Buying Advice - please no kicking..

[CazzaP]

Hi all,
Right the situation is this..
I have booked to go and see a horse tomorrow morning, and have just been told their rider will not be there (away for birthday) and they have no other riders/excersisers. Now when i booked the viewing i was fully aware that the horse was for 'experienced rider' only and enquired as to why, apparently has taken of with a complete novice when they were unbalance (clung on for dear life with legs!!) now i am not an experienced rider but have ridden on and off throughout my 40 years and have been taking 'proper' lessons for 6 months or so. I am very confident and am balanced but havent got years and years of practice behind me.
I have a few options..
Go and see taking lunge rein and ride myself with OH lunging, go see and dont ride but lunge, or cancel. Having missed out sooo many times because the horse has been brought i am loath not to go. My RI is busy tomorrow, and i have no one else to take with me.
Unless i get any volunteers who live near Norfolk who wanna do it for me i'm in a quandry.....

I know you should never get on a horse unless they are willing to do so themselves but i have seen pics of her being ridden and the person selling it is doing so on behalf of a friend....

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh now what.....

Ohh i would be getting a full 5* vetting done too making sure its not due to medical issues

Caz

[Norton]

Personally I would never get on a horse without seeing it ridden first - I learnt the hard way. Went to try a horse for loan, a big 16.3. The current loaner lunged her first and she was nice and calm. Without thinking twice I got on board. Walked and trotted a couple of times all was fine, next thing I knew I was on the floor regaining conciousness! The horse had for no apparent reason had a broncing fit and thrown me out the side door. My friend who was with me thought I was dead as I didn't move for a minute or two. And it left my confidence in pieces - before that I was an experienced and confident rider.
So I would say go and see the horse but make an appointment to go back when you can see it being ridden. Frustrating I know but should anything happen...

[carthorse]

Seriously, I wouldn't get on if they describe it as for an experienced rider only & can't/won't provide a rider. You need to see it ridden to assess if it's ok for you to get on, a lunge line will be very little help if the brown stuff hits the fan! Either go another day when there is a rider or walk away, but better to risk missing this one than end up hurt.

Pics of it being ridden are pretty useless. You can't tell how good the rider is, how long they've worked to get that snapshot in time & what happened before or after. They aren't going to show you a bad pic & most horses can show some good photos if you take enough shots.

If the person selling it is doing so on behalf of a friend it sounds like a professional or dealer so they really should be able to get a rider organised - it's what they do! It would also mean you'd have no comeback under whatever Act (Sale of Goods? Trades Description?) governs dealers & even if it was a private sale it would be harder to prove anything if there was a problem.

I'd cancel, it's setting too many alarm bells ringing for my liking.

[Quickstep]

I would rearrange for when they can have a rider available, and if they are not willing to do that would walk away. Would not ride a horse the seller was unwilling to ride for any reason and would be wary as to why only one person there can ride it. Have heard too many stories of serious injuries caused at viewings where there was no-one available to show it ridden first...

[Cortrasna]

Maybe go and see it and then return when they CAN show you someone else riding it? Under no cicrumstances get on yourself before you have seen one of them riding it!:eek:

Personally I would be more than a little suspect with all this and would give it a miss - if they were damn sure its Ok ridden and they have someone with a pocketful of cash coming they would move heaven and earth to get a rider to demonstrate it for you - especially in this current climate when buyers are thin on the ground?;)

But there again you might be happier than I would be to break the odd limb riding someone elses head casse?:D

[Thestral]

If it's close I'd go and look at the horse, if I liked it I'd ask to come back for a ride when they had a rider available.

If I didn't like it then it saves everyone the time and hassle or arranging for someone who can ride to be there.

However if it's a bit of a trek I'd ask to rebook. It's not unreasonable to request to see any horse ridden before you ride it, and it's a good way of assessing the horses way of going before deciding whether or not to try yourself.

[jsr]

If they've described it as experienced then I'm afraid I'd cancel until they can get the owner to ride. I've ridden on a off for 35 years and have owned my own lad for 5 years and I still wouldn't class myself as experienced and most certainly wouldn't ride a horse without seeing it ridden first. The right horse is out there for you, don't rush into doing something because you are getting frustrated it's just not worth the risk.

[rtk]

I wouldn't go anywhere near it, rider or not.

If they are telling you it has taken off in the past, they are covering themselves if it happens with you, they will say you were warned.

Having owned a horse that is prone to taking off for 27 years I can tell you it does nothing for your confidence, experienced rider or not.

Just because it doesn't do it at a viewing doesn't mean it wont happen with you either. My lad doesn't do it every time I ride.

[Melting Moments]

Sounds a little iffy to me, all owners should ride first in my book.

[hepsibah]

Seeng someone else ride first doesn't mean too much either TBH. A friend of mine went to view a horse, had someone else try it first and still ended up in hospital after it misbehaved in the school and slammed her into the wall, badly breaking her arm.

I reckon having someone else there with a lunge line clipped on to pull it up (or down) just in case while you ride would be a reasonable compromise and would give you a little more confidence even if you aren't able to see it ridden. :)

[tetsmum]

I wouldn't even go and view it - if it's for a that experienced rider, and you don't think you are, why on earth are you considering buying it?

They've blamed someone else for it disappearing in a puff of smoke before - and no doubt would blame you if it did it again - and if you can't go view it and ride it what will you do when you get it home?

My daughter has a bolting horse - and getting it resolved into something reliable, calm and rideable and taken 6 months of no riding, endless money and man hours - and will probably take another 6 months and STILL it will always be predisposed to bolt.

There are a LOT of nice horses out there - you don't need to buy one that needs an 'experienced' rider. You can buy one that you can feel confident to get on, and someone would feel confident to put you on.

If, for example, I was selling my mare, if someone came to view her I could put their four year old child on her with absolute confidence - and then they could ride and clear a round of 3' jumps. These horses are out there, where you can view, ride, enjoy, and confidently ride.

[Ace87]

Honestly, you've said it's already tanked off and it's being sold for an experienced rider. You've also said you are not that. If you REALLY want to view the horse, please wait until the owner can have someone ride it first, other wise you do not know what you're getting yourself into! It could fling you out the side door within seconds and do you some serious damage. At least if you see it ridden and it looks a bit too hot for you then you can make an informed decision as to whether to ride it or not.

[acw295]

If they are serious about selling and have nothing to hide they would have a rider, the fact they say there isn't one is decidedly dodgy IMO.

Arrange to go back when there is a rider - it just isn't worth the risk IMO. When I viewed Molly Toffee_Monster got on first, even though she was pregnant and hadn't been riding. I didn't need her to do much on her, but to just see that she wasn't mental before I got on. If they are on a livery yard I cannot belieive that there is no-one available to hop on - they are either hiding something or really not bothered about selling.

I know it must be frustrating if you've missed out on horses, but don't let that thought put you at risk.

I wouldn't just go and not ride, becasue you will talk yourself into getting on when you get there.

[Harlequin32]

Its not what you want to hear but all advise given above is correct.
Put yourself first- they have.
If you really like the sound of it re-arrange but a horse thats known to bolt wouldn't be my first choice. sorry x

[notpoodle]

why are you interested in the horse? eg what qualities does it have that appeal to you? the info you've given so far doesn't sound great eg. it took off with someone ... personally i wouldnt even consider it, even if they say the person clung on with the legs ... this can easily happen to the best of us i suspect :o

also, i'd be wary of horses 'being sold on behalf of a friend' and there not being anyone there to ride it :o

julia
x

[CazzaP]

Thank you all for your advice. Decision made

I am fairly local and am going that way anyhow tomorrow so OH and i have decided we are going to VIEW, check out the horse without getting on it, check conformation, lunge it, papers, breeding blah blah blah, see as was pointed out before if indeed the horse would be worth a second visit. I too am a little suspicious about the 'no available' rider and would in no way put myself in jeapoardy by trying it.
It is a mare and the other possiblity we would consider, depending upon breeding and a few other factors is for a broodmare only (has had 2 prev) but thats a whoooooole different thread.
Again thanks everyone,

Caz x.:D

[KJW]

Hmm, well I tried 27 horses before I found Morgan. Some I got on straight away because owner couldn't/wouldn't ride, others I didn't. The only one I came off had been ridden by the owner (went nicely) then threw a broncking fit with me, so seeing them ridden first doesn't always help :rolleyes:

That said, I have 23 years riding experience, and I still wouldn't buy something where the seller told me it needed an experienced rider. I just can't be bothered sorting out someone else's problems and no longer have the time (or energy) to do so. There are a lot of nice horses out there and very few buyers, so why try something which you don't think sounds right for you, is my view.

[posie]

yes owners should ride first.....
but there was no rider for honey and i still jsut got on! :o and ended up buying her :D so if you decide to go and like the look of it then it's entirly up to your gut instincts ;)