Massive Website Updates

Hello all! Well I have spent the last few hours completely updating the website. So here is a summary of some of the updates and why I thought they were necessary!

Front Page

Well you will notice that some of the modules on the front page have been completely reworked and moved.

The Newsletter module has now been moved to the left hand side of the page and up a bit.

The latest news section has been moved to the right hand side and up a bit as well.

I have shifted the payment information section over to the left of the front page

I have shifted the social networking module to the bottom of the right hand side of the page.

Show Gallery

The show gallery has been updated with the 2013 gallery and links to the previous three years of galleries

http://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/article/2013showgallery

Custom Gallery

The custom gallery has also been updated with our latest pieces. You will have seen most of them already but it's always fun to have a look through :D

http://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/article/customgallery

Out of Stock Products

I have firstly updated the stock levels so most products are now back in stock. There is now just one item that is out of stock (sorry about that our suppliers did not have it in stock).

Secondly I have deleted all the out of stock products so the site should be a lots clearer now. It may also seem a little blank in places but I assure you these will be filled soon with some great new products so keep your eyes out!

March's Promotion

Throughout March if you order a one off Arabian tack piece you will get 10% off your order. This is for Traditional and Classic scales.

More information here: http://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/category/Tack_by_Chestnut_Ridge/Traditional,b.html?sortBy=FeaturedDesc

2013 Show Gallery - NOW LIVE

Our 2013 show gallery is now live on our website. Keep looking for pictures of our winners throughout the year. If you have any pictures that you would like to add to our gallery please just get in touch!

http://www.chestnutridge.co.uk/article/2013showgallery

Bailadito 'In The Flesh'

Well I got to meet this gorgeous little resin in the flesh on Saturday and I also got to pick myself one which I should be able to prime at the weekend (got a commission to finish off first).

So here are my pictures of him from the live show on Saturday:

Midlands Winter Live

Here is a link to all of the pictures from yesterdays live show. It was held in Melton Mowbray by Rachel Smith and was a great day out! First live show of the season.

This is a public link so everyone should be able to see it:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151475334390155.1073741825.689360154&type=1&l=c7a4767878

New Breyer Barn

OK so it's not a model horse but I thought it was rather snazzy so thought I would share!

This is the Breyer two stall barn which they have done up with some rather snazzy new paint and is definitely a little different and rather cool

Dealing With Minors in the Model Horse Hobby

This article is just designed to give you a brief overview of the issues involved. This only relates to UK jurisdictions and is in no way legal advice.

           One of the biggest legal issues arising out of the model horse hobby is the issue of contracting with minors. A lot of the members of the hobby who one deals with on a daily basis are technically classed as a minor. Problems arise from this as under UK law a contract with a minor is automatically void. Some exceptions do apply and this article discusses how you stand when you contract with a minor in the hobby.

Who is a minor?

In England and Wales a minor is anyone under the age of 18 years, in Scotland the age of majority is 16. This means that on a basic level contracts with people under 18 in England and Wales and 16 in Scotland and void. Be aware that if a minor reaches the age of majority and then affirms the contract then it is valid. Also be aware that parents cannot enter a contract on behalf of a minor. If you contract with the parent even if the item is to go to their child and it is the child's money your contract is with the parent.

Necessaries

The exception to the rule that contracts with minors are automatically void are contracts made for necessaries. There is no legal definition of a necessary but generally they are items or services that are of a benefit to the minor. This varies with the minors position in life. What this essentially means is that a £200 designer bag may be a necessary to a rich child of a famous celebrity but would not be a necessary to your average child.

So are model horses classed as necessaries? Well probably not know. But there may be exceptions to this. A minor who makes money from painting and selling models for example may be bound to a contract for painting supplies. This is because the supplies are of a benefit to the child as they are helping them make their way in life and provide for themselves and their family (see the case of Chaplin).

Protecting Yourself

Essentially the only way to protect yourself from these problems is to actually not deal with minors. But that is not always a possibility. The best way is to actually deal with their parents directly. In dealing with the parents you form a legal contract with the parent and therefore they cannot back out of the agreement. By insisting that payment is made through PayPal for example this ensures that you deal with the parent.

Another security is that of reputation within the hobby. Any sensible minor will not want to gain red lights or a bad reputation because of their conduct as this will prevent them from dealing in future. This means that although a minor has a legal right to simply end the contract when it is not for their benefit they are unlikely to do so because of the repercussions. Making it clear in your trade policies that you red light all those with whom you encounter problems should provide you with an extra layer of security.

As a minor if you wish to buy and sell models but have problems because of adults not wanting to deal with you (as many do) your best approach is to ensure that your parents deal with the person on your behalf. By using their PayPal account or credit card you can ensure that this is the case. You can also tell sellers that you are willing to let them speak to your parents directly so that they can be sure that the contract will be valid.

In conclusion dealing with minors is a tricky area of the hobby. The English law can be flexible around the interpretation of necessaries but it is unlikely that the sale of a model horse will be counted as such. The law aims to protect the minor even if that leaves the adult out of pocket and when dealing you should be aware of that. Parents cannot deal on behalf of the minor but if they pay with their PayPal account or credit card then it is they that are making not the contract not the minor so the contract will be enforced.

This article is for discussion purposes only and should not be taken as actual legal advice.

The Weekends Customs

First up is February's Model of the Month. A gorgeous little palomino G2 Paso Fino:




Second is a G2 Paso Fino commission me. Owner is happy so this little girl was finished off and popped in the post




Another commission me for the same person. This one is a little blue roan Dartmoor mare




Now a gorgeous little Palomino CollectA Shire foal. This little girl is going to one of our custom club members




Now a lovely buckskin foal who is also going to a custom club member




Finally a custom that is actually for sale to all! A lovely little bay leopard appaloosa foal