Kens Column
Times are tough and everyone is looking for a bargain – or what appears to be a bargain! This last month I have come across not one but three attempts to persuade potential buyers they are being offered a fantastic deal! It behoves buyers to be very careful and not take things for granted.
‘.......complete with tack’. Words that quite often form part of an advertisement for a pony, occasionally for a horse. ‘Saddle, bridle, rugs and other accessories’ – the complete package can seem like a dream come true. Horse owners know how quickly the sums can add up when equipping a horse from scratch – and trying to ‘save’ by buying inferior goods is not to be advised! Shoddy items are likely to need replacing quickly and, in the meantime, their use may have implications in terms of welfare and safety.
Two of the apparent bargains that failed to be genuine bargains that I have recently come across involved first-time horse owners. They both thought they were being offered fantastic deals – with the added advantage that they could avoid time taken up sourcing tack and equipment.
In one case the saddle that came with the horse was unsuitable for the rider. In actuality, the fit it provided for the horse wasn’t too bad but the rider expected a GP saddle and the saddle provided was an old-fashioned brown show saddle. This story ended quite well because I was able to sell the saddle to a leading exhibitor with a preference for traditional-type show saddles – not everyone’s cup of tea.
The other case wasn’t so good. A friend of mine – also an SMS qualified saddle fitter – was asked to undertake an after sales check of the tack provided. Exterior examination indicated a problem with the tree – and when he opened up the saddle he discovered the tree was broken. Yes - possible to correct - but not a cheap job and probably one not worth undertaking bearing in mind the overall condition of the saddle.
The third case involved an experienced rider. She had been to see the horse – and liked it very much, felt it was somewhat overpriced and left saying she would ‘think about it’. That night she got a telephone call from the owner who said she wouldn’t accept an offer for the horse – but she would throw in tack and equipment. This horse was much bigger than anything the rider had previously owned and she knew there wasn’t a chance of any of her existing equipment fitting. The deal seemed a very fair offer and the buyer sent off a cheque to clinch the purchase. All seemed well.
The seller arranged for her yard manager to deliver horse and equipment. The good news: the animal arrived safely – cool and calm despite a very long journey. The bad news: the tack provided with the horse was not what the buyer expected – and it certainly wasn’t what was being used when she viewed and tried the horse. What was supplied was in a terrible state to the extent repair and refurbishment simply weren’t viable. Other than remonstrating with the seller – which failed to produce a positive result – what could be done? Not a lot! The buyer had absolutely nothing in writing to confirm what was being provided in relation to the state of the tack. The seller refused to accept any liability and, as it was a ‘private sale’, the buyer felt there was little she could do to remedy the situation - especially as the seller was located over two hundred miles away. The new owner bit the bullet and decided the matter simply wasn’t worth pursuing.
By far the most positive part of this story concerns the happy ending. When I went to fit a saddle for the horse the new owner declared herself absolutely delighted and said he was proving even better than she’d anticipated - to the point that she considered she’d actually paid a very fair price for him! She also made a tiny bit on the saddle provided with the horse too - I gave her a few pounds for it. An absolutely wonderful saddle to use at lectures – it perfectly demonstrates a multitude of problems!
Another caveat! Sales – they are everywhere! Not every item in every sale is a genuine bargain! No item, however good the price, is a real bargain if it doesn’t fulfil the function for which it was purchased. This applies to ‘second-hand’ or ‘used’ just as much as ‘new’.
KEN LYNDON DYKES is an ex-international level three day event rider. A qualified Society of Master Saddlers’ saddle fitter, his specialities include competition horses and ‘difficult’ fittings. KEN can be contacted at head office (01622 844440) or on his mobile (07973 501873).
