Stella Manberg Wise was found guilty of NEGLIGENT MISREPRESENTATION of the horse sold to me, Bandito De La Isla, in Aiken County, South Carolina, October 9. Case No. 06-CV-0037.
Bandito De La Isla was represented and sold to me and my 14 year old daughter as a 'Trail Safe Beginner's Horse that would be Competitive in the Show Ring'.
At our home he was un-mountable without help. He was extremely difficult to ride as he reacted to everything by spooking. He was fond of spinning a 180 and taking off at full speed. He tried to buck. He never seemed to know he had a rider on his back.
Stella Manberg-Wise would not refund my cash, stating instead that she would only refund half of it back. Or let us trade up pay her more for a different horse. Not acceptable. She went to ground and would never call or return emails.
Since I had been abandoned by Stella, I sought help on Pasopedigree.com and Americanpasofinos.com. Providentially, there I met Bandito De La Islas former Owner.
She told me not to ride that horse and For Gods sake do not let your daughter ride that horse! That the horse is mentally deficient, unpredictable, and dangerous. She informed me that she had intended to destroy him because of his behaviors. Since the horse was brokered to her by Stella Manberg-Wise she emailed Stella to tell her of the decision. Stella, who bills herself as a professional trainer, bought him back for $600.
In less than one year Bandito De La Isla was transformed into my beginner safe horse.
No. He was just sold to me as one.
He had been a breeding stallion for his first 12 years, starved for the first ten years. Never broke to ride. He savaged himself, meaning he bit lesions into his flesh. Paced his paddock screaming day in and day out. Kicked huge abscesses into his hooves, this being the last straw, bringing on the conclusion that he must be destroyed.
I was never informed of any of this. The previous owner was in constant contact with Stella Manberg-Wise with all of these developments. Stella knew about everything. Stella paid to have him castrated and when his hooves had sufficiently healed, brought him to Great Blazes Farm.
I had him evaluated by two professional trainers. Both agreed that he was no horse for a beginner. I was informed by those two that he is sway backed, which would eleminate him from being shown in Belle Forma Paso Fino. A class that rates a horse on his beautiful form and conformation. He was also camped out, another fault. He could not perform a gait called the Largo.
My daughter and I were told by Stella that Bandito De La Isla would be suitable for showing in both Bella Forma Paso Fino and Pleasure Gelding classes. The faults in the above paragraph made him unacceptable for exhibiting.
I took my complaint to the Paso Fino Horse Assoication, and the Hearing Committee heard my complaint on July 6. They issued a letter that states Stella Manberg-Wise was found in violation of Chapter 1, Section II, sub-section D. Fair Dealings Concerning Horses.
The Paso Fino Horse Association wrote:
The Hearing Committee has further determined that for the violation of this rule, you are hereby officially censured by the Paso Fino Horse Assocation...
It is my purpose and my desire that no one will ever again approach this person without knowing the full truth of what happened to me and my family. Since she would not take this animal back, I had him humanely euthanized. Now there is no chance for someone trying to ride him, risking injury or death.
Stella Manberg-Wise had two full years in which she had full opportunity to refund my purchase price of $3000 and take this animal back. She had the advantage of knowing exactly what she had purchased when she brought him to Great Blazes Farm. Bandito De La Islas problems had not been disclosed to me or I would have never purchased him.
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