Am I way out on price? Why have I not had much interest in my schoolmaster?

[Saratoga]

I think the price, his age and his vet issues are the reason he is maybe not gathering much interest. I would also agree that looking at his record, I would assume he's gone lame, you've had it investigated and found issues with the hocks, and want him gone.

I know that's just not the case, but it's what I would assume looking at his ad and his record.

There's a chance he only has a few years left in him competition wise, and £5k for a horse to go a couple of seasons on is a lot of money for most people.

 

[Gamebird]

I have been looking at horses for friends and I would love to know where these nice youngsters for £5k are! I am just seeing rubbish at the moment despite having a budget of £8k.

Personally Op I also do not think he is ridiculously overpriced. In the USA horses like him are worth a fortune and they do not seem to have the issues about medicating. You can always put negotiable on the price. In fact two friends have just sold their horses to the USA. One was through an agent so this might be a direction to look at.

He is better than a RC horse and I think you need to push how easy he is and how he has built your confidence etc. I do think a couple of runs under his belt will help and maybe get him hunting once as this will also help.

Absolutely 100% agree with LEC. He isn't a RC nor a BE90/100 horse. BE90 would seriously insult him! He's perfect for someone moving up, possibly a talented teenager (I assume he could do JON/CCI*?) and there will be people looking for exactly this horse who won't give a fig about his joints. Then by the time the rider is ready for a higher level horse or experienced enough to bring one on he will probably have reached the end of his ability to compete at this level anyway.

Go with your plan and some serious word-of-mouth - try all the people who have trained you as they will know young riders (and know who hasn't got the money to go out and buy an expensive Juniors horse). Have you spoken to Charlotte and/or Kenneth?

 

[sw123]

I know him from his previous life with JP and Laurence!! Lovely horse!

Does he have to be sold? In my experience (and I have one!) these are the sort of fabulous horses who should go out on long lovely loans with people who are competitive and want to do that sort of thing but also want them as a horse who they will keep forever.... He owes you nothing for the experience he's given you and I think you'd be more likely to find someone to give him a great home that way than selling?

I've got an ex advanced horse who came to us like that, also via JP and then last summer had another ex CCI** horse who had a season with me and is now with another PC rider who has done lots of teams/RC stuff this year as well as BE and is loved to bits and will have a home for life?

 

[sarahlouiseh]

at his age with his joint problems - yes too expensive. Honestly people wanting to spend that kind of money do NOT want a potential vet/soundness problem.

 

[Luci07]

Lucky you dont need the board to make up your mind then!

I think your plan of giving him some recent runs is a good one. I think £5K for a horse that can still go intermediate is cheap - as you are sorting out his record.

I sit on my hands as I have a 22 year old mare and if I ventured forth could well end up with 2 veterans in a couple of years time, plus my youngster.

Good luck. I can understand your concerns having had a bad experience loaning him. The onlly other option you might to look at carefully is actually leasing him, if that is a financial option?

 

[Cazza263]

Before you do anything else (like change the price), I would definitely put him on Horsequest. I for one don't bother looking on Horsedeals (= cheap & cheerful - or not so cheap and not so cheerful in my mind!) and I am sure that many other people don't either. I saw your earlier thread about what price to ask etc and was surprised not to see an advert on Horsequest and assumed that you had changed your mind about selling - obviously I was wrong.

If I could afford another at the moment (difficult with two crocked ones on full livery!) I would definitely be coming to see him as a schoolmaster for my 15 yr old daughter, even with his vet problems. I bought a super talented 15 year old pony a couple of years ago who had serious vet issues, knowing that I was basically chucking my money away but hoping we would get a couple of years out of him - as it turned out we got one season out of him but the experience he gave my daughter was enormous and he was worth every penny just for that. Would love to do the same again with a horse, but have to sort out the crocked ones first!

 

[noodle_]

at his age with his joint problems - yes too expensive. Honestly people wanting to spend that kind of money do NOT want a potential vet/soundness problem.

ditto this tbh.

i wouldnt even spend 500 quid on a horse that was going to go lame and had joint problems

no offence meant but you did ask opinions

 

[MegaBeast]

If my memory serves me rightly then an (ex) HHO member bought a similar kind of schoolmaster for £5k if my serves me rightly - was older (18) and had gone advanced but she got one season out of him, learned heaps and was more than happy if my memory serves me rightly.

I would say the price is right but I'd either not mention vet issues in the ad or would say what they are.

 

[SophieLouBee]

Absolutely 100% agree with LEC. He isn't a RC nor a BE90/100 horse. BE90 would seriously insult him! He's perfect for someone moving up, possibly a talented teenager (I assume he could do JON/CCI*?) and there will be people looking for exactly this horse who won't give a fig about his joints. Then by the time the rider is ready for a higher level horse or experienced enough to bring one on he will probably have reached the end of his ability to compete at this level anyway.

This.

If you are going to sell him, this is who you need to target.
90% of the market, will look at him, see that he is 15, has an injury, most will have clicked back by then, but the few who do look at his record will think hes crocked and done for, and will then go on with their search.
Get him out to that event! WOM everyone who you think might possibly know someones twice removed 16yo talented rider half cousin. EVERYONE.

If this were me looking, I'd be offering hundreds, but I am in that 90%, not the 10% that you want!

Times are hard, winter is coming, joints+cold=badness, you'll have a job on! But, he is lovely, and there are people out there, you just need to find them.

 

[AmyMay]

I think he's overpriced too - given his DJD. Someone may only get one season out of him, and £5k's a lot of money to pay out for that risk.

I thoroughly agree with the poster who suggested leasing him - or loaning him.

He is absolutely stunning, and your photo album is a real testiment to him.

 

[Saratoga]

If my memory serves me rightly then an (ex) HHO member bought a similar kind of schoolmaster for £5k if my serves me rightly - was older (18) and had gone advanced but she got one season out of him, learned heaps and was more than happy if my memory serves me rightly.

But this horse is question has only jumped clear round 1 intermediate since 2007, so not a top level schoolmaster in my eyes, more a lower level schoolmaster. And for a lower level schoolmaster that may have potential soundness issues £5k is a lot of money to risk.

I can only go on the record, and what it is telling me without knowing any details.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

For a horse with DJD I wouldnt pay 5k for sorry

Also his age, he now 'techically' eligible for veteran classes (although I know that means nowt to an eventer) and with the DJD peolpe may be thinking it will shorten his use span.

Dont want to be a party pooper but its just my honest opinion.

 

[henryhorn]

BEUTI I can't believe you are suggesting someone pays £5000 for something that without treatment isn't sound!
Read what's wrong with the horse, it needs medication and is 15 years old.
I don't care how much experience he's had with problems he may just as soon break down and there are comparable schoolmasters with no problems around for that price.
Unless someone can afford to gamble five grand I'm afraid he's way too expensive.

 

[whiteclover]

BEUTI I can't believe you are suggesting someone pays £5000 for something that without treatment isn't sound!
Read what's wrong with the horse, it needs medication and is 15 years old.
I don't care how much experience he's had with problems he may just as soon break down and there are comparable schoolmasters with no problems around for that price.
Unless someone can afford to gamble five grand I'm afraid he's way too expensive.

Sorry I have to agree. I will shortly be looking for a safe, sane allrounder but my budgets nowhere near 5k.

 

[Mince Pie]

I think there is a difference between someone who wants to gain experience moving up the levels to be a serious eventer, and someone who wants a "nice all rounder". Each 'camp' will see a horses price tag differently.