Rule #1 of going to view a horse...

[cazrider]

Don't call about a horse which says "forward going and takes confidence from her rider" and ask if the horse is a confidence giver for a nervous novice. Durr!

 

[StarlightMagic]

Actually go and view the horse rather than buy unseen (eek!) Luckily he was exactly as described and cost me nothing except his transport! Wouldnt risk it again though, and never did previously! Brain went out of the window once I saw him!

 

[ponies4ever]

If you want to jump, don't buy a green piebald cob that is scared of poles. *laughs quietly whilst whispering "but she is so pretty"* (she's sold now but after a year she was fantastic xc and really got me into dressage lol)

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Remember A B C

Assume nothing

Believe nobody

Check everything

Absolutely! Found this out today: went to see a little 6yo native pony which was described among other things as "hacking nicely both in company and solo"; "good to do, polite on the ground and loves attention"; "backed late and therefore green in the school but willing to learn" etc etc

It was rude and bolshy in the stable and to tack up, didn't want to leave its pair-bond, and flatly refused point blank to leave the yard solo, just wouldn't have it any which way............

Yeah... right. It was overpriced, under-produced, and nappy as a pig. Shame coz in better circumstances it actually was a very nice looking little pony with lovely movement and potential.

 

[joulsey]

So turns out the horse I mentioned in the original post is not an ISH but a standardbred as now listed on his ad!

 

[paddy]

Here are a few:

If you change your mind about going to see the horse, or you're going to be late, let the seller know.

Don't talk to the sellers about the horse you really loved that just failed its vetting and how great it was. Ask about the horse in front of you.

Touch the horse in front of you - run your hands all over, feel its legs, look at its feet, see how it reacts.

Forget what you've seen on TV programs about buying things - don't start pointing out imaginary faults and then make a derisory offer for the horse as a 'project'. Particularly if it's blindingly obvious that you're not the most experienced and are on very shaky ground.

Be honest about your ability, and what you're looking for, on the phone.

RIDE the horse. Don't walk and trot aimlessly around the outside of the arena. Can it ride balanced turns and circles? How does it respond to regular transitions? Will it halt and stand happily?

Ask about how the horse is managed - what is it fed, is it turned out every day, ridden every day? Does its regime fit with how you keep your horses?

 

[applecart14]

I went to try a horse out many years ago, on Xmas Eve! He was everything I wanted and more (vendor had contacted me directly through my advert in an equestrian magazine). The only thing was he had no papers, wasn't freezemarked, his tack was too small and his bit and bridle was clearly a ponies bridle. She had no rugs for him and didn't know much history about him. He was a quality horse on a scruffy yard with scruffy looking ponies and he looked like he didn't belong. I became very suspicious and felt that the horse could well have been stolen, the vendor, a woman was very short in her answers and didn't give a lot away.

I went away from the yard and because the horse was so nice natured and kind, I felt I ought to do something so contacted Horsewatch who promptly sent a police woman around to the yard although I asked them for no police intervention. Xmas morning I got a very irate phone call from the vendor who told me in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't sell me the horse because I had shopped her in to the police. It turned out she was dealing from the yard she was at, was a big time dealer and wasn't declaring any income to HMRC.

I can remember sitting at the table trying to eat my Xmas dinner in floods of tears as I had really liked the horse and felt he was 'the one'.

The following day Dad and I went to a dealer who we had used previously for my first horse. Dad happened to mention to the dealer that we had looked at a horse called Billy in the area we had been to and that I was gutted that it hadn't worked out. The dealer said "Oh was it ***** that was selling the horse?" to which Dad and I in shock replied it was.

The dealer said "follow me into the kitchen" where he supplied us with the horses passport! It turned out that he had done a part exchange with this woman dealer and until she paid him the full amount for the horse, he would not furnish her with his passport! He said he knew the dealer really well and for a 'price' would get the lady to agree to sell us the horse subject to it passing a full vetting.

So we ended up paying £200 I think it was to this dealer, who no doubt gave her a small amount to square it.

I ended up getting Billy vetted, he passed with flying colours and I owned him for 2.8 years before he dropped dead of a heart attack whilst turned out in the field. He was the sweetest horse I have ever owned, and absolutely adored me, as I did him.

Funny how things work out.

 

[Enfys]

And don't be surprised that an ISH is part TB. Especially if you then try to tell the owner they don't know anything about horses.

I thought (silly of me) that anything 'sport' had tb in it !

 

[humblepie]

My now retired horse was all tacked up and ready when I went to see him - no concerns from me as I think it was so he was ready to get on and ride and then trot up/conformation check after. It was a professional yard and he was immaculately turned out for sale. The last 5 horses I have bought (though that does go back over a 25 year plus period) none of them I have met the seller. They have been at livery or yards to sell and one was just out of training and still in his racing yard, so on the whole relatively limited questions. I do think though it is a good idea to take a second person who asks questions whilst you ride the horse as often things come out in slightly casual conversation which might not in the "sales pitch".

 

[applecart14]

My now retired horse was all tacked up and ready when I went to see him - no concerns from me as I think it was so he was ready to get on and ride and then trot up/conformation check after. It was a professional yard and he was immaculately turned out for sale. The last 5 horses I have bought (though that does go back over a 25 year plus period) none of them I have met the seller. They have been at livery or yards to sell and one was just out of training and still in his racing yard, so on the whole relatively limited questions. I do think though it is a good idea to take a second person who asks questions whilst you ride the horse as often things come out in slightly casual conversation which might not in the "sales pitch".

Think its important to check the horses stable so you can see evidence of crib biting/windsucking first hand. Also check a horse has water, withdrawing water is one sure fire way of sedating a horse, as they become dehydrated they become very switched off and tired.

 

[Nappy Croc]

Actually bloody turn up- or at least call ahead if you now can't make it

 

[majors]

I just want some horses to view 😊😊😊

 

[Leo Walker]

Honestly, I dont believe a word thats said in the ad and I just go and view the horse and see for myself. It could be the most truthful ad in the world, but the horse could still be vastly different for you

 

[Champers and Co]

I just want some horses to view ������

Me too!! The good ones keep being sold before I manage to get there! Happened 4 or 5 times now but I can't keep taking holiday days to see them

 

[majors]

I know as I live in Cornwall everything is hours away, so will have to take days off!!!!!

 

[hairycob]

If you don't want to look like a novice owner don't email a horrendously long list of questions that look like they have been copied from somewhere else. Tempted to try google to see if I can find the list. From some of the terminology I suspect it may be american.

 

[fatpiggy]

Rule no. 1 for me would "be sceptical". People always word their adverts in such glowing terms that you wonder why they want to sell the animal, then they tell you just what you want to hear and avoid the bits that you don't. If its advertised as a 14.2hh jumper its probably smaller, if its a 14hh shower its probably bigger. My friend had one brought over for her to view (as she didn't drive) and the dealer claimed it was 15.2hh and an easy ride for her granddaughter. Out came the pony which my friend's 14.hh towered over and when the dealer still insisted (and produced a bent measuring stick which she proceeded to ram into the ground as she "measured" the animal, still with its saddle on) it was 15.2 so I fetched my 15.1 with huge withers out, and she was like a giant beside it. And then things got really nasty!

 

[fatpiggy]

So turns out the horse I mentioned in the original post is not an ISH but a standardbred as now listed on his ad!

Ha, I bet I can guess what the ancestry of the seller is then!

 

[npage123]

Many ears ago, a friend travelled miles and miles to see a horse with the perfect write-up in the add, and sounded exactly what she was looking for.

The sellers failed to disclose in the add that the horse has lost his one eye. Now, there are a lot of horses I know who has lost an eye and remarkably, some do not find it challenging to accept their suddenly acquired reduced vision at all and adjust to it quite easily, but I do think that this and the background info should be supplied to the potential buyer.

So my friend drove all the way over and had to find out about all of this once at the viewing. My friend decided not to buy him (can't remember the main reason why she turned him down) but there will be buyers who are prepared to happily take on a horse like this.

My point really - if there are something unusual about the horse that's being sell - I think the seller should put these details down on the add or explain it to the buyer by telephone, instead of keeping the 'surprise' for the day they turn up at the dealer's yard for the viewing, expecilly if they know the byer will be driving hours and hours to get to their yard.

Yes with some horses and the way they cope with things and how their blind eye affects them when ridden - sometimes you would never have guessed he's got only the one eye, so there are buyers who wouldn't be putt off they are told about it all and would quite happily view/buy the horse.

But sellers - please don't keep that little nugget of information a secret until potential riders turn up in person. You'll be more respected as a seller if it's disclosed to at the time of the first contact with a buyer

 

[Clodagh]

I can't remember who came out with this gem - was it AA? But someone went to view a potential show horse and repeatedly asked if it had clean legs. Was assured indeed it did and went to see it, it came out of the stable with lumps, bumps and scars and the buyer was cross and said 'I specifically asked if it was clean limbed' and the seller replied, 'But it is, I brushed all the mud off this morning'.

 

[Dry Rot]

If you don't want to look like a novice owner don't email a horrendously long list of questions that look like they have been copied from somewhere else. Tempted to try google to see if I can find the list. From some of the terminology I suspect it may be american.

And, no matter how good the advert is, don't just ask "How much?" As a seller, that annoys the heck out of me. I actually find it quite insulting as it infers I couldn't care less about where the pony is going and only want the money! Jeez! I need to know your grandmother's DNA profile before parting with one of mine! (Well, OK, not literally, but you know what I mean!).

 

[fatpiggy]

Think its important to check the horses stable so you can see evidence of crib biting/windsucking first hand. Also check a horse has water, withdrawing water is one sure fire way of sedating a horse, as they become dehydrated they become very switched off and tired.

Good points. I knew a horse being sold off my old yard, was advertised as a schoolmaster (read - getting old), has seen hounds ( going past on the road most likely), no vices - it normally had a weaving grid up on the stable door, but whenever viewers came, the grid was taken down! They wanted silly money for an older, over 17hh long backed warmblood with feet sized for a 14hh pony so you can guess how much trouble they were to the farrier. He was a lovely natured horse and deserved to go to a loving home.

 

[joulsey]

And, no matter how good the advert is, don't just ask "How much?" As a seller, that annoys the heck out of me. I actually find it quite insulting as it infers I couldn't care less about where the pony is going and only want the money! Jeez! I need to know your grandmother's DNA profile before parting with one of mine! (Well, OK, not literally, but you know what I mean!).

Surely that's better than asking loads of questions, coming for a viewing and THEN asking how much? Its better to know if they are in your price range so as to not be a timewaster. However I do know there are certain people out there who know its not in their range and still go ahead with viewings anyway. Strange people!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

And, no matter how good the advert is, don't just ask "How much?" As a seller, that annoys the heck out of me. I actually find it quite insulting as it infers I couldn't care less about where the pony is going and only want the money! Jeez! I need to know your grandmother's DNA profile before parting with one of mine! (Well, OK, not literally, but you know what I mean!).

Sorry but from the other side of the fence it's incredibly annoying to see someone go to the effort of writing a decent ad with pics and videos and not include the price. If the horse ticks all the boxes on paper and my only question is whether it's in budget I don't see the point in wasting mine or the seller's time by writing a long drawn out message if my only query is asking price.

 

[HashRouge]

Possibly a contraversial one but...
If you weigh in excess of 18 stone, please let the buyer know and ask if the horse is a weight carrying type before coming to try their 15.2hh fine boned sport horse. It just prevents wasting everyone's time..!
Had this with my much loved horse I'm currently selling. I hate, hate, HATE selling horses!

I had this with someone who came to view my 14.2hh Arab when she was advertised for loan. She seemed like a lovely lady, but she was in the politest possible way, very large. Now there were photos and a full description of my horse in the advert - she's a teeny little thing, it was obvious that she was not going to be the best weight carrier. Didn't even occur to me I needed to spell that out - clearly I should have done!

 

[hairycob]

I'm beginning to think that I should include minor detail like number of legs! I thought that at £4500 we were out of numpty land but clearly not. Not sure where that is as a friend advertised a 16.2 competition horse at £8500 and still had enquiries asking if it would be suitable for a 12 yo novice rider.

 

[Ormsweird]

Right now I would just like to make it to VIEW a horse. Making lots of enquiries, asking questions. Most don't reply. Had one where the current loaner who had wanted to hand him back suddenly decided they were keeping him when I asked to view. One who can't be stabled and that's necessary in livery around here.

One day we might have a second pony!

 

[Tiddlypom]

And, no matter how good the advert is, don't just ask "How much?" As a seller, that annoys the heck out of me.

I can't speak for DR, but enquirers still ask this even of the price is clearly stated in the ad. I think they are trying to cut to the chase as to what is the bottom offer that would be accepted.

Would instantly strike such an enquirer (if that is their opening gambit) as unworthy of further consideration. Price negotiations come later.

 

[9tails]

Would instantly strike such an enquirer (if that is their opening gambit) as unworthy of further consideration. Price negotiations come later.

Do they? If I have £5k to spend and your horse doesn't have a price tag on the ad but you want £10k, I would like to know long before I get my car keys out.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I can't speak for DR, but enquirers still ask this even of the price is clearly stated in the ad. I think they are trying to cut to the chase as to what is the bottom offer that would be accepted.

Would instantly strike such an enquirer (if that is their opening gambit) as unworthy of further consideration. Price negotiations come later.

Do they? If I have £5k to spend and your horse doesn't have a price tag on the ad but you want £10k, I would like to know long before I get my car keys out.

See the words in bold . Though 'of' should have been 'if' .