Advertising a horse- complete honesty straight off?

McNally

McNally

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I NEED to rehome my horse desperately am looking to loan him long term or hopefully perm but circumstances change (the loaners not mine! I'm not going to want him back) Dont want to sell as i feel very responsible for him and just want to know that if he is ever neglected or suffering there is something i can do about it unlike if i sold him.....

Now he has problems the main one being huge separation issues along with a few other things much milder. Now i have done an advert but have been brutelly honest and really maybe slightly unfair to him! I feel its not in my interest to lie or hold back as its no good for him to go somewhere that then decides they cant cope with him, at the same time i cant stress enough how urgently i need to find someone!

Whats best? Only point out his good points (which he also has) on the advert so i get more calls even though i will then put people off on the phone, first visit...when do i put them off!!??
 
I think you must be honest. If you want a long term loan that is the only way. lie about it & he will keep coming back to you. Lying doesn't pay, do as you would be done by.
 
Honesty is the best policy when wanting to loan a horse out. My pony is currently in his
5th loan home, excluding me who also had him on loan. They have worked because I was brutally honest with people, but nothing is permanent I'm afraid
 
I would err on the side of caution, although I don't think it matters quite so much as you're loaning him, not selling.

Every horse has quirks, and if you make a big deal of them in the advert, then it can make it sound a bigger issue than it is.

That said, I would touch on anything really significant in the ad - just don't overshadow the good points with the bad.
 
Things that are a big issue to one person are easily accommodated by another, so try not to put too many people off, and don't get too excited, I have advertised mine for over six months and only one person came who could ride him, and she felt he was too small [polo pony person] I would also try loan with a view to buy, as really you can't be sure if you can take him back over the next ten years or more.
 
Honesty, we were trying to find a loan pony for my friends kids, after searching various sites I asked on the forum wwhere else to look and got a pm from a forum member who was brutally honest about the pony being grumpy but was brilliant to ride. We've now had him since September and went into it knowing the ponies personality and that we could cope with it without making it worse.
 
Be honest but try not to let this overshadow his good points. You do need to "SELL" him a bit.

So mention his problems but also that they can be dealt with and that they don't mean he can't do a job. Emphasise what he can do and what he would be capable of with the right person/work.

Offer good trial facilities to someone unsure, my horse was bad with her feet and it nearly stopped us buying her but her owners were great about letting us view her several times, including being there when she was shod and allowed us a trial of 1 month at our yard (done on a loan with a view to buy basis). That made all the difference to us feeling happy to take her on quirks and all.
 
Being honest is the best policy. If your not honest and a less experienced person took a horse on with "problems" and didnt know how to deal with them it could end in disaster for the person and the horse.

Highlight your horses good points first, and what you think would suit him i.e. showjumping, hunting etc.

The market is just slow at the moment, but Im sure you'll find someone who will be able to give him a good home. Being honest how many horses out there dont have quirks and problems, just adds to their character. :)
 
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Agree - be honest but get someone else who knows the horse to read through the advert before you post it, otherwise as said above there is a danger that your desire to be totally honest will overshadow the good points which are still valid.
 
I think that when you talk to the prospective loaner is the time for real honesty, you don't want to be soooooo honest in your ad that people don't even enquire. People will always think that things are worse than you say in your ad.

So maybe he is bargy on the ground and difficult to lead, put something in the ad like, needs firm handling on the ground, then explain more when you speak to the person.
 
Going against the gain I wouldn't say too much on the advert and then explain once someone has phoned

Everyone expects everyone to lie on adverts

Not novice ride = he regularly tries to kill me

Rather than the honest persons perception when writing

Not novice ride = no numpties who cannot ride
 
Ask yourself what you would like if you were looking for a loan horse.
Would you prefer to know all of his quirks so you can make a decision based on your experience and knowledge or would you rather be surprised and perhaps totally unprepared. Would it be fair to your horse not to be honest? He could end up in the hands of someone not knowing how to deal with him and both parties (horse and loaner) could end up being thoroughly miserable.
Ok, it may take longer to find the right person but then you have ensured that he is going to a home that is equipped to deal with his quirks.
Personally, I would be honest as lies have a way of coming back and biting you in the bum!:D
 
Be honest - like this list (pinched from FB!)

THE REAL MEANING OF A HORSE AD- !

Event Prospect:- Big, fast horse
Dressage Prospect:- Big, slow horse
Pleasure Prospect:- Pretty color
Sporting Prospect:- Short, fast horse
Barrel Prospect:- Fast horse which can turn
Endurance Prospect:- Fast horse which will turn sometimes
Show Jumper Prospect:- Fashion icon
Hunted in Ireland:- kamikaze (suicide mission)
Fun for all the family:- All the family laugh their socks off while each member trys to stay on
Jumps small fences:- Doesn’t jump big fences
Jumps Coloured Poles:- Doesn’t Jump Fillers
Been Cross Country:- Went for miles before he could be stopped
Good at lateral work:- Spooks at everything
Ideal Lead rein pony:- Don’t ever take it off
Good all rounder:- Not particularaly good at anything Flashy:- White sock
15′2″ hh:- 14′3″ hh
16′2″ hh:- 15′3″ hh
Big trot:- Can’t canter
Nicely Started:- Lunges, but we don’t have enough insurance to ride him yet
Bold:- Runaway
Good Mover:- Runaway
Atheletic:- Runaway
Quiet:- Lame in both front legs
Dead Quiet:- Lame in all four legs
Good in Traffic (Bombproof):- Lame all around, deaf, and blind
Pony type:- Small and hairy
Arab Type:- Looks startled
Thoroughbred Type:- Looks terrified
Cob Type:- Fat
Easy to catch:- Dead
Elegant:- Thin
Well-Mannered:- Hasn’t stepped on, run over, bit, or kicked anyone for a week
Professionally Trained:- Hasn’t stepped on, run over, bit, or kicked anyone for a month
For sale as no jockey – he’s killed everyone we’ve put on his back
Cribs occasionally - cribs in the stable, in the field, when tied up, and sometimes even when being ridden
No time to do justice – and no death wish, either!
Not novice ride – velcro bums only need apply
Loves children – but couldn’t eat a whole one
Should Mature 16 hands :- Currently 14 hands, dam is 14′2, sire is 14′3, every horse in his pedigree back 18 generations is under 15 hands, but this horse will defy his DNA and grow.
To Loving Home Only:- Expensive
To Show Home Only:- Very Expensive
To Good Home Only :- Not really for sale unless you can 1) Pay twice what he is worth 2) are willing to sign a 8 page legal document allowing current owner to tuck in bed every night
For Sale Due to lack of Time:- Rider cannot afford to spend any more time in the hospital
Any Vet Check Welcome:- Please pay for us to find out what the !@#$ is wrong with him!
Recently Vetted:- Someone else found something really wrong with this horse.
Must Sell:- Weekly running costs of horse has sent us into voluntary liquidation
All Offers Considered:- Desperate to get rid
Will consider loan:- Very Desperate to get rid
 
varkie said:
Definitely be honest, but don't overplay it - keep the initial mention of his issue casual, and then go into more detail when they phone or visit.

I own Project Horses website, so get to see a lot of adverts for horses with issues, and you do tend to notice which ads do/don't do well.

All too often people get so caught up in being honest, and declaring their horses problems, that they forget to tell people why they should want their horse! There are people out there for sure, for whom separation anxiety won't be a big deal - something they're happy to deal with. But not if there isn't a good reason to buy the horse in the first place!

I usually advise people to write an ad in several paragraphs - first one being details, height, sex, breed, etc. Second paragraph I advise that they 'sell' their horse - tell everyone what their horse is good at, what makes him attractive, what are his good qualities, what makes him lovable, what he's got potential for. Third paragraph (this is specific to Project Horses often, due to our being a 'sell your horse warts & all' type website) we advise listing the problems - but if there is a way of managing it, list that too (i.e. is difficult to catch - but fine if you always give him a treat!), and we do suggest that people are careful what they say (so don't say he's a nightmare to catch - sometimes it's weeks before I can catch him - say he can be very difficult to catch and this needs work), as you don't want to put people off, yet it is equally important to be honest. You can tell people the nitty gritty about the problem later. I usually advise then a final paragraph saying what kind of handler/rider I think their horse would be ideal for - novice, confident, experienced, etc.
Click to expand...

Really excellent advice, and just the sort of ad I would have liked to read as a buyer!
 
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