What are the benefits of buying from a dealer

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cellie

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As in the title.
We have to give our daughters loan horse back next year after 2 great years she has been fantastic.They have taught each other so well .I have my own horse but hes not suitable for my daughter who does pc and local shows.I have several options
I can look for suitable loan
Buy to bring on
Trade in my tb who I love to bits but is always broken and share with her
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What are the benefits of buying from a dealer? Absolutely none in my experience. I have encountered nothing but a bunch of rip-off merchants, maybe I've been unlucky but judging from a lot of others on here with similiar experiences I am not so sure. There probably are a few honest ones out there but they seem to be few and far between.
Some people may say a benefit is that you are protected under the Sale of Goods Act. Unfortunately it's a bit of a joke. Even if Trading Standards do ever prosecute a dealer it doesn't get your money back. You have to make a civil claim and even if you win there is absolutely nothing in place to enforce the judgement if they flatly refuse to pay up unless you send in bailiffs and then you have to be sure they have something of value to take.
I would be very, very careful.
 
Sounds like you have been very unlucky, I will only now buy from reputable dealers who are all recommended. Every horse I have had from a dealer has been as described. Often too there will be more than one horse on a dealers yard to look at which can make life much easier.

The Sale of Goods Act does cover dealers and not private sales but as stated above you would be unlikely to get your money back. Many dealers will take a horse back off you if it turns out to be unsuitable, they will then find you something that does suit, that does of course mean you are tied in to having a horse from that dealer.

A good dealer has nothing to gain by selling unsuitable horses and being bad mouthed as nothing puts clients off more. Do ask around and speak to people about dealers you are thinking of approaching or if the people you speak to know the dealer get a personal introduction.
 
It completely depends on the dealer to be quite honest. A good dealer/producer (such as myself
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) will always be 100% truthful and tell you all the good points and bad points about the horse. A good dealer/producer will steer you away from a horse which she believes is not suitable for you. A good dealer/producer wants the horse and rider to be compatible. A good dealer/producer wants to keep her good reputation which she may have worked long and hard to gain over many years.

A bad dealer does not give a damn! All they want is money.

Sooooo ... choose your dealer wisely.
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I'm 3,500 miles away from you unfortunately
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, however I have no qualms about selling horses to people overseas, providing they give me their exact wish-list
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.
 
Have brought some of my best horses from dealer (usually unbroken youngsters) Less miles on the clock that way.
Seems a bit heartless to cash your pet TB in though.
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I wont ever do it through choice but he is crippling me financially.He is my first horse and he has cost me over £7000 although I could have just stood him in the field I have given him every chance of recovery and the best treatment.I would like to ride for more than 2 months out of two years and age is not on my side.I am able and willing to take risks with my safety but not my 14 year old.
Dont judge me to harshly I am not making any decisions I want this horse for life but due to other commitments might not be able too continue paying out continuously on vets bills.
 
When I was last looking for a horse I asked a number of friends for help.

One sugested a local dealer and I asked her to phone the dealer up and ensure that I was not ripped off.

I was looking for a safe bombproof/spookproof cob type.

An appointment was made on a Monday morning at 9.00 a.m. The dealer went in to her field which had about 60 horses in it. Pulled one out. Put some tack on it and told me to ride it down the main road outside her yard which I did. The horse was 100% including articulated lorries, concrete mixing lorries etc. On the way back I had to stand in the middle of the main road to turn right into her yard entrance with vehicles whizzing past the inside and other side of me. The horse just stood there.

The horse was ideal but when I mentioned the name of my vet the dealer said No Way is he allowed in my yard.

A few weeks later I found another horse from a private owner as a result of Wanted posters I had stuck up in local tack shops. Had it vetted and 18 years later I still have her!

However this is not the end of the story the horse I now have in fact was bought from the same dealer by the previous owners to me.

Since then I have through other reasons become friends with the dealer who told me her partner fell out with my vet and and that was why he could not come on to the yard.

However what is clear is that she did know her horses as she used to keep them for a few years and lend them out for hunting so she knew what they where like.

Buying horses is a nightmare and my only advice to anyone is do not believe what anyone says - Private owners or Dealers they all have an ability to tell Porkies I am afraid.

Best advise is buy a horse locally and find out it's true history and character from local riders and horseowners.

I strongly believe that good dealers have a hard job as they need to know the ability of the prospective new horse owner as well as the horse. For those doing the job properly it must be more difficult than having a dating/introduction agency.

I wish you good luck but keep you eyes open and always take an experienced horse owner with you when viewing a prospectivce horse and above all get it vetted by the best Equine vet you can find.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What are the benefits of buying from a dealer? Absolutely none in my experience. I have encountered nothing but a bunch of rip-off merchants, maybe I've been unlucky but judging from a lot of others on here with similiar experiences I am not so sure. There probably are a few honest ones out there but they seem to be few and far between.
Some people may say a benefit is that you are protected under the Sale of Goods Act. Unfortunately it's a bit of a joke. Even if Trading Standards do ever prosecute a dealer it doesn't get your money back. You have to make a civil claim and even if you win there is absolutely nothing in place to enforce the judgement if they flatly refuse to pay up unless you send in bailiffs and then you have to be sure they have something of value to take.
I would be very, very careful.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's not just with you. Excellent post.
 
I will probably have a word with my instructor closer to the time loan horse has to go home.I know I can count on my vet he appreciates that I have had a tricky time with my horse hes just been very unlucky.I dont think I can bear to part with him but he is just to sharp for my daughter saying that if I can get some decent work done with him I know he will improve.
I saw a nice looking cob x quite green but I would rather put the work in like we did with loan pony.He is up for sale with a dealer which is the reason I did the post.Like you said sometimes horses arent advertised honestly with private sellers.Its a bit of a minefield.
A new owner on our yard has just been ripped off so Im rather cautious in making a phone call Ill have to make a few enquiries locally. I half hoped someone would know of a reputable dealer in our area which is norfolk.Thanks for the input is good to ge a broad spectrum of opinions.
 
The market is so bad for selling horses at the moment you could possibly get either something really nice on loan or something really nice sold cheaply. People will be desperate soon with wnter coming
 
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