# Horse sales dispute.  Any thoughts/guidance welcome



## PatriciaO (10 May 2017)

ANY HELP WELCOME:&#8232;I was asked to sell a horse on behalf of a friend who had cancer.  I was also given a 6 week option to buy the horse myself at an agreed price but to agree to proactively market the horse for sale in the interim in case I could not raise the funds.  I agreed to this.  Shortly after the horse arrived, another friend asked to buy the horse for her adult daughter.  The daughter tried the horse and they agreed to buy him, subject to vet.  They knew the horse was being sold for the other friend and was not owned by me.  The horse was a 5 yo and a real nice sports horse type and was bought for a professional rider (the daughter).  During the vetting, the horse bucked me off and knocked me out.  I was hospitalized.  The buyers were notified the same day by people who were with me during the incident and also the vet.  The buyers asked the vet to return to complete the vetting and said they still wished to buy the horse, if he passed the final vetting assessment, which he did.  The buyer was waiting for funds to come from abroad in order to complete the purchase but it was agreed the horse could be taken pending payment.  The horse was with the buyer for 8 days before payment was made.  During that time they rode him in an arena, out hacking and had a lesson on him with a trainer.  After the horse had been with the buyer for just short of three weeks (and after they had repeatedly praised him in a range of scenarios), the buyer telephoned to say the horse had bucked the daughter off and as such they were demanding a full refund and return of the horse.  The funds had gone to the seller of the horse at the point of receipt.  Neither the buyer or the seller will speak with each other and both are demanding that I take responsibility for the matters.  The seller will not refund or take the horse back and the buyer will not budge on demanding the return and refund plus an additional £1,500 in costs to keep the horse (even though he has been in field at their own premises).  As far as my status is concerned, I would not class myself as a dealer although I do buy one or two horses generally as 3 year olds and produce them until they are 5 through the age classes before I then sell them.  One or two a year (maximum).  My primary income is not from horses as I have a job as a teacher.  Apart from seeking legal advice (which I am in the process of doing), I  would be welcome any objective views on my scenario.  Apart from feeling somewhat let down by two so called friends, I am at a loss as to where this is likely to end up or what to do.


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## CMcC (13 May 2017)

I don't think the buyers have any right to demand money back. They were told that the horse had bucked you off and decided to go ahead.
Unless you knew the horse had a long history of bucking and you did not disclose that, I think you have given them all the info you had.


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## Archangel (14 May 2017)

Surely it is down to the buyer to pursue the former owner to thrash it out.  The former owner will try and land it at your door but the horse was never yours - you were only acting as a go-between and in good faith.  

Good luck - stand your ground and don't be the first one to blink!


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## PatriciaO (15 May 2017)

Archangel said:



			Surely it is down to the buyer to pursue the former owner to thrash it out.  The former owner will try and land it at your door but the horse was never yours - you were only acting as a go-between and in good faith.  

Good luck - stand your ground and don't be the first one to blink!
		
Click to expand...

Thank you!  x


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## BBH (19 May 2017)

What a mess.

The buyers knew the horse had bucked and still decided to go ahead. They were probably very arrogant and thought said professional rider would cope / sit to or school out a buck and then realised perhaps she couldn't so wanted to return him.

Personally I wouldn't take him back given the reason they stared however I would do the right thing by the horse and find a suitable capable home.


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## ycbm (19 May 2017)

This has been thoroughly discussed on another identical thread.


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