I know this is a long shot but has anyone bought and returned a horse recently ....

[Birker2020]

... that caused mischief when it was at its new home?

I've seen a smashing horse which fits all my prerequisites on a FB horse selling page. The horse was vetted, the owners bought it and took it home, 2 weeks later the horse was sent back to the dealer because it has allegedly pulled a stable door off its hinges. Not sure if it had got caught up or it was a maniac once stabled or couldn't stand being left on its own or 1000 other reasons.

I feel there might be more to the story than the fact it was a one off incident but I was thinking I would like to go and at least view the horse as it fits everything I am looking for.

Do you think it sounds dodgy? I would of course have any horse vetted but obviously it could have caused itself considerable damage in its neck, if that is what happened.

 

[JBM]

I’d ask for a trial and see what the horse is like when it moves place

 

[ycbm]

Welcome back B. At least a history is being declared, which perhaps makes it more likely the dealer is being honest than if nothing had been said.

And you know they will take the horse back if it does the same with you, if you make it clear on purchase that's the condition of sale.
.

 

[cauda equina]

It might just have been one of those silly things that happen when a horse finds himself away from all that is familiar - most of mine have caused some sort of 'mischief' while settling in
Alternatively the new owner might have done something silly and it not been the horse's fault at all
If you like the sound of the horse otherwise this wouldn't put me off

 

[AmyMay]

I think all you can do is go and see it and chat with the seller.

 

[TheMule]

I bought a horse that had been returned as wouldn’t settle in the field. He has been an angel with me, but I can see how it wouldn’t work if you didn’t have the right set up. If the seller is being honest I would try to gather as much detail as possible and decide if I could work with that.
Caveat- my horse was less than 2k!

 

[Birker2020]

Welcome back B. At least a history is being declared, which perhaps makes it more likely the dealer is being honest than if nothing had been said.

And you know they will take the horse back if it does the same with you, if you make it clear on purchase that's the condition of sale.
.

Thanks, I went to view one recently and had a bit of a lucky escape when it was clear riding it that there was an issue. Its worrying as there are many out there like this.
Have a friend ringing me later who might be able to come with me to view.

 

[nutjob]

Can you speak to the person who returned the horse. Otherwise you only have the dealers word this is why it was returned. Since stable doors usually open outwards, typically they barge into them, which is what mine did , smashing the top hinge then hopping over the remnants of the door. If the horse got hooked up and pulled a door then not necessarily the horses fault.

 

[ycbm]

Thanks, I went to view one recently and had a bit of a lucky escape when it was clear riding it that there was an issue. Its worrying as there are many out there like this.
Have a friend ringing me later who might be able to come with me to view.

I'm happy to come with you to anything around the North West.
.

 

[planete]

A young horse of mine managed to take a whole door, frame and all, off his stable on his first night away from home when the other horses were being turned out. He was normally a very well behaved amenable horse and was with me to the end of his life. Worth finding out the circumstances if possible.

 

[ycbm]

This is what one of mine did in a moment of separation anxiety in a new home. Never a problem again after that. It's just one of those things, it can mean nothing at all.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

My otherwise sensible horse once bent a metal fence panel in half to get into another paddock within the first 24 hours or so at a new yard. Zero injury to him, and the pen was just an empty same sized pen next to his. Not closer to any other horses or offering any thing different, really. He's not had an issue again (knock on wood).

So sometimes horses just...horse. Or don't jive with their new person or way of horse keeping, but the horse is otherwise fine and might be just fine with someone else/elsewhere/after the initial event.

If you can have a trial or are sure of your right to return, then it may be worth it. Especially if all of the other boxes are checked.

 

[Timelyattraction]

What type of horse is it? I saw one advertised today by a dealer and it had been sent back after 2 weeks (also vetted etc ) because it was napping in new home but hadnt done it in previous home. Just seems odd, a dealer , on the same day posted and same time frame a horse has been returned

 

[cauda equina]

Yeah as CC says it might be one of those 'mis-sold' (or mis-bought) horses who are too much or just wrong for their new owners and are fine in another home

 

[paddy555]

my experience was different to the lucky people above. 6 yo Horse arrived, used to being stabled. First night just walked through the door. This was a thick plank door and he split a thick plank from top to bottom. His strength was quite incredible. Luckily we owned the place as all the later gates etc etc would have been very expensive if we had to pay a livery YO, if of course we hadn't simply been kicked out.

We realised he had been returned from his previous sale. Finally after a few months rang the previous failed owner to find out what had happened. It had been a showing yard and he had broken everything including their horsebox (which I don't think was cheap )

His owner was very genuine, became a great friend, and just wanted a nice home for him as she was dying of cancer. The only way we could accommodate him was to give him exactly what he had in his previous home. A small pony to look after him or at least in our case a donkey. We were lucky in that we could offer any variety of what he needed to keep him happy be it yard, stable, field, company etc etc. On a livery yard it simply would have been a nightmare. He lived to 27. It was however very much an eeek moment when his beloved donkey dropped dead.

In your case Birker I would be wondering why it was returned. If it had an accident would someone really return it or is there more to this than meets the eye.
With mine I found the only way for the horse was to replicate exactly his old home where he was happy. I wasn't in the constraints of a livery yard. The other problem is you may not know how his old home kept him happy. Do you have options if he doesn't like conventional stabling, Will your yard accommodate other variations?


OTOH could be a totally lovely horse just asking for a nice home and unhappy in the last (failed) one. I have had those as well and it has been a privilege and not taken much effort to make them happy.
A trial would be the safest way.

is there a genuine reason for the sale? (from the original owners)

 

[Gloi]

I sold a pony once, a young mare newly backed. Sweet but very green still. I dropped her off at her new home , drove home and when I got home there was a message. She'd jumped over the stable door straight after I'd left, run off up the road and ended up on the village high street where the police had to stop the traffic while she was recaptured. Oops.
Fortunately they still wanted her and put a higher stable door on.

 

[Birker2020]

What type of horse is it? I saw one advertised today by a dealer and it had been sent back after 2 weeks (also vetted etc ) because it was napping in new home but hadnt done it in previous home. Just seems odd, a dealer , on the same day posted and same time frame a horse has been returned

Hi I have PM'D you as I don't want to cause trouble for the dealer as it might be totally innocent.

 

[Birker2020]

Can you speak to the person who returned the horse. Otherwise you only have the dealers word this is why it was returned. Since stable doors usually open outwards, typically they barge into them, which is what mine did , smashing the top hinge then hopping over the remnants of the door. If the horse got hooked up and pulled a door then not necessarily the horses fault.

I thought they might be on here. I know it's a slim chance but I bet someone knows the horse.

 

[Birker2020]

my experience was different to the lucky people above. 6 yo Horse arrived, used to being stabled. First night just walked through the door. This was a thick plank door and he split a thick plank from top to bottom. His strength was quite incredible. Luckily we owned the place as all the later gates etc etc would have been very expensive if we had to pay a livery YO, if of course we hadn't simply been kicked out.

We realised he had been returned from his previous sale. Finally after a few months rang the previous failed owner to find out what had happened. It had been a showing yard and he had broken everything including their horsebox (which I don't think was cheap )

His owner was very genuine, became a great friend, and just wanted a nice home for him as she was dying of cancer. The only way we could accommodate him was to give him exactly what he had in his previous home. A small pony to look after him or at least in our case a donkey. We were lucky in that we could offer any variety of what he needed to keep him happy be it yard, stable, field, company etc etc. On a livery yard it simply would have been a nightmare. He lived to 27. It was however very much an eeek moment when his beloved donkey dropped dead.

In your case Birker I would be wondering why it was returned. If it had an accident would someone really return it or is there more to this than meets the eye.
With mine I found the only way for the horse was to replicate exactly his old home where he was happy. I wasn't in the constraints of a livery yard. The other problem is you may not know how his old home kept him happy. Do you have options if he doesn't like conventional stabling, Will your yard accommodate other variations?


OTOH could be a totally lovely horse just asking for a nice home and unhappy in the last (failed) one. I have had those as well and it has been a privilege and not taken much effort to make them happy.
A trial would be the safest way.

is there a genuine reason for the sale? (from the original owners)

I know what you mean Paddy.

My previous heart horse Rommy was bought by two separate male riders, one who was a very experienced SJ who most people will have heard of.

Neither of the riders could cope with Rommy, he was too strong for them, he used to tank off with them. I suspect he was better ridden by a female and having a one to one partnership too, that may have made the difference as I was no where near the experience of these two riders. Some horses just go better for women. He started as an ugly duckling who tried to bite and hated being groomed to my best pal and a beautiful black Swan.

It didn't put me off having him and I never regretted it.

 

[I'm Dun]

If you buy the horse knowing its done this, then legally you cant return it due to this issue. If I was a dealer wanting rid of a problem it might well be in my best interests to declare its happened, thus covering my own backside and any negative feedback could be dismissed as they dealer would say they had been completely open and clear about the issue.

In your shoes nothing on earth would make me view this horse, its a known risk, even if that risk may be small.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Orbi took the full cladding off the wall one night when his rug got caught in a haynet when he just arrived, hubby sorted it, these things happen sometimes.

 

[Birker2020]

If you buy the horse knowing its done this, then legally you cant return it due to this issue. If I was a dealer wanting rid of a problem it might well be in my best interests to declare its happened, thus covering my own backside and any negative feedback could be dismissed as they dealer would say they had been completely open and clear about the issue.

In your shoes nothing on earth would make me view this horse, its a known risk, even if that risk may be small.

Yeah I know. It is about £5k under what a horse of its calibre should be in the current market. That said all the dealers other horses are considerably lower than is the current average.

I get that horses have accidents but if it were as simple an explanation as pulling a stable door off its hinges (which I've seen about five times) then if you've spent £400 on a vetting why return.

 

[ycbm]

If you buy the horse knowing its done this, then legally you cant return it due to this issue. I

Unless you have a condition in the contract of sale which says you can. If the dealer won't sell under that condition, walk away.
.

 

[dottylottie]

i’d still view, just go into it with your eyes open. Lily broke the top bolt off her door completely one day, no idea how because she’s usually quiet as a mouse, doesn’t kick or lean over the door at all - she ripped off the bit of wood the bolt was on completely! she’s never caused the slightest bit of damage to anything else

 

[Equi]

New (old?) owner possibly totally over horsed and didn’t suit each other. Bonus points to the dealer for taking back and declaring things though.

 

[nutjob]

Ask for the passport name of the horse and google it, there will most likely be some sort of record online even if it's not affiliated. See who the previous owner(s) are and fb stalk them. Alternatively, the dealer may tell you who they bought the horse off. If it's been smashing through stuff in a prior home you will be unpopular at a yard. Mine breaks quite a lot of stuff, we do all the work ourselves but just the materials are expensive now. If it's an Irish import on a copy passport be more wary.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I would still view too @Birker2020

Sometimes horses just dont settle into new homes and unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. I had a mare just before I got BB. Rode her three times before buying and she got delivered and was a complete cow from the minute she arrived. I let her settle she was even nastier. She bit my children and tried to kick my farrier in the head and that was the last straw, 6 weeks and she went back to original owner. If she didnt want her id have sold her on as a project. Nasty on the ground at 12 years old is not something thats gonna change. She went back to
The owner and she was right as rain again.

 

[paddy555]

... that caused mischief when it was at its new home?

I've seen a smashing horse which fits all my prerequisites on a FB horse selling page. The horse was vetted, the owners bought it and took it home, 2 weeks later the horse was sent back to the dealer because it has allegedly pulled a stable door off its hinges. Not sure if it had got caught up or it was a maniac once stabled or couldn't stand being left on its own or 1000 other reasons.

I feel there might be more to the story than the fact it was a one off incident but I was thinking I would like to go and at least view the horse as it fits everything I am looking for.

Do you think it sounds dodgy? I would of course have any horse vetted but obviously it could have caused itself considerable damage in its neck, if that is what happened.

Bonus points to the dealer for taking back and declaring things though.

B,
how exactly do you know what is in your quote above? did the dealer tell you, was there a comment on the FB page by the person who bought it? they had it for 2 weeks, quite a while to either sort it or alternatively was the blood tested and came back in that time.

is there a comment by the dealer on the FB page?

bonus points to the dealer for taking it back? perhaps this is not the full story and they had no choice.

declaring things? could be very honest and wanting to get a more suitable home or not.

selling under value????? why for any horse unless it has a problem and you want it sold.

I assume you have not contacted the dealer yet. Make sure you say you want to see the passport, the vet history. If you get the name you can probably look it up. If the vet history is not forthcoming??? Ask how long the previous owner had it, how long dealer has had it,
how does the dealer come to have it? is it their own horse or are they selling for a client.


I would find out an awful lot more before you even think of seeing it. It is very hard to turn down a lovely horse that could have problems once you are there with it especially if you are very keen to have another horse.

I'm sure there must be one or two people on here who would check out/know of the dealer by pm or would look at the FB page with you

 

[AdorableAlice]

my experience was different to the lucky people above. 6 yo Horse arrived, used to being stabled. First night just walked through the door. This was a thick plank door and he split a thick plank from top to bottom. His strength was quite incredible. Luckily we owned the place as all the later gates etc etc would have been very expensive if we had to pay a livery YO, if of course we hadn't simply been kicked out.

We realised he had been returned from his previous sale. Finally after a few months rang the previous failed owner to find out what had happened. It had been a showing yard and he had broken everything including their horsebox (which I don't think was cheap )

His owner was very genuine, became a great friend, and just wanted a nice home for him as she was dying of cancer. The only way we could accommodate him was to give him exactly what he had in his previous home. A small pony to look after him or at least in our case a donkey. We were lucky in that we could offer any variety of what he needed to keep him happy be it yard, stable, field, company etc etc. On a livery yard it simply would have been a nightmare. He lived to 27. It was however very much an eeek moment when his beloved donkey dropped dead.

In your case Birker I would be wondering why it was returned. If it had an accident would someone really return it or is there more to this than meets the eye.
With mine I found the only way for the horse was to replicate exactly his old home where he was happy. I wasn't in the constraints of a livery yard. The other problem is you may not know how his old home kept him happy. Do you have options if he doesn't like conventional stabling, Will your yard accommodate other variations?


OTOH could be a totally lovely horse just asking for a nice home and unhappy in the last (failed) one. I have had those as well and it has been a privilege and not taken much effort to make them happy.
A trial would be the safest way.

is there a genuine reason for the sale? (from the original owners)

Didn't go by the name of Mungo did he ?

 

[little_critter]

Yeah I know. It is about £5k under what a horse of its calibre should be in the current market. That said all the dealers other horses are considerably lower than is the current average.

I get that horses have accidents but if it were as simple an explanation as pulling a stable door off its hinges (which I've seen about five times) then if you've spent £400 on a vetting why return.

Maybe buyers remorse? They got the feeling that this horse wasn’t right for them for whatever reason, and the door incident was the last straw.