Dodgy sellers, horse now being passed on and only myself to blame, talk about stress!

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I.Camilla

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More fool me.

I purchased a horse off a lady start of last year and owned her for 4 months. She worked at a vets so I instantly took every word she said as the honest truth. She was selling an ex flat racer and I also stupidly (bangs head on wall) allowed a lady at her vets to do a 2 stage on her and I didn't even go to the vetting.

Talk about dream horse. She was fab and I worshiped the ground she walked on but something was never right with the schooling. Eventually she went lame 3 months in, hind toe dragging and shortly to then be diagnosed with a bone spavin caused by a cyst which could not be treated.

I decided to throw insurance at her as in reality she would probably have to be put down after due to the amount of treatment she needed and too expensive. I don't want to offend anyone, but I feel happier to put a horse down in such a situation than sell them on in hope someone else will pay for correct treatment and manage carefully.

During all this my mum was worried about me giving up riding career just to hack and the upset this was all causing. Got in contact with lady that sold horse and in the end it came to her taking horse back, full refund and her word to treat her if used for embryo transfer or to let me know when the time has come to put her down.

Surprise surprise, naive of me and yet it's something I was totally aware of and one of the reasons why I was prepping myself to get her put down... Some poor lady on the phone as my names the only one on the passport, asking for this 'sound' horses history and asking about difficulty with canter leads.

Didn't know what to do other than cry. She rang my mum somehow even though it's me on the passport. My mum contacted me but I'm planning on trying to contact most recent buyer tomorrow. This totally serves me right for trusting the horse to go elsewhere even if it was previous owner. But I feel awful for such a lovely mare. I don't have the time for another horse as I now have a 5yo who is hard work but coming round great and I don't know how I'd afford a third horse that needs treatment.

Sorry about the essay but what would you do if you did such a silly thing? I feel shocked but I must have been half expecting it as my partner loved the mare too and he kept asking for me to contact seller if we could visit her but I kept feeling too nervous to pick up the phone.

Lady who has her now got her from dealers though.
 
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I don't think you can blame yourself. You did what was right at the time. If I were you, I'd be honest with the new owner and tell them what you know. Then they can make an informed decision. x
 
Agree with the other posters - you did a silly thing but you were lied to twice - once when you bought (probably) and again when you returned the horse.

Given your testimony, the new buyer would probably have legal comeback against the dealer so I would definitely be upfront with them and also offer to testify as to what you were told, as this time the dealer will not be able to say they didnt know the horse was crocked.
 
Hmmm, I honestly don't know.

The horse didn't go wrong with you and you didn't knowingly buy it unsound so fair play that you managed to return it and get your money back.

I suppose you should advise the current owner in the same situation to do their best to do the same and if they can't, cut their loses and put the horse down.

Yes it would be best for the horse if someone took the decision to pts but why should anyone have that unpleasantness and expense who has been conned into the position? The people who should have done it are the owners who had the horse when it was going wrong, you shouldn't feel guilty.
 
The only way you can help the mare now is tell the new owner ALL about it and hope they do the right thing for it then move on. Once sold/returned, it's out of your hands so the only reason for you to feel guilty is if you knew she should have been put down then.
The good thing out of this is you will never take someone's word as gospel regarding horses ever again but it's a tough lesson to learn, I know, I've been there.
 
I'd tell new owner all about it & hope they do the right thing. Preferably either treat/pts & pursue dealer. Who to be fair, may well have sold the horse in all honesty & need to pursue old owner in turn. Tbh though, I think I'd be tempted to have it back just to pts if the other option is going back to the dealer & being passed on again. There's no moral obligation to do that for you at all, & if even calling the hunt out is a financial stretch then you certainly shouldn't feel guilty, its just that's what I'd personally do if current owner is going to pass it back to dealer.
 
Oh OP, something very similar happened to me a few years ago, apart from I was given the horse. Lady also worked at a vets, so when she told me there were no issues, I believed her. He turned out to have had a bad accident in harness, hence not being in harness anymore, had sweet itch and also ringbone. It caused a lot of grief, as before finding all that out (due to moving onto a yard where a previous owner still liveried), I'd loaned him out (couldn't afford 3 on livery). Obviously all that went wrong and luckily an owner previous to the one on my yard had come back from the US, knew all his history and wanted him back, so I gifted him back to her (although another fly in the ointment was that she claimed never to have given the horse away and she was adamant he was still hers). He's retired on the farm he grew up on and still going strong, despite being 33 (I was told his real age the other day when I saw current owner by chance - I was told that he was 19 in 2007, that's some bliddy difference, eh???).

Is there any way that you can have him back as a light hack or companion? Or the current owner the same? Otherwise, much as I hate to say it, PTS might be the best thing. It's not worth the risk of this horse going through anymore passing around. I wouldn't blame yourself - we've all been had at some point, but it does strike a nerve that your seller also worked in a vets. Makes you wonder why!
 
Poor horse , you have done nothing wrong and have just to be honest with the new owner when you speak to them .
Perhaps a five stage vetting would have picked up the spavin in the exercise after rest part who knows.
I have never done this but will certainly consider in the future asking seller to release the horses vet records forme to view however the unscrupulous can easily get round this by using two vets one for roultine stuff and one for anything nasty.
Coming on the forum does make you more wary that's for sure.
 
The new owner would never have known if I hadn't updated the passport to my name as I'm the only owner on there. I can't get hold of her number but my mum told her the full story last night.

the buyer said but shes sound, until my mum asked about her canter leads, hill work and other varying signs I ahead before being diagnosed... she then clicked.

Gets worse, she mentioned to my mum selling her on as a hack. Somebody rang after so dial long 141 isn't working... I cant afford to keep her or buy her back as all my money is saved carefully for my two I have now. I could take her back and would pts but what are the chances current owner wants her money back?

she doesn't realize how serious it is my mum had to explain the cyst is already large and only going to get bigger... not to mention there's a slim chance of bone fusing and still doesn't solve the cyst issue... poor poor horse, and to think I'm responsible for her being passed on!
 
I.Camilla said:
Poor poor horse, and to think I'm responsible for her being passed on!
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Of course you aren't. The first owner had the responsibility.

You and further owners have not been in possession of the full facts and you gave her back to a long term owner, working for a vets. I'd have done the same and expected her to be retired or pts.

Hopefully this horse finds her way to someone who puts her needs first.

You have tried to get in touch but can't and your mum has passed on some details. Perhaps a letter to the passport authority as this should be updated to say you no longer have the horse and one to the original owner asking for the buyers details as your name has not been removed from the passport? This might give you a contact.

If not then step back and focus on your own. You are not to blame.

Pan
 
PandorasJar said:
Of course you aren't. The first owner had the responsibility.

You and further owners have not been in possession of the full facts and you gave her back to a long term owner, working for a vets. I'd have done the same and expected her to be retired or pts.

Hopefully this horse finds her way to someone who puts her needs first.

You have tried to get in touch but can't and your mum has passed on some details. Perhaps a letter to the passport authority as this should be updated to say you no longer have the horse and one to the original owner asking for the buyers details as your name has not been removed from the passport? This might give you

If not then step back and focus on your own. You are not to blame.

Pan
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I agree with PJ you where not wrong to return the horse and get your money back.
The balame is squarely on the shoulders of the person who sold the horse on again, while she may not have known there was a huge issue when she sold you the horse she clearly knew when it was sold again thats dishonest .
Unless the new owner gets in touch again try to put it behind you and concerntrate on the ones you have now , I am not sure if I could cope with seeing this person if she still works at your vets think I might have to move.
 
Goldenstar said:
I am not sure if I could cope with seeing this person if she still works at your vets think I might have to move.
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I'd be moving too. Do you know if the vetting actually happened out of interest?

And on a positive note, I've ridden a horse with bad bone spavin. There were solutions (One lot of injections) and a planned exercise routine (talked through at length with vets), but it was possible to work without there being pain (the more consistant work the less pain). So maybe this horse now has a sympathetic riding home.
 
She doesn't work at my vets thankfully. What a cruel reality though, don't know why I'm acting so shocked when we regularly hear of stories like this and worse. Just such a shame to have to accept.
 
You sold it back to the previous owner, its not like you sold it to the first numpty you found, or some dodgy companion home, so you really have nothing to feel guilty about, its not your fault at all.
 
I have vet certificate from her 2 stage. Yeh I discussed with my vet but the cyst is forever a problem. Tildren at £700 a go can slow it down but its already very bad.
 
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