Buying a horse - Why am i so suspicious?

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Tangaroo

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I have been ringing up about horses and i am soooo suspicious of everything people tell me :o No doubt some of these horses are genuine but people contradict themselves in a five minute conversation about why they are selling it or they say they have only had it 3 months:confused:
Just wish i could find one that someone knows like i did my last one:rolleyes:
I think its going to be a long job, either that or i need to visit a dealer and just use my own judgement :eek: I will probably end up with a beach donkey!
 
I don't think your the only one.

I'm selling one at the moment and nearly everyone who has phoned has tried to catch me out or imply something that its not.

Some have really played with words and if i ever use the word green (i'm selling a very good 4 year old) people assume i selling a lunatic.

I had someone come and try him and after i rode him on the flat and jumped a water tray, x pol, upright and oxer they rode him and really like him but wanted something more established - i suggested she was probably best not looking at 4 year olds as i would hazard a guess that mine would be one of the more established ones, having been placed showing/wh/dr etc!

As a genuine seller it is tiring to be assumed to be a dodgy dealer - all i say is go with your gut instinct and trust your intuition.

I am in no hurry to sell my boy at all and i will be selling him to the perfect owner - if you get a hint of this in the conersation - you can rest assured the seller is genuine - i tell all potential callers this :)

Good Luck!
 
I think you are right to be suspicious. Its buyer beware with horses. There are some nice genuine ones out there but its sorting through to get them! Just ask as many questions, get as many photos and videos then see what happens.

For instance when i see a horse I ALWAYS offer it water at the end of being ridden just in case its being dehydrated. Easiest way to get a nice calm horse with no drugs being used.
 
You just have to trust your gut when buying horses :) I am also very suspicious when buying,thankfully as at one yard I was just left with the horse while the owner buggered off and left me to it! so I found the grooming kit with the horses passport in it (no sillouette filled out and no microchip for a start!) and it also contained a freshly slobbered over sedalin tube!
 
I too am search but think in this communication age it is far easier to check facts and see pictures and videos before viewing. I had a mega trip this weekend looking at 7 horses all over the country and I have to say each one was worth looking at and a couple were particularly nice. None quite matched what I wanted but it wasn't a wasted trip as much research was done beforehand.
 
Its hard not to be paranoid, a good one is to listen carefully write some facts down ring again on differant number /person and ask again i did this with one horse and asked why selling ?One was getting wed, one was moving, one was redundancey then i got txt saying sold from field a 5 star vetting was arranged without purchaser being there and other person was going to take mare without viewing .I left it i could write a book tbh on viewing experiances another was a 12 yo schoolmaster looking for quieter life- ex racer with fired tendons about twenty yo and not looking good !
I went to a dealer , a small one friend of a relative in the end came away with something not on my list but boy has he been fab !I even got a trail before i bought no pressure -and i didnt agree on a price neither :eek:but paid a good fair price and would have paid more tbh ;)but hell never know :)so have a look around and ask for reputations good luck and dont forget the vetting x
 
A genuine vendor, be it a private home, someone who is a dealer or has bought the horse to produce and sell should have consistent facts and photos/videos available if they are serious about selling. I would want if I am selling to have all of these things so that I can find the right home for the horse where the purchaser and horse were well suited.

I am also looking to buy and of the two that I have found I like one owner doesn't call me back and the second said they would take a video and I've been waiting since last Thursday for it to be emailed. I am feeling your pain!
 
Hey Stilton - hope you are well.

What are you looking for? I have a friend with a 5yr old Darco mare, its unbroken as its had two foals already. 16'1 but still got some growing to do, pink papered KWPN.
 
LEC said:
I think you are right to be suspicious. Its buyer beware with horses. There are some nice genuine ones out there but its sorting through to get them! Just ask as many questions, get as many photos and videos then see what happens.

For instance when i see a horse I ALWAYS offer it water at the end of being ridden just in case its being dehydrated. Easiest way to get a nice calm horse with no drugs being used.
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OP I think it's so hard because everyone tries to apply their accumulated knowledge to try and uncover any lies, and everyone's knowledge base/personal turn offs when it comes to horses are different.

For example if LEC came to try Dustry she would probubly end up thinking he was dehydrated because he will drink from any bucket with water in if offered he is a good drinker, and also very 'bucket orientated' when he sees one so he would apppear interested and probubly take a glug just because he is that way inclined, where as Soap who is very tricky to get to drink other than in his field/stable would turn his nose up.

I think if vettings were more reliable/water tight then people wouldn't feel the need so much to apply their own personal 'pre-vetting vetting' if you see what I mean?... and I don't see how vettings can be anymore reliable either because it's just a moment in time declaring that that horse is sound for purpose on that day, so it's great if you can find one you have known of or friends can recommend then you get a bettter understandign of their temperament, soundness etc.

It works both ways though because the horse trading business is so fraught with liars and scammers I always feel really nervous when someone calls me and I have to describe the horse, and I always have in my mind not to make him sound dodgy when he isn't, but then I may come across as 'too goood to be true'! it's such a hard ballance, I guess gut feeling has to be relied on in the end. I've always bought all mine on instinct with no vettings and *touch wood* they have all gone on to compete with no issues, or passed vettings before moving onto new homes.

Good luck it's a mine field so I hope you find a genuine sound little horse
 
There is dehydrated and then there is just being thirsty! I do pinch skin as well!
 
Sorry i had to go to work after posting this:p Only just looked at the replys.
I am looking for a gelding, preferably irish, either a 4 or 5 yr old that i can slowly produce myself or dont mind something a bit older that has done a bit, so long as someone knows it and recommends it as being reliable with the jumping. I dont want any more violent stoppers like i had :o Has to be 16hh and preferably 16.2. middleweight.
What i am looking for is exactly what Lisamd is trying to sell but im afraid my budget really wont run to that. If it would i would have been to see him like a shot cos he looks super in the photos.
Tempi, Hi, sorry but i really dont want something unbroken, but thanks for the thought.
irish_only - could you tell me more about the chaps horse in devon please? PM me if you like :)
 
I know of a stunning 16.2hh 4 yr old king of diamonds lines bay gelding for sale, in west sussex, they want 5k, would be ready to do a BN tomorrow.
 
Ive been hurt by buying horses that werent what they were sold to me as (had problems) from dealers, Im looking now for another horse but Im really scared about viewing and being caught out again. The money Ive lost on horses I could get a really decent horse not what I can currently afford.
 
Thanks for all the messages. Im sure the right horse is out there somewhere. After all, im not after a world beater just a lovely person to maybe reach the dizzy heights of pre novice:eek:
 
I was selling a horse once and was throughly put off by a suspicious buyer.
It was an 'experienced' friend ringing up on behalf of someone else for a horse I was selling cheaply as a safe hack.
She was really hard and agressive in her tone. She asked me lots of questions really quickly and was trying to catch me out with my answers. She really flustered me, I was telling the truth but she made me feel like I was lying. In the end I said 'umm, I really don't think we are getting on and I would like to end the conversation'. I think she realised she had crossed the line by this point and tried to soften but it was too late! She had thoroughly pee'd me off and in my head I was thinking 'over my dead body am I selling my horse to you lol!'. I let her finish the conversation buy I never got back in touch with her after that and sold the horse a few weeks later to someone else.

I can definitly understand why she would be suspicious. I have been too naive buying horses before and ended up buying some huge mistakes. There is a way to go about it though. She put off a genuine seller with her attitude.

The only reason I will sell my current horse is if I HAVE to. I will tell the truth to get him the right home but I would only sell him to someone I liked lol! I'd rather wait and find what I would think is the perfect person. Tbh that woman I mentioned above was so questioning it sounded like she didn't even want the horse anyway! It's almost as if she wanted to find a fault before she even knew anything about him!

I think when you know you are selling a much loved, genuine horse you want to hear from people who are enthusiastic and sound like they love him as much as you! Wether they google my number once they hang up is fine by me ;). I would also respect someone if they politly asked for references, photos of all our comps ect ect and I would do my best to help.

It is hard tough trying to seperate the wheat from the chaff. Buying horses is a nightmare!!! Damned if you do and damned if you don't I guess!

I hope you find your right horse. I got my horse on loan before I brought him and thank god it meant I bypassed all the trouble!
 
I think people always twist words because maybe that have to to sell the horse.. I have just bought a horse and it has been just fine, i got him through word of mouth rather then websites- luckly i have contacts who know a lot of the equestrian world so have been well informed..
I have been mis led by most dealers and wouldn't advise it unless they are very well know!
:)
 
Stilton being suspicious I feel is the only way forwards!! Iv spent a while looking a my new boy arrived a week ago, so far so good, fingers crossed!!! Being suspicious is the only way forwards I feel and go with gut instinct, if it dosent feel right walk away. Dont give up, I know its sooo frustrating but the right one is out there somewhere. Also have you tried a wanted add? Thats how I found my boy - good luck with the search
 
It works both way's !

I'm always honest when selling but if I get buyers who are suspicious and trying and catch me out for no reason I just can't be bothered wasting my time so I always put them off coming.
The worst are people who call and proudly tell you they have tried 25 plus horses before yours and are looking for the perfect horse. I always end the coversation prompty and let them waste someone else's time !!
 
I can understand that. I am not suspicious in trying to catch people out when talking to them. I just have found that some of them seem to love talking about their horses but keep changing the story while the conversation goes on.
I havent even been to see one yet, just made enquiries and phone calls but nothing has appealed within my budget yet.:(
 
Sarah_Jane said:
I too am search but think in this communication age it is far easier to check facts and see pictures and videos before viewing. I had a mega trip this weekend looking at 7 horses all over the country and I have to say each one was worth looking at and a couple were particularly nice. None quite matched what I wanted but it wasn't a wasted trip as much research was done beforehand.
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Sarah_Jane - what are you looking for? I am in north cornwall, have a 4yo ISH gelding i am looking to sell, i am not advertising...for more info, please email me clairecollings22@hotmail.com
 
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