Hi, I could really do with your opinions please!!

[justhorses]

Hi, I sold my horse couple of weeks ago as I am pregnant. I was totally honest with the girl that brought him and she knew he needed an experienced rider. A week after her having him she called to say that he has laminitis (never had when I had him) and she rode him and had thrown her off badly and injured her. She asked if I would have him back. Obviously I sold him as the position im in and not being able to ride. She had a 2 stage vetting on him and she rode him before buying him. Any advice would be great as im really stressing about it!!! thanks.

 

[emma69]

It depends on what your own attachment to the horse is, but from my perspective, he was absolutely fine when you sold him, he was vetted (her choice not to have a 5 stage) and it isn't your fault she fell off. If it were me, I would not take the horse back, as you would be in a worse financial position, plus the stress of having to resell, just wouldn't be worth it. She can advertise the horse and sell it if she feels the horse is not right for her, like many of us have done after buying something that turns out to be not quite right.

 

[justhorses]

I asked her to give me first refusal back on him if she ever sold him but I meant couple of years down the line. Its not possible for me to have him back now. I feel really sorry for her but theres nothing i can do. She claims he had laminitis before she had him as that is what her farrier told her but he didnt to my knowledge, and now shes questioning the vetting. I could really do with out all this!!

 

[dwi]

I would have said its quite possible that she's claiming the lamnitis because she realised that he's too much horse for her and she's too scared to face the issue.

Are you a BHS member? Their legal team can tell you where you stand if thigns get tricky.

In your position if I'd had a strong bond with the horse I would be tempted to take it back to resell but at a substantially reduced price to cover the cost and inconvenience.

 

[sugarpuff]

It does depend on you emotional attachment I guess, could you take the horse back and get a second opinion from your own farrier/ vet re. laminitus? (Not sure what you would do re. the money situation - guess some of it depends on the horse's value....could you say you will buy back if the second opinion states that it had laminitus when you had it?!)
Isn't it "buyer beware" when you buy privately? Also depends what you think she may do with the horse if you don't have it back?
(Sorry, I seem to have asked more questions than given answers! Not much help!)

 

[jrp204]

Can you get her to speak to your farrier? Also, she hasn't really given him a fair chance, he is in a new environment and is very likely to behave differently to when she tried him and why was she riding him if he had lamintis? I think she has overestimated her ability and is looking for a way out. She chose a 2 stage vetting and unless she can prove you lied about lami (did she ever ask if he'd had it?) she shouldn't have a leg to stand on.