Five women have alleged they were mis-sold horses that were unsafe to ride or had life-limiting conditions by Tasha Lee Hopkins, a seller who advertised on Facebook. One woman, Fiona, whose name has been changed, reported that a horse she bought was marketed as a "teenager's dream" but bucked and kicked her 13-year-old daughter in the head, leading to a hospital visit for concussion.
Another buyer, Kayleigh Sweet, purchased a horse for £6,250 in March last year after seeing an advert on Facebook. She claims Hopkins stated the horse had been recently checked and cleared by a vet. However, Sweet discovered the horse had chronic arthritis and a vet had previously advised it should be put down. Sweet took legal action, and earlier this month, Hopkins was ordered by the County Court in Swansea to pay Sweet £11,000 in damages and expenses.
Hayley Vaughan also bought a horse from Hopkins for £1,400 in 2019 for her daughter. Scans later revealed the horse had a serious back injury and a painful spinal condition, with a vet advising it could never be ridden. Vaughan stated Hopkins offered to take the horse back but not refund her money.
The BBC put these allegations to Hopkins, but she did not respond. Facebook's owner, Meta, has since removed the content brought to its attention for violating its policies. World Horse Welfare has noted the absence of regulatory or voluntary industry standards for horse trading, recommending that buyers view horses in person, have them checked by their own vet, and ride them if appropriate.