Has anyone ever written to their horse's old owner?

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FleabittenT

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If so, did you get a reply? How did it work out?

I bought my new mare in May, through a dealer. She's very green but very honest, is turning into a fantastic little mare & she has a home with me for life.

However, the story from the dealer isn't really adding up (no surprises there!). While it really makes no odds, I'm kind of curious about her actual history, and am debating writing to the old owner on her passport.

I've written a letter, but not posted it yet :o Not sure why I'm hesitating!

Would be great to hear anyone else's experiences, good or bad :)
 
Have done it but never get a response, maybe because the letter wasnt written in Dutch. Did call old owner of my old horse owners who only confirmed what I suspected (he had issues) was worth the call tho. Whats the worst that can happen? No letter back? I would go for it but maybe add that is she is in a permanent loving home :)
 
Hi, i have'nt actually written, but i did manage to find the phone no,s for 2 of Pirates old owners, 1 being his breeder who is very well known and the other the showjumping yard he came from prior to me buying him, i phoned both of them and they were both really helpful and gave me some great history on him, i would go for it, you've got nothing to lose. :)
 
I did! I bought my horse from a lady who had only had him a few months and had purchased him from a dealer. A few things didn't quite add up for me e.g. she said he was a cob cross whereas I thought he was a Haflinger!

So I wrote to the dealer whose name was on the passport and he wrote me a lovely letter back telling me that he is indeed a pure bred Haflinger and had been imported from Holland just about a year before I bought him.

I recommend that you do write. You never know what you might find out.
 
yup i have - went a few owners back and found out she was bought from shane breen originally (am in contact with the man who bought her from him).... i've emailed shane.... but no response... he's prob busy jumping or something ;)
 
Someone i sold a horse to in 2004 sends me a christmas card every year with photos and basically Bess's yr diary, i think its lovely and i always write back..Similarly i have sent a few photos to my youngsters breeder and she was delighted.
 
I found my old horses owner on facebook - her name was on the passpport. I sent her a private message and she wrote back confirming she had owned Rosie, she was a very sweet horse & hopes I'm enjoying her as much as she did. But she never asked any questions so I left it at that. I have sold Rosie now and text her new owners and go & visit the old girl with her new family.

Rocky was bought from an old guy who dealt shetlands at 10 months old so I have really been his only owner - he is nine this yea :)

Emma was bought a few months ago from a man in Perth who bred her off of this mare, we text, email and chat on facebook. He loves getting pictures and hearing how she is getting on.
 
I found his old owner on face book! helped that her profile pic was of her doing xc on him!!! Sent her a message then we have chatted daily since! she now has him on loan as it didnt work out with me and him so she tried helping us out and was really really helpful, but in the end i decided that it would be best for him to go out on loan and she really wanted him so that all worked out ok!
Also found an email add for the one before her and she was really helpful, rang me and chatted for ages on the phone!
Write, google, facebook etc, most people are genuinely interested in where the horses is and what they are doing and are normally more than happy to chat etc.
 
I traced my mares history and 3 past owners, she had been passed around originally coming from ireland and she was only a 4yr old when i got her!!! i spoke to the breeder over the phone and email and my horses personal groom called me back and sent me lots of medical info and her original passport :) so nice to find out her story. Poor thing had been through the sales 3 times! and was never meant to be sold in the first place :( shes such a sweetheart too, not a bad bone in her body :(
Its lovely to see her up to weight and happy and so settled with me now :D
 
Charlies old owner contacted me when I put him on Horsemart. We had found we had over-horsed ourselves soon after we bought him, hence being on HM. She phoned and confirmed that he would have been too much for us as the horse she had known.
Sadly after a horrific accident we had to have Charlie PTS, but it gave me the opportunity to phone her so she could come and say goodbye.
 
I have and heard back from one owner, I knew my mare had issues when I brought her but the story didn't make sense and the more I looked into it the more confusing it got.. TBH I was looking for answers but people seemed to contradict each other so much I just gave up..

I'd like to hear from people who now own a horse I'd sold tho :)
 
L's old owners are on HHO and facebook so we keep updated that way.
We are thinking of writing to her breeders to find out some more about her breeding etc and also to update them with some pics etc.

Of the last two ponies I've sold one is friends on facebook, stables are about 15/20 mins away and she knows my instructor and the other is about 30 mins away, owner emails/phones and the YM where he is is also on HHO.
Must go and visit ponies again now its summer holidays.

Off topic but would it be rude when I visited old ponies to ask for a quick sit on them, nothing long just a short ride?
 
I bought Pharaoh as a foal (he's now 10) and have been in touch with his breeders once or twice each year since then. They seem to be more than pleased to hear how he's doing, and always respond to me with a little update on happenings at their end as well. I also have Pharaoh's Mum, who came to me (from the same people) when I offered her a retirement home. So these people (and they are lovely) are kept up to date with both!

However, those are the only previous owners of mine who were interested at all.

Saying that, if I ever have any more horses in the future, I can say with certainty that if the previous owner is interested, then I'll be more than happy to stay in touch.
 
I got no response, which is a shame as I'd like to know at what age he was backed, what he had done previous to me getting him at 5. It makes no odds, but I would like to know.
 
My old horse's current owner wrote to me via this forum (7 years after I'd lost touch with him - he's 25 now!). I was absolutely delighted to hear from her as I'd often wondered where he ended up, he was highly strung and a real "marmite" horse who I adored. His owner emails regularly with piccies - he's still doing fun rides and competitions up to 3' though she bought him in very poor condition.

I'm hopefully off to visit him in a couple of weeks and she's offered me a ride on him, I didn't ask though as it felt a little cheeky. Obviously I accepted the offer!
 
I have given the girl who previously had Dee on loan my mobile number as she was in the year below me at college. I said if she ever wanted to come and see her and have a ride she would be more than welcome. But I have had no responce. I think some people would find it tough, I know I would. If I was to have to give Dee up for whatever reason I would love updates of what she had been up to, but I'm not sure I could cope with seeing her...
 
So nice to hear success stories :) Posted letters to both old owners on my lunchbreak, really hoping for a positive reply!

Monkeybum13 - maybe a little cheeky to ask for a sit, maybe see how it goes when you visit? Never know, they might even offer like j1ffy :p

OT but Boe, I love the name Pirate :D
 
Older mare had had 4 owners when I bought her, she was 10. I wrote to 3 of them, 1 wrote back and we still exchange letters /cards. She sent me all of her old photos of my mare (well copies of them) and it was lovely seeing them.

Younger mare, was bought from people who'd had her from 6 months to rising 3 when I bought her. I still email them updates and pics too.
 
Yes I did when I was having a wobble, I wanted to find out a bit more about her as I too had bought her through a dealer. Their reply was lovely and have since spoken on the phone and emailed them pictures. I would like to think they are happy with the home she now has, and that she is being well looked after as I think it was a reluctant sale.
 
i would love to find my old horses owners!

was 6 years ago though and there are many 16hhish tbxid's... but he was (god help me) parelli re-schooled lol!
 
i have a did get a reply , i basicly emailed to find out history on her . but didnt seem at all graceful to her about her and how shes got on since selling her
 
We contacted my first horse's old owner, but that was only to tell her he'd been pts :( saw Dylan's old owner a couple of times after I first got him, because she was doing her BHS stages and they held a few training days at our yard which she came to, but I haven't heard from her in the last 5 years or so.
 
I have spoken to a couple of people who owned/knew Baz. One contacted me on here after I posted some photos in PG to ask if it was him and it was lovely to hear from her! She didn't own him but had worked with him and his owner after he first came out of training and it was lovely to be able to reassure her that he had a good home and was well looked after, busy and happy (as he was more than a little grumpy when I got him).

I decided to contact his old owner/racing trainer to ask about their time with him and received a lovely email and some pics from his time racing within a day of sending my email. It helped clear up some of the questions I'd had in relation to his history and was a positive experience - and it was lovely seeing some photos from his 'other life'! I think its safe to say he's happier now than when he was racing ;) :D
 
This was in the days before horse passports: I'd bought a horse from a friend's partner, who had a sort-of document (but not a passport) giving the previous owners of the horse, plus some photo's of her riding him, soooo I thought I'd give her a ring to let her know he wasn't a huge distance away, i.e. hours journey, and to let her know he was OK etc.

Anyway, she ended up in tears, coz the friend's partner had basically bought the horse from her promising that he would never, ever be sold, and within six months I was ringing as the new owner, not knowing any of this!!!!

Oh-mi-god it was awful, so awful, I was so embarrassed. Poor girl, she thought she was selling her beloved horse to someone for life, and within six months they'd sold him on (to me). I did feel for her, but she was OK about it in the end, and was content that he'd be OK. I had invited her up to see him if she wanted, but she never accepted the invite.

The horse I have now, I'd like for sure to find out a bit more about him: but am not sure everyone that's had him has filled in the passport!!! if you see what I mean ....!!!! Coz he's CHAPS registered and it costs to transfer ownership, so have a suspicion he's passed through more hands than is on the passport, especially as some of the places where he's been are literally a stones-throw away. But I'd like to find out for sure, but suspect people will clam up. One thing I have found out completely by accident is that he had passed through a showing yard, which isn't surprising as he's a pretty boy, but I'd like to know if he did well or not, presumably not as he wouldn't have been passed on else.
 
When I bought my horse, one of the conditions of sale was that I had to call the original owner (who turned out to live about 10 minutes away from me!) and let her know that I owned him, how he was getting on and if I ever sold him, who to. She also has a "buy-back" option if I decide to sell him. (She originally brought him over from Ireland)
I've met up with her a few times and she's lovely, she's leant me rugs, told me loads about my horse's past, given me tips and before a big show she helped me pull his untameable mane and clip his legs. She's offered me lessons and free visits to her cross country course, and it's really touching to hear how much she cares about my pony. But she's never interefered or critiscised my riding or how I take care of him. I owe her hugely, as lots of her advice has helped me master a few problems I've had, and I love seeing pictures of my boy as a 4yr old show pony!
I've also talked alot to the woman who sold me my pony, and she's also been hugely helpful, lending me stud girths, and her daughter volunteered to do cross country pairs with me when my pony was going through a napping phase.
Sorry for the massive post, but I think getting in touch with previous owners is a great idea, and I've found it really helpful :)
 
No, but I have been on the receiving end!

When I sold my pony club horse to go to uni I knew she had quickly been sold on again which I was really sad about. I never knew where she went or who she ended up with. Then 6 years later I had a phone call one night from her current owner. She'd bought her 5 years ago and my lovely girl had had 3 foals in that time! She was able to fill be in on what happened in the year between me selling the horse and her buying her and I was able to fill her in on the past history. I was absolutely delighted to hear how my old superstar horse was getting on and have even been up to visit her twice since the phone call and got to cuddle the babies!

So your letter might just make someone's day...
 
I bought Bryn from a dealer and when I tried him, I made a note of the previous owners, did some digging and found them. I phoned them, they said that when they sold Bryn they didn't know that the lady was a dealer and they were pretty upset - but they told me loads of good things about him and it really helped
I bumped into them at a show about 12 months later and they were lovely and were really pleased to see Bryn again

WeetmansWagon was Ed Weetmans first ever winner, way back in 1988.
When I contacted him, he sent me a lovely letter and photos

Well worth it
 
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