What a day..(buying nightmare!)

Skhosu

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2006
Messages
8,193
Visit site
Been looking for a horse, a quiet eventer for sister. Went to see one approx 3 weeks ago. Said it was fine for a nervous rider, it was ok on the flat, nice in fact, but bolted over the jumps, its normal rider couldn't stop it after them. Sister got on (despite me telling her not to!) and he was too strong, so not quite as good as described, but think it had been said to be forward going. They then said they had another horse there. Rode him, he performed foot perfect, only six which wasn't ideal but did everything required, hacked, schooled, jumped. Had two sarcoids a possible worry, but would be getting vetted. So said we had anotehr to see but would poss want to take him xc and see if he would go for sister.
So saw the other one the next day and didn't like it, so organised to see the first one xc the next week. Didn't hear anything, tried ringing and txting for times. On the morning of the xc got a call to say the woman was sick. Ok, rude not to give us ANY response for a week but whatever. She said she would reorganise for later that week. Nothing. So we gave up on that assuming she didn't want to sell etc. A week and a half later she txted to sort out taking it to the local xc, thought she could get it during the week (although it is not available for private hire but does go as you pleases on sundays), and couldnt, which she eventually let us know and organised for today. Didn't get us a time until last night, very difficult as we had wanted to take an instructor (had one lined up the last time when she was 'sick'!) but couldnt at short notice.
So we turned up at 3(agreed time). At half past three they turned up, we didn't recognise them and it was only ten mins later when we were going to the loo we saw it was them...they had sat in the trailer ignoring us (they knew which car we were in). The actual owner wasn't there yet, and she said her daughter was away before getting on, and the owner only wanted the horse to trot on the grass as it was hard. I said sister wanted to ride it straight off (to see what he was like for her getting on without another rider first). To which we got that the owner didn't want the horse ridden by anyone but her daughter..
The owner turned up at ten past four..one hour and ten minutes late! We had paid for the xc round..and owner said no way was anyone else ride it, only this girl and she would rather take the horse home unsold because of all the recent eventing deaths and where would she stand etc. etc. She worked in insurance and it wasnt worth the risk etc. etc. Had we seen it do anything. No..we were not buying a horse that we weren't allowed to ride!
Why the bloody hell couldn't something have been said before? Both the woman who had it and the owner knew they were only going to let us watch someone trot it over some wee stuff...We're looking for something honest and bold with sister on top...we didn't want to knacker the thing and wouldn't have wasted a sunday afternoon if we'd known, as we will not buy something we haven't taken xc!!
Very cross, now wondering if horse was lame/ill as had lost condition since we first saw it, not tracking up and with the real not allowed to do anything on 'hard' ground, and the way we got suddenly put off then suddenly arranged to go, arrghh.
Anybody think this is acceptable?
Would you buy a horse without riding it in chosen discipline?
 
What a nightmare. Makes you wonder if they wanted to sell it and if it didn't look right then there possibly was something wrong with it. There is no way I'd buy something without sitting on it first - you'd have to be mad (or super confident in your own abilities!)
 
that all sounds a bit wierd - and from what you have said it doesn't sound like the right horse for your sister. I am sure there must be a horse better suited than that?
I wouldn't personally buy a horse without being able to ride it in its discipline - I would expect to be able to see and do everything it could when I went to view it.
 
ahh that would make me go mad!!
i would suspect that it had been lame since you had seen it, and that basically the owner didnt want to risk someone else riding it xc and the ground is soo hard at the moment.
it could be fate as if the horse did go lame then i suppose your sis could be held responsible? not sure.

i think you best steer clear of this one - what about a horse doing intro and about to move up? or does she just want one for pony club etc?
 
We cant find one...there is nothing out there that we can find that will event at pre novice and is reasonably quiet!
It's bonkers. So cross, as they had every oppurtunity to say only so and so can ride it xc, and we would have walked away earlier!
Dont know how they will sell it, its too expensive for what its done sj and dressage, but if they wont let you take it xc, wont sell as an eventer! Bah.
 
What rotters they are for messing you around that way! You were perfectly justified to want to try out horse over XC - how else would you know whether it was suitable? What silly owners!
 
I would of had it with them after the first let down! Im sure you can find a nice horse with cooperative owners - i really wouldn't bother with these people!
 
When you rode him first time and he rode foot perfect where did you ride him?
confused.gif
In a sand school, a field ?
confused.gif
It all sounds very fishy! I think leave well alone. They seem to be making excuses. Find something else that they are willing to show all it can do. Don't ever take their word for it. I will never even get on a horse until I've seen it walk, trot and canter. If they say it can jump I want to see it do so. good in traffic I want to see them ride it on main road. That's all before I will get on. Last one that was suppose to do all these things only made it to menage. A friend of theirs was going to ride it as owner had a bad back from a previous car accident (I've heard this excuse for owner not riding their horse soooo many times I've lost count). Daughter was apparently in bed with flu. Anyway this girl got on (well almost) horse took off fly bucking before she was even sat down dropped rider on head and back.
shocked.gif
shocked.gif
I went and caught the horse. Asked when he had last been ridden? They said only three weeks ago (Oh and of course he's never done that before) I suggested they should have lunged the horse first and then ridden him. (I honestly don't think he'd been ridden in the previous three months or so). Handed the horse to owner and said no thank you.
mad.gif
mad.gif
 
Sand school-and then hacked him out (unaccompanied????)
Yup, we always see someone on first, and had the first time we saw him!
forgot to add I think as she thought she was somebody (been on various committes, EI, PC examiner etc) and we were not (only myself and sister went to view, but brought dad with us this time) we would just go along with what she said. Bit surprised when we left!
 
what a nightmare, good for you sticking to your guns.
i bought my mare without trying her xc, but i watched a very recent video of her going xc, and the seller offered that i could take her xc schooling any time on trial, and was very open, so i was happy. only reason i didn't was that it was 3 1/2 hours drive from home, and i couldn't face the drive again!
wink.gif

i think you are absolutely right to ask for a proper trial, it's expected if you're trying to buy an eventer for goodness' sakes.
the golden rule usually is that if you injure it, you have to buy it... that's what i've always been told, anyway!
 
Don't think it is too much to ask to ride a horse xc if that's what you need and they know that is what you are looking for. Plus they have seen you ride, so could have said if they had any concerns with standard of riding.

If the horse has never been xc then I could understand them wanting to ride it, but it would seem that they were trying to sell you a horse that had at least done some.

Nowt as queer as folk
confused.gif
 
What strange people, I bet they're going to find it very hard to sell their horse.

I bought mine (well mum bought it) without even sitting on it, but he was in Ireland and we couldn't arrange to go over there. Also we didn't have a specific discipline in mind, he was bought to be a sane riding school horse, but has developed into a nice competiton horse that should be going PN (well PC Level 4) in a week.

I'm sure you'll find something, it just takes a while.
 
That is TERRBLE. I hope you didn't have to travel too far as those people have really messed you around. You are well rid of that one. Hope your sister doesn't get too desperate - ts like finding a husband - compromise on the things you can live with but stick to your guns re the things that are important to you - and like a man get a good test drive too!
 
I can understand the insurance point of view, I work in insurance and its scares the life out of you esp when you get claim calls (death claims in my case sadly), also with the sueing culture the way it is I could understand why she'd want someone else to ride him over xc.

I do think it's very odd to keep to trot so wouldn't be happy with this and overall something dosn't add up so you're best to leave it, good luck with the search
smile.gif
 
Some people are very bizarre. I went to try a horse once - I was looking for a horse to take me up through pony club to area level. We arrived to see this beautifully plaited up grey. Admittedly it was a lot heavier than described but I could forgive that. The owner then lunged this mare. After 15mins we asked to see her ridden to which the owner replied 'oooh no I wouldn't risk riding it'!!!!!!! We left shortly after!
Think you did the best thing by walking away.
 
Top