Contacting old owner/breeder -good or bad idea?

lme

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We always try and stay in touch with old owners. The previous owner of our retired family pony often competes at the same shows as our yard owner which makes it easy to share photos and news.
 

claret09

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go for it. i have spoke to my boys breeder and she was able to tell me lots about him, which was great. i am also in regular contact with the people who bought him off her. it's been really helpful and both love to know how he is and what we have been up to, it was definitely worth the effort to get in touch
 

Kat

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I keep in touch with the people who imported L as an unbroken 3yr old and they love to hear about what she is doing. I tried to trace her breeders when I first had her and couldn't find anything from the slightly sketchy irish address. I tried again more recently and the stud have become a much bigger and more commercial operation with a Facebook page and website. I messaged them and got a friendly response and an offer to get the person who keeps their records to message me back with more details but then I heard nothing more. I should try again really.
 

milliepops

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I contacted the breeder of my pity purchase that we picked up from the local sales. She was sad to hear that the mare had ended up there but seemed pleased that she had found a permanent home, and she sent me some foal pics and photos of her dam :) I'd definitely give it a go. Considering doing the same for my welshie at the moment ;)
 

dorsetladette

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I am in touch with B2's breeder who is fab and really supportive. I was in touch with his old owner too but after her and her friends berated me over FB after I posted a few positive photos of him improving slowly I have ceased contact with her.
I have not contacted B1's breeder (it never really occurred to me to do it) but a did bob a message to his old owner (who we bought him off) earlier in the year. She was pleased to hear he was still with us and wasn't going anywhere.

I've bred a few ponies and I like to keep in touch if I can, its always nice to hear updates. I had a lady knock on my door a couple of years ago, she had my daughters old riding pony. The people we sold to hadn't updated the passport and we were the last known owner. He has a home for life now at the bottom of her garden for her grandchildren to love and fuss over.

They are a big part of our lives whether it be as a hobby or a business so I think its always nice to know they are doing well and happy.
 

Misty 2020

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I bought my horse though sales livery I never got to meet the owner. Only the breeder name was on the passport. But I asked on Facebook a found previous owners and found out a lot about my horse . I say go for it .
 
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tda

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I would love it if the new owners of a pony I'd bred got in touch.

There is one filly that I had chance to buy back as a 3yr old, but I couldn't as I had so much going on at the time. She will be 12 now and I'd still buy her if I could find her ?
 

elliejhb

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I'd definitely recommend a little google/facebook search first. A search of my mare's breeder came up with charge of cruelty to horses the year she was born. Whilst I'd love to know more about her as it could explain some of her temperament I don't think I'd feel comfortable contacting her breeder and due to her passport being a duplicate theres a large chunk of her history I don't know about.
 

Pinkvboots

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One of mine came from his breeder so we keep in touch and I have foal pictures have met his dam which is lovely, I do know of my other horses breeder and would approach her if I were to see her at one of the Arab shows just to let her know I have him I think she would be glad to know his ok.
 
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I like keeping in touch with any ponies we have sold. We still own 99% of our homebreds...

Same with 'my' horses that are rehomed from the yard. I like keeping in touch but it is totally on the new owners terms. I usually drop them a message introducing myself and say if they ever have any questions not to hesitate asking but otherwise enjoy their new horse and please take care of my precious charges! If they add me on FB happy days, I like any pics of them, comment occasionally if it's a funny pic but generally leave them to their own devices. As hard as it can sometimes be it's not my place to tell them how to look after the horse, what to feed it, how to ride it etc. If they ask about a certain thing then by all means I will answer but then I have always made sure 'my' lot are good all round nice chaps by the time they leave racing so people have very little trouble with them.
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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When my old boy hit 20 I put a little thing on Facebook about him, with some pictures of him, saying that he was "of an age" now and how nice it would be to hear from any of his previous owners. I'd had him since he was 11 and I knew he was in a trekking centre for a few years before that, but his earlier years I knew nothing about.

Unbelievably, the mother-and-daughter who'd had him when he was around 6 - 8 or so years old, got in touch! They came up to see him and the daughter then came up again and rode. They were about an hour away from me.

Apparently he had been taught to rear! I sooohh wish I had known that, or that something had been put in the passport about this!! It solved a lot of mysteries!

It was very touching to see the girl who'd had him much earlier in his life; it was very strange thinking of her with him when he was a much younger boy, and her coming back to see him when he was much older and a bit arthriticky and having to take life rather more easily.

It turned out that the mother had sold him to the trekking centre without telling the daughter! She never knew what had happened to him or where he'd gone; I think it was because she'd basically lost interest as teenagers do and perhaps "boys" were more what she was wanting to pursue...... the mother did I think feel guilty about doing it!

All very poignant..............
 

Stenners

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I'd love to find out about my mare's history, but she was passported as a 5yo and the only name in there is Gerty Tynan.

Do a quick google on the name to make sure nothing horrific pops up, and then drop them a line without giving much information about you/where the horse is/etc.
I have just got a pony with exactly this! I understand she is a dealer in ireland but has a good reputation.
 

Pippity

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I have just got a pony with exactly this! I understand she is a dealer in ireland but has a good reputation.

I'd say a moderate reputation. She has a lot in and sells them on quickly, so doesn't have time to learn exactly what she's selling. You can get something really good or something a bit dodgy. Mine turned out to be exactly what I wanted - sensible cob who can turn her hoof to a bit of everything - but I know some people who've had a very different experience.

I didn't get mine direct from Gerty but from a dealer who'd bought her from a dealer who'd bought her from Gerty.
 

Auslander

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I'm friends with Alf's most significant owner - she bought him as a just backed 4 year old, and trained him to GP. It's weird to think that I've now owned him longer than she did. We chat fairly regularly, and she likes seeing photo's and posts about him on FB.
If anything were to happen to him, I would speak to her before saying anything publicly - she still loves him very dearly, even though she hasn't seen him since he was 11, as she prefers to remember him as he was in his prime.
 

Peregrine Falcon

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I love hearing how ponies I've owned/bred are getting on. I am in regular contact with 3 people who I've sold to. One lady, who has recently purchased a beautiful pink mare, has been sending me fabulous updates via video.
 

skint1

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My mare's breeder saw a post of mine on a breed site and recognised the name as it seems they named many of their horses after the pub owned by their family. He remembered her dam being sweet, I said clearly she took after the sire hahah he was going to send me some photos of her dam and her if he had any, but he never came back to me, maybe he will some time
 

catembi

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If anyone wants to know about my experience buying unseen from Gerty Tynan, please PM, or search for my old posts from about 3 years ago.
 
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