"5* home"

[Birker2020]

The way people word ads these days gets my goat.

I especially hate 'mid four figure sum required'. What the heck does that mean??
And 'very sad sale of much loved horse'.

As for 5* home, I interpret that to mean manicured paddocks, long driveway, Olympic sized arena and fancy Monarch stabling.
Not some mud pit with stables held together with nails and bailing twine lol.

 

[milliepops]

The way people word ads these days gets my goat.

I especially hate 'mid four figure sum required'. What the heck does that mean??

this is often to get under the radar on FB where advertising animals for sale is not permitted so people don't write the numbers. I don't think it's hard to understand though? it's going to be 5k or thereabouts.

 

[deb_l222]

The adverts where a 5* forever home is insisted upon really wind me up. No, you don't have the right to demand a forever home for your horse. If you REALLY wanted that, you would keep it yourself

 

[Annagain]

"Stunning" is an excellently vague word. I generally use it when I want to appear to be complimentary but in fact I think the horse/dog/baby/dress/wallpaper looks like a bag of spanners. As in "I am stunned how ugly your horse/dog/baby/dress/wallpaper is." I apologise in advance to anyone whose loved one I describe as stunning... I should add, I actually do it very rarely and usually only when someone puts me in the position of not being able to say nothing.

 

[NR88]

5* to me just equates to short hand for "good home wanted". Most likely used by an everyday owner rather than a dealer/producer/professional who might not have the same relationship with the horse.

Yes, "stunning", beauty really is in the eye of the beerholder ?

My advert bugbear is "potential" especially when applied to something 11 years + and also described as green

 

[greenbean10]

this is often to get under the radar on FB where advertising animals for sale is not permitted so people don't write the numbers. I don't think it's hard to understand though? it's going to be 5k or thereabouts.

I'm sure it's also 'mid 5 figures' that people seem to get confused over. People write 'mid-high 5 figures' when the horse is between £15-20k, when technically that should mean £50k+! Also 'low 5 figures' normally means £11-12k, when actually I suppose 'low 5 figures' could be anywhere from £10-30k. I don't even think that's me being pedantic because it's such a huge difference!

 

[Leandy]

5* to me just equates to short hand for "good home wanted". Most likely used by an everyday owner rather than a dealer/producer/professional who might not have the same relationship with the horse.

Yes but that is just as meaningless. Noone ever thinks they are a bad, or a not good, home surely?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

As MP says it is to avoid FB selling rules preventing the ad.

GB I think a code has sort of developed.
I interpret it like:
Low 4s is about 2k
Low-mid 4's 2.5-4.5K
Mid is about 5K
High 4s I rthink is 8-10K
Low 5's about 12
Low teens is 13/14K
Mid 5 i think is confusing. I think people mean 15K but technical;y that is 50K!

Be interesting to know if others see it differently though.

 

[Leandy]

Actually, the one I find most annoying (other than all the very, very ordinary ones described as "top" whatever) is "quirky". What does that mean?? For it to convey any useful meaning at all it needs to say exactly what the "quirk" is.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

5* to me just equates to short hand for "good home wanted". Most likely used by an everyday owner rather than a dealer/producer

It is meant to mean that but in fact I think it's BS. I have a friend who is looking and in their experience, ads should read: Home wanted for highest possible price in the shortest possible time-frame. Form an orderly queue. You will get 30 minutes to view and no you can't come back. I need an answer immediately as there is someone else coming right after you. You can vet if you want but the horse could well be sold to someone less fussy by the time you do. No questions will be asked of you and if you waste my time with too many questions of your own you can sod off as there are plenty more where you came from..... NEXT!

 

[exracehorse]

My yard that I rent is incredibly basic. Fencing not great. Some post and rails held together with bale twine! Chicken shite everywhere as they roost in the stables and in my rugs. One stable floods if the drains block. So .. probably couldn’t offer a 5* home in that respect. But all my ponies are loved. Well fed and watered. And live out as much as possible. Usually covered in mud.

 

[fiestiemaestie]

'Perfect' is the one that gets to me. Found the 'perfect' horse but ... Looking for the perfect horse. Looking for the perfect house. Found the 'perfect' house but ... etc

 

[Firefly9410]

It is meant to mean that but in fact I think it's BS. I have a friend who is looking and in their experience, ads should read: Home wanted for highest possible price in the shortest possible time-frame. Form an orderly queue. You will get 30 minutes to view and no you can't come back. I need an answer immediately as there is someone else coming right after you. You can vet if you want but the horse could well be sold to someone less fussy by the time you do. No questions will be asked of you and if you waste my time with too many questions of your own you can sod off as there are plenty more where you came from..... NEXT!

This is interesting. I always think I would not apply for the "5* home wanted" ads because I think it makes the seller sound like hard work and as someone else posted above I have no interest in being grilled by the seller. I am an uncomplicated sort of person and the type of seller you mention is the type of sale I like.

 

[Flicker]

The trouser press! I guess that omision knocks me down a star.

Is there a Gideon’s bible in the bedside table?

 

[Flicker]

With sellers, I always interpret ‘5* home only’ as meaning, “I feel guilty about selling this horse and want people to think I really love it so I will pretend that I’m going to be picky about who I sell it to, when really I just want rid and as long as the horse box collecting it doesn’t have ‘Quality Pies and Sausages’ emblazoned on the side, horse is pretty much going to the first person who stumps up the asking price”.

With buyers, ‘5* home awaits’ either means, “We’ve got the whole family invested in my beloved daughter’s next horse and have a bed laid out and nanna has been to Waitrose for apples, and there is a good trainer lined up to see her up to the next level” OR “I’m great at this horse thing and nobody telling me my horse is too fat / too thin / lame / naughty is going to convince me otherwise”...

’Looking for new best friend’ makes me think of a teenager who is going to fall out with the ‘friend’ the second the ‘friend’ doesn’t win / goes lame / needs a new saddle / needs tending to on a Saturday morning ...

Call me cynical...

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine have a radio in the stable does that count as 5 *

And I use the £1 baby wipes for there face instead of the 79p Tesco ones.

 

[GSD Woman]

This whole thread makes me laugh. According to the way I kept my horse back in the dark ages I would be a negative *. He lived out, was in a stable only to eat or when he was waiting for the farrier or vet. He did have a New Zealand rug for the winter though.

 

[Caol Ila]

If writing honestly, I would say, "5* home available. 14x12ish breeze block box with daily cleaning and meal services. Straw bed. Fresh water. Has to sh1t in the corner of your room. All day or all night turn out available in general population if on good behaviour and doesn't try to murder anyone or escape, but if it can't function in gen pop, it's limited to two hours per day of recreation time in paddocks. Either way, it will be expected to work, carrying circa 9-10 stone, for an hour or per day, four to six days a week. But we do offer sick days when needed and top of the line medical care."

Barlinnie or Four Seasons?

 

[only_me]

As an aside, thought would have a wee browse on HQ for event horses to see prices.

7 year old 15h dun Connie x, done 2 BE80s and a couple of unaff - they’re looking 15k for him!! that seems stupidly high for what he is - maybe 8-10 if has “potential” but 15k?!!
ad states can leg yield, walk to canter & counter canter as highlights of good flat work training - something I’d expect my 5/6 year old to be doing, can’t exactly see why that Is a selling point!

 

[BallyJ]

As an aside, thought would have a wee browse on HQ for event horses to see prices.

7 year old 15h dun Connie x, done 2 BE80s and a couple of unaff - they’re looking 15k for him!! that seems stupidly high for what he is - maybe 8-10 if has “potential” but 15k?!!
ad states can leg yield, walk to canter & counter canter as highlights of good flat work training - something I’d expect my 5/6 year old to be doing, can’t exactly see why that Is a selling point!

Makes me sad! I sold up a couple of years ago, but have been thinking of getting something similar to the above for some fun. Definitely can't warrant it at that price, that's me out for afew more years!

 

[AdorableAlice]

5 star home to go with a 5 star vetting. Both have no meaning and for me indicate a lack of knowledge so neither statement would make me want to contact the purchaser or vendor.

The inability of many purchasers to actually read and understand an advert is astonishing. I recently used the following statement -

Home bred 17.2 gelding, out of Irish Vanner Mare by National Hunt TB stallion. You would not believe how many people could not understand those words.

 

[Kat]

It's become a meaningless phrase. I've bought a few horses and not once have I ever been asked a single question about the quality of home I can offer, whatever the ad says!. Which is sad really. I didn't use the term 5* in my ad because I find it grates now as it has lost whatever meaning it might once have had.

I agree that it is largely meaningless but a phrase like "must be a 5* home" or "home more important than price" can be a signifier that it is worth enquiring even below asking price if you are offering the type of set up the owner is looking for.

It is sad but unsurprising that you have never been asked about the home you are offering. Discussion about the home offered was absolutely key to the purchase of my sister's new horse and pretty important in the purchase of my horse.

In the case of my horse it was very much a two way thing, the owner was sure the horse was right for us when we had doubts after an issue with the vetting, so she offered us further viewings and a trial period. She wasn't even desperate to sell, she'd decided to loan her if we didn't have her. It worked out well, it has been over 10 years and everyone is happy!

 

[spacefaer]

@AdorableAlice
5* vetting - drives me nuts. Do they not know what the 5 stages of a vetting actually are?
And my other bugbear "out of" xyz stallion. Nope- physically impossible!

I tend to gist read, so any sentence (or even paragraph) containing "5*home" tends to get gisted out!

 

[Birker2020]

I'm sure it's also 'mid 5 figures' that people seem to get confused over. People write 'mid-high 5 figures' when the horse is between £15-20k, when technically that should mean £50k+! Also 'low 5 figures' normally means £11-12k, when actually I suppose 'low 5 figures' could be anywhere from £10-30k. I don't even think that's me being pedantic because it's such a huge difference!

Yes that was what I was referring to, that's what I find confusing e.g. low four figure. If mid four figure is £5K would low four figure be £2.5K or would that be mid to low 4 figure lol