Trekking center unlawfully using horses?

[wakijaki]

Have recently posted threads about the problems I have been having with my mare that I bought as a first horse from a nearby trekking center who is not as described. She naps, bucks, kicks, bites. Spins and gives you double barrels in the field just to mention a few things that dont match with the description of quiet, 100% in all ways, easy to ride ect.
Anyway - on advice from the bhs and other people I informed the Citizens Advice Bureau today and they passed the details on to trading standards.
I will be honest and say I didnt think they would be interested and instead they called back and spent ages going through things with my other half while I was in work.
From what I can gather - the seller didn't register my horse to be worked in the trekking center at all. Seems as if each and every horse gets inspected yearly and has to pass a vet inspection and if used for treks and lessons it has to be named and checked as fit and safe to do so...being that they will come into contact with members of the public, some of whom might of never been around a horse before.
So from what they told my other half - if they can use my help to prove the seller used my horse in the center they will prosecute her as its not the first time they have received complaints about her.
Im also concerned that for someone who regually buys and sells horses the passport she gave me with my horse hasnt been updated since 2009 and is in fact a gypsy cob socitey passport.....surely this is also a strike against her considering she had the horse for well over a year?
Can anyone enlighten me on this as I have to wait til monday til I can speak to the woman from the council myself
Thanks

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Just out of interest, does the passport have to be signed over to a new owner, or does a keeper just update it with the Register?

 

[TrasaM]

Ooh ho. The plot thickens. Good luck with getting it resolved.

 

[wakijaki]

Just out of interest, does the passport have to be signed over to a new owner, or does a keeper just update it with the Register?

From what I understand about passports - the owner must update it by law within 30 days of purchase. I didnt know this to start off with as the last time I owned a horse was well before the passport system came in. I would expect that fact that she uses horses all the time and buys and sells them for her business would mean she must be fully aware of the fact that the passport should off been sent off when she bought the horse?

 

[Buddy'sMum]

Yes, the passport should have been updated with the previous owner's details. As the previous owner is a dealer, she will certainly have known this.

But you should have updated it with yours - even though you're currently in dispute with the seller - you have owned this horse for almost 6 months so there's no excuse for you not having updated the passport.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have never bought a horse from a dealer with an updated passport they just don't bother if they are moving the horses through quickly .

As to the licence if the mare arrived after the date of the last inspection I donr think anythings wrong with that when I was involved with a riding scrool( admittedly some time ago ) when the inspection was done they looked at all the horses used but some horses came and went between inspections .

 

[hnmisty]

If she plans on shifting them round quite quickly, I wouldn't be at all surprised that she doesn't change the owner. I think it cost me £15, not much but if you add it all up... Seeing lots of changes in ownership might deter people (if they look at the passport before buying). I would wonder why a perfectly nice sounding horse hadn't found a long term home.

Good luck with your case, it's good that the authorities are taking it seriously

 

[wakijaki]

Yes, the passport should have been updated with the previous owner's details. As the previous owner is a dealer, she will certainly have known this.

But you should have updated it with yours - even though you're currently in dispute with the seller - you have owned this horse for almost 6 months so there's no excuse for you not having updated the passport.

As I mentioned on another post you replied on - i havent because i have been requesting the dealer take the horse back with in a week or 2 of me owning it which I knew she then wouldnt do if i didnt have the passport so I have been in limbo with not knowing what to do - if she had responded to my request to collect the horse then she wouldnt of done without the passport and would of used that as an excuse. I wasn't that worried about it myself seeing as the last person properly updated the passport was 4 years and 3 owners ago

 

[spottybotty]

I have never bought a horse from a dealer with an updated passport they just don't bother if they are moving the horses through quickly .

As to the licence if the mare arrived after the date of the last inspection I donr think anythings wrong with that when I was involved with a riding scrool( admittedly some time ago ) when the inspection was done they looked at all the horses used but some horses came and went between inspections .

All horses/ponies used by the treking centre/riding school have to be named on the licence and inspected for use whether they were pruchased after the yearly inspection or not.

 

[wakijaki]

If she plans on shifting them round quite quickly, I wouldn't be at all surprised that she doesn't change the owner. I think it cost me £15, not much but if you add it all up... Seeing lots of changes in ownership might deter people (if they look at the passport before buying). I would wonder why a perfectly nice sounding horse hadn't found a long term home.

Good luck with your case, it's good that the authorities are taking it seriously

Yes that is the case - i didnt see the passport until the mare was delivered to me and I had already paid for her and i was concerned then to see that i was the 4th home she had had in as many years when i was lead to believe she had only been in one or two homes her whole life...if i had seen the passport before hand then it would of sent off alarm bells as to why this seemingly perfect horse keeps getting moved about so much?
Im not out to cause trouble for the seller - I would just like her to admit the horse wasnt as sold and take her back as I cant even begin to explain how much stress, sleepless nights, and emotional upheaval this has caused me..it was meant to be a dream come true and the fact that she assured me the horse had been used in the riding school for lessons and for trekking and beach rides lead me to believe I was purchasing a well behaved horse. The fact that she owns a business like that lead me to put more trust and faith in her than I would of done with a private sale as I wrongly assumed that she would help if anything went wrong. In the same way as if you buy a car from a salesroom rather than someones house - you would think you have more support if something goes wrong.

 

[hnmisty]

At least you have a better chance of solving the dispute and getting money back since you bought her from a dealer. If you'd bought her from a private owner you'd have a difficult time getting your money back.

I hope you are able to sort this and get a new horse you can enjoy.