Can the seller of a horse refuse to allow owner to move horse to a new yard for a period

[Lois Lame]

Too many red flags for me.

I could believe (at a stretch) that this is a place that's so good, so reputable, so brilliant that they want to do a thorough vetting of the purchaser.

So why are they trying to talk her out of a vetting??

I think your friend is going to get herself into an awkward situation if she signs anything.

 

[shanti]

So many red flags. I would absolutely walk away.
Even if the 6-month thing is not legally binding and she ended up taking the horse to another yard after purchase, I have no doubt these people would badmouth her to everyone, spread false rumors and generally make the situation extremely uncomfortable and stressful.

 

[COldNag]

This is just bizarre. However much she likes this horse, she would be setting herself up for so much aggro.
Honestly, she needs to walk away.

 

[Fred66]

She needs to get big girl pants on and say that yes she likes the horse and yes she wants the horse subject to it passing the vet, HOWEVER she does not require full livery services as she fully intends to look after the horse herself as it will speed up the bonding process.

If they then try to insist, she should say ok these are your choices so 6 months at £140 is £3640, your original asking price was £5000, as a gesture of goodwill I would have been paying £40 a week for DIY elsewhere which would have been £1040 so I am prepared to pay a maximum of £6040. Which is £2400 for the horse and £3640 for your livery OR you get the agreed sale price of £5000 and I am free to take the horse where I want.

Let me know which option you want by x date to enable me to get the horse vetted prior to the sale. If they argue then say look I really like him or I wouldn’t be looking at investing x amount in buying him but equally I am sure I can find another horse that I can like just as much without the additional costs and conditions

 

[dogatemysalad]

I used to ride at a famous yard where there was a similar arrangement. Highly trained horses who had given up international competition were sold cheaply on the understanding that the horse remained at the yard on full livery and would be bought back for the same price if the owner wished to sell.
It was a way for riding school riders to own a fabulous horse at a fraction of its value, while the yard ensured the horses future.

 

[Cheetchy]

Devils advocate.. if your friend has no experience of young horses and has only been having lessons 8 months do they see it as a bad match?

Well that's the flip side that perhaps they're just being really cautious but they did put her off buying elsewhere amd pushed her to buy this one from them.

 

[Cheetchy]

Yeah she needs to walk away. Why has the horse not been vaccinated on 4 years? Has she looked at its passport?

Replacement passport with no breeding or history inside.

 

[Barton Bounty]

WHAT?? Are they for real???

There is being cautious and there is being money hungry and greedy. This really does not sound like caution.
Walk away, don’t look back and find a new horse

 

[Ratface]

Such an arrangement sounds very controlling, and potentially intimidating, for the potential buyer.
Definitely a situation to briskly walk away from.

 

[HorsesRule2009]

This all sounds rather odd.
Just proceed with caution, bloods being taken at a vetting is standard an should always be included in the price.
They are then sent to an external lab for storage for 6 months. After 7 months they are discarded of.
So in theory they won't her to remain with them on livery until she can no longer test the vetting bloods if she was to go down the vetting route.
You can request for vetting bloods to be run at any time in the 6 month period but its £300 -£400 to do this. (On top of vetting fee).

It all seems rather odd I think she should walk away

 

[gallopingby]

Sounds strange and should have a 5 stage vetting with proceeding with ownership Bzt ….is / was the horse advertised for sale or is this a hors3 the yard have agreed to sell to someone who has been having lessons but they want to ensure that the match is going to be good. So many horses go wrong because of an unsuitable ‘match’

 

[Peglo]

I keep wanting to think the sellers are doing what’s best for the horse but the more you read the less likely it seems. Don’t vet, don’t buy a different horse buy this one, the controlling situation and stipulations of what tack and feed it can have after purchase.
I hope your friend finds a new pony but I can’t see first time ownership going well with this situation I’m sorry to say.

 

[lynz88]

How very odd!!! Like others I would have run in the opposite direction. As fast as possible too. I am a very big believer in universal "signs" - when you have to jump through hoops for something, it never ends well if you keep pursuing no matter how much you want something. It sounds to me like your friend is rather inexperienced as I don't think this is something any experienced horse person would keep trying to pursue.

 

[Trouper]

If she really wants the horse then my deal would be that I buy the horse now - not in a few weeks' time. Can't see how that would make much difference to her competency. The purchase would be on the basis of a successful vetting (by a vet of her choice of course and not their vet) and the bloods being run not just taken.

I would tell them that I would then "consider" remaining at the livery yard but am not prepared to sign anything but would obviously pay the full livery fees for however long I remained there and for any notice period should I decide to leave.

 

[Above the snowline]

She is a soft touch, that's why we all think they're taking advantage. Plus she really really wants him. They're trying to put her off a vetting as they've owned him for 4 years but he's not vaccinated so she's going to ask for a vetting for her insurance.

Perhaps they are giving the horse Bute or something else? Hence them wanting to keep the horse in the yard for 6 months.

 

[ester]

Is this a riding school or a livery? Given you say she's been having lessons. If it is a RS that makes more sense/this scenario has come up before whereby the school want their cake and to eat it, don't want to lose a good lesson horse but also want to make the £ from selling it and having it on livery.

If the horse hasn't even been vaccinated against tetanus what else hasn't been done?

While it might make sense for an inexperienced owner to keep a horse where there is experienced help she knows etc that should be her decision, not that she has to sign a contract.

 

[Above the snowline]

Your friend really liking the horse doesn’t mean this is the horse for her. If she has only been riding for 8 months and this is her 1st horse then a youngster may not be a sensible choice. I can’t imagine anything worse than buying a horse and then having to face the previous owners every day. Either get the horse independently vetted, buy it and take it to a different yard or walk away and look for another horse.

 

[Above the snowline]

I used to ride at a famous yard where there was a similar arrangement. Highly trained horses who had given up international competition were sold cheaply on the understanding that the horse remained at the yard on full livery and would be bought back for the same price if the owner wished to sell.
It was a way for riding school riders to own a fabulous horse at a fraction of its value, while the yard ensured the horses future.

I bet all their horses had a tetanus jab. The yard your talking about sounds a fantastic place

 

[Glitter's fun]

She almost did walk away when the goal post changed to these new rules,

That's how scams work. If you saw the whole thing from the beginning very few people would be suckered in but they hook you gently & then reel you in, - just one more thing....

 

[Above the snowline]

That's how scams work. If you saw the whole thing from the beginning very few people would be suckered in but they hook you gently & then reel you in, - just one more little thing....

love is blind - sometimes!

 

[shortstuff99]

Replacement passport with no breeding or history inside.

This is even worse, they could be covering for anything here. As she is novice I would walk away.

 

[SantaVera]

Why on earth is your friend bothering with this? Walk away and don't look back.

 

[musk]

I would also say walk away -something feels very off here.
If she does decide to go ahead then make sure she gets a 5 stage vetting that she is present at and with a vet of her own choice (maybe you can help advise on reputable vets in the area?). Do not let her be swayed into using a vet they recommend because she knows them and trusts them, this has happened to me in the past and I would consider myself more experienced than your friend and I totally fell for it, very embarrassing but I thought I could trust them!

 

[Ratface]

This sounds very dodgy on several levels. Run away.

 

[southerncomfort]

They are taking advantage of the fact that she loves the horse, and that she is a first time owner.

What they are asking is completely unreasonable.

We've seen similar scenarios before, and usually right before the horse is finally sold, the purchase price suddenly goes up to something totally unaffordable. Meanwhile the 'buyer' has been paying them for full livery for several months.

I'm sorry to say that it's a scam.

I'm so sorry for your friend, but she needs to walk away and find a riding school that doesn't take advantage of their clients like this.

 

[9tails]

This sounds like a riding school conning a customer into buying their favourite lesson horse. While they haven't come straight out and told her the horse will be on working livery, the horse will be on working livery.

 

[Melody Grey]

Just checking that your friend intends to pay straight up in full? This sounds more like the terms of some kind of weird payment plan? Wouldn’t be for me! They either want to sell the horse or they don’t!

 

[Esmae]

No no no no no no no no!!! Not under any circumstances. Poor girl, what a ridiculous carry on. OP tell her just don't. There are plenty of nice horses for sale without all this rubbish. Some people have more front than Blackpool, they do honestly!!!

 

[Velcrobum]

Having just read this whole thread I totally agree with everyone else. Your friend needs to run away from this this situation which has more red flags than tomorrows coronation!!!!!

 

[irishdraft]

It all sounds ridiculous, I think if your friend really is confident this is the horse for her have him vetted (independent) if he passes pay for horse and take him away plus passport. No other scenario would do, the RS sounds rather suspect.