Think I've finally found 'the one' but..

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Laurenm01

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As title suggests, I think I have finally found my first horse! I would like some opinions though - I have always been committed to having the chosen horse fully vetted.

Asked the owner today if this would be ok and she has advised me that the only things that the vet would pick up on was that he has a windgall on his hindleg. Horse cannot be jumped/galloped due to soft ground and no school. Owner also does not want him having a flexion test being done as she does not believe in them.

Fair enough..but in the event that anything went wrong then the costs would all be mine surely and the insurance cover would be limited?

I intend on visiting him a few times with different people (all very horsey) to be safe. I understand that quite a few people wouldnt have a horse vetted but being my first horse I dont want to enter into it blind!

Also owner wants me to wait 2 weeks to go and view him as she wants to bring him back into work after being turned away. I understand that she might want him to be fitter and abit calmer so I can see him as he would be throughout the year. I cannot work out if this means that she doesn't want me to be put off due to him being more lively or if it is something else?
Is this normal to wait 2 weeks as normally it would only be a few days?

Opinions please!
 
sounds a bit odd to me. doesnt believe in flexion tests means he wont pass one. dont come see him for 2 weeks means (to me) that he's not ridable at the moment. cant gallop/jump due to soft ground? again just shouts out that the horse wont pass the vetting.

but hey im a cautious person
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still it all seems a bit fishy
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mmm I would be a lil concered about the vetting its at no cost to her and if shes told what they will pick then she should have no worries unless shes trying to hide something.

if your already happy to buy him being a bit lively then not sure why she wants you to wait 2 weeks
 
If she want to sell the horse now and you want to buy it then you do want you want re vetting - have it vetted as is sure as hell seems she does not think it'll pass! Sure flexions are not the be all and end all but a 5 stage vetting (which you should have) will include them whether she wants them to be done or not.

The fact she has even said she doesn't want them done would have alarm bells ringing for me I'm afraid.
 
To be honest anyone not open to a vetting i wouldnt touch with a bargepole. Everything you said sounds dodgey. I can understand not liking flexion tests but to sell a horse sometimes you have to just let the vet and trust they wont make anything lame.

Sounds like she is taking advantage of this being your first horse and you not having any experience buying horses before. Some people will give it all the talk to cover up a problem, no matter how genuine they seem! Trust me i worked on a dealers yard then kept my first horse at one a few years ago, i have seen people like that first hand! Just IMO though
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Have you been to see the horse at all yet?

Due to the weather a lot of horses have not been worked so I can sort of understand the owner wanting to wait.

As for the vetting - YOU are paying for this, so if you want him flexion tested then get it done. My view is that it will probably show something up and that the owner knows this, but then flexions CAN be unreliable, depending on how they are done and who does them.

Good luck - but remember there is more than one perfect horse out there.
 
Hm I don't know what to do. She didn't tell me about the windgall until I mentioned vetting. She said that basically that it would be really expensive and due to him being 12yrs he wont be 'perfect'.

I trust the people that I will be taking so don't mind so much but if it is no cost to her and flexion tests will be over within minutes why should it matter to her? Strange!
 
any vetting 2 stage or 5 stage will do flexions! save yourself 200 plus pounds if you go to see him again lunge him on a hard surface on a 5 to 10 m circle you should spot if he is gimpy!!!
 
I agree, unfortunately I think something fishy is going on and for someone after a first horse I would have it wetted, if it doesnt pass for what ever reason, its for you to decide if you want to proceed with the purchase etc, for instance i dont agree with flexion tests, so if one didnt pass one I would ( depending on how badly it failed) probably still buy!!

So to be honest I would move on and not buy this one, the owner has a few issues I think.

I wouldnt look at a horse if owner refused vetting, not that id vet it!

xXx
 
Thanks MF, not seen him as yet but just mentioned vetting in general. I understand about soft ground but I will not be able to canter or jump him before buying (if i did) so i asnt sure if this was her trying to hide something.
She has mentioned his jumping merits so much and is using it as a key aspect to him so would like to see what I am getting so to speak. Might ask if there are any schools near by to hire.
 
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She said that basically that it would be really expensive and due to him being 12yrs he wont be 'perfect'.


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What a load of c***!! My 15yr old cob just passed a 5 stage vetting, as did my friends 20yr old horse! It doesnt matter if hes perfect, 12 isnt old, the vet will just tell you what is wrong with it (if something, which i recon there is tbh). Its well worth the £200 now, to then not have to pay £thousands of vets bills later that insurance doesnt cover. Also remember you would only probs be able to insure for £2500 max without a vetting and the leg with the windgall would be excluded as you know about it, so if anything does happen on that leg you would have to pay all the bills
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hmmmm, smells fishy for sure. First off, ANY vetting will include flexions. The vetting shouldn't be looked at as a "pass" or "fail" but bring things to your attention so you can make an informed choice as to if you have the horse or not. Fair point that at 12 the horse won't be perfect, and may be a bit stiff on flexions, my vet allows for 4/5 slightly stiff strides after flexion on an older horse, its like you being a bit older, prob unfit and untoned and having your leg put in a funny positon then being made to run on it! I would also want to see him on a hard circle trotting on the lunge. TBH if its not 100% its not the be all and end all of it, as there are plenty of horses that wont pass flexions but live perfectly sound happy lives, but if she's had it for some time and it won't pass, she should offer really to disclose vet history on it to prove its had no trouble.
 
most vets wouldnt fail a 12 year old on a windgall! and no he wont be perfect but you do want/need sound! yes he will have a few lumps and bumps (what 12 year old doesnt) but he does need to be principaly sound! what height is he? what do you want to do with him? and how much is he advertised for? dont be rushed on this and get him vetted if sound on a 5 to 10 m circle, and do take bloods!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they will be stored unless you ask for them to be run!
 

If she has said you cannot canter him,(I didn't realise this from your first post) do not waste your time even going to see him.
I would not buy a horse I hadn't cantered. Ever. Full stop.

I took my horse out this morning and cantered him on some of the softest ground I have seen in a long while. He is not lame and nor would I expect him to be after that.

What sort of horse are you looking for? Maybe if you let us know on here we can have a look for you?
 
Thanks. She has had him since last winter and bought him as a nanny for her husbands horse.

I understand that no horse is perfect and wouldn't turn him down if he were to fail on something small. Just that as he would be my first, I would need to know more detail as what others have gained in experience I would miss out on.

She has sent me loads of pictures of him jumping - would this be an indication that he is ok or just dependent on other factors? He looks really alert and happy jumping.

I'll have a look but brief friends first!
 
The pics could have been from pre windgall which may now be affecting him. Could you ask her how recently the pics were taken?

Also he may have had an injury which she is covering up, the fact she has said no cantering and didnt tell you about the windgall until you mentioned vetting, then tried to dissuade you from vetting makes me think this whole situation is very dodgey.

When you go with a friend do let us know how you get on though!
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I am looking for one with four legs..joke! I have been looking so long it gets really disheartening but will be worth it in the end.

14.1 + horse for light hacks and pop over the odd jump. I seem to prefer cobs but would literally consider anything sane. Would prefer for him/her to currently be no more than 2 hours from Cardiff due to wanting to visit a few times! Amount set is no more than £1850 - hence why I am struggling!
 
I will do Snowy!

She bought him with it apparantly..she has had him since last winter. Think I will ask for a vet record but she doesn't sound like the type of person to go to vets - i.e. deal with it herself..if that makes sense so not sure what records will show!
 
How can you know you have found "the one" if you haven't seen him?! I would get a 5 stage vetting, with flexions etc and if she says no, you say no. Also, don't even think about buying the horse if you haven't cantered and jumped him if that is what you intent to do, save yourself the heartache.

If you really think he is "the one" you could ask for him to be boxed to an arena to try.
 

Windgall is unlikely to cause any problems. More likely that he has unexplained, intermittent lameness (explains the time off) or some sort of arthritis/spavin.

The pictures could be from any time and prove nothing. If she won't let you jump or canter him, don't buy him. simples.

ETA - you should be able to find what you want for the money you have!
 
I understand that I sound naive coffee bean as i am basing opinion on pictures and from what she has said! Just from what I have heard previously and seen from pictures he looks like what i am looking for hence why i would like to see him.

I am definately going to ask to see him in school, that way I should be able to canter and pop a few jumps whilst friends look at his movement.

I'll see how it goes anyway!

If anyone knows of a sane horse in South Wales/Bristol area that is 14.1 and within limit let me know please!
 
That's just my personal opinion, only bought my first horse 18months ago so I'm probably not the most experienced, but my gut feeling is:
DO NOT BUY IT IF IT HAS NOT BEEN VETTED
especially if the owner is being funny about it and she knows it it your first horse
 
I've got my heart set on getting one but would rather wait if it meant having one that could be fully vetted. Even for peace of mind! I am sure my friends will be very thorough anyway.

I've messaged owner asking about hiring school so will see what she says and take it from there!
 
BUYER BEWARE!

Are the pictures of him jumping from before she owned him? As she has only owned him for a relatively short period of time, why don't you try to contact the previous owners (through the Passport Agency). I would put money on the fact that he was a broken-down show jumper who was bought as a hack, perhaps not even as long ago as last winter.

You sounds very sensible and are wise with all you plan to do - vetting, lots of experienced friends viewing etc, but I wonder if it is even worth your time visiting and wasting a couple of hundred pounds on a failed vetting. Also, she will pretty much tell you want you want to hear as she clearly wants rid of the horse and is obviously not so worried about his welfare - or she would have openly disclosed his health problems at the outset.

Keep your money and look around...there will be a lot more on the market as we get towards spring and people think about selling for the new season. Good luck!
 
Ask the seller for the passport NUMBER and then ring the passport agency and they will help you. If she won't give it to you easily then**alarm bells*!!
 
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