What do you think of this situation?

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... and remember there is always a 'reason' for selling a horse. The problem is determining the real reason(s)

Do not trust anything the seller tells you about the horse. Some sellers are dishonest and others are just daught.

Realy on your eyes and instinct.

For instance if they tell you the horse is safe in traffic ask them to ride it out on a busy road and show you how laid back it is!

I always try to buy a horse locally as it's true characteristics and behaviour will be known to locals!

Good luck but tread with extreme caution.

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This is excellent advice.

FWIW, I bought my riding horse through a dealer on behalf of an owner who'd had her about six months. She does have a problem - she's absolutely awful with traffic, which explains why someone would sell her (not that anyone told me about it!), but I'm still thrilled with her and she's the best horse I've ever had.

My other horse who is a total liability had been in the same home for 3 years (so they said), although I expect that's just because she will have been turned away and given up on for a while every time she put someone in hospital.

There's no way of knowing. The best liars selling the horses that really shouldn't be sold are so well practiced at it that they are more convincingly genuine than the one horse owner worrying about how honest to be about their super horse, because it once spooked at a wheelie bin and they fell off.
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Put your most cynical head on. Ask about everything individually so they can't gloss over anything. Try to find out what its negatives really are and if they wouldn't be a problem for you.

The most important thing..... Good Luck!
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just be cautious and try to think with your head, not your heart (which i know is difficult- esp in your situation).

can i also add, that just because the seller may be a bit dodgy... it doesn't necessarily mean the horse is. as you know, i bought mine from someone dodgy... someone you told me to walk away from... and he's the most honest, genuine, perfect horse.

if i were you, i'd google any phone numbers you have for them, and if you suspect they're dodgy, ask for opinions on her when you have their name/area etc. then you'll know what to look out for... they might be renowned for selling lame horses or something.

i think, as long as you have vetting done, and go along with your eyes WIDE open, you'll be fine. and bear in mind, they might just not 'get on' with her...

p.s. if she is a mare-ish mare... do you want her?
 
Ive googled the phone number (mobile only one give) and it comes up with the same ad in different places, no other ads or anything like that so that appears to be ok.

in terms of the settling, they did say the rode her from day one, just very gently, it took her 2 weeks to start to trust and come out of her shell a bit, sorry if i wasnt clear on that, and the routine thing, im a bit wary of but could it be that if they are on a yard (they have said they are on a very big yard) that the yard has a routine ad shes just become accustomed to it? or would routine send alarm bells ringing?
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Hmm does seem a bit odd
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I think you should go and see her and take it from there, also, ask them why they are selling her after only having her for 5 months - maybe it's because the daughter has lost her confidence with her or something?

Good luck.
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I have at horse at the moment I got him in April/May. He's 13 and really good does everything I ask. He hadn't really done anything in the 4 years prior to me owning him. I had been out of riding for 5 years when I got him and thought he would be the perfect horse to help me get back into it. Hopefully this winter though I'll be buying something a lot younger. The simple reason being I prefer working with younger horses. This could be simply a case of someone who gets a young horse going well and then sells it on as they themselves aren't interested in competitions etc.
 
if only that ad comes up, i'd say it's not a dealer, as google brings up really old ads sometimes.

perhaps she's a nervous little mare, they haven't clicked with her, she gets stressed easily (eg if out of routine or moving yards etc)... you have to think about whether that's what you want/can you cope with etc?

alternatively, they may just be being very very hoenst with you and telling you all about her quirks, which may only be minor little things?

if i sold a horse i think i'd put people off with my honesty!
 
I'd say go and look but with eyes wide open! Could easily be that they have simply not gelled or overhorsed themselves, but maybe plan to go and ride it a few times on seperate occasions (maybe ask if they have another horse so they could go out for a hack with you?), and I really like the idea above of asking for details of previous owner - if I ever (god forbid) had to sell any of ours I'd happily hand over details as far back as I have them (to birth with the two boys and to import with mare)(although both boys' previous owners have always said they'd want first refusal if we ever sold!).

Probably worth being quite wary re the taking time to settle thing as presumably if you are taking a horse to college will be back and forth from home to college 6 times a year?

Good luck!
 
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