Grr!! Horses that are nothing like the advert!

GlamourPuss86

GlamourPuss86

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Well, having been to view a '17hh, 10yo bay tb gelding, no vices, clean legs, sound, med weight hunter type', recent pics showed good condition, plenty of bone... I was presented with 16hh if he stood on his toes 8yo, hat rack. Capped hock, pin fired legs, very odd movement behind, who proceeded to have a really good wind suck!

So, what ads have you been to see that you wondered if it were the same horse as the ad!!
 
I went to see a 16.1 gelding that was easily 17hh (when we measured him when we got him home - he was perfect so bought him anyway!! it was fate as I'd never have gone to see him is advertised at his true size!)
 
I went to see a gelding who turned out to be a mare! Totally bizarre, we had to turnaround and drive straight home- couldn't consider getting a mare at the time due to a riggy gelding! What a waste of time..
 
Went to see ConnieX described as all rounder, perfect gentleman, well schooled, never napped, reared or bucked.

First thing I was told was he liked being ridden in a very strong contact. Riding in the school he was alternately very sharp off the leg or completely ignored me. Canter was a bit onward bound, but we manged to slow down without losing our dignity! (I would mention that I have ridden mostly tbs for about 40 years, so no novice). Thinking perhaps I would get used to pressing different buttons, I asked to hack to the bottom of a farm track. Set off trotting briskly me thinking "this is better" when he suddenly slammed on the anchors and tried to run back home. He did this a couple of times so I came back. I wasn't prepared to have a battle with someone else's horse.

The response "OOOh, he's never done that before". Turns out he hadn't been hacked out for weeks.
 
I'm tall, so I prefer to not look like the Thelwell cartoon of the girl riding her pony with skates on her feet. I ask, 'How big is he?" "OH, he's at least 16 hands". OK, I think to myself and head 3 hours down the road. I arrive and two girls are washing a cob. So, he's not only short, he's soaking WET! Grrrrrrrr.

They reply, "Well, we stood him next to a horse who's 16.2 and he was only a bit shorter"...yes, like almost 2 hands shorter!

I now tell sellers, "I'm bringing a measuring stick...have you actually put a stick to the boy to determine his height?" They hum & haw a bit and don't say an immediate, "Yes, of course!"

I follow with a, "I'm coming from a distance, I'm bringing a stick, if you lied about height, you'd lie about anything else...you will pay for my petrol and I will yell at you for wasting my time...is he X hands tall as advertised?"

I've gotten really bad about time-wasters, liars, prevaricators and their family members. It costs too much to deal with "not as presented" horses now.
 
I have solved this problem. Never look at adverts. My gypsy neighbours know exactly what I want, get it for me. They have never let me down. From 17.2hh WB to ponies. And always with perfect temperament. And if I didn't like, they take back.

Even found an identical replacement for my beloved ID mare.

Not only that, cheap as chips! Bonus.
 
I went to see a horse with my friend who was looking for a confidence giver after her previous horse kept bucking her off. The horse was a 14.2 traditional piebald family horse. When we arrived all sounded great youngest child was being led round on said cob and all the family were there. So after watching child be led round a bit they asked if we would like to have a go. We asked to see him ridden properly first so mum puts dad up on him and starts leading him round! So we said no we'd like to see him off the lead rein and she said 'oh my husband can only ride in walk' so we asked if either she or her teenage daughter who were apparently experienced riders could get on? She suddenly developed a bad back and the daughter said she was too sick to get on!!

Suffice to say we left fairly quickly as 3 people refusing to ride the steady plod off the lead rein was just too suspicious for us!
 
Sold a 4 yr old, been long reining in tack, to friend for her daughter to event. Next time we saw them was asked if mare had ever bucked, honest reply was, only when in the field grazing with her buddies. Turned out she'd thrown in a whopper getting daughter off. Suspect they'd rushed her backing a bit, but found myself saying 'she's never done that before'. Felt like I was lying even though it was the truth. Alls well, they adore each other now, starting affiliated eventing this season & new foal due in may bred for them from our mare by same stallion as mare as so impressed with now rising 6 yr old. Really does have the most loving, generous temperament & doesn't fuss about anything.

Selling once supplied high quality side on photos for perspective buyer. They came, to say they thought she needed more bone for them. She looked exactly same (as she was same horse) as she did in photos. If you want an ID level lot of bone why are you looking at a 7/8tb?
 
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Went to see a 15h 7yr old tb, ment of done abit of everything (at that age!?!) it was for my client who was young and wanted to have fun. When I rang them I said this girl is getting rid if her naughty pony and we need something good as gold, yes, yes she will be perfect. Turned up to see a 3 yr old hat rack with gel pads in her shoes !!! The owners kid got on the mare and god love her she didn't have a clue and was obviously bricking it. I refused to let my client get on and expressed my annoyance of being lied to. And she said well I have a yard full of horses, one must be suitable. I said no thanks
 
The list is endless 21...criteria fully asked repeatedly, 110% road, good farrier.Dont catch or tack I want to see that.

Connemara sounded looked wonderful. Had only been on road once in its life and the road nearby was far too busy to go. Fully tacked up ready.

But I only met one that was genuine and had a genuine owner. But my fault the ground was bricks and I never went back..the horse just didnt do it for me.

Two were a lot smaller that I was promised...must have shrunk.

But its the attitude and personality transformations that are quite startling when I turned up and said NO. Oh what do they say No timewasters or JOYRIDERS...what!!
 
I put a wanted ad. I had lost an ID HW show hunter/dressage horse and had a healthy budget thanks to the NFU. Well aware I could not replace him I kept the ad to a minimum.

My spec - 17h plus, big MW to HW, gelding, under 10 able to hit 65% min novice level, mannerly and sound a must and good conformation would be a bonus. The phone went mad and hours were spent talking to vendors, carefully explaining what I wanted, how I kept horses etc. Many did not even get near what I had advertised for, but the real fun came on the trips to see the ones that did.

A Cheshire dealer contacted me and assured me he fetched lorry loads of horses from Ireland, greener than I wanted but the correct type. I arrived and he told me to have a look around his barns and tell the grooms to pull out the ones I liked. I just looked at eye, bone and height. Not one was over 16h or had substance.

I moved on to look at a private sale in the same area. Having been told the horse was a big chestnut who had done more jumping than dressage but was good on the flat. The horse was presented to me in a pelham with both reins through a running martingale, was just 16h, narrow and up to about 12st max. Having ridden the same horse for 10 years I was not a confident rider but felt I should ride this one for my own sake as I was beginning to realise buying another horse was going to be very difficult.

It hurtled around the arena with it's ears up my nose. The vendors told me it had changes and if I threw my weight to the inside on a corner it would change. Shaken rather then stirred I moved onto the Manchester area to view a County Level winning MW. Lovely type, 3 shoes all hanging off which prevented a ride in traffic. Sheath gone south and wandered around the arena like a drunken duck. I advised the vendor that it is best to give acp more than an hour prior to a viewing to get the best reaction and today they got it wrong.

The final one, was a pure ID, well over 17h and a stunner. Soon obvious the owner was terrified of him. I asked them to trot him up and watched him limp away from me. Turning to come back the horse grabbed the owner by the front of her jacket at chest level, picked her up and threw her on the floor and then galloped off into the sunset.

This was in 2005, the cheapest horse was 6k the most expensive was 8k.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I put a wanted ad. I had lost an ID HW show hunter/dressage horse and had a healthy budget thanks to the NFU. Well aware I could not replace him I kept the ad to a minimum.

My spec - 17h plus, big MW to HW, gelding, under 10 able to hit 65% min novice level, mannerly and sound a must and good conformation would be a bonus. The phone went mad and hours were spent talking to vendors, carefully explaining what I wanted, how I kept horses etc. Many did not even get near what I had advertised for, but the real fun came on the trips to see the ones that did.

A Cheshire dealer contacted me and assured me he fetched lorry loads of horses from Ireland, greener than I wanted but the correct type. I arrived and he told me to have a look around his barns and tell the grooms to pull out the ones I liked. I just looked at eye, bone and height. Not one was over 16h or had substance.

I moved on to look at a private sale in the same area. Having been told the horse was a big chestnut who had done more jumping than dressage but was good on the flat. The horse was presented to me in a pelham with both reins through a running martingale, was just 16h, narrow and up to about 12st max. Having ridden the same horse for 10 years I was not a confident rider but felt I should ride this one for my own sake as I was beginning to realise buying another horse was going to be very difficult.

It hurtled around the arena with it's ears up my nose. The vendors told me it had changes and if I threw my weight to the inside on a corner it would change. Shaken rather then stirred I moved onto the Manchester area to view a County Level winning MW. Lovely type, 3 shoes all hanging off which prevented a ride in traffic. Sheath gone south and wandered around the arena like a drunken duck. I advised the vendor that it is best to give acp more than an hour prior to a viewing to get the best reaction and today they got it wrong.

The final one, was a pure ID, well over 17h and a stunner. Soon obvious the owner was terrified of him. I asked them to trot him up and watched him limp away from me. Turning to come back the horse grabbed the owner by the front of her jacket at chest level, picked her up and threw her on the floor and then galloped off into the sunset.

This was in 2005, the cheapest horse was 6k the most expensive was 8k.
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Not one of my Cleveland bays has cost more than £4,500!! The cheapest £2,300 All are absolute gems. I personally have never understood why the breed is branded as 'difficult' when I read threads like this.
 
Your experiences are nothing compared to this poor chap. Scottish friends who live nearby rented their GITE for a couple of nights to a prospective horse purchaser. Said man had travelled from near Geneva to Maine et Loire - a huge distance, to view a horse for sale in this area.

The horse was totally unhandled - not so much as a headcollar, he was expected to ride it!!! He had also brought a trailer with him on the expectation that this was THE horse. Fortunately he did have another to view which he purchased.

Vendor of 'wild' horse had plied him with a lavish dinner to get him on side. He did not sleep at night with the thought he would be expected to break the bronc next morning.
 
Yes, drove from Norfolk to Cornwall to see an appy who in pictures looked fab
got there and yes, underweight and nappy to ride, nothing at all like the photos in advert. Such a waste of time! Lesson learnt = now ask for a very recent photo via email before travelling to view.
 
Rollin said:
Not one of my Cleveland bays has cost more than £4,500!! The cheapest £2,300 All are absolute gems. I personally have never understood why the breed is branded as 'difficult' when I read threads like this.
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I did not mention CB's in the comment. I had a lovely CB hunter years ago, but his replacement was an ID and I found the ID more genuine, consistent and kinder. It should be remembered that any horse, regardless of breed, needs to be brought up correctly to enable it to become a sane, safe and useful individual. Sadly the horse I viewed that picked his owner up was a spoilt brat, not his fault, he did not ask to be owned by muppets. I went on and bought a Selle Francais who competed at the very top level, taking us to Hoy's and BD nationals.

For riding club and general pleasure riding a CB would have done me fine, but I ideally wanted a show horse to compete at open level. It is a great shame the CB has declined in numbers and popularity and I sincerely hope the remaining animals and breeders continue to preserve and improve the breed.
 
Travelled hours years ago for a 14.2 jumping pony, got there and it could barely get its head over the stable door. I said, hes tiny... they said yes but it can jump:confused:
 
i went from south wales to kent to buy 2 large hairy quiet cobs, hired a 4x4 and trailer filled it with diesel and arrived on a large yard several hours later and sitting on one butt cheek all the way cos id broken my coccyx a few weeks before. anyway there was no sign of my hairy cobs ,but the yard was full of poorly horses with their dripping snotty noses on the floor :eek::eek::eek::eek::
well i turned tail and hobbled out of there as fast as i could . didnt get home til gone midnight:mad::mad:
 
AdorableAlice said:
I did not mention CB's in the comment. I had a lovely CB hunter years ago, but his replacement was an ID and I found the ID more genuine, consistent and kinder. It should be remembered that any horse, regardless of breed, needs to be brought up correctly to enable it to become a sane, safe and useful individual. Sadly the horse I viewed that picked his owner up was a spoilt brat, not his fault, he did not ask to be owned by muppets. I went on and bought a Selle Francais who competed at the very top level, taking us to Hoy's and BD nationals.

For riding club and general pleasure riding a CB would have done me fine, but I ideally wanted a show horse to compete at open level. It is a great shame the CB has declined in numbers and popularity and I sincerely hope the remaining animals and breeders continue to preserve and improve the breed.
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Interested in your reply. One of the older UK breeders told me that in the days of the HIS some 20 years ago, a quality CB yearling would fetch 9,000 guineas at auction.

At last year's Olympics, unlike Mexico and Tokyo the only part bred CB was an eventer in the Dutch team. Too many good CB mares have been used to improve other breeds and not enough has been done to promote the CB as a performance horse.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I put a wanted ad. I had lost an ID HW show hunter/dressage horse and had a healthy budget thanks to the NFU. Well aware I could not replace him I kept the ad to a minimum.

My spec - 17h plus, big MW to HW, gelding, under 10 able to hit 65% min novice level, mannerly and sound a must and good conformation would be a bonus. The phone went mad and hours were spent talking to vendors, carefully explaining what I wanted, how I kept horses etc. Many did not even get near what I had advertised for, but the real fun came on the trips to see the ones that did.

A Cheshire dealer contacted me and assured me he fetched lorry loads of horses from Ireland, greener than I wanted but the correct type. I arrived and he told me to have a look around his barns and tell the grooms to pull out the ones I liked. I just looked at eye, bone and height. Not one was over 16h or had substance.

I moved on to look at a private sale in the same area. Having been told the horse was a big chestnut who had done more jumping than dressage but was good on the flat. The horse was presented to me in a pelham with both reins through a running martingale, was just 16h, narrow and up to about 12st max. Having ridden the same horse for 10 years I was not a confident rider but felt I should ride this one for my own sake as I was beginning to realise buying another horse was going to be very difficult.

It hurtled around the arena with it's ears up my nose. The vendors told me it had changes and if I threw my weight to the inside on a corner it would change. Shaken rather then stirred I moved onto the Manchester area to view a County Level winning MW. Lovely type, 3 shoes all hanging off which prevented a ride in traffic. Sheath gone south and wandered around the arena like a drunken duck. I advised the vendor that it is best to give acp more than an hour prior to a viewing to get the best reaction and today they got it wrong.

The final one, was a pure ID, well over 17h and a stunner. Soon obvious the owner was terrified of him. I asked them to trot him up and watched him limp away from me. Turning to come back the horse grabbed the owner by the front of her jacket at chest level, picked her up and threw her on the floor and then galloped off into the sunset.

This was in 2005, the cheapest horse was 6k the most expensive was 8k.
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OMG perhaps I am thinking the owner should have a documented profile rather than their horses! I love the last one!
 
I have to say I've never experienced any of this when buying my horse 18months ago. But many moons ago when we brought my old boy (via a dealer) the vet told us he was no older than 5 as wolf teeth had just started to come up. Dealer said he was 7...We then went through a year of problems, spinning/rearing at cars, bucking and bolting. We worked through them. A few years later he was one of the horses on Only Fools On Horses and his old owner got in touch. She told us she imported him from Ireland and was told he was six. She did some BSJA with him and for 6 months all was ok. Then one day he flipped out hacking and broke her collar bone. She had her vet out to do a MOT on him and was told he was no older that 5. She lost all confidence an sent him to a dealer, sticking with the 7yo story to sell him quick... Now he's 19 and has been a horse of a lifetime, some things are fate :)
 
AdorableAlice said:
It hurtled around the arena with it's ears up my nose.
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:D:D:D:D:D oh,oh, ho - been there a few times - and the worst one wasn't actually on a buying mission but what should have been a hireling hack - I went to a place that had a good reputation in the area but when I turned up, the front yard looked rather like our muck heap - that should have told me! Two other people had booked for the ride so we all introduced while the helpful staff removed our valuables before we'd even seen any horses - that should have told me something more. Mine didn't look too bad but moved like a duck with a bathroom problem, one of the others looked still asleep and the last one reared up as the hirer was mounting up and dumped her quite badly then stood one her hand. Now there was just two of us - I asked if I could take the rearer to which the answer was yes and a lass from the yard came along to "show us the way" - mine didn't need showing! She's been there before and wanted to make sure I saw all of it at 35mph and at various angles - I still have a blurred memory of transiting a farmyard with two guys chatting by a tractor and trailer that was parked in the only gateway out - I had me reins so short I could feel mare's teeth - gave her a little steer and we both cleared the hedge beside the obstruction and vanished - there was a good 3ft drop on the other side!!! Hahaha. I hadn't had such fun for a long time! When I got back to the yard - just within my time - there were a couple of disappointed faces on the staff - they had placed bets that mare would come back on her own.

The final one, was a pure ID, well over 17h and a stunner. Soon obvious the owner was terrified of him. I asked them to trot him up and watched him limp away from me. Turning to come back the horse grabbed the owner by the front of her jacket at chest level, picked her up and threw her on the floor and then galloped off into the sunset.
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He would have been irresistable for me! When I bought dear old supermare - whom I had called an old plodder when my wife expressed an interest - there was a cracking great gelding just like your fella for sale at the same yard - I had a couple of tries on him in the school and one hack out - he was amazing, quite good collection ( well you'd expect that considering where we were!) and very scopey and brave out so I was keen.... but lucky I didn't because he went badly lame very quickly after being sold to someone else and came to a sticky end. In fact there was yet another horse - a CB incidentally, I was interested in and he failed the Vet too so Mare and I were sorted of starred it seems.

And whereas I had all sorts of preconceptions about the other two - when I took over Mare from my wife - I looked in those big eyes ( that's the mare's) and asked her - "what do you wanna do" which is how we got to go so many places rather than walk about in circles all day.
 
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18 months ago when my little niece got the pony bug and kept asking to ride Alfie (who can't stand little people around his legs let alone on his back), we decided to look for a shetland.

Went to look at one, a "10hh perfect gentleman ideal 1st pony". It was obese, more like 12.2, crossed with a dales by the look of it and was first hard to catch, then dragged me round the field in hand. I took the headcollar off it, let it go and left.

We then went to see another over the other side of Birmingham, taking the trailer with us as it was quite a distance. My friend found her on Preloved advertised as a "Been everywhere, won everything 17yr old CHAPS registered piebald mare". Photos looked ugly as hell but we decided to view her. Took my friend's 12yr old daughter and were asked to bring tack as they'd sold the only tack they had with another pony. Seller was openly a dealer and seemed nice, but easily weighed about 15st. She sat on the pony which was only 9.2hh, at which point the poor thing's eyes nearly popped out of its head. Pony planted her feet, dropped her head and looked so sorry but offered no protest. Tacked her up without a problem, although she was mouthing the bit. It was bitterly cold and they said she was used to a happymouth so we took her down the road. Said road was an A road, big buses, lorries, you name it she didn't bat an eye. She just seemed subdued and unbalanced and sad, but we figured she was a little shetland, and a quiet one at that so we took her with us there and then. The asking price was I think £125 (bargain!!)and I couldn't leave her there looking so unhappy.

A few weeks later, Bonnie was clipped, bright as a button and on working livery. She jumped like a horse, would do literally anything you asked of her and was absolutely perfect in every way, other than her lack of respect for electric fencing. The riding school kids were even fighting over who got to ride her because she was so forward going and really looked after them.

By chance, a couple of months after that I spoke with the breeder who said she gave Bonnie away free to a good home because she ran feral with a herd of brood mares, was out of control, would bite, kick, rear up and lash out, had bad conformation and therefore was never put in foal, was too old to breed from anyway and caused her so much disruption over the years she just couldn't stand her. She asked what in God's name I was thinking putting a toddler on a pony like that. Apparently as of 23rd Oct... the day she "got rid" of her, the pony had never been ridden a day in her life. I bought her on the 24th October.

I completely adore my little mare and can't help but wonder had the seller been honest, whether she'd still be as miserable as she was before I brought her home. 18 months later she's no longer on working livery but she's happier than ever, ridden regularly and treated as one of the family. I swear fate brought that little mare to me (2nd left in my sig). That aside, I dread to think of the morals that dealer had, knowing I bought the pony for a 3yr old child and the history of the pony. She was prosecuted last year for selling loaned horses on, at least one of which ended up on a meat wagon.
 
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