WATCHDOG AT 7PM

[severnmiles]

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I dont think so. Im trying to feel sorry for them, but finding it very hard.

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Me too!

The bay that was ill...I'm sorry but that was very clear to me as soon as they camera showed the horse!

 

[severnmiles]

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Like I said, I am a total novice, but I didn't think vetting advised you on the horse's suitabilty temperament wise only it's physical condition?

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Yes it will, vets will ask what the horse is being bought for and most vets (most good ones) will comment on the suitability and temp for the job it will be doing. Anyone who can't tell a horse is two years younger than mentioned perhaps should spend longer learning about horses and maybe isn't ready to own one as it isn't hard to tell the age of a horse by its teeth.

The lady who bought the ex-race horse seemed a bit dim, why not have a look at the passport first and lock onto the name and breeding and check it out? If there was no passport then walk away.

Horses are difficult as the nicest, quietest horse can become a gremlin in the hands of a novice.

 

[charmaine]

Presumably all you more experienced people on here will know there is a drug that is often used by the more unscrupulous dealers that is almost impossible to detect from blood samples taking at a vetting.

 

[anniedoherty]

I am shocked at how many people seem to feel the need to stick up for a man who has deliberately broken the law and put innocent people at risk. How do you know that none of the people who were conned by him hadn't taken along an experienced person? Have experienced people never made mistakes? I have read many stories on here of "experts" fitting saddles incorrectly, failing to diagnose medical problems etc.

Also, vettings are expensive. If all dealers were like this there would be a lot of people paying for vetting after vetting only to find that the horse had been mis-represented in some way. Eventually they would run out of funds to buy a horse at all! Life isn't fair but it isn't right to stand up for conmen in preference to innocent purchasers.

 

[Weezy]

Honestly? Well I am experienced but no, I am not aware of a drug that can presumably sedate a horse that is not traceable - I am shocked - what is it?

 

[Weezy]

Absolutely NO ONE is standing up for McAteer - they would be very stupid to do so!!

And sorry, but a couple of hundred pounds versus your welfare?!

 

[LauraBR]

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Also, vettings are expensive. If all dealers were like this there would be a lot of people paying for vetting after vetting only to find that the horse had been mis-represented in some way. Eventually they would run out of funds to buy a horse at all!

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*throws hands up in air in despair and heads off to bed*

 

[anniedoherty]

I am not saying that people should not have vettings done. Where in my post does it say that? Please read it again more carefully.

 

[301184]

If someone can't afford a vetting, they should consider if they can actually afford a horse at all.

 

[severnmiles]

"How do you know that none of the people who were conned by him hadn't taken along an experienced person?"

I've seen alot of these 'experienced friends'...if they did take the all important 'experienced friend' then god help them, they were doomed from the start!

 

[anniedoherty]

Erm, I think everyone should have a vetting done. I am not sure where I have said that vettings are unecessary? All I am saying is that if all dealers were like this one then no matter how many vettings you had done you still wouldn't end up with a suitable horse. I am not sure how much clearer I can make this point so that everyone can understand.

 

[severnmiles]

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If someone can't afford a vetting, they should consider if they can actually afford a horse at all.

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Agreed!

 

[Stella]

sunflower, I don't think she bought two. I think he exchanged one for another. I can understand how that would happen.

They see novices and the vulnerable buyer coming, and when people are nieve and can't make sensible decisions, can we blame them? After all, these dealers are usually charismatic, convincing con men.

 

[anniedoherty]

Yes, she did exchange the first one for the second because she couldn't get her money back. Should she have just walked away and said please keep my money, I didn't want it or a suitable horse anyway? All she was doing was trying to make a bad situation better but, with a dealer like this, the situation could never improve as I am sure she now realises.

 

[severnmiles]

Did you ever buy from him?

 

[charmaine]

To all those of you who seem to be putting a lot of the blame at our feet I say have you ever made a mistake in your life and with hindsight wished you had done it differently? Don't be so hard on us, everyone makes mistakes, including you. I don't think you have any idea how much distress this man has caused to people like me and it's not all deserved believe me.

 

[301184]

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Erm, I think everyone should have a vetting done. I am not sure where I have said that vettings are unecessary? All I am saying is that if all dealers were like this one then no matter how many vettings you had done you still wouldn't end up with a suitable horse. I am not sure how much clearer I can make this point so that everyone can understand.

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Allow me to direct you to your one of your previous posts.

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Also, vettings are expensive. If all dealers were like this there would be a lot of people paying for vetting after vetting only to find that the horse had been mis-represented in some way. Eventually they would run out of funds to buy a horse at all! Life isn't fair but it isn't right to stand up for conmen in preference to innocent purchasers.


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and I was just saying that if funds are a problem when vetting, then they should seriously consider if they can afford to buy/keep a horse at all!

 

[anniedoherty]

Me, no. I just watched the programme and felt strongly that dealers like that were, how can I put it, not very nice and that the public should be protected from them. I have no personal axe to grind at all but I just prefer to support the underdog or the innocent party in these sort of situations.

I am also not really a total novice as I've had horses for years but have just never bought my own up until recently. It's interesting to see how people who admit to not knowing a lot are treated by some others though. It would be very easy to feel intimidated when posting.

 

[anniedoherty]

Angel_21 I couldn't agree more - if a vetting is too expensive for you then you can't possibly afford a horse. I didn't say that though - all I said is that if all dealers were unscrupulous it would be impossible to buy a horse no matter how many vettings were done as none of the horses would be suitable since they had all been misrepresented. I think you may have misunderstood what I meant - I will try to make it clearer next time!

 

[charmaine]

Thank god for nice people like you Capondeville. It restores my faith in the human race. So many on here are far too quick to judge others, probably makes them feel superior in some way.

 

[Nikiolola]

He offers an exchange policy - if one horse is unsuitable he will exchange it for another but will not give the money back

I have bought 2 horses without having them vetted and both of them turned out fine. Not a wise descision but everybody makes mistakes.

The "novice ride" my mother bought had a full vetting done and bloods taken. He bolted and put her in A&E with 3 broken ribs. He was a confirmed bolter (found this out off a previous owner) but was as quiet as a lamb when we tried him and for the first month or so when we had him. Everybody thought he was safe, we took every precaution and yet we still got done.

Don't forget that the stories will have been 'dumbed down' so that ordinary tv veiwers would be able to understand them. That may not have been the full story.

 

[301184]

*Angel steps away from the post*

 

[Happy Horse]

I, and I am sure the majority of 'experienced' horse owners would never recommend a novice to buy a horse from a dealer however they are advertised. If they are saints, why have they ended up with a dealer? Personally I would suggest a novice buys a horse via word of mouth or from a private seller with the help of an experienced helper. Nobody is defending the dealer in the programme but saying that a vetting would pick up the vast majority of problems and certainly all the ones shown on the programme tonight.

 

[severnmiles]

"If they are saints, why have they ended up with a dealer?"

I don't quite understand that comment?

 

[Stella]

Weezy, I can remember how oblivious I was to risk when I bought my first horse. I (and no doubt many others) didn't really understand the value of a vetting. The bit I knew was only that it would tell me if the horse was ill. It didn't occur to me that someone would lie about a horse's age or even nature to any great extent!! From where I am now, those early days are another world. I am an intelligent career woman, but dealers who seem so helpful and nice, tell long accounts of the horse's history etc, had me totally taken in! I also took 'an experienced person' with me, my instructor. As I learned more I realised that she was useless, but I didn't know it then. This meant I bought a horse that wasn't right for me, though thankfully not of the type McAteer sells, but that could easily have been me! I suppose I was so gormless about horse buying because I was middle aged, had only had a short course of lessons and had never even met a horse before my first lesson so I didn't understand how dangerious they can be!

These dodgy dealers have an easy job on their hands in the novice market

Thankfully, I think I am now wise to most things in the horse world, but that I didn't used to be was just a feature of human fallibility.

 

[301184]

*Angel can't resist stepping back in*

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I suppose I was so gormless about horse buying because I was middle aged, had only had a short course of lessons and had never even met a horse before my first lesson so I didn't understand how dangerious they can be!

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And you decided to buy a horse after such a tiny amount of experience.

 

[charmaine]

At the end of the day it is still the dealer who is at fault here. Under the Sale of Goods Act he has an obligation to sell goods(and yes, horses are still classed as goods under this act) of merchantable quality, fit for the purpose for which they are sold. You would not expect to go into Currys or Comet and buy a television that didn't work and not be entitled to your money back should you wish and it is no different with horses. If they are not fit for the purpose sold then the dealer has a duty in law to refund the money in full. Also I'm sorry but I know of cases where a vetting would not have made the slightest bit of difference in the outcome.

 

[Happy Horse]

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"If they are saints, why have they ended up with a dealer?"
I don't quite understand that comment?


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A truly genuine novice ride will sell easily privately for a decent price. There are not many owners that will happily sell a genuine, sound, honest horse to a dealer so there is a high chance that they will not be perfect horses. I am sure in some cases where the horse has to be sold quickly then it may happen but this would be the exception rather than the rule.

I am not tarring alll dealers with the same brush - my own horse came from a dealer (and was vetted) but I would be very wary if I was a novice looking for a bombproof animal.

 

[Stella]

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*Angel can't resist stepping back in*

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I suppose I was so gormless about horse buying because I was middle aged, had only had a short course of lessons and had never even met a horse before my first lesson so I didn't understand how dangerious they can be!

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And you decided to buy a horse after such a tiny amount of experience.

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I was advised to by my then instructor. I protested and said, "I hardly know anything, its too soon" and she told me it was the only way to really learn to ride, "you can only learn a little bit on a school horse". I trusted her. You won't be suprised to learn that she then rode the horse 'for me'!

 

[301184]

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I was advised to by my then instructor. I protested and said, "I hardly know anything, its too soon" and she told me it was the only way to really learn to ride, "you can only learn a little bit on a school horse". I trusted her. You won't be suprised to learn that she then rode the horse 'for me'!

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What a terrible person she was.