Daft things told when viewing a horse..................

While viewing a rising 6yo bred to show jump with horrendous cow hocks "we've let her grow in to herself and started her slowly, the hocks will completely correct with some work" :|
 
Viewed a mare with a very obvious sarcoid on her upper eyelid - sellers words "What are you on about? It's just a bump, show me a horse that's absolutely perfect"...Didn't buy that one!!
 
Fools Motto said:
I went with a friend to view a chestnut, suitable to go Novice and beyond eventing. He was a 17h 6yr, who had done a few unaffilliated competitions.
Firstly, pulled up at the yard, and they were waiting for us. She came over and said almost straight off, that she was 'so sorry, due to the fireworks last night, the horse has lost his hair and isn't himself'. Saw said chestnut horse, just been clipped by staff!! (Honestly, owner thought he was hairless due to fright! - took a while to convince her what clipping was). He was nice enough, but wasn't right for friend.
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HAHA! That's brilliant!
 
I once had a livery run up to me wailing that her horse was dead. Went to check and found him flat out snoring. Told his owner he was sleeping only to be told don't be silly horses don't sleep :-D
 
Showed up to view a 14hh pony that was barely 12.2! And also went to view a pony who had competed at all the pony club stuff, was sent a lovely photo of a pony jumping, turned up to see a fat, hairy beast that they hadn't ridden for a few months as son has a new pony (said photos were also two years old!) and son proceeded to jump on the pony, canter it and throw it at some jumps! Poor thing!
 
Not buying but was going to view some horses to ride and help with, 17hh something and another 16hh.

Anyway proceed to ride the 17hh, the owner proceeds to pass me a long schooling whip, as he can be a bit lazy etc, horse being a little nappy and naughty, not really listening to me, so light tap on the bum with the schooling whip, said giant then turns into rodeo horse, bronching like a good-un, after holding on for dear life and realising that he wanted me off I decided off was better than on and let go falling out the side door. Fell on my feet (don't ever fall on your feet if you can help it!!)

Owner then goes with the usual, "he's never done that before." to "oh it might be the whip, he's only ever had a short whip before." not convinced it was the whip, think the horse needed schooling professionally, either way I almost shoved the whip where the sun doesn't shine. Especially when she mentioned trying the other.

Drove home, got out of car, took boots off and foot was already black and I could barely stand, after an a&e trip it turns out I damaged/tore tendons.

Let's just say lesson learnt.


And to the dealer who said you can't get a sound horse for 2k. I bought my mare for half that, she's sound, a school mistress and I can put young children on her and know they'll be perfectly safe, whilst doing some stressage or jumping on her myself. To be fair though, she was never formally advertised and I knew her owner, she just wanted a good home.
 
'She's never bucked' - no, of course she hasn't.
'She's got a recent five-stage vetting, don't bother getting her vetted' - I did and after she failed at the first hurdle, the seller mysteriously never answered her phone...

We also once had a seller come to look at a 16hh, private sale, and ask, before she'd even seen it, 'have you got a 15.2hh?' Er, no.
 
Travel 3 hours to view horse....

Yard staff said 'oh that owner moved all his horses to a new yard yesterday, we don't know where he's gone'

I know it doesn't fulfil the thread title as I didn't view the horse! But still couldn't believe it
 
Daftest thing as a buyer was having a mare on loan with a view to buy went to hack her out she stood bolt upright phoned the seller and asked about it to be told we only take her where she wants to go so try going the other way.
As a seller the best one was someone wanting a 13hh worker my pony was 13.1 the buyer phoned me every day for several weeks asking me to measure her again and couldnt I make her under 13hh eventually I gave up and told her short of chopping her off at the fetlocks she was 13.1 and likely to stay that way She thought I was being funny
 
From a sellers side- I had some loopy ones when selling a TB ex P2P mare- advert said that she was suitable for hacking/hunting/general all rounder but retired from P2P after two runs as she was useless. I had a lady that rang 7 times or more, begging for it as a first horse for her 12 year old, been at riding school for a year, just learned to canter and wants something to love and cuddle- I refused to give her my address and eventually looked up some more suitable adverts for her and sent them on.

Next buyer wanted to hunt, so he came over straight from work, swooped his trousers for track suit bottoms in the car, and rode her in track suit/shirt/tie combo. He sent her vaguely in the direction of a jump and sat like a sack of potatoes. The mare petered out, and by the time she got to the fence she wasn't even in a jog. When she stopped, he flew over her head and straight over the jump, and took her bridle with him. I have no idea whatsoever where his impulsion came from! We decided that he wasn't right for her, but he called on numerous occasions after to see if I would go and give him 'lessons' ;)

The girl that bought her did so to hack all summer and hunt all winter- perfect, says I. Off she went, all was fine. Until I had a call to say that she was running over hurdles at Newcastle racecourse. Advertised as too slow to P2P and the new owner had got together with her old trainer and decided to have another go. Apparently blew the poor mares brains in training, sold her on cheap as a broodmare. I felt bad for choosing the wrong person for her.

However, as a buyer, I went about 140 miles to see a gelding with a view to a part ex for said TB mare. Took the mare up for a trial with the geldings owner, and once we'd settled her in, asked where he was- poor thing was stood out in sideways rain shivering from head to toe. Owner had no rugs, so got one of my own off the box and warmed him through. Asked for his tack, she produced a snaffle bridle and saddle. Tacked up, was slightly concerned when three people had to stand with him for me to get on, walked around the yard a couple of times and headed into the school. No more than two feet in, he dropped his bum and bolted. Sheer, blind panic- poor boy. I stayed on the first couple of times that he cannoned off the arena fence, came off the third time. Owner then steps forward and says 'but I have been riding him in a gag since he ran away with me the third time'...

And only last year I went about 40 miles to see a suspiciously cheap BS reg gelding, asked all the right questions on the phone- no warning lights. Drove down and the first thing they said was 'oh, by the way, he rears a bit, sometimes, but only ever this high' (gesticulating somewhere near their knees). That's fine- I've had rearers, and nappy horses in the past, as has my friend who I was looking for. Managed to sort most of them so we said we'd have a look. I questioned the saddle as it didn't look to fit him at all- was assured it had been checked etc. owner did basics in walk/trot in indoor, he was nappy but mainly ok. My friend got on- he was more nappy and had a couple of half-rears. She managed a canter circle then decided that he didn't feel quite right and asked me to hop on. My arse was no sooner in the saddle before he was vertical. We didn't even manage a forward step before he started a rear/reverse/rear cycle, and all I could do was to link arms under his neck an attempt to turn/ride out of it when he landed as I physically could not convince myself to bail. It took about 30 seconds for him to reverse to the outside fence of the arena where his parked his backside against the fence and went right up to point of balance and hung me over the fence. I honestly thought we were going over. As soon as his feet touched deck I vaulted off. Small crowd of liveries looked mildly surprised and owner advised 'but he's fine outside- you can hack him all day long, would you like to try him over some XC fences?' Absolutely not.
 
I went to see a 4yo 13.2 pony that I was thinking of getting as a summer project. The owner told me 'He was bred to be a racehorse but was ill as a foal so didn't grow very big.' Yeah, sure.
 
I was selling a D broodmare, she hadn't been ridden for 3 years but when I weaned her foal I jumped on and she was as good as gold, I loaned her WVTB to a 16 year old girl on our yard and she had her about 3 month and then she hit financial issues. The mare was responsive and light but forward going, bombproof to hack out but quite timid in the stable and didn't really like men, shed had a bad home somewhere along the line, anyway I had her advertised for months but no one came so I took her home and put her back out to live out, another 3 month later I got a call from a woman who was interested in the mare for her husband, I explained she didn't like men, the response was "oh most horses that don't like men love Keith, we want to come and look", I explained she was advertised AS A BROODMARE as she hadn't been ridden for 3 months and it clearly said in the ad not a novice ride, the response was "oh no we are experienced and Keith is a very confident rider". So they came the next day, I tacked the mare up and got straight on and she schooled beautifully, when it was Keith's turn to get on, I asked how long he had been riding... 3 MONTHS!! He hadn't cantered yet and he was still getting his rising trot, I immediately said if you lose your balance on this mare she will panic and she will be off like a shot, he insisted he wanted to get on... Yes Keith was confident alright! He mounted and walked her on, and I knew instantly this was a bad idea, he walked around for 5 mins and the mare did relax and then he asked for trot, the mare bounced in to trot as he asked too hard and it was a bit hair raising to start with but then he seemed to compose himself and it looked ok until he lost his balance and the mare got faster and faster and then Proceeded to do the wall of death around the school and he fell out the side door, to be fair on the mare she didn't throw him off but with his legs clamped round her sides she did what his aids were telling her to, I ran over and said I'm sorry I don't think she's suitable to which his reply was "no I love her, we just need lessons, it was my fault not hers, she's definitely the horse for me", I was gob smacked. He insisted he get back on and end on a good note, so he got back on and I led him round for twenty minutes until the mare relaxed again. I have no idea why but I did sell her to him, I told him to get to know her in the stable and not ride her until she trusted him and only with an experienced instructor for the first couple of months, I delivered her the next day and he had bought her new everything, she had the biggest bed ever and unbelievably 3 months later HE WAS SENDING ME PICS OF HIM JUMPING HER! They hack out everywhere, he has taken her to loads of inhand shows and I couldn't have found her a better home, she looks fantastic and he loves her to bits. I've no idea what made me sell her to him but I just had a gut feeling she would be much loved with him and he would have the patience and the confidence to succeed with her.
 
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About 13 years ago was looking for a Connemara colt, specifically to show. Anyway I'd done the research and was ringing round and one sounded pretty good on the phone, good breeding lines. I remember asking if it had blue eyes because it was advertised as cream and blue-eyed creams were not recognised for showing by the CPBS. Was told specifically no. So after a trek on Irish roads I'm faced with ..... a blue-eyed cream! Lovely pony (as a lot of them are) but of no use whatsoever to me. What a waste of a journey.
 
Went to see a 14.2hh 14yr schoolmistress for my daughter. What i actually saw was a 13hh 114yrs swayback mare. When questioned the seller i got told. "I see what you mean but no, it is a 14.2hh its not a sway back its just had its dinner so with its belly full and high withers it just looks like that." To top it all it was a cob!! :eek::o:o
 
went to see a bay gelding in Ireland last summer and the owner assured me it was out competing at 1.20m regularly so my instructor got on it to see if he thought it was suitable.
flatwork was fine so we put up a small upright (about 80cm).
It refused.

Instructor represents his country show jumping so the fact that the horse stopped with him set off alarm bells.
 
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Just a month back was looking for a new one, went to see 'Stunning 14.2 arab mare, who was being wasted in field and was "a bit on the chubby side"'

Got there and was presented with a 16hh tb who was probably the scruffiness horse I've ever seen. Poor girl, looked as though had been living out for months. The Mare was clearly in foal, she literally must have been about 6 months along!

Was looking gobsmacked and the seller clearly noticed as she said 'yes she is stunning isn't she, look at how she holds her tail, that's the arab, I love that' horse was having a poo. Needless to say I didn't buy that one. Poor girl.
 
I watched a very spooky horse being ridden just in walk around the arena. I went to get my hat out the car and when I got back they said I couldn't ride because of a problem with their insurance.They then said lots of people by horses over the stable door and I had better hurry up and make a decision because the next people coming to view would definitely by him.
 
charli_ said:
Poor girl, looked as though had been living out for months.
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MagicMelon said:
Why poor girl for living out for months?! I'd say that's a good thing!
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I thought it was the combination with what you didn't quote, that made it a bad thing in this case. Ideally I think a mare clearly in foal, should look as if she is well prepared to support both herself and the foal. Looking like the scruffiest horse you've ever seen, would make me worry about both the mare and foal's health.
 
lisa_dundee said:
I was selling a D broodmare, she hadn't been ridden for 3 years but when I weaned her foal I jumped on and she was as good as gold, I loaned her WVTB to a 16 year old girl on our yard and she had her about 3 month and then she hit financial issues. The mare was responsive and light but forward going, bombproof to hack out but quite timid in the stable and didn't really like men, shed had a bad home somewhere along the line, anyway I had her advertised for months but no one came so I took her home and put her back out to live out, another 3 month later I got a call from a woman who was interested in the mare for her husband, I explained she didn't like men, the response was "oh most horses that don't like men love Keith, we want to come and look", I explained she was advertised AS A BROODMARE as she hadn't been ridden for 3 months and it clearly said in the ad not a novice ride, the response was "oh no we are experienced and Keith is a very confident rider". So they came the next day, I tacked the mare up and got straight on and she schooled beautifully, when it was Keith's turn to get on, I asked how long he had been riding... 3 MONTHS!! He hadn't cantered yet and he was still getting his rising trot, I immediately said if you lose your balance on this mare she will panic and she will be off like a shot, he insisted he wanted to get on... Yes Keith was confident alright! He mounted and walked her on, and I knew instantly this was a bad idea, he walked around for 5 mins and the mare did relax and then he asked for trot, the mare bounced in to trot as he asked too hard and it was a bit hair raising to start with but then he seemed to compose himself and it looked ok until he lost his balance and the mare got faster and faster and then Proceeded to do the wall of death around the school and he fell out the side door, to be fair on the mare she didn't throw him off but with his legs clamped round her sides she did what his aids were telling her to, I ran over and said I'm sorry I don't think she's suitable to which his reply was "no I love her, we just need lessons, it was my fault not hers, she's definitely the horse for me", I was gob smacked. He insisted he get back on and end on a good note, so he got back on and I led him round for twenty minutes until the mare relaxed again. I have no idea why but I did sell her to him, I told him to get to know her in the stable and not ride her until she trusted him and only with an experienced instructor for the first couple of months, I delivered her the next day and he had bought her new everything, she had the biggest bed ever and unbelievably 3 months later HE WAS SENDING ME PICS OF HIM JUMPING HER! They hack out everywhere, he has taken her to loads of inhand shows and I couldn't have found her a better home, she looks fantastic and he loves her to bits. I've no idea what made me sell her to him but I just had a gut feeling she would be much loved with him and he would have the patience and the confidence to succeed with her.
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Lovely story
 
lisa_dundee said:
I was selling a D broodmare, she hadn't been ridden for 3 years but when I weaned her foal I jumped on and she was as good as gold, I loaned her WVTB to a 16 year old girl on our yard and she had her about 3 month and then she hit financial issues. The mare was responsive and light but forward going, bombproof to hack out but quite timid in the stable and didn't really like men, shed had a bad home somewhere along the line, anyway I had her advertised for months but no one came so I took her home and put her back out to live out, another 3 month later I got a call from a woman who was interested in the mare for her husband, I explained she didn't like men, the response was "oh most horses that don't like men love Keith, we want to come and look", I explained she was advertised AS A BROODMARE as she hadn't been ridden for 3 months and it clearly said in the ad not a novice ride, the response was "oh no we are experienced and Keith is a very confident rider". So they came the next day, I tacked the mare up and got straight on and she schooled beautifully, when it was Keith's turn to get on, I asked how long he had been riding... 3 MONTHS!! He hadn't cantered yet and he was still getting his rising trot, I immediately said if you lose your balance on this mare she will panic and she will be off like a shot, he insisted he wanted to get on... Yes Keith was confident alright! He mounted and walked her on, and I knew instantly this was a bad idea, he walked around for 5 mins and the mare did relax and then he asked for trot, the mare bounced in to trot as he asked too hard and it was a bit hair raising to start with but then he seemed to compose himself and it looked ok until he lost his balance and the mare got faster and faster and then Proceeded to do the wall of death around the school and he fell out the side door, to be fair on the mare she didn't throw him off but with his legs clamped round her sides she did what his aids were telling her to, I ran over and said I'm sorry I don't think she's suitable to which his reply was "no I love her, we just need lessons, it was my fault not hers, she's definitely the horse for me", I was gob smacked. He insisted he get back on and end on a good note, so he got back on and I led him round for twenty minutes until the mare relaxed again. I have no idea why but I did sell her to him, I told him to get to know her in the stable and not ride her until she trusted him and only with an experienced instructor for the first couple of months, I delivered her the next day and he had bought her new everything, she had the biggest bed ever and unbelievably 3 months later HE WAS SENDING ME PICS OF HIM JUMPING HER! They hack out everywhere, he has taken her to loads of inhand shows and I couldn't have found her a better home, she looks fantastic and he loves her to bits. I've no idea what made me sell her to him but I just had a gut feeling she would be much loved with him and he would have the patience and the confidence to succeed with her.
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That is such a lovely story :)
 
ladyt25 said:
Hmm, well I think the daftest (and sadly quite common) is the "He/She's never done that before" as said horse proceeds to show you it's 'talent' for rearing vertical/broncing etc etc....!! :)
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To be fair this can be accurate - when we were loaning my sister's tb out he had a slight muppet attack involving bouncing and generally being a numpty which he had never done before - he then behaved beutifully when the girl hacked him out

Spit That Out said:
Went to see a horse that was at the bottom of the field, the owner said " it's ok he comes to call"" and then proceeded to shout "oi, **** head"

In fairness the horse did come cantering up the field but it didn't fill me with confidence!!
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love this

lisa_dundee said:
I was selling a D broodmare, she hadn't been ridden for 3 years but when I weaned her foal I jumped on and she was as good as gold, I loaned her WVTB to a 16 year old girl on our yard and she had her about 3 month and then she hit financial issues. The mare was responsive and light but forward going, bombproof to hack out but quite timid in the stable and didn't really like men, shed had a bad home somewhere along the line, anyway I had her advertised for months but no one came so I took her home and put her back out to live out, another 3 month later I got a call from a woman who was interested in the mare for her husband, I explained she didn't like men, the response was "oh most horses that don't like men love Keith, we want to come and look", I explained she was advertised AS A BROODMARE as she hadn't been ridden for 3 months and it clearly said in the ad not a novice ride, the response was "oh no we are experienced and Keith is a very confident rider". So they came the next day, I tacked the mare up and got straight on and she schooled beautifully, when it was Keith's turn to get on, I asked how long he had been riding... 3 MONTHS!! He hadn't cantered yet and he was still getting his rising trot, I immediately said if you lose your balance on this mare she will panic and she will be off like a shot, he insisted he wanted to get on... Yes Keith was confident alright! He mounted and walked her on, and I knew instantly this was a bad idea, he walked around for 5 mins and the mare did relax and then he asked for trot, the mare bounced in to trot as he asked too hard and it was a bit hair raising to start with but then he seemed to compose himself and it looked ok until he lost his balance and the mare got faster and faster and then Proceeded to do the wall of death around the school and he fell out the side door, to be fair on the mare she didn't throw him off but with his legs clamped round her sides she did what his aids were telling her to, I ran over and said I'm sorry I don't think she's suitable to which his reply was "no I love her, we just need lessons, it was my fault not hers, she's definitely the horse for me", I was gob smacked. He insisted he get back on and end on a good note, so he got back on and I led him round for twenty minutes until the mare relaxed again. I have no idea why but I did sell her to him, I told him to get to know her in the stable and not ride her until she trusted him and only with an experienced instructor for the first couple of months, I delivered her the next day and he had bought her new everything, she had the biggest bed ever and unbelievably 3 months later HE WAS SENDING ME PICS OF HIM JUMPING HER! They hack out everywhere, he has taken her to loads of inhand shows and I couldn't have found her a better home, she looks fantastic and he loves her to bits. I've no idea what made me sell her to him but I just had a gut feeling she would be much loved with him and he would have the patience and the confidence to succeed with her.
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This is the bit that is why it worked - he understood that they needed lessons and it was his fault not hers!!
 
FinnishLapphund said:
I thought it was the combination with what you didn't quote, that made it a bad thing in this case. Ideally I think a mare clearly in foal, should look as if she is well prepared to support both herself and the foal. Looking like the scruffiest horse you've ever seen, would make me worry about both the mare and foal's health.
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Sorry, didn't mention this part, kind of viral! Mare was bought by my friend's cousin, haven't been to see her but have had pics - mare and baby are healthier than ever :)
 
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