Viewing horses - your worst experiences

little_flea

little_flea

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When viewing horses to buy, I think a lot of us have horror stories... Share your best (worst!) ones here!

We viewed one horse that was so crazy my sister had to bail out once and got chucked off twice. Bolted, reared, bucked - you name it. (For the record we were looking for a SJ and my sis is a v gentle, quiet, good rider who has competed 1.30m classes, so not a novice...)
 
With another one, I brought my very competent instructor along - she fell off, hit her head on a fence wing and we didn't have time to ride the horse as we had to go to A&E... (later bought the horse though!)
 
Went to see one that should have been suitable for a novice who reared over backwards on my friend who is one of the quietest riders that I know.

Saw a complete hatrack that the owner claimed was in regular work and fed bucketfulls of high energy feed...

Saw another that owner refused to get on herself despite claiming that she was a SJer and that the horse was a docile novice ride.

We seemed to attract all the nutters when we were looking, ended up buying from a dealer.
 
i went to view a 'BSJA superstar' who was 12 years old. jumping newcomers etc. went to find the place and ended up in a caravan lot. 2 ladies met us and led us to the 'superstar' who had several splints, lame, covered in mud and defiantly NOT as described. we drove for about 3 hours each way and when we confronted them, they said the photo;s where taken when he was 8. he then had an accident that left him un sound. they still tried to sell him to us. poor horse. i was fuming!!!
 
Arriving for three, what were meant to be three well bred miniature fillies, oulled up at council house, were meeted by a woman..."one sec, i'll get them", three dirty, lice ridden, nervous foals apperead, two of which were lame. We said they werent what we were looking for, and...wait for it...
This woman started shouting, about how she couldnt affrord these F*cking peices of french meat anymore, and how her husband had shot himself last week...SHE APPEARED with the shotgun, waving it..
So needless to say we all hopped in the car and drove away very quickly, and rang up WHW (then ILPH)
So yes it was an eventful day out
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Went to see a 12.2 'perfect first pony' when my kids were younger. There was no-one to ride it to show it to us and so my eldest daughter got on on a lead rein. All was fine so we took the lead rein off - pony promptly took off around the paddock at a gallop - round and round she went - eventually she galloped towards us and the post and rail fence. She slammed on the brakes at the fence shooting my daughter through the fence breaking all the rails.

We didn't buy the pony!
 
I went to view a 16.1 bay mare, 7yrs old as a possible new eventer as my gelding had been retired due to tendon problems.

Admittedly she was a little rough round the edges and not very fit btu moved beautifully in the school and showed a promising jump. Paid £5k for her and had her vetted etc- passed!

Did 2 intros on her but i noticed she still wasn't losing weight even though we'd been working her regularly. Vet did few scans and she was in foal!! Couldn't believe it. the owners said they had no idea- as they weren't aware of any stallions nearby. They also said they would have the foal terminated if I gave her bk...so I kept her.

I'm not left with one fat mare and a cute bay foal (looks like the father was a cart horse though)!!!
 
I travelled 3 hrs to try a TB "schoolmistress" a few years ago, she sounded perfect in the advert and if all went well ridden I would have bought her that day !
We arrived to find her covered in sweat as she had been ridden for 2 hrs (alarm bells were already ringing at this point
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) needles to say I saw her ridden she seemed on her toes but I expected that from a TB and the owner assured me it was the norm for the mare, so I hopped on........I was on her back for the grand total of a minuite and she reared vertically and proceeded to bolt an buck untill I was on the floor!! she then jumped the arena fence and go galloping off!
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Whilst I was riding the owner said to my mother that if she didn't sell the horse within the next week she would have it shot! Needles to say we said our thank yous and left rather promptly!
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I went to see a beautiful homebred mare, really stunning hopped on walk around school, trot like a dream, pushed for canter and realised i was sat on the floor.... wtf?? Hopped back on same thing happened again, owner only told me then that they never canter it without it being lunged for 20mins!! Cheers for that she then told me that it bolted with someone onto the train lines!! Hmmm dont think so thanks
 
Not the same but here is the funniest viewing i've ever had.
16.1hh 5yo ex racer. Not long off the track, quiet to ride, GREAT mover and popping nicely over small poles.
Family showed up in the yard and said 'he's a bit thinner than out ID's' - knew they were wasting my time straight off.
I hopped on him, went nicely, popped a pole and girl got on.
She popped him over once and said she didn't really like him as he 'didn't take her into the jump'. I said next time just give him a bit of a squeeze a few strides out (whilst thinking 'instead of sitting there like a sack of spuds').
She booted him into it and he lept about 5ft in the air, she came straight off the back end.
LMFAO when she even had the cheek to get up and say - 'oh, I quite like him now, i'll ring you tomorrow'.
 
i so should not be reading this. Im worried about the crazy horses and owners as it is
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Mind you if something does happen when a thread like this come up again i'll have something to say
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[ QUOTE ]
Arriving for three, what were meant to be three well bred miniature fillies, oulled up at council house, were meeted by a woman..."one sec, i'll get them", three dirty, lice ridden, nervous foals apperead, two of which were lame. We said they werent what we were looking for, and...wait for it...
This woman started shouting, about how she couldnt affrord these F*cking peices of french meat anymore, and how her husband had shot himself last week...SHE APPEARED with the shotgun, waving it..
So needless to say we all hopped in the car and drove away very quickly, and rang up WHW (then ILPH)
So yes it was an eventful day out
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[/ QUOTE ]

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Crikey charlie!!
 
Went to see one when I was about 13 - horse appeared from the stable breathing fire - about 16.3 not the 15.3 we were told - groom was asked to get on and show it off - she went white and said "must I?"

She cantered it to the top of the field, over the brow of the hill........ we waited for a bit then went home - never saw her or the horse again!

Went to see one last year as a potential HWT show hunter - horse was in the stable, untrimmed, unshod - she was meant to have hired the nieghbour's arena to show him off, but hadn't bothered. We were expected to trot him up by using the passageway of the American barn and when that didn't work (every stable was full and he got bitten all the way down) we were "allowed" to let him out in a field knee deep in mud, and loose school him. She was surprised we didn't snap him up - although the horse on the other side of the passageway grabbed my OH by the forearm and started to drag him over the door........
 
Whilst looking for my daughters 1st pony, we viewed 3 at different yards in Kent. The first one napped badly, second one was a nutter (owner refused to get on claiming she had a headache!!) Luckily, I got on rather than my daughter & thought I was at a rodeo!!

The last one seemed fairly sweet & I told the owner about the first one napping & second one bucking when suddenly "oh he's never done that before" the pony napped towards the gate, when the Mum told the daughter to kick him on he promptly bucked the kid off....the Mother turned to me & said "You might as well F**k off as I take it you won't be buying him now"!!!!!!!!!!

A few years later we looked at a lovely Welsh cob in Berkshire who had been supposedly competing with daughter (conveniently not there) & he had been there done it etc. I said he had to jump fillers etc & was assured that he did but having been caught out once before I insisted that I wanted to see him jump fillers. They got stroppy & said "oh well if you must be he is fine with them honestly".

Pony took one look at fillers, stopped & then panicked as if it was going to get a beating & bolted dumping my daughter in the process. Again, we walked away!!

Two weeks later we saw another horse advertised, this time in Hastings. I always ask how long the people have owned them & was surprised when she said "2 weeks"!! Turns out it was the same horse & the poor woman was distraught & said he most certainly was NOT a childs pony.

I had a close shave there & felt so very sorry for the woman as the sellers had engineered the viewings, luckily I had asked to see him jump rather than take their word for it!!
 
I went to see a couple of horses for sale once. One was a recently backed 3 year old, wasn't really looking for one this young but they persuaded me to get on as I was there. He was quite good in walk so I gave him a squeeze to trot and he did an enormous buck and deposited me over his head! I did buy the other one there though, he proceeded to bolt with me on every hack for the first two weeks (after which I decided not to hack him for awhile), then he flat out galloped round the tiny indoor school all winter (didn't understand there was a pace between trot and gallop). But eventually he came good, I still have him now and he is fabulous
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I went to see a horse, it was dragged out of it's stall by a bit of rope you wouldn't even lead a dog with, hadn't seen a farrier in months, covered in sh*t, mane and tail manky and hanging on the floor...
I wish I had bought her. I walked away at the time though...
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How stupid of me.
 
I went to look at a 'perfect first horse'. I got there, took it into a cross pole at a trot it shot off with its head in the air. Gallopped round the school 14 times and whenever I took it pull it tried to buck me off! I remember I got off and then said 'lovely horse but not for me!'
 
[ QUOTE ]
Went to see one when I was about 13 - horse appeared from the stable breathing fire - about 16.3 not the 15.3 we were told - groom was asked to get on and show it off - she went white and said "must I?"

She cantered it to the top of the field, over the brow of the hill........ we waited for a bit then went home - never saw her or the horse again!

Went to see one last year as a potential HWT show hunter - horse was in the stable, untrimmed, unshod - she was meant to have hired the nieghbour's arena to show him off, but hadn't bothered. We were expected to trot him up by using the passageway of the American barn and when that didn't work (every stable was full and he got bitten all the way down) we were "allowed" to let him out in a field knee deep in mud, and loose school him. She was surprised we didn't snap him up - although the horse on the other side of the passageway grabbed my OH by the forearm and started to drag him over the door........

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LOL both too funny!!
 
I've had one where they brought it out of the field and i asked its name to be told it was called 'Pony', reported that as stolen as they knew nothing about it!!
Also one where they said it would jump any xc fence just not always the one you wanted. it was also to be suitable for me to handle on my own when i was 13. they took the saddle into the stable and it actually kicked a hole in the side of the stable! it then preceded to jump out of the arena with me.
The horse suitable as an eventer that was a v v heavy weight cob that could just about manage a lap of the arena and needed a parelli farrier (never heard of one!)
 
I went to see want was meant to be a quiet to ride and handle horse, suitable as a first horse and good to handle, in traffic etc.
Turned up and it was lathered up in the stable, the owner claimed she had a bad back and so I got on and was promptly bucked and reared with. The women then admitted she was too scared to ride it and it had only ever been out on the road once.
 
Oh how funny, it makes me feel so much better as I thought it was the only magnate for the nutters.

Aside from buckers (several) and the couple that p*ssed off with me, the funniest has got to be a horse who was described as very safe and sane, perfect brakes in any circumstances etc etc.
The owner wasn't riding as she was pregnant, so I hopped on and put my leg on. Nothing happened. Gave a sharper nudge, again nothing. Kicked it hard and it ambled about 2 strides and stopped. Owner says you will need MUCH more leg than that to get her moving and gave me a whip.

Well in the end I was grunting with effort, sweat pouring off me, I was coughing and gasping for breath and my legs were shaking and twitching with the effort! And I never did get more than a (slow) trot for half a circle. I have absolutely no idea how you could have got that animal to move other than using a cattle prod and Im not convinced even that would have worked
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My friend was helpless with laughter watching me with tears running down her face (the cow)
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I gave up and left. But I have to give it to the owner, there wasn't a word of a lie in that advert!
 
I went to look at horse who was in a Parelli home.

Horse was actually very nice so I asked the owner if I could see her ride him, she responded that she would have to ask his permision, he refused so we left.
 
i went to see this 14.hh 12years highland gelding(the old fashioned well built type) for my OH as he wanted just a plod for coming out on hacks with me.

They had the ad well written. Said 100% in every way hacks out all time would suit beginner rider. I thought great went to see it.

She tacked up 2 horses the highland for me and an other one for her.

So got on the fecking thing kicked it on to go and the god damned thing leapt in the air bucked and reard(i fell off obviously) then i got up and said im sorry but this is not a beginners pony. A boy that was with them said the horse slipped i turned round and said dont be so stupid ive been riding for a very long time and know the difference between a slip and a horse leaping 4 foot in the air.

Any ways later on we found out that it had only just been gelded and had never been ridden
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[ QUOTE ]
I went to look at horse who was in a Parelli home.

Horse was actually very nice so I asked the owner if I could see her ride him, she responded that she would have to ask his permision, he refused so we left.

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pmsl
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I've had one where they brought it out of the field and i asked its name to be told it was called 'Pony'

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The riding school I worked at used to have a pony called Pony!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I went to look at horse who was in a Parelli home.

Horse was actually very nice so I asked the owner if I could see her ride him, she responded that she would have to ask his permision, he refused so we left.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but LMAO!!
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