John Haas, Horse Trader RIP OFF!! In Alma MI Fun Time Farms Alma , Michigan

I was interested in a horse listed on horseclicks.com. I called the number listed in the ad and spoke with a man named John Haas. He was rude on the phone and told me just to call on the day I wanted to look at the horse and he'd tell me if it was available still or not. From the pictures and video, I really liked the horse so I called him and drove out within the next couple days to see the horse.

I got there and the horse was already saddled and awaiting my arrival......CLUE #1

John Haas rode the horse first and then gave me a chance to ride it. I rode him and fell in love with his personality. John had mentioned in the ad on horseclicks that the horse had been put in his care through a trade and that its feet were sore due to the previous owners not taking proper care of his feet. Then after I had drove out there I found out the horse actually had foundered and was now lame in his front left hoof. [continued below]....

..... The horse also had a cold when I went out and looked at it that they said they would treat before I came back to pick him up.

I was in love with the horse and its personality but didn't want to pay the $950 they were asking for him. (THEY ALSO HAD RAISED THE PRICE ON THE HORSE UPON MY ARRIVAL CLAIMING THAT THEY HAD SO MANY PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE HORSE THAT THEY CHOSE TO RAISE THE PRICE TO $1600 TO WEED OUT SOME PEOPLE. THIS DIDN'T MATTER TO ME AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE PRICE WAS STILL $950 FOR ME) Anyways, he told me to make him an offer. I offered $800 and John immediately said yes. I gave them a $500 deposit and left....planning on picking him up two or three days later.

Upon getting home, I contacted the lady I had planned on hiring to transport the horse for me and as soon as I told her the pick up address she refused to haul because she had knowledge that John Haas held an auction earlier in the year and picked up strangles on his farm. (I was unaware he held auctions) She continued to tell me when she was 19 she purchased a horse from John and he made her pay a higher than advertised price and the horse she purchased from him turned out to have multiple problems and is now more crippled than her 20 year old Arabian.

I then got in contact with a man who had taken a couple horses to Johns sale as a favor to get more horses on the sale list. Well, his horses didn't sell due to lack of people at the auction and when the man took those horses back to his personal farm, strangles hit every single one of his horses like wildfire. John Haas's farm was the only place these horses had been off this mans property.

I immediately called John the next day (24 hours after I had left the down payment) and told him I would like my down payment back and did not feel comfortable with the sale. I told him what I had learned and he got real mad and accused slander of anyone who said strangles had been on his farm! He refused to give me my deposit back. He claimed it was Jessica Bassett's horse and that it was her problem. EVEN THOUGH JOHN IS THE ONE I MADE ARRANGEMENTS WITH TO SEE THE HORSE, HE SHOWED THE HORSE AND RODE IT FOR ME, HE ACCEPTED THE OFFER OF 800 DOLLARS, HIS NUMBER IS THE ONE ON THE FOR SALE AD AND HE IS THE ONE IN THE PICTURES ON THE SALE AD.

I contacted the state of Michigan and asked for their advice on what to do in the situation. The lady I spoke with looked up Johns name in her computer and said she did not see where he even had a license to be buying and selling horses like he was.

I then proceeded to file small claims court against him.  I gathered all my evidence and took it to the judge and this is what happened:

-I lost because the judge claimed my evidence from others who had dealt with John was just hear say and could have been made up. When I told him the state of Michigan said he didn't have a license, the judge simply asked him if he did, John said yes, and the judge accepted it, no proof needed!! I am not saying the John Haas does not have a license, he could, I am just saying that I was told he didn't and the judge didn't make him provide that documentation. When John was asked if his farm had strangles (by the judge), John did not deny it and instead claimed that just because one horse in the barn had strangles doesn't mean other horses in the sale barn would have caught it. WHAT! Any experienced horse person knows strangles is highly contagious. So he lied to me on the phone when he swore his farm didn't have strangles.

I ended up having to pay the remaining money and go get the horse.

Since then I have discovered multiple wounds on his rump and all over his head from where it looks like he had been beat. (The scars were pink and fresh, not a couple months old), he has a huge burn on the back of his fetlock where it looks like he has been tied up or drug with rope. (Also pretty fresh looking), and has an abscess in his lame hoof. It is my opinion that John, being a "experienced horse person" knew of this and just neglected to tell me (he trimmed the horses feet himself) And as for this horses "loving personality" he is 100% opposite now. He won't even tie! He dances all over the place, freaks out and rears up in cross ties, kicks and bolts and everything else when you try picking up or trimming his feet. There is no way I could get a saddle on him and ride him even if I wanted to.

Google John Haas Fun Times Farm Alma MI, you will be amazed what you find.
Check out his youtube...search fun time farms alma MI, you can see he does almost the same things in all of his videos with every single horse.

If you are from the area, ask your farrier or any horse person about John Haas, they will all say the same thing....RIP OFF!!

Check out my pictures of the horse. The ones with his foot in the bucket and in the blue boot is from when I was soaking it to get the abscess out and try helping his hoof heal. There is also one of his burned fetlock, and I will ad more of his scars soon.