The (odd) things owners do... viewing a new horse...

I accompanied a friend to a viewing. The horse was lead in to the school and a load of the other liveries appeared and went and sat in the viewing area. We watched the seller ride and then came the option for my friend to get on herself. "Yes please, but can you get rid of the audience first?"

The seller muttered something about it being normal at this yard for everyone else to pitch up and watch viewings, but my friend was adamant. They go or we go.
 
This seems to be fairly standard :D Although, as everyone only generally reports tha bad, I'm sure there are also some lovely sellers out there!

I went to see a 4yr old - had been backed slowly and carefully, bombproof (could be ridden down a busy road with construction/quarry lorries zooming past), lovely paces, lovely temperament, could jump etc. I phoned first and asked loads of questions - this paragon of virtue was being sold resonably priced for what she could apparently do, and was only being sold because of the owners change in circumstances, which was the reason the horse was also now in a scruffy field and not still at the livery yard where she'd been since bought.

Took a friend with me as an impartial observer. Firstly, the horse trotted around the owner for a few minutes playing hard to get (to be fair, the trot was lovely :P), then when the owner caught her the horse kept trying to bite her which she pretended wasn't happening. While she was talking to us, the mare kept barging on top of her and the owner kept moving back out of her way. I like to check feet (if safe to do so - which I was assured it would be), and mare put her ears flat back and tried to bite the owner and kick me at the same time. When I asked if I could see her ridden, I was told that her saddle had been sold. I then said that I had access to a range of saddles so would probably be able to bring one along that was suitable, at which point I was told that the mare had been backed and ridden away very carefully and the owner didn't want to ruin that work by riding her in a field. At that point I mentioned that expecting a ridden horse price for a horse that couldn't be seen to be ridden, plus appeared to have some behavioural issues on the ground was a little unrealistic...

My friend was friends with the yard owner so asked for some background information on the horse. She was told that the owner had no idea what she was doing and had ruined the horse, and had been kicked off the yard for having an affair with another livery's husband which had led to her change in circumstances as her boyfriend (whose company she worked for) had both ended the relationship and fired her... It was a shame as the mare was basically a really nice horse who'd just been allowed to do what she wanted, and I felt that if taken right back to basics and rebacked would have been OK, but I had no intention of paying anywhere near the asking price, and the owner had no intention of accepting any less.

I also phoned up about a 9yr old 'soppy broodmare' that hadn't been ridden but was so good natured she could probably be backed really easily. The seller (who obviously didn't know this information) gave me the previous owners details that were in the passport so I could check if anyone had tried to back her previously. I managed to get hold of one, who told me not to touch her with a bargepole if I wanted a ridden horse - she was a lovely horse providing you didn't try to ride her. If you did, she turned into a dangerous lunatic (full on airs above ground, rearing, broncing, the lot), which was why she'd originally been sold as a broodmare only. If you didn't attempt to ride, she was the sweetest horse on earth. I didn't buy that one either, but I did tell the seller what I'd discovered.
 
The flipside to this is that no-one trusts ANY sellers!

I have sold on a few - all for genuine reasons and the full range of types including rescues, projects, outgrown kids ponies and quality horses. All were accurately described in detail and realistically priced. All viewers were offered fantastic trial facilities. Most went to the first viewer. None had more than 3 viewings.

BUT it took months of fairly intense marketing to get anyone to come and view any of them! In the meantime a dealer acquaintaince of mine was selling loads of rubbish horses at far higher prices than I was asking for my fantastic ones!
 
A friend went to view a 'nice quiet' horse on an even quieter yard with no one around other than the husband and wife who was selling the horse. the womans husband left my friend and his wife to it and went and mucked out.

My friend asked to see the horse ridden before getting on.The woman had no sooner took up a contact with its mouth whilst putting her foot in the stirrup when it reared and went over backwards partially landing on her and knocking her out cold. My friend went to ring 999 as she knew she'd been seriously injured but realized that she didn't really know what road or postcode she was at, she'd used her sat nav and had just 'arrived' without really paying much attention so had to go running onto the yard to find the ladies husband to get directions for the ambulance. She then put the horse away and on doing so had a hell of a job taking off its bridle - it was extremely head shy so she was left with the feeling that that had somehow been its problem. She left the husband crouching over his unconscious wife as the ambulance arrived and later made a phone call to the husband to enquire how his wife was and found out she'd broken her collar bone, back and had bruised lungs.My friend was so relieved she hadn't got on first.

The woman actually rang my friend some time later when she eventually came out of hospital to apologise and said that the horse had never done that in its life and my friend believed her. If she had known what the horse was capable of there is no way the woman would have got on it so there was an element of truth in her statement. My friend was very lucky and the woman who was selling it was even luckier to have not had life changing injuries as a result.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
When I was looking for my second horse I wanted something that was safe to hack.
First horse was completely dead to the leg, went in to a blind panic if you touched it left side as was blind in one eye, such a shame they hadn't bothered to mentioned it
Second one was a ride and drive mare, legs were all puffy, tanked off back to the yard sliding all over the tarmac
Third one was sweated up in the stable, owner had her arm in a sling so couldn't ride, supposedly safe in traffic, took in the school, got on and walked round, went it to trot and it bronced. It turned out it had only been ridden a handful of times and had seen traffic just once.
 
To be fair that is true Ambers Echo, and as an add on to my previous post on this thread, the same livery and I went to look at a horse who was exactly what they said he was. The seller popped on him in a field, walk trot canter, my livery was able to do the same. Tried him down the road, got him vetted etc. Just so different.
I bought a little cob for my daughter in a similar successful way, but it is frustrating and dangerous when you come across the "other side" (as it were)
 
Travelled over 3 hours to view a horse while we were looking for our first. We'd had a long discussion with the seller beforehand, saying we wanted a nice quiet all rounder for our first horse, mainly hacking, a few small jumps and low-level dressage. She said she had the perfect horse, that an 80yr old lady rode her. My mum got up first and rode round a rutted, flooded arena. Thought the horse was getting a little bit too forward and strong, but wanted my opinion. The seller said it was because the arena was too wet, so told me to ride round the field. This had just been dug up for drainage to be put in, so was ridiculously muddy and uneven. The horse was getting pretty wound up by this point, so I hopped off after only about 10 minutes, and as I dismounted the horse reared straight up. We politely said the horse was a bit too much for us, and the seller got very angry, saying "what do you expect, the horse has hunted, she just wants to gallop, why don't you try jumping that hedge" errr.... that wasn't what you said on the phone. Next thing she's got her husband out the house to chase us off, calling us time wasters! Yes, because wasting half hour of your time to ride a rearing horse in the mud was worth our 6.5 hour round trip... Turns out the 80yr old lady was selling the horse because it was too much.
On the flip side, we ended up finding our horse of a lifetime from a dealer even further away, (who didn't have the best reputation locally) but actually listened to what we wanted and provided about half a dozen possible horses until we found the perfect one :)
 
I was told "he's never done that before!" about a horse who pulled back when being bridled and legged it around the small paddock for a while before he can be caught.

It was my lovely Tally and for all the spectacularly bad behaviour he has produced over the past 11 years, he hasn't done that again!
 
On my latest quest for a horse I met some very bizarre people. There were the "Oh, it's never done that before" and the "he's just a bit green".

The last horse I viewed the seller was 40 minutes late. Then she had to wait for her partner to arrive to help bring the horses in. Horse was advertised as 15.2 five year old gypsy cob and looked lovely in the photos as they always do.
When the seller finally produced the horse it was at least twice it's recommended weight and at least two hands shorter. She even said "she might be bigger than 15.2 now but I haven't measured her for ages".

She said she would lunge her first in a tiny paddock and laughed as the poor pony fell on its face over poles too close together. She produced a cheap synthetic saddle that was far too narrow for this obese pony and said "you can have all her tack with her".
I was pressured into having a sit on and the poor thing hadn't even been backed properly, no whoa or go, it just planted and was so so confused.

I told the seller that the mare wasn't what I was looking for at all and she proceeded to message me later on asking I would please buy the mare. When I told her (again) that I wasn't interested she started going off on one and changed her advert to "still for sale due to timewasters" and put the price up from £800 to £1200 :(

Poor pony was a lovely natured girl but not at all as advertised, such a shame. I often think about her and hope she went to a good home :(

On the flipside I went to view my current mare and she wasn't at all like the photos, very skinny and at least a year younger than advertised. I felt so sorry for her that she came home a few days later, fake passport and all. She wasn't what I was looking for at all as I went out with the intention of buying a 15.2+ over 10 years old and came home with a 14.1 3/4 year old :D
 
On the "she's never done that before" my horse was a dream to load until the buyers came to pick her up. Then she would not load at all. She was used to unfamiliar trailers as at that stage I did not own one but hired them. I still think she knew I was sad she was going and decided to help me out by staying!

Given the stories on this thread I am surprised more people don't use equine agents. After 4 months without an enquiry on a lovely ISH I used one. She spent a good 3 hours evaluating the horse from the ground and ridden before agreeing to put her on her books and 'represent her. At which point the increased the price by 1.5K and sold her almost straight away!
 
hopscotch bandit said:
A friend went to view a 'nice quiet' horse on an even quieter yard with no one around other than the husband and wife who was selling the horse. the womans husband left my friend and his wife to it and went and mucked out.

My friend asked to see the horse ridden before getting on.The woman had no sooner took up a contact with its mouth whilst putting her foot in the stirrup when it reared and went over backwards partially landing on her and knocking her out cold. My friend went to ring 999 as she knew she'd been seriously injured but realized that she didn't really know what road or postcode she was at, she'd used her sat nav and had just 'arrived' without really paying much attention so had to go running onto the yard to find the ladies husband to get directions for the ambulance. She then put the horse away and on doing so had a hell of a job taking off its bridle - it was extremely head shy so she was left with the feeling that that had somehow been its problem. She left the husband crouching over his unconscious wife as the ambulance arrived and later made a phone call to the husband to enquire how his wife was and found out she'd broken her collar bone, back and had bruised lungs.My friend was so relieved she hadn't got on first.

The woman actually rang my friend some time later when she eventually came out of hospital to apologise and said that the horse had never done that in its life and my friend believed her. If she had known what the horse was capable of there is no way the woman would have got on it so there was an element of truth in her statement. My friend was very lucky and the woman who was selling it was even luckier to have not had life changing injuries as a result.
Click to expand...

OMG!!!

I went to view a horse advertised as being very handy and safe, who could turn a hoof to anything. After seeing her trotted up etc, I asked to see her ridden. The seller’s face dropped and she blurted out ‘I thought that’s what you were here to do!’

When I explained that it wasn’t my usual practice to get on strange horses without seeing them ridden by someone who knew them, she reluctantly got on and gingerly rode a few laps of the school in walk and shuffly trot. I put her out of her misery at that point and told her I would neither be getting on myself nor considering the horse for purchase. She cattily replied, ‘No, I don’t think she’s the right horse for you’.

Having read your post, I am very glad I stuck to my guns!
 
I took a friend 2 hours or so to see an imported Belgian draft as a happy hack. Saw her sat on, hopped on myself in the tiny, tiny indoor which she could cross in four strides and as her limit was straight lines rather than corners, put novice friend on to go out for a hack. Walked with her, seller left us to it. Horse was fine, no issues with spooking or napping and seemingly quiet. Told friend to turn around in a wider area of the track, just behind a house (we’d driven through said area to get to the yard in question) so she did. Only at that point, a huge Alsatian flew out of a beer barrel (the wooden ones), attached to a rattling chain and set on this mare’s belly. Mare, with surprising speed, sidestepped neatly and didn’t realise that she was broadside on to a 4’6 or so wall. Friend came off as the mare connected with the wall side on and the next thing I knew, the mare was stuck upside down turtle fashion between the wall and another dry stone one about 4’ to the side of it in a footpath. She had her pelvis twisted round and back legs tucked into the wall and I was certain that she had broken something. Sat on her neck to keep her still and sent friend to run the 1/2 a mile or so back to the yard to get the seller.

Seller turned up, peered at the mare belly up and shouted about her (very cheap, Ill fitting and very old) saddle that was under her and proceeded to manage to get it off her, by dragging it from underneath, then went ape because I’d called the fire department to remove the mare as I genuinely couldn’t think of what else to do. It took a tractor, two crews, the local chief and three hosepipes to demolish the wall and get the mare out. She did somehow walk away sound and at that point, seller asked us when we wanted to pick her up! Sadly, she had awful scabs and scarring under her feather which meant that we decided against but tbh after staying calm under that situation, I dare say she’d have been the bombproof hack that friend wanted.
 
I suppose most youngsters one here won't have seen as many cowboy films as were on when I was a lad - they were practically the only genre of film made at one time. So firstly a little bit of background - a good bunch of these films follow the adventures of a hero type ( say Clint Eastwood) he rides slowly into town with all the locals silently watching with the odd guy spitting.

A big feature was "bronco busting" - the literal breaking of a horse from the wild state into something you could at least sit on; however; every ranch had their version of "Old Thunder" who'd never let anyone beat him. Conveniently they also had a number of quiet types that looked the same and when an unsuspecting hick turned up - they'd do a switch.

It still maked me smile today that I managed to survive such an encounter. As some of the posts above, I went to view a horse rumoured to be a saint and true enough he was standing like a statue in the sand school sunshine looking for all the world like Champion the Wonderhorse. As I moved to mount up - a surprising number of people appeared from all corners of the yard - "e cun be a bit sharp win yer furst getton nim" I was warned. Luckily, I'd taken the precaution of shortening the outside rein up over his head so when he made a big lunge to take a lump out of my bum all he did was lift me into the plate. Then we were off! He bucked, great big ones so that his quarters hit me in the head, then a plunge with twist - a couple of times I looked about expecting to see a line of judges holding figures for artistic merit! This went on for about twenty minutes when all the shenanigans subsided through pure exhaustion - taking him over the the Y.O. I did a pretty good nonchalant dismount flicking me right leg over his shoulder and sliding down his neck, handing over the reins I rubbed me chin and thanked the man but asked if he had anything with a bit more go in it.
 
OldFogie said:
....I went to view a horse rumoured to be a saint and true enough he was standing like a statue in the sand school sunshine looking for all the world like Champion the Wonderhorse. As I moved to mount up - a surprising number of people appeared from all corners of the yard - "e cun be a bit sharp win yer furst getton nim" I was warned. Luckily, I'd taken the precaution of shortening the outside rein up over his head so when he made a big lunge to take a lump out of my bum all he did was lift me into the plate. Then we were off! He bucked, great big ones so that his quarters hit me in the head, then a plunge with twist - a couple of times I looked about expecting to see a line of judges holding figures for artistic merit! This went on for about twenty minutes when all the shenanigans subsided through pure exhaustion - taking him over the the Y.O. I did a pretty good nonchalant dismount flicking me right leg over his shoulder and sliding down his neck, handing over the reins I rubbed me chin and thanked the man but asked if he had anything with a bit more go in it.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. Makes a good story but I'm sure I've seen that plot happen in wun of them thur cowboy moovies...:D :wink3:
 
Flicker said:
OMG!!!

I went to view a horse advertised as being very handy and safe, who could turn a hoof to anything. After seeing her trotted up etc, I asked to see her ridden. The seller’s face dropped and she blurted out ‘I thought that’s what you were here to do!’

When I explained that it wasn’t my usual practice to get on strange horses without seeing them ridden by someone who knew them, she reluctantly got on and gingerly rode a few laps of the school in walk and shuffly trot. I put her out of her misery at that point and told her I would neither be getting on myself nor considering the horse for purchase. She cattily replied, ‘No, I don’t think she’s the right horse for you’.

Having read your post, I am very glad I stuck to my guns!
Click to expand...

Yes the best and probably most important tip about going to view a potential horse. Never get on first :)
 
Re the "never done that before"

I went to see a mare, the rider rode first and then I hopped on to walk and trot, the area was so uneven and slippy so I asked the owner to hack to a nearby field so I can see what the Horse is like in Open spaces and see the Horse canter. I had a little walk and trot and felt very safe with the Horse. I asked the owner to get back on again to canter and the Horse stuck her head between her legs and launched the owner off. She did look very shocked and got up and said "shes never done that before" to give her credit she did get back on and ask for canter which was no trouble this time.

I bought that Horse and still have her 6 years later and she never did do that again.
 
katastrophykat said:
I took a friend 2 hours or so to see an imported Belgian draft as a happy hack. Saw her sat on, hopped on myself in the tiny, tiny indoor which she could cross in four strides and as her limit was straight lines rather than corners, put novice friend on to go out for a hack. Walked with her, seller left us to it. Horse was fine, no issues with spooking or napping and seemingly quiet. Told friend to turn around in a wider area of the track, just behind a house (we’d driven through said area to get to the yard in question) so she did. Only at that point, a huge Alsatian flew out of a beer barrel (the wooden ones), attached to a rattling chain and set on this mare’s belly. Mare, with surprising speed, sidestepped neatly and didn’t realise that she was broadside on to a 4’6 or so wall. Friend came off as the mare connected with the wall side on and the next thing I knew, the mare was stuck upside down turtle fashion between the wall and another dry stone one about 4’ to the side of it in a footpath. She had her pelvis twisted round and back legs tucked into the wall and I was certain that she had broken something. Sat on her neck to keep her still and sent friend to run the 1/2 a mile or so back to the yard to get the seller.

Seller turned up, peered at the mare belly up and shouted about her (very cheap, Ill fitting and very old) saddle that was under her and proceeded to manage to get it off her, by dragging it from underneath, then went ape because I’d called the fire department to remove the mare as I genuinely couldn’t think of what else to do. It took a tractor, two crews, the local chief and three hosepipes to demolish the wall and get the mare out. She did somehow walk away sound and at that point, seller asked us when we wanted to pick her up! Sadly, she had awful scabs and scarring under her feather which meant that we decided against but tbh after staying calm under that situation, I dare say she’d have been the bombproof hack that friend wanted.
Click to expand...

Omg. How horrendous for all involved!
 
My best (worst) was the time I drove for the best part of 2 hours each way in pouring rain and a howling gale to see a horse that had been described as 15.2hh. It must have been all of 14.3hh on its tiptoes and much MUCH more finely built than it looked in the ad photos. I sat on it for less than 5 minutes because I felt utterly ridiculous.

Also the seller was in bed when I arrived and someone had to go and wake her! It's not like she didn't know I was coming ...

Just a massive waste of everyone's time.
 
The only dodgy experience I have had was way back in the day when we were shopping for a first pony for my brother and I to share. We were similar ability but I was very very nervous having been bucked off a riding school pony and broken my arm so wanted something really nailed to the floor. I would have been 9 and my brother 12. Not sure where we were but it was some sort of racing yard with proper full on gallops so you can see where this is going! My brother got on first on and all seemed fine when suddenly the pony took off and he disappeared into the distance round these gallops. I remember standing with my mum and the owner and all we could see was the dust as it shot round and went past us at full pelt a couple of times before he managed to pull it up. My mum was pretending not to be too phased but there was no way I was getting on that! I think my brother probably quite enjoyed it really. Definitely not a first pony for nervous kids out of a riding school!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top