Just bought a new horse and need advice please
- Thread starter Gillylou
- Start date
OP I have every sympathy.
I agree with whoever said the dealer saw you coming. He pressured you unfairly with his nonsense about needing the horse gone immediately as he needed the stables. Of course you did not need to take him straight away especially as you had already said you were not expecting him to hold the horse for you. Good dealers give people time to make good decisions. And good dealers would want to set things up for success too. But I can also see how hard it is faced with a man full of blarney and a child who has fallen for the horse to just think 'oh we'll figure something out!'
Whether or not you have a legal right to a refund needs to be weighed against the hassle of trying to get one. I was sold a horse who was not fit for purpose and I was advised that I had a very strong chance of winning if it went to court but that it would be a lengthy and time consuming process. So in the end I went for a swap and not a refund even though in my case the 'not fit for purpose' was clear cut.
It is not possible from your description of the behaviour to know whether the horse is unsuitable. Though the pushy behaviour of the dealer and the fact that the horse's height is wrong suggests it might be. But even bad dealers get good horses in to sell so I would personally go for the swap option - taking an experienced friend or riding instructor with you to help you choose. It is quite hard for a novice to sell on a horse they are struggling to manage. A horse who could be sold as a nice prospect in work and advertised with nice pictures of hacking, jumping and shown to good advantage by a rider at viewings may end up being sold instead as a 'problem' and virtually sold from the field. Sales livery is another option.
Good luck x
I agree with whoever said the dealer saw you coming. He pressured you unfairly with his nonsense about needing the horse gone immediately as he needed the stables. Of course you did not need to take him straight away especially as you had already said you were not expecting him to hold the horse for you. Good dealers give people time to make good decisions. And good dealers would want to set things up for success too. But I can also see how hard it is faced with a man full of blarney and a child who has fallen for the horse to just think 'oh we'll figure something out!'
Whether or not you have a legal right to a refund needs to be weighed against the hassle of trying to get one. I was sold a horse who was not fit for purpose and I was advised that I had a very strong chance of winning if it went to court but that it would be a lengthy and time consuming process. So in the end I went for a swap and not a refund even though in my case the 'not fit for purpose' was clear cut.
It is not possible from your description of the behaviour to know whether the horse is unsuitable. Though the pushy behaviour of the dealer and the fact that the horse's height is wrong suggests it might be. But even bad dealers get good horses in to sell so I would personally go for the swap option - taking an experienced friend or riding instructor with you to help you choose. It is quite hard for a novice to sell on a horse they are struggling to manage. A horse who could be sold as a nice prospect in work and advertised with nice pictures of hacking, jumping and shown to good advantage by a rider at viewings may end up being sold instead as a 'problem' and virtually sold from the field. Sales livery is another option.
Good luck x
maybe realised that she has to take some responsibility for this, I have a problem with purchasing a horse 16hh or 17hh for what the OP describes herself as a total novice Child who was probably elated at the thought of her first horse and set her heart on it whatever they viewed - even I with my need to visit spec savers on a regular basis can tell when someone is over horsed with a horse this size and a tall child its not difficult even without the total novice element and a difference of 4" from advertised height - but they have and now unfortunately it will be the horse that has to live with that as it gets pushed around. The fact that it is described as initially perfect and safe from one visit/viewing/ride to totally turn to be the opposite is not beyond the realms of possibility there are some out there that will dope in this type of scenario If infact the horse is now showing its true temperament wouldn't rule it out but you would have no way of proving it and if that is the case then I have some sympathy as if no recourse on the dealer then they may have some difficulties in selling - and may have to take a hit - they don't say how much paid but suspect not cheap - either way think they may end up having to cut losses and it put it down to experience - IMO it wouldn't be fair to the horse to keep in novice hands, in the right experienced hands to could well be a very different story. No age given for horse, can only hope its not a youngster!
I wouldn't get too hung up on the size of the horse. My horse is 16.1hh and built like a tank (he is a shire x), but he is suitable for the most nervous rider and is a complete saint. Just because the horse is big, it doesn't automatically mean it is not suitable for a novice.
A novice could be overhorsed with a shetland if it's unsuitable! So agree with above.
I have to confess that was my original thoughts and was going to quietly ignore - but had to give my usual gobby reply just in case!
Our lovely Zi is 17hh and a dutch warmblood and I feel very suitable for a pair of novices. He is a saint to hack compared to 15hh of connie x pony
in fact - he is so well mannered and kind he doesn't feel at all as big as he really is
Yes. This. My muppet of a 16.3 DWB x ISH is an absolute saint/complete Dobbin for everything. Just stands there, doesn’t put a hoof wrong. Teeth, clipping, 11 weeks of box rest, kids draping themselves over him- quiet as a lamb. I’ve stuck my 9 year old who had never ridden anything before on his back, and he was an absolute gem. Cost me another kidney in riding lessons for my son, that did, but hey ho.
Thank you to everyone who has given me positive advice and possible-solutions. Since my original post, I have had his tack checked, additional vet and dentist check and I have had an experienced rider work with me to establish our horses insecurities. The horse did settle on the livery, and became a lovely polite gent in his stable but unfortunately it is terrified when other horses are not near and will not hack out alone. After many attempts of the experienced rider riding our horse she confirmed that the horse wasn’t suitable for a novice and it would need further assistance to hack out alone for the safety of itself and of the rider. Naturally my daughter is devastated and we have learned a lot due to this experience. We have issued our letter to the dealer within 30 days stating not fit for purpose.
It’s been a very unpleasant experience for all of us, including our horse. But whatever the outcome I would never buy a horse from a dealer and will thoroughly take our time in choosing another horse if my daughter gets over this experience, thanks again.
It’s been a very unpleasant experience for all of us, including our horse. But whatever the outcome I would never buy a horse from a dealer and will thoroughly take our time in choosing another horse if my daughter gets over this experience, thanks again.
Not all dealers are bad, in fact there a number of very good ones, so I wouldn't write off dealers completely.
Agreed because if you buy privately and it goes wrong, you wouldn't then right off all privately owned horses.
If you do buy a horse with a trial, you do not go holiday and leave it, it's animal not a car. You pass it over it or you don't look the week before.
Completely agree, my beautiful Belle came from a dealer and she is the best horse I could have ever hoped for.
I'm afraid I don't really think you can lay 100% of the blame on the dealer here... there were two of you involved in the transaction, and just because the horse you bought turned out to be unsuitable for you, doesn't mean it was completely his fault! Everything that you did with the horse at the dealer's yard, it behaved well and you were happy with it (clearly happy enough to buy it!), so can you really blame him for the issues you had when you got it home? Most dealers simply do not have the luxury of time to get to know their horses inside-out like private owners do... they can only tell you what they know. Plus, nobody (dealers OR private sellers) has a magic crystal ball where they can see how the horse will behave in its new home. Quite frankly, it was just as much an error of judgement on your part - you are self-confessed novices, yet you went to try out strange horses without an experienced person to give you guidance... not to mention pissing off on holiday right after you bought it, I'm still a little shocked you would do that tbh, and you have unfortunately learned the hard way that buying a new horse is not quite the same as buying a new car or washing machine...!
Regarding the solo hacking - I am not doubting the ability or knowledge of the experienced rider who has given you their verdict, but really, if you wanted a horse that can hack alone (with a novice rider no less!), why oh why did you not TRY hacking it on its own BEFORE you decided to buy it?
Next time you go to view a horse, make sure you take someone with you who knows what they're doing (...the rider who's been helping you sounds perfect, someone who can not only give you their opinions etc but also someone who get on and put the horse through its paces in a way that your daughter is not skilled enough to do). And think a bit more carefully about the sort of situations you want to assess its behaviour in... if you want a horse without separation anxiety then take it completely away from other horses (and/or take other horses away from it) and see what it does... if you want a horse who can solo hack then take it for a solo hack! The onus is on YOU to test it out thoroughly, it isn't the seller's responsibility to tell you what situations to try it in. Think about what you want to do with the horse, the environment /routine you will keep it in etc. and then TEST it in those situations so that there won't be any nasty surprises when you get it home!
These days with Facebook etc it is SO easy to find out about horse dealers there really is no reason to end up using a bad one. Ask for personal recommendations from people who have bought from them and are HAPPY with what they bought - and specifically look for other novices like yourselves as those are the opinions that are most valuable to you.
As you're looking for a horse for a teenager I would also recommend contacting local Pony Clubs and asking them if they know of suitable horses for sale... good childrens/teenagers' horses tend to be sold by word of mouth and PCs are the best places to look for them.
Regarding the solo hacking - I am not doubting the ability or knowledge of the experienced rider who has given you their verdict, but really, if you wanted a horse that can hack alone (with a novice rider no less!), why oh why did you not TRY hacking it on its own BEFORE you decided to buy it?
Next time you go to view a horse, make sure you take someone with you who knows what they're doing (...the rider who's been helping you sounds perfect, someone who can not only give you their opinions etc but also someone who get on and put the horse through its paces in a way that your daughter is not skilled enough to do). And think a bit more carefully about the sort of situations you want to assess its behaviour in... if you want a horse without separation anxiety then take it completely away from other horses (and/or take other horses away from it) and see what it does... if you want a horse who can solo hack then take it for a solo hack! The onus is on YOU to test it out thoroughly, it isn't the seller's responsibility to tell you what situations to try it in. Think about what you want to do with the horse, the environment /routine you will keep it in etc. and then TEST it in those situations so that there won't be any nasty surprises when you get it home!
These days with Facebook etc it is SO easy to find out about horse dealers there really is no reason to end up using a bad one. Ask for personal recommendations from people who have bought from them and are HAPPY with what they bought - and specifically look for other novices like yourselves as those are the opinions that are most valuable to you.
As you're looking for a horse for a teenager I would also recommend contacting local Pony Clubs and asking them if they know of suitable horses for sale... good childrens/teenagers' horses tend to be sold by word of mouth and PCs are the best places to look for them.
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience and that your daughter must have been terribly disappointed. The trouble is that when you are a novice you don't know what you don't know. I have sympathy because I could easily have been in your position. On the way to viewing my first horse I was adamant this was just a first viewing and that if I liked him I would go back with an experienced person, but I fell in love with him in the stable, rode him in the school and because they said they had other people going to view him that afternoon we rushed to the nearest cash machine and got out the deposit we needed to buy him that day. As it happened it all turned out well for me, but I was very lucky and knowing what I know now I'd never do that again. As for going on holiday, it does sound as though you were pressured by the dealer and again weren't aware of the consequences.
You've had your fingers burned now and learned a valuable lesson the hardest way. I wish you luck with your next purchase and hope your daughter finds a pony she can enjoy and grow with I would have so loved my own pony when I was a teenager.
You've had your fingers burned now and learned a valuable lesson the hardest way. I wish you luck with your next purchase and hope your daughter finds a pony she can enjoy and grow with
I would have so loved my own pony when I was a teenager.newrider.com