It is amazing to me how many horses are sold as “hunting horses” without people checking to see if the horses have honestly been hunted . I know of a person currently selling" seasoned hunting horses" that have never hunted, nor do they belong to a hunt club . It is truly baffling to me that someone can get away with this type of fraud . When looking at hunt horses, please check with a field master or a MFH of the hunt that the horse has been said to have hunted with . 
It is very simple and can save you time, money and a few broken bones …
Can you please post the general area of said offender, or if you like, pm me the name of said dealer so that I may avoid them in my horse hunting adventures that will begin in March.
Unfortunately there is no definition as to what honestly hunted means. I know of a horse that is being advertised as a do it all horse: hunters, dressage, eventing and hunting. It has hunted twice and was out for one hour each time.
This is a constant stream of horses with a “season or two” under their belt … A season being from September to March in our area . My thread (rant) was just for people not to take a hunting horses experience and knowledge for granted when buying from someone over the internet. If a horse has truly been hunted a season , there should be no problem with the seller giving a buyer the proper information and references from the hunt in which the horse has been said to have hunted with…
[QUOTE=redfoxyloxy;6770664]
My thread (rant) was just for people not to take a hunting horses experience and knowledge for granite when buying from someone over the internet. …[/QUOTE]
I’m sorry for doing this because I agree with the essence of your post, but sometimes I just have to make a correction… the idiom is “take it for granted” NOT granite…
Carry on…
Horse tradin’ has always been ‘buyer beware’ whether for hunting or other purposes. If I am going to buy one that is alleged to be a ‘made hunter,’ I won’t consider it unless I’m allowed to hunt the horse- I can tell pretty quickly whether it’s been fairly hunted. I would possibly make an exception if someone I know vouches for the horse.
But heck, I can remember watching a ‘well known’ horse dealer in the 70s in Virginia hunting a drop dead gorgeous dapple grey- who was clearly lame, but nevertheless for sale for 5 figures. I’m sure he found a sucker.
And, as is the nature of horses, you can buy one that is ‘perfect’ in every way, and it’ll find a way to cripple or sicken or kill itself.
As to what is ‘made,’ I’ve made my own since the early 70s- it really does take 2-3 seasons for me to consider one ‘made,’ it just takes that long to encounter the variety of scenarios that a hunting horse will have to deal with. Anything that’s hunted less than a dozen times- a ‘prospect.’ Anything that’s never hunted- sorry, not a prospect, but a ‘might make one, maybe.’
I think there is
“buyer beware” and then there is flat out “fraud” . Buying horses out of auctions ,putting a hunter clip, getting a nice photo of them and then advertising on Dreamhorse 2 weeks later as "hunted all season " is just morally wrong . I hope kharma catches up soon !
I know when I sold a hunt horse out of town they called our huntsman and asked about the horse beforehand. The horse had been hunted regularly for three seasons so certainly qualified and the person did buy the horse. I gave our huntsman a little extra Christmas bonus for providing a good report and taking the time to talk to the lady. I would think it would be easy enough to check references as you can readily find contact info for Masters, huntsman, etc. for any hunt. I don’t know why everyone wouldn’t do that. I’ve also seen people suffer with a crazy horse a couple of seasons in the field and then advertise it as a “quiet” hunt horse. Quiet is definitely a relative term. In the case of the horse I sold the lady came up and hunted with us after checking references. She took her home straight after hunting but had done her homework.
One should always check references and hunt the horse properly. Masters will more than willing to give you a good report on a horse. (They might be quiet on a bad one) Always get a trial period so you can hunt the horse in your own country and you know the horse is drug free. The horse has to suit you in all areas
[QUOTE=Ponyclubrocks;6771455]
I’m sorry for doing this because I agree with the essence of your post, but sometimes I just have to make a correction… the idiom is “take it for granted” NOT granite…
Carry on…[/QUOTE]
Maybe redfoxylady was using her iPhone or some other similar gadget which completes words for one…often incorrectly… 
Question for sellers of hunt horses- how do you handle trials? I’m surprised how many people here mentioned one. I’ve allowed short trials in the past but not sure how comfortable I’d feel letting a prospective buyer hunt the horse- so much opportunity for the horse to get hurt!
You pose a fair question. As a ‘buyer’ I won’t buy a hunt horse unless I can try it hunting. And I know I can be trusted 
but I wouldn’t expect you to know that. I have indeed seen individuals take nice horses out on trial for a day and bugger them up.
When I’ve had horses to try myself, they’ve been from friends/ acquaintances/ friends of foxhunting friends so they haven’t worried about me.
I did once purchase one ‘before’ the trial, after trying him over some coops in hunting country- paid in full with the understanding that if after fairly hunting I found him unsuitable, I could return for refund. Of course, that meant- while I ‘owned’ him- if he died on me, my responsibility, if he got sick or injured, my responsibility. Happily he was just fine and I hunted him for many years.
I did also have one on trial ‘on faith’ by the owner, a total stranger to me, and me to her. I loved him out hunting, unfortunately he failed the vet check. Owner not only took him back, but felt so bad about it she paid for the vet check/x rays and took him off the market, wanting to give him a forever retirement home when he was no longer rideable.
But it seems like nobody does business that way any more!
This seems pretty reasonable. If it’s a serious buyer,they should be OK with that. Another idea might be they could jump the horse around a XC course and then hunt 2nd or 3rd field- still get an idea of the horse out hunting, but not ~quite~ as risky to my sales horse! And I’d chaperone on one of my other horse as well. I know you can’t bubble wrap them but…I just kept remembering a hunt last year I was on when after a great fast day out over some crazy terrain, the 1st field was coming home on a long rein at the walk on a flat dirt road with good footing, and the horse in front of me took a wonky step in a hole. Long story short, had to eventually be put down. :(.
Anyway, I hope to be doing the OTTB retrain thing again by this summer/ fall with a focus on eventing/ hunting, so your comments re “made” vs. “prospect” were helpful as well.
I would imagine most MFHs are willing to verify information. In fact, I was just recently contacted about a locally advertised horse. I was happy to confirm his hunting experience. However, I’m sorry to say that I have known the horse since his importation and the seller has him at least 7 years younger than he truly is!
I would expect and hope most sellers would allow you to hunt the horse in it’s home hunt…(and you cap) …but many wouldn’t want to send their horses off to another hunt “to be tried”…there is too much risk of injury to the horse…then what!? Unless you’re in an area where hunts are very close to each other…then perhaps!
As for the drugging, you ask the seller point blank if the horse has been given anything…if the answer is no, get blood pulled during the prepurchase (and have the vet put it in the freezer)…Then IF you get it home, and suspect otherwise ,you can have the drug test run. If you just do one automatically, I"m told they are about $400…But if it comes up positive, you could return the horse if the contract had that stipulation.
