Contacting old owners - a good idea?

jesterfaerie

jesterfaerie

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I am considering contacting my horses old owners (the owners before the people I bought him off) but I am unsure if this is a good idea or not.
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Unfortunatly when I went to see him I knew he was the one and I had to have him no matter what, so I didn't contact any old owners and go digging in fear that I would be warned off buying him for some reason.
After buying him I realised he had been falsely advertised, which annoyed me as I would have still bought him even if they were 200% honest about him.
Anyways because of this and me wanting to start competing him it has made me want to contact them and just find out a few things, just general things like how he was with them, why they sold him and if they ever did anything with him compeition wise and if they have any pictures of him, etc.

Now again after buying him I came across a post by another HHO user (on a different website a few years ago - had missed this when I was having a little look around before buying him) that he raced with a tounge tie so suggested he had wind problems or had an operation. - I didn't have him vetted and he doesn't seem to struggle with breathing so at the moment haven't questioned it.

Anyways I am now worried again that I will find something out that I do not like.

Should I try trace them and contact them?
Also would it be worth trying to contact his other owners/breeder/trainer and find out about his breathing and about other things we have issues with (ie if there is a reason for him being such a bad loader). Or just the home before his last one and just find out what I want to find out?

Sorry, as you can tell I worry and have no guts haha.
 
I am always delighted when someone who has bought a horse I bred traces me and gets in touch - I always try to send them foal photos and give them a bit of history. However, one of my friends bought a horse to event from a dealer. Lovely horse, and she was really happy with it until she traced the previous owners who told her they sold it because it was never going to make an eventer! So go ahead if you are not afraid of hearing something you would rather not! Good luck whatever you decide to do x
 
I bought a mare with a LOU mark having no idea what it meant. When I found out by chance on the Farmkey website I knew I had to get in touch with the old owners to find out what had happened to her. I was terrified as to what I was going to hear and put it off for three months.

Anyway, someone pointed out to me that if something bad had happened in the past, I don't know an old leg injury or something, that I would want to hear about it now rather than risk injuring her by burying my head in the sand and carrying on.

To cut a long story short, my mare is absolutely fine and I was very impressed with her competition history. I think you need to bite the bullet and find out because, bad as this sounds, what if he did have some sort of breathing problem, and you were galloping him one day and something happened to him because he couldn't breathe? Surely you'd rather know his limitations before it happened?

I know how scary it is when you realise your horse might have had something wrong but you need to find out for his sake - I'm afraid its a risk we all take when we buy a horse unless you've known the horse from birth! Fingers crossed it will be only good news x
 
Thanks Ziggy that is the sort of kick up the arse I need.
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I have found a contact number for a few of his owners whilst he was still in racing so will actually contact them tomorrow about him and to see if the last one can give me a number for another one of his latest owners.
My fingers are tightly crossed!!

Glad to hear you had good news when you rang up about your mare.
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Rach, so would I actually.
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I was a little cautious about contacting some of his old owners as they are on massive yards with a high turn over of horses so they may have forgotten all about the poor sod as he didn't make them any money haha.
 
Rosie met up with the new owners one of her horses at the PC Champs this year. He was sold for loadsa dosh last Autumn and everything was handled through an intermediary so she had an image of a yummy mummy and a spoilt brat only to meet the most sensible, down to earth lady and lovely young girl who was completely unbothered that they hadn't yet won anything. They said he was exactly what they wanted and they loved him to bits
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So don't be afraid to do the deed - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.
 
I would love to speak to the person who is on merlins passport as his last owner...... different to the person who I bought him off of.

The person I bought him from told me that he had been on loan to the person named on the passport and had been registered to her as it was easier!!!!

I would love to know if this is true
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Anyone fancy donning their detectives cap???
 
I rang up an old owner who was listed on the passport. The horse was quite new to me and was being very untrusting in the stable, had some hangups and was very nervous.

old owner admitted to me that she used to beat him with blue plastic alcathene piping! because it used to give him a good smack and also because the whistling noise gave him a shock as well. said she hated the horse and couldn't wait to get rid of him!

i just bit my tongue on the phone, and felt like saying 'well, if you regularly beat him, then no wonder he didn't like you or feel safe with you, and no wonder he didn't give you his best!' Didn't say any of that, just bit my tongue.

Anyway, it did give me an insight into why my new horse was so insecure, and it helped me understand him no end. I would ring.
 
Yes go for it! I recently brought a horse from Ascot and went back to the previous trainer and got lots of positive stuff - despite the fact that the animal's form was not brilliant. Don't worry about the toungue tie - I expect he was slow and they tried EVERTHING! Owners have to be kept sweet! I used to do a bit of buying and selling and I still get people contacting me about horses / ponies I sold years ago - mostly I hear good things which is good.
But I used to work for a dealer - whose horses always came from 'over the hill' which was his euthamism for start afresh with them - which isn't a bad premise either - because as we all know horses go differently with different people.
For example I have sold horses that have been 100% in all ways with us - and then maybe do not load for a new owner - maybe it is because we are a bit more experienced and do not put up with equine hysterics?
 
I contacted Thumper's breeders when I bought him - and they were delighted to hear from me to catch up on their old friend. I have sent them photo's etc. and they were able to fill me in on a few things that I had questions about.

I haven't contacted previous owners though, as I have no particular interest in doing so.
 
My boy had had three owners by the age of ten. His breeder, the person who started him, she would have kept him for herself if he had been a bit bigger, he's only 14.2hh, and the person I bought him from.

It's great, I have his history from the age of three, he is now sixteen. Unfortunately his breeder has died. Apparently he hasn't changed a jot, he's still as opinionated as he always has been LOL

Jane
 
Devon, he is the worlds laziest horse and his racing 'results' definatly show this! I have heard back from one previous owner and he has mentioned nothing about his wind (I had asked if they had known him have any troubles with that). It is nice to hear the veiws from a sellers point of veiw.

Amy, it is really nice that they enjoyed hearing back from him. I am only wanting to contact his previous owners now as he was falsly advertised to me, I haven never actually contacted previous owners with any of my other horses I have or have had.
Struggling to find contact information for his breeder though.
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Whyworry, it is great you have basicly his full history!
 
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