I agree that this is ridiculous. And vets do not pass/fail horses. Based on any findings, they may advise whether horse is likely or not likely to be suitable to the buyer for horse’s intended purpose, because it is rare to find absolutely nothing worth commenting on in a PPE (especially if you go down the road of doing several X-rays). Depending on my budget, the horse, etc., if I had this PPE done I may want to investigate that lameness further. Or I may cut my losses and walk away. But that’s just what a PPE is–a loss. It’s never a seller responsibility. The only way a seller may lose money is if the purchase price gets renegotiated based on the PPE findings. It is never a straight reimbursement. And for travel expenses? What?
Ya know, I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland to look at Icelandics…and if it didn’t work out, well, they would pay all my expenses. Right?
You have no obligation to her at all. She sounds like a lunatic- anyone who tried horses knows that she alone is responsible for her expenses - a more sincere person who actually likes a horse enough to vet it - would never ask such reimbursement- I have vetted horses we have not ended up with- and would never dream of asking the seller to pay- vet checks are subjective especially the test in question.
So sorry you have to deal with this nonsense.
OP - I bet if the shoe was on the other foot with this crazy woman, and you went to try her horse, had the PPE, and came up 2/5 lame, she’d be suing you for making her horse lame.
Just ignore this idiot would-be purchaser.
[QUOTE=Bronson77;8234452]
the only thing they have is a Facebook post from 4 1/2 years ago that my sister posted (it’s her horse) that our horse was lame … [/QUOTE]
This is why you need to be careful of what you put out there on social media. I am not up on legal matters, but I hope this bit of info doesn’t come back to bite you in the backside.
This is a new level of crazy. Just when I thought the crazy had hit the limit.
I have had two horses fail PPE on me over the years (where I was the buyer). It never even occured to me that anyone other than myself was responsible for the cost.
After all, I wanted a full vet exam done and arranged for it. It’s not like the owner is saying, oh hey, I feel like having the vet out for an exam this week. PPE is the responsibility of the buyer unless a prior arrangement has been agreed upon.
It’s cheap insurance against buying a dud.
She’s trying to screw you.
Do you know the vet the potential buyer used to do the PPE? Is if possible they are claiming something that may not be true in the hope they can get your to pay for their fancy hotel and food etc. Maybe they didn’t really like the horse and spend a bunch of money making the trip a party trip and decided to try to recoup at your expense. Can you call the vet that did the exam and discuss the findings?
Do not pay the potential buyer a dime. The PPE is done by the buyer, traveling to look at a horse is the buyer’s choice and their expense, if they bring people along, that’s their choice and up to them to pay, NOT you.
As crazy as those buyers sound, don’t be surprised if they change their minds and are wanting to be on again to buy the horse, at a discount, why the drama now.
I would disengage quietly and walk off without being anything but very, very short and polite with your “no, we are not going to cover your costs of looking at horses and have other arrangements now, please desist contacting us”, or if you have an attorney, see what he recommends, probably that you send them to him for your non-negotiable NO, GO AWAY.
I had a woman do this before.
All I can say is that she didn’t get any money and her trainer got an earful from me and mine. I DID, however, end up needing to rescue the horse from
The vets after she agreed to have him hauled to and from the facility (at her cost) no matter what the results were; then when she got “bad” news, left in a huff and left the horse stranded there with no ride after she cancelled his return trip.
Awful wench.
She pulled the “fraud” card, but I had never had the horse vetted before (bought sight unseen and he was lovely- never a lame step with me) so she had nothing.
people are effing nuts, as a general rule. And that was the last time I ever went out of my way to accommodate a buyer before the check was cashed.
Edited to add:
And her trainer was a very BIG NAME trainer who then dumped her as a client after the fact, because of how embarrassed they were that she was acting that way.
I wish I remembered the woman’s name, but as that was one of the worst weekends in horsedom I’ve ever had, my psyche seems to have blocked it out, haha. Thinking about her makes me blood boil.
I assume you were smart enough not guarantee soundness in any way. If you never made any representations that the horse would successfully vet or is 100% sound, I can’t imagine she has a leg to stand on.
And this woman is working with a trainer?!?!?!?!?
Don’t respond to her demand, or to any claims mailed to you. If and only if you get a letter from her attorney or the court, then have your attorney respond.
Just out of curiosity, what if you had proof that a seller knew about a condition a horse had that would cause it to “fail” a vet check? For example, if the horse had failed a previous PPE? This happened to me once (and then the seller turned around and arranged a 3rd vetting, but fortunately that buyer and I had a mutual acquaintance and I released the vet report from my PPE to her before she paid for her own).
[QUOTE=kcmel;8235234]
Just out of curiosity, what if you had proof that a seller knew about a condition a horse had that would cause it to “fail” a vet check? For example, if the horse had failed a previous PPE? This happened to me once (and then the seller turned around and arranged a 3rd vetting, but fortunately that buyer and I had a mutual acquaintance and I released the vet report from my PPE to her before she paid for her own).[/QUOTE]
I think it would depend if the potential buyer asks or the vet doing the PPE asks if the horse has a pre-existing condition. I would hope most people would disclose a known condition, but I am not sure they are legally bound to unless asked.
[QUOTE=arlosmine;8234368]
Don’t let her draw you into a long series of interactions.
WRITE her so you have a paper trail. No more phone calls. Best is email (if you don’t have her email address ask her for it in a text). Email her you have contacted your attorney (do it) and tell her that she has misunderstood where the legal burden in This situation falls. If she would like clarification, she can contact your attorney at her own cost. Tell her that you are ceasing any further personal interaction with her. Then do it.[/QUOTE]
Excellent advice. Follow it. Make sure you don’t engage or justify. Answer briefly and politely and then let your attorney handle all communications going forward.
It’s not going to help your peace of mind to keep talking to her. The chances of them suing you are very small.
For the record, I don’t think that being slightly off on a 10 meter circle on hard ground is a good indicator of lameness/soundness. Were you or someone representing you at the PPE? It sounds to me like they decided they didn’t want the horse. But to ask for their expenses to see the horse? That’s completely unrealistic.
[QUOTE=Frostbitten;8234822]
Ya know, I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland to look at Icelandics…and if it didn’t work out, well, they would pay all my expenses. Right?:D[/QUOTE]
And I will be heading to Ireland to see what is available…
This is brilliant!
[QUOTE=kcmel;8235234]
Just out of curiosity, what if you had proof that a seller knew about a condition a horse had that would cause it to “fail” a vet check? For example, if the horse had failed a previous PPE? This happened to me once (and then the seller turned around and arranged a 3rd vetting, but fortunately that buyer and I had a mutual acquaintance and I released the vet report from my PPE to her before she paid for her own).[/QUOTE]
Impossible situation because horse’s don’t “fail” PPEs. The PPE produces findings. The buyer reviews the findings and determines if the horse is suitable for their uses(s).
G.
[QUOTE=Guilherme;8235485]
Impossible situation because horse’s don’t “fail” PPEs. The PPE produces findings. The buyer reviews the findings and determines if the horse is suitable for their uses(s).
G.[/QUOTE]
That’s why I put “fail” in quotation marks. The horse in question had cataracts in both eyes. Fortunately my vet does eyes first (so there wasn’t much money involved).
10 meter circle on concrete huh? Bet over half of our horses on this board would be at least 1/5 on that…
