whats the weirdest horse viewing youve been to?

I had a good one, went to see a chestnut mare (don't say anything !) who had a dash of white on her one hind coronet band. Asked to see the passport first off, the mare on the passport had 4 long white socks. Dealers answer to my query was 'the brown hair just grew through' & they could get me a passport that would fit the mare tomorrow ! I left.
Another odd one, went to see a well bred mare, bay this time, tried her out & liked her. Made arrangements to try her out on a hack the next day, dealer rings that evening saying she is off the market. Days later she was back on at a £1000 more, she stayed on the market for 12 months with the price yo yoing up & down, well, like a yoyo. Was at one point advertised on the same site twice with two different prices. Finally has sold or just not being advertised now. Odd.
 
Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor. Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
 
My strange experiences are like others have already said..

Went to look at one that was advertised as a 10 year old but was clearly alot older, it was a bay and had lots of grey hairs on its head, teeth couldn't have got much longer they looked like they were about to fall out and when the woman lead it out to tack it up its bones were creaking .. I told her it didn't look like what I was looking for.

Another time was I went viewing an ex racer who had been off the track a few months, described as very level headed and laid back for a thoughbred.. got there it was so doped up! It was stood at the back of the stable, bottom lip hanging and literally didn't even bat an eyelid! She tacked him up, put the lunge line on him and handed it to me. I asked if she was going to just ride him for me and she said no, that she didn't want to but not to worry as he was brilliant for the other people that had viewed him that morning. I didn't buy that one either!
 
i went to view a 15.2 warmblood x, just backed....

i saw a 15.2 warmblood x, just backed............... was gobsmacked :D :D :D :D :D





had some seller tell me "horse hasnt been ridden for a year, but feel free to have a sit on...... were not..." er no (cue running)


p.s - i bought the first :)
 
Had a few weird ones, both selling and looking to buy.

Had a 14.2hh dark bay Irish cob mare, with feathers and advertised her as such. Had two people come and view her and exclaim at the presence of feathers and "Oh god, I couldn't have a cob!"

Went to view a 12 yr old gelding and we were promptly told it was ridden via "voice commands"?!?!?!

Went to view a 5yr old 16hh mare and told it had been to local comps and schooled regularly on the phone, so went to view it as a possibility bearing it mind it as for my 14 yr old sister. The woman rode it around the school, all lovely. My sister goes to the mounting block to get on, part way through mounting the woman says "I'll keep hold of him while you mount as I'm the only person to have ridden him and yesterday was his first time in this school". (Not what she said on the phone!) So my sister gets on VERY carefully and gently. The horse moved a little and the woman let go. The horse then bolted with my sister part way on. She feel off and the horse started kicking out. the horses legs caught my sisters legs. My sister went to get up and her leg gave way. We left to take my sister to hospital and the woman asker if we were interested! It turned out both the bones in my sisters legs were broken in two places.

We have also been a little odd at viewings, we bought one horse when it was snowing alot! We popped our heads over the stable door, "awww she's half cute" and bought it. Then some guy looking at another pony offered to drop it to our yard for us as we hadn't taken a box with us. So we paid for the horse and gave the guy the address of our yard. Halfway home we realised we didn't know the guy from Adam nor the people we had bough the pony from and thought we would never see the pony again. Thankfully all people involved were lovely and delivered the pony safe and sound.

Being odd at viewings goes both ways I think!!
 
jackessex said:
i had the strangest viewing yesterday which involved a large well known dealer in my area who im pretty sure is clearly having some sort of a breakdown!!!i wont go into full detail but horse was not as described and she went on to tell me that if all her horses where not sold by this wk they would all be shot!!!!
so this led me to wonder what other peoples experiences have been when viewing horses???
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LOL, OH has just told me that there was a dealer who used to say pretty much exactly that to get a sale if the horse was unsuitable when you went, something along the lines of 'well if you don't buy it the knacker man will be taking it tomorrow'. So it could just be that sales are down at the moment and the whole thing is just to make you feel sorry for the horse so that you will 'save it'.

Funniest one we went to was a tb mare who had OH (very experienced rider) on the deck within seconds of mounting, apparently she didn't like men, would have been nice to be told BEFORE he got on!!
 
Went to see a 14.1 that was described as a perfect hack. Firstly it was 13.2, but looked sweet so carried on with the viewing. Took my YO with me to view, asked to go on a hack and the lady said we couldn't as the Horse had never hacked before and Horse wasn't insured. But sure Horse would behave as was fine in the school. We had made a joke earlier about my YO having a fizzy bum and when she went to mount then owner whispered to her "don't make the pony to hyper, cos when she bucks your friend won't want her" YO swiftly got off and told me not to get on.
 
Quite a few years ago we were looking for a nice youngster to bring on to compete, one we travelled like 2half hours to view this mare 3 years old absoloutley stunning horse! She had these weird burn marks on her back legs, scars, apparently they do this to all horses in france? Anyway mum saw straight away this horse was lame, she carried on lunging it, without the owner even saying, I got on her one step the mare hopped, got straight off, the lady was completley oblivious to it!

Another one got half way to view a horse travelling again a long way to see it, no phone call to say the mare was sold, phoned her to say we are nearly there she then told us the mare was sold! Went to a dealer fell in love with a irish sports horse, jumped the horse a little superstar, the dealer said they get there eyes heart checked teeth when they come over from ireland, got him vetted and he had a heart murmur, cataracts in both eyes, and was a year older then what they said, felt very very sorry for the poor boy :(
 
Chavhorse said:
Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor. Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
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PMSL! That is fantastic!

I missed out on these fun and games by buying the first one I viewed.
 
We had a bit of a mad one last year. Turned up to the small yard and parked in the layby, there was another car parked up so assumed that must be the seller, it wasn't it was a couple at it in their car.........

Then found someone who took us to the seller, the seller then proceeded to show us the horse, including riding and jumping wearing nothing but a bikini, hotpants and muckers. She went on to tell us how she could ride it down the road whilst carrying two shopping bags..... Then her friend proceeded to demonstrate their bombproofing technique on another horse, the technique basicly involved terrifying the poor thing and laughing at it.

Made a swift exit from that viewing!
 
I went to try a loan horse about 8 yrs ago at a yard, YO only present, owner not there, horse seemed nice enough, heart in the right place, but as I was already looking at another much flashier horse (which I bought) I turned it down. A week later the YO rang and said to my mum, I appreciate you have your own land, but would you like to bring your horses on livery to my yard :eek:
WHY?! lol I have stables, grazing, hay and bedding free of charge, and wonderful facilities of indoor, outdoor school, solarium and walker I can use 100m up the road... :) again we politely declined, and avoided like the plague... :)

A couple of months ago, Went to a local woman 'renowned' for matching horse and rider, originally to see a 15hh just backed 3 yr old, that she was desperate to get rid of..
Arrived said horse had been sold, so she popped me on a 6yr old trad cob, about 14.3hh.. I thought not what I want but worth a try... worked beautifully, but had steering issues and wouldn't canter on the right rein, she wanted 4k for it... :eek:
I politely declined, and got a phone call 1 wk later saying she had the perfect horse for me... He's now grazing in my field quite happily :D
 
Travelled over 100 miles (incl having to get a ferry) to see a 14hh coloured cob. I was a friend's 'appropriate adult' and I made sure she rang the 'owner' before we set foot off the island. Very, very fancy yard but no cob or sign of owner. Grabbed hold of a groom who said she would find the owner but we could go and look at the cob, 5 miles down the road in a field 'with the other ponies' (she drew us a lovely map!). Anyway, found the field of ponies and a colored cob..................no more than 13hh and way, way older than the advertised 10 years. By then, it had started to snow, the field was knee deep in mud and a very odd lady started shouting from a nearby garden! We left the field and the odd lady came over. She said she owned 2 of the ponies in the field, incl the coloured, both retired and on grass livery from the fancy yard! We were the 4th people she'd had to turn away that week as nothing was for sale. So, we go back to fancy yard, still no sign of YO and groom said she was away for the week! We'd had confirmation from her that she would be there! Anyway, turns out the woman who owns the yard regularly answers wanted ads but never has the type of horse people are looking for, just tries to get them there to look at others for sale. She must have realised we weren't first time, first pony buyers and hid, lol!
Another time, went to look at a Suffolk Punch x TB. Good size for me, right price and ticked all of the boxes...................until they got her out of the stable. I have never seen such a case of stringhalt in my life (and I see a lot of Shetlands!), but, the woman selling on behalf of owner just said 'oh yes, never noticed that before'! Near hind looked like it was on a spacehopper! I know stringhalt isn't always such a bad thing but I don't like dishonesty so didn't even try her out. Being such a small community here, I have since found out that the mare had been on the market on and off for a while and the woman always makes out she's never noticed the stringhalt before! Lovely mare, often pass her grazing in a field...............with a foal at foot!
 
The horse I looked at before seeing C was a 5 or 6YO strange coloured thing. A warmblood in the sense it wasn't a cob or a TB :rolleyes: It apparently forgot how to trot the day we tried it. When we asked for it to be trotted up inhand the girl ran backwards with it :eek: And under saddle it couldn't trot atall, the whole time the girl was saying 'Isn't he lovely' :rolleyes:
 
Brilliant stories, but i do feel sorry for viewers and horses involved !
I went to see a '13.2hh new forest mare, perfect allrounder no blemishes etc..' which was a 15hh welsh section D- covered in sarcoids ! got on it and it was a nightmare, jogged on a hack and I jumped it and it never stopped! ended up coming off that one.

Went to a dealers yard who brought out a pony straight off the lorry! had been on for hours poor thing, stuck a kid on it and made it jump 3'6 from a trot when it could barely even move, was so stiff and tired :(. saw the same horse advertised 2 x more on horsemart since !

then brought out a nutter welsh cob which charged around the manege, then in desperation brought out a tb that couldnt even walk it was so lame- his wife shouted at this point ' i dont think you can ride that one'...

we left pretty quick!

then went to view a nice newfie mare, seemed lovely and agreed to buy but then the passport was dodgey and the owner told us she wouldnt load, and the newforest branding on her back wasnt burnt in- it was scratched in !!

Went to view another new forest (see a trend here? ) who had apparently been jumping and to shows etc, when we got there it couldnt even be ridden off the lead rope and only in walk... and it was advertised at £3000 !

Went to look at a haflinger and id had been sold once and returned (we were told upon arriving) the horse jumped and went fine until it seemed to get bored, stopped moving and refused to listen to any aids ! then bucked and carried on doing whatever it wanted...

in the end bought the most lovely natured mare, turned out to be bombproof on roads and 100% trustworthy, fab jumper and not a bad bone in her body! that had an old tendon injury and everything we were told was a load of rubbish about her, 11 months into rehab after it retore, regret buying her but she's so lovely and its not her fault so im glad she got a safe home

ah well !
 
i have travelled 3 hours to North Somerset to see a 16hh warmblood with Donnerhall lines, I phoned just before we left to check everything was ok, and was told it was, so mammoth drive later arrive at yard, bit run down and no-one about, then a young girl said I'll go and get him in from the field, so in came the pony and I mean pony! he had a massive cut on his knee, but she said he was fine, I was thinking how can I say thanks but no thanks at this stage? i was really cross that I was not told he was injured! but she lunged him it was like wall of death and then rode him again wall of death, then as he looked quite puffed out I did ride him and just as I settled into the saddle she said he hasn't been ridden by anyone else but her! but somehow this honest little boy with hardly any meat on him and really overgrown feet just listened to me enough to do a passable try out, she said after I didn't know that he could work in an outline like that! yep its called dressage and it really helps them, I didn't buy him he was too small, and with a wound like that on the knee although still sound, could have problems that would be to risky to waste money on a vetting.

The one I did buy, when we arrived we had to wait in their lounge while the owner finished breastfeeding her baby, and again when we went to pick up the horse, it was odd, I know its natural but I felt like I was staring at the ceiling while she was telling me about the horse!
 
I was at a show and got chatting to someone at the edge of the arena (as we both had boarder terriers on a lead). Said I was looking for a new horse, described what I was after and she said she had just the one at home! Home was just off the A1 and we would be going passed on the way home. She said her husband would be there and he would show me the horse. Got there (after already looking at 3 others the same day - none of which were suitable), the yard was a mess and really tired and the husband was no where to be seen. A phone call had obviously been made to the neighbour who pointed out the horse and showed me where the tack room was (unlocked) and told me to help myself and then went! I found a brush, gave it a groom and tacked up without anyone around. Found the arena and had a walk and trot around. The husband came home and hoped on the horse with a fag in his straight away jumped a fence about 1:40m - still with fag in his mouth and no hat!

They managed to convince me that he was 15:3hh (as that was what I said I wanted).

18 months later said horse and I are very happy and he measures 16.1hh!!!

A very random but worth while experience! In hindsight I was silly to get on such an unknown horse! but I am a great believer in fate!!!

I did go back again when the owner was there, watched her ride then she gave me a lesson before doing the deal!
 
I went to see a horse when i got there i realised straight away wasnt the horse in the ad, it was same colour same markings just not the same quality.

The seller told me they didnt have a pic so had used one that was most similar to horse:eek: as the horse was to be brought on as a project and was such a tank good weight carrier and they told me it was bombproof i decided to try it.

They tried to get me just to ride it on the yard i said i wanted to try it out it walked perfectly over main road past traffic away from yard,I got it to the bottom of paddock they put me in turned it round and it reared walking along on its back legs.

I got off walked it back up to them by this time the father or whoever had appeared with a pice of blue piping and was threatning the person I was with very strange, I told them where to get off not very nicely and they all scuttled back in to the yard shut the gates and i was left on the road probably looking bemused.
 
I once went to see a 16.2 hannovarian which was advertised as 'well schooled, good in stable etc' ... we drove for 2 hours and arrived at the bottom of a unmade road... we were in the landy so we went for it... another 3/4 hour up this track we arrived at a place I can only describe as a hovel... We were taken to see a pony that must have been 13.2 and came at us over the wall with it's teeth bared...

They got very very shirty with us when I said that I wasn't interested... as I hadn't even ridden him...

We literally ran off to the landy and went sharpish!!!

BnBX
 
I once went to see a mare with a friend. The ad was basic: 'Flame, 15.2hh mare, all rounder, good in all ways.' So we arrived and the vendor brought out a very smart chestnut mare. 'Oh' says my friend, 'I thought that she would be grey.' She then declared that she didn't want a chestnut mare and we left.

I still can't quite believe that she didn't twig from the ad (the mare was called FLAME ;) ) that she was chestnut. Plus, if she really felt that strongly about chestnuts, why didn't she ask what colour the horse was when she rang to arrange the viewing. I was too shocked to say anything at the time.
 
Years and years ago, (I was 9), we went to see a NF pony. We went with our then very good, also horsey neighbours. The pony in question was actually intended for my friend who was 7 or 8 at the time. We went as moral support! Arrived at a field with a few odd field shelters dotted around, broken fencing and a small selection of 'rustic jumps', kicked all over the place. No sign of any pony. After meeting the 'adults', we were led to the side of one of these shelters, which was penned off, and completely in the dark. Inside was the pony, a dark brown mare. Couldn't see her. She was actually laying down - due to laminitis! Poor pony. Anyway, dragged her out, 'they' tacked her up and then my friend took complete fright of her, screamed and ran for the hills - literally! Her parents in pursuit, us standing there, looking shocked at what we had just seen. Well, shame to waste a nice natured pony! So I got on, had a trot about, and within moments had hopped over these rustic 'things'. I loved it. My, then current loan pony was then 27, and although lovely, was a 'boring ride'!! (poor old Middy!) We offered to home Jasmine, and had her for 3 fab years. My friend never did explain why she was so frightened of her, she didn't even touch her. But, I for one, was very grateful she did what she did.
The owners never came to see her while she was with us, but when my mum phoned to say I was outgrowing her, and it would be our last summer with her, they came the next day and took her back. I didn't even get to say goodbye, and to this day, would love to know what happened to her after.
 
Faracat said:
I once went to see a mare with a friend. The ad was basic: 'Flame, 15.2hh mare, all rounder, good in all ways.' So we arrived and the vendor brought out a very smart chestnut mare. 'Oh' says my friend, 'I thought that she would be grey.' She then declared that she didn't want a chestnut mare and we left.

I still can't quite believe that she didn't twig from the ad (the mare was called FLAME ;) ) that she was chestnut. Plus, if she really felt that strongly about chestnuts, why didn't she ask what colour the horse was when she rang to arrange the viewing. I was too shocked to say anything at the time.
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LOL Ive just asked my 2 year old son what colour he would expect a horse called 'Flame' to be... and he replied immediately 'Red'... your friend is obviously an 'interesting' person;)
 
Chavhorse said:
Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor. Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
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there are some classics on this thread but this is my all time favourite, :D
 
We went to see two Intermediate show horses at a producer/dealers yard we walked up to them to find a sedalin box in both stables, i simply said "Thanks for waisting my time" and went home i then went on to buy a Unbroken 4Yo TB stallion. So she had no need for sedalin im more than mad enough to jump on anything!! haha
 
We travelled an hour & half to see an 11.2hh first pony for my daughter. Got there to be told the said pony was lame so couldn't try her. We still wanted to go upto the field to see her, which we did but the whole time the seller seemed in a rush to get rid of us. We left but half way home I decided to ring her & leave my number so she could let me know when it was sound again . I was told "oh its just gone - someone was coming to buy it but I let you come anyway incase they didn't show up"!!! Annoyed was not the word I used!!!!
 
Me and my boyfriend went to a particularly notorious dealer (I know we shouldn't have lined his pockets but we wanted a project. He refused an ex racer, as mine put him off them for all eternity by 'accidentally' misinterpreting his aids and going hell for leather through the village, sending traffic in all directions and causing people to run out into the road in their dressing gowns to see what just whizzed past their house at an alarming speed...).

Anyway. Digression. We met said dealer at a petrol station in his large personalised merc, then commenced a rally-style cross country race round narrow country lanes, endeavouring to keep up with dealer. Arrived at a scrap yard with a big black solid set of gates, and walked into what appeared to be Steptoe's yard after a bomb had gone off. There was a carcass in one corner with a couple of dogs and a turkey picking over it, some dark, rancid stables and an overhanging roof where some mangy looking cob types were milling round a plastic barrel. All the animals were loose in the yard bar one - a skinny, feeble looking little horse who was being bitten and kicked by the others. He pulled back several times to try to escape and hit his face on the tin roof, removing the skin from his nose (more pickings for the dogs, perhaps). The dealer then threw an old blue wintec on him complete with a girth with a knot in, a manky old bridle, and got some random child to sit on him. (no idea where the child appeared from - maybe it was eating its lunch with the dogs and turkey?).

I felt dreadful for this poor horse with his terrible splayed feet and bleeding face, and to my shame I fell into the trap that all numpties with more money than sense fall into, and bought him. Fortunately for me he was an angel, fantastic to ride once he had been MoT'd and serviced, and a truly genuine horse. This was many years ago, and I still miss him!
 
My mum placed a wanted ad for a pony, so a lady rings about 'Molly' who she hasn't advertised but wants to sell, sounds perfect, mum goes to see her and asks how much the owner wants. She says £1200 with (poorly fitting) tack, my mum offered £1000, owner said she'd think about it and then decided yes. Later that weekend my mum receives a phone call from the owners husband saying the owner had decided to keep her.

So is that a different 'Molly' up for sale 2 days later at £1400 then??:eek:
 
When we were trying to find a first pony for my friend's daughter we came across some 'interesting' ponies.

First pony we tried was an incredibly pretty faced 12hh welshy. The little girl got on it and trotted it around the school whilst the mother was telling us how brilliant the pony was and how she would be perfect for us. After 15 mins of trotting we asked the little girl if she could show us some canter and prehaps a little jump. She immediately jumped off the pony and hid behind her mother. Of course this raised suspisions so I jumped on and asked for a canter, the pony did some horrific fly bucking down the long side - i swear it's tail brushed my hat!

2nd pony we went to view was another gorgeous welshy, this time a little grey mare. The owner produces show ponies and assured us that the mare was an angel and that she has a 6 yr old ride it regulary. She then pratically threw friend's daughter on to the pony and got her walking/trotting round. Pony was a bit spookey but nothing awful. She asked pony to canter and pony did a little buck and then went back to trot. After a couple tries I ended up getting on pony and as I couldn't get my feet in the stirrups I just rode without. Asked pony to canter and it just ran through my hands, tried again and it did a buck and again ran in trot. I didn't have a whip (should have realised there was probably a reason for this :O ) so i used the loop of the reins....pony proceeded to bronc and after 5/6 I ended up on my ass in the sand....with a nice big crowd of liveries watching. Nothing like getting dumped by a 12hh!

Glad to say that it was 3rd time lucky, we found a gorgeous welshie who is just perfect!
 
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