{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}

‘How is he going to understand me, I don’t speak Dutch?’ — and other bizarre questions asked when selling a horse


  • When we asked you what the strangest questions you had been asked when selling your horse, we were inundated with replies — from the lady who wanted a horse to match her wedding dress, to the buyer who was after a discount because of a winter coat

    1. “Can we buy it for £1,000 less because it has a winter coat?” — Rachel Stock

    2. “‘Is it ready to go out affiliated jumping?’ asked of an 11.1hh beginners’ lead rein pony who had been a lady of leisure for the previous two years. Unless they were planning on buying her a trampoline they were on a hiding to nothing.” — Joanna Broughton

    3. “‘How is he going to understand me, I don’t speak Dutch?’. I answered ‘not to worry, neither does he’…” — Astrid Bolton

    4. “I was selling a cream mare once and the lady brought a photo of her wedding dress to see if the mare would match her wedding dress (champagne coloured!)” — Christina Mulqueen

    5. “Is the grey faster than the bay because he wears shoes?” — Cheryl Cundall

    6. “What does it eat?” — Julia Chaplin

    7. “I was selling a set of showjumps, and a woman rang and asked if they would fit in her car” — Linda Jenkins

    8. “‘But I wanted a spotty one’. Then why have you come to try my chestnut gelding for sale, advertised with pictures?!” — Abi Hitchcock

    9. “When I was looking to buy a few years ago, I became very confused with the for sale ads I was seeing online in Ireland. People were asking for £1000s for horses advertised as 16.2 ISH. I could not understand why people would ask for so much money when they couldn’t be bothered to put a measuring stick to their horses rather than just rounding their height off. To my complete embarrassment I asked just that question when prospecting and was bluntly told ISH meant an Irish Sports Horse for sale… I bought a cob in the end!” — Elaine Lynch

    Continued below…


    Like this? You may also enjoy…


    10. “While advertising a yearling for sale I was asked ‘Is it broken in?’,  ‘Is she spooky to ride?’ and ‘Would she be suitable for my nine-year-old?'” — Daisy Dukes

    11. “Selling a £10,000 horse lorry I was asked  ‘Would you take £1,000 cash?’  Me: ‘Did you miss off a zero?’ Lady: ‘No, but it’s for cash’!” — Emily Wilton

    12. “Would you keep him for three weeks so we can try him after our holiday?” — Charlotte Knight

    13. “While looking for sharers, the ad stated ‘she’s a plod who loves hacking’. I was asked: ‘How high does she jump? Has she done dressage? Can I take her to PC camp?’ Answers: logs, no and absolutely no.”

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the Paris Olympics, Royal International, Burghley and more with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    You may like...