Buyer Says horse unlevel behind

soltydog

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2011
Messages
123
Visit site
My horse that I have owned from a 2 year old went out on loan 5 months ago. The loaner text me and said she could no longer afford him could I pick him up 2 weeks ago. She has been doing lots of jumping with him and sent me pics of him flying over some rather large spreads, I am a wuss and dont jump higher than 2 ft. The loaner was no where to be seen when I collected him and has been difficult whilst he has been on loan, not willing to talk to me on the phone and not turning up to meet me when I went to visit him. He came home I noticed he had a good 5 inch circle of white hair on the left hand side of his withers so obviously saddle has been rubbing him, I was very cross as and texted her to ask when he was last wormed, shod and how long had saddle been rubbing, I got no reply. A few days later I rode him for 5 mins just up the lane he felt a bit strange more of a rolling gate than I remember, I just put it down to me riding my 13.3 fjords and him being 15hh so just need to get used to him again. I put him up for sale and had my first viewer today, he was his usual laid back self and she was very impressed with him up to the point of me getting on and taking him up the lane. She said he was unlevel behind on the left hand side and would not be interested despite her loving him before seeing him ridden, I totally understood as she has had to retire her previous horse who she has only had 12mths due to soundness. I felt awful she had travelled 2 hours to see him.

He does not feel lame, just not as I remember him when I last rode him. Would the saddle rubbing possibly cause this unlevelness? Should I just let him have a chill out for a few weeks or should I get a back person out?

Do I stop anyone else coming and viewing him, I dont want to waste peoples time but I really neet to sell I am struggling with 4 to look after, hence why I let him go on loan.

I am at my whitts end and probably wont have any comeback despite me having a loan agreement in place that stated he must be insured, she did send me details of insurance before we started loan, but I bet she has cancelled it now.

Really dont know what to do. Any advise appreciated.
 
You need to get the vet and see what's wrong with him.

Take adverts down until you reach a resolution about the lameness as you obviously can't sell a lame horse.

Get some answers from the loaner.

Hope you get it sorted.
 
Don't text the girl about this sort of thing! Pick up the phone and sort it that way, and if needs be go back to yard and catch her then or go round to her house.

Get him seen by a vet to assess the issue, and then go from there. At least if you sell him on from then you can be honest with people about the issue and if it is resolvable.
 
Tried ringing her home number and her mobile she wont answear the phone to me, she would not speak to me when she had him on loan, she would text, I would ring her back straight away and she still would not aswear it. She has avoided speaking with me for the 5 months which I have found very rude.

I just hope I have not got and unsaleable 7 year old back!
 
Pain in the wither area can cause unlevelness behind. This is exactly what my horse has just been diagnosed with. But you need a vet to assess what is going on with your horse.
 
Last edited:
Get the vet ASAP .
I would think this is something might be best left for a week or so, if there is a local bruising then it would have time to heal.
It is unreal what these people can get away with, there really is little you can do.
Even if you have a legal agreement for the loan, what can you do if you have a a problem.
Ask BHS legal helpline, they are the experts.
If you don't have something in writing, you probably have no chance of getting any £££, even with a written contract, the first thing you will be asked is .. does she have any money ?
Any communication should be in writing.
 
Last edited:
You do need to put off other buyers, that's for sure.

I would have your saddler out initially to check the fit of the saddle, then the vet, not riding until the saddle is checked.

I don't think you will get anywhere with the loan person. Ideally you should have gone over and checked the horse while it was on loan, especially if you weren't happy with the loaner's contact with you.
 
You do need to put off other buyers, that's for sure.

I would have your saddler out initially to check the fit of the saddle, then the vet, not riding until the saddle is checked.

I don't think you will get anywhere with the loan person. Ideally you should have gone over and checked the horse while it was on loan, especially if you weren't happy with the loaner's contact with you.

He was checked 4 times after 2 months he had a rug on and the loaner was never there to meet me I could not get to him to take rug off as locked gate with barbed wire on top. I was on the verge of terminating the loan anyway as I was not happy with the lack of communication.

I just can not believe that a horse lover who worked at a BHS establishment when the loan commenced can not tel when a saddle is causing a problem as the horse has changed shape and muscled up, and would carry on as if all was well!!! Have people no consence for gods sake, I have learned a lesson and will never loan one of my animals out again.
 
I'd turn your horse away for a couple of weeks to rest, let Dr Grass do some work. Let his back rest, any potential bruising go down. Then get a saddler out, then a vet just to be sure everything is ok, and if it was my horse I'd be getting a physio out too, to give the horse a good deep massage to help get rid of any tension.

Good luck!
 
He was checked 4 times after 2 months he had a rug on and the loaner was never there to meet me I could not get to him to take rug off as locked gate with barbed wire on top. I was on the verge of terminating the loan anyway as I was not happy with the lack of communication.

I just can not believe that a horse lover who worked at a BHS establishment when the loan commenced can not tel when a saddle is causing a problem as the horse has changed shape and muscled up, and would carry on as if all was well!!! Have people no consence for gods sake, I have learned a lesson and will never loan one of my animals out again.
Believe me it can be worse, my boy got starved by a girl who told me "I love them all equally" Yes, they were all in a poor state, so that bit was true.....
 
Top