Old owner... would you?

[Dyllymoo]

I've just found J's old owner on Facebook.

I think the dealer was honest about him, and I have no worries he was exactly as described (green, done some pony club type stuff in 4/5 months owners had him, but was traded in as they wanted a jumping pony).

Old owner has said I can call her if I want a chat, so I was excited as I wanted to know what they had got up to in those few months. Now I feel a bit sick. I don't think anything bad will come out of it, but I did this with my first horse (who had suspensory issues) only to find out a lot of information that I wish I hadn't.

As I say, I have no reason to think anything like that with J, but still.... would you contact the old owner?

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I would.

 

[Roxylola]

Knowing is better than not. I'd go for it

 

[Dyllymoo]

I'm a born worrier (as I am sure you all know by now!). And nothing is making me think anything is dodgy, and I haven't had any real issues with him. would be nice to see some photos of him doing PC activities

Right... I'm calling after work

 

[Zero00000]

Do it ?

 

[The unicorn]

I actually did contact the previous owners ended with a huge shock my horse turned out to be be blind in one eye . According to the previous owner. I wasn’t told when I was viewing the horse and the vet didn’t even noticed it when vetting the horse . I ended up changing vet after that . After my experience I personally wouldn’t contact previous owners if I ever bought another horse. I would ring the previous owners . You could you find out brilliant things about your horse I say the previous owners would be delighted to have a update.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I would, I love to know the history and it may help in the future.
But also remember people's opinions about horses aren't always accurate and horses do change

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I actually did contact the previous owners ended with a huge shock my horse turned out to be be blind in one eye . According to the previous owner. I wasn’t told when I was viewing the horse and the vet didn’t even noticed it when vetting the horse . I ended up changing vet after that . After my experience I personally wouldn’t contact previous owners if I ever bought another horse. I would ring the previous owners . You could you find out brilliant things about your horse I say the previous owners would be delighted to have a update.

Why wouldn't you want to contact previous owners if you bought a horse ever again? Learning something important and significant such as blindness in one eye seems like a good thing to know.

Idk, I don't contact previous owners, but I can't think of anything I wouldn't want to know... but maybe I'm not being creative enough here. Some things you can kind of take with a grain of salt. The horse is yours now. Look at the horse you have, not the horse that was.

 

[Silver Clouds]

I think it can be very useful, just be prepared to take information with a pinch of salt if necessary. We all 'click' differently with different horses, and have different qualities that we look for in our horses, so your horse may have gone differently with the old owner, or they may just not have suited each other.

With one horse I have owned I was told (after having owned him for 6 months) that he couldn't be hot-shod and would become dangerous if you tried- by the time I was told this I had already had him hot-shod several times, without any difficulty. Another horse I owned I was later told by the last owner that he wouldn't go through water- the first hack I took him on involved a ford, and aside from having a quiet look he was happy to walk almost straight through, and I then rode him in the sea several times with no problem before hearing about his supposed phobia. I don't think either of the previous owners had lied to me, it was probably just a combination of the fact that I hadn't expected a problem so the horse felt my confidence, and maybe our personalities were better suited (after all, the previous owners had both chosen to sell these horses). On the plus side I met the breeder of another of my horses who as well as only having positive things to say, also had some lovely foal photos!

 

[Dyllymoo]

To be fair he was a very green 4 year old when they had him (that was probably too slow for their children) and he is a green 5 year old now that is just right for me!

 

[Trouper]

Do it - knowledge is power. You might find out something useful about him - but then just go back to dealing with the horse you have in front of you and not the horse he might have been with someone else. Silver Clouds has put it very succinctly - horses react to people in different ways.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Definitely. Didn't get a chance to call her last night as we were up the yard until 8.30pm out hacking, but I will call her later and see what she says. I cant imagine anyone saying a bad word against J if I'm honest.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Do it. I'm in touch occasionally with E's old owner. It's hard for her as she didn't want to give him up but circumstances meant she couldn't give him the life she felt he deserved. Earlier this year she sent me a huge bundle of his baby pictures.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Between ponies we have sold/loaned and 'my' horses at work going on to new homes I always say to them if they ever need anything or want to know anything just holler. Other than that I have them as friends on fb and like the occasional pic of said animal but don't get involved. I find it's nicer to sit in the background and leave them to get on with it and enjoy their ponies.

If the owner is happy for you to ring then by all means do so as a one off. I would be driven demented if people were ringing/messaging etc every other day. I don't mean to sound uncaring because I do care but to me these guys have gone on to new lives and new people. They don't need to be clouded with every issue or weird thing the animal has ever done as they will then expect that behaviour when they may not have shown it previously with them.

 

[luckyoldme]

I sold my horse two years ago it was heartbreaking.
Her new owner got in touch with me and I was able to tell her everything I know which was her entire history and some of her mothers.
I see pictures of her on fb and after a year I plucked up the courage to ask to see her. Her owner said she didnt want to unsettle her and i accepted her descision. She said she would let me know when she felt it would be ok and as yet she hasnt.
Its bittersweet.
The thing is her owner is devoted to her and the horse wants for nothing.much as i would love to see her I would much rather she is where she is and not be able to see her than worrying about her being somewhere else.
The reason Im posting though is that not everyone would be able to hold back the emotions so contacting an old owner may stir up a hornets nest!..i would say tread carefully.

 

[dorsetladette]

If I can sTay in touch with previous owners I do. Like Elf said just by staying friends on FB etc. With my special needs lad I have stayed in touch with his breeder and we have often spent evenings mulling over ideas that could help him with his fears. On the other side I have had a really bad experience by staying in touch with his previous owner. She gave him away 'Free to a good home' as she was supposedly in financial difficulties (then bought a house and still owned 3 mares which she continues to breed from). I only every post positive things about him on FB, but one evening she tore me apart and had her friends join in too! I've since blocked her and changed my privacy settings.

I have to say though that on the whole most ex owners and breeders have been happy to hear how there ponies have got on and tell a funny tale or 2 about their antics with them (welsh ponies - say no more)

 

[Dyllymoo]

I don't think it will be a big deal as some on here, as they did only have him for around 4/5 months, so it isn't like they had him years. I wouldn't be going to them for advice about him as I think I probably know him the same if not better than them, I was just interested in finding out what he had done with them as I think he went to them fairly newly backed and I remember seeing photos of him popping a small log and going over some coloured poles on the ground in the advert but I didn't save them as I didn't think he would be the one I would buy! How funny

 

[outdoor girl]

I'd love to know a bit more about my horse. I bought her from an eventing yard who had had her for about 8 months and before that she was in Ireland. There is a name and address in her passport of the girl who had the passport done, but that was when my horse was a 2 year old and she's 11 and I've had her since she was 5 so I don't suppose the address will be correct now. Some people have reckoned she's Connie or part Connie but the more I look at her the more she looks Section D!!!

 

[Dyllymoo]

I did it....

And as suspected not a bad word was said! He has done lots of things but was just broken when they got him.

They have sent me some photos as well which is lovely.

She said she was so glad he had gone to the perfect home which nearly made me cry!

 

[VRIN]

That's great news!

 

[Surbie]

That's lovely - glad it was so positive.

 

[IngramsRoughDiamond]

My gelding is 28yo and I've finally found 2 people who rode him competitively in Ireland before he came here, both with some good results. I've messaged both on Facebook but neither has replied ?

 

[Lex2009]

That’s brilliant news

 

[SEL]

Glad it was good news. I tracked down the lady who'd bred mine because I wanted to find out if the orphan foal rumour was true. It was and she gave me some interesting background info. She is on FB and randomly met her one day hacking back from a lesson.

 

[splash30]

I'm just selling one of mine, and I'm making sure all my details are in the passport as I would love for any new owners to contact me (hoping the new ones keep him forever but not in my control). Its killing me selling him but the best for the pony, and an exciting new start.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I contacted an old owner listed in my son's old pony's passport. They were thrilled to hear from me and came to see her a couple of times after that.

I have bred a small number of ponies and would welcome any contact.

 

[tatty_v]

I’m really pleased it worked out for you ?

I have my horse’s previous owner and previous but one owner on fb (by request from both of them). They were invaluable in helping me in the early days with some of his more “special” qualities (!) and I know they enjoy seeing pictures of him looking well.

I did also pluck up the courage to contact his first registered owner on fb (using details from his passport). She was overjoyed to hear he was still going strong and gave me so much information and some lovely baby photos.

All in all I’m really glad I’m in touch with people from his past - it’s helped explain his quirks and it’s clear he’s been a very loved pony throughout his life and fallen on his feet at every turn!

 

[ester]

Great update, both of ours had only been with their sellers for a short period of time (poor purchase choices) and both prior owners were a bit concerned as to where they had ended up.
It was so much more useful to get prior history from people who had them a long time.

For a long time the previous owner of Mum's mare would have a chat about once a year, we got important history about where the scarring on her legs had come from - she took fright at a skip lorry and has never been 100% with big traffic but manageable. It also meant we found out why she was struggling with the concept of personal space. And we got some foalie photos.

F's owner was a teen, he has been her first pony for 4 year, as far as they knew everything was going fine and then they got told he was dangerous on the road and for sale. I have never met a more solid on the road pony, if you wanted a quiet life you hack him down the A38.
We were able to contact them via a mutual contact and asked if they would come visit, and would she ride him for us so we could see how he was used to being ridden. She was delighted to be asked to ride they came and spent an afternoon with loads of photos and VCR videos which were lovely to see. (And she rode beautifully so we knew we needed to step up a bit). I think it definitely put their minds at result. I did FB message her a few years back to say he was still alive and wouldn't be going anywhere else.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thanks all. I'm grinning from ear to ear still this morning.

 

[Chippers1]

That's so nice

I'm very occasionally in touch with Buzz's previous owners. They didn't want to sell him but the daughter had developed a really bad allergy to horses (after having them since she was young) her lips started turning blue after the short ride she did on him before I got on! They don't have social media but I said I would send some photos and keep them updated and they like to see what he's up to but I don't go over board, just a few pics every 6 months or so.

I've tried to contact his breeder but got no where with that, although I have managed to find his two full brothers and his mum so that is at least something! I would love Buzzy foal photos