Best way to sell a horse quick :(

[charlie55]

I need some help... I need to find a home for my lad, im pregnant and having the worst time ever!!! I was hoping to keep him going by lungeing every other day but i just cant do it, no one at the yard can help as they are all busy with there own lives/work/horses, i cant really afford to pay someone for the next 7 months plus i wont have alot of time once the baby arrives, but being sick what feels like every half hour, plus having a four year old son i just need a quick sale.
Ive tried advertising but had no interest except people that are miles away :-/

I dont want to take him to the sales or to a dealers, hes too nice for that, anyone got any other ideas?

 

[Miss L Toe]

Price is the best way to sell, I don't think distance will put genuine sellers off, try a few other sites to sell or loan for a year.

 

[Silent Knight]

The market is really bad atm.
A lower price for a quick sale seems to be the popular solution, given that it will cost money to maintain the horse whilst holding out for a higher price.

 

[BigRed]

You need to make sure you have a good photo and use a decent site and say where you are located and give a price. I don't bother to call POA adverts. State very clearly why you are selling him. If the price is sensible, he should sell.

 

[angelish]

agree with others = low price seems to sell quickly

this is how i got my project ,nothing wrong with him but she wanted him gone yesterday but he was very cheap and i wasn't even looking for another horse

have you tried telling your farrier ,vet EDT etc someone might take him on through word of mouth this way esp if farrier/vet etc can vouch he's a good lad
failing that i'd try to put him on loan until you have time to deal with him

good luck finding a nice home for him

 

[TarrSteps]

If the main issue is to buy yourself some time, perhaps look into loaning him to a college or similar? It doesn't work for every horse and it does mean you still have ultimate responsibility but it is an option.

Also, second word of mouth. Tell EVERYONE - vet, farrier, coach, people in your local show venue etc.

Some people I used to work for ran a very high end "riding school" which loaned (carefully selected) horses out within the lesson program, but would also lease/sell certain ones for the right price. It was great - people got to try the horses over time and with instruction, we got to know the horse inside out, and it meant they were only tried under close supervision. I wish I had my own yard, there really seems to be a need for something like that these days.

 

[Bernster]

Agree low price and good advert the best option, plus getting the word out locally.

Two other options - loaning, inc loan with a view to buy, may be quicker if he's a good straightforward type. But need to vet people properly to make sure they are genuine, although I suppose this applies equally to a sale.

Or use a livery sales yard if you can spare the cash for livery fees and take the sales commission - usually about 10% - they are likely to have a much higher turnover of potential buyers and can show the horse off and keep him fit.

Failing that, offer him to an equestrian college as there are a few on the lookout atm.

Best of luck!

 

[seabsicuit2]

The Market is dreadfull at the moment- people are having hardly any/no calls when advertising seriously nice and cheap horses.
All I can say is make sure you have really fabulous photos and lots of photos- if he's a good jumper, a good jumping photo always sells.

Another option, what about putting him on loan to a local agricultural college? I believe that places like hartpury are better for the horse than others.

 

[Kat]

Or could you turn him away at grass livery for a year? Somewhere they will take on his day to day care so you don't have to visit if you aren't up to it.

Try any local good riding schools or equestrian colleges they might take him on loan or working livery or know someone looking for a horse like him.

Where are you based? I know the riding school where I have my horse on livery is often on the look out for loan or working livery horses.

 

[wench]

Cheap or sales...

 

[Tangaroo]

Im looking for a horse! Doubt if he fits my bill but you can PM me his details if you like just in case. ALso, whereabouts are you?

 

[jellyshark]

Really tricky market at the moment but I have sold 3 horses since September (two had been for sale for 3 months, the one that sold quickest to the first viewer, was the most expensive and with no tack etc. The other two one very cheap with full wardrobe - I virtually gave away (not mine for sale on behalf of someone else) the third eventually went to a friend for a reasonable price.
Not sure that helps - I do know some people who are looking so if you want to PM details I might be able to help

 

[dollymix]

If you don't want to part with him, have you thought about putting him on working livery, either at a riding school or an equestrian college?

Or how about finding someone to loan him? Using Pre-Loved can be a godo way of finding a loaner as you can specify your location and only people who live nearby see it! Otherwise, the YourHorse magazine forum has a section dedicated to shares/loans...

Other than that - as always the best way to see a good horse quickly is to drop your price. Or send it to a decent sales. York used to do a good sport horse sales....

 

[charlie55]

Thanks guys, he wouldnt be suitable for a college as he does need an experienced rider due to hes size and hes very powerful, the other thing probably putting people off is that i have never jumped him, he went away to a professional to be jumped just before i bought him but im a dressage rider and prefere to keep all 4 feet on the ground other then a little log in the woods! He is good in all ways just spooky to hack alone. I would put him out on grass livery but tbh once the baby arrives i wont have time to ride him much either with a four yr old and a newborn plus he loves being ridden! He hasnt been sat on for a month and already he's looking depressed

For those that asked:
16.3 Dutch WB
12 yrs old
Only done dressage/hacking for 2 years (novice), lovely paces and gorgeous looks

I have put him up for £1500 ono which i didnt think was a bad price with some rugs? Should i lower it?

Also couldn't take him to the sales as i hate them and loaning isnt an option as ive had very bad experience (fussy moo aint i!!!) x

 

[Kat]

I would have thought there would be equestrian centres that could use a dressage school master for experienced clients. Might be worth a bit of research, £1500 sounds very reasonable for a horse that is as you describe, trouble is that it is a rubbish time of year for a private buyer. Colleges and equestrian centres don't just want switched off plods! They often need horses suitable for stage 3 students to ride. Google where to train centres and ask contact them with a view to loaning/working livery/selling/lwvtb.

 

[carthorse]

I feel for you and I had 3 bad experiences with loaning so not telling you to try that and they were all people that I knew.
Mine is in a college now and he is big and strong but he is only used for experienced riders and stage 3 &4 exams. They look after him well but they are being offered horses all the time now so he would need to be at medium level I would think.
You have tried to sell him very cheap already so not much point in lowering price. Turn him out at grass if you can't find anywhere but it is such a shame. I know people paying a fortune to have an hours ride at a riding school but don't want their own as don't want to look after them everyday. Things have changed which is very sad.
Hope you find a good home

 

[tabithakat64]

Put the price up slightly and include his tack, everyone seems to want to buy with tack included these days.

 

[poorchickens]

Where have you advertised him?

I'm just looking, mind ........

 

[Worried1]

I got your pm, bloody iPhone won't let me reply. I know someone who is looking. Could you Pm your number please?

 

[carthorse]

I have my fingers tightly crossed that this horse gets a lovely home

 

[lialls]

I think that loaning to a college might be easier to get sorted in the short term. Somewhere like hartpury could really use a horse like him! I once loaned a horse from a disabled girl. He was lovely to ride, had won worker champs 05 and a couple of other things but he was a complete nightmare as he wouldn't be caugh and was a tit to lead/handle but once you where on him he was fine. I ended up giving him back as i didn't have the time or set up to deal with him. Found him a year later happily settled at a college, working his butt off in the school teaching people how to ride. He loved it, the big yard, lots of work and attention, but hated being on a small yard and not as much work.

It might be worth a try if you're really desperate to find him a home.

 

[starryeyed]

What websites have you advertised him on?
As well as online try local tack shops, paper etc, make sure he's on preloved too! Ask your vet / farrier / instructor / local equestrian centres etc if they can spread the word or put up posters (where possible!). If you're not in a riding club, try and find your local one's facebook page and ask on there, also try advertising him on horsey-dedicated facebook pages as I'm a member of a few groups and that seems to be quite a successful way of doing it. Sales livery? If you have any near you / can afford it?
The price you're asking for him sounds very reasonable, I hope you find someone perfect for him as he sounds lovely x

 

[Jenni_]

Where are you based if you dont mind me asking?

 

[charlie55]

Im in kent, gillingham area x

 

[charlie55]

I have my fingers tightly crossed that this horse gets a lovely home

Thankyou hun, so many people are telling me to take him to the sales or a dealers but i will not do that, he is a lovely lad, and i owe it to him to find him a good home, he has never bolted, always in a snaffle, doesnt know how to rear and has only bucked once in two years!! But he is a sensitive boy, hes biggest downful is him being spooky, but on a yeard with 60 odd horses and kids zooming around on battery operated trucks etc im not suprised, he wasnt spooky at hes previous home where there were just 8 horses and it was nice and quiet. xx

 

[yasminA]

Hi, Don't know if this helps but I was really struggling to sell one of mine until I uploaded some videos of him to you tube and added the links to adverts for him, it really helped. Good luck I hope you find him a nice home

 

[Alibear]

Have you put him on the BD site? OK he's different to most on there but that will have people looking for Dressage horses and the price is cetainly appealing.
Just htink their market might suit him ore, you could even put the pregnancy issues as a reason for the quick sale, most on there would understand that.

Just a thought.

ETa: Also all dealers are not evil can anyone suggest a reputable local one? They'd certainly be able to get him ridden again etc and dealers clients are often very nice people who are after a nice horse.

 

[sprite1978]

I know of a sales yard in the midlands who do sales livery for about £70 per week, and 10%. On sales livery, they are likely to acheive a better price for you, as they are used to the whole process. Go and see some local to you, they would give you an idea of what price they think they can achieve. Personally, I could never sell a horse for that amount of money, as I think it devalues their true worth, and its easier for them to end up in the wrong hands. I did once advertise a horse for £2k, and got nowhere. I then hiked the price up to £4.5k on the advice of my YO, and he was sold in a couple of weeks - I just had to remember to remove all of the old ads! its a strange world.

 

[Fairy Dust]

Well your horse sounds lovely and you can't really lower your price as I think that is extremely fair.

It is just such a tough market, I put my gelding up for sale around October time (He has 19 BE points, 9 yrs old and won BS classes) I started at 10,000, then down to 9,000 and then had to go to 7,500! It is just very hard but I found a lovely home. I think offering a trial period will appeal to people.

Good luck in finding him a new home

 

[sprite1978]

I agree that a trial period is appealing, but make sure everything is in writing. If possible keep the trial to a maximum of a month, and get them to pay in advance, with a contract stating that they can return the horse in the same condition for a full refund if not suitable.

A girl on our yard was sellinga pony recently, and someone came to veiw. They liked him but wanted an 8 month trial period. Suspiciously that takes it to just the end of summer!