# whats the weirdest horse viewing youve been to?



## jackessex (5 September 2011)

i had the strangest viewing yesterday which involved a large well known dealer in my area who im pretty sure is clearly having some sort of a breakdown!!!i wont go into full detail but horse was not as described and she went on to tell me that if all her horses where not sold by this wk they would all be shot!!!!
so this led me to wonder what other peoples experiences have been when viewing horses???


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## benson21 (5 September 2011)

I think the oddest was when I was trying to sell one! Charlie was a white grey, and was advertised as such. I had a woman travel for 2 hours, got there, and wouldnt even get on him, because he was 'too white'!!


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## jackessex (5 September 2011)

lol i also had one a bit like that when i advertised a 14.2 for sale and the woman turned up and said it was to much of a pony!!!!


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## jendie (5 September 2011)

Yes, having a breakdown. Maybe you should have offered meat money.


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## twisteddiamond (5 September 2011)

We went to see a horse at a dealers yard, it was advertised as 15hh, when he showed us to the stable its chest was well above the door, and I was starting to think 'its a bit bigger than described' til he opened the door, poor horse has to jump down out of the stable as the **** was so deep, when it was out of the stable it would have been lucky if it was 14.2hh stood on its tip toes 
Was a very odd experience


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## Fransurrey (5 September 2011)

When I was looking for a ridden companion for Henry, my friend told me of a horse up for sale where she'd done a behaviour consultation. So, I arranged to go down there and see the horse with my friend (as she knew where it was). We got there to find that the owner hadn't bothered to turn up. The livery owner dutifully showed me the horse, who was grazing happily in a field. I literally just watched this horse eat. 

My friend was very apologetic, but it wasn't her fault. I asked the YO if I could come again and maybe RIDE the horse, but heard nothing from the owner. I was expected to make some sort of choice when they didn't so much as put a headcollar on!


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## smellsofhorse (5 September 2011)

Ive had someone come to try a horse wear uggs and no hat.
I offered her mine but she said no its fine, wouldnt have been too big an issue if she could actually ride!


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## kinnygirl1 (5 September 2011)

I made an appointment to go to a reputable dealers yard as he said he had a few ponies to show me that would suit my requirements. When we got there he had forgotten we were coming and clearly had nothing that fit my requirements. In desperation he showed me a 4 year old pony that had just got off the ferry from Ireland the day before. Must have been fate because he is now my boy and in everyway my horse of a lifetime. I wouldn't change him for the world!


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## Sprout (5 September 2011)

I have had a couple of strange ones.

Travelled 2 1/2 hours to see one, owner turned up at the yard an hour late, said she was in too much of a hurry to waste time tacking up, so she jumped on it bare back and got bucked off!

Went to see a little lead rein/first ridden pony, described as a beloved family pony ridden by all the children - when I asked to see one of her children ride it, she said "I am NOT putting MY child on that!"


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## BSJAlove (5 September 2011)

went to see a nice looking allrounder 5 mins down the road from me. was nothing as described. infact, was advertised as 8 but this horse was at least 20. underweight and looked so sad  told the owners the horse wasnt as described and left.

they were bloody crazy. they knew i worked at a well known local stud and the father of the girl said he worked there and he backed two of the stallions. apparently he knew the owners and were best friends. i asked them about him and they had never heard of him!


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## maree t (5 September 2011)

Went with a friend to a well known dealers yard. She rode this pony in the school , quite good. She took it out into the field with wooded areas where it took off and wouldnt stop for over 15 minutes. When she finally got off and said she didnt think it was suitable they asked if she had learnt to ride yet.


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## wildwoman666 (5 September 2011)

I went to see a 14,2 cob. It was 13 hands . the woman went on to say it is not spookey, he spooked at a bird. She also went on to say i dont ride him with a whip. Her friend was there to take it and two others out for a ride.. She got on and asked for her whip..lol She then wanted me to follow them  for a ride out on foot..nice way of trying it out. I at this point stop her talking rubbish to me and pointed out its not what ad said..Thankx ,but no thankx.


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## Claire2010 (5 September 2011)

blucanoo1990 - exactly the same thing happened to me, turned up in uggs and no hat! maybe the same person!! lol it amazes me.


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## smellsofhorse (5 September 2011)

Claire2010 said:



			blucanoo1990 - exactly the same thing happened to me, turned up in uggs and no hat! maybe the same person!! lol it amazes me.
		
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Maybe!
But then there are lots of strange people out there!
Are we the only normal ones?


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## Claire2010 (5 September 2011)

Def lots of strange ones!  And yes we are the only normal ones! lol


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## Merrymoles (5 September 2011)

I went to try a horse for a nervous friend and the elderly owner slapped on a driving bridle with two lead reins, chucked his Jack Russell on its back to show how calm it was and then eventually went and found me a saddle before saying it hadn't been ridden for two years.

I rode it up and down the track to his farm and decided it was too forward going for nervous friend. That said, I often wish I'd bought it for myself because it was as good as gold considering the circumstances!


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## Achinghips (5 September 2011)

benson21 said:



			I think the oddest was when I was trying to sell one! Charlie was a white grey, and was advertised as such. I had a woman travel for 2 hours, got there, and wouldnt even get on him, because he was 'too white'!!
		
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haha pmsl - equine racism!


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## YasandCrystal (5 September 2011)

I went to view a little 12.2 pony - it was slightly built and we tacked it up and led it out in traffic and to a local green where the owner asked me if I wanted to hop on? I was horrified as imo pony would carry max of around 6 stone and since I was around 10.5 stone there was no way it would have occurred to me to try it out. She was a tall well built lady and definately far heavier than me.  I bought the pony and had its back checked - poor thing she had clearly been riding it, it was so sore.
What is wrong with people? 

I also went with a friend to view a big coloured. It was very green, but a nice looking horse UNTIL it trotted and wow - I have never witnessed dishing like it! It's hooves in front flew into the next county. The dealer stood there with me as friend was trotting up  the road towards us and  without a lie she said  'look at that lovely straight action' - crikey I nearly choked on my disbelief at her affrontry!!


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## Roasted Chestnuts (5 September 2011)

Yup went to see a horse that was described as an athletic allrounder, perfect ponies to horses transition etc.

Went there and it was a horrendously just clipped TB type, it was clearly doped out its face head hanging wouldnt move, not interested. Went into its STALL eek put a head collar on (not a flicker) and took it out, it tripped coming out the stall, went round it felt its legs (very hot!!) wanted to see it outside took its rug off whilst owner went looking for the tack and was horrified it had ribs poking out everywhere and the greasy crap coming off its coat was disgusting, I was almost buying it out of pity.

Owner couldnt 'find' its tack so I put its rug back on and put it back in its stall (nearly in tears as I felt sorry leaving it there) and walked away. i was crying in the car with my mum and almost made her turn around and go back and get it.

Thats probably the worst viewing I have ever been to


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## indiat (5 September 2011)

Sprout said:



			Went to see a little lead rein/first ridden pony, described as a beloved family pony ridden by all the children - when I asked to see one of her children ride it, she said "I am NOT putting MY child on that!"
		
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PMSL - At least she was (kind of) honest!


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## Spotsrock (5 September 2011)

Last weeks was quite odd, 15hh experienced 15y/o hunter, turned out to be 14hh green 12 y/o cob and nappy as hell and completely brain fried by galloping and jumping exclusively.

Jumped him with 4 dogs literally running between his hooves as we approached the jump! Then had a 'client' (guessing stooge) bidding on him for her daughter while watching me jump him.

Fell in love though and brought him home anyway.


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## jrp204 (5 September 2011)

Went to view a horse being sold as a good allrounder, owner, a rather large girl dressed in trackies and flip flops tacked up and said, "there you are", I replied I would like to see it ridden first, she replied she didn't have a hat!! I told her she could borrow mine, her face dropped so far she was dragging her chin on the floor. She got on, still wearing flip flops and then spent the next 5-10 mins trying to get the horse out of the yard, I thanked her for wasting my time and went home.
Another time, went to view a highland pony at a dealers, nice sort. Felt its legs but wouldn't let me pick up its back feet at all, when I asked if this was usual the dealer ran off and I didn't see him again! Waited 10 mins, still no sign so I shut the gate and toddled off.


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## Mlini (5 September 2011)

When I went to view my horse we ended up sat there eating chocolate muffins and drinking rose wine with the owners, gossiping about the neighbours!! Was a very nice but strange experience!!


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## ironhorse (5 September 2011)

Went to try a nice youngster, mainly for western riding, that had been backed about 6mths - tbf dealer told us straight away about its sarcoids, but then you could hardly miss them (wouldn't have bothered taking the afternoon off work to look if had been told beforehand!) Thought I'd let my OH ride it anyway as it looked pretty quiet with the dealer, then just as he'd got on someone else barged into this 40x20 school to have a jumping lesson! So the horse did at least prove his quiet temperament by giving an unknown rider a nice ride while dodging jumper! Then the dealer insisted that I should ride the horse in English tack - hadn't been told it went in English tack, so altho I'd got my hat, had to ride the horse in my work trousers! Worse still, the only saddle he'd got was tiny close contact type that I couldn't sit on at all. Poor baby horse was so confused by this time he wouldn't canter...we soon made our (polite) excuses and left


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## jeeve (5 September 2011)

maree t said:



			Went with a friend to a well known dealers yard. She rode this pony in the school , quite good. She took it out into the field with wooded areas where it took off and wouldnt stop for over 15 minutes. When she finally got off and said she didnt think it was suitable they asked if she had learnt to ride yet.
		
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this rings a bell, I took my kids to look at a pony advertised for $2500. It was obviously a dealers, the kids all rode it, they had trouble getting it going, trouble stopping it from eating, and so on, and they had the hide to sit there and blame the kids for what was obviously something they had picked up 1 or 2 weeks ago, and were trying to sell for a heck of a lot more money than they had paid for it.

i noticed afterwards their same phone number in the local papers, with a variety of horses advertised, and a variety of suburbs, (all neighbouring), to make it look like they were not in business of buying and selling.


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## Magnetic Sparrow (5 September 2011)

I went to try a horse that sounded great, but was being sold by a chap who admitted he had just broken up with his other half whose horse it was. When I ventured to ask if he could confirm that he was entitled to sell it, he had a right old rant at me. So I guess the answer was 'no'.

Fortunately it was also a fruit loop with one leg that was on the wrong way round, so I didn't lose the horse of my dreams.


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## Mithras (5 September 2011)

I never actually went to view this one - nice sounding jumping mare advertised at 4.5k.  Phoned up and asked some questions, sounded as though it hadn't done much since they got it as her daughter was losing interest and "the horse was being wasted".  Arranged a trial and vendor phoned up in the morning to cancel, saying as it was raining, the field would be too slippy, but tried to get me to come the 150 mile round trip to look at it standing in the stable, as she was "an impressive looking mare".  I tried to re-arrange ridden trial for a few days later, but she claimed the weather forecast was so bad, she couldn't guarantee I could ride it then either...


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## jackessex (5 September 2011)

jendie said:



			Yes, having a breakdown. Maybe you should have offered meat money.
		
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lol i did  and made a fast exit!!!


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## miskettie (5 September 2011)

Great thread 

...I haven't really got any really awful stories but once went to a dealers and like YasandCrystal I was shown a horse with the most awful confirmation in his front legs and the dealer said to me "He has fantastic confirmation"  Hmmm.

Then when we bought Ella, the YO said she was selling the horse for someone who was going to uni at the yard.  She said she got her 3 months earlier for this girl off a lorry from Ireland.  We never met said owner and when we bought her, the YO was the one that signed the document.  Looking back on it I don't think Ella had been at the yard for as long as 3 months and I think the girl was myth.  Though we got a lovely horse from it and she was as described in everything else.


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## jaquelin (5 September 2011)

I love the standard dealer stories - "daughter lost interest/got pregnant" and one dealer I know always says she got the horse because "someone died".  She must go to a lot of funerals.
My recent oddity was seeing a big young RID mare about 16.1 +.  Seller was 7 stone dripping wet and insisted "anyone" could ride the horse, all the while disparaging the importance of flat work and insisting the best way to train a horse was to get it out x-c & let her rip.  My daughter got on in school,  horse was a bit un-responsive and overall my impression was of a barely broken horse.  I got on ( about 2 st heavier than daughter but not too heavy for the horse) and got bucked off twice!  Clearly never had anyone but the tiny little owner on her.  We said no thanks and left.
Felt sorry for her as she had just split up with boyfriend who had all the land, stables, etc and had to get rid of horses pronto.  But do get tired of the dealer BS! Have to find a dealer you can trust - they are out there - and work with them.


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## POLLDARK (5 September 2011)

I had a good one, went to see a chestnut mare (don't say anything !) who had a dash of white on her one hind coronet band. Asked to see the passport first off, the mare on the passport had 4 long white socks. Dealers answer to my query was 'the brown hair just grew through' & they could get me a passport that would fit the mare tomorrow ! I left.
Another odd one, went to see a well bred mare, bay this time, tried her out & liked her. Made arrangements to try her out on a hack the next day, dealer rings that evening saying she is off the market. Days later she was back on at a £1000 more, she stayed on the market for 12 months with the price yo yoing up & down, well, like a yoyo. Was at one point advertised on the same site twice with two different prices. Finally has sold or just not being advertised now. Odd.


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## Chavhorse (5 September 2011)

Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor.  Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"


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## Aidey (5 September 2011)

My strange experiences are like others have already said..

Went to look at one that was advertised as a 10 year old but was clearly alot older, it was a bay and had lots of grey hairs on its head, teeth couldn't have got much longer they looked like they were about to fall out and when the woman lead it out to tack it up its bones were creaking .. I told her it didn't look like what I was looking for.

Another time was I went viewing an ex racer who had been off the track a few months, described as very level headed and laid back for a thoughbred.. got there it was so doped up! It was stood at the back of the stable, bottom lip hanging and literally didn't even bat an eyelid!  She tacked him up, put the lunge line on him and handed it to me. I asked if she was going to just ride him for me and she said no, that she didn't want to but not to worry as he was brilliant for the other people that had viewed him that morning.  I didn't buy that one either!


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## noodle_ (5 September 2011)

i went to view a 15.2 warmblood x, just backed....

i saw a 15.2 warmblood x, just backed............... was gobsmacked     





had some seller tell me "horse hasnt been ridden for a year, but feel free to have a sit on...... were not..." er no (cue running)


p.s - i bought the first


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## Jadey (5 September 2011)

Had a few weird ones, both selling and looking to buy.

Had a 14.2hh dark bay Irish cob mare, with feathers and advertised her as such. Had two people come and view her and exclaim at the presence of feathers and "Oh god, I couldn't have a cob!" 

Went to view a 12 yr old gelding and we were promptly told it was ridden via "voice commands"?!?!?!

Went to view a 5yr old 16hh mare and told it had been to local comps and schooled regularly on the phone, so went to view it as a possibility bearing it mind it as for my 14 yr old sister. The woman rode it around the school, all lovely. My sister goes to the mounting block to get on, part way through mounting the woman says "I'll keep hold of him while you mount as I'm the only person to have ridden him and yesterday was his first time in this school". (Not what she said on the phone!) So my sister gets on VERY carefully and gently. The horse moved a little and the woman let go. The horse then bolted with my sister part way on. She feel off and the horse started kicking out. the horses legs caught my sisters legs. My sister went to get up and her leg gave way. We left to take my sister to hospital and the woman asker if we were interested! It turned out both the bones in my sisters legs were broken in two places.

We have also been a little odd at viewings, we bought one horse when it was snowing alot! We popped our heads over the stable door, "awww she's half cute" and bought it. Then some guy looking at another pony offered to drop it to our yard for us as we hadn't taken a box with us. So we paid for the horse and gave the guy the address of our yard. Halfway home we realised we didn't know the guy from Adam nor the people we had bough the pony from and thought we would never see the pony again. Thankfully all people involved were lovely and delivered the pony safe and sound. 

Being odd at viewings goes both ways I think!!


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## Dolcé (5 September 2011)

jackessex said:



			i had the strangest viewing yesterday which involved a large well known dealer in my area who im pretty sure is clearly having some sort of a breakdown!!!i wont go into full detail but horse was not as described and she went on to tell me that if all her horses where not sold by this wk they would all be shot!!!!
so this led me to wonder what other peoples experiences have been when viewing horses???
		
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LOL, OH has just told me that there was a dealer who used to say pretty much exactly that to get a sale if the horse was unsuitable when you went, something along the lines of 'well if you don't buy it the knacker man will be taking it tomorrow'.  So it could just be that sales are down at the moment and the whole thing is just to make you feel sorry for the horse so that you will 'save it'.

Funniest one we went to was a tb mare who had OH (very experienced rider) on the deck within seconds of mounting, apparently she didn't like men, would have been nice to be told BEFORE he got on!!


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## LaurenBay (5 September 2011)

Went to see a 14.1 that was described as a perfect hack. Firstly it was 13.2, but looked sweet so carried on with the viewing. Took my YO with me to view, asked to go on a hack and the lady said we couldn't as the Horse had never hacked before and Horse wasn't insured. But sure Horse would behave as was fine in the school. We had made a joke earlier about my YO having a fizzy bum and when she went to mount then owner whispered to her "don't make the pony to hyper, cos when she bucks your friend won't want her" YO swiftly got off and told me not to get on.


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## elliegirl12 (5 September 2011)

Quite a few years ago we were looking for a nice youngster to bring on to compete, one we travelled like 2half hours to view this mare 3 years old absoloutley stunning horse! She had these weird burn marks on her back legs, scars, apparently they do this to all horses in france? Anyway mum saw straight away this horse was lame, she carried on lunging it, without the owner even saying, I got on her one step the mare hopped, got straight off, the lady was completley oblivious to it! 

Another one got half way to view a horse travelling again a long way to see it, no phone call to say the mare was sold, phoned her to say we are nearly there she then told us the mare was sold! Went to a dealer fell in love with a irish sports horse, jumped the horse a little superstar, the dealer said they get there eyes heart checked teeth when they come over from ireland, got him vetted and he had a heart murmur, cataracts in both eyes, and was a year older then what they said, felt very very sorry for the poor boy


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## 9tails (5 September 2011)

Chavhorse said:



			Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor.  Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
		
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PMSL!  That is fantastic!

I missed out on these fun and games by buying the first one I viewed.


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## Kat (5 September 2011)

We had a bit of a mad one last year. Turned up to the small yard and parked in the layby, there was another car parked up so assumed that must be the seller, it wasn't it was a couple at it in their car......... 

Then found someone who took us to the seller, the seller then proceeded to show us the horse, including riding and jumping wearing nothing but a bikini, hotpants and muckers. She went on to tell us how she could ride it down the road whilst carrying two shopping bags..... Then her friend proceeded to demonstrate their bombproofing technique on another horse, the technique basicly involved terrifying the poor thing and laughing at it. 

Made a swift exit from that viewing!


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## ScarlettLady (5 September 2011)

I went to try a loan horse about 8 yrs ago at a yard, YO only present, owner not there, horse seemed nice enough, heart in the right place, but as I was already looking at another much flashier horse (which I bought) I turned it down. A week later the YO rang and said to my mum, I appreciate you have your own land, but would you like to bring your horses on livery to my yard  
WHY?! lol I have stables, grazing, hay and bedding free of charge, and wonderful facilities of indoor, outdoor school, solarium and walker I can use 100m up the road...  again we politely declined, and avoided like the plague... 

A couple of months ago, Went to a local woman 'renowned' for matching horse and rider, originally to see a 15hh just backed 3 yr old, that she was desperate to get rid of..
Arrived said horse had been sold, so she popped me on a 6yr old trad cob, about 14.3hh.. I thought not what I want but worth a try... worked beautifully, but had steering issues and wouldn't canter on the right rein, she wanted 4k for it... 
I politely declined, and got a phone call 1 wk later saying she had the perfect horse for me... He's now grazing in my field quite happily


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## superted1989 (5 September 2011)

Travelled over 100 miles (incl having to get a ferry) to see a 14hh coloured cob.  I was a friend's 'appropriate adult' and I made sure she rang the 'owner' before we set foot off the island.  Very, very fancy yard but no cob or sign of owner.  Grabbed hold of a groom who said she would find the owner but we could go and look at the cob, 5 miles down the road in a field 'with the other ponies' (she drew us a lovely map!).  Anyway, found the field of ponies and a colored cob..................no more than 13hh and way, way older than the advertised 10 years.  By then, it had started to snow, the field was knee deep in mud and a very odd lady started shouting from a nearby garden!  We left the field and the odd lady came over.  She said she owned 2 of the ponies in the field, incl the coloured, both retired and on grass livery from the fancy yard!  We were the 4th people she'd had to turn away that week as nothing was for sale.  So, we go back to fancy yard, still no sign of YO and groom said she was away for the week!  We'd had confirmation from her that she would be there!  Anyway, turns out the woman who owns the yard regularly answers wanted ads but never has the type of horse people are looking for, just tries to get them there to look at others for sale.  She must have realised we weren't first time, first pony buyers and hid, lol!
Another time, went to look at a Suffolk Punch x TB.  Good size for me, right price and ticked all of the boxes...................until they got her out of the stable.  I have never seen such a case of stringhalt in my life (and I see a lot of Shetlands!), but, the woman selling on behalf of owner just said 'oh yes, never noticed that before'!  Near hind looked like it was on a spacehopper!  I know stringhalt isn't always such a bad thing but I don't like dishonesty so didn't even try her out.  Being such a small community here, I have since found out that the mare had been on the market on and off for a while and the woman always makes out she's never noticed the stringhalt before!  Lovely mare, often pass her grazing in a field...............with a foal at foot!


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## rara007 (5 September 2011)

The horse I looked at before seeing C was a 5 or 6YO strange coloured thing. A warmblood in the sense it wasn't a cob or a TB  It apparently forgot how to trot the day we tried it. When we asked for it to be trotted up inhand the girl ran backwards with it  And under saddle it couldn't trot atall, the whole time the girl was saying 'Isn't he lovely'


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## charleysummer (5 September 2011)

Brilliant stories, but i do feel sorry for viewers and horses involved !
I went to see a '13.2hh new forest mare, perfect allrounder no blemishes etc..' which was a 15hh welsh section D- covered in sarcoids ! got on it and it was a nightmare, jogged on a hack and I jumped it and it never stopped! ended up coming off that one.

Went to a dealers yard who brought out a pony straight off the lorry! had been on for hours poor thing, stuck a kid on it and made it jump 3'6 from a trot when it could barely even move, was so stiff and tired . saw the same horse advertised 2 x more on horsemart since ! 

then brought out a nutter welsh cob which charged around the manege, then in desperation brought out a tb that couldnt even walk it was so lame- his wife shouted at this point ' i dont think you can ride that one'...

we left pretty quick!

then went to view a nice newfie mare, seemed lovely and agreed to buy but then the passport was dodgey and the owner told us she wouldnt load, and the newforest branding on her back wasnt burnt in- it was scratched in !! 

Went to view another new forest (see a trend here? ) who had apparently been jumping and to shows etc, when we got there it couldnt even be ridden off the lead rope and only in walk... and it was advertised at £3000 ! 

Went to look at a haflinger and id had been sold once and returned (we were told upon arriving) the horse jumped and went fine until it seemed to get bored, stopped moving and refused to listen to any aids ! then bucked and carried on doing whatever it wanted...

in the end bought the most lovely natured mare, turned out to be bombproof on roads and 100% trustworthy, fab jumper and not a bad bone in her body! that had an old tendon injury and everything we were told was a load of rubbish about her, 11 months into rehab after it retore, regret buying her but she's so lovely and its not her fault so im glad she got a safe home

ah well !


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## snopuma (5 September 2011)

i have travelled 3 hours to North Somerset to see a 16hh warmblood with Donnerhall lines, I phoned just before we left to check everything was ok, and was told it was, so mammoth drive later arrive at yard, bit run down and no-one about, then a young girl said I'll go and get him in from the field, so in came the pony and I mean pony!  he had a massive cut on his knee, but she said he was fine, I was thinking how can I say thanks but no thanks at this stage? i was really cross that I was not told he was injured!  but she lunged him it was like wall of death and then rode him again wall of death, then as he looked quite puffed out I did ride him and just as I settled into the saddle she said he hasn't been ridden by anyone else but her!  but somehow this honest little boy with hardly any meat on him and really overgrown feet just listened to me enough to do a passable try out, she said after I didn't know that he could work in an outline like that!  yep its called dressage and it really helps them, I didn't buy him he was too small, and with a wound like that on the knee although still sound, could have problems that would be to risky to waste money on a vetting.

The one I did buy, when we arrived we had to wait in their lounge while the owner finished breastfeeding her baby, and again when we went to pick up the horse, it was odd, I know its natural but I felt like I was staring at the ceiling while she was telling me about the horse!


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## Oldenburg (5 September 2011)

I went to a dealers yard!! I was going to she a 16,2 Bay gelding  got there and it was a chestnut mare that was no more than 16hh lol


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## katiejam (5 September 2011)

I was at a show and got chatting to someone at the edge of the arena (as we both had boarder terriers on a lead).  Said I was looking for a new horse, described what I was after and she said she had just the one at home! Home was just off the A1 and we would be going passed on the way home.  She said her husband would be there and he would show me the horse.  Got there (after already looking at 3 others the same day - none of which were suitable), the yard was a mess and really tired and the husband was no where to be seen.  A phone call had obviously been made to the neighbour who pointed out the horse and showed me where the tack room was (unlocked) and told me to help myself and then went! I found a brush, gave it a groom and tacked up without anyone around.  Found the arena and had a walk and trot around.  The husband came home and hoped on the horse with a fag in his straight away jumped a fence about 1:40m - still with fag in his mouth and no hat!  

They managed to convince me that he was 15:3hh (as that was what I said I wanted).

18 months later said horse and I are very happy and he measures 16.1hh!!! 

A very random but worth while experience! In hindsight I was silly to get on such an unknown horse! but I am a great believer in fate!!! 

I did go back again when the owner was there, watched her ride then she gave me a lesson before doing the deal!


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## Trinity Fox (5 September 2011)

I went to see a horse when i got there i realised straight away wasnt the horse in the ad, it was same colour same markings just not the same quality.

The seller told me they didnt have a pic so had used one that was most similar to horse as the horse was to be brought on as a project and was such a tank good weight carrier and they told me it was bombproof i decided to try it.

They tried to get me just to ride it on the yard i said i wanted to try it out it walked perfectly over main road past traffic away from yard,I got it to the bottom of paddock they put me in turned it round and it reared walking along on its back legs.

I got off walked it back up to them by this time the father or whoever had appeared with a pice of blue piping and was threatning the person I was with very strange, I told them where to get off not very nicely and they all scuttled back in to the yard shut the gates and i was left on the road probably looking bemused.


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## Bettyboo222 (5 September 2011)

Last week I went looking at some fell geldings (3yr old) 

Advertised as 'ready to be broken' as we got there seller said 'I haven't got them in since april' Was not impressed the things didn't even lead.


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## blitznbobs (5 September 2011)

I once went to see a 16.2 hannovarian which was advertised as 'well schooled, good in stable etc' ... we drove for 2 hours and arrived at the bottom of a unmade road... we were in the landy so we went for it... another 3/4 hour up this track we arrived at a place I can only describe as a hovel... We were taken to see a pony that must have been 13.2 and came at us over the wall with it's teeth bared...

They got very very shirty with us when I said that I wasn't interested... as I hadn't even ridden him...

We literally ran off to the landy and went sharpish!!!

BnBX


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## Meowy Catkin (5 September 2011)

I once went to see a mare with a friend. The ad was basic: 'Flame, 15.2hh mare, all rounder, good in all ways.' So we arrived and the vendor brought out a very smart chestnut mare. 'Oh' says my friend, 'I thought that she would be grey.' She then declared that she didn't want a chestnut mare and we left. 

I still can't quite believe that she didn't twig from the ad (the mare was called FLAME  ) that she was chestnut. Plus, if she really felt that strongly about chestnuts, why didn't she ask what colour the horse was when she rang to arrange the viewing. I was too shocked to say anything at the time.


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## Fools Motto (5 September 2011)

Years and years ago, (I was 9), we went to see a NF pony. We went with our then very good, also horsey neighbours. The pony in question was actually intended for my friend who was 7 or 8 at the time. We went as moral support! Arrived at a field with a few odd field shelters dotted around, broken fencing and a small selection of 'rustic jumps', kicked all over the place. No sign of any pony. After meeting the 'adults', we were led to the side of one of these shelters, which was penned off, and completely in the dark. Inside was the pony, a dark brown mare. Couldn't see her. She was actually laying down - due to laminitis! Poor pony. Anyway, dragged her out, 'they' tacked her up and then my friend took complete fright of her, screamed and ran for the hills - literally! Her parents in pursuit, us standing there, looking shocked at what we had just seen. Well, shame to waste a nice natured pony! So I got on, had a trot about, and within moments had hopped over these rustic 'things'. I loved it. My, then current loan pony was then 27, and although lovely, was a 'boring ride'!! (poor old Middy!) We offered to home Jasmine, and had her for 3 fab years. My friend never did explain why she was so frightened of her, she didn't even touch her. But, I for one, was very grateful she did what she did.
The owners never came to see her while she was with us, but when my mum phoned to say I was outgrowing her, and it would be our last summer with her, they came the next day and took her back. I didn't even get to say goodbye, and to this day, would love to know what happened to her after.


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## blitznbobs (5 September 2011)

Faracat said:



			I once went to see a mare with a friend. The ad was basic: 'Flame, 15.2hh mare, all rounder, good in all ways.' So we arrived and the vendor brought out a very smart chestnut mare. 'Oh' says my friend, 'I thought that she would be grey.' She then declared that she didn't want a chestnut mare and we left. 

I still can't quite believe that she didn't twig from the ad (the mare was called FLAME  ) that she was chestnut. Plus, if she really felt that strongly about chestnuts, why didn't she ask what colour the horse was when she rang to arrange the viewing. I was too shocked to say anything at the time.
		
Click to expand...

LOL  Ive just asked my 2 year old son what colour he would expect a horse called 'Flame' to be... and he replied immediately 'Red'... your friend is obviously an 'interesting' person


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## Ibblebibble (5 September 2011)

Chavhorse said:



			Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor.  Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
		
Click to expand...

there are some classics on this thread but this is my all time favourite,


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## Charlie007 (5 September 2011)

I was told the pony description was a 14hh bay mare, turned up to find a 14.2hh chaestnut gelding!!  Best pony I ever bought!!


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## WeLoveShowCobs (5 September 2011)

We went to see two Intermediate show horses at a producer/dealers yard we walked up to them to find a sedalin box in both stables, i simply said "Thanks for waisting my time" and went home i then went on to buy a Unbroken 4Yo TB stallion. So she had no need for sedalin im more than mad enough to jump on anything!! haha


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## tinap (5 September 2011)

We travelled an hour & half to see an 11.2hh first pony for my daughter. Got there to be told the said pony was lame so couldn't try her. We still wanted to go upto the field to see her, which we did but the whole time the seller seemed in a rush to get rid of us. We left but half way home I decided to ring her & leave my number so she could let me know when it was sound again . I was told "oh its just gone - someone was coming to buy it but I let you come anyway incase they didn't show up"!!! Annoyed was not the word I used!!!!


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## Mildred (5 September 2011)

Me and my boyfriend went to a particularly notorious dealer (I know we shouldn't have lined his pockets but we wanted a project. He refused an ex racer, as mine put him off them for all eternity by 'accidentally' misinterpreting his aids and going hell for leather through the village, sending traffic in all directions and causing people to run out into the road in their dressing gowns to see what just whizzed past their house at an alarming speed...).

Anyway.  Digression.  We met said dealer at a petrol station in his large personalised merc, then commenced a rally-style cross country race round narrow country lanes, endeavouring to keep up with dealer.  Arrived at a scrap yard with a big black solid set of gates, and walked into what appeared to be Steptoe's yard after a bomb had gone off. There was a carcass in one corner with a couple of dogs and a turkey picking over it, some dark, rancid stables and an overhanging roof where some mangy looking cob types were milling round a plastic barrel. All the animals were loose in the yard bar one - a skinny, feeble looking little horse who was being bitten and kicked by the others. He pulled back several times to try to escape and hit his face on the tin roof, removing the skin from his nose (more pickings for the dogs, perhaps).  The dealer then threw an old blue wintec on him complete with a girth with a knot in, a manky old bridle, and got some random child to sit on him. (no idea where the child appeared from - maybe it was eating its lunch with the dogs and turkey?).

I felt dreadful for this poor horse with his terrible splayed feet and bleeding face, and to my shame I fell into the trap that all numpties with more money than sense fall into, and bought him.  Fortunately for me he was an angel, fantastic to ride once he had been MoT'd and serviced, and a truly genuine horse.  This was many years ago, and I still miss him!


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## honeymum (5 September 2011)

My mum placed a wanted ad for a pony, so a lady rings about 'Molly' who she hasn't advertised but wants to sell, sounds perfect, mum goes to see her and asks how much the owner wants. She says £1200 with (poorly fitting) tack, my mum offered £1000, owner said she'd think about it and then decided yes. Later that weekend my mum receives a phone call from the owners husband saying the owner had decided to keep her. 

So is that a different 'Molly' up for sale 2 days later at £1400 then??


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## Charem (5 September 2011)

When we were trying to find a first pony for my friend's daughter we came across some 'interesting' ponies.

First pony we tried was an incredibly pretty faced 12hh welshy. The little girl got on it and trotted it around the school whilst the mother was telling us how brilliant the pony was and how she would be perfect for us. After 15 mins of trotting we asked the little girl if she could show us some canter and prehaps a little jump. She immediately jumped off the pony and hid behind her mother. Of course this raised suspisions so I jumped on and asked for a canter, the pony did some horrific fly bucking down the long side - i swear it's tail brushed my hat! 

2nd pony we went to view was another gorgeous welshy, this time a little grey mare. The owner produces show ponies and assured us that the mare was an angel and that she has a 6 yr old ride it regulary. She then pratically threw friend's daughter on to the pony and got her walking/trotting round. Pony was a bit spookey but nothing awful. She asked pony to canter and pony did a little buck and then went back to trot. After a couple tries I ended up getting on pony and as I couldn't get my feet in the stirrups I just rode without. Asked pony to canter and it just ran through my hands, tried again and it did a buck and again ran in trot. I didn't have a whip (should have realised there was probably a reason for this :O ) so i used the loop of the reins....pony proceeded to bronc and after 5/6 I ended up on my ass in the sand....with a nice big crowd of liveries watching. Nothing like getting dumped by a 12hh!

Glad to say that it was 3rd time lucky, we found a gorgeous welshie who is just perfect!


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## Irishdan (5 September 2011)

About ten years ago I went with a friend to view a 15.2 Warmblood Allrounder.  Friend had been told it was quite a difficult drive to find the exact location of yard so she would meet us in Perth city and would take us herself.  After an hours drive to get there and waiting at the arranged pick up point no one showed up.  A few phone calls later it was decided that she wasnt feeling well but her dad would come and take us over.  Looking back I cant actually believe that we got in the car with this strange man!!  Anyway he was a nice man, totally non horsey and turned out he had been a dentist in South Africa (funny what you remember!)and was really interesting to chat too LOL!  After a good half hours drive we arrived at the 'yard' which was basically a field on a hill and a wooden shelter.  Got out car to see a huge array of grooming kit and pieces of tack lying all over the field!  He pointed at the biggest of the three ponies and told us that was the one for sale.  Turned out to be a 14.2 Welsh type and hopping lame!  Had to about turn and drive all the way back!
A few years back I viewed a 5 year old ISH chestnut mare.  The photo in her ad showed her competing indoor jumping.  When I got there owner said she would happily ride her for me but couldnt jump as she had had an accident recently.  Never though anything of it and said was happy to jump her myself.   Jumped her, felt she was a little more green than advertised but liked her and arranged to have her vetted.  My OH had taken photos and vid of me riding and a few days later I was comparing photos only to find they were different horses.  Phoned seller and she admitted it was her other chestnut mare in the pic but only because it was a nice photo!!  Decided not to go ahead with sale as a bit nervous at being deceived in other ways!


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## fusaberry (5 September 2011)

I went to see a lovely 3yo mare , by Nimmerdor,owner didn't  have time for her, said I'd have her but I couldn't take her that day , as I only had a trailer, and she didn't consider them safe,I had to come back with a lorry in 3 weeks time at a 12 o'clock, not before and not after,then she would put her on the lorry herself- needless to say I walked away, but she was a lovely mare.


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## Horses24-7 (5 September 2011)

I'm looking to loan/sell my mini shettie, had someone view him who said they thought he was a fantastic safe tots leadrein pony (as he is) but that his trot is too bouncy! I honestly wanted to laugh but tried my hardest to keep a straight face, how can u expect a pony whose legs are a foot long to have a long gliding stride!


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## aliceeventing131 (5 September 2011)

not exactly one of the strangest on here but thought id share it anyway-

after i had settled the contract with the owner of my lovely loan horse who is just perfect for me (a experienced rider who isnt at all nervous) she told me about the other two people who came to view her. She is a lovely owner, perfectly honest and would tell you if she didnt think horse was suitable, so she put on her ad she wanted an experienced, not nervous rider, the horse is 14 (but acts like a 7 year old) so i assume thats why the first came to view her

the first was a ten year old with her mom, (she is fizzy going into canter, owner warned her mom about this during the phonecall) she got on, trotted around quite happily though maybe struggled a bit with horses strength (even owner who has had her for 7 years still has trouble if shes had at least 2 days off) and asked for canter, horse gave a little squel out of pure excitment and the girl burst out crying, okay fair enough if she was a little nervous on a strange horse and all but surely her mom should have known a fizzy horse would not have been suitable, later told she had only had her first canter week before 

second girl was totally useless rider, owner said, yard owneer said and rest of liveries who i am now very very good friends with said the same gave the most confusing instructons to horse (who needs clear aids, what i figured out when i tried her) jagging in the mouth (needs light rein contact, soft mouth) etc etc, so horse bombed off with her, finally slows her down, gets off says thanks walks off, phonecall saying could they get a contract sorted as still intrested, owner said no way im not having a totally useless rider having my horse for the 3 years im at uni (not to there faces)

some of these are just shocking tho, but the hippy dippy is my favourite i found it hilarious!! horse does not want to be ridden today


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## Pearlsasinger (5 September 2011)

It's almost 40 yrs since I first went to view a horse.  Sis & I still talk about the fact that the owner's son had stopped riding and taken up football.  We would have done too if our parents had been daft enough to buy it for us!
There have been a few other odd viewings along the way.
But the weirdest viewing  was the Clydie mare that we bought from a couple who must have thought that they'd done so well selling her to us that they could make a living at it.  They were named in reports of court cases a few years later (very distinctive names, definitely them).  
I rang and arranged a viewing for the Friday morning, we arrived at the address and saw a very big, modern house with its own stables and a 'For Sale' sign.  The owner appeared dressed in jeans, said she had forgotten we were coming and the nanny had taken her car, could we drive her to the livery yard were her 2 horses were now kept?  After a very interesting journey of about 15 mins max, during which owner took phone calls from her contact lense provider and her gas supplier telling her that her bank had refused payment, we got to the yard which happened to be the place where we'd had another dodgy viewing several years ago.  Owner then told us that her husband had the tack in his car, he'd gone to one of the nightclubs that they owned in a nearby town.  She borrowed tack from a fellow livery.
 The mare was younger than described but just the type I like.  So after trying her we left a deposit and arranged for the husband to deliver her.  We gave him very detailed but simple directions to get to us.  About an hour after we expected him we got a phone call to say he had decided to take the other motorway to our town and was now lost several miles away.  Eventually he arrived, we unloaded the mare and paid him the *cash* that he required.  Then he went home along the motorway that is only 5 minutes from our house.


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## dumpling (5 September 2011)

My friend went to see a cob and the owner jumped from the beams in it's stable onto it's back and went 'she's completely bombproof'  !!

:s


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## 0ldmare (5 September 2011)

The horse I (literally) could not get out of walk was undoubtedly one of the weirdest. I have never known such a bone idle horse. I honestly don't think it was doped, one of the other liveries whispered 'I hope you like a dobbin, we all call her Donk).


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## PrincessMoomin (5 September 2011)

I needed a colt foal to keep my yearling company. My only criteria were that it had good conformation, moved straight and preferably was coloured so I could show it in hand while my gorgeous, but bay baby grew up.

The weirdest experience I had was actually with the foal I bought. My friend drove and we headed off to Durham. Their directions were ropey so we rang when we thought we were close. They directed us to a tiny pit village, at which point they bundled us into their car. They drove us 5 miles into the wiilds of Durham and dropped us off. A proper hillbilly picked us up. He then dropped us at the gate to the yard and got into another car with another hillbilly. We where then driven for a good 10 mins up the side of a hill. By this point myself and my friend thought we were going to be killed an buried in the field!

There was 20 odd horses and 2 psycho sheep with huge horns. The 2 psycho sheep kept charging, and to be fair my friend and I thought we were going to get gouged. I would have made my excuses and left, as the horses were a good 100yds away, but one caught my eye big time.

Crazy hillbilly guy tried to cut me a 3 for 1 deal, but I said no! He delivered the foal a week later wilder than a wild thing! and utterly terrifed of people. Hes now the lvoe of my life even if he is a fugly 2 yr old. But by god! buying him was bloody terrifying!


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## indiat (5 September 2011)

kirsty17 said:



			My friend went to see a cob and the owner jumped from the beams in it's stable onto it's back and went 'she's completely bombproof'  !!

:s
		
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I would have hated the physio bills though - poor animal!


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## Elf On A Shelf (5 September 2011)

When I was on the hunt for a fell pony we went to see 2 down in Cumbria. The first was described as a freshly broken and schooled 4yo, good conformation, would be great for showing yada yada. Got there and this thing looked more like an elephant it was that fat! Couldn't move for fat and also dished so he was a no go before we even started. But I rode him seeing as we went all that way and I was only allowed to take him for a walking hack down the road and back. Hmm. So off we toddled, mum walking next to me, we get about 100yards down the road and this thing stopped, spun and trotted back home as fast as it could. I had no say in the matter what so ever! I was then told that he did it all the time, it was perfectly normal for him and when would we be picking him up. Needless to say we declined and headed off to the next pony.

The next was again a freshly broken 4yo. He was of lighter build that elephant pony but well covered. The owner was very honest in saying that she had sent him away for 10weeks breaking and schooling at a trekking centre but believes they only put a saddle on him for the first time a week before as she had asked for him back because they had done nothing with him. So I hop on, take him for a walk round the field, trot fine. Canter- he bucked going into it but what young pony doesn't when it's first learning. So we cantered round the edge of the field quite the thing when the owner shouted down to turn right and jump what was infront of me to show me how well he could jump. Being 14 I thought "What the heck! It'll only be a little log or something". Eh Naw! Turned the corner and 3 strides later was a 5 bar wooden gate out onto the Cumbrian Fells ... By heck that pony could jump  So we agreed to buy him there and then and we would get a transported to pick him up once all the money was settled into bank accounts. It was at this stage, after agreeing to buy him that the owner then told me that the last person to try him had fallen off and broken their collar bone but it wasn't the ponies fault, the rider lost her balance cantering round a corner on a pony that was very unbalanced and she just fell off the side. Just over a week later Jasper was home and he is my pride and joy! 9 years I have owned him for and brought him on myself. He is currently on loan to a girl who lost all confidence so he is still doing a fantastic job in his life.


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## melxvengeance (5 September 2011)

I worked on a yard a few months ago, one of the girls i worked with was selling her pony. a woman and her daughter came one day with the girl's instructor and her horsebox. turns out the little girl had already viewed the pony and fell in love with it, instructor was coming along just to double check everything was ok as the mum wasn't horsey. they had even given her a day off school and brought the horsebox and cash, so if everything was ok the pony was to be paid for and taken home. instructor asked for pony to be trotted up, said it dished heavily which was wrong. the pony only had a very slight dish, but the instructor told mum this was very bad, it wouldn't make a difference as daughter only wanted a pony, nothing to show and it wasn't a show pony anyway, it was a little black stocky SJer!! the girl then got on, rode round arena, popped a few jumps, everything ok. instructor then announced she wanted to see it gallop in a field. she was politely told that they had no fields to gallop in since it was all grazing, all fields either had ponies grazing or sheep in them! she was very displeased at this. then she announced she wanted to see the girl trot pony along the road outside the yard - a very, very, VERY busy road with cars coming off the motorway at 70mph, half an hour before these people arrived i witnessed a BMW over-take a big lorry at a shocking speed, blink and you'll miss it! (long straight stretch of road) owner said no, it's too dangerous but can take pony to the road end and let her see traffic. so did this and pony didn't blink an eye. girl was in love, she really wanted it. they then said they weren't interested and drove the poor little girl home with the horsebox. 

nowt queer as folk!!


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## horsimous (5 September 2011)

Went to see a 15hh appaloosa as a project to sell on. Got there and hopefully said "Oh is that his mother"? to be told no, that's him. I had to say er.. I thought you said 15hh gelding in your ad but this is a 12.2hh mare!


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## vikkibeth (6 September 2011)

My strangest one was a few weeks ago, spoke to a very nice lady on he phone about her 16yrs 16hh bay gelding who was in her words super chilled and an absolute sweetie but due to personnel issues hadnt been written for a few months. 
Arrive to what looked like a bomb site with wreaks of buildings all around the field. Lady gets out of her car in full work uniform and heels. She calls the 3 horses in the field who came stampeding towards us through the open gate into the wreak of what I can only describe as being the floor to a past kitchen (had my 5yrs son with me and my husband and I had to grab my son to save him from 12 hooves flying at him). 
Horse was more 16.3hh and had trouble in his eyes. Lady let them all walk round not tying any of them up. Her friend then turned up and they tacked up this horse that walked them around the "yard". Sensible people by now would have left but felt this was going to be a car wreak kind of moment and for some reason wanted to see. Lady jumps on him from a stack of garden chairs (she was tiny!) in her heals! Her friend then attached a lunge line was told that she always did this to take him out of the yard!?!?! followed by a very elderly looking 16hh mare
She then continued to ride him on the lunge line (mare following behind), although when I say ride it was more jump sideways! She the said he was normally very good but had not been ridden for 2yrs which according to my maths is a lot longer than they had said, and she started to tell me she had put full novices on his back (I guess she didn't like them much!) as she went flying off him in mind sentence.
I stupidly said let me have a go much to my husbands horror. Got on him to tyke would not move an inch! But after much persuading he started to listen and I walk, trot and cantered him with mare still in tow. He was very stiff and not really my sort of thing so needless to say didn't buy him. Left lady complaining about her shoes getting dirty! All together a very strange veiwing


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## madeleine1 (6 September 2011)

im feeling a bit miffed i brought mine from the riding school id been in for 10 years and had known the mare for 3 years. much less interesting then ur stories


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## Ravenwood (6 September 2011)

Years ago I arranged to view a 4yr old, 14.2 pony for my daughter.

The owner very honestly told me that the pony had mild sweetitch, so armed with that information we went off to view it.  OMG - I have never, ever seen such a severe case of sweetitch in my life!  Poor pony was turned out in a field with no shelter and was rubbed raw with no mane, barely a tail and the whole top half of its body had a different coat from the bottom half from where it spent its life rubbing on a branch 

I asked her what she used as relief for the pony and again she honestly said that she smeared a bit of sudocreme on it but it was ok because in the winter she had a stable for it 

It turns out that she bred the pony from a mare that she had bred from every year since and that mare had very bad sweetitch - itsn't it hereditary?

The pony had a very common head and wasn't anything special to look at but had a lovely temperament and was very easy to ride but I couldn't buy it - no way could I deal with sweetitch that bad.


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## Morganlafaye (6 September 2011)

Had a very strange one a few years ago and still can't figure it out. Admittedly I can't remember all the details now, but I do remember I went to see a 15.1hh chestnut Arab mare advertised somewhere in Kent, apparently an endurance mare that the owners had sent south on livery because she wasn't coping with the wild north and their very boggy moors. 

Still not sure what to believe in all of this, but was told the livery yard owners would show her to me including riding her. I went to see her, and she was pretty much as described (15.1hh chestnut Arab mare), but was being kept in an apparently deserted yard in terrible conditions. It looked like she'd been stabled for some time, and I don't know when she'd last been mucked out. I saw no other horses there.

Livery owner (assuming it was really her) then complained to me about the owners not paying her livery fees for months and wanting the mare gone, but then said she couldn't ride her first, but would borrow tack if I wanted to ride her. Foolishly I was considering it, asking lots of questions, when the livery owner let slip she might be a bit 'cold backed'. And the only place I could ride her was in a small 20m section of the yard! All very odd.

I really felt sorry for the poor mare, she was very sweet and in a terrible situation. But major alarm bells were ringing here and I had to walk away, simply telling both the yard owner and livery owner "not for me". I didn't want to get involved in whatever was going on there.

Some weeks later, the owner called me and said their horse had gone missing, and did I know anything about it? I told them everything the livery yard owner had told me and kept my distance. 

But I've felt guilty ever since. I keep thinking about that poor horse and whether I could have done something. I felt so sorry for her, and I wish I could have rescued her, or at least done something to help her, instead of just walking away. But I'm not sure what I could have done. I couldn't buy her, I didn't know what or who to believe, and the RSPCA wouldn't have been interested - she was well fed and her feet were in better condition than they should have been in the circumstances, so I was at a complete loss!

Very sad.


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## smellsofhorse (6 September 2011)

Great experinces, interesting reading about them!


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## posie_honey (6 September 2011)

loved reading these!

my strangest was going to see a 'well put together, local level competition horse - easy ride' i was looking for a low level RC horse to potter about on so sounded ideal.

turned up to find a nervous, really badly put together yak - and a son who's horse it was - looking at it with pure hatred - sporting a broken wrist..... (which of course he got from playing rugby... of course)

so they got him out (after chasing him about to try to tack him up) and a friend of theirs got on and he promptly reared right up and started really playing about - i'd seen enough - said he was not what i was looking for and they kicked off saying i was wasting their time for not trying him ridden!!!


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## Loopypony (6 September 2011)

Not me viewing but had someone to view my then 16.3 ID. He had unsightly sarcoids and these people had been warned on the phone. 
They turned up, got out the car with the biggest bag of carrots you've ever seen and proceeded to walk up to the horse and start shoving them in his gob! No asking, nothing. I took his rug off and the first remark was 'oh, hes big for an Irish draught'..... *cue has dropping to floor* couldn't believe it!! He was a perfect stamp of an ID but apparently 'they are normally much finer'. There was absolutely no mention of the sarcoids at all........I politely turned them away whilst cursing to myself!


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## Lolita (6 September 2011)

What a great thread! My oddest viewing was travelling 3 hours to see a black thoroughbred that had never raced snaffle mouthed big jumper etc. Turned up to find a light bay emaciated tb, the owner who was only 17 and had the expression that butter wouldn't melt rode the horse but could only do one rein bcos she hurt her shoulder and couldn't jump because "the horse didn't like the jumps" (even though the ad said he'd jump anything). Got home and searched his name for racing turned out he'd only been out of racing a few months, and the girl and completely lied through her teeth!


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## jeeve (11 September 2011)

I did have a bad horse viewing in reverse, my kids pony which we sold. She was a 11 hand aged mare, we had her for 7 years and my kids learnt to ride on her. She is in my profile. 

Her main bad habit was nipping when saddle put on, but other than that she was good. 

She had not been ridden more than maybe 6 times in the last year, and I had a 6 yr old come to try her. As she was filthy & disgusting, (a grey pony that was dark brown with mud), we spent the morning washing and grooming her. By the time the interested parties arrived she was in a thoroughly bad temper. So she was all fangs, nipping at every thing. i know people aways say, she is not normally like that.. but she was not normally like that. 

The sad thing is that the little girl who started out on a lead rein with her, and had only had 8 riding lessons previously was able to walk and trot her around with no problems on her own. 

Any way they bought a 14 hh pony, that when I ran into them at the Zone sporting and mounted games event, the father who was there, advised the little girl had fallen off a few times. Meanwhile our scuffy pony who had been pulled out the paddock at last minute, was the star of the day, did not put a foot wrong. I could see the dad thinking maybe that they had made a mistake. But I really could not blame them because she was so terrible on that viewing with the nipping.

I still feel mortified when I think of that day - the next pony viewing we did not wash her at all, just pulled her out the paddock as was, and that went fine.


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## Penniless (11 September 2011)

Not been to - but had a lady come to view a horse we were advertising who came dressed in the shortest shorts you've ever seen, a bikini top and beach flip flops and was very annoyed when we said she wasn't getting on the horse like that.  It wasn't as if she'd just turned up unexpectedly, she had booked a viewing to come see and ride him.  We did assume she had at least boots and a hat in her car, but no - she thought there was nothing wrong in getting on a strange horse dressed like that as she rode her own in that gear.


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## Sheep (15 September 2011)

Just remembered this one which really made me laugh.

I went with a friend to look at a horse last year. He was a big gangly dark bay thing, a bit on the skinny side but a nice temperament. 

Anyway when we got there the lad showing us the horse had to hack him about 5 mins up the road to the sandschool, so we followed. He started riding, the horse went okay, nothing special- he was actually 6, but schooling-wise he was very, very green. 

Anyway the lad rode him, and the whole time he was on, he remained on the left rein. My friend got on and went on the right rein.. where she was promptly told that the horse "only goes on the left rein, we wanted to get that correct before we started working on the right rein".. 

..needless to say the horse had a few strops when she tried to get him to canter!


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## Meowy Catkin (15 September 2011)

the horse "only goes on the left rein, we wanted to get that correct before we started working on the right rein"..
		
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## Sheep (15 September 2011)

Faracat said:



  

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I know, isn't that bizarre?!

Shame he was a nice enough horse, would've been decent with school, he had a fab jump too (the guy insisted on loose jumping him after she dismounted, he just popped 1.40+ no bother). Except he was bloody useless on the right rein.


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## PolarSkye (15 September 2011)

Had some corkers when we were horse shopping for Kal . . . 

Very first I went to try was a 16.2hh chestnut all-rounder/sport horse.  He was supposedly homebred by It's the Business (Grade A Showjumper).  After he bolted across the school with me (all I did was ask for trot), demonstrated he couldn't canter without going disunited and then jumped some poles the floor giving them about 5 foot of air and then bolted again, skidded to a halt and I fell off I asked my trainer (has her AI and her Stage IV ridden and care - very, very experienced horsewoman) to ride him - she drove 2 hours to go see him and he did the exact same with her.  Didn't think he was suitable for my (then) 13-year-old daughter and I to share!

Then there was the very lovely, extremely sweet gelding we drove another two hours (one way) to go see.  Young woman selling him pulled him out of the field and explained that he had lost a little condition.  When she pulled his rugs off, I was horrified - he was a hatrack - far too poor to be ridden, so we declined a trial ride.  I hope he found a decent home - I suspect he was much older than advertised.  Poor chap.

Then we drove to Cardiff (from the Basingstoke area) - met two men in the Millenium Stadium car park and followed them off into the deepest Welsh countryside . . . thankfully they were completely on the up-and-up but I did make sure my mobile phone was w/in hands' reach!  We'd gone to try a 16.2hh coloured draught cross . . . what we actually viewed was at least 17.1hh (did I mention my daughter was then only 13 - and a titchy 13 at that).  He was a very sweet horse, though, and probably made a lovely gentleman's hunter.

There was the 16.3hh 6-year-old gelding who was advertised as "soft as butter" . . . he was definitely bigger than 16.3hh, he was bolshy on the ground and when the owner rode him in the school he turned himself inside out - bucked, reared, went backwards/sideways (any way but forwards) . . . we declined sitting on that one.

There was the ex racehorse (racing name Countdown) who was supposed to be calm, sweet and suitable for novices having been retrained/reschooled . . . what I tried was a fruitloop - hyper sensitive to the aids and very stressed out - "oh the woman who tried him yesterday probably wound him up . . . "  Right.  

Lastly, there was the sweet little TB (who, unlike most of the horses we tried) was just up the road from us - we both tried him - he seemed sweet enough and his owner was also quite novicey . . . but, despite saying she really wanted us to have him, could never quite make time for my trainer to go and try him - it was raining, there was an R in the month, it wasn't a full moon - and all the time was hassling us to make an offer b/c someone else was about to have him and she'd rather we did.  We didn't.  

Finally - Kal's former owner told us that, despite having advertised him as a 16.2hh grey gelding one woman showed up to try him and said "oh - he's a bit big . . . and I couldn't be doing with all that white to clean . . . "!!!

P


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## skydancer (15 September 2011)

Chavhorse said:



			Have told this one before but it is a bit of a classic......

Saw what was described as the perfect horse advertised, called and asked a few questions and arranged to go view with my instructor.  Instructor duly cleared his agenda for the afternoon and we headed off on the 1.5 hour trip to view.

Were greeted by what I can only describe as a "Drippy Hippy" type, who gave us a 30 minute diatribe on how stabling was not natural, any feed other than grass was not natural, a farrier was not natural (horse by the way had terrible feet and was about 100 Kilo's overweight).

She then treated us to a "groundwork display" of the pull, pull, slap the shoulder with a stick variety....(by this point my instructor had a very visible pulse in his temple!).

I then asked "can we see it ridden now please" (I was actually feeling sorry for the poor damned thing) and watched in amazement as she placed the palm of her hand between his eyes, closed hers then nodded and turned me and said "he says he does not want to be ridden today but may want to be tomorrow can you please come back then".

We made our excuses and left and spent the 1.5 hours drive home in stunned silence apart from the occasional "that did just happen didn't it?"
		
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HILARIOUS!!!LMAO


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## BEUnderTheInfluence (16 September 2011)

I turned up at a dealers yard to veiw (or so I thought) a 16.3 Sport horse, 5yrs old, athletic, nice looking animal.

Turned up to find a hugeeeee animal, must have been 17.2 +, feet like dinner plates...cracked, split and in an array of interesting shapes! We saw it in the school jumping a couple of fences and It did look better moving about, my mother aksed to see it under saddle (despite the fact I saw no need by this point...) and the man went "We don' do that 'ere. Y'look, and y'buy". Completely put off by this point as this did not look at all like a potential event horse, we thanked him for his time at which point he said "Well its fine I sold it yesterday anyway, the people are picking him up soon so best not cross paths"

Eh?


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## skydancer (16 September 2011)

This thread is brilliant lmao - sorry mine is also pretty boring - saw,tried and bought sorry


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## Hippona (16 September 2011)

skydancer said:



			This thread is brilliant lmao - sorry mine is also pretty boring - saw,tried and bought sorry

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Me too.


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## Renvers (16 September 2011)

saw a lovely horse - size, temperament etc exactly what we wanted, apparently being ridden by teenager and jumping 1.10m. It was in the field  so thought great - can see it caught and brought in. All lovely, horse a lamb. 

Asked to see it tacked up - "erm not possible", they had sold its tack ! Turns out it hadn't been ridden for a while (try a year), but when it was it had done all of those things, were we still interested? 

No!


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## fatpiggy (16 September 2011)

Someone I knew had a horse brought to her by a not very local dealer (the would-be buyer couldn't drive so paid for this) to try. It was supposed to be 15hh and completely safe for a child to ride so should have been ok for her as a fairly novice rider.  Horse, well pony actually, is ridden by dealers small daughter and is obviously green but seems ok.  Would-be buyer gets on and it broncs like you've never seen.  Dealer carries on saying diddy daughter rides it every day and it never puts a foot wrong. After a while of persistent questioning, she admitted it had only been broken in 2 weeks !!!!!!!!!!!!  She also insisted it was 15hh and demonstrated this by producing a very knackered and bendy measuring stick which she put on the pony on top of its saddle (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and pushing the stick down into the arena surface.  I produced my fractionally over 15hh horse, and another girl brought out her 13.3 pony and the trial one was no more than 14.1.  Dealer still carries on that is is 15hh.  Then the fun really started!  The would-be buyer who when necessary could be as hard as nails and more than able to stand up for herself, accused the dealer of misrepresentation and wasting her time and money whereupon the dealer unleashed a volley of threats against anyone and everyone in earshot including all the horses on the yard and the two then had to be physically separated.  It was the best afternoons entertainment I'd had in years!  A year or two later I found out from someone else that the dealer's yard was worthy of the knackermans and the horses there were kept in squalor and starvation which didn't really come as much of a surprise.


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## LaurenM (16 September 2011)

Had some right weirdos come to view my gelding. Most turned up with no hat & one couple asked to be picked up from local train station. They'd been drinking all day & couldn't ride at all 

I have been to my local dealer & been offered a 2yr old when I was looking for 8yr old & backed!


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## spottydottypony (16 September 2011)

I went to see a lovely Fell pony colt 2 years ago.  It was about a 50 mile trip so off i went in a borrowed 7.5 ton lorry. On the picture he was a chunky hairy boy just what i wanted. We had to meet the owner at a nearby petrol station as the filed was in a housing estate and could not find it! Got to the field nearly dusk, the owner called the ponies to the gate and 4 small ponies galloped up the field.  I couldnot see the colt so asked where is he? She pointed to a small skinny, un hairy colt totally not like the picture! I bought him anyway cos he was lovely and sweet. Two years on he is very chunky and hairy!!


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## nicolenlolly (16 September 2011)

Driving from Brentwood to Barking every day I pass a field on motorway that's full of horses (and ragwort). Back in January I noticed this one horse, steely grey with black mane/tail and fading to bay in the nose, sounds horrible but looked stunning.  Every morning and afternoon I would look out for this beautiful horse and told hubby how in love with it I was, he laughed and let me do my own thing. I decided to google map area and find out how much it was.....Eventually I found the industrial area leading to yard and pulled into one to ask about who owns the horses, I was told "pretty young lady" through those gates! As I approached, a chap let me through and then padlocked me in (gulp) he pointed and grunted where I needed to go.  There was an elderly rotund gentleman sitting outside the 'van who hollered at his wife, the "pretty young lady" was was a formidable looking character and about 60 and flanked by 2 very large dogs. At this point I noticed the 3 dead geese that were hanging from the washing line from the tree to the 'van.  I eventually found my voice and trying to hide the trembling asked about the horse.  Even tried to make a joke saying hubby and I had a bet on as I thought it had to be a mare...to pretty to be a boy.
They told me it was a 2 year old colt and if I wanted to see it to take their number and they could bring it up the the stable (looked more like a falling down shed) so we could view him. I thanked them profusely and told them that as soon as the wedding was over I would be up with the hubby, oh and the price was 2k. Did I want to leave a deposit? Uh oh, was this going to be the price to be let out? Oh and what a nice car I have, how much is that worth? Sh@t! I am a travelling sales rep so thankfully I was suited and booted, I told them it was a work car, that I had no money on me but I would come back that evening after being to the bank. They gestured to the other young lad to "release" me and I drove as calmly as I could out of the place.
Not surprisingly I never returned. I was thankful to be in one piece and I am happy with just the one horse for me, no more looking!lol


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## claireandnadia (16 September 2011)

I went to view a horse once, got there a bit early and the owners were not there so she told me that the lodger would let me in, just go and pick a saddle (there was a whole wall full of saddles) tack up and ride myself.


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## Hippona (16 September 2011)

fatpiggy said:



			Someone I knew had a horse brought to her by a not very local dealer (the would-be buyer couldn't drive so paid for this) to try. It was supposed to be 15hh and completely safe for a child to ride so should have been ok for her as a fairly novice rider.  Horse, well pony actually, is ridden by dealers small daughter and is obviously green but seems ok.  Would-be buyer gets on and it broncs like you've never seen.  Dealer carries on saying diddy daughter rides it every day and it never puts a foot wrong. After a while of persistent questioning, she admitted it had only been broken in 2 weeks !!!!!!!!!!!!  She also insisted it was 15hh and demonstrated this by producing a very knackered and bendy measuring stick which she put on the pony on top of its saddle (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and pushing the stick down into the arena surface.  I produced my fractionally over 15hh horse, and another girl brought out her 13.3 pony and the trial one was no more than 14.1.  Dealer still carries on that is is 15hh.  Then the fun really started!  The would-be buyer who when necessary could be as hard as nails and more than able to stand up for herself, accused the dealer of misrepresentation and wasting her time and money whereupon the dealer unleashed a volley of threats against anyone and everyone in earshot including all the horses on the yard and the two then had to be physically separated.  It was the best afternoons entertainment I'd had in years!  A year or two later I found out from someone else that the dealer's yard was worthy of the knackermans and the horses there were kept in squalor and starvation which didn't really come as much of a surprise.
		
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Whereabouts are you? Anywhere in Yorkshire by any chance?


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## dizzydoo (16 September 2011)

I rang a add saying perfect lead and 1st ridden so sweet and never ever put a foot wrong I turn up there the owner saying we have no saddle for her but we will find one they said put my 7 yr old on which I replied can you get you child on first as I always see the horses ridden first so of her child goes in a club saddle (didn't fit) the pony was napping in walk Bac to the gate I asked the girl to trot she said to her mum please run with me in a worried voice the pony just napped straight back to gate in a real hurry I was telling the lady I don't think the pony is for us they said in return this pony never does this wait they said I will get it going with that the pony double barrelled towards me with sand flying in my face that was to close for comfort I got out lucky my little one was out already after that the pony did a few buck the child cried I told them enough is enough all they kept saying was I don't understand the pony didn't do this ever right I thought so I went to talk to the girl to say are you ok she said yer I'm use to it he does this all the time after a few pony views similar to this I gave up lol I lost faith and started to think everyone is a liar


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## s4sugar (16 September 2011)

Travelled 60 miles to view a 4yo 15.hh quarter horse.
Green but ready to do more which was not a problem.

I knew the sire and explained I need a weight carrier & was told this lad was like his dad & up to weight. 
 I'm 5'4 & a smidge. I should not be able to put my chin on the withers of a 15 hand horse. I don't know how they had measured but he was 14.1 /14.2 at most and not well built.

I ended up buying a 12 year old, hardly handled, broodmare who 4 years later is easy to do  and ridden now & then.

Looking with a friend we turned up to see a TB x ID mare - full TB with lip tattoo, each foot pointing a different direction and advertised as a dressage prospect.


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## Blitzen (16 September 2011)

I went to see a 16.2 gelderlander "schoolmaster", sweet enough chap on the ground, the owner trotted him round the arena twice (plenty of spooking at jumps, shadows, pretty much everything) and said "do you want to hop on?", I thought "sod it" and rode him round for 5 mins in walk and trot then asked for canter, inciting an almighty buck and bronc-bronc-bronc down the long side. She then screamed at me not to canter away from the arena gate as he won't do that, to get off her horse before I "ruined" it and accused me of wasting her time by just coming to joyride! Not to mention that this was a second horse I was looking for - why would I drive for an hour to ride someone elses horse when I have anotherr of my own at home?! Psycho woman!


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## Blitzen (16 September 2011)

I went to see a 16.2 gelderlander "schoolmaster", sweet enough chap on the ground, the owner trotted him round the arena twice (plenty of spooking at jumps, shadows, pretty much everything) and said "do you want to hop on?", I thought "sod it" and rode him round for 5 mins in walk and trot then asked for canter, inciting an almighty buck and bronc-bronc-bronc down the long side. She then screamed at me not to canter away from the arena gate as he won't do that, to get off her horse before I "ruined" it and accused me of wasting her time by just coming to joyride! Not to mention that this was a second horse I was looking for - why would I drive for an hour to ride someone elses horse when I have another of my own at home?! Psycho woman!


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## HeatherAnn (17 September 2011)

I'm new to the horse thing, but am smart enough to know when something's not right.
I used to work on a yard that my friend owned, she had liveries there and she also bought horses from dealers to sell on, break or re school. 
I don't want to name names or go too much into detail incase anyone knows the horse/people involved. 
Anyway, she bought a horse from a dealer, this mare had a passport. She was the strangest looking horse I've ever seen, like she just didn't look like her breed. The girl I worked for mentioned that the horse's passport was wrong, I had a look and basically, all the markings were correct and any whirls she had were right but the freezemark was different to the horse's freezemark. To cut a long story short, the girl tried to reschool the mare and found she was awful to ride and sold her to a family, who within 3 days brought her back complaining about the passport and they had done research on the horse's freezemark rather than the one on the passport and had found out that the horse was about 19 years old. They gave the horse back and threatened to take legal action, so my boss sold the horse on as quickly as she could. It was so bizarre.


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## vickyb (17 September 2011)

I had been asked by a friend who was not horsy to help look for a pony for her 9 year old daughter. I went to see a pony advertised locally, parked outside and knocked at the door. The woman who answered looked at me suspiciously and said "Have you brought your mummy with you?" I was 22 at the time, so young enough to be truly insulted! I don't know how she thought I had got there! Anyway, we went to see the pony, stabled in the back garden. No facilities to try it, but I asked to see it trotted up in hand on the road. The minute the woman's daughter got it out in front of the house it took off with her down the street. As they were disappearing down the road you can guess what the mother said. "Oh, its never done that before." So that was no good. The next one I saw was advertised as 14.2, but when I got there it was closer to 12.2. The owner (who knew horses and should have known better) argued the toss, and just wouldn't have it that it was not as advertised. I love these stories that other people have put - make my experiences pale into insignificance!


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## abina (17 September 2011)

Went to view a 11.2hh sec A mare - lovely pony no problems at all, and when asked why pony was for sale - expecting the usual  Child outgrown story - was told that the daughter had said to mum that she didn't want a pony anymore and could she have a rabbit instead !! 

It did make me giggle 


Hippy Dippy is a fantastic story - I would be tempted to have gone back the next day just for the crack !!


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## Cobiau Cymreig Wyllt (17 September 2011)

I went with a friend to view a horse in Ireland...advertised as 'riding quiet'...horse was tied up and visibly shrank away from the man showing him to us as we approached. (Not so much headshy, more whole-body-shy...). He then spent ages desperately trying to scan the microchip to show us that he was indeed the horse in the passport..we then passed rows of sad looking ponies and sadder looking kids..the whole family took us in the school where the 9 year old boy proceeded to hare round a set on jumps on the poor horse which was not so much forward-going over the jumps as bloomin'well in fear of his life...(after first screaming at his mam to 'get that dog out, get the dog out' - hmm, perhaps the horse didn't like dogs?). Horse was also not so much a careful jumper as desperate to get his legs as clear as possible over the poles (rapped at all??!!). They then asked my friend if she'd like to ride him and boy was that a different story..my friend can ride and has ridden many a problem horse..this thing was a whole heap of handful underneath her...she declined to jump him unsurprisingly, we made our excuses and left...despite this the sellers phoned us several times on our way back to the ferry and begged us to buy him! We've overused the phrase 'riding quiet' with heavy irony whenever a horse has misbehaved since!


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## H's mum (17 September 2011)

OMG too many to even contemplate but the funniest was the one where I travelled 2-3 hours to see a potential show cob... and when we got there we couldn't get within 20 yards of the horse because they'd just concreted IN FRONT of it's stable! LMAO!   They then tried to sell us something else, my friend dutiful rode it but I didn't even get on it as it was a hat rack and nothing like what I was looking for!
Kate x


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## spookypony (17 September 2011)

Well, not so much a pony-viewing story as general dodgy circumstances...person I got the Spooky Pony from had bought him from a dealer as "well-schooled child's competition prospect, 6yo", for rather silly money. The child in question never rode him, and I took him on loan after he'd been hanging about a field unridden for about a year or more, and hadn't been caught in some time. Got dumped in a mud puddle the first time I sat on him. All vets that have looked at his teeth since, suspect that he's rather younger than his passport claims...it was filled out just before the lady bought him, and claims he's an inch taller, too.

Anyway, took the wee guy on loan, and learned rather quickly that he's a) possibly the smartest equine I've ever sat on, and b) completely green. Oh, and terrified of jumps to the point of being dangerous. Bought him anyway, for silly money, because he has a soft nose with a little white triangle on it, and, well, he's _my_ wee basket-case. 

Then sometime later, went to an auction at the dealer's yard. I asked her in passing about said pony, and she claimed that he'd taken complete novices round 3-foot courses of jumps! Interesting.


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## I*HM (17 September 2011)

I went to see a horse and pony (3 hour drive). It was a riding horse so assumed I would be riding it. Arrived to find horse and pony turned out in a mahoosive field (try 20 acres). Owner could catch neither horse nor pony so after half an hour phoned his daughter to drive down and help. Eventually caught the horse. In fairness, he was a lovely looker, the ideal age/size for me and very correct confo/movement but turned out he hadn't been ridden in roughly 6 months. I asked why he was for sale and was told that the daughter had moved from ponies to him, but he was too big for her (he was 15.2hh) and she'd just bought her new horse (16hh) so needed to get rid of him for space (because 20 odd acres isn't enough for 3 horses?)

Went to see a horse that reared over herself twice, but it was only because she was used to a flash... not the grackle she was in 

Tried a quiet horse - ie green 5yo cob who couldn't canter, but was well able to gallop.


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## Chavhorse (18 September 2011)

abina said:



			Hippy Dippy is a fantastic story - I would be tempted to have gone back the next day just for the crack !!
		
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Had it not been a 2 hour drive we may well have done, it was actually a lovely horse who desperately needed saving from the madness Two years later the poor thing still pops up on the for sale pages periodically!  I can only assume it has not as yet agreed to a test ride)


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## OldNag (18 September 2011)

Blimey reading all these I realise how jammily lucky I am.  I've only ever bought one (so far!) - bought her from the livery yard where she had been for the last few years and where we are now keeping here.  Soooo lucky to know she's genuine.


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## charleysummer (18 September 2011)

I have a bit of an embarrasing tale to add,
I was looking on horsemart (was about 13 at the time) and saw a lovely bay arab x welsh called rupert, so i rang up the number and asked the lady on the phone if she could tell me a bit about her pony 'rupert' she had for sale..

she replied 'what? i have a pony called rupert but he's not for sale...'
me 'but i'm looking at the advert on horsemart at the moment, a bay arab type called rupert?'
her 'that sounds like my boy! oh  my gosh is somone trying to sell my horse underneath me??'
me 'oh dear... i don't know, im not sure what to say now"
her '" he's not even old enough to be taken from his mum yet"
me- "what? *checks phone number and sees the last digit is wrong!* oh sorry i think i actaully dialled the wrong number!'
her- 'oh at least nobody is trying to sell my foal!"

chatted for a bit longer after apologizing and felt very stupid ! i mean.. what are the chances?!?!


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## maree t (18 September 2011)

just thinking about a pony i ended up with. Had gone to a dealer who wanted the pony that was too much for my daughter. She said she had the perfect swap. Off we go, she had only collected the pony in PX 2 hours before. He was climbing the walls of the stable and a right little sod. Couldnt find tack to fit as he was a lw sec a and she deals with jumpers normaly. Ended up with bits of tack tied on and banging round his legs. I was very doubtfull at that point but went up to the school and put daughter on. He went beautifully. When he first lifted into canter I thought he was going to rear but lovely smooth rocking horse canter. Went up following day for another test with better fitting tack and took the other pony with us. Swapped there and then and loved him. Fantastic character and now sold to my best friend for her son.


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## MagicMelon (18 September 2011)

Went to see a pure bred Andalusian for £3,500 which I thought for a pure bred sounded like a bargain and it was nearby. Turned up to find a very scruffy looking creature in a small back garden... They actually kept it in their garden!  It was a mother and daughter who must have been about 16.  She clearly didnt want to sell the horse but I dont think they could afford it anymore.  The daughter was awful, she had hacked its tail off to just below the bone just because "it annoyed her", she then tacked this poor horse up (who looked grumpy and fed up with life) with tack that was just the oldest badly fitting tack you've ever seen.  She tacked up, got on and then the horse had no clue what to do (it was 7), the horse really didnt understand any aids - she'd boot it in the ribs hard until it eventually fell into a trot then would haul it about (it didnt understand how to turn even!).  You would have thought this horse was newly backed but the mother assured me they'd taken the horse over with them from Spain, and the daughter had ridden it to school every day for 2 years!  The daughter then told me how the horse napped like mad when hacked out and that only last week, it had bolted with her.  I was mortified!  But the mother stood there and didnt seem phased at all, so I think it was true!  Whilst the daughter was booting and yanking the poor horse around, the mum actually said "I just love watching her ride" - I laughed!  I wanted to buy the horse out of pity so offered them £500 for it afterwards, she said they would only take £3,500 for a horse who doesn't know basic aids and would have had a million bad habits caused by the horrid daughter.  Poor thing, I hope they did sell it for its own benefit!!


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## FairyLights (18 September 2011)

I have 2. one was viewing an arab which didnt belong to the person selling it! the other was a Sec D which wouldnt let anyone touch it,wouldnt lead or anything. The owner had bought it as a weanling and at 4 years old had done nothing with it til the week before when she decided to advertise it,,wierdest thing was she really thought  I would buy it and that it was wonderful and special. unbelievable. Sadly I had spent ages on the phone asking all sorts to both sellers as both horses were quite a long way away and i wanted to be sure before journeying to view. You just cant trust anyone, or believe what they tell you.


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## flump (18 September 2011)

Have had loads of dodgy viewings! Here is a few favs!

Drov 4 hours to see a lovely mare only to be told that I couldnt see or ride it because it was going to derby sales the next day  I had text her the whole way up! She then pulled out the 'perfect horse for me' a 11hh 25 year old pony who has done it all...im 5'7 and the wrong side of 12 stone!

Next was a viewing of a freshly backed 4 year old coloured cob, 14.2hh. Go there and he was on a horsebox as no stable, didnt think much as there were no stables and it was raining. I got on him and he was fab, reason for selling was because they had to move and were loosing land. Left a deposit. Went back 2 weeks later to collect and he had about 50 horses there! All of which were for sale! Picked little pony up, got him home and turned him out...couldnt catch him for 3 months!!

Last one is we wnent to a notorious dealer in dartford to see a shire horse (didnt realise at the time who it was!) got there to find emaciated horses  We picked 4 minis who we couldnt leave and 2 bays and a coloured ( worst of bunch, couldnt leave them) Went back the next day with box and took the 4 minis and one of the bays, told him we would drve back to get the other 2, when we got back he had completely new stock  In the space of 2 hours?! at leats 20 horses had gone..anywya took the 2 horses back.
Sadly 5 out of the 7 had to be pts and the 2 bays found a lovely home!


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## Lila (19 September 2011)

I went to see a "15.2 5yr old bay perfect gentleman, broken and working well" and basically a load of other b*ll S**t got there to find a very skinny atleast 17hh black hose wind sucked, very dipped back was a terrible grump not been rode for god knows how long and judging by his teeth was alot older than 5. 

We had spoke to a man since first ringing up about this horse and when we got there (2 1/2 hour drive  ) the fella said im just selling it wouldnt have a clue what the advert says and you cant ride it because i know nothing about it. Buti hae got a few others you can look at but there well out of your price range. The were a disgrace. 3 had ring worm and the rest i wouldnt look twice at. SO we got in the car and drove te 2 1/2 hours home!  We were peed to say the least!


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## MadBlackLab (19 September 2011)

I've had experience from someone I use to ride for when she brought another horse (i had no say in it I was just hired help). She had a lovely bay 14.3hh perfect in all ways (expect clipping) and could be pulled out field and ridden after 1 month of but sadly she was getting too old. Owner went to a dealer to by a bigger, younger verison of this horse, I don't know who she went with.

Anyway she came back with a skinny 15.2hh bay mare who was turning herslef out in the box. When it came to riding it I was the first idiot on when i asked it to canter it reared up and went round school like a motorbike and i had no control. I had to wait till she wanted to stop. Also in stable it would kick and bite and tied up it would rear up. Hacking it out was a nightmare. It ditched me on a car bonnet then cantered home. Owner was on her old mare who just stood there. I left after that incident due to breaking my leg (I was freelance and didnt want to go back) and from what I herd the mare been sold to experience person and going very well


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