Buying a horse and feeling a little bit discouraged by turn of events.

Apologies in advance, I just need to rant for a bit.

You're probably aware that I've been shopping for a horse for a while now, taking my time to pick a horse and make sure it's right for me. I finally found one - a 3 year old 'pintaloosa' mare. She was calm, lovely and very level-headed. You know those giant horse-eating monsters that hide in bushes? As long as she could take a good, long look at them, she'd go past with hardly a flinch. She was beautiful too - a dark bay with random splotches of white across her shoulders, rump and chin. She had a blaze, tall socks and a thick mane and tail. Her hooves were striped and she had the visible sclera so typical in Appaloosas. Even more interesting, she was beginning to roan out. Gorgeous.

I made the offer to purchase her today and the buyer accepted (verbally, mind you). We agreed that I would pick her up on Friday and the seller gave me a time frame that I could get her. I thought our deal was good, final and I had a lovely horse to call my own. I was so excited. I even offered to come get her on Thursday if the seller really, truly needed her gone.

I called after work today to confirm everything so I could be 100% sure of what time to arrange the trailer to arrive. The seller sold my mare out from under me! Now, I understand her acceptance of sale was only verbal, but shouldn't that count for something? I took the time to get to know the mare, consider her quirks and find a transport option that wouldn't scare her (she's scared of straight hauls, so I arranged for a 3-horse angle to pick her up).

It's just a hard lesson to swallow after being so careful and thorough in my horse shopping. On the plus side though, I came across another horse that I'm interested in - a 9 year old Arabian mare who needs a kind hand and a patient heart. I might go look at her on Friday and if we click, she could come home with me. She was previously abused, so is a little skittish and very shy about having her feet touched (a direct result of having her legs tied to teach her to stand, I guess), but her seller says she is friendly and curious. She wants to trust again, but is just a little hesitant to give that trust away. I've had good luck with abused horses in the past, so I'm hoping I can work some magic on this lovely girl too.

Maybe I just wasn't meant to have that pintaloosa. Maybe this Arabian mare is THE horse. Hm.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. Although, you seem to be handling it way better than I would. I hope things work out with the Arab.

I know that feeling, I looked at 5 horses before I bought Mitch... (I do have a point to my story )

1st horse, Kanuka, I really liked her and rode her etc, I was wanting to buy her, I was the first person out to see her, then I got a call the next day saying they had sold her sight unseen to a person 5 hours away..... Thanks guys, I had already said I had the money and transport to get her..

2nd horse, Danasinga, I got on him and he exploded from a walk and left me on the way to the hospital with severe back pain... Turns out the owner had managed to leave one slight detail out when I asked about past injuries.... He had a snapped neck muscle... again, thanks guys.

3rd horse, Badger. Now this one wasn't the owners fault, she genuinely didn't know and I believe her. I had a girl get on before me (owner was pregnant and I had been thrown off danasinga weeks before and wasn't ready to be thrown off someone elses horse again) and he was reacting really badly to weight, so she jumped off... Turns out the poor guy was suffering from laminitis, but you couldn't see it until he was trotting on dirt (he was lunged after the girl got off).

4th horse, Leena. She was a nice horse, but I didn't like her because she was far to stubborn on the ground, and refused to move faster than a walk for more than 5 paces. Owner was shocked that she was being so stubborn.

5th horse, "Man" I think his name was. Again, I had someone else get on before me, but she was also looking at the horse for her mum... We think the saddle was incorrectly fitted because the owner was fine on him cantering etc, but owner was very petite. Girl that rode him before me asked for a canter and he exploded, and sent her head/neck first at the ground. After that I decided there was no way in hell I was setting foot in him, and mum had said right, that's it, no more horses we are not looking at ANY more.

A few weeks later I got an email about this supposedly trustworthy horse, and that with my run of luck it sounded like I could do with a decent horse, so there began the story of Mitch. We went to see him, and picked him up a few days later.

I don't know if you'll see this the same way I do but...
Point of my long story is that, for one reason or another, I wasn't meant to be teamed with any of those 5 horses, I was meant to be teamed with Mitch, he come to me I never went looking for him. We've had a bit of a rough road with injury etc, but I do believe he is the horse I am supposed to have, and I believe that for whatever reason, that 3yo horse mustn't have been the one for you, you'll find one, probably when you least expect it.

So good luck, keep searching for a horse! you'll find one eventually.

I know the feeling-I had one sold out from under me, also, only I had actually given the seller a deposit! Then she turns around and sells the horse to her inlaw? WTH? Was the inlaw not around before? Seriously, I was livid.

However, now that a few years have passed, I do see that that would not have been the best horse for me, and it allowed me to find another, even more perfect. You will find one.....just don't settle.

Good luck.

Tough lesson, but a verbal agreement is not enough to hold a horse for you. It is often the first person who shows up with cash.
Whether I am looking at a horse, a used motorcycle, whatever, I bring some cash (usually a few hundred), a pen and paper. That way I can put down a deposit to hold the horse, and a contract/receipt verifying that.
Franknbeans, I too would have been very upset in your case.

I think I may have been the one who bought out a horse from under someone else - the other side of the coin.

I called on a mare I had seen advertised a few weeks before but I wasn't in the market. When I saw the ad again, I called and was told someone was coming at 4:00 to see her for the second time. I asked if I could come right out and he said that it was OK. Bottom line is that I ended up committing to the horse and planned on picking her up the next day. After we shook hands, the 4:00 person showed up with her trailer but the owner told her that Bonnie was sold to me. I forgot to mention that I reached in my pocket to give him a deposit and discovered that I forgot all my cash at home - but to him, my word was enough.

On the positive side, I learned that she bought another horse that the seller had.

So sorry that your purchase did not work out like you planned.


If you search around the internet you will find posts all over various horse BBs where people ask 'how do I decided which person to sell the horse to, this one called first but this one is coming out first, etc etc'. The answer is always, 'which ever person gives you money first'.

There are lots of people in the horse world who will say they want a horse and then never ever come up with monies.

If you decide you really want the next horse, put a deposit down and write a contract on whatever you have handy, right there. If nothing else documenting your deposit and the price you agreed upon.

Most people do not care about thier word. I do and would honor that but I also think things happen for a reason and you were not supposed to get that horse. Sonething better will come along

Unfortunately OP, as has been stated, the first person with money gets the horse.

It's really nothing personal, but I can understand how it would make you angry.

It was a lesson to learn, for sure, but the way I figure it... maybe that horse just wasn't meant to be mine. I'm just choked how it worked out.