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Monday, July 20 2020 / Published in General

Preventing Buyer’s Remorse

Guidelines to ensure a smooth process and help avoid disappointment, and even litigation, after purchasing your new horse. 

By Armand Leone and Jessica Choper

Purchasing a new horse can be an exciting time. However, there are scenarios when buyer’s remorse can creep in — the horse goes mysteriously lame shortly after arriving at his new home or has a drastic change in personality. These types of situations can quickly ruin a relationship between a buyer and a seller after a sale. You as the buyer might feel duped and even consider suing the seller with a claim of non-disclosure and fraud, which could lead to costly legal fees. Below are a few basic guidelines to follow during the purchasing process that can help give you all the answers you need to make an informed decision. 

Schedule a Pre-Purchase Exam

Having a pre-purchase exam performed on the horse is advantageous to both the buyer and seller. A pre-purchase exam is not a guarantee of future health or performance, but it can alert you to undisclosed or unknown medical conditions that would be problematic. 

It’s advisable to use a veterinarian who has no prior experience treating and evaluating the horse, in order to offer the most unbiased evaluation. Sellers should disclose the horse’s existing veterinarian and offer buyers a chance to select a vet of their own choosing. 

As the buyer, you should also request the veterinary records from the seller. This disclosure allows you to review the horse’s written medical history and treatment. From the seller’s perspective, offering vet records can protect against future claims of non-disclosure. If the seller rejects your request to review the records without explanation, you may wonder if the seller is hiding something about the horse’s medical history. It’s also helpful to look at the competition record for the horse and look for gaps in the competition history. If there are lengthy periods when the horse wasn’t competing, this may be indicative of an injury that required time off and should be inquired about.

If concerns still exist about the horse’s health after review of records, a pre-purchase veterinary exam and review of the competition record, you can ask for permission to speak with the horse’s current veterinarian. The pre-purchase exam combined with the perspective of the existing veterinarian familiar with horse’s health history maximizes your knowledge before making a purchase, provides optimal disclosure and helps to avoid litigation in situations where you may regret the purchase of a horse.

Remember, the pre-purchase exam is not a guarantee of future health, but rather an assessment of the probability that the horse will be able to compete at the level and in the amount that the buyer intends.

Arrange a Trial Period

If possible, arrange a trial period with the horse. Sometimes a buyer purchases a horse before actually trying him, but that’s not an ideal situation. Depending on the seller’s familiarity with the prospective buyer, the seller may offer a trial for a set amount of time at the buyer’s barn, offer for the buyer to return to the seller’s barn to try the horse again or allow the buyer to take the horse to another facility to be tried.

Before agreeing to such terms, it’s advisable to address the issue of non-refundable deposits, as well as insurance for the horse. Consider whether the horse is insured for the purchase price before having it leave the seller’s premises, and if not, you need to address the issues of insurance during the trial period. Create an agreement addressing relevant issues before engaging in a trial off the seller’s premises. In the event the horse is purchased, the bill of sale should include whether a trial period occurred, whether it was offered and rejected, or refused by the seller and whether the buyer had an independent agent advising the buyer as to the horse’s suitability for his intended use. This may protect the seller against a future claim that of incompatibility of the horse and rider, or against a claim that the buyer was pressured into a quick purchase.

It might seem obvious, but it’s a good idea to have a qualified trainer help you with selecting a horse, especially if you’re an amateur. Even though a horse may seem like your ideal choice at first, the valued opinion of an experienced trainer or friend can give you a reality check and help prevent you from making a decision based on emotions. Make sure whoever you bring with you knows what you’re looking for, including your riding style as well as goals. Having an expert along can help you spot red flags you might overlook and be able to provide an objective opinion.

Be Realistic 

There’s risk in any transaction, and the above tips are intended to minimize the potential of both you becoming dissatisfied with your purchase and becoming entangled in costly litigation with the seller after the purchase of a horse. The acquisition of important medical history and compatibility with the horse is only one aspect of the potential purchase, which should be put into context with other relevant factors. The asking price, your goals as a rider, the horse’s age and competition record and the potential complications that may arise from pre-existing health conditions are all important considerations.

By following these guidelines, you can lessen the possibility of disappointment, avoid the cost of litigation after a sale if things don’t work out as planned and begin to enjoy your new partner. Making an informed decision prior to purchase, with all the necessary information about the horse, is the best way to help achieve these goals.

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Tagged under: buyer's remorse, column, horse shopping, law, pre-purchase

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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