People who are selling horses?

I think that some are shady, some are honest, and some fall into a totally different type of person.

Call this person the Ultimate Salesman. He has this horse, and the horse is ... okay. Somedays better, some days not so much. U.S (Interesting, but I didn't plan that acronym) goes to sell the horse, and really has a good heart, wants the horse to have a good home, and preferably not end up money in the hole as well. So yea... yea... I guess the horse could jump? I mean... I saw him jump once in the field... now that I think about it, he jumped pretty nice in the field. I mean, he didn't fall down, break a leg... yea. Pretty good jumper. In fact, within a week U.S. has thought about that pasture jump to the point that it has taken on a life of its own... that jump has gained two feet in height, five feet in breadth, and U.S. is pretty sure the horse jumped it because of a deep love of jumping, and NOT because Old Meanie was hot on his tail chasing him across the pasture. In fact, by the time that girl who wants a hunter horse shows up to try this horse out, he is a hunter prospect extraordinaire....

U.S. is the same person who forgets to mention that the beautiful palomino has dumped five riders, because now that U.S. has thought about it, those five riders weren't very GOOD riders, and the mare might have been in season anyway, and now she is bred, so probably it was just a weird accident thing, and besides, she has ridden really well for the last two riders, so probably that problem is ancient history anyway. It wouldn't be fair to the horse to poison a potential buyer's mind with something that wasn't the horse's fault, etc...etc...

You get the drift. Some people are such good salesmen that they convince even themselves that their patter is true. I've seen this happen many times, to the point where I almost don't even listen to what someone says anymore. If the horse is supposed to jump, then I jump it. If it's a future reining champion, I better be able to free lunge it and tell, or ride it and tell. I take anything told to me by the owner with a grain of salt and a dash of incredulity, because most of the time, even if the owner is telling the truth, he's telling the truth according to the U.S., and that is a case of the truth very much being a matter of opinion.

I'd say 60-40 is being generous. I'd go with 70-30. Or 98-02 if you go to an auction, which I do. That and getting burned as a kid has convinced me that most sellers lie like crazy. Now I buy, train and sell project horses and I am always honest about them. Faults, where they came from, etc. Because I dont want people getting hurt or 'burned'. I know I have good horses and I'm usually not worried about finding them a good home. I don't push sales and I'm fine with vet checks. But I've also bought a ten year old horse in a 16 year old's body and a broke horse who'd clearly never had a saddle on her. I also know that just because I'm honest doesn't mean other people will be.

I had a seller try and tell me that the horse I bought from him at the last sale must have picked up a stone at the auction and he hadn't noticed the abscess. I did because it was bleeding- top of the coronet band.

I'll call people out on it, I can work with a problem, but don't lie and tell me they don't have any. That bugs me. I think that if you find a seller who cares more about the well-being of the animal than moving them quickly, you're probably good. Other sellers..... guilty until proven innocent in my book. If they lied, I'm not surprised, if they didn't- I'm quite happy.

Best thing to do is to ask an Farrier to go with you if they have the time. Also remind them that you are looking like they would be looking for a horse for their wife to ride. That gives them an idea of what you need. The Farriers are always a good go along for extra support. They can point out things about a horse you may be unaware of. And they know people who have good horses for sale, after all they are in the hoof trimming business, to make money. It's like a barbershop, every one talks to the man cutting his hair. They know people or good or not and they know horses legs and hoofs.

Hope this information helps you on your way of finding the right horse. Oh and don't ever fall for that line ( I got someone else coming out today to look at this same horse also). That is when I 'd say ok good maybe they will buy this horse while I'm making up my mind! Just take your time There are loads of good horses out there. There are loads of bad owners and horse traders, you will be looking for ground manners, how a horse stands, pick their hoofs up for you, make sure the owner or their kids ride the animal. You might ask the owner not to catch the horse until you get there to see if that is a problem. Stuff that is common sense.

I would give it a 60 -40 split... the 60 being the dishonest ones, unfortunately. I know A LOT of people who will "gloss over" issues with horses they are trying to sell. To me, that is dishonest. If I were to buy a horse from someone I didn't know, I would want to know everything, good and bad. And I would be PO'd if I found out they lied to me.

I'm like you, I had a mare I was trying to sell for two years because she just wasn't "there". She was trained and broke, but she had a habit of popping up, not rearing, just popping, and she had to have a firm/confident handler. She was sweet as pie, but if she was in a mood, she could be a handful...and I would lay it all out there for everyone.

@ Charm... you're hilarious :) I got a very good giggle from your answer lol

It completely depends. I've run into some real dirtbags buying horses, but I've also run into some very honest people (although they are few and far between). Then there are the "so-so" people - people who tell you the horse is for an intermediate rider and has some minor crow-hopping issues. You get the horse home and it turns out the horse is a complete bronc-bucker ;-) You just have to do your research as much as possible and hope the horse turns out to fit you right...

I think it's best to assume that no one is telling the truth and to let the horse "tell" you about his training by watching him be handled and by handling him yourself (or getting a trainer to evaluate him before you buy) and let a vet tell you about the health.

I have run across more shady sellers than honest ones.

The trouble is also the buyers.....you don't want to be naive and trusting. You want to be a smart buyer....and do the research yourself, don't rely on others to do it for you. (like finding out about the horses's training by just talking and not watching or trying the horse out yourself.....or by just asking instead of getting a vet to check the horse's true health condition).

Most I've come across have been pretty straight forward and honest, but I have seen people get tricked. Unfortunately, it's the few bad ones out there that make it better to be suspicious of everyone.

It depends who you go to. Some people are honest and some aren't. I try to look for the best in folks but if you've been in the industry long enough, you know a good deal from a bad one.

my sister has been looking for a horse and i think people sometimes choose not to tell you things, but i'm not sure i could call them con artists. maybe some just elaborate on the truth a little!

it depends on where you go. If you buy a horse from just another horse owner it will be about half and half. If you buy a horse from a breeder it will be less then half and half and if you buy a horse from an outfitter your screwed