Sold horse new owner trouble

[Honey08]

Otherwise say he can be brought back and you will pay 50% of what they paid if they won't allow you to vet him or assess him first... Their choice. You vet him and pay £2500 or they dump him back, you take the risk of a broken horse and you pay £1400.

 

[Misha]

Thank you for your input, much appreciated as everyone else's

 

[flowerlady]

Yes, not dealer as such, but I am self employed in the equestrian

If you sell more than 3 horses a year you are classed as a horse dealer 'apparently' according to Horse & Country.

What do you do as self employed in equestrian?

 

[flowerlady]

As I said am not dealer.... I have few to many so they are offered for sale to reduce numbers to make space fr clients horses. Still I think it's not fair comment, try see both sides. Even if I was dealer, sold perfectly well mannered horse to some carrot cruncher... The horse in time of 4 weeks they had him, could of been sold 10x over. Than they blow his brain out, cos that's what I think has happened, you will hold me responsible?

If your not a dealer? then surely 4 weeks is not that long to take the horse back even some bad dealers offer 28 day return. If they had said after 2 weeks (which you mentioned earlier) you would probably have said they haven't given him long enough. If the horse was such an Angel then there should be no problem taking him back? Just one question I would like to ask you did you sell the horse with all his tack? Go have a look at where he is and see if maybe you can see what may be causing the problem? Could be bad fitting tack which has made him sore? But whatever it is for the horses sake if he was an Angel you'd surely get him back a.s.a.p unless of course there was a problem?

 

[Honey08]

Go have a look at where he is and see if maybe you can see what may be causing the problem? Could be bad fitting tack which has made him sore? But whatever it is for the horses sake if he was an Angel you'd surely get him back a.s.a.p unless of course there was a problem?

Bu that's the whole issue, OP hasn't said she won't take it back, the issue is that they won't let her go and see what the issue is, they just want to dump it back asap and get full refund

 

[Misha]

Thank you Holly. Exactly that !!

 

[Goldenstar]

Do you put the food for your horses through your buisness ?

 

[maccachic]

Wow I would not be doing anything without seeing the horse. I doubt one bad client will ruin your reputation.

4 weeks is a long time is there any case law on length of time that refunds have been awarded after?

 

[Pigeon]

I agree that you probably will have to take him back, but I agree, DEFINITELY don't do anything without him being vetted first (at their expense)

 

[flowerlady]

OK apologise had only read first 2 pages but didn't you see her ride? Couldn't you see there was a possible problem? You need to tell them that you have to be able to see the horse's condition and even speak to the instructor while watching her or even the instructor ride the horse where it is being kept. Personnally I would want my' Angel' back for his own sake if there was some problem. I have in the past been on the receiving end of a dealer that lied. I assure you I got every penny back. So maybe I'm biased I can also see chinks in their story if they won't let you go and see the horse. I suppose if your not bothered what happens to the horse (had you not had him long?) Then stick to your guns or if your worried about the horses future then take him back. Oh and yes get him vetted.

 

[showingmadfilly]

Chin up what ever decisions you make. Just keep smiling and don't let it get you down.

 

[Shadow the Reindeer]

Get the horse back asap before they ruin him any further. Looking at the flip end of the coin, there's every chance they've done too much too soon with a young green horse, and he's just been over phased, and it's got too much, hence tantrum. I mean, what horse doesn't have a wobble in the first few months of being re-homed, however minor?
Op, he may well revert to the perfect horse you know when he comes home to you, just bare in mind, he's going to be more wary the next time he's sold, there are some right idiots out there, who are more than capable of not only over horsing themselves, but blowing the poor horses mind in the process.
That's not to say, they're not going to try and make you out to be the bad guy in this.. who in their right mind, unless totally honest, is going to admit they're at fault when money is involved?

 

[Marydoll]

Actually no, I would refund the full amount minus a 5 stage vetting. I would get that done before you take him back just to be sure that you are not being given back a literally broken horse.

This is what I would do to make sure the horse is fine before you take him back.

 

[Spring Feather]

I sell most of my horses on first refusal buyback contracts (with no time limit) so there's no question that I would buy this horse back. I would collect it myself and I would want to see it and give it a thorough checking over before I loaded it up. I always refund the full sales price that my buyers have paid me for the horse because I know full well that I won't have any trouble reselling the horses again. A good reputation is everything in the horse world. Lose it and you could lose it forever.

 

[OrangePepper]

Even though you are a Private Seller the purchasers of this horse could still take legal action against you which could become very protracted and you could end up with a lot of heartache, waste a lot of time and it could cost you a lot in legal fees.
In your interest and that of the horse the best option is for you to have the horse checked out by a vet and if it is o.k. refund them the full amount of money.
Make sure that the horse is insured to the full value when it is travelled back to you.

 

[lastchancer]

Get it vetted and if it's ok I'd take it back and refund - if your experienced you should be able to sort him out in a couple of months if they've blown his brains.
So annoying but it'll most likely be a better solution to a ruined reputation and possible lawsuit. So very many divvys involved with horses, I do sympathize.

 

[cptrayes]

As I said am not dealer.... I have few to many so they are offered for sale to reduce numbers to make space fr clients horses. Still I think it's not fair comment, try see both sides. Even if I was dealer, sold perfectly well mannered horse to some carrot cruncher... The horse in time of 4 weeks they had him, could of been sold 10x over. Than they blow his brain out, cos that's what I think has happened, you will hold me responsible?

Have you sold three within twelve months?

That was the definition of dealer in my friend's case which went to the high court.

Personally, the time this happened to me I told them to bring the horse straight back and had their money waiting for them. I only just managed to stop myself from telling them what I thought of them when they unloaded him.

That horse was sold for the same amount as yours, which was worth a lot more in 1992.

I didn't take back one where the buyer told me they had a navicular diagnosis six weeks after a five star vetting, though!!

 

[Kaylum]

I would want to see the horse at the yard but I doubt that would resolve anything. They had it vetted and it passed. The fact that they now cannot handle the horse for whatever reason yes is their problem and an instructor screaming down the phone solves nothing anyone can call themselves an instructor/trainer maybe next time they will bring their screaming instructor with them to view it. When they are in their own environment who knows who much turnout the horse is getting, what food it's getting, how they tack up and how they ride, how much work it's getting too much, too little etc etc. Get the horse back don't give them a penny and say when he is sold you will pay them minus livery.

 

[lannerch]

I don't see why you should take the horse back, with the evidence you have no court would find against you!
Let the buyer beware.

Reputation if solid cannot be lost by one persons bad mouth, chances are most will see through this.

I would stick to your offer of re schooling and selling the horse for them , don't be bullied it's a good offer they can take it or leave it .

 

[AmyMay]

Yes I do ... It's heart breaking the whole situation . I would take him back, but on the other hand I am worried what has happened and end up with broken horse

He's not broken. And I would absolutely take him back.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Actually no, I would refund the full amount minus a 5 stage vetting. I would get that done before you take him back just to be sure that you are not being given back a literally broken horse.

That is a good idea, I cannot blame OP for selling a horse even to a novice rider, who apparently has a trainer ......... a trainer who gets on the phone and makes a lot a trouble, I cannot see any decent trainer doing this, and if the horse was going nicely at first, the trainer would have seen it was OK, I think this is some sort of red herring.
Yes I would get it 5 stage vetted and then you have a bonus if you will, some people would not want such a certificate, but at least you know it is OK. however the vet cert normally belongs to the person who pays for it and arranges it.
I would also go and see it, find out what is going on. I would want the horse back at her expense, any reasonable person would explain horse was too much for them and ASK you to take it back and be flexible with regard to money, they risk losing it all, as they now have a horse which is so bad it is not saleable [according to them]

 

[buddy's mummy]

tell her tough luck & tell her to send horse to me!! lol!!

 

[Dry Rot]

If I read this correctly, the purchaser is claiming that the horse has an inherent fault, i.e. it has a bad nature or wasn't broken correctly or something on those lines.

Would it be possible to put the horse with a mutually acceptable professional for assessment and for both parties to agree to accept that decision? Then you have something to negotiate on.

I've sold working gundogs for years and it is even worse in the gundog world as everybody thinks they can work a trained dog. I always made it clear that any warranty extended as far as the gate but I doubt that would work today.

 

[stormox]

I would offer to go and see the horse misbehaving with the new owner. Then if you think its them causing the problem you could offer advice. If they don't go along with you going to see what the horse is actually doing to cause the problem theyr just trying it on with you...... I certainly wouldn't take the horse back until I was sure they hadn't permanenttly damaged it, either mentally or physically.....

 

[OFG]

4 weeks is nothing really in terms of letting a horse settle into a new home.

In feb this year took on a new horse, a 4 year old (advertised as 6!). Tried him at schooling yard and he was gentleman and hacked out perfectly. Brought him home and for the first 6 weeks he was the devil incarnate. Each time I ventured out on the roads it really was a case of would we come back in one piece? Rearing, spinning, bucking, kicking out; you name it he did it. Now I've been riding for 30 years and it seriously made me think if I had made a major poor judgement call on him. Perservered with him and he got better.

Young horse = pushing boundaries / settling in


At end of day OP you need to do what you feel is right but personally I don't think buyers given this horse enough time to settle in and have probably overfaced him too quickly.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

It is the attitude and the actions of the purchaser that is bad behaviour, I don't think they want the horse, that is the end of it as far as they are concerned, yes someone with experience would know how to cope with the situation, but the purchaser does not have experience, and like so many before is "demanding her rights" its a joke, pity a good horse is stuck in the middle.
The longer it goes on the more entrenched will horse bad behaviour become the norm, it is a downward spiral with these people.
I know I had a difficulty persuading people NOT to buy my horse [butter - melts - in - mouth syndrome], but when one came along that could manage him as long as she got support for first few weeks, her instructor [who did not come to see her ride] told her not to buy him GRRRRRRRRRRRR.

 

[stormox]

Its like having a horse on a months trial! not on IMHO. Not on. You could get back a horse nothing like the one that went away. The instructor probably wants to sell her one of her own!!!!!

 

[crabbymare]

Have they got a new saddle as if they have one that is pinching that could be causing the problem and is easily rectified

 

[Hippona]

Im always amazed that when someone comes on here saying theyre having difficulties with a new horse.....within the first few posts someone always without fail advises sending the horse back to its previous owner.

I think some people should stick to bicycles....horses will play up, test out a new owner, not settle etc.....

People don't seem to want to work through any issues any more.
Feel for you OP. Feels for the horse too TBH. Much as it doesnt seem fair it would probably be best for the horse if you could have him back.

 

[_GG_]

Have they got a new saddle as if they have one that is pinching that could be causing the problem and is easily rectified

And some. For all we know they could have him on barley rings and rolled oats!!