you.

he's a nice looking cob and a nice size too.
 
Turn him out, do not feed him any hard feed, get a PSSM test done straight away and get the vet back out to assess soundness,f hes sound get a very competent dentist and body worker to go over him, have the dentist approximate his age and get a saddle fitted. Then get him in work. Pay a competent person if you dont feel comfortable. Find out what you actually have and do it quickly while you might still have a chance of getting an exchange.

But I will be shocked looking at those photos if theres not a medical issue sadly. I hope not, but given hes a desirable type and a pretty colour he shouldnt have ended up at a bin end dealer being presente so badly so something has gone amiss somewhere.
 
Day one, two, three, etc is never good for any newly arrived horse - they're emotional and frightened following the move no matter how well-schooled and angelic they were at a previous home, their behaviour will always change.

My first horse disappeared out of his stable in week one. Out of the yard, down the lane, and onto the Fosse Way. Even when he let me catch him, he wouldn’t move, he just reared up vertically over and over again. I was only 13 at the time, and I was terrified. The consensus of the experienced people around me at the time was that I had bought a very feisty beast, and that he was difficult to handle. In hindsight, I realise that they should have helped me more and not blamed the horse, eg ‘He was difficult to handle’ really meant ‘I wasn’t skilled enough’.
I thought his behaviour was scary, but I now see that it was him that was wary of me, scared of being in unknown surroundings, generally shi*ing himself, so putting him in a stable in that first week was a really bad move! Poor decision making on my behalf, guided by the experienced, unintentionally set him up to fail.

Take heart though! I had him for 20 years, died age 33.

If the YO thinks keeping your a new horse in a stable is fine, then I’d move him elsewhere asap if I were you, somewhere with instant access to turnout. The YO is making some poor decisions, the undeniably obvious one being putting a wheelbarrow in stable doorway to contain a panicky horse.
 
If you are within return window I would just to return. It is a dealer, hence a business. Get legal help if need be to work out if you can go to claims court if they do not respond.

Yes they may need to settle but now you know it's a dodgy dealer so what's the likelihood it had a complete personality transformation. Also if you chuck it out for a couple of months does your return window close? I wouldn't faff, get it sent back and your money back by hook or crook.
 
Turn him out, do not feed him any hard feed, get a PSSM test done straight away and get the vet back out to assess soundness,f hes sound get a very competent dentist and body worker to go over him, have the dentist approximate his age and get a saddle fitted. Then get him in work. Pay a competent person if you dont feel comfortable. Find out what you actually have and do it quickly while you might still have a chance of getting an exchange.

But I will be shocked looking at those photos if theres not a medical issue sadly. I hope not, but given hes a desirable type and a pretty colour he shouldnt have ended up at a bin end dealer being presente so badly so something has gone amiss somewhere.
With what the vet could do at the time his heart and lungs sounded fine and his eyes looked good. He didn't appear to have any pain in his spine.

If you are within return window I would just to return. It is a dealer, hence a business. Get legal help if need be to work out if you can go to claims court if they do not respond.

Yes they may need to settle but now you know it's a dodgy dealer so what's the likelihood it had a complete personality transformation. Also if you chuck it out for a couple of months does your return window close? I wouldn't faff, get it sent back and your money back by hook or crook.
He is within the 7 days warranty I was given that ends tomorrow. I asked to return him the dealer said he would take him back and swop for a more suitable horse when it came in as per his terms and conditions. How long will that be no one knows. I don't want another of his horses I just want to send him back and get a refund.
How much did you pay for him? If its less than he should have been thats another huge red flag.
He was asking 4,950.
 
With what the vet could do at the time his heart and lungs sounded fine and his eyes looked good. He didn't appear to have any pain in his spine.


He is within the 7 days warranty I was given that ends tomorrow. I asked to return him the dealer said he would take him back and swop for a more suitable horse when it came in as per his terms and conditions. How long will that be no one knows. I don't want another of his horses I just want to send him back and get a refund.

He was asking 4,950.

I am so sorry but you have been sold a dud. If the poor horse was anywhere near as described and correct age you could have been asked at least 10,000 if not more. The behaviour may very well be related to pain somewhere but it could also be that the horse was a driver, entire, only ridden very recently or any other mix of back story you care to think of.

I really do hope you can at least get the poor thing thoroughly checked over by various professionals and salvage something from all this. But sadly I doubt it.
 
Their terms and conditions (7 day warranty) don't trump consumer law. It's just that in order to get your money back might include a lot of legal/small claims/CCJ - and they might well not have assets in their name.
It does make me chuckle how many of these dodgy dealers think their made up Ts and Cs supersede the actual law 🤣
 
I would say that yes, legally you would be entitled to a full refund via the distance selling regulations... BUT... doubt very much you will get anything back. They will likely have nothing in their name. I would by all means try but would not go for the exchange route as it sounds like they will take and sell your horse yet not find you anything suitable.

However, the horse is a very attractive one and you may yet make something of it.

I would either sell on now, full disclosure to new buyers and accepting some loss, before you get attached, or decide to invest in professional help. Considering the disregard for safety that your current yard has shown, I would send to a producer to produce for you. Your current yard has made major mistakes that will set back any training done by a visiting pro. The pro yard I used to use doesn't do such things now, but they were a pro SJ yard who also did schooling. It would be around £200 a week for this kind of job on a pony, £250 for a horse.

If the horse is quickly brought round to some kind of good behaviour, then I would do a vet check as soon as the horse can comply, including lungeing on hard and soft and flexions. Just to make sure you are not throwing good money after bad.
 

You must offer a refund to customers if they’ve told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they’ve told you.

You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

I'd throw this at them
 

You must offer a refund to customers if they’ve told you within 14 days of receiving their goods that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they’ve told you.

You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the goods back. They do not have to provide a reason.

I'd throw this at them
Don't forget to save evidence as you go along. Try to get as much as you can in writing and take screenshots etc
 
I would say that yes, legally you would be entitled to a full refund via the distance selling regulations... BUT... doubt very much you will get anything back. They will likely have nothing in their name. I would by all means try but would not go for the exchange route as it sounds like they will take and sell your horse yet not find you anything suitable.

However, the horse is a very attractive one and you may yet make something of it.

I would either sell on now, full disclosure to new buyers and accepting some loss, before you get attached, or decide to invest in professional help. Considering the disregard for safety that your current yard has shown, I would send to a producer to produce for you. Your current yard has made major mistakes that will set back any training done by a visiting pro. The pro yard I used to use doesn't do such things now, but they were a pro SJ yard who also did schooling. It would be around £200 a week for this kind of job on a pony, £250 for a horse.

If the horse is quickly brought round to some kind of good behaviour, then I would do a vet check as soon as the horse can comply, including lungeing on hard and soft and flexions. Just to make sure you are not throwing good money after bad.
Sadly I don't have that kind of money I am retired.
 
Sadly I don't have that kind of money I am retired.
I would ask for the refund and even do a letter and possibly even start Small Claims Court. Sadly, retired or not, I think you will find that you have lost money.

Probably the way to lose as little as possible would be to sell with full disclosure.
 
I would ask for the refund and even do a letter and possibly even start Small Claims Court. Sadly, retired or not, I think you will find that you have lost money.

Probably the way to lose as little as possible would be to sell with full disclosure.
I have asked for a refund numerous times but he's not having any of it he will only replace with another horse. I will not accept another horse from him. I have told him I am taking it further he doesn't care.
 
I have asked for a refund numerous times but he's not having any of it he will only replace with another horse. I will not accept another horse from him. I have told him I am taking it further he doesn't care.

You arent going to get a refund sadly. 5k for a palomino safe as houses cob is probably a third of what he would be worth going nicely and presented well. You've been done. Theres going to be a physical issue. Did you not think given the market that this horse was suspiciously cheap?!

I have no idea why you are asking what the vet can do. The vet can vet the horse and find out what the issue is. If you dont want to do that then what exactly is your plan? Hope the dealer is visited by 3 ghosts and sees the light and refunds you? Its not going to happen. They know what they are doing and how to avoid ever paying anyone back.

This is your horse now and you need to find out what you are dealing with. Any horse from anywhere that I buy gets the dentist, physio etc as soon as I get them. Thats basic stuff. although in this instance Id probably go straight for a vet work up.

Or sell with a full explanation and hope someone coughs up £1000 or so. But it will depend what people see in the flesh. His musculature and posture in the sales ad would have me running for the hills unless he was priced at a point where I was happy to chuck his whole purchase price away. The people who will take a gamble are going to be bottom feeders, other dodgy dealers who will sell on within 48hours at a huge mark up. I coulnt live with myself doing that. Its wrong on every single level. Or you can PTS. Not something that would sit well with me without finding out what the issue was first but some people are tougher than others so it is an option. You might get lucky and get a rescue or charity to take him on as it looks like hes rideable so they might take the gamble on getting him right and rehoming,but its a long shot as most are full to bursting and not all rescues are what they seem either.

All of those options mean you can kiss the purchase price goodbye so accept that and focus on your next steps. Most options mean an investment of cash with no promise of a rideable horse at the end of it as well unfortunately. Sadly, whether you knew it or not, you took a huge gamble with all the odds stacked in your favour and you lost. Now you have a horse with issues that you dont want so you need to navigate that while making sure he doesnt end up in the hands of another dodgy dealer who will fleece someone else.
 
I would work with the horse I have in front of me, If you are not getting money back!

Doesnt look a bad little horse to be honest.

Turn out and leave him for a couple of days, only going into the field for a treat and a pat, encourage yourself to get a bond together and go from there. Being him in Brush him, etc

You will be looking at a different horse in a month. But it takes work 😊
 
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