Seemingly underpriced event horse

emin20

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Hiya, I have found a lovely event horses for sale but in my opinion it’s a bit underpriced, by about 5-8k. Owner says that home is more important price and is a reluctant sale. There are no injuries and nothing that would suggest a lower price, except that it didn’t event 2024 season. Would this alarm people?
 
Ask if you can see vet records for a start. Do as much fact finding as you can, ask for pre 2024 videos and current videos.
If your gut is telling you to walk away, then do.
 
Ask if you can see vet records for a start. Do as much fact finding as you can, ask for pre 2024 videos and current videos.
If your gut is telling you to walk away, then do.
Just be aware that people can and do use more than one practice.
I speak from bitter experience having purchased a horse and been presented with a clean vet history. Only to find out it had been to Newmarket with a check ligament injury. I presume referred by another vet.
 
Just be aware that people can and do use more than one practice.
I speak from bitter experience having purchased a horse and been presented with a clean vet history. Only to find out it had been to Newmarket with a check ligament injury. I presume referred by another vet.
This is true. Found three ligament injuries in a horse that was not on record, two years after buying. Had to out horse down. This was also a event horse that had missed a season before i bought her.
 
It’s definitely too good to be true! I recently read an ad for a lovely young eventer listed at £5k … couldn’t make head nor tail of it. Until I found the original ad - shivers. if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
 
Yes it raises suspicion but could be simple like missed a year through pregnancy and childbirth, divorce turmoil, moving house and job, but questions needs to be asked including how fit the horse is now, could be a bargain for someone or a nightmare purchase.
It could be but I am a massive cynic 😆.
I knew a small time dealer years ago who always used pregnancy as a reason for selling horses.
To my knowledge the horses were fine but she just said it was easier to say she was pregnant.
This was the late 90s and before social media sleuthing.
 
Does it have an eventing record prior to 2024?

What reason did owner give for the season out?
Yes evented successfully from 2021-2023.

I found that the horse had a minor surgery in summer 2024 and so had time off for that. Mixed with owners personal circumstances it explains why there was no eventing. Horse has now made a full recovery and is in work.

Thinking it could be a good deal as vet issue was minor and won’t cause further issues, was just a one time thing.
 
Yes evented successfully from 2021-2023.

I found that the horse had a minor surgery in summer 2024 and so had time off for that. Mixed with owners personal circumstances it explains why there was no eventing. Horse has now made a full recovery and is in work.

Thinking it could be a good deal as vet issue was minor and won’t cause further issues, was just a one time thing.
That is good to hear. Can you speak to the vet?
 
Yes evented successfully from 2021-2023.

I found that the horse had a minor surgery in summer 2024 and so had time off for that. Mixed with owners personal circumstances it explains why there was no eventing. Horse has now made a full recovery and is in work.

Thinking it could be a good deal as vet issue was minor and won’t cause further issues, was just a one time thing.

What was the surgery? And what age is the horse?
 
It’s definitely too good to be true! I recently read an ad for a lovely young eventer listed at £5k … couldn’t make head nor tail of it. Until I found the original ad - shivers. if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Someone on our yard bought an eventer with definite shivers for 20k…not sure I would 😳 needless to say she’s not evented him since
 
Yes evented successfully from 2021-2023.

I found that the horse had a minor surgery in summer 2024 and so had time off for that. Mixed with owners personal circumstances it explains why there was no eventing. Horse has now made a full recovery and is in work.

Thinking it could be a good deal as vet issue was minor and won’t cause further issues, was just a one time thing.
What work is the horse currently doing, and how does this match with the work you would like to be doing with it?

Is the owner selling it as an eventing prospect for this season? Or is the 'home more important than price' indicating that they are looking for it to move on to a non-competitive or non-eventing home?
 
Wow! that was a very optimistic purchase Bobthecob15, or very stupid! :oops:
Stupid….unfortunately they didn’t really have a clue. Apparently would have been 40k if no shivers ….so they thought they were getting a bargain as it had evented with the previous owner to a decent level. They had no end of issues with it and I think he’s a field ornament now sadly
 
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