Buyers beware!

[Myhorseeatsmoney]

The following is a true account of what I watched happen at a yard I was at before. I am now at a yard where the owners are horse dealers but are very honestand run a smart and happy livery yard. They don't interfere but will make suggestions and give advice when asked.

On the previous yard the owner who is a dealer but also runs a riding school. Before I arrived I asked for the contract but it never materialized. That should have rung my alarm bells.

Whenever a buyer was due to arrive the day before the YO prepared the horse and pony for sale and they always looked lovely. Nearly all the buyers were convinced to arrive in the afternoon so that during the morning she could give the horse or pony a really good work out in the school and then wash the sweat off and allow it to dry so that it looked nice before they arrived. They were then left in a stable with no water to make them quieter.

So the buyer/s would arrive have a ride around on a quiet horse/pony and be very happy to return for a second trial. If the buyer was local they were encouraged to stay on the yard so that they could have help from the more experienced livery owners.

Over and over again we saw this woman sell a horse/pony to a novice this way . She would then let them have grass livery and I have no problem with that. We would then wait for the problems to start which of course were usually where the new owner allowed the horse/pony to have no manners when being handled but also the pony was not the same quiet one to ride that they had fallen in love with.

The YO would then wait for them to go back to her complaining because the pony was behaving so badly and offer to ride the horse a couple of times a week and also before they had lessons with her. This usually cost an extra £75+ a week. The sensible ones were the new owners who moved their new pony away and get a recognized BHS trainer to help them.

There were many other examples of sharp practice but the truly worrying aspect was that all the new owners I spoke to mentioned when I asked how old the pony/horse was that the date on the passports were altered. Usually to make them look older so that she could ask a higher price for them.

Please first time buyers take someone experienced with you to any horse viewing even if you have to pay for their time.

 

[Chavhorse]

Not shocked that this happens (I live in Kent lol!) but a wonderful lesson in why first time buyers especially should take someone experienced, and independant to viewings.

In fact that all experienced person is useful when even the more experienced people are buying, the cold voice of reality is a wonderful thing!

 

[Perfect-Piaffe]

Not shocked that this happens (I live in Kent lol!) but a wonderful lesson in why first time buyers especially should take someone experienced, and independant to viewings.

In fact that all experienced person is useful when even the more experienced people are buying, the cold voice of reality is a wonderful thing!

Haha me too! Unfortunately my ponies are kept at a yard just down the road from one of Kents biggest horror dealers so we are always hearing about this! I would class myself as fairly experienced but would never buy a horse without another pair of eyes so look too. Especially if its for me as you cant help getting rose tinted glasses when something appears to be perfect!

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I think this is partly what was done to me. I did take my instructor but he was so nice and laid back she thought he would be good for me. Lunchtime viewing he looked clean and nice very calm . I think this should be a sticky and we could add any other wicked commonly used tricks to watch out for.

 

[KVH]

As another living in Kent, unfortunately I am not at all surprised at this.

 

[spike123]

I'm on a yard where horses do occassionally get sold but potential buyers are encouraged to bring the horse in from the field themself and groom, tack up etc and also to come back as often as they like to try the horse at what they intend to do with it. If they can't manage to tack up or can not ride the horse well then they are told that the horse isn't suitable or to go and get more lessons. Of all the horses that have been sold none have been returned at all and that is in well over 10 years. I have been out to try horses for the yard on occassions and have come across some pretty bad practises. One horse was meant to be a total novice ride and was intended for a novice as a first horse. The owners spent ages chatting about what a fantastic horse it was and how you could do anything with it. They then put a young lad up on the horse who showed us the horse in the school and it was a total plod. So far so good, but then we asked to see the horse ridden in an open field and it proceeded to buck almost constantly and tank off with the boy who then came and told us the horse always did it and it was great fun. Needless to say we didn't purchase the horse, but if a novice had of gone to see it and watched it ridden in the school they would have thought it perfect,hence why a second pair of more experienced eyes is always essential as is seeing the horse do everything that you would intend to do yourself with it.

 

[mirage]

We bought a pony that had it's shoes removed 'because no one was riding it'.The pony's feet had been trimmed really short too.Big mistake-as soon as it we had it shod,the ploddy pony turned into a bucking,whizzy nightmare.A chance encounter with someone who had tried it a year previously,when it had exploded and bolted with their daughter confirmed our suspicions.

I knew about water being with held to quieten horses,but had never come across this before.How someone could put a small child at risk like that I don't know.