SELLING HORSES with known defects is a common practice in the horse industry---and has been from the beginning of horse tradin’. And it’s always been WRONG. Imagine those long ago times, when people, who were completely dependent on horses, bought a horse to go off to war, or set off on a wagon train, or deliver mail, or a myriad of activities, and were knowingly sold a horse that was going to die or go lame and leave them in dire straits. The sellers didn’t care then, and they don’t care now. Horses that are run through auctions are objects of suspicion because people know that chicanery to disguise defects is likely in low-priced or too-good-to-be-true auction prices. But high prices are no guarantee of defect-free horses. It’s not uncommon for expensive high performance horses with serious defects to be fobbed off on a competitor, who may discover the defect when the horse collapses under them. I have personal knowledge of the practice. Miraculously, I survived a horrific accident that occurred because a seller knowingly passed along a horse with a seizure disorder. So, I take the issue very seriously. Every sale of a defective horse is not life-threatening. Sometimes it’s just financially devastating. Sometimes it destroys a dream. Sometimes it’s hard to explain to children. And, it’s always frustrating because the horse industry offers so little in the way of remedies. ALL THOSE THINGS came to mind in November 2014 when I came upon a classified ad for, what seemed to be, a nice Arabian gelding. Its attributes included a respectable show record, a desirable color, and an age and a temperament rating that might make it attractive as a youth mount. Price $12,000. Now here’s the problem. In March 2014, the horse was lame with chronic arthritis and some other undiagnosed issues. The owner had purchased the horse through a trainer (Yes, that trainer!) and inexplicably the horse became lame on the trailer during the half day trip to the owner’s farm. Owner was understandably irate and asked my advice. I recommended a lawsuit against the trainer and the horse’s owners. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few options open to people with integrity. Since the owner had lawyers in the family, I assumed that was the option which was chosen. Then I saw the classified ad. I contacted the owner and asked if disclosing the gelding’s lameness issues were part of the sale’s plan. This brought an immediate furious response. Didn’t I know that someone buying a $12,000 horse was going to do a pre-purchase exam? Hmmm, is that so? In other words, if the pre-purchase exam failed to turn up the long-standing lameness issues, the seller wouldn’t bring them up? Furthermore, I noted that the gelding’s owner had not gotten a thorough pre-purchase exam when they acquired the horse. When that gambit didn’t work, the owner said the gelding had undergone all kinds of therapy for the lameness issues, enough to fill a folder with medical records, and that would, of course, be available to a buyer. And, the gelding was now completely sound.( Uh, can someone tell me if a cure has been found for arthritis.) Well, I hope this will be a rare instance of a seller doing the right thing but I have my doubts.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 18:25:58 +0000
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