New horse shopping: no time wasters??

Ben2684

Ben2684

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So I've now been to see two, looking for a youngish 4-6 year old with basics in place to bring on with the help of my instructor. Quite big too as I'm over 6 ft and 12st (more in winter-ha) both I have been to see have been perfectly fine, quite nice but just didn't me a buzz. Both owners I have relayed this to and they have both been quite obviously annoyed I didn't want to jump at the chance to buy their horse. The one yesterday I was his first potential buyer as the advert had only been up a matter of hours when I rang. I know many adverts say 'no time wasters' but is this now the norm? One of the horses I didn't even get on as I knew within a few minutes he wasn't for me. Am I a time waster?
 
You are the opposite of a time waster. Riding it when you knew you wouldn't buy it would have been time wasting. I once went to see a horse and it was MUCH smaller than advertised and I told them not to bother even getting it out of the stable! In the end I helped him figure out how to use a measuring stick and he did seem genuinely shocked
 
well... that's what I thought, but apparently not. I shouldn't have gone to look if I didn't even plan to ride apparently as how can you tell if I like the horse without jumping on board?
It wasn't I didn't want to ride, would have happily jumped on but there was no point. I must add there was nothing glaringly wrong or a huge compromise on anything with either of them. But it just didn't 'feel' right. I need to like the horse as a person too surely?? Or am I expecting too much from a first viewing?? Not had to do this in quite sometime!!
 
What Amymay said.

To me, a time waster is someone who tries a horse to get a free ride, or in the case of one girl I know, to be able to tell people that you are 'horse shopping' yet having no intention of ever actually buying something (and then being responsible for its upkeep).

Or, someone who comes to see your horse 5 times, hacks it, has a lesson on it, and then disappears into the ether and stops answering their phone.

You are none of those - you went to try a horse, it wasn't for you, you said so. Pretty acceptable all round i would say.
 
I think you are being a time saver too. I only ride if I am interested after seeing the horse. It is dangerous enough going out trying unknown horses, without riding ones I already know I won't buy!
 
I have also found some sellers make the buyers into time wasters... I have been to view horses that are nothing like their adverts said. I have also refused to ride some on the back of watching their behaviour with their own rider. This makes me a time waster in the sellers eyes but they've also wasted my time!
 
Thanks peeps, I didn't think I had either. Oh well, back to trawling the adverts anyways! Anyone know of a nice youngish ID 17hh + or similar for sale let me know!! :)
 
LouisCat said:
I have also found some sellers make the buyers into time wasters... I have been to view horses that are nothing like their adverts said. I have also refused to ride some on the back of watching their behaviour with their own rider. This makes me a time waster in the sellers eyes but they've also wasted my time!
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Agree with this. I have recently (4 wks ago) bought a new horse after spending literally hours and hours (probably days/wks in total!) on Horsequest and H&H over recent months! The ad was very comprehensive and when I spoke to the seller, she spent 30 mins on the phone with me giving a full history and answering all my questions. I was also able to contact someone locally who had also purchased horse from same seller and recommend based on horse sold being exactly as described. This meant that I knew Hugo was exactly what I was after and going to view and ride was really just a matter of making sure I liked him as a 'person', happy days!

Where a seller either gives very little info prior to viewing or ad is misleading how as a buyer are you supposed to be in anyway informed before turning up?!
 
No you are not a time waster however I don't agree with making a decision not to ride a horse based on its looks not giving you a buzz.

You can sometimes get on a beach donkey and it feels like Valegro so don't be put off by looks/feel on the ground (unless of course it's barged you out the way and looks at you with ears back bearing its teeth then you are right to walk away!)
 
It wasn't it's looks so much more just a general feeling-I had no interest in riding it if that makes sense, not because I was scared, or nervous, I just didn't fancy it. And that was a really odd feeling to have. The horse just did nothing for me as a complete package and in my head I was thinking 'I don't like it' though I was polite. So I felt it would be pointless getting on board
 
I've been to view horses and knew within an instant of looking at the horse that it wasn't "the one" for me.

At that point, I've said no thanks when they've offered to trot it up and/or ride it as I don't want to waste anyone's time!

A bit of a bummer tho', when you've travelled two-plus hours to see a horse where if the seller had been even a fraction of honest you could've saved yourself the journey!! Have had way too many viewings where the seller wasted my time......... :(
 
People are very odd. I am a good buyer who views very few horses I don't buy. Yet I viewed one the other night and several things about him and the seller put me right off. I can't be bothered with folk like that so I decided it was easier not to buy it and went and bought something else which I'm very happy with. I know 100% that seller will be saying I'm a time waster but realistically it was the seller who was the time waster (among other things). I do think if you find yourself viewing loads of horses then you aren't sifting enough out before viewing.
 
If we go to see a horse and it has been accurately described, then (subject to vet) we are 90% likely to buy it. If it's been inaccurately described, we will walk away, sometimes after sitting on, sometimes without. We know exactly what we want - sadly not all vendors know what they've got.
 
A few years ago I went to look at a horse locally that was recommended to me by a friend of a friend. Phoned seller and arranged to view, rode it in the arena, liked it and arranged to go back another day to hack out with her on her other horse. During the hack she told me she didn't want to actually sell the horse until the end of the summer (three months time) as she wanted her daughter to have something to ride during her Uni holidays. I said OK I'll keep looking and if I'm still looking in September I'll give you a call. Next thing I hear she's told everyone I'm a time waster! Really not sure what she expected me to do. Have him vetted, pay a deposit and then wait for three months? Or wait for three months then get him vetted and if he fails I've wasted three months. I heard later that she'd decided to keep him.
 
I have found that the descriptions given in some adverts have absolutely no relationship to the animal in front of you. When looking for a horse for my daughter nine years ago, I had some very specific requirements, I carefully went through the adverts and initially enquired over the phone as to more specific information. I got very disheartened when the horse in the advert turned out to be very different when talking to the seller. When I actually got round to physically viewing prospective horses some of them were nothing at all like the horse in the advert or described to me on the phone. One 'youngster, ready to bring on' was at least twenty years old, another 16hh was only 14.3hh, one gelding turned out to be a mare. At several of these viewings I was also described as a 'time-waster', even though I had specifically told the seller what I was looking for and their horse was nothing like the advert. After the first couple of times I learned to grow a thicker skin and sometimes replied that if they has given me a horse to view that fitted their description I would not have wasted my time, let alone theirs.

I gave up for a while then, when told of a local horse for sale went to look. It was absolutely as described, and I thought my daughter would love it, however on the day of her viewing/riding it she didn't feel 'a vibe'. The owner said, if it doesn't feel right then no problem. I saw another horse that was there which sadly fitted none of my requirement/want list features but my daughter fell in love with it on sight, so we asked if it was also for sale, my daughter rode it, had 'the vibe' and we ended up having it vetted and buying it. Sometimes it just goes to show that the right horse is out there somewhere, it may not be what you are looking for but the right horse for you. The owner was more interested in getting the right owners for her horses than just selling them. We are still in touch as well.
 
If I were to sell a horse I'd be happy if buyer was honest enough like you, not time wasting at all quite the opposite if you know the horse isn't for you.

About 4 years ago, I found a fantastic looking horse on the Internet, 16.2hh ex-racer but forward sensible about it, likes jumping and hacking, £2,100. Pictures showed a honest horse popping a 50cm jump. Said he was in good health and to view tomorrow (35 miles away)
I got there and he was in a field, tacked up already. They told me not to worry about buying tack as he comes with the full set(a wintec that was the wrong shape for him that looked quite trashed) I started asking general questions and found out he's blind in one eye, feet were the worst I've ever seen in a horse, and turned out to be 15.2hh, if that. She told me he has had dental reconstruction but won't need it as often anymore (?) no ground manners, I got on anyway as my dad wanted me too just try him (big softy type :p ) and I was moaned at by the owner as I had but contact and he can't have that as he proceeded to f%%% with me around the uneven field ;P (and then owner told me maybe I should go back to riding school cobs!) that's a true time waster :P
 
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