Dear Vendor

[AdorableAlice]

It would have been professional, after all you are a professional, and polite if you had told us BEFORE we set off on a lengthy journey to view your top class show hunter, with a super advert and a very near 5 figure price tag that.......

It possesses the biggest set of windgalls we have ever seen and impressively turned in toes.

Your facebook page bemoans time wasters. How ironic.

 

[WindyStacks]

IMO - anyone who publicly bemoans time-wasters (or even "waisters") is someone who is trying to cover something up!

Sorry to hear you've had a wastes journey though.

 

[gina2201]

I don't like the phrase 'no time wasters' either, as if 'genuine time wasters' are going to abide by it and think ok I won't bother them... Plus it makes me think that the seller considers any viewer unless they buy is a time waster simply if the horse isn't for them. Hopefully it wasn't too much of a lengthy journey!!

 

[smellsofhorse]

How very annoying.
:-(

 

[Tiddlypom]

How frustrating.

Did you make any comment on these defects at the viewing? I would have been hard pushed to utter the expected platitudes of 'Lovely horse but not quite what we're looking for' in the circumstances.

 

[sarahann1]

How irritating.

The no time waster thing really puts me off, genuine time wasters won't give a pop that's been written.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That is why I refuse to travel more than 50 miles to view a horse.
At least the Appaloosa with an umbilical hernia, whose dishing was apparently an optical illusion, only wasted just over an hour of my time, including travel time.

 

[Hippona]

That is why I refuse to travel more than 50 miles to view a horse.
At least the Appaloosa with an umbilical hernia, whose dishing was apparently an optical illusion, only wasted just over an hour of my time, including travel time.

I'm with you there....except I usually manage to find one within ten miles.

In fact, come to think of it.....I mostly buy horses I already know from people I know.

I've just realised how lazy I am....

 

[Louby]

Wish I could Travelled 3 hr return journey to view a horse they later decided not to sell. To be fair although a lovely horse we had decided it wasnt really for me but I would have been gutted if I'd decided to buy it and they then changed their minds.
Another one I viewed was obviously very lame.

 

[Goldenstar]

Been there done that .
You fill the time on the way home speculating on whether the vendor was deluded or stupid or hoped you where stupid or they where very short sighted or.......

 

[Meowy Catkin]

It possesses the biggest set of windgalls we have ever seen and impressively turned in toes.

B
You fill the time on the way home speculating on whether the vendor was deluded or stupid or hoped you were stupid or they were very short sighted or.......

That's a great game GS... I'm going to go for 'they hoped that AA was blind'.

 

[Lolita]

Been there done that .
You fill the time on the way home speculating on whether the vendor was deluded or stupid or hoped you where stupid or they where very short sighted or.......

Yep that's usually what I do in the car on the way back.

 

[dibbin]

Been there. Drove for almost 2 hours in howling wind and rain to see a horse that was advertised as 15.2hh but was lucky if it was 14.2hh on its tiptoes. My first thought on seeing him in the stable was "where's the rest of him?!" I got off after about 2 minutes because I felt ludicrously big. Then made the 2 hour drive home. What a waste of my time (and the seller's!)

 

[NZJenny]

If I go to view a horse and don't like it, does that make me a time waster?

 

[AdorableAlice]

If I go to view a horse and don't like it, does that make me a time waster?

No, of course it does not and I guess you are questioning my post so I will explain.

The horse in question was an exceptionally smart type and being marketed at the top end of the hunter showing world as reflected in the asking price. It had been lightly shown as a young horse so relatively unknown which is ideal for us. It was marketed as being ready to compete together with a sane and easy temperament. It was all of the above, however, a top end show hunter does not need tennis ball sized hard windgalls.

Had it been marketed as an all rounder or hunter then fine, I would expect to see blemished or less than perfect limb/confo. The time wasting aspect was how it was marketed and described, the fact the vendor never once mentioned a serious defect despite having been told we are looking for another HOY's horse. Whatever you are trying to buy needs to be fit for purpose.

 

[Finlib]

I now will not drive for more than 1 hour to look at a horse.
I once drove 3 hours to see what was billed as 15.2hh middleweight that was to be a happy hacker to find it was 14.2 lightweight and never been out on the roads and had been boxed out to hacking a couple of times although 6 only broken last summer and then turned away. I was viewing in the spring as it was being brought back into work .
I had a long telephone conversation before hand and explained carefully exactly what i was looking for.
I never got on it I just said it was not what I was looking for as soon as it can out of the stable .
I was told I was the 6th timewaster who had come to see the horse
Surely if 6 people don't even get on the horse it tells the seller something!! they came to see the horse they had claimed it to be not what it actually was.

 

[tubby1]

On the other hand. The amount of time I wasted with viewers who although I was very honest about my horse, ie not suitable for children , and could be very strong tried her 2 or three times, then decided she was too strong or she wasn't a mother daughter share !!!!

 

[Gloi]

I once turned up to see a Fell pony that I had said I wanted to show and I admit it looked quite nice on the photo. They hadn't mentioned until I arrived and saw the off side of the pony, that it only had one eye.

 

[Goya]

How interesting. Some years ago I also had a 3hour journey to look at a 15.2 which we had heading conversations about. It was for my son and I especially asked if it was 15.2 as this was the minimum height we were prepared to buy.
On arrival I peered over the stable door, like a previous poster, as it was barely 14.2.
Conversely, when I was once selling a horse someone enquired if it was a hunter.
I said it had never hunted, could be strong and could buck.

The would be purchaser saw it ridden etc rode it round the arena a couple of times ( and the horse was exceptionally well behaved.
She then yanked the horse to a standstill, leaped off, affect the horse in the middle of the arena, strode off saying " this horse has never hunted"

 

[Love]

How annoying for you, why people can't be truthful I don't know. We travelled nearly 2 hours to see what looked to be a lovely 15hh all rounder when I was looking for one after I lost my first. When we finally saw the pony id be surprised if it would have reached 14hh on the stick with high heels on! Lovely pony but simply too small!

 

[ponydi]

Some years back I drove 2 hours to see a 15.2 that could jump. Got there to discover a pony that might have been 14.2 if you stretched a point, and was told "he jumps a puddle when you lead him in from the field"!
On the other hand, when I've been shopping for a horse for my disabled daughter, I've listened to the details on the phone then asked "is it suitable for a disabled rider?" When they say "No" it's been worth going to see - and in both cases buy!

 

[ROMANY 1959]

When we were looking three years ago, we went to see a big black mare, about 1 and half hours drive away... Took us ages to find the place anyway, poor directions. We arrived to find a big...huge black mare tied up on the yard, it had a roach back( never saw that in pics) and when we asked them to trot it up, they needed use a lunge whip to make it move, and then we saw it was quite lame!!! We walked away, suppose we were classed as time wasters . Finally found big lad 25 min away from home!!

 

[ponydi]

How annoying for you, why people can't be truthful I don't know. We travelled nearly 2 hours to see what looked to be a lovely 15hh all rounder when I was looking for one after I lost my first. When we finally saw the pony id be surprised if it would have reached 14hh on the stick with high heels on! Lovely pony but simply too small!

I learnt the hard way to ask over the phone "have you put a measuring stick on it?"

 

[cundlegreen]

No, of course it does not and I guess you are questioning my post so I will explain.

The horse in question was an exceptionally smart type and being marketed at the top end of the hunter showing world as reflected in the asking price. It had been lightly shown as a young horse so relatively unknown which is ideal for us. It was marketed as being ready to compete together with a sane and easy temperament. It was all of the above, however, a top end show hunter does not need tennis ball sized hard windgalls.

Had it been marketed as an all rounder or hunter then fine, I would expect to see blemished or less than perfect limb/confo. The time wasting aspect was how it was marketed and described, the fact the vendor never once mentioned a serious defect despite having been told we are looking for another HOY's horse. Whatever you are trying to buy needs to be fit for purpose.

With all the technology we have now, there's no excuse for not having a full set of confo photos to email to somebody. I've got horses for sale at the moment, and would hate anybody to turn up and be disappointed, so have videos of them at several stages of training, and always ask if there are any views that they would like to see. It doesn't take long to film or photo. I think its a bit like Ebay, ask the right questions, and hopefully you won't get ripped off!
I've been looking to buy in Ireland, and if the ad doesn't have one good "stood up" photo, and a video, I'm not interested.

 

[windand rain]

Internet is a curse when it comes to selling or even buying horses but I agree a good photo standing next to a reference point would be a good starting point. Problem is photos lie and people are totally spatially unaware so getting a stick next to one in a photo might help a lot of people realise they cannot judge how big or small the horse may be. Mind you handsome is as handsome does with most cases so seeing them in the flesh and trying is the only way you can decide too many people look at a lousy photo and say no when it could be the best friend they could possibly have

 

[Charlie007]

I phoned up and arranged a viewing on a 16h 4 yo. I was just looking on line and saw a second advert for same horse advertised at 15h?? I contacted seller and told her I had seen ad and could she confirm what height it was. She said it's about 14.3 at the min but should make 16h as it won't stop growing til 7!!! Regardless of when it stops growing it was advertised at 16h!!! Luckily had I not seen second ad it was only 30 mins away but still goes to show its not always the buyer at fault!!

 

[Blythe Spirit]

If I stuck to the 50 miles rule I would not have seen 3 of the 5 fantastic horses I have bought and loved in the last 20 years. However I have also driven what felt like half way across the country to see a 15hh all rounder (which morphed into a 13hh speed demon who hadn't been hacked or jumped by its terrified rider since it was purchased 2 yrs ago) a 14.2 'sweet natured' project that was so nappy they had to take half the riding school out into the field with it when we tried it - pretty sure it reared seriously too though it didn't actually do so with me on it. A 'exceptionally good in traffic' Arab who nearly died when two cars passed one after the other at about 10 miles an hour - owner commented that he was 'being very brave for me!' as I fished him out of someones front lawn. And a little black pony that was hopping lame - among other mis-represented horses.

However on the other side I have heard some dreadful stories from sellers too. My friend recently advertised a TB eventer who a girl drove miles to see got on and after 2 mins said 'no I was looking for a cob' - also young novice children being brought to try a 14'2 arabxsaddlebred advertised as sharp etc.

Later this year I will be selling my coloured mare - I am dreading it! First time I have sold something since I was 14 yrs old!

 

[WindyStacks]

There's an awful lot of 7' women around here given the allegedly 16hh+ photos I keep seeing on fb/preloved!

 

[dibbin]

It sounds almost like a few of us went to see the same not-15.2hh horse!

 

[southerncomfort]

I travelled to view a riding mare who was very obviously about to drop a foal!