As an attorney for Equine Legal Solutions, I frequently help unhappy horse buyers decide whether they have a viable legal case against the seller, and if they do, whether I am the right attorney to represent them. Here is what I look for during the initial consultation.

Did the Buyer Try the Horse Before Buying It?

If the buyer tried out the horse before buying it, noticed the behavior problem, and bought the horse anyway, the buyer probably doesn’t have a viable legal claim against the seller. This is true even if the seller offers speculation about the cause of the behavior problem, such as, “I think he bucks because of an old saddle fit issue,” (that is, unless the seller knows exactly why the horse bucks and deliberately lies to the buyer about it)