Would you buy unseen from Ireland?

Going back to the OP, we have bought unseen - but only at a price that we could afford to suck up if it went wrong. We tend to buy privately, from recommendations of Irish friends, who have seen the horse out, or who have viewed the horse for us. We have a selection of trusted Irish vets around the country as well. We don't buy blind from ads on DoneDeal, for sure!

At the minute, it is not particularly cheap to buy good horses in Ireland - we have sourced our last couple of horses in the UK, because we can't find what we want in Ireland.

Transport costs are approx £250-350 per horse. Vettings are cheaper (but not as cheap as they were). Last vetting cost 250 euros, inc blood and scoping.

Last time I went over on a day trip, I went on foot - drove to Holyhead, left the car there. £19 each way on the ferry, tiny hire car for the day (about £40) and buzzed about looking at horses for the day. Great fun - saw 9 horses, liked 3, bought one.
 
tristar said:
don`t really get `your point`` [ eyes heavenwards] to be honest as i am speaking from personal experience, its as i find and only an opinion

are there any unqualified, formally untrained farriers doing horses feet in england? are there? for example?
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Let's turn this around would you let someone buy unseen. I certainly wouldn't and dealers of riding horses shouldn't either. This is way there are so many misold horses in the UK and Ireland

Its bad enough when they come and see them and you know the buyers arent suitable. Years ago when we were selling we expected people to come and try them numerous times before buying. We had to tactfully say if a horse was not suitable.

I would not buy unseen and I certainly would not sell unseen. There again I really cared about the horses we had as they were homebred and we did end up with one coming back now and again. It happens.
 
I think everyone needs to calm down a little bit.

I have bought twice now unseen from Ireland, via a trusted source. I did my research beforehand, spoke to several other people who had bought from this source, including a local 4 star eventer I have trained with. I was prepared to send it back if I didn’t like it.

It was the extremely exciting, and I really liked the first one, so much that I went back for another. They were both unbacked Connemara ponies, both as described. I got endless photos and videos, and asked for specific things to be videod (eg. Being led and tied up loading, having feet picked up and rasped, loose schooled, loose jumped).

Both cracking ponies, both cheaper bought from source than if they’d already been imported. I expect proven competition horses are a similar price in Ireland than they are over here, but generally it is cheaper to buy from source than after a Uk dealer has paid to transport it over and marks it up. Otherwise, why would they bother.

There is a bit of an assumption than horses in Ireland go hunting at a young age, and could potentially have problems later in life due to this. I don’t think the OP should be slammed for being concerned, lots of people think this.
However, from what I can tell, they might go once or twice so the seller can say it ‘has hunted’ since many people are buying Irish hunters, it’s a good selling point. It would bother me more if the 4 year old was already doing loads of schooling or jumping big SJ tracks tbh.

Anyhoo, I loved buying my chaps unseen, it was all so easy, I’m still in touch with my source, I’d buy off her again in a nano-second. People are so judgy.
 
Bellaboo18 said:
Yes, I would from a dealer. I've been very lucky with the horses I've bought unseen. I expect to get a good price for such a quick sale. I can afford the gamble and am prepared for any outcome but really enjoy the oo what's arriving feeling and then getting to know them. I don't buy anything with a job in mind (anymore) and just see what they are good at/enjoy which probably helps.
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This is exactly what I was trying to say! It’s really fun seeing what’s coming, the excitement when you hear they’re on the tranporter! I can afford the gamble, I also don’t have a specific job in mind, I just see what they are capable of and enjoy, and I may or may not sell them on.
 
Kaylum said:
Years ago when we were selling we expected people to come and try them numerous times before buying.
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I have been buying for forty years and the procedure has not changed in that time. The amount of time you try the horse for depends on your personal wishes (I only ever view once) and how much in demand the horse is (whether you will lose it if you delay). I have been selling for thirty eight years and only one in ten buyers have tried the horse more than once.




I don't care whether other people buy and sell unseen or not, but I'm mighty amused by the people telling those of us on the forum who do that we shouldn't. I would have missed three cracking horses if I'd never bought unseen.
 
I've never bought unseen and would only consider it for a young unbacked pony. It wouldnt matter whether where it came from, transport from Ireland can be as cheap as £250 so not a lot considering! I have never yet viewed a horse thats completely as described in the ad.

Too many people buy unseen and end up with massive issues. As someone said above, the dodgy dealer pages are full of stories of horses bought unseen.
 
Kaylum said:
Years ago when we were selling we expected people to come and try them numerous times before buying
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I have never tried a horse more than once, but then I consider myself well experienced enough to be able to assess a horse pretty quickly, haven't had a bad one yet! Plus usually the good ones sell pretty quickly so normally have to move fast.

Buying and selling unseen is common here probably due to the long distances involved, I wouldn't do it myself personally, unless it was something unbroken and there were lots of videos available. But I can understand why people do it.
 
I am just saying I would never sell to anyone unseen and would expect people to try the horse a couple of times and go away and think about it. Mind you I was selling homebred and backed pure Irish draughts and which over 20 years ago were selling for much more than you buy them for these days. Never had a shortage of buyers and therefore I could decide who I would sell to.

I would never sell a young horse to someone I had never met. I think its pride and integrity and love for the animals.
 
My lad came unseen from ireland as a 4yo. I wouldn't normally but I could not find what I wanted and he sounded perfect. He was a little tricky to get to know and it took a while for us to click but ive had hjm 6.5 years and he is the most amazing, genuine, kind horse I've ever met. Talent to burn but happy to plod too.

I wouldn't say he was cheaper than he would have been over here, imo the Irish know a good horse and they know their worth.
 
Tihama said:
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i always understood it is illegal for anyone other than a qualified farrier to shoe a horse in england, let alone go round as a practicing farrier on the open market.

a farrier i know very well in ireland said in his area alone there are 12`` farriers`` unqualified and unregistered

its just something to consider when buying a horse
 
farriery.
tristar said:
i always understood it is illegal for anyone other than a qualified farrier to shoe a horse in england, let alone go round as a practicing farrier on the open market.

a farrier i know very well in ireland said in his area alone there are 12`` farriers`` unqualified and unregistered

its just something to consider when buying a horse
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The bit in bold is true, it is illegal for a non FRC registered farrier (or suitably supervised apprentice) to prepare a hoof to take a shoe. That doesn't mean that people aren't doing it in the UK. So those people who have said it happens have not said that it happens legally.
 
spacefaer said:
Going back to the OP, we have bought unseen - but only at a price that we could afford to suck up if it went wrong. We tend to buy privately, from recommendations of Irish friends, who have seen the horse out, or who have viewed the horse for us. We have a selection of trusted Irish vets around the country as well. We don't buy blind from ads on DoneDeal, for sure!

At the minute, it is not particularly cheap to buy good horses in Ireland - we have sourced our last couple of horses in the UK, because we can't find what we want in Ireland.

Transport costs are approx £250-350 per horse. Vettings are cheaper (but not as cheap as they were). Last vetting cost 250 euros, inc blood and scoping.

Last time I went over on a day trip, I went on foot - drove to Holyhead, left the car there. £19 each way on the ferry, tiny hire car for the day (about £40) and buzzed about looking at horses for the day. Great fun - saw 9 horses, liked 3, bought one.
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Thank you for a very informative helpful reply, that definitely will help in the future. A friend knows a chap who buys and sells mostly Connemara ponies, hes a dealer for sure but according to her a good one. Sounds good fun doing the day trip and is exactly what a lady from camp did, she bought a gorgeous bay after trying out quite a few and he was the opposite she was looking for.

Jellymoon said:
I think everyone needs to calm down a little bit.

I have bought twice now unseen from Ireland, via a trusted source. I did my research beforehand, spoke to several other people who had bought from this source, including a local 4 star eventer I have trained with. I was prepared to send it back if I didn’t like it.

It was the extremely exciting, and I really liked the first one, so much that I went back for another. They were both unbacked Connemara ponies, both as described. I got endless photos and videos, and asked for specific things to be videod (eg. Being led and tied up loading, having feet picked up and rasped, loose schooled, loose jumped).

Both cracking ponies, both cheaper bought from source than if they’d already been imported. I expect proven competition horses are a similar price in Ireland than they are over here, but generally it is cheaper to buy from source than after a Uk dealer has paid to transport it over and marks it up. Otherwise, why would they bother.

There is a bit of an assumption than horses in Ireland go hunting at a young age, and could potentially have problems later in life due to this. I don’t think the OP should be slammed for being concerned, lots of people think this.
However, from what I can tell, they might go once or twice so the seller can say it ‘has hunted’ since many people are buying Irish hunters, it’s a good selling point. It would bother me more if the 4 year old was already doing loads of schooling or jumping big SJ tracks tbh.

Anyhoo, I loved buying my chaps unseen, it was all so easy, I’m still in touch with my source, I’d buy off her again in a nano-second. People are so judgy.
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Thank you for the reply, I may keep your user name if thats ok and contact you in the future if you still have her contact details? I know of a dealer who sells Connemara ponies, unbacked or backed for average prices but they' seem a lot cheaper than if bought in UK? Backed, done some cross country and hacking, no more than £3000 but most of them look decent. He lets people visit and try them out apparently. The same sort of horse over here would be a good £5000 plus.

Thank you for all the replies, not sure how we got from buying unseen to farriery.. LOL
 
I've bought unseen a couple of times both ridden and unridden and *touchwood* not had a problem. If I hadn't bought my last one unseen I'd have missed out on her as she had a few viewings booked from the following day onwards
 
ester said:
farriery.


ester said:
farriery.


The bit in bold is true, it is illegal for a non FRC registered farrier (or suitably supervised apprentice) to prepare a hoof to take a shoe. That doesn't mean that people aren't doing it in the UK. So those people who have said it happens have not said that it happens legally.[/QUOTE
i was talking about FARRIERS not lay people.

i mentioned farriers, untrained, because of their input and possible effects on any horse bought unseen, as a difference culturally in what we would normally expect, and my post should have read 12 unqualified farriers operating openly in his area alone.

implications for soundness anyone?
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