What Did You Offer In Your Ad or What Were You Buying?
Buying a young horse to train.
What Tipped You Off You This May Have Been a Scam?
I could only go to look at the horse after dark, and the lighting in the barn was very poor. When I asked about the oozing wound, with obvious proud flesh, on the horse's hind leg, he told me that the horse had scraped his leg and the vet said it would heal just fine.
How Did You Respond to the Scammer
I told the seller I needed a couple of days to think about buying the horse. After I got home, I called and consulted with a cousin who was also a horse dealer, who told me he had already seen the horse, and to not buy him. He felt that the horse would be scarred and, due to the extent of the wound, would probably be lame for life. I called the owner back and told him I wasn't interested in a horse that I had to doctor before I could train it.
How Did the Scammer Respond?
He told me I was missing out on a great deal, and tried to convince me that the horse would heal up just fine. He was reluctant to let me call my vet to look at the horse, and was not happy I had consulted with my cousin. He even called me a few days later to see if I was still interested in his lame horse, and seemed quite disappointed that I did not want to purchase the animal.
Advice
- Look at several horses before making a decision.
- If the owner refuses a pre-purchase vet exam, walk away.
- If your vet says no, listen to her/him.
- Go look at the horse several times, at various times of the day.
- Ask to handle and/or ride the horse yourself.
- Watch the horse while it is eating - a friend bought a horse that kicked the boards off her stall walls whenever she ate.
- Get a return warranty - in case things don't work out.
- Even if you know what you want, take your trainer, instructor, or a horse-knowledgable friend along for advice.
- Get proof of vaccinations/Coggins test results.
