Police investigate horse dealer after clients raise concerns

Clients of a dealer have raised concerns about a trial system that requires full payment in advance, some customers reporting significant delays in receiving their refunds when horses proved unsuitable.

Lynn Robertson, of Broadhill Stables, is being investigated by Cambridgeshire Constabulary after numerous reports to the force regarding her dealings. Her solicitor said she “denies any fraudulent conduct” but that she cannot comment owing to the ongoing police investigation.

The dealer, whose website was unavailable as H&H went to press, offered clients horses on a trial basis. They were told they had to pay her the full price of the horse in advance, but would be refunded within 14 days if the horse was unsuitable. H&H first spoke to people who had taken up this offer and did get all their money back – after considerable delays.

One of these clients is Vicky Rieunier, who paid £12,500 for cob Cookie on 6 February 2025, did not in the end get him on trial and was fully refunded by Ms Robertson, by 18 March 2025.

Ms Rieunier is a very experienced rider who has coached, evented and worked for top eventers but had lost some confidence so was looking for a “straightforward and sensible” horse. After several failed vettings, she saw a cob Ms Robertson was selling, and rang up about him.

“She said she had lots of people interested so I couldn’t see him,” Ms Rieunier told H&H.

“She sent me the contract and it looked fine; she said someone else wanted to see him, so I sent the money. Then the cycle started.”

Lynn Robertson: delays

Ms Rieunier said Ms Robertson offered to organise transport but this was delayed for a week “because he needed to be shod”. But before he came, Ms Robertson said she had received a vet’s report saying Cookie had suspensory issues.

“She offered me other horses but I didn’t want them and alarm bells were ringing so I asked for my money back,” Ms Rieunier said. “Lynn said she had two weeks, in the contract, to refund me, then she kept giving excuses: ‘I’ve hit my daily allowance,’ or, ‘It’ll come tomorrow.’”

H&H also spoke to another client, who paid £13,950 for a horse called Guinness; she saw his advert, rang Ms Robertson and was told she had to pay in full that day, 31 October, to secure him on trial.

She was also told she had to wait for the horse to be shod. The client said Lynn also asked her not to post about the horse on social media until she had decided to keep him – but then told her he had “failed” a vetting.

“On 17 November she sent me pictures of another horse and I said he looked a bit quiet, probably not the one for me. She said she had more but I said could I have my money back while she was looking and I was looking,” the client said. “From 20 November, I started the, ‘Any chance of my refund,’ and I’d get all the, ‘I’ll sort it, I haven’t had space on my transfer limit.’

“I sent her a message on 30 November saying my options were asking others about her on social media or seeking legal advice.”

Facebook post

Soon after this, a friend of the client asked in a Facebook group if anyone had had similar experiences with Ms Robertson.

The client was refunded in full by 4 December, after which she said the dealer asked her to get the friend’s post taken down.

“I look back on the conversations and she said she didn’t want to sell a horse who’s not right, and you think, ‘Thanks for being honest,’” the client said.

“But when she phoned me, she said I’d got my money back. I said that wasn’t the point; what I wanted was a horse. Guinness could have been my perfect horse, and I’ll never know if what she’d told me was true, because I don’t know if there was really anything wrong with him.

“What’s really sad is that I got excited about a horse who could have been perfect, and it had turned into a disaster.”

Both clients, and others, told H&H they had researched Ms Robertson thoroughly before they paid her money but could only find positive reviews.

Facebook group

But in a Facebook group called “Broadhill Stables/Lynn Robertson Buyers Beware”, clients have been putting their stories together.

Two riders have told H&H they each paid £12,500 for Cookie in May, one on 7 May and one on 15 May. Both were later told about a vet’s report regarding his lameness, both cancelled the trial, and both were fully refunded by 6 June.

The timing of these transactions has raised questions among clients about how Ms Robertson’s trial system operated.

Multiple clients’ experiences of dealing with Ms Robertson have been collated in a spreadsheet by members of the Facebook group, seen by H&H. Hannah Brooke, who did keep Harvey whom she bought from Ms Robertson last summer, told H&H: “I am glad I bought Harvey as he’s very sweet but when all this kicked off, I sent [Ms Robertson] a screenshot of the woman who messaged me saying, ‘I bought him after you did,’ and said, ‘Have you got anything you’d like to say to me about this, Lynn?’

“And she read it, but she didn’t reply.”

H&H has not independently verified the other buyer’s claim about Harvey.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has confirmed to H&H it is investigating.

Lynn Robertson’s solicitor told H&H Ms Robertson denies any fraudulent conduct and cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.

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