Why lie?! :/ dealers....

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Troyseph

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Went to see a horse yesterday for a friend that has a novice teem daughter, wanting something safe that she can learn on but something that will go in future,went to see a Id x mare, who was 14 and 15.3, they knew the girl was a novice and said the mare would be suitable,

First thing that struck was that she was not happy, or very mareish, put her bum to me with her ears back etc,
However my friend asked if I'd ride her first so I agreed, I'll get on anything so off we went...

She was very forward, looking at everything, quite unsure of herself, felt a little strong, were ok till we got to the gate to go out, she then had a bit of a moment and proceeded to rear and buck and jump about on the spot shaking her head... I turned around and said, no way is she suitable so I took her back in...

They blamed it on being stabled... Fair dos, maybe this was the case, but they knew a novice teen was coming to try her...

Poor mare. I did feel very sorry for her and she is cheap, I just hope someone understanding takes her on...

I don't understand a seller that lies though, they know you'll come try the horse surely and realise it's not suitable?,!

Never mind....this horse hunting business is tiring, dread to think how my friends feel:D
 
Seller lies simples;) wants cash...
The horse is just a means to cash, it could be a car, a dog a broken computer..
They want cash...
That is why they sell lots of horses to novices, make lots of money and novices end up injured, in tears, out of pocket and confidence shattered...
Sometimes I think though that novices expectations are too high
Since when does the perfect horse exist?
In my mind this would be a rocking horse that did exactly what it said on the tin..
I dont lie which is why I am stuck selling for months...
Just give the answer the horse buyer wants(lie) and get horse sold
Get next one in...rinse...repeat (lie)
so on so forth
get the idea:)
 
Oh I know, luckily when I was horse hunting I bought off of a close friend, so no worries there.

I just dread to think if the girl got on first, she would've been so shaken,:mad:

I guess this is why they say always see the horse ridden first,:rolleyes:

It doesn't bother me trying any horse for them... I'd rather do that than her daughter get hurt.

Bloody dealers. I don't know how half still operate!
 
vienna said:
Seller lies simples;) wants cash...
The horse is just a means to cash, it could be a car, a dog a broken computer..
They want cash...
That is why they sell lots of horses to novices, make lots of money and novices end up injured, in tears, out of pocket and confidence shattered...
Sometimes I think though that novices expectations are too high
Since when does the perfect horse exist?
In my mind this would be a rocking horse that did exactly what it said on the tin..
I dont lie which is why I am stuck selling for months...
Just give the answer the horse buyer wants(lie) and get horse sold
Get next one in...rinse...repeat (lie)
so on so forth
get the idea:)
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I agree with u there, there is no perfect horse, and the more closer to perfect, the heftier the price tag, obviously.

To be honest I'm trying to sway them in favour of a nice cob x under 15.2:D

The girls very tall, hence the height wanted, but you can't generally go wrong with a nice little cob for a beginner:D
 
I always make the seller ride it first so I can judge for myself whether its worth getting on.

However I was selling one, albeit not a novice ride, but sensible and from the minute my arse touched the saddle that day someone came to see her she did not stop bouncing and cantering sideways, I was mortified. I'm sure they think I was a massive liar but I couldn't apologize to them enough, so maybe not.
 
Not really commenting on the lying, (or not), of what you were told. But from your posing it sounds as if you were left to your own devices to try this horse. I would NEVER go and try a horse without seeing it being handled and ridden by the owner first.

I would always expect the seller to trot the horse up, tack it up and ride it both on the flat and over a jump before I even thought of getting on. If the seller can't ride for whatever reason I would expect them to find a friend to show it off.

When we were looking we walked away from quite a few without ever getting on them.
 
Yes agree with you there.
It often does not help that the new horse buyer wants something flashy that even an experienced rider would not want to ride or could see past
You can have a very flashy horse that has talent for nothing and is difficult to boot
And if it was flashy and did everything then expect to pay lots of money
not bargain basement
People want lots of horse for little money
That is just my opinion BTW:)
 
I can see why people are arguing, quite rightly, that someone on the yard should ride the horse first to prove it can be ridden.
The only flaw as I see it, is that if a good work rider sets up a horse for you, the horse will behave differently for you afterwards and you may still not get the horse you need.
 
To be fair, its not just dealers that lie. We had far more issues with private sellers lying about horses when we were hunting for OH last year than we did with dealers! I quickly got used to the phrase 'oh, he's never done that before'! Had so much time wasted with horse's that were not as described.
I think it pays to be honest, not everyone's put off by it. When we sold our WB i put on the ad he was a nervy hack and needed a confident rider to hack him out and still had a lot of calls for him. Better people know before a wasted visit and know exactly what they're coming to view. Always makes you wonder what else they've lied about too when you uncover one lie!

My biggest bugbear was people using pictures that were clearly not recent! I always asked for recent pics to gauge condition.

I hope your friends daughter finds her match soon! :)
 
Yes agree with all of this having ridden for dealers..
however saying it is suitable for a novice really is another thing
Every single horse some dealers have are suited for novices
But wait untill the novice is left alone with horse
DISASTER
And agree with schooling problems out of horses and then inexpereinced rider gets on and it remembers exactly what it did before.
Terrible aren't they:D
 
Troyseph said:
Went to see a horse yesterday for a friend that has a novice teem daughter, wanting something safe that she can learn on but something that will go in future,went to see a Id x mare, who was 14 and 15.3, they knew the girl was a novice and said the mare would be suitable,

First thing that struck was that she was not happy, or very mareish, put her bum to me with her ears back etc,
However my friend asked if I'd ride her first so I agreed, I'll get on anything so off we went...

She was very forward, looking at everything, quite unsure of herself, felt a little strong, were ok till we got to the gate to go out, she then had a bit of a moment and proceeded to rear and buck and jump about on the spot shaking her head... I turned around and said, no way is she suitable so I took her back in...

They blamed it on being stabled... Fair dos, maybe this was the case, but they knew a novice teen was coming to try her...

Poor mare. I did feel very sorry for her and she is cheap, I just hope someone understanding takes her on...

I don't understand a seller that lies though, they know you'll come try the horse surely and realise it's not suitable?,!

Never mind....this horse hunting business is tiring, dread to think how my friends feel:D
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oh funny to hear this.....sorry not funny, I went to view for my first horse and the horse was pinned up against stable wall terrified of lady showing me..(I am thinking what have you done to this horse) anyhow out in the menage it bucks and bucks then she tells me well you will have to try it sometime(as if I was incompetent buyer) I was a novice but not stupid enough to get on..I did find a nice horse that I still have (unfortunately retired) BUT fast forward 13 years(unlucky obviously) got chucked off the novice horse that never bucks and guess what it bronc'd all along a hedge and then its owner got on after my side door exit and it bucked and kangarood all the way back!! So am I suprised to hear this no. Am going to post another thread along these lines! But I have no idea why people lie so much in the horsey world! Its accepted ........par for the course. Annoying yes!!
 
I agree with what you're all saying, yes of course the horse should be ridden by the seller first, but as I said I've been riding a verrryy long time, owned quite a few different horses, ridden alot of other people's horses too, I consider myself to be a very good rider, without sounding like I'm tooting my own horn,hence why I got on first, nothing bothers me about what a horse will do...I've been there n done it n got the t shirt.:D

What my peeve was that this horse wasn't suitable for a novice, and yes of course I can see how the horse may have had an off day and tried testing me or it had never acted like this, of course there are millions of reasons why, but generally if you're a honest seller with honest horses, 9.5 times out of 10 there are no issues and the horse is described.

As well as all this, this particular horse after asked wouldn't be sold with a warranty period like all the rest...:confused:
 
I agree with what you're all saying, yes of course the horse should be ridden by the seller first, but as I said I've been riding a verrryy long time, owned quite a few different horses, ridden alot of other people's horses too, I consider myself to be a very good rider, without sounding like I'm tooting my own horn,hence why I got on first, nothing bothers me about what a horse will do...I've been there n done it n got the t shirt
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Always interesting to see the owner ride it first though - can tell you so much.
 
amymay said:
Always interesting to see the owner ride it first though - can tell you so much.
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Very true, they didn't have anywhere to ride though like no field or school or anything :rolleyes:So would've been hard to see on a hack...iygwim.

I will tell my friend however to from now on, if I'm not going to ensure the owner rides it first.
 
I would NEVER get on a horse without seeing somebody else ride it first, in all paces and on both reins:p
Im sure most people will know what I mean
I would NEVER fall for a cock and bull story about why someone could not ride it
Serious alarm bells would ring, ring, ring:D
 
To be fair to the dealer it is entirely possible that it was unusual behaviour for the horse. I was selling one who was normally a very good boy but when this one girl came to see him he was going absolutely nuts on the ground and even worse when I rode him. I apologised straight away and wished them luck with their search but the whole thing was so embarassing as he was actually a really lovely horse.
 
vienna said:
I would NEVER get on a horse without seeing somebody else ride it first, in all paces and on both reins:p
Im sure most people will know what I mean
I would NEVER fall for a cock and bull story about why someone could not ride it
Serious alarm bells would ring, ring, ring:D
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I would also NEVER go and try something for a novice/ nervous rider that had nowhere safe and enclosed to try it, going for a hack is for after you know it is safe in a school, if they have no facilities hire some.
 
be positive said:
I would also NEVER go and try something for a novice/ nervous rider that had nowhere safe and enclosed to try it, going for a hack is for after you know it is safe in a school, if they have no facilities hire some.
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In all fairness we didn't know this until we got there...they seemed legit with lots of horses for sale and a good website, nevermind:cool:
 
It is something I always ask now, you just expect some facilities from a yard that sells but have also been caught out in the past and its such a waste of time if you cannot try properly, how are you meant to make a decision, even a happy hacker it better to be shown in a safe environment first.
 
Troyseph said:
In all fairness we didn't know this until we got there...they seemed legit with lots of horses for sale and a good website, nevermind:cool:
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How on earth can they deal in horses without facilities for trying. Didnt they have a field you could have ridden in? Anyway you live and learn. I knew a dealer who took part exchanges and would resell them and when the part exchanges came back due to unsuitable they would swap them again but no money back but would add money on for the new horse.
 
How on earth can they deal in horses without facilities for trying. Didnt they have a field you could have ridden in? Anyway you live and learn. I knew a dealer who took part exchanges and would resell them and when the part exchanges came back due to unsuitable they would swap them again but no money back but would add money on for the new horse.

Agree with this
Entirely
What a fantastic way to make money I have seen it myself first hand
This just shows just what a mine field it is for novice people
I actually don't think they should be buying a horse in the first place UNLESS they know somebody experiences to take with them(riding instructor, equine agent etc)
Suggest this to them however and they feel you are insulting their 'ability'
 
Sadly, I think a great many people selling horses, whether privately or as dealers are less than truthful, although I suspect that dealers are sometimes guilty of ignorance rather than out and out lies simply because the horse comes in, they try it and then make a judgement from there. Many know precisely nothing of the the horse's history and if the shell-shocked horse doesn't do anything naughtly then its fine for novices. The object of the dealer is to sell it at a profit, not spend weeks reschooling it at their expense. Its all about stock turnover. No different from a car dealer really. Contrast that with the private owner who has had a horse for a few years and probably hasn't done anything with it at all lately which is why they are selling. They can be the worst liers of all because they want rid, want the free time and space and want to minimize their losses over the years. I knew of one couple who sold a horse in its late teens as a viceless schoolmaster, had seen hounds etc etc. They took down the weaving grill every time anyone came to view him. A schoolmaster he wasn't - he was a lovely kind gentle giant but it was like riding an ocean liner, he was laterally very stiff, not very balanced and he might have seen the hunt go by 10 years ago... He also had appalling foot problems because despite being 17.1hh, had the correct sized feet for a 14hh pony and his feet literally crumbled under his weight. His hooves were packed with wood filler to keep his shoes on. Anyone buying him was going to be faced with large farrier bills every 5 weeks.

Some people would sell their own grannies if they thought there was money to be made :(
 
fatpiggy said:
Sadly, I think a great many people selling horses, whether privately or as dealers are less than truthful, although I suspect that dealers are sometimes guilty of ignorance rather than out and out lies simply because the horse comes in, they try it and then make a judgement from there. Many know precisely nothing of the the horse's history and if the shell-shocked horse doesn't do anything naughtly then its fine for novices. The object of the dealer is to sell it at a profit, not spend weeks reschooling it at their expense. Its all about stock turnover. No different from a car dealer really. (
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This is why when we have horses to produce we keep them for at least a few months, unlike most, getting to know them properly at home and away. That way we are able to describe them accurately and prevent wasted trips and anguish.
 
Troyseph said:
I agree with what you're all saying, yes of course the horse should be ridden by the seller first, but as I said I've been riding a verrryy long time, owned quite a few different horses, ridden alot of other people's horses too, I consider myself to be a very good rider, without sounding like I'm tooting my own horn,hence why I got on first, nothing bothers me about what a horse will do...I've been there n done it n got the t shirt.:D
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And yet on another post, you say that you've only been riding 16 years, since you were 7, so therefore you're only 23 years old yourself.

I've been riding for 35 years, and I would never get on a horse without seeing someone else ride it first. Not a case of "been there done it", you have no idea what issues the horse might/might not have.

Seems to me that this is just an inflammatory post against dealers, especially since a lot of other things don't ring true in the post. There are good dealers out there, and there are good horses out there. There are also bad dealers, uneducated horses and private sellers who are less than truthful :rolleyes:
 
Fellewell said:
I can see why people are arguing, quite rightly, that someone on the yard should ride the horse first to prove it can be ridden.
The only flaw as I see it, is that if a good work rider sets up a horse for you, the horse will behave differently for you afterwards and you may still not get the horse you need.
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If I put myself in a sellers shoes, if I was going to do this I would do it an hour before the potential buyer turned up. Showing off is exactly that, and most people can tell the difference between a horse that is being shown what he can do, and one that is having a schooling session. 10 minutes of "setting up" will fall apart in less than that amount of time with a rider who isn't experienced wnough to ride the horse in question.

One of the reasons I want to see a horse ridden is so that I have an idea of how it goes, (forward going, fizzy, needs lots of leg, laid back and a plod etc.), and how it reacts to its usual rider. And I don't want to die. I accept what the OP is saying, she is a very good rider and has ridden for years, but I don't know many pros that would get on a strange horse without seeing someone else ride it first. If all else fails a quick spin on the lunge can tell you a lot. At the end of that day OP can you afford to be off work for 6 months if it had reared over backwards with you ?
 
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