A small rant about selling a 'not novice ride' horse...

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

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Some of you may know I have made the decision to sell my difficult mare. Due to circumstances (I need the cash!) and the fact that I am quite emotional about it I want to do this fairly quickly.

Now in her advert she is described as not novice ride. I have been 'vetting' people on the phone and I have had about 20 calls from people who want a straightforward hack, or are looking for something for their 14 yr old coming off ponies. So I have put the majority off as I am (probably too) honest.

Last week I had someone call me up & when I explained about her quirks etc this lady said 'I can handle anything' and 'I don't mind sharp horses' and looking for a project etc so I thought 'great'
She came to see her, my mare didn't put a foot wrong really and went nicely over some jumps & this lady said 'she looks too sharp' and didn't even sit on!
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I told her exactly what this mare was like - Why waste my time!!?! (And my rider's time when he could have been out competing) Grrr.

When I last sold a quirky horse (many years ago now) there were good riders queuing up for a challenge/project and looking to buy a horse they could 'make'. Now it seems everyone wants a push button Katie Price type horse for about £3k.
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i have now relented and put her on project horses (I HATE that site) though I am sure I will STILL get a bunch of novices calling me.

*sigh*
 
i understand your frustration.. Pepole want the perfect horse but go to look at the wrong types..

Onlything i didnt like about your post was your katie price comment.. really was there any need? I say good luck to the girl! trying to better herself at riding.. good on her!

If i had some money and time spare.. i would probably come and look at your horse. but i aint.. as ted is eating gold at the min bless him.

Lou x
 

I sympathise with you completly. I advertised Archie for loan/sale earlier in the year and I was 100% honest in the advert and on the phone about all his querks.
Like you, I had loads of Mums ringing up for their 12 year old daughter coming off ponies. I had to really bited my tough with them, coz they think their child is the best rider ever and can ride anything!! A few people on here can back me up when I say, Arch IS NOT easy to ride and not just anyone can get on him and make him go!!!
I ended up chaning my advert to say "Not suitable for jumiors coming off ponies"!!
I also had a lady turn up who had rung me and sounded great, she came with her OH and said she was really looking for something her NOVICE boyfriend could ride aswell, WTF!!!
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Anywho, Im getting worked up!
Good luck with your mare and I hope she finds the right home.
 
It's so frustrating isn't it! Why do people do it?

Several years ago now my brother had a horse, 16.1 tb type, that my parents were selling for him as he had gone away to college. One lady turned up to try him and we found out that she had had riding lessons at the age of 12 (was now in her 40s) and had just bought a new house with a stable in the garden so thought it would be nice to have a horse to go in it!!
 
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i understand your frustration.. Pepole want the perfect horse but go to look at the wrong types..

Onlything i didnt like about your post was your katie price comment.. really was there any need? I say good luck to the girl! trying to better herself at riding.. good on her!

If i had some money and time spare.. i would probably come and look at your horse. but i aint.. as ted is eating gold at the min bless him.

Lou x

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lol - my comment about Katie Price is not slating the girl. I just think that everyone these days seems to want a horse that can go to the olympics (like hers) when they actually aren't at that level (like her. at the moment. )

I am also amazed at the amount of people who ask if my horse can jump 1m40 when they are only competing at BN.
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I can offer you a straight swap for a different psycho.
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If you get desperate and would prefer a lame bolter to your horse, please get in touch.
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Seriously, I hope you find the right person for her soon.
 
I do synpathise with your predicament but had to say do not write off all 14 year olds - my daughter has just turned 15 and has her own ponies but also used to ride for a dealer - she rode anything and I mean ANYTHING and I would have no qualms about her ability to ride almost anything - she is better than most of the adults on our yard - you often find 14 year olds are braver than most adults - or at least have less sense!!
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Some people find 'not novice ride' comments attractive.

You know the people I mean- the ones who think that just because they are still on board whilst its leaping around, they should be in the olympics squad?

Could you change the wording?
 
Be fair, at least the lady didnt ride her round for 45 minutes and then say she wasnt for her. Or drive off saying thanks for the free ride, numpty! She watched the horse, assessed it and didnt waste anymore of your time. I think that is fair. It happens. What is difficult for one person is not necessarily difficult for another. At least she turned up.
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I know it is annoying but I have been the buyer in this situation. You do feel bad but surely it is better to say so quickly rather than carry on.

Off to look at Project horses now! I was saving up for your filly! Then you went and sold her!
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[ QUOTE ]
I can offer you a straight swap for a different psycho.
wink.gif


If you get desperate and would prefer a lame bolter to your horse, please get in touch.
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Seriously, I hope you find the right person for her soon.

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PMSL
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I agree as it happens minesadouble

BUT I don't want to be responsible for a minor coming off & then having an irate parent sueing me or something. It's a shame but I am afraid of that so won't sell her to anyone under 18.
 
I can understand your frustration here!
When I started to look for a loan horse, ANYTHING that had "not a Novice ride" or " CVan be Sharp" I didn't even call, as I knew I didn't want anything that challenging!
Don't get me wrong, I didn't want a push button horse, I was after something that new what it was doing, and what was being asked of it, but just needed a little "guidance" I guess!
When I put an ad up looking for a horse, I was completely honest, and said in my ad, that although I had worked with horses for 7+ yrs, and had passed exams etc, I WASN'T a "I'll ride anything" rider, and wanted something that would show me the ropes as well!!!
the fact you are being totally honest is GREAT, as I've seen too many sellers telling white lies!!

Lippy x
 
Very good!!!

Actually can sympathise when I advertised my cob for a sharer, was honest in the ad, that although a cob, he is not a novice ride and can be very sharp. He really is what I suppose some people would call a mans horse, and good for a days hunting, he is big in height and width, not fat but all muscle(!) and when he decides he is going to spook he does it with 'style',
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Still I got calls from 12 year olds, a mum who's 13 year old was just having lessons at a riding school and one man who came along to try him but poor sod was so novicy that I wouldn't have let him out of the manage let alone hack out!

OK so my horse isn't a murderer but I couldn't and wouldn't want it on my concience that I had let someone out on him who couldn't cope. I am not a fantastic rider and have come off him too many times to remember, but that's my problem!

I have however found a lovely sharer, 18 years old and doing a course at college in equine management, she thinks my horse is fab and loves his shenannegans!!

So yes there are people out there that are reasonably experienced, I have been riding since age 5 but wouldn't have answered your ad as I just don't think I would be experienced enough, oh and would like to live a bit longer! Anyway good luck with selling her hope you find a great home and it all works out!
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Off to look at Project horses now! I was saving up for your filly! Then you went and sold her!
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Lol - only just done it so ad not up yet.
Agree about not riding for 45 mins and then saying she was too sharp but i think it is a lame excuse when the lady told me she could ride 'anything'.

Jen1 - totally agree with you there.
 
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Some people find 'not novice ride' comments attractive.

You know the people I mean- the ones who think that just because they are still on board whilst its leaping around, they should be in the olympics squad?



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PMSL

I know a few of those types
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I think you have a right to rant, it sounds like you are being totally honest about this horse and the woman was wasting your time.

If someone told me they'd sit on anything I would expect them to sit on anything with the exception of maybe a bucking bronco!
 
Well can see why you were annoyed, but don't give up hope. There are lots of people out there who don't want a perfect horse, ...after all, where's the fun in that for the people who enjoy training/schooling and horse that keeps you motivated and challenged at all times.

Unfortunately everyone has different ideas over what is a novice ride ....let alone what is classed as 'not a novice ride' on advertisements...so god help you on that one.

You'll find someone, you just might have to sample a few hoof kickers (as opposed to tire kickers) on the way.
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Slightly different, but when the breeders of my mare were selling her, advertised, funnily enough, as a 16.1hh mare, one family turned up, tried her somewhat reluctantly and then said "we had'nt expected her to be so big"!!!
 
Is it the horse in your sig you are selling?

If so she is stunning!
I can totally understand your frustrations but I am sure the right person will come along. I think you should consider lowering the age to 16, some 16 yr old are fantastic riders and I dont think any parent would sue at that age.
 
Your frustrations are understood, I had a sharp TB mare up for sale for over a year because we couldn't find the right person. She wasn't difficult, or dangerous, she just liked to do everything at 100 miles an hour, but if you kept her concentrating she was fabulous. I was totally honest about her but I had so many people come and look at her and then either wouldn't get on or would walk for 10 mins and then get off saying she wasn't for them.
She eventually went to a 14 year old girl who was absolutely fantastic with her.
At the age of 14 I was spending my weekends working on a selle francais stud and schooling their stallion, and was the only one who could get him to work without spurs!
I really wouldn't discount the younger ages.
 
I think that part of the problem is that there is an increasing trend for everyone who is not selling a complete plod/push button to advertise as "not a novice ride", so it is not really a guide anymore as to whether you mean that it is like the naughtier horses in the riding school, or it rears and bolts on a regular basis. People with some amount of noviceness are perfectly capable of coping with the former, but really have no business at all taking on the latter.
Not sure if you've already tried this, but getting rid of the not novice ride bit, and adding in more information about why she is not suitable for a novice is likely to put off at least some of the wrong people.
 
I feel your pain. When I was selling P I didn't have that exact problem as she wasn't a difficult ride generally speaking, just needed decent riding to get working properly. Despite total honesty on the phone, I had masses of people turn up to try her who expected to be able to just sit there and have her working like a dressage schoolmaster and then had the cheek to tell me that she wasn't well schooled enough - even when she'd been going perfectly with me a few minutes before and I'm hardly Carl Hester!

It is ridiculous how many people come to see a horse costing under 5k and expect it to be push button perfect - or maybe they just vastly overestimate their riding ability.
 
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