New Horse Drama

[ProbablyNotAlterWort]

I know misrepresentation happens very frequently in the horse world, but it’s the first time I’ve personally experienced this. I bought a “yearling”, who I assumed to be a long yearling, because she looks older. My first time buying a baby, so I assumed it was my inexperience showing when I thought she looked older. BO agreed that she looks older, so we got a picture of her teeth, and the dentist chimed in that she looks about 2.5.

I don’t actually mind her being a bit older, she’s a sweetheart. I’d have gotten her anyway. But now I’m a little worried that I’ve gotten myself dragged into drama with this. Her Coggins says she is only barely a year old. BO thinks she isn’t the same horse as in the Coggins (I will get a vet out for a new Coggins as soon as possible, just in case).

There was drama when we came to pick her up after buying her. The sellers weren’t present, because they live pretty far away. The farm owner didn’t want to let me take her, because her former owner owned back board and rent (but FO said nothing to me until we actually brought the trailer for her, despite knowing I was buying her, and being present when I met the pony). Thankfully, I have a written contract with the seller, and the board with the seller was very much unwritten and with both sides claiming different agreed upon amounts, so I was able to take her. The FO backed off pretty quick when I wasn’t cowed. There was some weird relational stuff going on between them, because the sellers had lived there for a time. My new BO and I just got out of there quick as possible. Let them deal with their own drama.

Anyway, the former owner of this pony wants to be friends. She is lonely, a new mom, and just moved to the area. She seems nice enough. I was okay with that when I was under the impression that I was buying her pony that she’d bought as a weanling and carefully raised, a pony that she really loved and hated to be forced to sell. If she’d really had her as a weanling, she should know her age… but she seems SO sincere. When we were filling out the contract, she asked me to sell her back to her first if I ever sell in the future. And that she’d pay for a foal out of her one day, if I was okay with that in the future.

It’s just such a weird situation. What would you do? Would you tell the owner you know she isn’t a yearling? Stop responding to her texts without saying anything? I get why sellers would misrepresent a horse, but I don’t get pursuing a friendship with a person you sold a misrepresented horse to? I hate drama and confrontation, and I’m afraid that it is inevitable.

[Xanthoria]

Well she could be almost 2, and technically still a yearling, with precocious teeth so the dentist thinks she is closer to 2.5.

Any pedigree paperwork? Guessing not… or even know who the stallion is? Tracing via that route you might discover date of conception.

Anyway, whether she’s technically still a yearling or older, you already said you don’t mind that.

So setting it aside, I might ask former owner her birth date but otherwise let it go. If she’s bugging you over texts, stop responding. And imagine a world where impoverished young mothers lacking sleep might be more than a bit forgetful, if it helps

[ProbablyNotAlterWort]

The old owner knows the pony’s dam. The sire is somewhat in question, since that place apparently pastures everyone together. She’s a Shetland/possibly Hackney mix.

I actually thought about the mom brain angle, haha. I have a 3 year old daughter myself, so I can empathize with that. That’s why she wants to be friends, actually, because she doesn’t have any mom friends. If it was just a matter of her telling me the wrong age of the top of her head because of being forgetful, I truly do understand. I think what bugs me the most is her Coggins, which was done in December, and has a birthdate of late June last year. :-/

Honestly though, I like your advice of asking the birthdate and then extending grace to her old owner. I really do like the filly, as is. And I don’t mind being a friend for someone who needs it.

[Xanthoria]

@ProbablyNotAlterWorthy

Honestly though, I like your advice of asking the birthdate and then extending grace to her old owner. I really do like the filly, as is. And I don’t mind being a friend for someone who needs it.

That’s a very kind plan :yes:

[Scribbler]

OP what do you know about this former owner?

She doesn’t pay her bills. She possibly misrepresents horses. She gets evicted. She is trouble trouble trouble all around.

You don’t mind being a friend to some one who needs it? If so, be prepared to have her borrowing money, living in your spare room, or getting wierdly intrusive about coming to see your pony, then stealing small objects to sell on fb. Or drugs or whatever.​

I would be courteous but distant. You upgraded the pony, you don’t need to rescue the owner.

[ProbablyNotAlterWort]

She has definitely given me reason to be cautious, Scribbler. I’m pretty good at setting boundaries though. I can be kind without loaning money or letting her know where I (or my pony) live. She lives an hour away, and can’t afford gas, so I imagine friendship will be limited to texting and getting coffee when she’s in town (courteous and friendly, but distant). If she starts getting too pushy, I’m not above dropping contact.

[Janet]

“Dentist looked at a PICTURE of her teeth” is pretty weak evidence.

I would have your vet look at the WHOLE HORSE, not just the teeth, before you are sure the age is off.

[SonnysMom]

@Scribbler

OP what do you know about this former owner?

She doesn’t pay her bills. She possibly misrepresents horses. She gets evicted. She is trouble trouble trouble all around.

You don’t mind being a friend to some one who needs it? If so, be prepared to have her borrowing money, living in your spare room, or getting wierdly intrusive about coming to see your pony, then stealing small objects to sell on fb. Or drugs or whatever.​

I would be courteous but distant. You upgraded the pony, you don’t need to rescue the owner.

We only have the BO’s side of the story for the not paying bills. There is no contract so not a real professional relationship to start with. There are family dynamics involved. Board may have been a bit of work off some/all of the board and over time both OP and BO feel like they are getting the short end of the stick. BO may have seen a way to make a little extra cash on the side by trying to extort a little money out of OP at pick up time.
The BO had the opportunity to tell them about the “lien” prior to pick up. Something tells me the BO knew they thought this was a yearling and had the opportunity to correct that misconception if in fact the pony is not really a yearling.

It is easy to lose track of ages of animals. I have a dog that I would have sworn was only 5 maybe 6 years old. I recently came across his paperwork. Oops he turned 9 at the end of May 2018. I was a bit off on age.

If the pony was born in June 2016 then in the owner’s mind she may be a yearling until she actually turns 2 in June 2018. She does not become a 2 year old on that magical January 1st date. If OP bought pony in May then to the former owner pony may have still been a yearling and not yet 2. Heck the misconception on age may have come from the previous owner. It is one of those disadvanges of not having papers that show the proof of the actual DOB.
Aging teeth is based on “normals” not hard and fast rules. Non-show/non-race people IMO tend to use the actual age of the horse more often than the age based on all horses have a January 1st birthday.That is a step in the right direction.

In other words I would not be quick to assume that the she intentionally misrepresents her horses or is a deadbeat. She mostly sounds a bit overwhelmed an clueless. However she has obviously recognized that she does not need a young horse and has decided to more the pony on. I see no evidence in OPs posts that the former owner was evicted.

I don’t see a problem with being nice to the old owner. I would not be quick to assume she is going to overstep boundries, want to move in with OP or start stealing from her. I think that is a big leap base.

Especially if former owner is the mother of a young baby it is easy to lose track of non-important things such as the actual age of a pony that doesn’t even live with her.

OP- be nice to the former owner if you want. But be prepared to walk away if she does prove to be a bit of a wack.

[ProbablyNotAlterWort]

@Janet

“Dentist looked at a PICTURE of her teeth” is pretty weak evidence.

I would have your vet look at the WHOLE HORSE, not just the teeth, before you are sure the age is off.

That is definitely the plan. Unfortunately, our area horse vet is in the hospital, so it is going to be a bit.

[vxf111]

@Janet

“Dentist looked at a PICTURE of her teeth” is pretty weak evidence.

I would have your vet look at the WHOLE HORSE, not just the teeth, before you are sure the age is off.

I think the most likely scenario of all is that the dentist’s guess is just wrong

[freshman]

She really needs to be checked for pregnancy. As soon as possible in case it is early enough to safely abort the fetus.
Sounds like she a small pony. Any pregnancy at her young age would be suboptimal for her health and very risky, but the possibility that could have been bred by a much larger stallion makes this a very dangerous situation.

[ProbablyNotAlterWort]

@freshman

She really needs to be checked for pregnancy. As soon as possible in case it is early enough to safely abort the fetus.
Sounds like she a small pony. Any pregnancy at her young age would be suboptimal for her health and very risky, but the possibility that could have been bred by a much larger stallion makes this a very dangerous situation.

I will add that to the vet check, but she has been kept alone for quite a while, so I’m not really worried. She was a weanling when she was sold from the folks that pastured everyone together. She was boarded in a round pen by herself at the old farm we picked her up from. They only had minis and her.

[TrailRides4Fun]

@Scribbler

OP what do you know about this former owner?

She doesn’t pay her bills. She possibly misrepresents horses. She gets evicted. She is trouble trouble trouble all around.

You don’t mind being a friend to some one who needs it? If so, be prepared to have her borrowing money, living in your spare room, or getting wierdly intrusive about coming to see your pony, then stealing small objects to sell on fb. Or drugs or whatever.​

I would be courteous but distant. You upgraded the pony, you don’t need to rescue the owner.

THIS, This, this ^^^^^^^^^^^ !!!
Distance yourself from this person ,., DRAMA, Drama, drama !!!

[Alittledownhill]

I’d be nervous about getting too close to a person who has a child, can’t afford gas, and bought a baby horse anyway.

[cnigh]

People lie all the time.

You bought a grade filly. She is young and will require time to grow and proper training. Doesn’t matter if she is 1 or 2. You need to evaluate the horse in front of you.

I was lied to with my new mare as well.

Unfortunately it’s a bit more serious because it involves bucking people off. But I did know she would need retraining just from the info I did get. So I was sort of expecting the issues I have had.

But I liked the mare. And the things I observed about her in person have proven to be true. She responds very well to my style of training. It’s just going to take longer to get to my goals.

[hoopoe]

I would trust nothing about this situation. Sounds like everyone involved has a different story.

A PG check is part of the deal and so is an updated Coggins, If anything to help establish some layers of ownership.

and would certainly not get overly friendly with the former owner.

You have a grade filly with a sketchy background. Get vaccines started as if nothing has ever been done