What would you do? Horse selling drama

[Patterdale]

End of last summer I sold a young horse with some serious behavioural issues. Sold him cheaply to a professional with full disclosure, and a promise from her not to sell him on until/if he came right. It was that or PTS which I just couldn’t do to a young healthy horse, rightly or wrongly.

Fast forward to now and she is advertising him for nearly 3 times what she paid as ready to back and bring on, having turned him away and done v little with him.

I’m gutted, and although I know it’s no longer any of my business I’m so worried about him hurting someone or being passed around.

What would you do? Anything? Nothing?

Just feel awful for him.

 

[bonny]

Always a risk when you do that and I can’t see what you can do about it now. Maybe he will end up in a home who can deal with his problems ?

 

[paddi22]

thats awful, what a horrible situation. all you can hope is that new owners will be decent. Is there any chance being turned away for a while might have eased his behavioural issues at all?

 

[Follysmum]

Unfortunately this is a common problem when difficult horses are moved on. However hard this is for you I don’t think there’s a lot you can do.

 

[Patterdale]

I know

The problem is he is beautiful, well bred, popular colour, lovely temperament and great to work with. But he explodes out of nowhere, no warning. So if they don’t know this, they will be in danger.

This person is a professional with a good reputation. I cannot understand why they are doing this. I could have got much more for him, but I was just bothered that he went to the right place. Why risk your reputation like this!?

 

[Patterdale]

I could post a video of him on the ad but will this just make me look petty?? I don’t know.

 

[bonny]

How do you know what he’s been doing since he left you ? How old is he ?

 

[Follysmum]

We unfortunately got stung and bought a horse excactly the same ( explodes with no warning ) he is lucky that we decided to keep him as a companion field ornament. People can be so inconsiderate when selling dangerous horses.

 

[paddi22]

I know

The problem is he is beautiful, well bred, popular colour, lovely temperament and great to work with. But he explodes out of nowhere, no warning. So if they don’t know this, they will be in danger.

There's a few bloodlines that this sounds like. there's plenty of horses with, for example, Cruising blood in them that are like this. But anyone i know that has one just seems to accept the explosions. I see a lot of that type at clinics and I'd shoot half of them if they were mine, but it doesn't seem to phase some riders, the breeding and talent seems to over ride it.

 

[Patterdale]

I asked her and she told me.

I can’t keep two, and he was 4. It was either sell, PTS, or keep as an ornament and not have a ridden horse at all.
I did what I could - he had full work up, ulcer scope and back x rays to try find a cause. And when I did sell he went for peanuts to a professional, with full disclosure.

I don’t know what else I could have done

 

[Patterdale]

anyone i know that has one just seems to accept the explosions. I see a lot of that type at clinics and I'd shoot half of them if they were mine, but it doesn't seem to phase some riders, the breeding and talent seems to over ride it.

Unfortunately he hasn’t got as far as being properly broken in. He’s being sold as ready to back and bring on.

 

[bonny]

I don’t think you did anything wrong and as he’s young he will maybe come right with time

 

[paddi22]

I asked her and she told me.

I can’t keep two, and he was 4. It was either sell, PTS, or keep as an ornament and not have a ridden horse at all.
I did what I could - he had full work up, ulcer scope and back x rays to try find a cause. And when I did sell he went for peanuts to a professional, with full disclosure.

I don’t know what else I could have done

i would have done the same out of those options probably. there's always hope that a talented one is just tricky and can come right, lots do. is there anyway you would find out who he might be sold to? is it a breed that you'd see it pop up on the radar somewhere?

 

[SusieT]

Maybe he will be fine with having time out and in a different home. You sold him, so I'm afraid you need to take the harsh reality that once you sold it was out of your control and anyone buying one of these horses is always going to sell them out at some point. Whetehr their view of th ehorse is the same as yours is another matter

 

[Patterdale]

He’s full Connemara. Bay roan, very good mover and loose jumper so very striking.
I’d really like to find out where he goes but not sure what the chances are

 

[ycbm]

Most buyers will know full well that a dealer who sells a horse that's 'ready to back' without backing it themself and selling it for a lot more money is doing so because there are issues with the horse that they don't want to risk. And hopefully no-one without experience will buy an unbacked horse. So, with a fair wind, the buyer will know what they may be taking on.

There is nothing you can do, so try not to worry about it. Easier said than done, I know.

 

[Patterdale]

I can’t understand why she’s doing it.

I do wonder if she thinks I was just a numpty who couldn’t handle him. She’s not done much with him and he does seem lovely and easy - until it happens.

He’s been sent home from two professional schooling yards though so it’s not just me.

 

[Patterdale]

Most buyers will know full well that a dealer who sells a horse that's 'ready to back' without backing it themself and selling it for a lot more money is doing so because there are issues with the horse that they don't want to risk. And hopefully no-one without experience will buy an unbacked horse. So, with a fair wind, the buyer will know what they may be taking on.

There is nothing you can do, so try not to worry about it. Easier said than done, I know.

I hope so. Thank you.

I bought him completely unhandled and feral off the hills of Ireland, for this very reason.

 

[ycbm]

I can’t understand why she’s doing it.

That's easy. Money with no risk. That's why she isn't backing him herself.

 

[Patterdale]

Thanks everyone. Thought I was going to get a massive flaming for selling him on.

I have tried my best for him

 

[bonny]

As Ycbm says, it looks suspicious if a dealer is selling an unbroken horse so I doubt he will be bought by the unwary .....

 

[Leo Walker]

You've sold him, there is nothing you can do. Passing on these sorts of horses is a fate much worse than death for them. He will be sold and start doing the rounds of dodgy dealers. If hes very lucky a private home will buy him and either find the cause or have him PTS, but the reality is no one wants to do that so he will keep spiraling downwards. No one ever thinks this will happen to them but the reality is it happens every single day.

I've got one. Complete superstar driving pony, who once in a blue moon flips his lid. Hes a lucky pony as my friend took him as a giant pet and everyone is very happy. He will never ever leave my ownership and if my friend cant keep him for any reason he will be quietly PTS where he is before I would move him again.

 

[Rowreach]

So did you back him? Is she actually lying when she says "ready to back"? Or was he never sat on, and maybe she is waiting to disclose when someone expresses an interest?

 

[bonny]

I’ve got a very tricky to break in tb, he was passed round several yards who declared him to be too dangerous/difficult and ended up at last chance rodeo rider who thought he was great and just a challenge ! He’s now old and still not for the faint hearted and if you tried to treat him like a conventional horse you could come very unstuck. He had his own way of doing things, has serious talent and has a home for life. I’ve had him since he was 4, he’s now 20 and hasn’t changed a bit

 

[Patterdale]

No he’s been hacked out walk trot canter and done bits in the school. Very green but he start stop turns etc. You can jump on from the ground and he’s fine. He’s an odd one. You’d think there was some pain issue but we couldn’t find anything at all.

 

[ycbm]

Thanks everyone. Thought I was going to get a massive flaming for selling him on.

I have tried my best for him

I have put down a 'healthy' eleven year old that flipped his lid for no reason, but I don't think I could have done it to an untried four year old. I don't think you should beat yourself up for selling him to a pro with full disclosure. The shame is on her that she has not stood by the responsibility she took on.

There are many, many, young horses which behave extremely badly at three, four, five and are absolutely fine by the time they are seven or eight. Let's all just hope that he is one, or that his next owner has enough information to retire him or PTS.

 

[Patterdale]

Thank you so much ycbm.

 

[paddi22]

No he’s been hacked out walk trot canter and done bits in the school. Very green but he start stop turns etc. You can jump on from the ground and he’s fine. He’s an odd one. You’d think there was some pain issue but we couldn’t find anything at all.

there's nothing worse than a bad connie.
I've seen a few awful ones over the years, some tricky ones end up in hunting homes and seem to have useful lives though

 

[ycbm]

No he’s been hacked out walk trot canter and done bits in the school. Very green but he start stop turns etc. You can jump on from the ground and he’s fine. He’s an odd one. You’d think there was some pain issue but we couldn’t find anything at all.

OK, that changes things. I would contact her and let her know that I want her to change her description to ready to REback. And that she must disclose his history to any buyer, or if you hear of him causing problems in future, you will act as a witness for the buyer that she missold him.

It's times like this I wish we could record history against a freeze mark or a chip number.

..

 

[Rowreach]

No he’s been hacked out walk trot canter and done bits in the school. Very green but he start stop turns etc. You can jump on from the ground and he’s fine. He’s an odd one. You’d think there was some pain issue but we couldn’t find anything at all.

So she is, in fact, lying in the advertisement?