Missold a horse advice please

I think it was harder for dodgy dealers to operate, people bought local horses and there was no internet advertising. Communities were much tighter. People would just PTS or retire anything that was not rideable. Most people did not insure their horses and vets were not offering lots of fancy options - most were general farm vets rather specific equine. None of my childhood ponies had their teeth checked or the saddler out. I doubt they even had a flu jab.

I think people are harder on their horses now, more school work and intensive training in arenas and less turnout and hacking. More competitions and lessons. Dressage and eventing has become very popular. A horse with a minor ailment that might have coped with the sort of work and management that leisure owners did 30 years ago would probably not stand up to the sort of work lots of people do with their horses now or might get aggravated. As a child my ponies had most of the winter off as too dark to ride after school, and kept at home and no arena so only doing light hacking at the weekend or or school holidays during the winter. This was quite common routine for people who kept horses at home or on yards without floodlight arenas, I expect any minor injuries that they may have got during the summer which would have got worse if continued to work hard resolved themselves with rest over the winter months. Fat ponies lost weight over winter as no fancy rugs and feed. Floodlit schools, winter competitions and more amateurs with horse transport and wanting to compete at harder levels probably means intensive training takes place all year round without the winter rest and break especially if limited turnout as well.

I expect dealers have worked out that even if they buy back the horse for 10% less than they sold it for they are still making a profit and can sell it to someone else who may be soft enough to keep the horse even it is broken or not suitable.

I think it is difficult to find the type of horse that thrives on modern management. The cold blooded native types tend to have a lot of problems with weight management and the hot blooded types sports horse types that do intensive training and competitions seem to end up with RSI type problems or perhaps are too sharp to ride for the faint hearted.


TheProdigal said:
This forum is always of interest to me. I have experienced so many of these modern-day challenges and dilemmas myself over recent years. (When it comes to buying horses, well ‘caveat emptor’ has been the rule since time immemorial – no matter who you buy them from - dealer, private, pony club mum…’). On the whole, it’s all about the ££££s, not the horses. (Same goes for the ‘experts’).

I was in the saddle not long after I could walk (mother’s fault). Back then, in the early 70s, it was rare to hear of horses/ponies having what sound like nervous breakdowns. Things just seemed to be so much simpler back then. Something seems to have gone a bit wrong in the last 30 – 40 years. Different breeding strategies (more blood/WB), different horse management, different land management, loss of the old nags men and women – the list goes on.

So where does this leave the ‘unlanded’ amateur who just wants a straightforward relationship/experience with yer average ned? Up a gumtree, probably! Ultimately, it will revert to the pastime of the rich and/or landed. (I feel the signs are already there).

It really saddens me to hear of so many shattered (realistic) dreams, and even more, of so many repressed, unhappy horses. I would love to know if anyone has any practical solutions.
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Sorry guys I have been unclear - she isn't accepting my offer at all. I am stuck completely. I am trying to dispute with the bank then small claims. Sadly I've been left with a dangerous horse and I can hardly get near his back legs and he's due the farrier. I'm at a loss and have no idea what to do if the farriers refuse him :( I of course want to look after this horse the best way possible and would never be bad to him but I'm so scared I'm not going to be able to give him that care. He kicks to strike even when changing rugs etc :(
 
Jessie234 said:
Sorry guys I have been unclear - she isn't accepting my offer at all. I am stuck completely. I am trying to dispute with the bank then small claims. Sadly I've been left with a dangerous horse and I can hardly get near his back legs and he's due the farrier. I'm at a loss and have no idea what to do if the farriers refuse him :( I of course want to look after this horse the best way possible and would never be bad to him but I'm so scared I'm not going to be able to give him that care. He kicks to strike even when changing rugs etc :(
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Could you sedate him for the farrier and get his back shoes off? Might be better than nothing?

Have you spoken to the previous owners about how they managed him with the farrier?
 
I do hope you find a solution very quickly OP. (I realise now that, given the urgency of your situation, my earlier musings on the current state of the UK horse world was not that helpful).
 
Amymay said:
I would follow Michin’s advice, as they were in a similar situation a few years ago.
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Michen was very lucky, if you can call being missold a horse lucky. As I recollect, she had a previous employee of the seller as a witness that the mare was not ready to sell. So she had a slam dunk on misrepresentation, whether she could prove the seller was a dealer or not.

Without proof that the seller is a dealer, which would give a right to return for 30 days, the OP would have to go solely on misrepresentation, which would take some solid evidence.

I would still advise taking a small claim, because it's so cheap and easy to start online, and it might bump the seller into doing the right thing to get the notification.
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Jessie234 said:
Hello all,

Looking for some advice as I’m sure many have been in this situation.
I’ve bought a horse sold as a confidence giver, all rounder type. Was great in the viewing.
First time getting on he bucked me straight off and I couldn’t get back on. Old owners came up to ride him but I noticed a long period of lunging and leaning over him prior to mounting although apparently had never bronked anyone off before. He was fine that day after this and took him a gentle hack the next day. After this I have tried to get on him multiple times and even pressing with my hand on saddle or stirrup is too much for him and he goes up and kicks out and bites. I cannot mount the horse. Friend tried and professional instructor told me not to get on him. Vets thinking ulcers or possibly needing Xrays and physio definitely thinks ulcers but can’t say anything else. Old owner is refusing to take him back although have told her I want to return him within the 14 days. Says she’ll take him back and not refund him and sell him for me but will not refund me at all.
What would yous do? Going to try and speak to a solicitor tomorrow. This is a small time dealer posing as a private seller but can clearly see she isn’t. :(
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The fact that they weren’t happy to get straight on when coming to ride him at yours screams they are hiding something.
 
Thankfully I have contacted animal agencies and they have taken this very seriously and they are going to investigate everything. Feeling much better now I have so many options as I do think this has now gone to a criminal level!
 
Teaboy said:
The fact that they weren’t happy to get straight on when coming to ride him at yours screams they are hiding something.
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I don't think so, necessarily. As several people have also said above, I would not get straight onto a horse that someone had told me had been bucking dangerously and was impossible to mount.
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ycbm said:
I don't think so, necessarily. As several people have also said above, I would not get straight onto a horse that someone had told me had been bucking dangerously and was impossible to mount.
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Well - they told me that he had never bucked or bronked anyone off and blamed it on trying a new saddle.
I have a lot of evidence that the horse has been doped.
 
The police said that the RSPCA would be best to deal with this but the police may get involved with their recommendations. I suppose it’s something they are familiar with
 
Jessie234 said:
The police said that the RSPCA would be best to deal with this but the police may get involved with their recommendations. I suppose it’s something they are familiar with
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If you have understood the police correctly, they are wrong. The horse is not currently a welfare issue, and the RSPCA only prosecute welfare cases. I don't think they will be at all interested. The police won't be interested because this is 100% a civil dispute.

This is beginning to sound quite bizarre.
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Jessie234 said:
The police said that the RSPCA would be best to deal with this but the police may get involved with their recommendations. I suppose it’s something they are familiar with
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I wouldn't necessarily trust police advice on this. The police are not trained to deal with civil matters and can sometimes give bad advice in these situations.

Have you actually spoken to the RSPCA?

Unless you have evidence of cruelty (and even doping is not that) then this isn't a police/RSPCA matter.
 
Ok well I can only take advice from them directly and they are interested in this. Maybe the laws slightly different here as it’s not exactly the RSPCA but I’m worried to make things so blantant.
 
Jessie234 said:
Ok well I can only take advice from them directly and they are interested in this. Maybe the laws slightly different here as it’s not exactly the RSPCA but I’m worried to make things so blantant.
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You are essentially asking people to give you legal advice- advice without stating the country/nation you are in will be meaningless.

If you are anywhere in the UK, this is a civil matter and whilst organisations like the RSPCA may be willing to investigate, they will not be able to get your money back. They may be willing to rehome the horse though, if that is what you want.
 
On Thursday you told us you had legal cover with your insurance. Why aren't you pursuing that route?

I don't understand how you spoke to anyone in authority at nottheRSPCA on a Sunday. Call handlers on duty today are unlikely to have the authority to tell you that the organisation will get involved with this.
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Neither the UK police or RSPCA will be remotely interested in a member of public buying a horse that has proven to be unsuitable.

If the horse is proven to be stolen goods the police may want a statement from the purchaser and the new purchaser will not have any right to retain the horse.

Why the purchaser parted with a large sum of money for a non vetted horse of dubious temperament remains a mystery.
 
Jessie234 said:
Ok well I can only take advice from them directly and they are interested in this. Maybe the laws slightly different here as it’s not exactly the RSPCA but I’m worried to make things so blantant.
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What does it matter if you tell us what country you are in? It's essential if you want advice. It's a bit late to tell us you aren't subject to UK or Scottish, or maybe not even EU law.

Odder and odder
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Jessie234 said:
Thankfully I have contacted animal agencies and they have taken this very seriously and they are going to investigate everything. Feeling much better now I have so many options as I do think this has now gone to a criminal level!
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so glad someone is taking this matter seriously. Its about time these dodgy people were brought to task.
 
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