Advice please - to sell or not to sell. Can't decide.

Do you like Pumpkin Pie or not?

  • Total voters
    0
P

Patches

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 February 2005
Messages
10,028
Visit site
Hope you can help me with my little problem.

As most of you may know, I have a 2 year old Section B from Rotherwood/Downland lines. Reylem Tomboy, Talis to his friends!

I bought him hoping he'd make 13.2 and be a SHP/WHP type. He was only 4 months old at the time, and had been weaned by his mother naturally at that time.

This is him now. His 2nd birthday is mid May.
DSC01403.jpg

DSC01404.jpg

DSC01407.jpg

DSC01402.jpg


As you can see, he's actually quite fine and currently stands just short of 12.2. He's not going to make the height I need and my daughter has outgrown her 11.2 Section A now. So, we've bought Oliver, a new pony for her (don't get him till probably the end of next month as he's being schooled on for a while).

So, he's my dilemma. I will be incredibly sorry to see Talis go. He's done quite well showing with the NCPA and indeed qualified for POYS last year, although we never took him as my father in law was gravely ill at the time (since recovered though thankfully). He has the most amazing temperament and is such a chilled out, happy little soul.

I'm guessing he could be worth about £750 as a two year old, give or take. Is it worth the expense to keep him until he's backed and then sell on, or should I just sell him now? Bear in mind insurance, farrier, dentist (he had his teeth floated for first time ever last week and took it all in his stride bless him), worming, feed etc etc. Not to mention the cost of backing. If I add those to the mix, it might make more sense to sell now.

Problem is, is there a big market for 2 year old ponies?

Gah, I don't know what to do! It will be very hard to let him go, but if he's not going to be big enough, what else can I do?

Help!
 
Get him out and about and make it known that he's for sale. He's a lovely little chap and if he does as well in the ring this time round as last season then I'd imagine there'd be a fair few takers.
 
Sorry I'm no help whatsoever....but I think I would wait until I was sure that Oliver is going to be the right pony for Hannah before selling Talis. So if he was mine, I'd wait for a few months and if all is well then put him on the market.
 
You know me! I've put sell him now but could also have ticked the show him this summer box if you'd allowed it! I'm also a believer in the 'first loss is the best loss' idea although sometimes it does work out the other way. If you keep him too long, any gain you make will have been wiped out by the cost of getting him there if that makes sense.
Funny enough, was just going to pm you about this!
 
Taking him to a few shows is a good idea but i'd sell him before september as prices start dropping at this time.
 
I'd keep him because I can't sell anything!

But, are you sure he won't make 13.2hh? he's not 2 yet, so I would have thought he'd have a fair bit of growing left to do. Maybe its different with ponies and they mature younger, but my horse has grown 5 inches since turning 4. It seems possibly a bit hasty to rule out growing more when he's so young?
 
Oh yes, forgot to say, he is indeed a gelding.

His grand sire is Rotherwood State Occasion, who I am told is a very good line to have in Section B's.

He's very showy. Proper flicky toed trot. Lovely pony. I absolutely adore him.
 
I shall try again. Tia makes a very valid point about Oliver. Selling at the end of the summer is not a great idea, as the market tends to be flooded then. In the great scheme of things, it won't cost that much to keep him for another year or so. Livery is usually the largest expense. His superb temperament is worth hanging on to - you'd kick yourself if he went on to grow more! Have you done the 'knee to hoof' test? He may be finely built, but Welshies are tought little beasts.
 
I voted keep him till backed - he'll be hard to sell - don't mean that in a way personal to him but we breed sec Bs and until they are broken they are worth b***** all!
I wouldn't bother showing him this season either unless you find a show with classes for 2 year olds only - must shows lump the 2 and 3 year olds in together and the 2s don't stand a chance.
He looks as though he'll be a nice little pony and you don't have to pay livery so economically it makes good sense to keep him.
 
Gah proxy error ate my reply too!!!!!! String test says 13 hands and half an inch. I'm assuming he'll be 13hh tops.

Totally agree with what Tia and yourself are saying about Oliver. It may not work out. We can't know for sure one way or the other yet.

However, it has made me question that if Oliver is too much as he's only rising 5 for Hannah (she will only ride with an instructor initially) then how could I ever expect her to get on Talis when he is just backed? So yes, whilst Oliver may indeed not turn out to be "the one" (I sincerely hope he is though), that doesn't automatically mean Talis will be either does it? I would assume I'd then have to look at something much older.

Gah it's so hard to know what's right to do. I was wondering whether just to advertise now with a higher price tag and see what interest is generated. I reckon he'd definitely be for sale now at the favourable price!

My biggest problem though isn't cost of keeping him another 12 months. It's the father in law who's told me I can't keep FIVE equines long term. He says that's extreme! Thank God he's not met Tia eh? LOL
 
Can I be cheeky...how much is not much for a value? Would love to know what someone really thinks he's worth now.

I've seen some on the net for £1200. Doesn't mean they get anywhere near that price though, so hard to gauge a realistic value for him.
 
Good point. So many options! £750 sounds low to me. I'd maybe stick him on the market for more than that, and just see if anything happens. If not, hang on to him. Most decent foals are around the £1000 price at under a year, so he must surely be worth more than that...
 
Round here (North) about £600.00 - £800.00 we've just sold a real cracker of a pony (2 yr old) for that - he has gone to a top producer and we do normally ask a bit less for them where this is the case as it gets the prefix out and about.
I'm not saying you wouldn't get any more than this for him - a lot of it is down to luck who comes along, but people into showing know they can get Bs from the breeders for around about this price mark.
But if he was broken and going nicely you would be looking at nearer £2,000.00 - possibly more - it's hard to tell how good a 2 year old is going to be - most of ours are at their most unattractive at 2 - what with teeth bumps and all that - and come back into themselves at 3.
Some of ours on website at www.megland.co.uk
 
Your FiL does cause you some headaches! Maybe you could tell him you have no intention of keeping them all long-term, and suggest you would be better to hang on for a while before making any decisions. With any luck he'll forget in time...
 
IMO its not worth keeping him to back as you won't get much more for him, say £1,400, by the time you've paid for backing and everything else its not worth it.

He is lovely though so I can definitely see your dilemma.
 
He is lovely and at 2 I would certainly expect him to grow another 3". Chancer has grown a hand from 18 months to rising 3 and is still bum up and I expect another 2" to go.

I would be inclined to keep him if it won't cost that much - as you said he is very easy to do. He may yet turn out well for your daughter.

If you do decide to sell then I would try and keep him until backed or face having to sell him off cheaper. As a minimum try to get him out to a few shows so he is seen to have done something.
 
I would wait until he's been backed to sell him—I would imagine doing that would make selling him easier.

And if you wait, you will have time to make up your mind whether to sell him or keep him!
 
I was thinking myself that £600 - £800 would be top price for him. When I say sell now, I did mean get his summer coat completely through and tidy him up (not aimed at you, but just incase people thought I'd advertise him unkempt
grin.gif
)

I just can't see, with the insurance etc, buying tack, paying for him to be backed that it'd be worth keeping him. On the other hand, I love him to pieces.

I guess there is always the possibility that he will be as nice and calm under saddle as he is to do. Perhaps I could consider keeping talis more long term and selling Tweenie, our Section A, when Isobel's a little older (Isobel is my youngest daughter who's 5 this year). Instead of thinking of Talis for Hannah (who's 9 1/2), perhaps I should be looking further into the future?

Your ponies are all lovely. Talis is more home produced, than show produced so I wouldn't expect him to be worth as much as your crackers.
 
I'm all for thinking up excuses to keep favourite ponies!! In all honesty he might surprise you - he looks as though he might mature into something very nice - especially if he's an extravagant mover. Also my daughter is 13 and has to be every inch of 5'5' and yet she still looks fine on her 13.2hh. If you saw her standing on the ground you would think she would look ridiculous on a 13.2 but a lot depends on how much of the pony there is.
Though I can see that Talis is a 'fine' type of B they do quite often take up the leg better than you think.
If he was mine I would keep him
wink.gif
 
Our insurance for Beano is about £115 a year. Do you know any competent lightweight youngsters who could back him for you? You could start getting him used to it now by sitting on him when he is lying down (sideways in case he gets up!), or getting someone small to lie across his back. You could always sell your Shetland... *Sooty runs and hides*
 
Selling Dinker is a good idea Soots. Problem is, he doesn't have a full size stable anyway. Father in law has put in 6 stables. Four for mine (incl. Dinkers) and 2 for liveries. I'm not allowed to fill up the others as they are destined for liveries (not that I advertise for any at the moment! LOL)

So, by that theory, getting rid of Dinker doesn't actually free up a "big stable". Asides the fact, I would worry if others would manage him as well as we do. He is a laminitic and ***touches wood*** he's not had an attack in the almost three years that I've owned him. He's also Duncan's "puppy".

If someone thought Talis has a presence about him that might mean I'd regret selling him on (as in when he scooped up at HOYS pmsl!) then I'd just have to keep him!
 
Well I think that is exactly what he does have. I love his ears - he has a real 'look at me' appearance, and holds himself nicely. If you do sell him, don't give him away - he has a lot going for him. I never really thought you'd sell Dinker!
grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top