As a solicitor reports an increase during lockdown in the number of people buying horses unseen, and then experiencing physical or behavioural issues on arrival, H&H looks into what laws apply in these circumstances
OWNERS have been reminded that although buying unseen is not recommended, they do still have rights if the horse is not as described.
Solicitor Hannah Bradley of The Equine Law Firm told H&H she has had an increase in enquiries during lockdown from people who have bought unseen. Horses have had veterinary or behavioural issues, and the new owners believed they had fewer rights as they had not seen them beforehand.
{"content":"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"}
You may also be interested in…
Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
The incident was captured on the rider’s body camera
Expert advice on the regulation of equine hydrotherapy pools and what come back you have if things go wrong
Friday aged 26
‘I feel Chris would be proud of me for looking after her so well – and I know he’d be
Some people took offence to the motivational sign
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2025 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
H&H senior news writer
Since joining H&H in 2018, Becky has covered a broad range of equestrian news including welfare matters, veterinary studies, FEI Tribunal hearings and road safety campaigns. She has also interviewed top riders including Scott Brash, John Whitaker and Ian Stark, to name just a few. Becky’s reporting has taken her to Canada for Spruce Meadows and France for Pau five-star, as well as the Royal Highland and Blair Castle International Horse Trials closer to home. She was also a key part of the remote reporting team for the Tokyo Olympics and the Europeans.
