Post by Liz on Dec 29, 2007 11:51:00 GMT 1
The worst experience I had was partly my own fault as I should have known better! I knew my mare would be going to Rainbow Bridge quite soon so started looking for another horse but didn't have too much spare cash so when I read about a Bavarian warmblood for sale very cheap who was thought to be suitable for anyone as a good hack, I thought it would be worth a try. He was with a dealer in S Wales and so I made the long trek from West Somerset where I was living at the time over the bridge to see him. When I met the dealer, I wasn't happy - didn't fill me with confidence as he was a very rough man indeed. Tried the horse out on a hack accompanied by the man (should have known better here!). Horse behaved and was comfy and pretty good looking, if rather thin, so I bought him. Dealer said he was acting as an agent for a customer but woudn't give me details of the owner. Horse was a bit grumpy in the stable but not that bad.
Picked up the horse - place was down a track so asked the guy to lead the horse to the road as my friend did not want to take her lorry down the track, especially as we had another horse on board. Major grumps from this dreadful man. Obvious later why he didn't want to lead the horse down a half mile track. Paid part cash, part bankers draft - major complaints from the guy. I said take it or leave it. Wish now he had left it!
Got the horse home. Let him settle in a barn for a day or so. He was dangerous to approach, biting and kicking. Turned him out in paddock - reasonably OK. Saddled him up to ride out - would not put one foot in front of another. I simply could not get him to move an inch, not a single inch. Got a friend to walk out with me and that was OK. Asked her to get behind horse - we came to a standstill. I got a very experienced friend to ride him. Same result and this friend is GOOD! He had a reputation of turning around the most contrary of horses but he simply couldn't fathom the horse at all. Got the horse checked again but the chiropractor could not get near him - poor horse attacked rather than be touched. Anyway, he rapidly gained weight with correct feeding and looked very good.
I asked the dealer for a refund as the horse did not do what he was bought for. He got VERY, VERY nasty, rude with dreadful language and would only offer an exchange. I also asked why he thought I would want another horse from him when this one was such a disaster. He still would not give me the previous owner's name. He claimed he had lost her details. Quite frankly, he wasn't worth the hassle and I didnt want this unfortunate horse to go back there, anyway, so decided to bear the loss. I did, however, report him to Trading Standards.
Eventually, previously mentioned horseman friend bought him for meat money and eventually found a home for him where he was a hunter hireling - suited him down to the ground as he spent his life following someone all the time!
Oh, I did go to see a horse once in Dorset and was furious when I got there. When I phoned the owner, I asked all the usual questions telling her I was looking for a sound horse for hunting, hacking and team chasing. The horse had to be sound, clean and nice to know. I travelled nearly 100 miles to see this horse and the first thing I noticed was that the moment I entered his stable, he turned his tail to me very grumpily. I then noticed he had been line fired down both front legs. The lady asked if I wanted to try him - I said prbably not but could I see him ridden down the drive and onto the road. He was soooooooooo badly behaved. Another 200 wasted miles
I also travelled to Dartmoor to see a TB x WC mare who I was assured was a good middleweight - NOT! A sweet little mare but very, very light of bone. She did as she was asked but there was no way she was up to my weight (then barely 11.5 stone) for what I wanted to do and nor was she the 16hh she was supposed to be. A wasted 150 miles that time!
I've only had one other very bad experience, finding out that I'd bought a rig but that turned out well in the long run because with patience and once we got his management right, the horse turned out to be my horse of a lifetime! At least I could ride the horse and he turned out to be a real star I loved him dearly and kept him 'til he died at the good age of 29.
All other experiences buying horses were really quite positive.
Picked up the horse - place was down a track so asked the guy to lead the horse to the road as my friend did not want to take her lorry down the track, especially as we had another horse on board. Major grumps from this dreadful man. Obvious later why he didn't want to lead the horse down a half mile track. Paid part cash, part bankers draft - major complaints from the guy. I said take it or leave it. Wish now he had left it!
Got the horse home. Let him settle in a barn for a day or so. He was dangerous to approach, biting and kicking. Turned him out in paddock - reasonably OK. Saddled him up to ride out - would not put one foot in front of another. I simply could not get him to move an inch, not a single inch. Got a friend to walk out with me and that was OK. Asked her to get behind horse - we came to a standstill. I got a very experienced friend to ride him. Same result and this friend is GOOD! He had a reputation of turning around the most contrary of horses but he simply couldn't fathom the horse at all. Got the horse checked again but the chiropractor could not get near him - poor horse attacked rather than be touched. Anyway, he rapidly gained weight with correct feeding and looked very good.
I asked the dealer for a refund as the horse did not do what he was bought for. He got VERY, VERY nasty, rude with dreadful language and would only offer an exchange. I also asked why he thought I would want another horse from him when this one was such a disaster. He still would not give me the previous owner's name. He claimed he had lost her details. Quite frankly, he wasn't worth the hassle and I didnt want this unfortunate horse to go back there, anyway, so decided to bear the loss. I did, however, report him to Trading Standards.
Eventually, previously mentioned horseman friend bought him for meat money and eventually found a home for him where he was a hunter hireling - suited him down to the ground as he spent his life following someone all the time!
Oh, I did go to see a horse once in Dorset and was furious when I got there. When I phoned the owner, I asked all the usual questions telling her I was looking for a sound horse for hunting, hacking and team chasing. The horse had to be sound, clean and nice to know. I travelled nearly 100 miles to see this horse and the first thing I noticed was that the moment I entered his stable, he turned his tail to me very grumpily. I then noticed he had been line fired down both front legs. The lady asked if I wanted to try him - I said prbably not but could I see him ridden down the drive and onto the road. He was soooooooooo badly behaved. Another 200 wasted miles
I also travelled to Dartmoor to see a TB x WC mare who I was assured was a good middleweight - NOT! A sweet little mare but very, very light of bone. She did as she was asked but there was no way she was up to my weight (then barely 11.5 stone) for what I wanted to do and nor was she the 16hh she was supposed to be. A wasted 150 miles that time!
I've only had one other very bad experience, finding out that I'd bought a rig but that turned out well in the long run because with patience and once we got his management right, the horse turned out to be my horse of a lifetime! At least I could ride the horse and he turned out to be a real star I loved him dearly and kept him 'til he died at the good age of 29.
All other experiences buying horses were really quite positive.