So I think I’ve found her...

[splashgirl45]

if you are already feeling a bit nervous about her, you really MUST hack her out before the vetting otherwise you may lose the opportunity as the dealer will want her gone a s a p......i have many years of owning horses but i made a mistake by not hacking my last mare out before i bought her. she turned out to be very spooky out hacking but fine in the school and it took me years to be able to hack out without feeling nervous even though in over 50 years of owning i had never been nervous. and would ride anything......so make sure you dont overhorse yourself....

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I'm a bit ? about their answer to whether she bucks and/or rears to be honest, reading between the lines I would suspect she's either spooky or nappy when unsettled for them to mention it as part of their answer. Did they explain exactly what she did when she first arrived and was unsettled?

Absolutely agree with others that you should definitely hack her before the vetting, essentially you want to try doing everything you'd want to do with her before committing to buy so you know she's truly suitable.

I'd also want to know what she's like to travel.

 

[Starzaan]

Another one here who absolutely would not vet this horse until I had tried it in all the situations I needed to.
When helping my clients buy their first horse I insist on seeing the horse load and travel a short distance, caught in the field, tacked up, groomed, sprayed with coat shine or the like, sprayed with a hose, hacked out alone on roads and in open fields, and hacked in an open field with company, ridden in the school both on the flat and over fences.

The answer to the buck and rear question is a little worrying to be honest, especially for a first horse.

I would be taking an instructor back before the vetting and putting this horse through it’s paces a lot more before vetting.

 

[ycbm]

If you still decide to have the horse vetted consider having bloods taken too.

Don't consider having bloods taken, insist on them being taken, take a test tube from your vet for yourself and put it in your fridge for six months. Vets can lose it or throw it away too early.
Dont buy if the owner refuses a blood sample. I had a friend who had to be persuaded out of doing that once (and it was tough to get him to see sense). The horse (racehorse) went to auction, sold and was back at the following auction.

 

[ycbm]

Is this your first horse? I'm so sorry, because you are understandably excited, but I would recommend that you back out. A horse which is bad enough for a dealer to warn that it takes time to settle in a new home is a real stress for any owner, never mind a first timer. And if there is something wrong with it, or you aren't a good match, it will be too late to return her once she is settled enough for you to find out.

You also won't be able to take her to a camp, for example, and she might not behave well if you take her away from home for a lesson. These are things a more experience owner will sort out, but it's not a job for a novice owner.


.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Thanks girls. I’m going to try and get there early and ride the horse before the vetting. I think I’m going to ask if anyone is available to come out on a hack with me.

 

[TheMule]

You can't ride a horse before a vetting as they have to be stood in for several hours (preferably overnight) before the first trot up.
I would have warning alarms going off from what the dealer has said in answer to the turn out and rearing/ bucking qs. You will have no come back if the horse is tricky when you get it (And who is to argue how long settling in takes?) and if it explodes when you ride it straight from the box without having been turned out before.
Blood doesn't keep for 6 months in the fridge.....

 

[Roxylola]

To be fair if the dealer is decent the anxiousness at settling in might be them being over cautious
I would try and hack though asap

 

[Newtothegeegees]

I’m finding this forum really helpful but equally confusing. I have just been reading about the vetting and it does say the horse shouldn’t be ridden beforehand.

The dealer is well known to my YO not in a ‘friends’ way but in a business sense. My YO has advised 8 different people on her yard to come to this dealer - she also has one other trusted dealer that she recommends. The horse can be exchanged within 3 months as part of the deal yet out of the 8 on her yard none went back.

In regards to settling in the new yard I think the dealer was just trying to manage my novice expectations ie. don’t rock up for a full hack the day she arrives. I’ve also researched this a bit and it seems quite normal for a horse to take a few weeks to settle into a new routine with new horses surroundings etc.

I’m open for all your advice and really appreciate it.

 

[Dyllymoo]

I'm going to give you my 2ps worth. I had "friends" at a riding school where I was having lessons help me with their friend the dealer and found me the "perfect" horse. They recommended the vet (the riding school) to get the vetting done. He was a dodgy vet who has been struck off now (for doing dodgy vettings) and the dealer was sent to prison for being a dodgy dealer (not due to my horse but many many many others).

I'm not saying this is what is happening with you but I just want to highlight that sometimes we need to step back and think about what we are doing. Not everyone has our best interests at heart.

I would want to hack the horse out. Maybe stop the vetting or re-arrange it so that you can hack out asap. Then maybe ride in the school again, the more you ride her the more you might think she is perfect, or the more you might think she isn't quite for you. neither is wrong, as long as you are happy with her.

Definitely go for the vetting if you do decide to have her vetted and get the bloods taken.

Don't be afraid to walk away either if that is what your gut is telling you.

 

[Newtothegeegees]

Jesus these stories are scaring the hell out of me. I want to run a mile now!

 

[Dyllymoo]

Jesus these stories are scaring the hell out of me. I want to run a mile now!

I didn't mean to scare you, I just wanted you to be aware a bit more. I wasn't and it caused me financial and emotional problems if I'm honest.

I think the main thing to do is to ride the mare again, at least hack her out and maybe again in the school after the hack (try that way round to see how she is without being worked first).

 

[ihatework]

I’m finding this forum really helpful but equally confusing. I have just been reading about the vetting and it does say the horse shouldn’t be ridden beforehand.

The dealer is well known to my YO not in a ‘friends’ way but in a business sense. My YO has advised 8 different people on her yard to come to this dealer - she also has one other trusted dealer that she recommends. The horse can be exchanged within 3 months as part of the deal yet out of the 8 on her yard none went back.

In regards to settling in the new yard I think the dealer was just trying to manage my novice expectations ie. don’t rock up for a full hack the day she arrives. I’ve also researched this a bit and it seems quite normal for a horse to take a few weeks to settle into a new routine with new horses surroundings etc.

I’m open for all your advice and really appreciate it.

Well that sounds slightly more positive but not fool-proof (not that anything is foolproof when buying a horse).

How old is this horse and what is her history? Why is she in a dealers rather than a private sale? How long have the dealers had her?

If you have an advert link then I’m happy to look by PM.

We are just all slightly concerned you have done exactly what a lot of other first time buyers do - rock up at a dealer, fall in love, buy. Then are left dealing with the consequences.

 

[ycbm]

Blood doesn't keep for 6 months in the fridge.....

I thought I had always been told by the vet to keep it six months and it looks fine? Maybe remembering wrong, getting old and a long time since I had a vetting done.

.

 

[ycbm]

I’m finding this forum really helpful but equally confusing. I have just been reading about the vetting and it does say the horse shouldn’t be ridden beforehand.

The dealer is well known to my YO not in a ‘friends’ way but in a business sense. My YO has advised 8 different people on her yard to come to this dealer - she also has one other trusted dealer that she recommends. The horse can be exchanged within 3 months as part of the deal yet out of the 8 on her yard none went back.

In regards to settling in the new yard I think the dealer was just trying to manage my novice expectations ie. don’t rock up for a full hack the day she arrives. I’ve also researched this a bit and it seems quite normal for a horse to take a few weeks to settle into a new routine with new horses surroundings etc.

I’m open for all your advice and really appreciate it.

The three month return changes things. Can you get that in writing, and is it refund or exchange?

 

[ester]

Usual storage for vetting bloods is 6 months.

 

[ihatework]

I thought I had always been told by the vet to keep it six months and it looks fine? Maybe remembering wrong, getting old and a long time since I had a vetting done.

.

It would need to be frozen down and stored at at least -20, possibly -70 depending on metabolite stability. Never heard of someone keeping their own tube in fridge, lol ?

 

[ycbm]

Cross posted.

 

[ycbm]

It would need to be frozen down and stored at at least -20, possibly -70 depending on metabolite stability. Never heard of someone keeping their own tube in fridge, lol ?

I've always been given one.

.

 

[bonny]

The three month return changes things. Can you get that in writing, and is it refund or exchange?

I very much doubt anyone is going to give you your money back after 3 months and I would be wary of dealers idea of a fair exchange ! It’s good though that others have had favourable experiences with this dealer, just be careful .

 

[southerncomfort]

Not saying the dealer is dodgy but I would say they have been very clever in their answers. I think you might have a tough time proving that the horse has been misrepresented if it turns out to be spooky or buck/rear.

As others have said, if you are buying the horse to hack out on then you MUST hack it out before you buy it. You can't take someone's word for it that the horse is fine to hack as one person's idea of 'fine' can be very different to another's!

 

[twiggy2]

Take a breath and stop,just for a moment, your mind must be whirling with all the information.
Your right you cannot turn out or exercise a horse before a vetting, it could losses up a stiffness that may be relevant at the vetting.
Can you ask your YO to hack the mare out with you there and then you hop on in a field and ride back, obviously the YO will need paying, if they can't do it can then suggest someone who can?
I think it's important not to message the seller about but I would o everything before the vetting.

 

[Trouper]

Take a breath and stop,just for a moment, your mind must be whirling with all the information.
This exactly. Buying a horse is not an exact science and no-one has the foolproof system. I've bought with a 5-stage vetting and still had problems so all you are doing is minimising as many risks as you can and that is the sensible thing to do. BUT - if you need to have a steady hack then you must try that out first or you are ignoring one of the most important tests you can easily do for yourself and wasting a lot of money. I would even put the vetting back to enable me to do this.
Most horses will be unsettled for a while in a new home - some just don't show it so much. If, and when, you do get her home don't be overwhelmed by the first few months. Most horse care is just common sense and they just need us to be calm and confident around them to help them settle. I know this won't settle your nerves (!) but sometimes you simply have to take a leap of faith - just make sure you have tested out everything you can before you decide she is the one for you.

 

[Starzaan]

I really feel for you, but I would definitely take heed of the advice offered.

Yes, it is normal for a horse to take a while to settle at a new yard, but the majority of horses will just get on with it. I have bought many horses over the years, both for myself and for the equestrian centre I used to manage (we’re talking into the hundreds) and I have always worked them the day they arrived if they were broken in. I’ve never had one really struggle to settle, but for a novice owner a lot of them would have been too much.

My current competition horse is used to moving and travelling and spending the odd night in a strange place. He’s super chilled and I’ve never had a problem with him, but if a novice got on him at a new place they would promptly be ejected as he does get a little tense when ridden in new surroundings, and for a novice or nervous rider he is quite frankly, lethal.

The answer to the question ‘does she buck or rear’ is incredibly worrying, and sounds like a dealer trying to cover their arses.

Generally, horses are with dealers for a reason. If I were to sell my boy, he would probably go to a dealer because he is very difficult to ride and a dealer would make him look easier than he is. I would buy youngsters from a good dealer that brings them over from Ireland, but honestly when buying horses you have to seriously read between the lines.

Unless asked, if most people were selling my boy, they wouldn’t offer up the information that he has in fact put two people into comas, they would probably say he can be sharp’.

Please feel free to pm me. Im happy to look at adverts or have a chat on the phone to help in any way I can. I can’t wait to see your happy posts about your first outing with your horse, having fun and feeling confident!

 

[ihatework]

I’ve been sent the advert.
The horse is a nice enough Irish x
The advert seem honest, well written and matched what is shown on the video and the horses price doesn’t raise suspicion. Overall I don’t smell dodgy.

But the horse is an exceptionally green 5yo. Behind the leg. Showing a dubious shoulder bulge at times into a fence. In my opinion far too green for a first time owner unless serious amounts of ££ are going to be invested post sale to keep both heading in the right direction. As a 2nd/3rd horse is say ‘lovely, send the vet’

 

[Upthecreek]

I’ve been sent the advert.
The horse is a nice enough Irish x
The advert seem honest, well written and matched what is shown on the video and the horses price doesn’t raise suspicion. Overall I don’t smell dodgy.

But the horse is an exceptionally green 5yo. Behind the leg. Showing a dubious shoulder bulge at times into a fence. In my opinion far too green for a first time owner unless serious amounts of ££ are going to be invested post sale to keep both heading in the right direction. As a 2nd/3rd horse is say ‘lovely, send the vet’

OP please, please don’t buy a green 5 year old as your first horse. It will have been schooled intensively to get it ready for sale and make it look good and unless you have the skills and experience to keep this up things will go south very quickly. For a first horse you want something that already has plenty of experience of doing the activities you want to do. From what you’ve said it doesn’t sound like you have the skills, experience or confidence to teach a green horse. I hate to rain on your parade but I really fear you are setting yourself up for heartache if you buy this horse

 

[Starzaan]

OP please, please don’t buy a green 5 year old as your first horse. It will have been schooled intensively to get it ready for sale and make it look good and unless you have the skills and experience to keep this up things will go south very quickly. For a first horse you want something that already has plenty of experience of doing the activities you want to do. From what you’ve said it doesn’t sound like you have the skills, experience or confidence to teach a green horse. I hate to rain on your parade but I really fear you are setting yourself up for heartache if you buy this horse

I’m afraid I have to second this sentiment.

 

[Red-1]

I too would not suggest an exceptionally green 5 year old for a first horse. The dealers will be in the best position to show the horse, a good dealer can make many horses seem quiet.

I would look again, and go for one a bit more established. Either that, or have a plan to give this horse extra education, with support for you. This will likely cost £££, but can work. But, why go for that, when you could have a more established one that you can go and have fun on straight away?

 

[AmyMay]

I’ve been sent the advert.
The horse is a nice enough Irish x
The advert seem honest, well written and matched what is shown on the video and the horses price doesn’t raise suspicion. Overall I don’t smell dodgy.

But the horse is an exceptionally green 5yo. Behind the leg. Showing a dubious shoulder bulge at times into a fence. In my opinion far too green for a first time owner unless serious amounts of ££ are going to be invested post sale to keep both heading in the right direction. As a 2nd/3rd horse is say ‘lovely, send the vet’

Glad the op sent you the advert (?).

Wise words from someone with experience.

 

[SusieT]

How trustworthy is YO? I know several who send all new clients to their friendly dealer, while getting a backhand in return so not being truely impartial. There is no doubt you must hack this horse before vetting it - unless you want to set yourself up for heartache and possible financial problems. If you already feel a bit nervous it may be this horse is more than you will be able to handle when its just you and her. There is no reason you cant rearrange the vetting having hacked the horse first.