06/12/2024
Horses are not amazon parcels 📦
Prior to purchasing a horse you should be doing all the necessary checks to decide whether that horse is suitable for you. This includes viewing the horse (multiple times if you are unsure), vetting the horse, asking questions and finding out relevant information on the horse. I encourage all of these things to be done when buyers come to me to view my sales liveries. If you decide to forgo these steps then that is your perogative, but don’t treat your horse like an Amazon parcel you can just send back a few weeks later when you decide that actually you’ve changed your mind.
They’re live animals. When selling a sales livery my receipt states as follows:
“DATE OF SALE
HEIGHT AGE BREED AND NAME OF HORSE
Sold at LC Equestrian on behalf of OWNERS NAMES
Total amount of: ###XX received.
LC Equestrian can confirm that the horse has no vices or known medical concerns that have not already been disclosed.
- LISTED ANY VICES OR MEDICAL HISTORY. MEDICAL HISTORY DOCUMENTS ALSO PROVIDED IF ASKED FOR.
The Buyer agrees to understand that the horse may need some time to settle in and could present new behaviours in a new environment with a new routine. We encourage the daily routine of the horse be kept as similar as possible to help with the adjustment process and we recommend that any new tack gets correctly fitted by a professional fitter before being used on the horse.
By purchasing the horse you agree that you have undergone all necessary checks to deem this horse fit for the purpose you wish to use it for. You agree to have been honest about your capabilities as a rider and your knowledge to provide this horse with all the required care and upkeep it may need. Any returns will be at the responsibility of the horse’s previous owner as LC Equestrian have acted as an agent to sell the horse on behalf of the legal owner.
In the event that circumstances change or you find yourself with any queries, questions or problems, LC Equestrian encourage you to come to us so we can help to the best of our ability. Thankyou for trusting us with finding your next partner and we wish you all the best success in the future.”
I’m not sure what more I can do as a seller to be completely transparent and honest. At the end of the day I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t predict what a horse will do in a new environment with a new rider, tack, routine, feed etc. Does your tack fit? Horses can behave entirely differently when in pain. All I can do is describe them to the best of my ability based on their behaviour on my yard and all information the Owners have given me. Horses all undergo an assessment period while here for me to put them in as many different scenarios as possible and see how they will react. BUT at the end of the day they are live animals and not machines.
When buying a horse you have to accept that you are taking on a live animal. If you decide to buy a horse without a vetting, or to buy a horse unseen, then you are taking a certain about of risk and that is your responsibility. I’ve personally bought horses unseen and unvetted before, some good buys and some not, I took that risk and therefore I deal with what turns up. If you aren’t prepared to have that mindset then don’t do it, simple as that.
It is not acceptable to vet a horse once it’s back on your yard, whether it’s three days or three weeks after purchase. Anything can happen in that time, a horse that may have passed the vetting before it left could fail one due to the new owner’s actions. If you want to vet, vet before you buy the horse and take them home. Simple as that.
There also needs to be some more understanding on the fact that I provide a sales livery service- I do not own these horses I make that very clear whenever I am speaking to anyone about them at any point. Any full refunds and returns need to be taken up with the previous owner, as disclosed in my receipt, of the horse as I only take a small commission of the sale not the full value.
If somebody is not happy with a horse or it’s not working out I always offer to take back and sell on for free as a goodwill gesture for anyone who has decided that the horse isn’t for them, for whatever reason, and many times a horse has come back, found its next more suitable home, and everyone is happy! But I am not in the position to provide a full refund and return as I don’t retain the full amount in the first place nor previously own the horse. I’m a self employed 22 year old running a small business, I just dont have the funds to solve problems that aren’t mine to fix, as much as I wish I could!
As a small business it’s getting harder and harder to keep going when buyers are getting more and more unreasonable. It’s driving me now to start focusing my business elsewhere and start stepping back from the sales horses. There will be lots of changes in the New Year. At the end of the day we are owning and dealing with live animals and not machines, even the most honest seller cannot predict exactly what a live animal will do in each and every situation.
I appreciate every single sensible buyer who has come through my yard and all the positive reviews and recommendations people are always giving. It means the world to me that people appreciate my honesty and transparency. I can’t even begin to tell how many times I’ve been personally out of pocket because I wanted to help people out and valued my reputation above all else.
