henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Someone came to try a horse we have for sale today, it's been with us since birth so lots of pics to prove it's career, we were open about contacting our vet/PClub etc, and sent videos of it jumping XC and loads of pics of it SJ .
It's advertised as a possible tetrathlon horse, it has a totally unblemished record XC and has jumped round the Novice Intermediate track of a local BE, plus done numerous un-aff comps and virtually always in the prizes.
The chap wanted it for his two daughters who re reckoned were very capable riders at National Level .
CCj found him incredibly difficult to talk to on the phone so I rang him and talked for almost 25 mins answering every question with absolute honesty.
I found him probably the most suspicious person I've ever encoutered but understanding how some horse people tell fibs, I ignored it.
The original plan was try the horse here, but then C suggested we take her to the place she works which has a huge arena, better SJ and a XC course.
The potential purchasers agreed and off I drove this morning 30 plus miles in pouring rain.
I arrived less than 5 mins prior to them, they said they had followed me so they knew the horse was straight of the lorry. (ungroomed and wet I might add, but she looked ok).
Immediately the chap started being arsey with us, as if he didn't believe a word I said. then the owner of the yard said due to the heavy rain and the fact they have a BE running soon, sorry, we couldn't use the XC. Now I understood totally, as their own riders were about to box to another venue as their own gallops were under water.
The chap didn't, and got really unpleasant. We pointed out the arena is huge and we could build anything he liked to try her over, but he still went on at us. By now I was very embarrassed and C's trainer commented what a rude man he was.
At this point I got a bit shirty and said I wasn't in the habit of being anything but honest when selling my horses, that i had seen this one born and was not out to make a quick buck, just find her a good competitive home. I was terribly tempted to shove a cheque at him for his petrol money and say sod off if I'm honest, but he agreed to try her under pressure.
(oh I forgot, the YO at this point explained she had taken the mare to a local venue where she had personally witnessed it jumping all their Inermediate fences first go..., but he glared at her too.)
It was then suggested if they liked her we would drive her 20 mins away to see if another XC venue would allow us to use their jumps as their ground is better draining, so still peeved he agreed to that.
Well off they go in the pouring rain, C refuses to wear a jacket as she is already soaked.
TWO AND A HALF HOURS later they finished trying her.
It threw it down, theu saw her jump corners, enormous parallels, the girls both rode her, CCJ showed them how to ride her even better, and the little horse did exactly as we said she would.
By this time I am thinking I'm going to have to say enough, as the horse isn't fit.
Just then they finished, and he still refused to believe it would go Xc just as well as it SJ.
His daughter liked her and said she felt she would have no trouble competing her, but the younger daughter (oh yes I forgot to mention, he wanted a horse both could compete on) was a little warier, as it is a forward going sort and she was used to a cob.
He then said they liked her, but wanted to have her on trial .
They live 5 hours drive away it seems.
Now the ad says any trial here, but no way am I allowing total strangers to take a horse and try it.
He thanked us for our time , CCj stripped off right down to her underwear she was wet through, luckily we had spare clothes in the box. and off they went.
I feel sad because he obviously didn't believe a word any of us said; fed up because when you tell someone on the phone no trial away from home, why don't they realise I mean it, and worse still, because I loathed that chap instantly I met him!
His family were delightful, but at one point when he was being really obnoxious I asked him if he sold cars for a living as he clearly didn't believe a word I said.
At the end I asked the daughter if she thought the mare would do XC, and she was enthusiastic answering she was confident she was.
What was cringe making was there he was in front of a recent Badminton competitor, telling her there was no way you could tell if a horse would jump Xc by trying it in an arena.. His ignorance was breathtaking, in that arena is every type of simulated fence imaginable, from corners to skinnies...
The sad thing is were he to phone tonight and say he wants her, I think I would simply say no.. To him it wasn't a horse it was a machine, and that willing little horse deserves someone who appreciates her bravery and willingness.
ps he lives somewhere in Sooty's county....I think I'll organise a visit to tell him I am not a bloody rogue!!!
It's advertised as a possible tetrathlon horse, it has a totally unblemished record XC and has jumped round the Novice Intermediate track of a local BE, plus done numerous un-aff comps and virtually always in the prizes.
The chap wanted it for his two daughters who re reckoned were very capable riders at National Level .
CCj found him incredibly difficult to talk to on the phone so I rang him and talked for almost 25 mins answering every question with absolute honesty.
I found him probably the most suspicious person I've ever encoutered but understanding how some horse people tell fibs, I ignored it.
The original plan was try the horse here, but then C suggested we take her to the place she works which has a huge arena, better SJ and a XC course.
The potential purchasers agreed and off I drove this morning 30 plus miles in pouring rain.
I arrived less than 5 mins prior to them, they said they had followed me so they knew the horse was straight of the lorry. (ungroomed and wet I might add, but she looked ok).
Immediately the chap started being arsey with us, as if he didn't believe a word I said. then the owner of the yard said due to the heavy rain and the fact they have a BE running soon, sorry, we couldn't use the XC. Now I understood totally, as their own riders were about to box to another venue as their own gallops were under water.
The chap didn't, and got really unpleasant. We pointed out the arena is huge and we could build anything he liked to try her over, but he still went on at us. By now I was very embarrassed and C's trainer commented what a rude man he was.
At this point I got a bit shirty and said I wasn't in the habit of being anything but honest when selling my horses, that i had seen this one born and was not out to make a quick buck, just find her a good competitive home. I was terribly tempted to shove a cheque at him for his petrol money and say sod off if I'm honest, but he agreed to try her under pressure.
(oh I forgot, the YO at this point explained she had taken the mare to a local venue where she had personally witnessed it jumping all their Inermediate fences first go..., but he glared at her too.)
It was then suggested if they liked her we would drive her 20 mins away to see if another XC venue would allow us to use their jumps as their ground is better draining, so still peeved he agreed to that.
Well off they go in the pouring rain, C refuses to wear a jacket as she is already soaked.
TWO AND A HALF HOURS later they finished trying her.
It threw it down, theu saw her jump corners, enormous parallels, the girls both rode her, CCJ showed them how to ride her even better, and the little horse did exactly as we said she would.
By this time I am thinking I'm going to have to say enough, as the horse isn't fit.
Just then they finished, and he still refused to believe it would go Xc just as well as it SJ.
His daughter liked her and said she felt she would have no trouble competing her, but the younger daughter (oh yes I forgot to mention, he wanted a horse both could compete on) was a little warier, as it is a forward going sort and she was used to a cob.
He then said they liked her, but wanted to have her on trial .
They live 5 hours drive away it seems.
Now the ad says any trial here, but no way am I allowing total strangers to take a horse and try it.
He thanked us for our time , CCj stripped off right down to her underwear she was wet through, luckily we had spare clothes in the box. and off they went.
I feel sad because he obviously didn't believe a word any of us said; fed up because when you tell someone on the phone no trial away from home, why don't they realise I mean it, and worse still, because I loathed that chap instantly I met him!
His family were delightful, but at one point when he was being really obnoxious I asked him if he sold cars for a living as he clearly didn't believe a word I said.
At the end I asked the daughter if she thought the mare would do XC, and she was enthusiastic answering she was confident she was.
What was cringe making was there he was in front of a recent Badminton competitor, telling her there was no way you could tell if a horse would jump Xc by trying it in an arena.. His ignorance was breathtaking, in that arena is every type of simulated fence imaginable, from corners to skinnies...
The sad thing is were he to phone tonight and say he wants her, I think I would simply say no.. To him it wasn't a horse it was a machine, and that willing little horse deserves someone who appreciates her bravery and willingness.
ps he lives somewhere in Sooty's county....I think I'll organise a visit to tell him I am not a bloody rogue!!!
