What is the most ridiculous statement you've read in an ad? Behaviour traits played down or covered up with nice language/positive spin? Is there a knack to spotting when something is probably best avoided?
E.g my experiences...
Green = sat on once, in a stable
Cheeky = eats children
Compact = 4 inches shorter than advertised
After having my confidence knocked after some let-downs I did try a pony once advertised as 'bombproof', and contrary to this thread he really was! I was taken for a hack on him which included a busy high street. Buses passing inches away, police sirens and pedestrian crossings. By the time we got back I was so clamped onto him in fear that I couldn't get off, but he didn't even blink! Wish I'd bought that bloody pony!
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The tack room
Colourful descriptions in sales ads...
BeBopTalulah · 09/11/2016 18:34
Good to clip/catch etc - beware of 'etc' what is not said! By this it could be good at everything or it could mean refuses to load and kicks the farrier.
Good doer - fat
Needs a quiet rider - bolts
Seen to crib occasionally on one fence - crib bites, wind sucks and has worn down teeth and no stable door left
Great to handle - no one dares sit on him though
we laugh yet we know it's all true (though thankfully not always!)
And let's not forget my all time favourite - would make great broodmare - can't be ridden, lame, ill, never bred before, no particular breed lines, but hey she's got a womb! 
Ice
Whatslove Or 'show condition'. Knew a pony that was regularly in show condition...fat!
'Brave' = you might not have asked to clear the privet hedge, but you're going over it!
I just avoided all of this by buying two unhandled colts
No nasty surprises and I know their balls are all off because I watched them come off lol.
Our first pony was advertised as a second pony, but when my mum phoned up and asked why she was told 'because he's hard to get going' so we thought that was ok. Turns out 'hard to get going' meant he was extremely nappy, would prefer to run backwards than forwards and was quite reluctant to turn left. We found out most of this on the way home after we'd bought him! We also found out that the spinning and refusing to go forwards was usually a precursor to taking a flying leap and then taking off at high speed, especially if there were a lot of bigger horses that he was determined to overtake. He was a great games pony though 
. He was also a perfect gent to handle, bombproof on the roads, a neat jumper, broken to drive, was as surefooted as a goat and had the heart of a lion. We had him for 20 years (that was after meeting a previous owner and finding out he was actually 16 when we bought him, not 10 as advertised).
I suppose nowadays we'd sue the vendors for our money back and never know what we'd missed out on.
^ at least that's more being a bit generous than out and out lies.
I've seen one advertised recently as a confidence giver.... This horse is very very buzzy, very green and rushes everything. But apparently he is a confidence giver because despite trying to do everything at 90 miles an hour and pulling like a train he doesn't spook much.
Words like confidence giver will not attract appropriate riders for that horse 
I contacted a small dealer once about a horse she was selling. It was four and seemed really genuine but they claimed it had done sj, PC and hunted and so I contacted her just to learn more das it seemed a lot at such a young age:
Me: "Hi - like the look of the gelding you're selling but has he really done all that and is only 4?"
Her: "yes. Read the ad."
Needless to say it was yet another horse person I ran a mile from.
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