A growing number of horse sellers contact me over Facebook posts by disgruntled buyers whose expectations are disappointed through no fault of the sellers. When a request to return a horse for a refund is rejected, these buyers have turned to Facebook for comeuppance by posting damaging comments about the sellers. Resorting to social…
An accurate assessment of the temperament of an equestrian horse under saddle is difficult to make. A performance record will reveal its willingness (obedience and submission) and training level at competition, where scores reflect an objective view of these qualities. A horse with an inconsistent record or a non-current one can indicate a problem of…
Here is a common situation in private sales of horses: the buyer informs the seller that the horse is unsuitable and wants a refund; the seller flatly denies fault and refuses any refund; the buyer insists on returning the horse (sometimes even returns the horse unannounced) for the seller to resell; and the seller agrees…
Under the new Australian Consumer Law (operative from 1 January 2011), buyers of horses from businesses like studs, professional riders and trainers and horse dealers (but not auctions) enjoy statutory guarantees. One is that the horse will be of an ‘acceptable quality’ and another is that the horse will be ‘fit for purpose’ made known…