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Just bought pony, need advice PLEASE

962 views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Saskia 
#1 ·
Hi, I am very new here and just wanted to ask opinions.

I have bought a pony (site unseen) from an aquaintance, I was advised she was 10yrs old approx, not bomb proof but very good with beginner riders (which my kids are very very new riders).
We got her on the weekend and she has the worst nature and temperament I have seen for a long time, had a bigger person ride her today before I put my kids on her and she bucked and dropped her head repeatedly and she is far far older than 10.
I feel like I have been taken for a fool, what are my rights. I want a refund and am more than prepared to truck her back at my expense to where she came from.
Do you think I have cause to do this??
 
#2 ·
No, you bought a horse sight unseen. An acquaintance is jsut that, someone who is not a friend, who you know. Why wouldnt they try to take you for a fool? Its a very unfortunate circumstance but my suggestion is try to sell the horse, but be honest with a buyer. You dont have any legal right since you knowingly purchased this horse. You may be able to truck it back to where it came from, but dont expect money back. Also, if someone tells you "not bomb proof but ok for beginner" that should send red flags up ,especially if you're looking for your kids. A horse that isnt bomb proof can be very dangerous for an inexperienced rider. I'm sorry this happened toyou, but you'll know better for next time.
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the forum

The fact that the pony is much older then 10 wouldn't bother me, especially for kids. The fact that the pony wasn't bomb proof is much more of a concern. The pony bucking with a larger person may just mean that the rider was too large for her and hurting her. How did she act with your kids?

Buying a horse sight unseen is more then risky, it can be dangerous, especially if you are a novice. Buying one for kids is even more so. What someone thinks of as safe may be far from your definition. I've bought and sold many horses in my life and there have been a lot that after talking to the owner, was very anxious to see the horse and pretty much made up my mind that the horse was going to come home with me. Then after I met the horse, watch her being ridden and riding her myself, went home without her.

Safety comes first and it is essential with children. Bad experiences now can cause them to give up riding before they've had the chance to enjoy it. You'll find the right pony.
 
#4 ·
You might try getting a more experienced kid to get on her, someone lighter. My first pony would buck with adults, she had foundered and didn't like the extra weight but she was fine with children on her
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#5 ·
Do you have a contract or emails, or even an advertisement, where this woman stated that this horse would be quiet and suitable for children?

The hard thing is with horses is that you can't really be sure what is making this horse do this. Presumably you have a new saddle on the horse, perhaps the fit is hurting her? Or maybe you are using a different bit that hurts? When horses move to a new location they can change dramatically. Maybe she is the kind of horse that tests people. You never know, the owner could have told you, in their experience, the truth.

Age - well it can actually be pretty hard. I've bought a horse and was told he was 14 and he was actually 17, but I think that isn't the seller lying to me, its just how things get muddled up over time. I've been known to underestimate my horse's age. Not deliberately but you just say "oh, she was two when I got her, and I've had her for a year or so, so maybe rising four" when in fact, when I thought about it she was rising six. But at some point in their lives many horses become "back paddock horses" where they sort of enter this "back paddock vacuum" and time moves and they emerge and what the owner thinks about them is completely wrong because they have forgotten so the 14 year old is 10, and then they sell them and no one knows better.

Have you talked to the seller? If you explain the problem maybe she'll be willing to buy the pony back. Be up front and honest about it. But she might not and I don't know if you really have a leg to stand on. That's why you shouldn't buy horses sight unseen, especially for a kids pony. I don't know why you'd do that, youngsters I can kind of understand, but a kids a pony.
 
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