Following on from unsuitable horse thread...

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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Who has ever been on the recieving end of an unsuitable horse or pony?

I have once and consider myself lucky that it was only once. I am very petite and when I was looking for my first horse after coming off ponies I didn't want anything over 15.2 but we went to go see a 15.3 who actually turned out to be 16.1ish. He was also a TB x Welsh :eek: so on a good day was fantastic but on a bad day just could totally take the mic with me because of my size.

But rather then abandon him or give him away I had so many lessons and my instructor would also ride him, we eventually sold him on for a lot less then what we paid for him due to very big incline in the market. There was nothing wrong with him or me we just shouldn't of bought such a big horse and we have learnt from that.

However, I learnt a lot from Taz, I knew how a correct horse should feel, I could stride a very big striding horse into fences and I learnt patience and how to keep my cool.

Do I regret buying Taz? No, I don't because although we lost some money I learnt a lot from that, and the biggest lesson being don't over horse yourself. Needless to say I am very happy on my ponies now :D

ETA: The sellers lied big time about this horses personality and despite going to see him a lot of times we didn't pick up on this as we never saw him without another horse. Hindsight is a lovely thing :rolleyes:
 
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I once shared a 17hh horse (i'm 5ft3), to be fair to him he had perfect manners in the school, but he was too much for me out hacking. I was 13 at the time and to have a 17hh horse or any horse for that matter rear with you in the middle of the duel carriage way we had to cross to get to the hacking is no laughing matter. Needless to say I soon gave up my share in him. Have stuck to 14hh and below ever since!
 
I am never sure which amazes me more: the seller who is able to sell the most unsuitable horse imaginable to a buyer, or the buyer who is gullible enough to fall for it.

I have a friend who went shopping for a 7 - 10 year old sport horse type, around the 16hh mark. She came home with a 14hh coloured cob (of unbelievable ugliness) who was barely broken and a headshaker to boot. After twelve months she sold that one and went to a dealer who sold her a 2 yo warmblood which made 17hh+ and had shivers...

Unbelievable.
 
Ladyinred said:
I am never sure which amazes me more: the seller who is able to sell the most unsuitable horse imaginable to a buyer, or the buyer who is gullible enough to fall for it.

I have a friend who went shopping for a 7 - 10 year old sport horse type, around the 16hh mark. She came home with a 14hh coloured cob (of unbelievable ugliness) who was barely broken and a headshaker to boot. After twelve months she sold that one and went to a dealer who sold her a 2 yo warmblood which made 17hh+ and had shivers...

Unbelievable.
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That is crazy! I hope shes got a suitable horse now?

I like to think we were not that gullible when buying Taz as when we did try him we saw him on good days and me and him on a good day was amazing, but on a bad day my confidence was so low I was becoming a nervous wreck.
 
many many experiences, so i'll give you a few

1) 4yr old tb, absolute sweetie, went to see him and was jumping 3'3 tracks easy, also saw videos out, all looked good. Got him him and after a few jumping sessions discovered he didn't know the basics of jumping or flatwork really. So took him back to basics and turned out to be more work than i could manage so had to sell him on for less than half we paid for him

2) 16hh dapple grey, super horse when i saw him at yard, rode him a few times was lovely. Got him home all was going off well, preparing for sj competition next day, an fell off after he bucked, thought nothing of it. Next day at the competition, everything was going good warming up was super, didn't knock a pole. Got him into the ring, went into the first jump fine, then bucked and reared till i came off, never made it to the second jump. So me being upset got an older man to get on him just to give him a jump, did the exact same thing. So took him home, next day my sister got on him and didn't stop rearing till my sister came off and he fell down. Back teeth checked, he became unrideable for no reason, other than we assumed that was his character. After a big fight the dealer (also a family friend) took him back and sold him the next day.

I wish people would just be honest with their horses, we always offer to trial the horses we sell and I'd think there would be something wrong is someone refused to trial.
 
when i was looking for my first horse i came across Ruby. She was advertised on Horsemart with one of those 'L' suitable for new rider signs.
I fell hopelessly in love when i saw her and bought her.
However Ruby is not a beginners ride as needs a balanced rider in the school. I love her to bits though and wouldnt change how she is as that's what makes her who she is. She is now for sale only due to personal circumstances, if i could afford the money and more importantly time to keep her i would do. I still claim that there is something special about this horse and am excited for whoever buys her.
I will however be 100% honest about her to the buyer, it is only fair.
 
Bought a Highland who seemed very sensible and was assured was suitable for a nervous novice.Turned out to be very sharp and spooky.When I managed to trace a pr evious owner it seems he had frightened her to death.Woman I had bought him from was a strong and capable rider and he was fine with her but not with me or quite a few other people.Sold him later, honestly, via a selling livery to a man to ride.He could cope with him and always hacked out in company, also had very good people around him, which, at the time I hadn't had.Now got my lovely welsh.
 
My last two horses were unsuitable in different ways.

My chestnut mare who I bought a few years ago. She was marketed as a jumper/eventer for an ambitious amateur. Behaved perfectly and was sound when tried and vetted. The sellers warned us she was headshy and needs time to get to know you. They didn't mention this translates to f-ing off when you mount! She had a screw loose and was also unsound on and off so was written off and went to the blood bank. I believe if they hadn't sold her to me, someone else would have had just as much heartache, expense and injuries from that horse.

My grey mare who replaced the chestnut - because I didn't really know what I needed or wanted to do when I bought her. I just went to the dealers, said "what is there to try", and I liked her the best. However having had to give up jumping due to my back and never really having been into dressage, it was really pretty stupid of me to buy another four year old sports horse. After doing a bit of endurance with her I realized she wasn't go to be great for it and i could find something more suitable so i sent her jumping with a pro and sold her to someone she should be much more use to. I did have a lot of fun with her, but I just thought selling her was the sensible thing to do.
 
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Paint Me Proud said:
when i was looking for my first horse i came across Ruby. She was advertised on Horsemart with one of those 'L' suitable for new rider signs.
I fell hopelessly in love when i saw her and bought her.
However Ruby is not a beginners ride as needs a balanced rider in the school. I love her to bits though and wouldnt change how she is as that's what makes her who she is. She is now for sale only due to personal circumstances, if i could afford the money and more importantly time to keep her i would do. I still claim that there is something special about this horse and am excited for whoever buys her.
I will however be 100% honest about her to the buyer, it is only fair.
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Sorry to hear about your bad luck with Ruby. Was she from Kent Horse Producers? I remember an advert from there for a horse called Ruby when I was looking but was warned off that particular dealer so never went.
 
When I was looking for something more than a pony I went from 13.3hh to 15.1hh, so size wise he was good. I rode him a few times, and was buying from a friend's riding instructor so had heard good reviews of the horses she's previously sold. After a few months things went down hill, horse started rearing on the rode and would go to lovely gentle man to bucking bronco. Took him to various people, got him checked out and even had several riding instructors ride him, in the end we decided he was to dangerous to be hacking on the roads and round the fields and had completely changed since we bought him, was able to sell him on to someone who works with such horses.

I learnt loads from buying him.
 
I share/loan a 17h warmblood ex grade A SJer who was bought for a novice father to learn on and hack with daughter. Bought on the recommendation of a cousin who has the always appropriate attitude of 'i'll get on any horse and launch straight in there - if it bucks me off or goes mental then I'll beat it'...

He has proved to be an absolute gem, perfect manners around people, no nasty tendencies and mooches round the school patiently whilst his owner bounces around on top! Does have a face on, but if you were him I'm sure you would too!lol

The daughter was bought a pony to compete at basic level sj, knows nothing of the basics in flatwork etc though so needs a ready made schoolmaster to teach her the ropes. Same cousin chose her a 6yo 14.3 cob x tb which is built like a cob but as sensitive as a tb, not to mention as sharp as one! He was unable to canter properly when purchased, but an able enough jumper to clear a 2'9 course. She jumped a lot whilst their loaner/sharer worked on the basics.

He's come good in most senses but daughter has come off him a number of times, and combined with his bargyness and poor manners, she's lost interest and pony is potentially to be put up for sale. How they'll make back the 3 and a half they paid for him with the market how it is i have no idea.
 
pricklyflower said:
Sorry to hear about your bad luck with Ruby. Was she from Kent Horse Producers? I remember an advert from there for a horse called Ruby when I was looking but was warned off that particular dealer so never went.
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no i purchased her here in Birmingham. I dont feel i have been unlucky with her as she isnt a bad horse and i have enjoyed riding her (especially when we won the local dressage!) but my other horse is more suited to me and now i have to part with one it is Ruby who i have chosen to find a new home for. I am glad i bought her and will be very sad to see her go, just she wasnt quite what she was advertised as originally.
 
Just been to Kent Horse Producers today. Tried 4 really nice horses, seem quite expensive but I guess you get what you pay for, I ve been looking for 3 months and had 3 fail the vet but I can honestly say I ve never seen so manyt horses in 1 place. Has anyone else ever purchased a horse from them?
 
I think a lot of us have had unsuitable horses at one time or another

My first one I was talked into buying by my friend. I was coming off a 14.3h and bought this 6yr old 17.2hh ISH he was very under weight and we felt sorry for him.
Riding wasn't the problem it was handling him, he started that he would rear and kick out if there was any food around in fact I can't begin to explain how dangerous he was with food around which was understandable considering his state when I had him.
Final straw came one day I went to get him from the field he reared and struck out at me. I wanted a friend not this so I sold him to my previous Yard owner who obviously knew all about him.

Then 18 months ago I ended up with a young WC (very long story) he was too young and needed more time to mature mentally (he was Jekyll and Hyde) I wanted something that was old enough to start and do things so I gave him away but I did explain what he was like and that he was a little lame which vet said was just him growing and needing more time to mature. By the time he got to new home he was sound.
 
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