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The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Buyer Frustration!

15 replies

ForeverLooking · 14/03/2022 12:57

Has anyone had any disastrous/really disappointing viewings when looking for a horse to buy? We are on month 10 of the new horse hunt and losing the will. Big budget, reasonable expectations, very experienced. We just can't find the one, and 95% of the problem so far has been sellers who don't tell the truth! We had one (very badly) failed vetting which was a huge disappointment to both us and the lovely seller. Other than that we've had three viewings of horses with terrible scars (undisclosed) which would be immediately a no in the sphere we compete in (sellers aware of this). Two of these sellers had tried to hide the scars unsuccessfully. We had one where the seller couldn't even be arsed to get the horse out of the field before we arrived; I don't care about normal levels of hair and grot (it's winter after all) but horse had been standing in a muck heap up to its hocks, stank and clearly hadn't been out of the field for months. They couldn't even find any tack to use, and tried to force on a bridle with a tiny bit. We said no thanks at that point and left. We looked at a connie advertised as a "dressage superstar" which the seller couldn't even get to budge and when it did it was lame behind. It's getting to giving up point now. This is both private sellers and producers. We've been very specific with sellers before travelling about what we do/need, we are not looking for "perfection" on a budget. I understand it works both ways and there are some equally awful buyers out there; has it just become more common to try and get one over on people to achieve a sale!?!

OP posts:
Lastqueenofscotland · 14/03/2022 13:08

Whereabouts are you based and what are you looking for? Happy to recommend some people. I don’t bother with private sellers anymore

ForeverLooking · 14/03/2022 13:18

South East area but more than happy to travel the UK for the right one! Really quite open to type/size as have a tiny adult rider, but County level show standard, preferably native breed but again would look at CHAPs or anything quality from 14hh. We don't mind young and we don't mind green with potential. Any recommendations at all gratefully received!!

OP posts:
Lastqueenofscotland · 14/03/2022 13:19

I’ll PM you :)

ForeverLooking · 14/03/2022 13:39

Thanks so much!!!

OP posts:
frostyfingers · 16/03/2022 06:49

Oh god yes, it’s a nightmare. I’ve had two that were lame (and we’d driven hours), one had lost a shoe, one that was about 15hh when I’d been told it was 16.1, and another that bucked off the rider and disappeared over the hill for an hour and was finally retrieved with broken reins, and lost shoes.

I don’t know why sellers do it as it’s as much a waste of their time as yours.

Ads always say “no timewasters” but that rule doesn’t seem to apply to sellers.

ForeverLooking · 16/03/2022 08:04

Yes!! The timewasters and hoof kickers comments annoy the hell out of me. Nobody drives 2/3 hours for a pony ride. It would be cheaper to go to your local riding school. Someone added "no timewasters" to an ad after we had been for a look -we had wasted a whole Sunday, spent petrol money and hours driving and we have other horses at home to ride. I've got absolutely no interest in going to look at someone's horse for a pony ride. Funnily enough it still hasn't sold, so must be an awful lot of "timewasters" out there and not to do with the fact it has an undisclosed whacking great big scar down its shoulder.
Have you managed to find anything yet? We chatted yesterday as a family and have chucked the towel in for now.

OP posts:
Leonberger · 16/03/2022 19:04

There’s a couple of nice dales on horsequest op…I’m sure you’ll have seen both though!

I hate buying and selling equally!

VeganVampire · 16/03/2022 22:22

I'm assuming that you've told your entire horse world that you're looking? So much easier if/when you can find some sort of personal link. It's really difficult right now.

liveforsummer · 16/03/2022 22:27

Have you considered an of the track tv given your experience for ROR classes? Always plenty on the go

liveforsummer · 16/03/2022 22:27

Tb not tv

BaldricksWife · 17/03/2022 00:29

Feel your pain. Been looking for nigh on six months for similar and had all bar given up. One came up on Fb and we moved fast. Time will tell if this will be our superstar but do keep looking. There is very little out there and some of the prices are eyewatering.

CaptainThe95thRifles · 18/03/2022 14:23

Some sellers are dishonest, others are genuinely deluded and think their precious isn't actually a semi-feral, unschooled part-bred llama impersonator. Horse hunting is a nightmare - you really need to get lucky with a connection in this market because everything worth buying is going so fast. I always end up buying babies and waiting it out, because there's such a dearth of decent, well schooled horses out there.

CountryCob · 19/03/2022 06:55

@CaptainThe95thRifles I agree re getting a young one and putting slow work in, there are very few ready to go.

CountryCob · 19/03/2022 06:56

Also the prices are high and taking a risk might be necessary on the right temperament. I have just spent the most I have ever paid for horse or pony on a young mini cob for my daughter

HighlandCowbag · 22/03/2022 07:09

Have you tried contacting breeders? I bought my highland pony direct from the breeder as a 2 yr old but I know some hang onto youngsters and then decide at 4/5 what they want to do with them. Obviously the pony would be a blank canvas but if you know a decent producer you could have the basic stuff done there, then take over yourselves.

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