Are horses just not selling at the moment?

[muddy_grey]

I am just wondering if the horse market is really slow at the moment.

A friend and I both have horses for sale. Horses are very different, the only similarity is they are within 2 inches of each other. Otherwise chalk and cheese and different price brackets (1 is half the price of the other).

Friend has had 3 inquiries and 1 viewing.

I have had a few more inquiries and 3 viewings. But TBH it has really felt like they were wasting my time. Horse is a saint allrounder.

Viewing 1: Loved her. Then at the end of the viewing said she had to sell her current horse who she was too scared to ride anymore before she could afford a new one!!!!!!!

Viewing 2: Girl rode the horse for 1.5 hours, jumped 1000 fences and took her for a hack, had a huge grin on her face the whole time and then texted the next day to say she though she was too big. She looked fine and the horse was not strong at all. If she really felt she was too big, surely she knew within 30mins (or less).

Viewing 3: Again horse was super. Lady and 2 friends rode her. I escorted her out hacking and she really tested her. Asked her to stop while I continued cantering away from her in a field, then turned her away from the other horse and asked her to canter away. I really don't think there are many horses that would do this without a fuss and are capable of scoring 65% and popping a 1m course. Lady said she was the first horse she had seen so she didn't want to commit.

I am hoping No.3 will get back to me once she has tried a couple more, but it is so frustrating. It is really stressful showing a horse you love to people. People always moan about sellers not being honest, but what about buyers?

I believe (and others) that both horses are priced reasonably and I don't think it is just price as the more expensive horse has had more interest/viewings. Is the market just that crap at the moment? I do wonder sometimes about the post people make looking for horses with a tiny budget. Are people just expecting all for nothing? I could drop the price a little, but not sure it would make a difference.

Any suggestions on where else to advertise would be good - currently on HHO and horse deals

Sorry needed to moan if nothing else. Nothing to offer as I have eaten everything nice out of stress

 

[poppyblossom]

I've been trying to sell my fell since spring and have had very little interest. The interest I've had have been people who are totally inappropriate for him or have been total timewasters! And I'm selling him for dirt cheap.....very frustrating see my ranting post ha ha!!

 

[webble]

Could you pm me the link to your ad wouldnt mind a bit more info for a friend please

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Not had one real enquiry for mine, he's on all the freebie FB sites I can find, plus in H&H mag last Thursday and also on H&H online. He's lovely, professionally backed, give him an easy winter of hacking out once or twice a week and in the spring he'll be ready to go on.. no interest though. I'm dropping the price and I'm not looking to make a profit out of him but I would like to cover my costs!

Yesterday I saw a TB x NF 14.2hh 7 year old gelding, being used as a companion, free... horses are two a penny, and this does seem to be devaluing them. :-(

 

[noodle_]

i gave up trying to sell mine - i didnt honestly want to anyhow but the market was awful - people want something for nothing


People were put off when i gave them a number to phone rather than endless fb messages.... timewasters.

 

[dibbin]

My instructor is selling a fantastic 4 year old Hackney cross who she backed herself, he's a wee cracker with paces to die for who has had a brilliant start to his ridden career. She's been advertising him for months with little interest, and she certainly isn't asking silly money for him.

 

[Mudfukkle]

I find the whole thing depressing and I fear for the future of horses unless something changes soon.

It's also the same with saddles, you have to practically give them away even though they recently cost a fortune. Only the real top of the range hold their prices.

I'm not selling a horse btw, mine would never be sold, but I am on FB pages and see loads of horses free or so cheap, it makes me sad

 

[Mudfukkle]

I find the whole thing depressing and I fear for the future of horses unless something changes soon.

It's also the same with saddles, you have to practically give them away even though they recently cost a fortune. Only the real top of the range hold their prices.

I'm not selling a horse btw, mine would never be sold, but I am on FB pages and see loads of horses free or so cheap, it makes me sad

 

[hotair]

I find the whole thing depressing and I fear for the future of horses unless something changes soon.

It's also the same with saddles, you have to practically give them away even though they recently cost a fortune. Only the real top of the range hold their prices.

I'm not selling a horse btw, mine would never be sold, but I am on FB pages and see loads of horses free or so cheap, it makes me sad

Agree with this its got to the point where theres just far to many horses for homes that its very very difficult to sell anything hence why so many horses are advertised as free or very close to it its a real shame

 

[muddy_grey]

Hi Webble I have pmed you.

Glad I'm not alone, but it still sucks! Even more annoying as an acquaintance sold a totally inappropriate horse for a similar sum a few months ago. I have emphasized how safe she is in the advert and every person who has inquired already has a horse that is too much for them so they have lost confidence. My instructor is shocked and can't believe she hasn't been snapped up. I don't have to sell and she is so easy I could keep her, but I have no transport and it is really frustrating. Also she is almost too sensible for me and I don't think I fully appreciate her, where as she could be someone elses horse of a lifetime and be treated as such.

 

[MissMoo]

Could you pm me the link to your ad wouldnt mind a bit more info for a friend please

Same here, would be very grateful, thank you!

 

[Challaborough Christmas Tree]

I feel like badly put together 'all rounders' that have done very little and are normally slightly lame advertised on fb pages for under £1000 sell with no problems. Good quality experienced allrounders with the ability to do lower levels of affiliated on the other hand aren't given a second look because they aren't £500. I feel like people expect a perfectly safe hack, a good age with no vices which can jump 1.20 tracks for next to nothing

 

[Kylara]

Seen someone recently wanting a BE Novice horse that has done 2 seasons, schoolmaster, below 10, will pass 5* vetting, and under £2k. No way would a BE Novice quality eventer pass a 5* vetting (tendons never great) and hardly anyone would be selling a BE Novice horse under 10, especially not for under £2k. Some people want the world for nothing.
We are having the opposite problem at the moment - I have a client looking for a 12.2hh schoolmaster first pony for her daughter to gain confidence on and have fun with - all the people contacted with "easy first ponies" then change their mind and say actually not a first pony, or turns out pony has terrible teeth, cribs, and is prone to lammy. My client knows full well that what she wants her daughter to have and what her daughter needs are totally different (hence finding another pony to add to the herd) but is getting more and more frustrated with bad adverts and people who never return calls.
I hope you find someone for yours, sounds like a good confidence giving chilled out horse, which will be perfect for lots of people! Just a shame people assume they don't cost much (I saw a gorgeous dressage prospect - called them for price and quickly said "don't tell me anything else about him, he is gorgeous but way out of my price range, sorry" and ended it their (he was 100k euro including transport - beautiful 5 year old, well able to do FEI level dressage but no way in my range, even with the most incredible haggling!)

 

[baggyb]

Hi, can you also pm me the link to your ad please? Friend is looking for something like this.

 

[honetpot]

I have posted on a FB page about this. There seems to be an awful look of people who just want a horse or pony for as little money as possible whether it is rideable or not and if they have 'saved it', even better. The fact they will probably get dumped in a ditch or end up spending vast amounts on vet bills seems not to worry them until they can not afford it and then its saved by someone else.

I have only bred one foal, never expected to make money from him, his stud fee was £450 so when you factor in other costs it probably cost me £1000 to get a live healthy foal. I do not want to think what he will have cost to back and produce by the time he gets to six. I would rather he sat in the field like he has done for the last three years than sell him for peanuts. Sooner or later there will be no good horses to buy, for as the market for fit healthy,rideable horses contracts why would anyone want to spend there time and money producing them.
So I think the market will split, to some extent already has, ones with a competition record will hold or increase in value as the riders who want to do well will pay for a good horse. Normal horses will stay depressed until the cr*p is got rid of and people stop 'saving' unsuitable animals.

 

[fredflop]

No way would a BE Novice quality eventer pass a 5* vetting (tendons never great)

What rubbish!

 

[rowan666]

Its not just selling, I cant find a decent loan home for my genuinely bomb proof maxi cob who is so quiet he would suit any novice or nervous rider, all I get is chavs, kids and total timewasters/day dreamers out of over 20 responces and not one genuine or decent home and ide have thought he would be snapped up!. Its extremely disheartening and day trippers really do make you feel like your fighting a losing battle. So much for the saying, theres always a market for good horses!

 

[muddy_grey]

Kylara how frustrating for your friend.
We all know of someone who has got a horse for peanuts and it has turned out to be a star, but it is stupid to think this is the norm. One of the people who came to see Holly said "She looks really happy and well cared for" but she almost sounded disappointed!
I also think that people don't put enough value on "safe". You regularly see people wanting a safe hack, with possibly low level competing for £1500. I know it is partly temperament, but horses aren't born "safe". It takes time and effort to make a truly safe hacker. In fact it probably takes longer than getting a bit of a competition record on a decent horse. You could go to 10 shows in a month if you wanted a quick record. But a month wouldn't be long enough to ensure a horse was safe to hack.

 

[muddy_grey]

BTW I have sent pms to those who requested, but they aren't showing in my sent items so let me know if you haven't received them

 

[fairyclare]

Muddy_grey, could I have a PM too, looking for a friend who doesn't 'do' the internet - horse hunting beyond the back pages go HH has fallen to me!! Thanks x

 

[Kylara]

What rubbish!

Most eventers that have done more than one season will have slightly dodgy tendons and that gets picked up in 5* vettings. Probably nothing wrong with them, and they will be fine for many years, but passing a 5* vetting once you start doing the higher levels gets tricky. Most fail points are workable and just need an extra bit of tlc, but finding a top class eventer which will pass with flying colours is difficult if you won't buy anything that does fail one aspect. The BE Novice aspect of the horse they are looking for is "minimum BE Novice" including doing 2 seasons of that. They want to do BE Novice and above.

It is getting frustrating for them, especially as she is more than happy to buy or loan something for her daughter and loan over winter on a trial basis as they have more than enough field space! Who knew that 12.2hh first pony schoolmasters were that hard to find! Everything seems to be 14hh at the moment! I know of two that would be perfect and have been long term loaned out for many years to various families but both have recently found new loaners so that is a massive bummer

 

[fredflop]

I wouldnt describe a novice eventer as a top class eventer.

Nor would I be purchasing a horse that was found to have "dodgy" tendons on a 5 stage vetting!

 

[CLM]

As a recent purchaser, the feedback I would give is that I really wouldn't try to sell a decent horse through Facebook. I went to a couple advertised on fb and it wasn't good. I found horsequest good, but put your location in the text as the search facility was not specific enough. H&H I found very frustrating to use. Horsedeals has the best search so I would recommend that, and that is where I found the horse I bought. My experience was that the good horses were gone very quickly. I really wouldn't drop the price too quickly, I saw quite a range in quality of the horses in my price range, and price actually wasn't that important in the buying decision. It was far more to do with the suitability and temperament. I noticed quite a few wanted ads on horsequest - all asking for exactly what I wanted! Safe, reliable, sound, pleasant, all round riding horses are very sought after. So that might be worth a try. Decent photos help, I was so put off by ads with just jumping pictures- I couldn't tell anything from them. If you can, do a video , that really helps too. There are serious buyers out there, just as frustrated at trying to find a suitable horse

 

[suey12]

Its not just selling, I cant find a decent loan home for my genuinely bomb proof maxi cob who is so quiet he would suit any novice or nervous rider, all I get is chavs, kids and total timewasters/day dreamers out of over 20 responces and not one genuine or decent home and ide have thought he would be snapped up!. Its extremely disheartening and day trippers really do make you feel like your fighting a losing battle. So much for the saying, theres always a market for good horses!

Please PM me with details on him, a friend is looking

 

[fuze]

The cheaper end of the market is certainly selling well, but if you're spending more you're generally after something very specific. The problem is that you don't get a feel for a horse until you meet them in the flesh and have the opportunity to ride them, and it could be something very trivial that puts people off.

I've viewed 'perfect' sounding horses in the past, looked perfect on arrival, but there was something (ridden or groundwise... it pulled a face i.e. temperament, I wasn't keen on it's paces, etc) that was a dealbreaker. Equally I've viewed horses that I thought looked nothing special, to handle and deal with them, and be in love a day or so later.

Last horse I bought, initial thought of his head over the stable door was 'Oh...'. Two viewings later he came home with me, and I'm over the moon with him. Selling is a nightmare, and I can understand you being miffed, especially at viewer no. 2, but it's all part of it unfortunately.

Fingers crossed you find the perfect home soon.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I've got a cracking 14.1 jumping pony for sale. Can jump the moon and is very fast and athletic. Got someone coming tonight but that's the first interest I've had. She's not cheap but I'd rather keep her than give her away.

 

[oldie48]

I've recently sold a 17 year old gelding a a safe hack, he was advertised at £4K, i didn't expect to get that for him but I wanted to weed out unsuitable people looking for a cheap horse. I didn't put his age on the ad as I knew it would people off and talking to people on the phone enabled me to tell them why he was special and well worth looking at. It also gave me the opportunity to put some people off. I had a reasonable amount of interest, and sold him quite quickly for well over £3K and he's gone to a brilliant home with a knowledgeable, competent but older rider. My advice is, if you have a good horse, don't under price it and be prepared to advertise it properly, writing your ad to target the sort of rider your horse will suit. I would never look on facebook for a horse and frankly if a really nice safe all rounder was advertised below £2K, I'd smell a rat!

 

[MissMoo]

BTW I have sent pms to those who requested, but they aren't showing in my sent items so let me know if you haven't received them

Thanks for the link, I have PMd you a reply.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I didn't put his age on the ad as I knew it would people off and talking to people on the phone enabled me to tell them why he was special and well worth looking at.................... frankly if a really nice safe all rounder was advertised below £2K, I'd smell a rat!

Now, when I'm reading ads, its the info that's left out that makes me suspicious. I would have suspected that your horse was in his late 20s and you didn't want to admit to it.

 

[pip6]

Ditto about don't underprice, you'll get more enquiries, but it will be inappropriate. Seems to be loads of people looking for problems they can bring on and resale for a profit, or offer you stupid money on the pretext of slack market. Better few viewings of better people. We bred two event foals to sell. Both were advertised as foals, but we didn't sell until 3 years old. One we practically gifted to a friend, as it was a perfect home for life where the horse would enjoy competing. We had always said this was the right person for the horse, and that meant everything to us. Second, someone came to view as they had seen the ad when they were local to us on a holiday. We knew from horses reaction they were the right owners, and they have proved to be perfect. We had a sensible, but not cheap asking price for an unbacked quality 3 yr old. We knew what we would drop to for the right person, which we did.

Both horses only had about 2 viewings each up to 3 yr old, but we held out. We bred quality, to have dropped on price would have just brought in inappropriate people (had a kid ring up about first one as yearling asking if she hacked out and how high she jumped. Nicely told not horse for you). Take your time, be very honest, it will pay off. Don't be afraid to say no to people like those who want a freebie 1.5hr ride. You are right, they would have known very quickly if horse too big. Set limits, like 30 min tryout and only 10 jumps, then 15 min hack. If they are serious, they will want a second viewing anyway. In experience those who are serious about buying make their minds up quickly. Those who dally, like with 4-5 viewings, don't end up buying.