Grr!! Horses that are nothing like the advert!

i traveled over 2 hours to a 14.2h fjord gelding. Turned up at the time arranged and sellers are still in the front room in their pyjamas. Their three ponies were in the paddock behind the house, the head collar was literally hanging off the one pony but as they obviously hadnt been checked on that morning it had been left all night like it.

I see said Fjord at the other end of the field. Seller grabs a bucket of 'feed' (possibly the cheapest looking rubbish ever) and calls the horse. Horse takes one step and it is clearly hopping lame :mad:

They get it out of field, never mentioning the obvious fact it is lame (and only about 13.2h), when friend suggests lameness they check his feet and say 'oh there is a stone' :rolleyes:.
Seller then says he will get the tack, despite the fact it is clearly lame, off he goes, comes back and says sorry but the tack is mouldy :eek:

We suggest getting the vet out and they say it's too expensive for call out, we suggets using the trailer in the garden only to be told 'no thats full of hay, i dont want to move it all' Basically they couldnt be bothered the horse was in pain.

We say thanks but no thanks and head home......real shame as the horse himself was really lovely but I wasnt taking on a lame horse.

Next horse I viewed (and did actually buy) seller told me horse was probably from gypsies in Ireland and never had a loving home. After some easy research I discover said horse is actually from Germany and last owner in this country was a dressage judge! Seller just made it up to make me feel sorry for the horse.....and it worked! lol :o:D
 
Sometimes bad experiences can work out alright!

A couple of years ago, we bought my current pony, after looking at some other completely miss advertised ones. He was described as a perfect childs pony, confidence giver, hacks alone and in company, jumps 3ft sj and xc, works on an outline.
We viewed him twice,, once for a little hack and once in the school. I was much less experienced then, and thought he was perfect... Without noticing 'oh look how well he goes on an outline' cue pulling his head down, and i was accompanied over the jump we tried...
After talking to others who knew him, and looking back on it, we learnt that he was a happy hacker, and had never been xc, let alone 3ft. They had tried to jump him and he stopped half way over, so they didn't try again. He only really hacked, he hadn't done any dressage or really any school work.
After a lot of schooling he was going much much better, but then last winter (2011-12) turned from a cheeky pony to a bolting, bronking, dragging maniac. My confidence was absolutely shattered.
After months of not riding, then getting back on and building up really slowly, we are now jumping 3ft, working nicely on an outline, and going to our first hunter trials soon! I have learnt to deal with his naughtiness as well. It has been a tough journey but the cheeky happy hacker is now almost the pony he was miss advertised to be! Only with more tears, perseverance, and hard hard work than we originally thought!
 
Traveled 5 hours to see a top class lead rein show pony ... They brought it out of the stable, and we said you can put it back... plaited so badly, how the hell it had won Royal Windsor have no idea.
 
The 16.2 IDxTB, it came out of the stable door and ducked, the stirrups grazing the frame, feet like dustbin lids, clipped off feather from the knee down on all four white legs, enormous white blaze on it's Roman nose, the ground shook when it trotted around the arena. My OH mumbled, ask her if it comes with a plough, and he dosent know the first thing about horses, but he knew that day it wasnt a IDxTB, and so did I :D

The Riding Club TB was the funniest, when asked what it had done I got a shrug and "riding club stuff". Sooo what kind of Riding Club stuff? Errm dont really know the details, it came off the track 4 months ago, just take it for a blast up the field.

But having had some normal, and some very not normal people come to see my mare when I sold her, I have really gained an insight into a process I hope never to repeat!
 
I went to see a 7 year old Connie x who was at best 20. And certainly mostly araby something. Classed as an allrounder but the "novice" niece got on her and could only trot/jog round the housing estate (no facilities) all the while being told by the owner that isn't it nice how she's looking after her niece even though she doesn't know how to ride. Owner then decided to get on probably due to our confused faces who then could only canter her and not stop, head in the air, mouth wide open, legs going everywhere. All rounder my bum!!! Safe to say I declined the offer to ride and ran away sharpish plus she was already takes up when we arrived.

The horse I ended up buying was advertised as 15.1 idxtb. He is definitely nearer 16.1 however the owner did explain before I went to view he was a little bigger than described but due to his breeding viewers were expecting more of a weight carrying chunk and she had one woman pushing 16st arrive to try him (he's much more to the tb side) who was keen still try him, to which she had to politely decline so advertised him smaller to avoid larger viewers
 
When looking for what eventually became Arnie I travelled 4 hours to see a 17hh coloured, fully broken 4.5 yr old, the picture had been taken when he was 3 and the measurement was guessed, it was 17"3 easily and never been cantered under saddle.

I expressly told all sellers I was looking for a forward going eventer type, one would barely take trot and I think I managed 2 canter strides (the seller got 3 lucky ******!).

Still I only looked at 7 when looking for Arnie and he is perfect :) (in my rose tinted eyes anyway)
 
littleladylou said:
AdorableAlice: what did you end up with?
Click to expand...

Something I declared I would never ever buy or even have on the yard - non British !!

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I gave up the search for a show hunter and bought this lad as a dressage horse working elem, from a dressage dealer. After 12 months he settled and bloomed into this -

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I
He has been an amazing horse, in a four year period he had 156 starts in dressage and showing, won 136 of them and was only out of the top 4 twice. The dealer I had him off came over to us at a show and asked for the balance of the money he thought we owed him, he reckoned he sold him too cheap ! we had a good laugh and I told him he did not know what he had got before he sold the horse to me ! It took us a good while to produce the horse and we never dreamed he would go all the way.
 
Went to see a horse advertised as suitable first horse (I was 13 coming off a 14.2). Arrive and gawp at manic horse going lala round the stable expecting her to bring round said paragon of virtue. Started to feel slightly panicked when the lady launched into the box with a pair of hobbles and a control halter. Much yelling, slapping and general kerfuffle later she yells 'got him' so approach to see horse hobbled behind and hitched to wall :-o!! Parents decide I should ride for the 'experience' so she throws the saddle on and steps back. Horse promptly puts both hobbled back legs through the stable wall! Anyhow, dragged this thing to the arena where owner showed me the fancy dressage it can do but no jumps as she 'doesn't want to tire him for me' before my dad chucks me on board. Lady puts a jump up, meanwhile I trot halfway down the long side, it whips round, bombs flat out over the jump and then jumps straight over arena fence! After a rather fast tour of the field I pull up and hand it back. Lady says 'ah yes, he jumps anything but its not always the jump you wanted to do'!!! Needless to say we didn't buy him...
The other one that got me was that we had driven hours to a horse only to find it had to be shod by a Parelli farrier (???!) They hadn't put that in the ad in case people were put off.
 
When I went to see one of mine, I found a pitifully quiet / depressed looking hat-rack (turned out he was full of worms) standing at the back of a stable soaked in damp sweat and with a brand new over-reach cut. I think he's been bad to catch or they'd lunged him to death before I'd arrived! He was very cold backed when I rode him, I had to get straight on as the owner was pregnant and said his usual rider wasn't working that day. There were alarm bells ringing however, I bought him more out of pity as he seemed such a genuine sole. Turned out to be the best buy ever, he's been a superstar for me. But it took months to get weight on him and for him to perk up.
 
ours was certainly nothing like it was described in the advert....

drove for a few hours, got lost finding the yard, walked round yard to try and find seller who was a PROFFESSIONAL rider.......

asked random owners if seller was there...only to be told he'd moved his whole yard (8 horses+) to his other place of work....... THE DAY BEFORE!!!!!

1. didnt contact us to tell us he'd moved/where he was now
2. no-one knew where he had gone
3. no-one had ANY recent contact details for him - no number was in use

mum was livid.....and the problem was we most likey would have bought him as he sounded perfect!
saw him up for sale in a new advert one month later for about £2000 less...... by then id got my beautiful mare so didnt care
silly seller :)
 
Where do I start :) when looking for 1st pony for my son who had been riding for a few years and part loaned a pony (so not looking for little lead rain plod) we went to view a 14.2 who looked lovely in ad and sounded ideal but turned out to be about 13hh and very green even the owner wouldn't canter the poor thing , fast forward a few years and son has out grown fab bsja pony so looking for next size up (fab pony is now in ownership of daughter) well we travelled many miles to see some on paper lovely horses lol , the first was a 15hh pony club type which was in fact a lovely novice hack and if they had advertised as such would have sold many times over but the poor thing was not up to what was expected also the photos they used where very old which is a big no no from me :( so 2nd horse lovely looking 15.3 mare who had done lo level eventing and being sold as rider wanted to do bigger stuff ,great sounded perfect for pony club and ad said will not spook at anything which on my part is great as I hack the kid ponies out for fun :D any way we travel many miles to see horse and are assured again that the horse will never spook (I am under on elusion that horses are unpredictable) but this one omg and I think this is when I thought omg my son can really ride and I will never get on that :D
 
Few years ago travelled from Suffolk to Yorkshire, to look at a fell, perfect confidence giver, great out on hacks etc etc. We arrived to find pony with feet that needed a good trim, took him for a hack with another girl on another pony and it promptly tanked with me across the moors, then turned into buckaroo. Amazingly I managed to stay on! Got back told the lady what he'd done and her reply was "well he hasn't been ridden since before christmas- this was the end of summer!!!
 
When i was looking for a horse for my mum and myself to buy going back a good few years ago, we went to view a 15.3 warmbloodX only to arrive to find a 14.1 coloured pony. But i for some unknown reason had a measuring/weight tape in my car not planned but i keep all sorts of rubbish in there i made my mum go and get it out and measured it in front of them at 14.1 i didnt even bother riding it. Were both nearly 5.11 we were never going to buy a 14.1!!!

I think the worst experiences i had was when looking for ponies for my daughter.
One we turned up to see was covered in ringworm and lice. I wouldnt even let daughter pat it let alone ride it. I know it can be cleared up but didnt want to be picking that up and taking it to yard i had another horses on with about 50 other horses, why not put people off for a few weeks till youve treated it.
And then there was the pony that bronced the child round the arena ( iwas looking for a first pony for a 4 year!!!!
And then there was the pony that when daughter went to groom it it put its ears flat back at her swung its bum and trod on her leg. Owner said oh yer you cant have the children round it on the the floor!!! Well urm what do you think i want im buying it for a little girl of course they want to be around it on the floor!!!!

But on the other side of things i have a childs pony for sale for a friend lovely little pony safe but quick. Hes a jumping/ pc competitive pony and ive been very clear about that in the ad. A lady messaged me for a child been having riding school lesson everyother week for 6 months parents complety non horsey and i just say no sorry hes really not suitable for that. These people were sooo rude to me. I mean im been an honest seller not palming you off an unsuitable pony just for the cash(bearing in mind im desperate for the cash) but im not out to hurt or ruin kids confidence id never forgive myself if a begginer child bought a 2nd pony and hurt themselves!!!!
 
I went to give a second opinion on a shetland being sold as a first pony. Vendor asked me if I'd like to ride it (I'm 5'10) before the kids. On account of it not being backed.
Went to see a larger first pony as a second opinion. Seemed nice enough, but it attracted huge amounts of attention amongst other liveries that someone was going to ride it, & from the murmers it clearly had a rep. I got on it anyway, as apparently the vendors child wasn't available. It would have made a cracking rodeo pony. Yet they were selling it as a safe confidence giver.
On the flip side, went to see a project pony that they openly described as dangerous. It was incredibly pretty & flashy & sweet to handle. It was ridden in half a tack shop by a clearly petrified girl. Literally had its head tied to its chest, side reins, too tight standing martingale, draw reins through the bottom of a waterford gag etc. There was actually nothing wrong with it, poor thing was just forward going, but had scared the beginner girl so they'd resorted to more & more 'brakes'. And the pony naturally fought them. Rode it minus the gadgets on the buckle & it was lovely. Got it home & discovered established lateral work & an experienced balanced jump, it was a really cracking second pony, not remotely dangerous.
Seen more too, but those three stand out.
 
Littlelegs said:
I went to give a second opinion on a shetland being sold as a first pony. Vendor asked me if I'd like to ride it (I'm 5'10) before the kids. On account of it not being backed.
Went to see a larger first pony as a second opinion. Seemed nice enough, but it attracted huge amounts of attention amongst other liveries that someone was going to ride it, & from the murmers it clearly had a rep. I got on it anyway, as apparently the vendors child wasn't available. It would have made a cracking rodeo pony. Yet they were selling it as a safe confidence giver.
On the flip side, went to see a project pony that they openly described as dangerous. It was incredibly pretty & flashy & sweet to handle. It was ridden in half a tack shop by a clearly petrified girl. Literally had its head tied to its chest, side reins, too tight standing martingale, draw reins through the bottom of a waterford gag etc. There was actually nothing wrong with it, poor thing was just forward going, but had scared the beginner girl so they'd resorted to more & more 'brakes'. And the pony naturally fought them. Rode it minus the gadgets on the buckle & it was lovely. Got it home & discovered established lateral work & an experienced balanced jump, it was a really cracking second pony, not remotely dangerous.
Seen more too, but those three stand out.
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See its bad enough that people lie when selling horses. But it makes me sooo angry when people lie about childrens ponies!!! grrr!!!:mad:
 
Me too. Second one I had to walk off the yard & have a smoke to calm down before sharing my thoughts with the vendor, he would have been more than happy to let a young girl who he had been told was a novice with little confidence get on it. Then had the nerve to say it had never done it before & it was cos I was too big. It was about 13.2 iirc & a chunky native, I was too tall but about 8&1/2 stone at the time. And the crowd of fellow liveries who fought for prime position at the arena fence because 'omg, quick come & watch someone is getting on x's pony' were apparently just trying to make him look bad!
 
i went to view a 14.2, ridden away, cob mare...



it was a cob...and a mare....but pushing 14hh and not off lead rein but "i could have a go if i wanted"

no thanks..............

shame as i would havebeen tempted had it have been around £1000 less!!
 
3 hour drive each way to view 15hand 'hunting machine' turned out to be 13.3 psycho. Jumped anything and I clicked with him though and i'm only little so collected him same day. At home he turned out to be too strong for me and my horse of a lifetime came up for sale so I had to make sad decision to move him on to buy the big lad. Finances are better now and i'd have him back as a companion any day.
 
I'm glad it wasn't just me that had this problem! I got so fed up I viewing horses that were nothing like the ad (16.1 that measured at 15.1 barely -and the vendors still didn't believe me or the measuring stick!!) and the problems nappy (oh but they've never done that before!) lame -I saw one with navicular, one with bilateral spavin, one unknown forelimb lameness, one with only 1 good leg! So I flew to Ireland and bought unknown from the sales!! Best horse of the lot (and half the price!)
:-)
 
This is why I no longer look at horses more than about 30 miles away from home. We travelled the width of the country looking for a horse suitble for a rugby playing 6'2" novice and were offered all sorts -none big enough - none as advertised - including the one that "I've put the blacksmith on her". I can only imagine that the blacksmith was a dwarf!
We eventually found the perfect horse within hacking distance from the yard by word of mouth.
 
We've had the usual, travelled a way to see a pony described as good 1st pony snaffle mouth etc when we were looking for our very first pony we were fresh out the riding school. It was in a Pelham and the girl riding was terrified to get on it! My older more confident sister rode but being 11 and nervous I did not and mum wouldn't have let me anyway :p
We then went to a polo yard to see a 15.1 grey, not suitable so they brought out a 14.1 black pony so sensitive you couldn't put your legs on it though it was nice but that was a no and finally they brought out the one we bought. Very ploddy and napped to the middle but great for what we wanted at the time. Got her home and she turned into a cracking 2nd pony done everything with her over the last 8 years think she was fate :)

Got lucky with my 14.3, she popped up on facebook I thought 'I have to go see her' and was presented with a fat, hairy creature that thought walk was too fast a pace to be going at ! But I just liked her and now had her a year and she's much improved but got a way to go :p The seller however was honest as the night is dark and has kept in touch via facebook which I think is lovely.
Only thing was she was being sold 'due to lack of time' however I think she was just nervous of her sharp streak that she has as a few days later after selling she got a just backed haflinger 3yo.
 
Having recently been horse hunting for a friend we proceeded to tramp all over the county.
The "tick list" was small.....native, sane and sensible and over 13.2hh.
The first day we saw a 14.1hh that was lame behind and 22 despite them advertising her as 18.
The second I was excited about......pictures looked good, he was used in a riding school, but we got there to find the FATTEST horse I have EVER seen. You were never going to get a saddle to fit him! And his feet were terrible. If he was ever used in a riding school....it was a LONG time ago!
So after traipsing around the county, we find the perfect pony.....3 miles up the road and at an absolute give away price!
I am sure a lot of sellers have rose tinted specs on and tell you what they would like to THINK the animal is, but not actually what it is!
 
Have to say when I bought my now 16 yr old arab as 4 yr old seller was brilliant. I was looking for a pure bred for endurance to take on from my then elderly pba who had been brilliant but feisty schoolmistress.

Turned up at yard 2 hr drive away at 2nd attempt (heavy snow on M4 stopped first - I rang seller). I'd been looking for mare by specific endurance stallion who had massively impressed me the previous season coming from 30 minutes behind pack due to lost shoe to go on & win the 100 mile race by a margin of 20 minutes, & showed tremendous manners around a flirty mare.

Got there, to see horse going absolutely loopy in stable. Oh crap! Knocked on door, went to see her with seller. Never been stabled let alone stabled without company before. Was being fruitloop. Took her to school. Asked to see her lunge, okay give it a go but never been lunged. Only been lead in halter. Loved her attitude in school, tried to do what was asked, loved her movement. Was just something about her. F&M hit, so didn't do anything all summer. Contacted seller when all over, said would buy if got her backed so not schooled but could safely sit on her when went back to sit on her at 2nd viewing. Price was 1k. Seller totally honest, asked me lot of questions. Didn't claim anything dishonest.

Trusted gut instinct, mare took us both advanced.
 
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