Why is buying a horse so difficult?

Snowy Celandine

Snowy Celandine

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Hello everyone :)

I've decided to buy another horse but I've already had two bad experiences in less than a week and I am wondering if it's worth carrying on or, more to the point, if I can actually afford to carry on since I am several hundred pounds out of pocket so far :(

Basically, I am after a specific breed and I (foolishly I now realise) drove 600 miles last weekend to look at a horse that looked perfect for me. Big mistake! When I got there the horse's conformation left a lot to be desired and it was in such poor condition that I didn't know whether to call a welfare organisation :( Poor thing. I decided to stay in the area as planned and just went sight seeing instead, after telling owner that horse was not for me.

This week I had arranged to travel 300 miles to see a horse and had let owner know that I was definitely coming and had booked my hotel. Then I got an e mail from her saying that she had decided to show horse to someone else and they now had first refusal :( Luckily I only booked a cheap hotel but am £50 down and I'm not even going to see the horse.

I've not bought a horse for several years and hadn't realised it had become so difficult. Is my experience normal or are there some decent and honest sellers out there?
 
Unfortunately I think it's a pretty common problem. Some sellers will misdescribe their animals (some buyers will misdescribe their abilities!) and the result is a lot of wasted time and money.

Could you not ask for photos and a video before you travel so far? It might save some wasted trips. Is it possible to buy the kind of horse you want from a reputable breeder? They may be less likely to mess you around if they have a good reputation to protect.

Otherwise I am afraid it's a matter of driving around every weekend until you find the right one!
 
what are you looking for?

may be a HHO on here might have just what you're looking for (or know of someone who does!!)

It's a very funny market at the moment - we were booked to see a horse - said to the seller, we could go any time to suit him - he made us wait til the following weekend as he was at work all week (although we said we could go in the evenings)

Got a text the night before to say he was sold - after he'd been on the market with no interest for about 6 weeks, judging by the adverts.....

very irritating!
 
I had this problem a few years ago when I was looking for one, I found that adverts on the internet drove me crazy with lies and dishonesty, in the end I found mine through an advert I placed in my local tack shop, so that might be worth a try?
 
Thank you. Booboos - I did ask for video but was told that lady did not have suitable camera. She sent photos but they were taken at the end of last summer when horse was in better condition and they managed to hide the glaring conformational error by strategic positioning of horse! Still, I have learnt that lesson now and won't fall for that trick again.

Spacafaer - I just wish the seller had informed me that she was showing the horse to someone else before I'd paid for my hotel room rather than after. I wouldn't do that to someone but I am like to treat everyone how I would like to be treated myself and I have quickly come to realise that most people are not that nice, sadly :(
 
Benji1 - that sounds like a good idea. I am after a Highland pony - either an established, forward going but safe one or a younger pony which has been broken and is riding away quietly. There are plenty of yearlings and two year olds available but I want a pony that is ready to start competing this summer and they seem a bit few and far between.
 
tack shops or word of mouth would probably be your best bet - another bonus of this, i found, was they were generally in the local area, thus elliminating travel/hotel costs
 
I ve just bought a youngster unseen from Southern Ireland.
Had video and pictures and although not perfect photography, I could see the conformation and movement basically straight and ok.
Buying an unbroken youngster means you at least get a "clean sheet" so to speak.
That way you can avoid a pack of lies as the horse really HASN'T done anything! I think if you have them professionally backed this really is the only way to get a good, cheap quality horse that is sound too. Every horse any of my friends have bought rangeing in price from £5,500 to £12,000 have had either temperament or soundness issues, mostly all acquired problems, attributed to the work the animal has been doing or the way it has been backed.

Last time Ibought a horse this way I got an absolute superstar for £2000, infact he was TOO good for me.
 
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I know what you mean; a few years ago I was looking for something half decent and travelled for two hours, only to be shown a lot of stuff that was for carriage driving not riding!!! So was not best pleased at all.

Another time I went to a rather run-down dealers yard and was shown everything in the yard that she couldn't sell and knew it, and as she didn't know me was trying to take advantage I think.

I did eventually find my boy - I had him on winter loan from a trekking centre and liked him/couldn't bear to part with him kinda thing, and then made them an offer for him. So I had the benefit of fully trying him out without any obligation. I wonder if there are any riding schools/trekking centres in your area? (make sure they don't fob you off with what they don't want tho'!!).

It IS difficult to find the right horse; and I never ever thought I'd find another one like the old boy I'd lost (which made it even more difficult to find something); BUT there will be something out there for you, don't worry!!! I believe that horses find who they want to be with, rather than vice versa, and there will be some lovely horse out there who adopts you as his/her person.
 
I understand where you're coming from, we only saw a few before buying our Highland pony last year but after travelling miles and ending up wasting pounds on fuel and hours of our time to then see something which completely was not what was described can be a little mind numbing after a while. Have you owned Highlands in the past? What was the conformational defect in the pony you saw, if you don't mind me asking?
 
if you are narrowing your search for a highland, you are being very limiting I'm afraid.

My aunt sold one a few years back, to a woman that wanted a highland in a particular colour, the one my aunt had was the only one in the country for sale at the time. It was soon sent back as pony was to much for owner.
 
Benjis_girl - I will PM you later about the conformation question :)

Wench - I have to narrow down my search to Highlands only because I want a Highland! I've got one already and she is my pride and joy and I want another because they are a fab breed :)
 
I don't blame you for wanting a Highland, they are a fabulous breed, and i don't think you're limiting yourself either, Highlands (and other native breeds) are becoming so popular of late i'm sure it won;t be too long before you find exactly what you're looking for. What's the breeding of your other Highland? Sorry for being nosey, it's just i've become really interested in the breed since my mum has owned Islay.
 
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