Buying unseen over the internet - shocked

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Happytohack

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I have phoned up about a couple of horses recently and both have been sold, unseen, over the internet. Now after all the horror stories (remember Bombproof as reported in H&H?) - this is still going on. You only have to read people's experiences of disasterous horse-hunting on here to know that so many aren't as described. So why do people still do it? And would genuine sellers actually sell a horse to someone who had never even seen it, let alone ridden it or god forbid, got it checked by a vet? I'm not talking about people who put a holding deposit down on a horse a long way away before they can actually get to see it, I am talking about people paying the lot and seeing it for the first time when it actually arrives. So would you or have you bought unseen?
 
I guess it depends. If you are talking about a horse that is worth 1000's of pounds, from a VERY good breeder, then I guess it does happen. If your prepared to pay £20000 for a horse, then I should think it is good enough to take the sellers word for it (I'm talking in cases such as pro riders etc)
If however you are talking about your basic RC horse that you or I would buy for £3500, then no sir re! I would view at least twice, then vet it before I even thought about purchasing it. I would put a deposit on it so they would hold it, and it shows I am serious about buying it, but never would I buy out right just from riding the advert!! CRAZY!!
 
we sell a lot of horses, from happy hackers through to competition horses and we still get at least a call a week from potenetial buyers wanting to buy unseen having only seen a pic and a video! some do ask to have them vetted others just want to pay for it and have it delivered. we ve only done it once and that was to a knowledgeable lady who was buying one of our home breds because of the way he was bred, her friend had seen him when she came to purchased hers, so i suppose not totally unseen.
we do tell these potenetial buyers that they really shoud come and see and test drive before purchasing as most calls are from not so knowledgable people. some get quite stroppy as they are having there judgement questioned, its thier money they can buy what they like, but its our horse and we want happy horses and clients.
 
Beckie - that is frightening that you have at least a call a week? Whenever I've been horse-hunting, there are been a lot of horses that weren't exactly as described - some weren't as big, some weren't as heavy etc., etc., and some I just didn't like! When I had to sell one a year or so ago, I would have described him as a novice ride but when a true novice did try him, he took advantage. If I had sold him to them - it would have been a disaster for them and for him.
 
Lippyx - yes I am talking about your basic RC allrounder. Usually described as being "perfect gentleman/lady suitable for all the family".... it's just such a huge risk to take. We all know that even after seeing a horse, riding it, vetting etc. - it can still go horribly wrong.
 
I am one of those insane people :) I bought my project unseen over the internet - lady in question sent me every photo ,video etc that I asked for ,very straight when answering questions and so far he has been eveything she said he would be. I researched he past racing career to check of any major gaps - nothing of any major note. To be honest with you I had been looking for a cob/ish/hunter type and was getting fed up of diving half way across the country to find the 16.2hh hunter type had morphed to a 14.2hh cob - it my sound mad that I then went and bought a horse unseen but at least with a full tb you know its going to be relatively close to the advert and there is so much research you can do from home to check previous history . She was an absolute pleasure to deal with and even arranged transport for Rio down from Yorkshire for no extra charge . Maybe I was lucky but I will continue to look at horses further afield with the potential to be bought as where I am I was looking at £1500+ for the same animal where as Rio I had changeout of £1000.
 
I would never do it. But I think it is a sign of the times, 20 years ago this wasn't happening, but with the advent of the Internet you can now have anything (even live animals) shipped to your doorstep! Personally, I think it takes the fun out o searching for tht perfect horse! I love taking my friend an trainer on road trips to scout out new horses. Waste of petrol? Time? Absolutely not! I'd rather drive and be disappointed then end up with an unrideable, unsound, unpleasant, and generally unsuitable horse!
I think the importance of vet checks and x-rays can prevent a lot of heartache in the future.
 
I bought my baby from a fellow H&H user....I hadn't seen him before I went to fetch him.....but then he wasnt a lot of money and he was only 15 months....

I dont think I would do it with a older riding horse.....
 
My friend did. She bought a 2yold based on his advert in the under £1000 section of H&H. His owners delivered him and wanted cash. I was horrified but he's turned out to be a cracker and she is confident he'll do at least Advanced Medium. I'd never have the confidence to do it.
 
rubyredshoes said:
My friend did. She bought a 2yold based on his advert in the under £1000 section of H&H. His owners delivered him and wanted cash. I was horrified but he's turned out to be a cracker and she is confident he'll do at least Advanced Medium. I'd never have the confidence to do it.
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That's the thing, many people now just haven't the experience or the confidence to do this but back when I was learning, it was the usual thing; you rang up a dealer, said what you wanted and they delivered it for a trial; if it didn't suit, it was sent back and exchanged for another. Dealers were, in the main, absolutely reliable and honest, they had their reputations to think about after all, sadly, not all of them are like that now.
You got used to riding strange horses at either the RS or in any of my jobs; it came with the territory of being a groom and you jolly soon learnt what you would be looking for in your own horses so I have to be honest and say it doesn't particularly worry me if I'm buying (usually brood mares or youngsters) but if I'm selling, I insist people come so I can view them as much as they view the horse.
Bea and Twiggy came to me on loan unseen through HHO which I later bought; I've bought Swallow and Sasha unseen from adverts; a friend bought Parky from Vicky on here unseen and delivered. I would have bought Lacey unseen from an advert without hesitation but, like me, the breeder wanted to meet me beforehand, fair enough.
It's always great when they come off the box and the driver says you've picked a good'un this time!
There's not one I was unhappy with, they were exactly what was told but in each case I did a lot of homework beforehand, talked to the owners, had extra pictures sent and so on.
If I was buying a horse to ride, then I would now prefer to see and try it out first as it's such a personal thing; you need to know you suit, that you like its temperament and from MPOV now that I only hack about, that it's comfortable to ride too which you can only tell for sure if you ride it; then again, if it is built right, it should move correctly too so should give a good ride but my bones creak too much to take it on trust now! :eek:
 
Somepeople i know brought a horse unseen and unvetted, turnt up at the yard at xmas with a unbacked part arab. Said horse developed strangles and few week down the line they admited that it didnt look like the horse they had seen in the ad. :eek: This horse was for their 12 year old as a first horse after a year spent riding at a RS. Mental if you ask me, the rest of the story is just as mental but thats a whole other tread!
 
I would never buy unseen, not just because there are a lot of misdescribed horses out there, but also because different horses ride differently. I own my horses for pleasure and try to keep them for life, so I need to get that special feeling from a new horse otherwise it's not worth it. I have seen horses that were exactly as described but we just did not gel when I rode them so I had to politely say no.
 
I think it's different if your buying a youngster or broodmare as you may just be buying based on breeding and conformation which you can get an idea of through pictures. Or if you are buying a project that you probably won't keep or a companion or something. However, there is no way I would buy a horse that I want to keep or worse still- something for a specific job like as a novice ride or a kids pony or something. That is just asking for trouble.
 
I bought my horse from a reputable stud farm abroad - and even though I had to book flights, rental cars, etc. to get there - not to forget we missed the flght (OH had difficulties parking and we got to the desk 30 seconds after closure) and I had to buy another ticket for me and OH last minute - we still went and saw her.

Admittedly, we looked at a selection of horses from said stud farm, but it was still worth looking. They even had people all the way from the US and Australia travelling to see the horses, so I don't see why people can't travel across the country to see their potential horses?

It's a different matter altogether if it's a great, famous sportshorse or so... then it would be purely an investment I guess, and you can buy unseen and get a good rider to ride it for you.
 
Happytohack said:
I have phoned up about a couple of horses recently and both have been sold, unseen, over the internet. Now after all the horror stories (remember Bombproof as reported in H&H?) - this is still going on. You only have to read people's experiences of disasterous horse-hunting on here to know that so many aren't as described. So why do people still do it? And would genuine sellers actually sell a horse to someone who had never even seen it, let alone ridden it or god forbid, got it checked by a vet? I'm not talking about people who put a holding deposit down on a horse a long way away before they can actually get to see it, I am talking about people paying the lot and seeing it for the first time when it actually arrives. So would you or have you bought unseen?
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I bought unseen. The previous owner loved Ed VERY much, so I resent your comments regarding the sellers being "genuine". Sometimes certain situations warrant a different course of actions than the norm. Our agreement was based on complete honesty and trust. Someone that is lacking in even face-to-face transactions nowerdays.
 
People do this all the time and is quite staggering. I have known people buy horses from an ad with only a mobile number and even have them delivered to their field or stables, with one lady telling me what a wonderful service it was, I nearly said "you're lucky it was still there the following day." Just because the ad says horse in Scotland it could be in Cormwall if you don't go see it. Where do people think nick to order horses end up? Sometimes people really can scare you.
 
Just to add.

Ed rocked up on Dec 17th 2008. Completely unseen and completely untried. The horse that walked off that box was more known to me than most people can hope for, after weeks and weeks of chatting to his owner. Because he was a project horse and continues to be a challenge on some days, I actually feel like his owner was MORE honest with me, than had he been a completely normal horse.

Oddly enough to most people, I hadn't even paid for him at this point.

Our story is completely unique, because of the people involved it worked. And on that basis, every situation should be judged on the merits of people and the horses involved. What may seem inconceivable to some, might be perfectly normal to others.
 
I would never buy a riding horse without trying it, but I did buy a miniature mare without even seeing a picture of her. She was six months old, came from a good stud and had bloodlines I was looking for. She exploded out of the trailer, hit the roof if you so much as looked at her and took me three weeks before I could catch her in her box!!! Having said that she is now adorable, loves a cuddle and threw a fantastic spotted filly foal last year, so I couldn't be happier with her.
 
I bought my daughter's horse unseen & untried off the internet. I was due to have another baby any day and the horse was a 6 and a half hour drive away and I didn't dare travel that far, we loved his piccies and couldn't bear the thought of missing out on him so I bought him subject to vet. The day he was vetted I had the baby and the horse arrived 3 days later - the first time we saw him in the flesh was when he stepped off the transporter's wagon!

This was my daughter's first horse after ponies and was a 16.1 ex-racer, loads of people told me I was mad to do it but the seller's were trustworthy, told me most of his little quirks and he and my daughter get on really well, 8 months on they have done 2 shows getting 2 seconds,a first and a championship and are aiming for RoR qualifiers this year.

It was a gamble but in my case it paid off!
 
I bought my horse unseen over the internet and didnt have a problem.

If it was for a riding/competition horse i would never dream of buying it unseen as you need to ride them to know what you are getting IMO. But mine was a yearling so theres only so much you can see with them :)
 
I did. I bought a horse from Wales based on a video of it. I had been searching for a large (ie. 15.2hh) pure Welsh Cob but had no luck until I came across this one in particular. He was a rising 4yo so I figured he was young enough to not have been mucked up too much! The video showed him walk, trotting and cantering under saddle and walking down the road. I has him vetted by a local vet and had him transported up to me a week later. The first time I saw him in the flesh was coming off the lorry, he was very weedy looking to say the least. I had to basically start him from scratch as he was very nappy to begin with and he was a testing horse, however I absolutely do not regret buying him - he turned into exactly what I wanted.

I wouldn't tend to buy unseen, I'd certainly never buy having not seen a video. If the horse is young enough though and it passes a vetting, I hope it hasnt had time to get ruined! I would never buy an older horse without riding it first though.

I'd never sell unseen though. In fact (bar once, as they lived down south but I got pictures of the yard and met them twice!) I go to check the home out before agreeing to anything.
 
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I sold a horse unseen to Jersey. I sent millions of pics, wrote an essay about her and lots of vids of various situations. I also sent her dressage results and vids of tests she had done. The buyer also sent me vids of her riding and where the horse would be going.
She bought her and still has her.
 
Not bought but I did take on T on full (lifetime if I have my way) loan, unbroken and having seen only photographs. However, I do know and trust the lady 100% and could return him if I ever go insane enough to want to.

Happily for me, as you know ;), we turned out to be perfect partners :)
 
I have had a couple that I have bought without seeing! One was a project the other a SJ'er. Never have them vetted anyway as its not worth the money or the paper its written on. I just insure them asap.

They both turned out to be great - 1 had his problems but no more than if I had gone to see him anyway!
Both were sold for various reasons and are still in there same homes! Again 1 without even been tried or seen!

It can turn out okay! If your experienced enough then it makes no difference! So much easier than being messed about by timewasters!
 
i mainly buy my youngsters from photos and first time i see them in the flesh is when i pick them up, done it with 2 ridden horses but as a rule i normally would normally go ride etc first
 
I am doing it, I am buying a 16hh IDxClydesdale unseen from the UK. Indy is just 6 and has had one home since birth and I know the reasons she is being sold. In a perfect world I would like to try but I am in Norway. The horse standard here at riding club allrounder is awful so I have to buy in the UK even though it costs me more with transport and customs costs.

I ensure I have a vetting and the rest is purely on trust. I own my own business which is very busy right now plus I have two children and a farm to care for. It just is not possible for me to fly to the UK (two flights just one way) to try horses that may not be available by the time I fly over.

I will tell you in a months time when Indy arrives here if I have been foolish or not ;)
 
I've done it...never had a bad one yet. :) If it looks rather nice, has the right confo and eye, then it can only really go onwards from there...if it does have any issues then I don't mind sorting them, all have to be 'reschooled' to a certain extent to go like how we like them to go anyway so it's no bother to me tbh.

But if you're looking for your life long perfect all rounder that you want to be sure you'll click with - then obviously it's common sense to go see it first.
 
I am doing it now.....My ID/Cob Appaloosa arrives next week from Southern Ireland. I ve seen the video and received loads of pictures and information and I think, by and large, he is a good bet. He is rising 4 and unbroken and well handled and he appears dopey enough for me! I was looking for a laid back, unbroken (unmessed up) youngster to start myself to be a general riding horse, do BHS Trek and be a companion for my other Irish cob. I am not looking for a performance horse or a dressage star, just a nice Irish bred horse with some substance, at a decent price.
I would never buy a backed/ridden or older horse unseen or untried or even unvetted. I have bought unseen before and got the most stunning horse last time, and have bought two youngsters under 2 with success pretty much straight off the field.
I find it far more nerve racking buying a "produced" horse with all the possibilities of has it been drugged, dehydrated, lunged for an hour before I turn up, etc plus all the stress over soundnesses and vetting and also the inflated prices, ie close to £5,000 for a basic model.
Far better to buy a youngster, with a few basics established (leading, loading feet picked out) that you think looks up to the job ( and that does take a bit of experience - I agree) and bring it on yourself or under your own close supervision.
 
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