15 year old trying to sell a horse..

The young girl I bought mine from, as I've said previously was 14, I spoke to her mum to arrange the viewing and she was there at the time, but it was the young girl who had bought him, brought him on, took him out and about to give him some life experiences, she was a confident and able little rider and was able to answer any questions I had with no problems or hesitations. She rode him in the viewing and was able to do what ever i asked.
Now if i had decided not to buy because of her age, i would have missed out on a smashing little horse!!!!
Soft of cut off my nose to spite my face!!!!
 
bonnie93- completely out of line.

OP as said, browse, exsisting ads for idea of price, get a few good photos and describe him as honestly as you can, good luck :)
 
I am not certain on this point, however, I would definitely check what the position is in relation to my point before you advertise etc;

You have to be 16 or over to have your name on the passport and "own" a horse/pony as I understand it - I don't believe that you can sell an animal if you are under 16.

As I said - I am not 100% whatsoever in this regard, but it was the first thing that struck me about your post and I have one of those "niggles" in the back of my mind that there is something about which says this is the case.

Well worth checking out just in case!! And apologies if I am barking up the wrong tree! :D
 
i think some people on this thread are getting a bit too excited!

she is asking how to advertise HER horse probs because her mum doesnt have time to do it, that doesnt mean that she will be the one actually stood there selling it if someone went to view it! and even if she was there i am sure she would have a family member there too to handle the money side of things. as for another horse, well surely if they get the price they want to pay bills or whatever they plan on doing and with the extra left over buy a smaller horse/ pony with it then why the hell not?
i have bought from youngsters in the past but always have had adult there with them.
i think people shouldnt judge by what she has written, just offer some advise about the horse or not, simple as. she is 15 and i bet she feels like she is getting ganged up on by people having a go, i know i would at her age.
 
Ugh.. Didn't really want to get drawn into this - Normally log off as opposed to joinging in.

But, on this occasion I will.

At 15 I had sold more than a few horses on behalf of my Mum,(with three other children & sick, elderly Grandpa living with us we all pulled our weight) I dealt with the advertising, enquiries & viewings, Mum stepped in when the legal stuff came ie, receipts, payments, vetting etc, any profit made on the sold horse went into an account for me, which eventually enabled me to buy a horse I was able to compete on & a trailer to get to said competitions.

I think Mum allowing me to deal with all of the above stood me in good stead for later on in life!

So please could we revert to the OP & just give the poor girl some guidance as opposed to judging & criticising her.
 
Tackytoe said:
Ugh.. Didn't really want to get drawn into this - Normally log off as opposed to joinging in.

But, on this occasion I will.

At 15 I had sold more than a few horses on behalf of my Mum,(with three other children & sick, elderly Grandpa living with us we all pulled our weight) I dealt with the advertising, enquiries & viewings, Mum stepped in when the legal stuff came ie, receipts, payments, vetting etc, any profit made on the sold horse went into an account for me, which eventually enabled me to buy a horse I was able to compete on & a trailer to get to said competitions.

I think Mum allowing me to deal with all of the above stood me in good stead for later on in life!

So please could we revert to the OP & just give the poor girl some guidance as opposed to judging & criticising her.
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This does appear to be directed at me.

If so, please read my post again. Nothing in it was derogatory, judgemental or critical. I merely said I thought you had to be 16 or over to sell a horse but wasn't sure, so to check this point out. I also said apologies if I am barking up the wrong tree.

OP asked for advice in relation to selling, I raised a query about selling to be considered if it was in fact a correct point. By bringing her attention to it, I believe it is guidance and that I was helping her. We live in an incredibly litigious world and someone may try and take advantage if my point re age is correct.

If you know it to be incorrect, perhaps cite any regulations or guidance which may assist (again I don't know if there are any) to help OP.

Seem to get your head bitten off in here even when being polite and attempting to be helpful.

Forgot to add - I wouldn't have a problem buying from a 15 year old if the horse was right for me etc. Most of the horsey 15 year olds I have known have always had their head screwed on and their horses have been a credit to them.
 
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I don't see what the problem of a 15 year old selling a horse is. I personally am in the very fortunate position of being able to keep my horses for life but did sell my ponies when I was a teenager.

If no-one ever sold their horse how would others ever find a horse to buy?

OP: Your horse sounds as though he should sell well although now is probably not the best time of year to sell for a good price. As others have said, get some good photos, look at similar adverts in H&H, Horsequest, Horsesmart, etc. Give a truthful description with details of his competition record.
 
I too have experience of 'being in charge' of selling a horse when I was 15. My parents are completely non-horsey and weren't living in the same country at the time, so they weren't exactly there to help with it. I also knew the pony inside out, so it only seemed logical that I would advertise, market, show the pony etc.

I don't think any potential purchasers were put off by my age. As long as you are upfront and honest then I don't think there should be a problem (obviously check the market out and see what sort of category, price range etc. your horse fits into).

Good luck and I hope you find a nice home for him. Don't take too much notice of those who have nothing better to do than respond to your perfectly innocent post in a rude way.
 
i would avoid telling people how old you are when people call up there is no reason for them to know - there are plenty of 15 year olds that look a lot older than 15 and older people who look younger so people may not assume that you are young if you have a mature attitude.

If you are paying for adverts it may be that you need to be 16 years old or older - you might need to check the terms and conditions of the adverts.

Present your horse in an a honest way - if the horse goes better for your mum than you as it is too big for you it may be better if your mum rides it when it is being viewed.
 
I sold my horse when I was 15 by myself and that included putting the advert up, taking phone calls and showing the horse off to potential buyers. The only time my (non horsey) parents got involved was the contract and money side of it :) The same goes for when I looked for my next horse i did it all myself :) I never had any problems and found that people always took me seriously.

OP good luck :)
 
georgiegirl said:
Bloody hell this place is getting ridiculous at the moment. Theres no need to attack someone in such a rude way, I'll bet some of you wouldnt speak like that to someone in the street. People come here to share/gain knowledge and advice, cant it be done in a polite way? Be matter of fact by all means but theres no need to be rude!!!!

^^^^^^^ ditto this

For gods sake folks, no need to jump on the girl. We don't know all the details involved here, I'd like to see some of us try to describe our reasoning behind some of the things we do. Seriously going off this Forum
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This does appear to be directed at me.

If so, please read my post again. Nothing in it was derogatory, judgemental or critical. I merely said I thought you had to be 16 or over to sell a horse but wasn't sure, so to check this point out. I also said apologies if I am barking up the wrong tree.

OP asked for advice in relation to selling, I raised a query about selling to be considered if it was in fact a correct point. By bringing her attention to it, I believe it is guidance and that I was helping her. We live in an incredibly litigious world and someone may try and take advantage if my point re age is correct.

If you know it to be incorrect, perhaps cite any regulations or guidance which may assist (again I don't know if there are any) to help OP.

Seem to get your head bitten off in here even when being polite and attempting to be helpful.

Forgot to add - I wouldn't have a problem buying from a 15 year old if the horse was right for me etc. Most of the horsey 15 year olds I have known have always had their head screwed on and their horses have been a credit to them


NOT directed at you at all F&D - Had not ventured past page two before commenting
 
Word of mouth is a great way to get people to hear about horses. Place adverts in local tack shops. Send flyers to livery and hunting stables. Does your local hunt have some where to advertise horses? Local riding clubs may have advertising places on their website or newsletters. Most of them will be free or inexpensive for adverts. There are many horse websites you could advertise on which you might have to pay for. Hopefully you will sell the horse for more than your Mum wants and you can keep some for your self to put toward a horse for you :)

I would buy a horse from a 15 year old. I have. Girl was very competent rider and horse was tricky mare to ride. She rode her very nicely and I was very impressed with her sales pitch for one so young. Ive viewed lots of horses and I would do business 10 times over with a competent experienced teenager than a clue less mature person, there are lots of those around!
 
bigboyrocky said:
God bonnie93 - totally partonising, rude and uncalled for!QUOTE]

Agree with this. Why do some people feel the need to be so rude. Surely it's best us youngsters ask for advice rather than go in all guns blazing and have no clue. Find it hurtful that some people seem to think that us teenagers are all a waste of space/can't handle hard work. Won't say any more on the subject. :D


OP- Sorry I have no advice for you, as I have no experience to go by. All I can say though is good luck, I'd very much like to hear how you get on. :)
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Crikey what a bunch of helpful people on here. Talk about batter a young girl, what ever happened to constructive help? jeez this place is turning into a nasty place for young people to even consider help.

OP - the only decent advice i could offer as per everyone else would be to do some reaserch and look at the way other people advertise, pictures are a huge advantage so make sure you get some decent ones taken at hand ready for anyone who asks, if your knowledgable about your horse and know it inside/out i dont see why anyone would be put off buying from you, just because you are 15 doesnt mean you are selling a duff horse. Proof is in the pudding as the saying goes. Good luck.
 
what a complete bunch of upstarts some of you guys are. I used to come on here a lot but I just couldnt be bothered with the judgemental type of comments sometimes.

Admittedly I don't mince my words but I am not a bully. What a lot of you are doing is so condescending!

This girl probably has twice as much horsey experience as clearly her mother is a busy horsewoman than a lot of the people bleating!

When I was 13 I was selling and assisting buying and none of my family were horsey. It is character building if nothing else.

Her mother clearly trusts her to do the deed, hence keep your opinions on her age to yourself, she was merely asking for advice, which is a SENSIBLE MATURE thing to do, rather than just go at it with no idea!
 
I am of an age that when I was 15 I was already regarded as full grown by many adults - particularly farmers who expected guys like me to carry one and half hundredweight grain sacks up stone steps without a hand rail into the granary - and many other similar jobs for next to nothing in pay.

I'm trying to think when I bought my first pony - I couldn't keep one at the time but used to buy and sell at a market ( which makes me shudder now! ) If memory serves I paid £10 and sold the same day for the equivalent of £12.50 a lovely coloured pony when I would have been just over thirteen with neither of my parents knowing anything about it. My bids were also accepted at the public market without any eyebrows raised - although I was known to work there too - running the horses for sale during the auctions.

That was fifty years ago - now is different. Beware who you invite - advertise your horse but NOT your age - arrange for an adult to be around for the deal in person.

As for not knowing how to do business - ye jest with me - the world is one click away from your fingertips.
 
WoopsiiD said:
Nope.
Been there, done that.....got the scars to prove it. Once bitten and all that.
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Not the right horse after all then?

OP - its not really the 'right' time to be selling, but if you need to you need to.

Ditto other comments about photos, good side on conformation shot, one under saddle one over a jump if you can. Be honest. What he is good at (hacks alone, traffic, loads, hunted etc)

You will need mother on hand for the business end but I think you said you would have her help with that?

Good luck. Ignore the rude unhelpful comments!
 
JoG said:
Whatever your reasons for selling and what to do with any money that's entirely your business!

I would suggest that you look on horsemart, horsequest, horsedeals and of course horse & hound and search for horses which are a similar age and with similar experience. Also consider that prices will vary by area so look at ones closer to where you live.

Read as many adverts as you can of all sorts of horses and see what things make you think "I want to see that" or "that horse sounds perfect". Use these ideas to draft an advert that is honest, genuine and highlights your horses best attributes - make sure to include details of passport/vaccinations/how he is to shoe, box, catch, etc and if he is registerd BD/BS/BE).

Get at least 3 good photos - a side conformation shot, a flatwork, and a jumping (Sj and XC if you can) If you have a video then add that to your advert (nothing too long with too many "fancy edits" or your favourite music).

Be prepared for lots of random calls and questions. Have a copy of your advert to be able to answer them well and always suggest that he just has to be seen to be appreciated

Good luck :)
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lovely advice, xxx
 
OP: good on you for having the sense to ask before trying to sell, I doubt I would have been so sensible at your age!
People are often nervous of buying from younger people because they think teenagers are all mad brave lunatics on a horse and don't mind if horses are naughty or difficult. This is not always true by any means but I think everyone would admit that they were a lot braver when they were young! Let's face it, you bounce better!
As everyone has said just be very honest and if the horse has hunted a lot ask one of your masters or someone in the hunt if they would be prepared to supply a reference for the horse.
It is very refreshing to hear of a teenager who is going to have to save up to buy a horse for herself and isn't just going to have it bought for her by her parents.
Good luck and I really hope you find a good home for the right money.
 
so the vibe im getting, especially from the likes of bonnie and other ''helpful'' posters, is that instead of sending a good horse to a home that can help it achieve its potential, OP should keep it and let it stagnate in a feild, or ride it herself and put both horse and rider in danger... yeah you are the type of horsey people to avoid imho.

OP good on you for asking, its very mature of you to try and help your parents and you are going about it the right way.
 
Nothing wrong with taking a bit of responsibitly at your age, it's how you learn things in life and there is no reason why anyone should not take you seriously when selling a good horse at your age neither providing you come across the right way and you know exactly what you are doing, that you are honest yet wise about the sort of people that will viewing and making your offers.

I presume you have an idea of the price range in which you will be letting the horse go for? obviously this is something surely you and your mother have already discussed? as in you are not going to loose money but make profit etc.

You need to be prepared and have your horse prepared for sale, what you state in your advert must be exactly what the horse is, also without sounding harsh you also need to be honest with yourself, remove any rosey tinted glasses (just because the horse is yours) you need to see the horse for what it is, what he can really do, as people will expect to see you put the horse through his paces, be fit and ready and a good example of what ever you are selling him as, not what you'd like him to be etc and also be prepared to take the horse out of his comfort zone, be confident when riding him, as someone may ask you to jump him bigger than you'd normally do to test the horses ability etc.

Think about any awkward questions that people may ask you, you need to be quick of the mark, again honest and straight to the point, too much umming and arrring and skating round questions will not look good from a potential buyer if you are young and don't be taken advantage off, have a price in your head and don't let anyone talk you down in price, as in pull your horse to bits till you give in...again just because you are young.

Know your rights as a seller and as a buyer, so you will need to brush up on some legal stuff.
 
Hi,

OP, I'm now 20, but when I was younger and outgrew my ponies, as my parents are not at all horsey I took charge placing adverts and speaking to prospective buyers/demonstrating the ponies to these people. I always made sure that an adult was around when someone came to look at the ponies. On an aside, whenever we have bought/loaned a horse I was the one to enquire after it, with a parent on hand incase the seller/loaner wanted to speak to them. (on an aside, recently when I was advertising my horse for loan during my final year of uni, it really annoyed me when parents rang, and I always asked to speak to their daughter/son who would actually be riding him!).

Good places to advertise IMO are H&H, horsemart, horsequest and the pony club website. Make sure that you include all relevant info about the horse: height, age, sex, colour, comp history, reason for sale and price. Look around at other adverts to gage how much you think yours will be worth/speak to a riding instructor or someone else who will have experience of clients buying/selling horses. When people ring/email, be sure to be completely honest, nothing to be gained by lying as the truth will come out! Ask them a few questions about their aims/set up (eg what they want to get out of owning the horse, where they would keep it, how they train etc etc)

Good luck.
 
Ditto H&H and Pony Club website - especially PC site as people are less likely to be put off by a teenager selling, I'd have thought.

I bought my daughter's cob from a teenager, her father wanted her to deal with it all as a way of learning/life skills etc. The only problem came when I asked for a reduction as he was vetted as being somewhat older, and she wasn't so sure about negotiating with me and I felt awkward as he was her pride and joy and I felt such a cow asking for money off a teenager. But we got there in the end :)

Agree that you need 3 good shots (standing up sideways on, one jump, one xc) a video is a bonus as I wouldn't travel outside my county without some proof that the horse could do what advert said. Good luck!
 
Hi OP, Adhorse, Horse Hunter, Horsemart, H&H and don't forget your local tack / feed shops too. Although I see in a previous post of yours on another thread that if you are looking for horses/hunters you generally look at Horse Select first, since you are familiar with this website perhaps advertise on there.
 
OP I'm looking to buy a horse at the moment. I wouldn't be put off if a teenager was handling the calls and viewings.

However for safety make sure there is an adult present at any viewings.

Also as a buyer I would want to deal with the actual owner of the horse when it came to doing a deal. So I think your Mum will need to be available.

The important thing is to word the advert professionally and be professional on the phone. I would be put off by a text speak style ad or someone who couldn't hold a mature discussion on the phone.

The other thing that would concern me is what the horse is like. Some teenager's horses are saints and I would love to get my hands on them. Others get hooned around on and can be a bit lairy. Often teenagers are very brave and a "teenagers horse" can be a bit hair raising.

I went to see a horse recently and we decided it wasn't quite right, our instructor said afterwards that it would be much better suited to a competitive teenager it was basically a nice reasonably talented horse but was a bit "hot" and probably needed someone unbothered about rushing and tanking off and prepared to work its legs off pretty regularly.

I went to see another horse back in summer that was a teenager's horse, and the ad was miles from the truth, and although they had pictures of it loose jumping something huge its schooling was awful, it was so unbalanced it could hardly canter a circle and made a pigs ear of jumping 2ft. It had obviously been brought on badly by a kid who's heart was in the right place but hadn't the skills or patience to do it properly. So I was put off by the fact that it was a teenager selling, just the fact that the horse hadn't got much of a grounding or schooling. And to be honest if it's legs hadn't been quite so covered in lumps and bumps and scars I might not even have been put off by the lack of schooling!
 
JoG said:
How totally unnecessary and completely uncalled for :rolleyes:

Perhaps if you have nothing useful to say then you should simply avoid this thread rather than bullying a younger member???
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Younger member? from her spiteful replied I'd have guessed she was a jealous 13yr old! :eek:

Silly_billy: please ignore some of the spiteful nasty replies - the cold weather is making the old woman grumpy;) You're not the first young member to be attacked but by being polite and mature in replying (and just ignoring the worse) they often come out on top..

As for selling a horse at 15 - you're not legally old enough to own a horse I don't think but theres no reason you couldn't arrange the sale right up until your mum signs the dotted line. If you are mature and reliable when dealing with potential buyers they will hopefully treat you with the same respect.

1) use full and proper english in everything you do! It looks so 'unproffesional' to write adverts or reply to emails in text speak. The buyer isn't going to know how old you are until they actually meet you so their entire perception is based on the way you speak to them or the things you write. An advert that runs 'ded gd hoss. u'll fink hes gr8. Comes wif al tack' isn't going to go down well. Maybe get a teacher to read through your advert after you've written it?

2) reply to people in a adult way - I know most teenagers hate speaking to adults on the phone but you'll have to be brave;) Reply quickly to emails (using good english!) and try to speak to people rather then texting. Answer the phone politely and try to put the buyer at ease - they're often as nervous if not more so then you and often forget to ask things or get stuck.

3) Be organised with people wanting to veiw him/know more. Have a list of things you're wanting to tell them about him (good to shoe/hack etc) and have an album of photo's and video's to show them over the internet if they want to see more. Set up a public photobucket account full of nice photo's a video's of him (with well worded informative tags attached like 'first day at beach 2009' and 'hunting XXX pack Dec 2008) and give buyers the address they can have a look themselves.

4) know how to give directions! I went to see a horse sold by a young girl who did fine until she couldn't tell me where she was! You don't drive yet so willl find it harder but go and study a map. And/or look it up on line and make a map showing where you are to email to people.

Good luck. It's a skill selling horses and there are plenty of adults who suck at it too so it'll be a good lifeskill practise ;)
 
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