Horse buying.....Would you..?

S

sprite1978

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 November 2009
Messages
606
Location
North West
Visit site
I have seen a horse for sale which seems to tick all of the boxes, however there are a few things that are concerning me.

This horse has competed to a high level, Ive been assured of his soundness by a previous owner who has nothing to gain/lose. However the horse is for sale with a dealer who regularly gets slated on HHO with a very bad reputation.

To complicate things, the price doesnt reflect the level that he has competed to.

I appreciate that bad dealers dont always have bad horses, but they have a very bad rep.

Would you buy?
 
Quote "I appreciate that bad dealers dont always have bad horses, but they have a very bad rep".

Reputation is important in the horse world however as you say, some 'bad dealers' get a good horse every so often & this may be the case here.

You don't say enough about the horse to really make a decision. Some horses have competed at a high level & due to a variety of reasons they are sold a lower prices than you may expect. Some horses may have 'chucked it' & no longer want to compete at their previous level. If this is the case then it matters little what they may have done previously, if they no longer compete at that level then their price will reflect that. Additionally, the horse may actually be a good one but only a thorough vetting would be ble to tell you if the horse is sound or not. If you really want the horse then arange a 5 stage vetting with a vet of your choice & see what they have to say. Then & only then would you be on a position to decide if the horse is suitable for you.

Good Luck
 
I would wonder how it ended up at a dealers in the first place. I know there are some good reputable ones out there, but I wouldnt consider selling my horse to one unless I was desperate because I know she'll find a good home privatley, and the experiences I've had, and friends have had from local dealers would put me off, and they havent had coverage on this forum!
 
Ask him for month's trial, with a vetting at the end of the trial by your vet in your yard.

The market is very down and it might be just that. And as the market is down, he might agree to the trial. DO NOT AGREE to pay in full and have a refund/exchange if it does not work out!!
 
Gut instinct is huge for me. I trust it everytime now, when I didn't I always ended up saying " I knew it didn't feel right"

But you could just be going on what you have heard about the dealers, so I would second the months trial.
 
cptrayes said:
Ask him for month's trial, with a vetting at the end of the trial by your vet in your yard.

The market is very down and it might be just that. And as the market is down, he might agree to the trial. DO NOT AGREE to pay in full and have a refund/exchange if it does not work out!!
Click to expand...

This and if you're told no, walk away. There are lots of healthy horses out there and if you have a YO, ask him to look for you, perhaps.
 
Have you looked up the horses competition record? If its been competing affiliated there should be some information and it might shed some light. But overall I'd be very cautious, the old saying of you get what you pay for is very true and I'm sure the dealer would know the value of the horse.
 
My mare had chucked it!!

Although she had jumped at a high level, she had dropped into 8 dealer yards in 6 months!

I only wanted a happy hack, I am a fluffy with faith and so I bought her dead cheap.

Now I have a lot, lot more than i ever could of afforded!

She's just fabulous, she's loads of fun, has taught me loads and has given me more than anyone expected.

I don't regret a thing, but...........was it wise??
 
Last edited:
Having had an awful buying experience from a dealer on here who has a bad rep I would say 'stay clear!!!', unless of course you want to wipe your arse with the money...
At the end of the day dealers know what horses are worth and if you think it's cheaper then it should be there is a reason! Wether they tell you or not. You will not be getting a bargain, you will be getting a problem and you can sing to the tree tops but you won't get your money back.

Just warning you..
 
How long ago did the previous owner sell it? I would want to know why its ended up in the dealers yard and how many homes in between the previous owner you spoke to and the dealers...
 
pinklilly said:
How long ago did the previous owner sell it? I would want to know why its ended up in the dealers yard and how many homes in between the previous owner you spoke to and the dealers...
Click to expand...

Pinklilly is soooooo right, that's if you can get the information you want though, or even the truth!?

I have tried and all I have is the long term prev owner watching my facebook page, whom I guess is looking for jumping pics!?

As for the whys and where's, they gave me none and won't even talk to me! Something to hide? Well going by my mares hysterical behaivour when I first owned her and the months of nursing her along, there's no wonder.

If you have the time to wait, the money to spend on a resting horse, for new tack, back, teeth and feet etc, I'd say steer clear OP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top