Why cant people just be honest?

madhector

madhector

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www.darlingdressage.co.uk
I really don't get why people cant just be honest about things
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I have taken on a horse for schooling, which apparently had been ridden by a teenager for the last few months but it had frightened her so she wanted it re schooling, so she got in touch with me via another one of my clients. I went up to meet the horse and have a chat with the owner, she seemed nice (horse) and I agreed to take her on. I asked if she had been in work recently and she said that this girl had attempted to ride her but now was too scared as she was quite difficult. Anyways, went back to today to school her and she was unbelievably fresh, so lunged her for 10 minutes and then got on. Very nice horse, just with a lot of issues.

Anyway, then went over to ride for another client (the one that put this woman in touch with me) and she asked how I had got on, when I said she was fine, just stressy and very fresh, she said she wasn't surprised, the horse hadn't been ridden in months, as was too difficult. Now why couldn't the owner just tell me this in the first place? Fortunately I like to lunge first if I don't know them as I'm afraid I am becoming a little wary of what people say these days.

Hopefully this will have a happy ending and she will become sane enough for her owner to ride again, you never know...
 
It's scarey isn't it?
When I went to view Monty the owner said he had been ridden a week or so ago, after buying him and talking to previous loan home who had him turns out he had not been ridden for 3 months
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After buying him he reared up and fell over backwards on me after asking him to walk down a hill. When I informed previous owner of our accident she said 'he has never had to walk downhill, he lived in a flat area'?????
 
I learnt the hard way many years ago .I went to school a horse , put my foot in the stirrup and it bolted .As my foot was fully in the stirrup ,I was dragged under the horse and it kicked me in the face, half my nose was taken off my face.
The owner never told me there was any problem about mounting just that she wanted it exercised ,found out later she always had it held tightly to get on!
 
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Ah yes... I fell for that once! I got on Napoleon, a HUGE white beastie, having been reassured that he was quiet as a lamb...
He buried me in the sand within micro-seconds. I always lunge horses first now!!

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So it could be said you met your Waterloo
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Sorry - couldn't resist!
 
Be wary! I am VERY careful about any horse I haven't seen ridden and generally don't take anything for granted. Sensible people are happy I'm careful with their horse and my own safety, people who want to give me grief usually have something to hide or don't have the (insert applicable noun here) to do it themselves so I don't take that too seriously.

My personal favourite is when a horse comes specifically for reschooling but apparently has nothing significant wrong with it, even upon repeated questioning. Then, when it bucks/rears/strikes/runs off/lies down/quits/otherwise behave in a dangerous manner the owner says something along the lines of, "Oh yes, he does that sometimes!" Wouldn't it just be easier, safer - and more legally defensible - to come clean? After all if the horse is being reschooled then there must be a reason!

Wasn't there quite a court case about this not long ago? A woman who was not told a horse's history and was seriously injured? I believe there was quite a large settlement - justifiably if you ask me. It's one thing to assume a known risk, quite another to have be purposefully kept in the dark!

At least you're okay and now know a little more about the horse, which should make it a bit easier to sort out anyway! Glad it had a relatively benign ending.
 
Ah yes, this happens all the time. Generally people leave their horses with me for "schooling" and tell me that the horse is perfect. I never believe this, so spend the first couple of days discovering its idiosyncracies!
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Then when the owner rings up and asks coyly how the horse is behaving, they are usually gobsmacked when I say it has been no trouble at all, and when would they like to come and ride it!
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It's very refreshing when someone actually tells you what the problem is from the outset, and even better when they listen to your advice on the matter.
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How many years ago was it? I hope it wasn't my horse before I bought her, she's from the midlands and the sellers weren't exactly honest about how ape sh*t she can go when you get on!
 
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LOL! Well remembered! Well, he was actually sold to a SJing home and I came across him several times at competitions. It was lovely to see him and he was doing quite well; he was a bit slow and clumsy, but safe as houses
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Ahh - bless him - interesting career for a slow and clumsy horse though
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Its happens all the time i went to look at a horse, he was stunning i hopped on and took him into the school he had a trot to die for very impressive, pushed for canter and i was on the floor quick as a flash i didnt even realise he had bucked me off it was so quick!! hopped back on changed rein settled him down and hey presto hit the deck!! It was only after i had hit the deck twice they admitted that he was seriously naughty bolting rearing bucking etc and had to be lunged for 20mins before riding him??? why oh why did they just let me hop on and never said a word... (i didnt buy him!!) Did hear that he went to a college for the students to ride but they sent him back.....
 
Over the last 10 years or so I have found that no-one tells the truth about horses when they're selling them either. I will never get on a horse unless I've seen the owner ride it first.
There seem to be alot of people selling who can't ride anymore because they have a bad back due to car accidents??

One told me her daughter would ride the horse. But when we got there her daughter was in bed with flu but one of the girls on the yard would ride it. Even the girl said I'm only a novice rider. Her very worn leather cow leggins said otherwise.
Anyway the horse was led to the menage. She stood on the steps, foot in stirrup leg almost over flybucking you would not believe. Left the girl flat on her back horse took off round the menage. I had to catch the horse. Owners husband picked the girl up off the floor. I just looked at the owner and asked how long it had been since anyone had been on his back. About 3 weeks she said. I suggested that before anyone else got on they should lunge it next time and tell the truth. GOODBYE.
 
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Ah yes, this happens all the time. Generally people leave their horses with me for "schooling" and tell me that the horse is perfect. I never believe this, so spend the first couple of days discovering its idiosyncracies!
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We tend to find the opposite.

In the last few months we've had a pony to back who was supposed to be very aggressive towards anyone on the ground (he put his ears back once when I entered the box when he had feed!) Habitual buckers - who don't. A bolter - who didn't!

It's quite embarrassing - hard to 'cure' a horse who does nothing wrong!
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