My horse is older than advertised/and on passport

[sausagedogqueen]

Hi all,
So my horse that I purchased two weeks ago, I have gone to transfer the microchip over today (I used my own microchip scanner to confirm the number), and have discovered the DOB is 01/01/2006 making him 17.... on his passport it says his DOB is 01/01/2012, so I belived him to be 11... the passport is otherwise correct as the markings etc are correct...
Do I have any grounds with the dealer on this? As when I set out to purchase a horse I wanted one aged between 8 - 12 years old and paid a lot of money for him too

 

[TheMule]

Neither are likely to be an accurate DOB, virtually zero horses are born 1/1 of any year.
What did the vet say at vetting? There’s a bit of difference between an 11year old mouth and a 17year old mouth

 

[AmyMay]

I would have thought so, yes.

 

[shortstuff99]

Yes, this is definitely grounds for return. As you say a dealer you can return with 30 days without having to give a reason anyway.

 

[ycbm]

If the dealer owned the horse that's grounds for return. If the dealer didn't own the horse then it will depend on whether the owner of the horse knew his real age and lied about it. If they didn't know his real age then you have no comeback and would have to hope that the dealer has a reputation they want to protect.

When was the horse repassported and by who?
.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Yip definitely a big difference in the mouth for sure. Get it rectified immediately, especially within the 30 days

 

[sausagedogqueen]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how I should proceed? I have only just started bonding with this horse and getting somewhere with him but I am equally really unhappy about how much I have paid for him... should I push for a full refund to return him or should I ask for a partial refund? I am so gutted. I have spent a fortune on this horse already with a full new wardrobe, tack, shoes etc

 

[TheMule]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how I should proceed? I have only just started bonding with this horse and getting somewhere with him but I am equally really unhappy about how much I have paid for him... should I push for a full refund to return him or should I ask for a partial refund? I am so gutted. I have spent a fortune on this horse already with a full new wardrobe, tack, shoes etc

I would ask the vet to take a look at his mouth to give an opinion on how old the horse actually is. It sounds like the passport is not his original, but microchips are not always going to give you the real DOB either as they rely on the keeper to give accurate info

 

[ycbm]

Does anyone have any thoughts on how I should proceed? I have only just started bonding with this horse and getting somewhere with him but I am equally really unhappy about how much I have paid for him... should I push for a full refund to return him or should I ask for a partial refund? I am so gutted. I have spent a fortune on this horse already with a full new wardrobe, tack, shoes etc

Has he been repassported? If his passport carries his chip number, as it must now do, then this should be clear. If he has not been repassported then the date of birth on the chip may have been recorded incorrectly.
.

 

[Cortez]

I would say the first thing you should do is contact the dealer you bought him from and discuss with them. There's a hell of a difference between 11 and 17, and if it was me I'd be returning the horse for a full refund.

 

[sausagedogqueen]

Has he been repassported? If his passport carries his chip number, as it must now do, then this should be clear. If he has not been repassported then the date of birth on the chip may have been recorded incorrectly.
.

Yep the passport i have for him was issued in 2019

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I would contact dealer immediately before you have much more time to bond. The expected and most likely longevity and riding enjoyment between a now 17 year old and an 11 year old is vastly different, and should have been disclosed and reflected in his price. Any horse can pull a permanent sicky at any age of course, but once you start getting into the late teens the liklihood is too much of a risk IMO.

 

[AmyMay]

Did the vet not spot the discrepancy at the vetting?

 

[Mrs B]

I'm going to guess you didn't have him vetted ...

Have you heard of the Dodgy Horse Dealers & Sellers page on Facebook? Worth joining and doing a search on the dealer on there as it might give you a swift answer about whether the person has form for this sort of thing and if so, the kind of approach you might need to adopt/what you might expect from telling them you want a full refund.

 

[sausagedogqueen]

I'm going to guess you didn't have him vetted ...

Have you heard of the Dodgy Horse Dealers & Sellers page on Facebook? Worth joining and doing a search on the dealer on there as it might give you a swift answer about whether the person has form for this sort of thing and if so, the kind of approach you might need to adopt/what you might expect from telling them you want a full refund.

I did not, we just wanted a happy hacker, but a younger one than he apparently is. The dealer actually has very good reviews (i checked on that Facebook page before purchasing)
I have spoken to the dealer and they said they did not know his true age and bought in good faith, just like me, believing he was 11.

Another thought, is it possible the microchip is wrong and his DOB entered as 2006 instead of 2012 ...? Not that Im clutching at straws lol. I actually already had a dentist booked to visit him but its not for another two weeks and I want to resolve sooner than that really

I do really like this horse but they aren't not prepared to refund me the difference to what I believe his true value to be as dealer paid more for him, which I can understand.

We are possibly exploring the option of exchanging him for another horse instead of a full refund first... I dunno what to do or what I want, its all come as a shock to be honest. *sigh*

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Is this Jet? The cob you were having some trouble with but has now settled down with you? I believe you had a 2 stage vetting? I would have thought vet would have checked his age even if just to check his details against his passport at the vetting?

Edited to add I have just re read one of your other threads and you said he had a two stage as they did not have facilities for a full vetting? Vet should still have checked passport details matched the horse in front of him.

 

[ycbm]

I think you have the answer in that the horse was repassported 4 years ago. In that case I think the chip is more likely to be right and the passport was fraudulently replaced to re-age him.

Since the dealer owned him you have the right to return him or be refunded for the considerable difference in his value.
.

 

[sausagedogqueen]

Is this Jet? The cob you were having some trouble with but has now settled down with you? I believe you had a 2 stage vetting? I would have thought vet would have checked his age even if just to check his details against his passport at the vetting?

It is yes, and we really love him too! He has come on leaps and bounds this past week. We were going to have the 2 stage yes, because 5 stage wasnt possible (no schooling facilities) but I took the (big) chance of not doing so. I feel bad for the horse because its not fair on him being moved when hes just settled but at the same time I wanted something younger for me and my daughter. Thankfully the dealer is being very sound with me right now but I dont really know what I want to happen from here.

 

[dixie]

If he was mine and I liked him I would be getting my vet out ASAP to get a more realistic age.
If it was thought he was nearer 17 and the dealer won’t refund the price difference I’m afraid I would be sending him back (unless I was prepared to suck up the overpricing which is unlikely!).

exchanging horses never seems to go well and I don’t think you should accept that option unless they can come up with a perfect one for you.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Oh heck, there is nothing to say he is even as young as 17 then - when he was chipped there is no guarantee the correct age was recorded then either. Unless he was chipped as a foal then it is more likely correct. What a disappointment, I would definitely be asking both your vet and the dentists's opinion on his age, potentially he could be even older.

 

[sausagedogqueen]

Im not even angry just upset. Been down this evening to give him his haynet and he came to the door and made his little noise that he does when he sees me coming
Going to ring vets tomorrow and see about getting another idea of age. Ive been feeling so great recently with all our progress and then this happens

 

[sausagedogqueen]

If he was mine and I liked him I would be getting my vet out ASAP to get a more realistic age.
If it was thought he was nearer 17 and the dealer won’t refund the price difference I’m afraid I would be sending him back (unless I was prepared to suck up the overpricing which is unlikely!).

exchanging horses never seems to go well and I don’t think you should accept that option unless they can come up with a perfect one for you.

The idea of an exchange doesnt feel right to me either it seems very unlikely they will have the perfect horse that ticked all my boxes ready to just swap over plus il be thinking about where my boy will end up

 

[AmyMay]

The idea of an exchange doesnt feel right to me either it seems very unlikely they will have the perfect horse that ticked all my boxes ready to just swap over plus il be thinking about where my boy will end up

In that case keep the horse and mark it down as a learning experience for next time.

 

[sausagedogqueen]

Also with it being a replacement passport, its been signed by a vet when issued so why wouldnt vet check correct age at the time? How do people get away with doing this?

 

[Archangel]

I am surprised the dealer didn't look in his mouth before she bought him.

 

[gallopingby]

If you really like the horse maybe you should write down all the pros and cons of keeping or returning. You say you paid a lot of money but that’s like saying how long is a piece of string. Price should reflect value which equals many things which can be different to different people for example people will pay way over the odds for an established schoolmaster to give their children a good start, many of these are ponies upwards of fifteen years.

 

[SantaVera]

Poor horse keep him and love him,but see what a solicitor says about it all might be grounds for getting some money back.

 

[hobo]

I am going to go against the grain here. If you have just bought him as a happy hacker and he is a cob and is sound now there is no reason why he should not do what you want for many years. If you have bonded and feel safe on him I would think that is worth more then anything. I would suck it up but I am a bit soft ! You could get a much younger horse and it could still go lame the next day so age is just a number. Also what price do you put on safety if he gives you that feeling. I guess if you have to insure him it may be a problem but if you have already got him insured on the information you were given and you do not update your vet on your worry he is older you could get away with it! Tough for you hope you end up happy with what ever you decide.

 

[gallopingby]

I agree with Hobo, if you feel safe and he’s a cob type with no vetting issues he could well go on for many years.

 

[luckyoldme]

I did exactly the same as you op.
I actually said to the dealer that I thought he was older, he produced the passport and back then I thought that meant something.
I had bought him as a happy hacker and after the initial shock wore off I kept him.
It's all very well people saying you've got rights but in reality there's no way of enforcing them.
I came to the conclusion that the dealer was a tosser, I played my own part through my own impatience but the horse had done nothing wrong.
We had 12 years together and I loved him to bits. I got royally ripped off and he is one of the best memories I've got..worth every penny.
As for the dealer...Google his/her name. You will be one of many no doubt!