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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| I came across a horse that I really liked (from people I didn't know at all!) Was advertised as a solid 1D/2D horse. But when I asked the owners to give me verifiable credentials or bring him to a barrel race-they wouldn't do either one! They wouldn't even tell me who owned the horse last (only owners on the papers are the original owners). So after learning these people moved horses in and out quickly-we told them we were going to pass. They were very rude and said some very hurtful things!
Is it unreasonable to ask to see the horse at a barrel race?? What do you expect as buyers?
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
   
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Blueridgedreaming - 2015-03-23 2:52 PM I came across a horse that I really liked (from people I didn't know at all!) Was advertised as a solid 1D/2D horse. But when I asked the owners to give me verifiable credentials or bring him to a barrel race-they wouldn't do either one! They wouldn't even tell me who owned the horse last (only owners on the papers are the original owners). So after learning these people moved horses in and out quickly-we told them we were going to pass. They were very rude and said some very hurtful things! Is it unreasonable to ask to see the horse at a barrel race?? What do you expect as buyers?
No you were NOT unreasonable. You are spending hard earn money and you have every right to see the horse run or find out more about it. I wonder what they would say to a vet check? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I haven't sold many horses, but I get where they are coming from as I hauled 1 1/2 hours for someone to try out one of my horses and I learned after she was never going to buy her.
I wasted my time and my fuel.
I have also hauled horses for people to try out only for the people to exaggerate their own capabilities, after a few minutes of them riding, I told them this was not the horse for them.
It is getting more difficult to be on either end of buying or selling.
With only the information you gave, I may not have been inclined to haul either. It would be different if you requested videos, pictures, stats, had a lengthy conversation with them and were a serious buyer.
Also it would depend if the horse was in shape, if the horse was being sold as not legged up, I wouldn't under no circumstance haul and compete or have someone else make a hard run on him. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| cheryl makofka - 2015-03-23 3:05 PM
I haven't sold many horses, but I get where they are coming from as I hauled 1 1/2 hours for someone to try out one of my horses and I learned after she was never going to buy her.
I wasted my time and my fuel.
I have also hauled horses for people to try out only for the people to exaggerate their own capabilities, after a few minutes of them riding, I told them this was not the horse for them.
It is getting more difficult to be on either end of buying or selling.
With only the information you gave, I may not have been inclined to haul either. It would be different if you requested videos, pictures, stats, had a lengthy conversation with them and were a serious buyer.
Also it would depend if the horse was in shape, if the horse was being sold as not legged up, I wouldn't under no circumstance haul and compete or have someone else make a hard run on him.
I was a serious buyer and actually had no problem driving down to see the horse in person until I felt they were withholding information from me. The story she gave was all over the place. And I asked her to bring him to a barrel race and she said no. Only to find out she went and hauled other horses to the same barrel race. I would have paid for her gas if she would have been gracious and brought him!
But I get where you are coming from! Thank you for the good input! I didn't want to be overly detailed on him because I don't want them to come back and say I am bashing them! I am genuinely just curious! I don't want to be overly unreasonable when buying and making it a hassle for the seller. I just know what I would do and I would take the horse to the barrel race or at least give verifiable recent results!
Edited by Blueridgedreaming 2015-03-23 3:20 PM
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| Several years ago when my husband was shopping for a new heel horse, a friend told him to try the horse at three different arenas before buying. I know rope horses are a little different than barrel horses, but I would expect similar things with a barrel horse. Videos, results, and seeing the horse ridden at it's home arena and at a competition. If the sellers aren't willing to do that it makes me wonder what they're hiding. Of course, I would want to know that the buyers are serious before going too far out of my way as a seller, but videos, credentials, and coming to ride the horse at the home arena are reasonable expectations.
I can't imagine acting rudely and saying hurtful things unless they've got something to hide and are upset that they weren't able to pull one over on you. |
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  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | I see both sides. Buyers can drive you nuts lol. I understand it's your hard earned money and I want you happy with your purchase. The goal is to get the horse in the best home possible, but lordy Jesus there are some crazy people out there.....myself included. Rude comments by the seller are totally uncalled for too. And, you are completely within reason to ask for proof and to try the horse. Just brush it off. On to the next one :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| LRQHS - 2015-03-23 3:22 PM
I see both sides. Buyers can drive you nuts lol. I understand it's your hard earned money and I want you happy with your purchase. The goal is to get the horse in the best home possible, but lordy Jesus there are some crazy people out there.....myself included. Rude comments by the seller are totally uncalled for too. And, you are completely within reason to ask for proof and to try the horse. Just brush it off. On to the next one :)
Thanks LRQHS! |
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Veteran
Posts: 276
| You saw some red flags and went with your gut. Good job. Buying horses is tricky, but keep it up and be patient. There ARE nice horses out there being sold by nice and honest people. I hope that I am considered one of them. You are doing the right thing. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | If they were ugly to you...that right there confirms that you made the right choice to pass on that horse. If they didn't want to go with your requests...they could have simply declined...politely and professionally.
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| TrailGirl - 2015-03-23 3:41 PM If they were ugly to you...that right there confirms that you made the right choice to pass on that horse. If they didn't want to go with your requests...they could have simply declined...politely and professionally. Ditto. I would never buy a horse if I could not verify credentials and try at a race. When horse shopping we try at their place and if interested, next step is to try at a race. We don't ask to haul to a race though unless we are going to purchase if all goes well. As buyers we have spent time, entry fees and fuel to try horses who were great at home but had alley issues at a race, reared up, etc.-why I won't buy unless we get to try away from home.
Edited by rodeomom3 2015-03-23 3:48 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I would never spend serious money on a 1D/2D horse without knowing its history - including performance - especially if thats part of the basis for buying it and their marketing... not to mention like a few others said to try the horse at more than 1 place.. i tried 2 different horses at a ladies house /ranch a few years back - they were advertised straight from her mouth as finished/solid rodeo earners that were ready to go and safe... they were priced in the 20k range.. then/now i've always had a policy of trying a horse at their place and then trying somewhere else - this was also a person i knew and would see at barrel races however these horses were not ones she was hauling to jackpots i saw her at - these were suppose to be her finished rodeo horses.. anyway - ran like NFR horses at her place. i mean - i was ready to hand her the cash right there - after i rode one of them.. but my gut and my friend who went with me both said try em one more time to be sure.. it was a LOT of money for me to spend on a horse - sooo she agreed to let me take 2 of them (her idea she wanted me to try both even though the 1 was the one i really liked) back to where i kept my horses and try them for a week - and ride them and haul to 1 jackpot she'd be at at the end of the week and i could either give her the horses back at that point or the money.. well.. her idea of full disclosure almost got me seriously hurt.. and i am no beginner.. wasn't then either.. soo i rode the horses at home - the one i was most interested in - a son of MSM was great - until i rode him one night with about 6 of my other college rodeo gal's at barrel practice - and he ducked off the 2nd barrel so hard i came unglued and landed on my face - but i didn't hold that against him i blamed myself since i wasn't "used" to him - so i rode him rest of the week with the other horse ( who i might add i found out while he was in my care that he had flipped over at a barrel race with a friend of mine apparently 2 months before because he was so sour he wouldn't go in the arena mind you this is a 20k dollar horse but that wasn't the one i was interested in the most anyway)... anyway back to the MSM horse - soo i rode him all week and was still decided to take him to the jackpot since that was the arrangement - while there i saw her(owner/seller) and told her about what happened and she didn't say a word.. i got entered up - got warmed up... and a lady who i will leave nameless but was an NFR qualifier a few years before then came up to me and told me before i buy that horse to come talk to her she had a history on him i needed to know -- at that point i knew something was up but was still interested... soo i go to make my run and the horse wont go in the arena - rearing/spinning.. had to get said NFR lady's husband to help me in the arena - im still thinking - this horse was so amazing at this seller's house i've got to give him a try -- so i get him in the arena and let him run - thinking he's going to perform just the same - small check at first barrel andjust push push the rest of the time - NOPE.. he ducked off the first.. took the bit so hard i could barely get him stopped he bolted back around the arena back to the entrance gate.. slid stop and put his front feet/legs over the entrance gate.. basically trying to jump out of the arena with me... lets just say.. i gave her the horse back.. both of them... and thank GOD every day i did not buy that horse when i thought i wanted to... after speaking to said NFR lady - come to find out he had a long history of being CRAZY - ran like a dream at home but would flip out when being hauled.. apparently she had tried him too and fell for same thing.. such a shame too because if he had ran like that anywhere else besides home- he surely could have competed with the best and i was almost willing to put up with the wild entrance to the arena had he not tried to duck off barrels and jump out of the arena witih me on his back lolol.. lesson learned! Horses definitely can act different at one place vs another - and dont feel bad asking questions - its your life riding around on that horses back and its your money!! |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I don't think you were off base at all. I mean, sure, if you asked them to haul the horse to a race 2 hours away that they weren't attending, that may be a bit of a reach. But for someone to advertise a horse as 1D/2D and not be able to show ANYTHING seems a little odd. Shoot, last Fall, hubby and I hauled down to a race in Phx. Noticed a gal there that we knew was advertising a nice 4 year old online. Asked her about him and she GLADLY went home and got him. He only had 30 days on him, and she was still happy to show him for us. And he came home in my trailer. : )
If the horse is as good as the seller says, why not show him off? |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| I am an investigator.
I will stalk you and see what horses your selling and on what sites.
I will stalk your Facebook and youtube channels. I wanna see how you ride and what level of care you give your horses.
If you will not answer who owned it last, where you got it, or can't verify credentials then ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
This is for ones i'm looking at or for ppl who contact me wanting to buy.
I love the feature on Facebook were you can search posts, for example you can type a horses registered name in the search bar and click search posts (this is only on the computer option not cell phones). I've found out MANY people were out right lying about horses by doing this.
One lady said: "No he's 100% sound never been injected!" He was 9 and a futurity horse so that turned me off a little because I'd assume he needed some type of maintenance or she was lying. Well sure enough a search posts and that he was in a photo sedated at the vets office getting injections with a caption that said "Prayers so and so comes back quick from his injections!" Silly girl told on herself LOL
I have many stories like the above. Do your research and you'll catch ppl out right lying about a horse.
Its BUYER beware do your research! |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | I buy and sell all the time. I personally do not ask anyone to do anything I would not, myself, be willing to do. However, I find other people are not like me at all. They want to try my horse at a barrel race when they have never even seen the horse. I don't know how they ride, and don't know if the horse will fit them. I would rather people come to my house and try the horse to see if they even like it enough to try it a second time. If they do, I have no problem with hauling them a second time to a barrel race. However, I do NOT want to haul it to a race I am competing at. If I'm competing, I need my head to be in the game for competition, not selling a horse. I will, however, haul it to a race w/in an hour of the house for them to try. If it's further than that, they'd better pay my fuel, or I'm not going. Also, the price of the horse determines how much I'll do. If it's a $25K or more horse, I'm going to provide all the pictures and videos I possibly can, along with credentials I can remember or google. lol If it's a $5K horse that's cheap for what it does, I'm probably not going to haul it all over creation or work very hard to get you credentials, if it even has any...I do believe buyers' expectations these days (having sold horses for 40+ years) are getting a little out of hand, but to expect to try a 1D horse a couple of times before you buy it is reasonable. Just don't expect it to necessarily run 1D with you when you've never ridden the horse before. JMO
Edited by dianeguinn 2015-03-24 12:18 PM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| Thank you for all the great insight everyone! So appreciated :) |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I'm an investigator too... By the time I've called you to see the horse, I've already googled, youtubed, searched Facebook, pulled AQHA records, and asked around...
If you had a bad feeling, it was probably right.
I was sort of helping a friend of mine find a horse not too long ago.. not looking really hard but would look at vet records if they had them, and would look at videos and etc... the one, I knew off the bat was dishonest... even though he released all his vet records. So even if they hand you a stack of papers, they can still be dishonest..
I also try really hard to be polite when I'm on the selling end, but I will get snippy every once in a while, especially if you tell me you feel I have overpriced my horse. If my ad says OBO, or Negot, that means- shoot me an offer and let's talk. When you straight up say, I feel your horse is priced too high- you can forget it. |
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