Complaint Review: Horses Deserve a Second Chance - Gardners PA

I purchased a horse from Nicole Hillard owner of Horses Deserve a Second Chance. She told me he was bomb proof and safe for her Mother, and was a great trail rider and used by her friend who was not a horse person. I was told he was an Amish horse and used in a cart. Told me he was a sweet in your pocket horse and everyone loved him.

I agreed to buy him as he was a rescue and I wanted to give a horse a new life and get a horse I could take out on the trail. I am a horse person, have 2 horses, he was to be the one who could go out on a trail ride alone. I used her recommeded transport company and dealt with them directly. On the day of delivery I was called and told they could not deliver him all the way and I would have to drive 3 hours to pick him up, at night.

I met the driver and the horse was transferred to me, he was sweaty, it was in late November, but I put him in my trailer and brought him to a boarding stable. The next day I went to see him, he was very nervous, didn't like being brushed. I notices his hair was very clumpy and falling out in blotches, but thought it was because of the trailer ride.

I kept on trying to get him to relax and do basic ground work with him, he was not good at it and just wanted to run away. My farrier came out and he was a mess! He kicked out, reared, and shook in terror, and my farrier is a very gentle professional horse trainer as well. We managed to get his feet trimed but it was a dangerous process.

My vet came out and he was the same with her, a mess, trembling, just terror. She was able to get a look at his teeth and said he was at least 20 years old, not 15, and his teeth needed work but she wanted to wait until he calmed down and settled in with me. Also under weight and needed just ground work and slow gentle handling.

I did that for 4 months and brought him to my pasture. He gained weight, and my vet decided to try and fix his teeth which were so bad he had a hard time eating. We did tranqulize him for that. They were so bad she had to do in 2 visits. I was told by Nicole Hillard that his teeth had been done at her stable, my vet said they had never been done and was very upset that I was told all these things were done and that he was 15.

I continued to work with him and decided one day it was time to put a saddle on him and ride him in the pasture. He was fine for that and stood still while I mounted him from a mounting block. Once  My leg was over him he reared up twice almost going over backwards. I was thrown and broke my left foot in 3 places and disclocated my little toe. I was out of commission for 4 months.

I gave up and offered him for free and found a woman who wanted to take him as a project and see what she could do with him, knowing everything about him, I was completely honest, and in a cast so she could see what happened. If I had known any of this before hand I certainly would not have invested my time, money and bones on him, he was not at all what she represented.

She must have drugged him to get the picture of her ridding him, not an uncommon practice in horse dealers, but I never expected it from a horse rescue group. It's very sad, I found a good place for him but I'm afraid a novice horse person could get really hurt and not take the time to find their horse a good home.

She should be investigated and audited and frankly stopped.