Has anyone ever tried to buy back your horse?

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins

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Oct 10, 2004
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This has happened yet, but I have a feeling that Bens old owner is going to ask to buy him back. I have heard that she isn't getting on with her new horse and she regrets selling him (not surprising as he is one in a million). She has asked to come and see me with her dad and I'm worried that they are going to want him back.

The answer will be a big NO WAY, and I am thinking of not even allowing them to come to see him at all. The thing is that they were very kind to me on the old yard and let me play about with them as much as they liked, that I feel really mean by not allowing them at least one visit. I'm just not sure that I can deal with the confrontation if they do want him back.

Has this happened to anyone? What did you do?
 
I know Victory's old owner regretted selling him. Grass is always greener and all that, but when she got to the otherside it wasn't!!

She kept texting and saying if you want to give up please let me know first! She kept asking my RI how we were getting on (probably in the hope that we weren't and I'd want to sell him).

I sent a friend request to her on Facebook so she could see how we are getting on etc. but she did not accept it :frown:

Probably hates me for buying V in the first place lol!
 
I bought a horse back that I sold but only because the people weren't getting on with it as the girl had lost her confidence falling off her other pony and so was too scared to ride the one they had bought from me. I then sold him again where he is now happy. This was a wee while ago though.
 
Not technically happened to me with a horse but a dog yes.

As they have been so kind to you I would allow them to come and see him to say hello/goodbye, just repaying the kindness as she obviously loved/loves him, however I know you don't like confrontation but you will really have to 'man up' (not meant horribly) if they do ask...although you can drop in comments about him being lovely and you are so glad you found him as you love him to bits already before they comment about anything,. If they do ask, you could say you wouldn't dream of selling him but if you ever did, they would get first refusal, and then change the subject...:happy:
 
nat17 said:
Not technically happened to me with a horse but a dog yes.

As they have been so kind to you I would allow them to come and see him to say hello/goodbye, just repaying the kindness as she obviously loved/loves him, however I know you don't like confrontation but you will really have to 'man up' (not meant horribly) if they do ask...although you can drop in comments about him being lovely and you are so glad you found him as you love him to bits already before they comment about anything,. If they do ask, you could say you wouldn't dream of selling him but if you ever did, they would get first refusal, and then change the subject...:happy:
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^^^ this.

Say how wonderful he is, how pleased you were to have found him, how grateful you are to them for selling him to you, how sorry you are that they aren't getting on with the new one. Say, "I can't imagine I would ever ever want to sell him, but of course if I do, you'll be the first to know."

Good luck!
 
Yep totally agree - I think to not allow them to even come and say hello/goodbye would make you look a bit mean. They cannot make you sell him back, and if they did ask then you'd just have to say "aww sorry, I really love him and he's perfect for me so I couldn't possibly sell him, but if my circumstances ever change then I'll definitely let you have first refusal".
 
I am rather horrified by this post. Ben is your horse now - you decide his future. But I think that we all know that, where horses are concerned, there is beyond ownership, an emotional bond that ought to be respected. And if their relationship with Ben was good - you benefit from that now. Your Ben would not be such a nice horse had they not contributed to his education and training.
When my share horse was retired, I was given complete freedom by her owner, to visit (at a far away yard) as I liked, take pics and generally moon over her and sob when parting. One does get upset visiting a horse one loves and leaving again - but how can you refuse it to anyone?
A good rule in life is, Do as you would be done by.

be realistic too - It takes time to find a new horse and settle with it. If you were hearing rumours that were detrimental to your horse - that their new horse was ever so much better, and people were bad mouthing Ben, that would have upset you too. Count yourself lucky and be nice.
 
We stay in touch with the previous owners of our horses and the yard gate is always open for them to visit. They might ask if you would sell him back but all you need to do is say thank you but no.
 
Yes ... and I let them.


Completely different circumstances to you though, she was bred by them, and belonged to them for 6 years originally. She went on to someone else, then to me, then i was tracked down by the first owners and was asked if they could have her back. I said no at first, but offered them first refusal should i ever have to part with her.

When i got really poorly a couple of years ago i gave them a call, they came to see her and she was in their pockets and snuffling them lol, she was as pleased to see them as they were to see her. I went to see where she`d be living, and agreed to let them buy her back on the promise if they ever couldn`t keep her, she came back to me (yo-yo pony lol). I took her and dropped her off, and she knew exactly where she was and even walked me to her old stable :giggle: ....

I kept in touch, and called to see her on a couple of occasions, and when they couldn`t keep her themselves (due to illness) she came back to me.


I think you should let them come and see him, but as already said, be honest at just how much you love him, and how glad you are he`s yours. Give them the promise that if you ever do sell, you shall always give them first refusal, but other than that you`re 100% sure he`s here to stay :wink:
 
I would be very upset if I requested to visit a horse I had sold on to a new home and was told No. Even if they do want to buy him back I cant see why that would make you refuse them the opportunity to visit and make a fuss of him occasionally? As said, you can just politely tell them he isnt for sale but you will always keep them in mind if things change.

I have had past owners come to see their horses and I am always delighted to see them and generally, so is the horse.
 
When I first bought Ben the man I bought him off came to see him a couple of times to see how he was getting on but that was only in the first month.Sorry but if you sell a horse it's up to the new owner if they allow you to go to see the horse.If the people who sold you the horse thought he was wonderful why on earth did they sell him,the only time I think they can step in is if the horse is up for sale.If you don't want them to come just say no sorry not convenient some other time maybe,you are not obliged to have them there.
 
tubby said:
When I first bought Ben the man I bought him off came to see him a couple of times to see how he was getting on but that was only in the first month.Sorry but if you sell a horse it's up to the new owner if they allow you to go to see the horse.If the people who sold you the horse thought he was wonderful why on earth did they sell him,the only time I think they can step in is if the horse is up for sale.If you don't want them to come just say no sorry not convenient some other time maybe,you are not obliged to have them there.
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You are ,of course, quite right. The new owner has absolutely no obligation to allow the previous owner to see the horse. Just seems rather churlish and a little unkind to be unnecessarily hard on the old owner.

I would think it a kindness, if the old owner is having trouble coming to terms with having sold a horse that they now regret, to explain firmly that you won't be selling him but they can always keep in touch and visit? I'm sure a couple of well spaced visits over the next few weeks will be more than enough to help them move on?
 
I didn't mean to suggest they shouldn't visit, I too would operate an poen door policy. But I think MP dreads having to say No, and I understand that lots of people feel that way.
 
I would allow a one off visit with the promise to keep in touch should anything change - i know of one situation where a charity took in a horse, and normally they don't let the ex owners go to visit when they are rehomed, they did on this one occasion and the ex owners kept going back and making a nuisance of themselves - so much so the horse was returned to the charity.

Maybe make sure you have someone else with you as support should the subject come up, but they may just want to see him
 
Honestly I would be very hurt if I was Ben's previous owner and was refused any chance to see him again. I don't like confrontation, who does, just can't see why there would be one, in this situation. More likely to be an issue if you refuse and run into them at a later date, the horsy world can be a very small one.
 
I just feel uneasy and I can't explain why. Ben was only with his old owner for 6 months and the new horse was bought a good month before I bought him. He has been passed from owner to owner (I am his 7th owner and he is only 7 years old), and I think that I just feel very protective towards him. I think of him in the same way that I think of my children, I want to protect them and keep them safe from anything harmful. While they are obviously not going to hurt him, I can't help thinking that the visit is going to be confrontational and that is going to be upsetting for all involved. I know that it sounds really mean to say that I don't want them to visit, but that is what my gut feeling is telling me. I can't say why, that's just how I feel.
 
You are under no obligation to let them visit. And tbh, if i were you, i'd probably stall them and put them off. SHE sold Ben and that's her hard cheese if she's regretting it. You own him now and of course you are going to be protective of him. Do you email with pics/updates? if so and you really feel uneasy about them visiting then that should be sufficient.

I had a loan pony who was taken away from me against the terms of our loan and i was allowed to visit once. After that i was told in no uncertain terms i'd never see him again. Slightly different circumstances as i didn't willingly give him up. And the one time i saw him i was absolutely hysterical, upsetting both myself and my beloved pony. But he wasn't mine to cry over, and i learned a valuable lesson (never, ever, ever in a million years ever loan a horse without a watertight legal contract). And i moved on. His rosettes still adorn my walls even now, some 18 years on as do his pictures. However i have had 3 amazing horses since then and am glad contact with him wasn't prolonged making the heartache even worse.
 
frankly if they only had him six months then i think you could say why do they want to visit. i understand your concern.

the idea of emails/photos etc might be a good way around it.
 
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