Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The tack room

Discuss horse riding and ownership on our Horse forum.

Flip

Original poster

Dispute Following Sale Of Horse

23 replies

Moaning5 · 21/10/2025 19:10

Has anyone had issues follow what you thought was a honest, straightforward sale of a horse ?

Sold a horse nearly 8 weeks ago and buyer is saying he has a health issue that must have been present at the time of sale.
Horse has had previous injuries (like most horses !), that were treated and has been fine since. Horse was open to a 5 stage, I had no reason to believe he wouldn’t pass a 5 stage, buyer opted for 2 stage which raised a couple of small things but she went ahead with the purchase.

This was a private sale and Buyer is now not happy !

OP posts:

thankheavensforcalpol · 21/10/2025 19:16

If you’re not a dealer then it’s up to the buyer to prove you knew there was something wrong at time of sale. Caveat emptor!

What is it that’s wrong that they reckon would have been there 8 weeks ago? And have they been riding at all in that time?

SatsumaDog · 21/10/2025 19:19

I presume 2 stage and 5 stage refers to the level of vet check? If so, she should have paid for a more thorough check. As it was she didn’t and the one she had done didn’t bring up the issue. Her problem I’m afraid.

Danioyellow · 21/10/2025 19:20

What is the health issue, and how are they suggesting the issue is resolved?

Griseleda · 21/10/2025 19:22

Has she kept your vet or changed to a new one? Your vet would have a record of all your horse’s previous issues?

OrlandointheWilderness · 21/10/2025 19:22

What are the details of horse/price/issue and what does the buyer want?

LameBorzoi · 21/10/2025 19:23

That's horses. You never know when they are going to turn around and injure themselves.

What does the new owner want from you?

CeliaCanth · 21/10/2025 19:25

Did the buyer specifically ask about that issue, or any other veterinary issues? If they did and you deliberately misrepresented the situation then they could have a claim. (I’m not for one moment suggesting that you did - simply asking the question.)
Otherwise they don’t have a claim against you. They might against the vet, if it’s something that should have been picked up at a 2-stage; but it sounds overall that they are chancing their arm.

Original poster

Moaning5 · 21/10/2025 19:33

She wants me to take him back and refund all her costs.
I never lied about anything, I wanted the horse to have a good home so am very upset over it.

OP posts:

m00rfarm · 21/10/2025 19:36

Providing you have not sold more than one horse a year, then you're likely to be classed as a private seller. If she cannot prove the horse was already suffering from this issue, then you have no problem. But if you owned the horse for a while, it may be a good thing to take him back and sell him to someone else. Unless you are prepared for him to be sold on to god knows where. What is the issue?

Batteriesoptional · 21/10/2025 19:41

This happened many, many years ago to my mother. She was sued and lost. The animal did not have health issues rather they claimed that it was “dangerous”. This despite having had it on trial for over a week. Hopefully you’ll have a better outcome.

Original poster

Moaning5 · 21/10/2025 19:45

She’s had the horse seen by her own vet last week who has suggested further diagnostics to establish a navicular diagnosis (but not actually confirmed yet, if at all).
This vet has said he’s got subtle lameness but to continue exercise as normal - which I don’t really understand!

This horse has never had a navicular diagnosis with me. I am happy he was sound at the point of sale as confirmed at the 2 stage vetting.

OP posts:

DiscoBob · 21/10/2025 19:45

They need proof that he had the illness when you had him. And presumably there is none.

Just tell them the horse was as sold and you are not discussing it further. That he did not have the illness of which they speak. Then block.

LameBorzoi · 21/10/2025 19:55

He might just have a stone bruise or something! There's no diagnosis.

LameBorzoi · 21/10/2025 20:30

I can understand the buyer's panic if they think it's navicular, and why they might be suspicious.

However, we don't know that it's navicular. And it would be pretty awful luck for it to pop up right after a sale.

Her vet might be a bit more suspicious of navicular, not having direct knowledge that the horse was fully sound 8 weeks ago.

I think the buyer is getting ahead of themselves if their vet says they need investigations. At any rate, the horse was sold in good faith.

CrotchetyQuaver · 21/10/2025 20:54

Well you've done nothing wrong and he passed the 2stage vetting presumably? So you sold to her in good faith. Why did she not opt for a 5 stage vetting?
surely the vet doing the vetting should have picked that subtle lameness up.
she hasn't got a leg to stand on frankly but... I'd be sad to think of one of mine going to a new home and then them finding fault/not wanting him any more and maybe just maybe I might be daft enough to bring him home again to see out his days... but not everybody is in a position to do that.

Original poster

Moaning5 · 22/10/2025 07:17

I’m torn what to do.

I don’t feel legally or morally I’ve done anything wrong.

He’s a nice horse and even with a diagnosis is still suitable for now for what she wants to do.

I don’t own my own place so I can’t just turn him out or have him for a friend to potter round on, otherwise I’d have picked him up by now ☹️

OP posts:

Original poster

Moaning5 · 22/10/2025 07:24

How lame is he if the vetting passed him 8 weeks ago, and the latest vet to see him last week said ‘exercise as normal’ ?

How could I have known he’d have this (possibly) diagnosis when I’m not a vet ?

This is all so stressful and now I’m worried about the lovely chap 😞

OP posts:

CrotchetyQuaver · 22/10/2025 08:29

I wish you all the best OP what a difficult situation to find yourself in.

You can't have him back and that's entirely understandable, Im lucky enough to rent a small yard/grazing on my own so pay for the land/stables rather than per horse like most do.

I think until the horse has had hoof X-rays there's no evidence of anything. It could be down to something a new farrier has done differently, bruised sole. Who knows?
So, no evidence of navicular and won't be until there's been a full lameness work up/nerve blocks/xrays.

the vetting vet didn't pick up on anything and I think she should be directing her complaints there. You weren't trying to pass on a dud, he passed a vetting, presumably sound when you rode him, how were you to know?

id keep pushing back.

LameBorzoi · 22/10/2025 08:45

He probably isn't very lame, and for all anyone knows, could be fine tomorrow.

She is having a post purchase panic. She needs to settle down and get some clarification from the vet.

myheadsjustmush · 22/10/2025 09:13

This is really on the buyer, not you @Moaning5

You were open and honest about the horse from the start.

The buyer only opted for a 2 stage vetting, not a 5.

The horse was sold 8 weeks ago - but after around 7 weeks, the buyer gets her vet to check the horse, and comes back to you with the potential navicular diagnosis.

Without further investigation, it is impossible to say it could be navicular. The horse could have done something in the field, and then presented as slightly lame. Who knows?

If the buyer had contacted you within a day or two of sale, things may be different - but 7 weeks? 🤷‍♀️

You are not a dealer, and the old saying Caveat Emptor springs to mind.

It is a horrible situation for you to be in.

LameBorzoi · 22/10/2025 10:52

myheadsjustmush · 22/10/2025 09:13

This is really on the buyer, not you @Moaning5

You were open and honest about the horse from the start.

The buyer only opted for a 2 stage vetting, not a 5.

The horse was sold 8 weeks ago - but after around 7 weeks, the buyer gets her vet to check the horse, and comes back to you with the potential navicular diagnosis.

Without further investigation, it is impossible to say it could be navicular. The horse could have done something in the field, and then presented as slightly lame. Who knows?

If the buyer had contacted you within a day or two of sale, things may be different - but 7 weeks? 🤷‍♀️

You are not a dealer, and the old saying Caveat Emptor springs to mind.

It is a horrible situation for you to be in.

Exactly!

And don't be tempted to try and look for some way to "take him back for a friend to potter on". I've seen so much unintentional cruelty to horses via that route.

snowpo · 22/10/2025 21:47

All seems a bit odd. Why is the vet jumping to a navicular disease diagnosis for a mild lameness, surely it could be a number of things. Even if navicular changes are seen on x-ray they may not be clinically significant so it still doesn't mean that's the problem, presume you'd need nerve blocks etc to diagnose.

LameBorzoi · 23/10/2025 01:46

snowpo · 22/10/2025 21:47

I'd put money on what the vet said was something along the lines of "it's probably nothing, and should clear up with time. It's not impossible that it's navicular, so if it doesn't get better in x time, we might do x rays / nerve blocks etc". New owner has then panicked.

Flip