Mis Sold horse - worth contacting seller?

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Justme200194

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Title says it all really, I purchased my first horse two months ago and it was evident almost from the off that they aren’t as advertised.

I viewed and tried him with a knowledgeable friend who was also happy for me to go ahead with purchase. He was an absolute angel on the ground and ridden.

He was sold as a safe & sane, happy hack mother daughter share type, hacks alone or in company etc which is exactly what I was looking for. Good with farrier, complete gentleman.
Unfortunately he is the almost the complete opposite, does not hack alone he will nap, spin and head for home if not in company. Is better in company but still not 100%, very nervous with the farrier. He was a lovely relaxed ride and I was assured by the seller that he was like this all the time. Since he arrived he has been spooky, flighty and pretty nervous.

I was advised by my yard owner and friends on the yard, to persevere and give him more time to settle in so I have but nothing has changed.

I had a trainer come out to give me their opinion and advice and do a little work with him, after which they told me he needs completely restarting. They read his advert and told me he is not the horse advertised, in actual fact the complete opposite. Although I already knew this was the case since him arriving, it was still gutting to hear from a professional that I truly have been mis sold.

The issue I now have is whether it is worth me contacting the previous owner about this - I have a receipt on which they have stated sold as seen which leads me to think I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on as such, along with the fact we are now two months down the line.

Has anyone else had a similar experience? They made out that they were a lovely private seller that puts their all into each horse, were totally convincing and seemed so nice and genuine but a month later had multiple more for sale so are clearly a dealer in disguise 😞

It’s been the most stressful couple of months and I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do. What should have been an exciting experience in purchasing my first horse has turned into a nightmare and has left me stressed, down, feeling rather stupid and ready to pack it all in for good.

Any kind advice would be appreciated. Success stories from this type of situation welcomed for some positivity!

Thank you!
 
Was this a private seller or a dealer? A private seller, if in a position to do so, might take the horse back because they care about them. Not all horses cope ok in all yard setups. I have a children’s first pony who is angelic with current family and previous families, but took huge offence to the people before us and turned into a completely unrecognisable pony.

If a dealer, still worth asking as they might have advice to help you. Also run bloods and get a basic vet check and second opinion on saddle, as pain would also cause a change in behaviour.
 
Amymay Again said:
You have nothing to loose by contacting them.

Before doing so make sure you take a screenshot of his advertisement and also of the adverts they have of others for sale (past and present).

Good
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NR88 said:
Did you vet the horse? I'm hoping so. Get the bloods tested.
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This is where I do feel incredibly stupid and welcome a verbal bashing as I didn’t get a vetting done. Only have myself to blame in this instance, and probably have little room for complaint due to this, however it doesn’t change the fact that he was very clearly mis sold based on his advert and what I have experience since him being home with me 😔
 
Since bringing him home have you:
Had his teeth done? Preferably by a vet further trained and qualified in dentistry.
Had body work e.g. physiotherapist, chiropractor?
Had a saddle fitter out?
Had a bit fitter?

As you are a novice owner there are a lot of reasons why the horse could be acting as described.

Trainers also come on a large scale of competence and ability. There are trainers, and then there are trainers.

I would pursue finding other help. The "knowledgeable" friend would have insisted on a vetting if they were knowledgeable. It is a horrible lesson to learn the hard way that when buying as a novice every box should be ticked.

How old is the horse and what breed or type are they?

There should be details in the passport to help you find the previous owner if this seller is a dealer. That may help shine some light onto what the horse has actually done in their lifetime.
 
NR88 said:
Since bringing him home have you:
Had his teeth done? Preferably by a vet further trained and qualified in dentistry.
Had body work e.g. physiotherapist, chiropractor?
Had a saddle fitter out?
Had a bit fitter?

As you are a novice owner there are a lot of reasons why the horse could be acting as described.

Trainers also come on a large scale of competence and ability. There are trainers, and then there are trainers.

I would pursue finding other help. The "knowledgeable" friend would have insisted on a vetting if they were knowledgeable. It is a horrible lesson to learn the hard way that when buying as a novice every box should be ticked.

How old is the horse and what breed or type are they?

There should be details in the passport to help you find the previous owner if this seller is a dealer. That may help shine some light onto what the horse has actually done in their lifetime.
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Thank you for the helpful advice, yes these are the next steps I will be taking to help figure out what is going on behaviour wise - despite him not being the horse I thought I was getting he is very much loved and will get all that he needs in all respects. I was also assured he had regular physio, was up to date with teeth etc. Whether this was all lies who knows!
 
OP, can I ask your experience level?? A bit of napping and/or testing the boundaries is quite a normal thing with a horse that isn't used to you, particularly with solo hacking. It happens because the horse isn't fully confident in you as the Herd Leader, and what you need to build on is building trust and gaining respect. This means going right back to basics and doing some groundwork with the horse rather than jumping on immediately and thinking everything will be ok, because very often it won't! You have to work at building trust, and that takes time, and commitment. I dare say the horse "isn't as described" - because in the previous home it had got used to that routine and was able to trust the people riding & handling it, which is why the behaviour there was different to what you have experienced.

Sorry if sounding harsh here: but I bought a horse that unbeknownst to me had a rearing problem which became evident soon after purchase. I had a professional to help me (it was that or PTS frankly) and I had to go right back to groundwork, and building confidence, before I even thought about getting on again.

However: I appreciate the awful situation you are now in if you have bought a horse which you really do not feel is the right one for you. You did not have a vetting before purchase, which is always wise even for an experienced buyer, which might have shown up a pain issue somewhere, and could very well be the reason for the behaviour issues you are describing. I would advise you to have your vet out and give this horse a thorough going-over; yes it will be an extra expense, but it might well give you a reason for the behaviour.

Being honest here, you would have had the option of having the vetting before purchasing the horse; and TBH the seller is likely to turn around and tell you exactly this. It sounds like they are a dealer posing as a private seller (not in the Stoke area of the Midlands are they by any chance?? - I've known a certain notorious dealer in that area pose as a private buyer, happened to a livery of mine).

Sorry I can't be more positive: you signed that you bought "as seen". Sadly I think someone saw you coming. I'd firstly get the vet out and hopefully find out what's going on; then I would suggest you get a professional out to give a thorough - and honest - assessment of the horse and your partnership together, and whether it is worth persevering. I wouldn't give up!! One of my liveries was "had" and bought a youngster which knocked her over in the field at least three times; this week she's just sent me a picture of said horse being backed and her sitting up top! My horse that I bought who reared, after some time spent on him with a professional, he turned into a lovely hacking horse who would happily leave the yard solo and was a real sweetheart. Give it time. Use a professional, take your time, and see how things go, would be my advice.
 
HaffiesRock said:
How was he at the viewing? Did you ride him? Hack him alone? How was he?
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MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
OP, can I ask your experience level?? A bit of napping and/or testing the boundaries is quite a normal thing with a horse that isn't used to you, particularly with solo hacking. It happens because the horse isn't fully confident in you as the Herd Leader, and what you need to build on is building trust and gaining respect. This means going right back to basics and doing some groundwork with the horse rather than jumping on immediately and thinking everything will be ok, because very often it won't! You have to work at building trust, and that takes time, and commitment. I dare say the horse "isn't as described" - because in the previous home it had got used to that routine and was able to trust the people riding & handling it, which is why the behaviour there was different to what you have experienced.

Sorry if sounding harsh here: but I bought a horse that unbeknownst to me had a rearing problem which became evident soon after purchase. I had a professional to help me (it was that or PTS frankly) and I had to go right back to groundwork, and building confidence, before I even thought about getting on again.

However: I appreciate the awful situation you are now in if you have bought a horse which you really do not feel is the right one for you. You did not have a vetting before purchase, which is always wise even for an experienced buyer, which might have shown up a pain issue somewhere, and could very well be the reason for the behaviour issues you are describing. I would advise you to have your vet out and give this horse a thorough going-over; yes it will be an extra expense, but it might well give you a reason for the behaviour.

Being honest here, you would have had the option of having the vetting before purchasing the horse; and TBH the seller is likely to turn around and tell you exactly this. It sounds like they are a dealer posing as a private seller (not in the Stoke area of the Midlands are they by any chance?? - I've known a certain notorious dealer in that area pose as a private buyer, happened to a livery of mine).

Sorry I can't be more positive: you signed that you bought "as seen". Sadly I think someone saw you coming. I'd firstly get the vet out and hopefully find out what's going on; then I would suggest you get a professional out to give a thorough - and honest - assessment of the horse and your partnership together, and whether it is worth persevering. I wouldn't give up!! One of my liveries was "had" and bought a youngster which knocked her over in the field at least three times; this week she's just sent me a picture of said horse being backed and her sitting up top! My horse that I bought who reared, after some time spent on him with a professional, he turned into a lovely hacking horse who would happily leave the yard solo and was a real sweetheart. Give it time. Use a professional, take your time, and see how things go, would be my advice.
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Thank you so much, that’s reassuring to hear! we have spent the last couple of weeks going back to basics focusing on ground work and building our trust and bond. He has an incredibly sweet nature, and I do think given time he could be a fantastic horse he just isn’t what I believed I was buying which has been a tough lesson to learn and quite frustrating (mostly with myself!) All in all I just wasn’t sure if it would be worth me contacting the previous owner or not over this, or if anyone had a similar experience and if so what steps they took. Luckily I have a supportive horsey network so I’m not short of the help and I really do hope we can make it work!
 
Justme200194 said:
Thank you so much, that’s reassuring to hear! we have spent the last couple of weeks going back to basics focusing on ground work and building our trust and bond. He has an incredibly sweet nature, and I do think given time he could be a fantastic horse he just isn’t what I believed I was buying which has been a tough lesson to learn and quite frustrating (mostly with myself!) All in all I just wasn’t sure if it would be worth me contacting the previous owner or not over this, or if anyone had a similar experience and if so what steps they took. Luckily I have a supportive horsey network so I’m not short of the help and I really do hope we can make it work!
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Sorry, forgot to write I’m a fairly experience rider have ridden for years and have been loaning a fab horse for the last year until purchasing my own. I’m used to quirks, napping doesn’t bother me and can competently sit a rear, the issue with the napping isn’t the napping itself, just that it wasn’t disclosed as a quirk as such.
 
Have you had a vet look at him since you bought him? The trouble with some dealers is they really dont care if you take them court they just get a ccj against them and never pay. As already suggested it could be teeth, back, saddle etc.
 
A friend had a similar experience but got the pony scoped and she had horrendous ulcers - no idea if they were there prior to buying or all the moves (she went via a sales livery yard) caused them, but post treatment she is very much the pony described.

It is buyer beware if it is a private seller and I think you'll struggle to prove this was a dealer.
 
Justme200194 said:
This is where I do feel incredibly stupid and welcome a verbal bashing as I didn’t get a vetting done. Only have myself to blame in this instance, and probably have little room for complaint due to this, however it doesn’t change the fact that he was very clearly mis sold based on his advert and what I have experience since him being home with me 😔
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Vetting is not mandatory, but of course is always sensible. And the lack of a vetting does not negate your rights under consumer law.
 
Also how are you keeping him, it’s always best to find out how the horse you tried was kept. Some horses find being stabled very unsettling. As an example my friend sold her horse that she had bred, he was 6 and really easy. She told them that he is used to being in a small herd and is better with as much turnout as possible and he didn’t need lots of feed. She suggested they fed him the same. 6 months later they contacted her and said he was dangerous and wasn’t as described. Turns out they had put him on individual turnout in the furthest field so he was first to be turned out and last to come in, only had either am or pm turnout and she was feeding him differently. My friend went to see him and was shocked at how nervous he was so she said she would buy him back but couldn’t give them what they paid because she didn’t have it( money was her reason for selling ). They accepted and she bought him home. It’s taken a very long time to get him back to where he was . Sorry this has turned out to be a very long post but it illustrates what can happen with a genuine seller..
 
Justme200194 said:
Title says it all really, I purchased my first horse two months ago and it was evident almost from the off that they aren’t as advertised.

Any kind advice would be appreciated. Success stories from this type of situation welcomed for some positivity!

Thank you!
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Hi,
How old is the horse, how many years has s/he been that perfect horse you were hoping to buy? How many home changes had there been where the behaviour stayed consistent? You may not know the answers to this, but it's highly relevant to how the horse is now, and likely to be going forward.
I bought a young horse 18 months ago, described as sweet, willing, and green. Viewed exactly that horse. Hacked alone, schooled in a vague manner in a muddy corner. Due diligence done on set-up, all stories matched, local, so purchased. When I got her home she transformed into a petrified mouse. She didn't eat or drink for three days she was so upset. Still sweet, but terrified of the universe. I really did not expect that level of trauma to have occured. It took nine months to hack out the same horse I'd ridden on viewing. Luckily, I know green horses and was sad for her, but not for me. Incidentally, I absolutely adore her and don't mind at all that she's taking far longer to progress than I expected.
 
You’ve left this 2 months and don’t seem to have had any of the usual checks done in that time.

So whilst the horse is misbehaving now and clearly doesn’t meet the advert description- it’s not clear cut to me if this is a dodgy horse being passed on (quite possible) or just an unsettled horse that hasn’t/isn’t being managed well in the new home (also possible).

I probably would contact the seller. Not to threaten them with anything (well not to start with anyway) but to ask for their help/advice in how to move forwards with the horse. See what kind of response you get ….

Are there any previous owners listed in passport? Might be worth trying to contact them too. That can be enlightening.

Also worth getting the horse fully checked out to.
 
When I bought mine he was a saint. I got him home, changed his feed to a recommendation by a nutritionist and ended up with a lunatic. Took him off that feed and he improved. So yes get all checks and consider what other things may have changed in this horses world - group turnout to individual, less turnout? quiet yard to busy yard or vice versa. Change of feed, hay to haylage, better quality hay or grazing? All of these things can impact behaviour and not necessarily something that anyone could have foreseen.
 
Apologies, I missed whether it was a dealer or private sale.

For a private sale, the horse has to be as described. The issue is that you have proof that the horse was as described in that home. You also rode the horse at that home and the horse was as the advert described. You could still speak to the previous owner for help and advice.

Heck, I once sold a lovely event horse with full disclosure of all of his quirks, and they called me "help!" and I offered to buy the horse straight back if they were not happy! In fact, they just took some advice and the horse became their horse of a lifetime. The care/riding just needed a small tweak and he was a happy chappie again and took his rider, who was a nervous BE100 rider, to BE Intermediate with very little fuss or fanfare!

Another I sold was brilliant, out eventing within 6 weeks with a junior who had not ridden a horse before. Top 10 in PC championships and many frillies. I had many photos and messages of how wonderful she was. I had nothing to help them with when they contacted me a year later though, having started with issues. I reckoned that any issues after a full year were theirs.

If the horse was from a dealer, it has to be as described but also fit for purpose, so if he is beyond what you can manage, then you would have right to return. Not sure on the duration though, 2 months is a long time not to tell them that there is an issue. That said, trying to get money back from some dealers is nigh on impossible! Decent ones will though.

I was once asked to act as an expert witness for a 'mis-sold horse'. I went to look at the horse and didn't think he was necessarily mis-sold at all. He had a good history, backed up with evidence, and had been good on his first few days. They tried to hack over a bridge over a stream and the horse was nervous. They didn't like to push it so took him home. Same day after. The day after that, they took him 100yds the other direction and he napped. They were scared and came home. After that, he was rather naughty!

I said that, in all good conscience, I would not be a good expert witness for them as I believed they had likely caused the issues themselves!

They dropped the court thing and got lessons. The horse settled once a rider had informed him that riding out was compulsory and not a thing he had a hand in. He too became a horse of a lifetime for that rider. Won local shows all of the time and hacked out with the entire family.

Yours has not been vetted so I would start with that. Not a vetting with certificate, but a full performance examination, where everything from feeding, to saddlery, to shoeing and training can be assessed as well as the physicality of the horse. A good, experienced equine vet can do that.

If he is clear of any glaring issues, I would get a god trainer. I don't mean to rely on paper qualifications; you want someone with a proven track record of being successful in helping others to be successful, with their own personal track record as well.
 
vhf said:
Hi,
How old is the horse, how many years has s/he been that perfect horse you were hoping to buy? How many home changes had there been where the behaviour stayed consistent? You may not know the answers to this, but it's highly relevant to how the horse is now, and likely to be going forward.
I bought a young horse 18 months ago, described as sweet, willing, and green. Viewed exactly that horse. Hacked alone, schooled in a vague manner in a muddy corner. Due diligence done on set-up, all stories matched, local, so purchased. When I got her home she transformed into a petrified mouse. She didn't eat or drink for three days she was so upset. Still sweet, but terrified of the universe. I really did not expect that level of trauma to have occured. It took nine months to hack out the same horse I'd ridden on viewing. Luckily, I know green horses and was sad for her, but not for me. Incidentally, I absolutely adore her and don't mind at all that she's taking far longer to progress than I expected.
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^^^ Ditto this really.

One of my liveries took on a 3yo; I'm in Devon and apparently the poor little mare had travelled from Bristol up to Scotland, and all the way back again, in lots of different homes, before my livery bought her. We suspect it was a dealer posing as a private seller situation, and that she had been "medicated" for the viewing.

When she arrived here, she was terrified - of anything and everything - and in the first few months she was here just barrelled into her owner in the field, and knocked her down three times. Owner then got a well-known horse trainer here to the yard, which was a huge help as he gave her some coping-mechanisms, and the confidence that she needed to progress with the mare; and during this summer she has sent the mare for backing to the same person who backed my little mare. Yesterday she hopped onto her for the first time, and went up the road on her! A wonderful moment.

A difficult horse CAN work out OK, but sometimes it needs a professional to come along at the earliest opportunity, and set both horse & rider on the right path.
 
Thank you all for your helpful and kind advice and for sharing your personal experiences. All taken on board and noted with some helpful pointers on where to go from here 🙂 I’m feeling positive that we can have a successful outcome from a bit of a rocky start with the correct support along with time and patience. If I could close/lock this thread I would do so as I feel I have received all the advice I could have hoped for.

Thank you again!
 
Justme200194 said:
All in all I just wasn’t sure if it would be worth me contacting the previous owner or not over this, or if anyone had a similar experience and if so what steps they took.
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It does sound like a "dealer posing as a private seller" (as you say) and that's what would really be ringing alarm bells for me. Asking for your money back is worth a go but I wouldn't be terribly optimistic - posing as something they're not is dodgy as anything, and I doubt you'll get a helpful response from someone like that.

If you can afford to get a good professional involved I would do the basic vet checks to rule out obvious physical issues, then look into re-backing the horse. Hopefully it's just sweet but much more green and unsettled than you were led to believe. If that's the case, it might still come good for you.

If it's any consolation this happened to a friend of mine relatively recently - very experienced horse person but he's not bought a new horse for years. He was absolutely done over by a local iffy dealer and I can't bring myself to ask whether he ever got the money back, as I suspect he didn't. I can't remember the ins and outs of it but the horse was completely not as described and I suspect drugged on viewing. So don't beat yourself up too much. You're not the immoral one here.
 
Keep a copy of the original advert. If you can demonstrate that they are, in fact, a dealer (i.e, they sell multiple horses per year) (keep copies of their other adverts), then you should be able to reject the horse and ask for a full refund. Try to find out as much about them as possible, including their home and business addresss' and telephone numbers, as you may have to take out an online small claims court claim to recover your money.
 
I still have the horse I was missold me in Oct 2021.

I'm ashamed to admit when I first encountered all the problems with him I wished he'd be struck with lightning or something. I was so heartbroken and dismayed and I resented him. I went to two equine solicitors who couldn't offer me any hope and it was very obvious that the person who sold him me had no intention of giving me my £12.5k back. I did have him 5 stage vetted by a 'reputable vet' but it wasn't my own vet, it was a vet up North as that was where he was kept. So it was a very hard pill to swallow that that vet couldn't find KS, neck, hock or coffin joint arthritis, nor did he detect the chronic SI from which he was suffering. Yet my vet uncovered all this when I started running into problems on day one.

I spiralled into depression and missed my previous horse who I'd owned for 17yrs and who we'd had pts aged 24 some months before buying Lari. I worked so hard to try and get Lari fixed ploughing around £8k in vets and pro rider with steroid injections and I did groundwork turning him from a weak topline to a horse who was physically much stronger.

It didn't take long for me to fall in love with him and I adore the bones of him now. Sadly the ridden side didn't work out as he had too many physical issues. But he's got a home for life with me.

The seller was very convincing, said her daughter wouldn't ride Lari at viewings as she was too upset they were selling him (I know now she was probably terrified of him) and they used a pro rider instead. He was very lazy at the viewing and I had to use a whip. He didn't appear doped but then you can't always tell. The pro rider had his own saddle and put a few saddle cloths underneath the saddle. I thought it was because at the time I was a lot heavier and that was why, but expect it was because he had a sore back I.e kissing spine. He was also girth when tacked up but she said he'd always been like that and he'd been tested for ulcers which he didn't have. That was true as I ended up doing the same and he hadn't.

It's so very easy to believe what people say, I'm a honest person myself and I really struggle to see if people are genuine or not, i end up trusting people and they take advantage . I thought if I'd made any mistakes the vet would detect them on a vetting but he didn't find anything which I find highly suspicious.

I plan to buy another horse this winter when I'm back in employment again after my holiday, but it worries me that after all my previous due diligence in checking on dodgy dealers and 5 stage vetting I still got ripped off and I'mterrified of history repeating itself. I would never buy privately again. I hope you manage to have some recourse, but I'll be honest with you, I really don't think you will sadly.
 
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splashgirl45 said:
Also how are you keeping him, it’s always best to find out how the horse you tried was kept. Some horses find being stabled very unsettling. As an example my friend sold her horse that she had bred, he was 6 and really easy. She told them that he is used to being in a small herd and is better with as much turnout as possible and he didn’t need lots of feed. She suggested they fed him the same. 6 months later they contacted her and said he was dangerous and wasn’t as described. Turns out they had put him on individual turnout in the furthest field so he was first to be turned out and last to come in, only had either am or pm turnout and she was feeding him differently. My friend went to see him and was shocked at how nervous he was so she said she would buy him back but couldn’t give them what they paid because she didn’t have it( money was her reason for selling ). They accepted and she bought him home. It’s taken a very long time to get him back to where he was . Sorry this has turned out to be a very long post but it illustrates what can happen with a genuine seller..
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I had four PC schoolmasters that I loaned out when my daughters out grew them, they have a vet check at my expense before they go out on loan, and they are told everything I can think of about their management, and it beggars belief how much people ignore even if its written in the contract.
There is always someone who think they know better, and decides they can ignore your instructions, even if they haven't even paid for it. TBH I take everyone's competence with a bit of salt now
 
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I purchased a section D about 18months ago, perfect to ride in an unknown school, happy to be ridden in howling wind and rain when i tried him for the first time. Nothing unusual in the vetting. Came to the yard, and was totally explosive, anxious, separation anxiety, cantering round the stable, couldnt get bridle on, broke girth straps, broke a bridle, the list goes on untill we were asked to leave. Anywho, took him to a producers yard, he settled very quickly, turned the corner with some confident handling, but still had to have my wits about me. Decided to leave and go to another yard I had been on in the past. He got of the lorry, gave a big sigh and walked into his stable, never been a problem since. Poor bugger was taken away from friends and family when i bought him, he was grieving for want of a better term. He now sees me, and the yard owner as people who are constant and he is a joy, yes he naps, at times, and Im not inexperienced, but we are working on it. Just saying that I think some horses, feel very insecure when moving and things take time.
 
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