Buying horses...have times changed?

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katiejaye

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I haven't bought a horse for 10 years (that's when I bought Louis
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) but after reading quite a few posts over the last few months about people being duped into buying problem horses or being lied to etc I wonder how much things have changed? When I bought my first horse and then Louis I generally found people to be fairly honest. I also always had horses on trial before I committed to buy...is that something people still do? I had three horses on trial before I bought Louis and all three turned out to be unsuitable and the owners took them back no problem. I never committed to buying a horse unless I had them on a trial for a week first. I bought my first horse from a dealer and they were also very honest about him and let me have him on trial and offered to buy him back if I had any problems etc.

Have things changed that much or am I just out of touch with the world of buying and selling? Have people become less honest?

Just interested in people's views
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I don't think anything has changed at all.

Some people are honest, some are not. Some are perhaps more savvy than others when buying a horse, some are not.
 
i think sometimes you do come across dishonest sellers. But then you are always going to get dishonest people, and there will always be the honest ones aswell.
 
I think very few people will let their horses out in trial any more.

I do think it has changed , the problem is some purchasers are just as unscrupulous as sellers so no one trusts anyone any more.
 
I guess you're right, maybe it depends how experienced you are when you are buying...I guess I was just always extra careful and had good advice. It just seems you hear so much more these days of horses being sedated etc. and people lying in adverts.
 
I bought a horse 2 weeks ago and it didn't work out. Not because the horse was naughty it just didn't suit me. The dealer took it back on sunday and swapped her for another one. She was never sold to me on a trial basis and he would have been more than within his rights not to help me out especially as there wasn't anything wrong with the horse but he did, thank god!. There are honest people around. I guess I was in a good position to start with as the horse was straight, just not my cup of tea.
 
I think the key is - always take someone with you when buying - someone who knows more than you hopefully, and whose opinion you value.

I would always try and buy from a recommended source - although that is not always possible I appreciate.
 
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I think very few people will let their horses out in trial any more.

I do think it has changed , the problem is some purchasers are just as unscrupulous as sellers so no one trusts anyone any more.

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I do think that's the case, people seem to just be so untrusting these days. It's a shame that people are reluctant to let horses go out on trial. When I sold my last horse I let the girl have him for two weeks on trial, she loved him so it all worked out but I would rather have had him back then sell him to a home where he had been unsuitable or badly matched to the new owner.
 
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i think sometimes you do come across dishonest sellers. But then you are always going to get dishonest people, and there will always be the honest ones aswell.

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That's true...in all walks of life there will be honest and dishonest people...just seems that the balance is shifting more to dishonest
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true but we get a lot of tales on here about hroses out on trial being run into the ground and injured then thrown back at the owners who then have to foot the bill of sorting them out before they can sell on again.

Or perhaps it's like everything, things haven't changed we just hear more of the horror stories now a days which makes us more cautious?
 
nar i don't think so, but i do think there more less knowledgeable people buying horses. Which where problems can arise -IMO. There are also more ways for less honest folk to buy and sell horses
 
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true but we get a lot of tales on here about hroses out on trial being run into the ground and injured then thrown back at the owners who then have to foot the bill of sorting them out before they can sell on again.

Or perhaps it's like everything, things haven't changed we just hear more of the horror stories now a days which makes us more cautious?

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I guess buyers and sellers are being dishonest then?! Probably true that we hear more stories etc. If I ever buy another horse I would find it hard to really trust anyone which is a shame.
 
I let a pony go out on trial and they took 2 years to pay for her and that wasnt even the full amount

and then put a lovely big warmblood out on trial - again 6 months later - no money, went to pick it up and it was crippled lame tendon injury that she didnt tell me amout and lost alot of money - so I wouldnt let a horse go on trial
but they could view at my yard/show as much as they wanted x
 
I guess it's tricky, I put my last horse out on trial for a week and took a deposit for him, if they hadn't have paid in full after the week was up I would have just gone and picked him up.

With Louis I did have him on trial but the seller insisted that I come and ride him a few times with her watching (had a couple of lessons, went for a hack with her twice and jumped him twice) so she could be sure that we were suited ok/that I could ride and I guess that I wasn't a time waster. After all that she let me have him on 2 weeks trial and then pay in full after those two weeks.
 
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Sas went out on trial which has not worked out but that is how it goes. It is not always practical to offer trial, especially if there is some distance involved.

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when I sold Murphy he went on trial to someone before I eventually sold him and it didn't work out, it worked out for the best though because he obviously just wasn't suited to that rider. The next person to take him on trial fell in love with him and she kept in contact until the day he was PTS.
 
most definitely.

horses didnt go out on trial/loan view to buy.

people who bought horses actually KNEW about horses, not just thinking it would be a good idea after 4 lessons!!

if a horse was unsuitable, you sold it on, not blamed the person it was purchased from.

they were far cheaper!!! any old rubbish is at least 2k today!!

and there are too many "basic novices" who think they are john whitaker or ellen whitaker who are able to just go out and buy a horse...unable to look after it's basic needs!!
 
Part of it is the "small world" phenomenon which affects so many things now. Because of the internet, instant reporting etc. we now all get a great deal of information instantly and unfiltered. So instead of hearing about the one or two horse deals that don't work out amongst our close associates we hear about scores of them. And we hear about them all at once and often repetatively.

I don't have stats for horse deals but I was reading stats for child abuse a while back. Incidents of abuse have actually DROPPED significantly in the past decade per capita and yet polls show people generally think the situation is worse. Why? Because they hear about every single case, in every country, again and again, as if it had happened down the street.

I'm not saying bad things don't still happen, or that there aren't just as many bad people in the world, just that the FEELING things are worse might be just that, a feeling.

Also, I blame American television.
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All joking aside, we here so much about litigation and people suing for huge amounts it's made all sorts of events that used to be just really bad experieces into things people expect prosecution for. And the climate has changed to some extent as the business has grown and there are more people involved. More people = more opportunities for things to go wrong.

So no, short answer I don't things are actually worse in the big picture, it just looks that way on the internet sometimes.

One qualifier (not sure if it's the case for the UK) is that we have more and more people involved in horses who were not involved as children. So they come to riding as adults often armed with a lot of information, often a fair bit of money, and maybe not so much practical experience or as good a knowlegable, invested support system. And because they are adults they are harder to "control" because they want to make decisions for themselves. When I was a kid no one I knew got final say on the horse they got, if they were lucky enough to get one. They might get a vote but a coach or a knowledgable friend/relative did the actual weeding out.

And sometimes we got it really wrong. But getting in trouble when you're 15 is a lot different than when you're 35. And when you're 15 and make a bad decision someone else will probably just override it if things get dangerous. That is much harder to do in the case of relatively novice adult owners.
 
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they were far cheaper!!! any old rubbish is at least 2k today!!

and there are too many "basic novices" who think they are john whitaker or ellen whitaker who are able to just go out and buy a horse...unable to look after it's basic needs!!

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so true, I sold my first horse on for £1200 and he was a 10yr old bomb proof all rounder and he went with all his tack and rugs...these days you pay much more for horses like that!

I know far too many people who have overhorsed themselves thinking they are experienced riders.
 
Personally I wouldn't let anyone have my horse on trial if I was to sell her but I would be happy to let them come to my yard and trial her for a week under my supervision.

I do think things have changed in recent years, not necessarily for the worse but I think the market has grown and people generally know more about horses which must have some influence.
 
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Personally I wouldn't let anyone have my horse on trial if I was to sell her but I would be happy to let them come to my yard and trial her for a week under my supervision.

I do think things have changed in recent years, not necessarily for the worse but I think the market has grown and people generally know more about horses which must have some influence.

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I see your point, I was happy to put my last horse out on trial (was quite a few years ago) but I would be reluctant to now if I was ever to sell a horse as I have become much less-trusting after hearing so many horror stories
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I guess buyers and sellers are being dishonest then?! Probably true that we hear more stories etc. If I ever buy another horse I would find it hard to really trust anyone which is a shame.

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There is a lot of sellers who don't tell the truth. it does make you suspicious sadly of a lot of them

First pony bought for my daughter was sold as ideal 1st, little angel really. Turned out to be the bucking bronk from hell who had previously broke owners bones a few times. he was also doped at viewing, (I did have him vetted but not 5 star sadly)

After 2 years he did come right and is now in super home and doing well.

Also, pony we bought for stables was totally mis-sold and lied about.... I think you have to go with your instincts and be more wary when viewing.
I guess problem horses are sometimes mis-sold to get rid of them.. although, its not dishonest if you dont disclose info that you are not specifically asked about?

I mean, if you didnt ask, does this horse nap or windsuck, and seller knows he does but doesnt say, its not lies really, just not upfront?? Guess it's up to the buyers to ask every question possible
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"if a horse was unsuitable, you sold it on, not blamed the person it was purchased from"

Yes - i am selling a 5yo atm and people are calling up asking all silling questions - like is it a schoolmaster
i am serious and if it does this and that ?? how big have i jumped his etc.. i have carefully produced the horse and not overfaced him and all people want to know is how big it can jump

Mind you i think prices have gone up - but in line with inflation
you used to be able to buy a house for 30k and a horse for 1k
you cant now x

Everybody is searching for that bargin - but you generally get what you pay for x
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I think perhaps attitude to risk has changed - linked to better communication, greater litigation and more people buying horses that did not ride as children (and the increasing loss of the important role of the riding school).

Buying a horse is intrinsically risky. You can minimise that risk by taking someone knowledgeable with you, researching the background of the horse, getting recommendations etc. etc. etc. but it is still a risk.

People are becoming less willing to accept that sometimes things just don't work out and therefore becoming quicker to point the finger at the other party.
 
People dont have lessons anymore either ???
and expect to take the horse straight out and win

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing
as a seller i dont want some novice coming to view my horse and to be honest i wouldnt sell him to them
but thats thats the people that are calling to arrange viewing.

No one wants to buy an old schoolmaster - cos they wont get their money back.
 
re. the trial thing, I just wouldn't allow it. I think its too risky, people can take a horse and knacker it in a week, if its a sensitive thing it can take ages to get over it, and if it doesn't work out, you can be stuck with a horse who's much worse than when you let it go on trial.

Just too risky.
 
Further to my last post, I think people who have been doing horses for years know more but yes, there are alot of people who are cash rich and knowledge poor going out buying far too much horse for themselves and usually blame the horse.
 
I don't think anything has changed regarding sellers.

I only buy from trusted sources. (Errrrm for the last 14 years that has been mainly Treliver Stud. No duds from there)!!

I would take a gamble on a cheap un. I bought a dud once and I blamed myself for not doing enough homework. It didn't cross my mind to phone up the Seller and demand my money back. As far as I am concerned once the money is paid that horse is now YOUR gamble. Because that is what horses are, a gamble.

However I do think "buyers" are changing and sometimes I read posts on here and I think "You haven't just bought a car,,what you have bought is a living, breathing, sensitive, big, heavy, flight animal"!!
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I do feel sorry for people who have been mis-sold a horse but some posts I do wonder if the horse is just not very happy in his new home yet or has not bonded with new owner etc.

It will always be a difficult subject. I have been on both sides of the fences and I think selling is the most depressing side to be on even when you are more than honest.

I love buying though
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i think sometimes you do come across dishonest sellers. But then you are always going to get dishonest people, and there will always be the honest ones aswell.

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That's true...in all walks of life there will be honest and dishonest people...just seems that the balance is shifting more to dishonest
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I think we take more notice of the bad news as it bothers us. Go and have a good look at the threads on the different forums, most are happy people who have bought lovely horses that they are happy with.
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Off the top of my head there is ME
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, Nic01, Tia, Druid, oh crikey,,there are looooaaaaaaaaaaddddsssss of happy peeps out there.
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I don't think its changed that much.

However I personally wouldn't EVER allow a horse of mine on trial, there are too many muppets out there.

P.s Didn't realise you'd had Louis 10 years
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