Buyer wanting a trial period.

grhands

grhands

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Just after some advice if possible please.

My horse has been on the market and I have potentially found him a new home.

However, the purchaser had requested a months trial period. My horse was backed in December and is young, sensible but needs work. He can be nervous in the stable. Buyer is aware of all of this and has ridden my boy.

I can see so many pitfalls and problems with trial periods. I don't want to get my horse returned with problems although at the same time I do want to find him the most appropriate home.

Any advice greatly appreciated.
 
Tell them they can buy the horse. And you guarantee to buy it back after a month if they don't like it. It must also be vetted prior to leaving your yard.
 
Sent a horse to a fab home on 4 weeks trial. Horse got kicked in the field and returned to me with a lump on its leg. No one's fault, just unlucky. Wouldn't take the risk again though.
 
amymay said:
Tell them they can buy the horse. And you guarantee to buy it back after a month if they don't like it. It must also be vetted prior to leaving your yard.
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Can't say fairer than this really. Although its a buyers market ... they say .... you still have the right idea being cautious. It can easily take a month to undo all your hard work.
Good luck :)
 
They can do all sorts of damage in a month and then send him back for you to fix. I never allow a horse to go on trial (unless it is a LWVTB arrangement for projects or people who want a loan with the chance to purchese eventually). If anyone asks me for a trial period, I tell them they can do that but it must remain at mine for that period, so I can oversee it. In other words come and try it as many times as you like, but it stays here until you have paid for it.
 
I will let a schoolmaster pony go on trial occasionally but a young impressionable horse that can be nervous absolutely no way, the right buyer for this type of horse should know it will take him time to settle, have tried him enough at yours before coming to a decision to buy and be patient enough to work through any issues along the way without requiring a trial.
 
JillA said:
They can do all sorts of damage in a month and then send him back for you to fix. I never allow a horse to go on trial (unless it is a LWVTB arrangement for projects or people who want a loan with the chance to purchese eventually). If anyone asks me for a trial period, I tell them they can do that but it must remain at mine for that period, so I can oversee it. In other words come and try it as many times as you like, but it stays here until you have paid for it.
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^^ This. It only takes an accident and it could all end in tears.
 
I wouldn't. Even if you get them to pay and guarantee to take it back its no different really.

Anyone buying a recently broken in, nervous horse should have enough brains to work out that it is not going to be a smooth ride and they will have some issues crop up now and again. If they're already worrying and wanting trial periods this is not the right horse for them.

If anything, do as JillA says, tell them they can try him as many times as they like, but he remains on your yard as while he is still yours you want to oversee what is happening to him.
 
No way

They wont get a true reflection on the horse anyway as he wont have settled and it is far too easy for injuries to occur (esp when I expect they will try and do lots with him to thoroughly test him out) and if recently broken they could really mess up his eduction
 
Would have happily done it in the past, but just had one returned hopping lame, so no i wouldnt let it go.
At the end of the day its a young horse & could so easily be ruined in a short space of time, sadly some people talk the talk but when it comes to horse care & riding they dont seem to follow suit.
 
No. Let them ride him again at your yard if they want (several times if you are happy with this), but do not let them take him away unless he is paid for in full.
 
He's being sold for £3500

And I've spent much money and invested a lot of hard work in to getting him to where he is now, which is a good place! Unfortunately due to my health issues he has to find a new home to continue his education, rather than be hanging around for months until I recover.
 
I don't buy or sell but I can't get my head round wanting a trial for a young, just backed horse. You are buying a blank canvas surely and how they progress will be mainly up to you. :confused:
 
Would it really damage him if he was turned away while you recover? I think that more damage would be done to him if he was in the wrong home, than if he stayed with you and had time off.

^ just something to ponder about if you don't find the right home.
 
I wouldn't personally. As others have said the risk is too high and it's not like they are paying a high price.

Offer them the possibility to try him/her as much as they want but one month is no time at all to settle a new horse, especially a green one, and could actually be quite a difficult period as may 'act up' due to new environment and all the changes.

It actually makes me quite angry when people request this - if they don't know what they want, they shouldn't be buying. I would also question their commitment as would they vet horse before 'trialling'?

You can't 'trial' a dog or any other animal, so why should you be able to do so with horses? :rolleyes:
 
Deinately not! So much can happen in a month & they could ruin him, hand him back, walk away & leave you with the problem.

Would you walk into a Mercedes showroom & ask to borrow one of their cars for a month to see how you like it before buying? Then drive it around, bend it & then drop it back saying no thanks it's not really for me? No Way!

Let them come & try him as much as they want AT YOUR YARD & with you being present to watch over him. Then when they are happy they can buy him & take him away. ;)
 
Absolutely not, especially for a young horse who is hopefully a blank canvas, he could come back a completely different animal. I only did it once with a schoolmaster pony and would never ever do it again. Poor boy went on trial for a week and must have been hammered into the ground as he came back lame on all four legs and took 6 months tlc to get sellable again.
 
amandap said:
I don't buy or sell but I can't get my head round wanting a trial for a young, just backed horse. You are buying a blank canvas surely and how they progress will be mainly up to you. :confused:
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This and if they push for a trial, it should be at your yard. Introducing a horse to a new herd alone can cause damage wile they sort out the hierarchy. If they really want him, they'll agree.
 
amandap said:
I don't buy or sell but I can't get my head round wanting a trial for a young, just backed horse. You are buying a blank canvas surely and how they progress will be mainly up to you. :confused:
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I also agree with amandap, a trial for a young horse is not really appropriate, as to a degree they are an unknown quantity - their price reflects that. Either they believe themeslves to be capable of bringing one on and all that that entails, or they don't.

I also wouldn't want to risk having to have it back after the month is up if they've sent him backwards in his education as then you are stuck sellling the same horse, that doesn't go as well anymore.
 
Just looking from the otherside.....

I bought my horse with a 3 month trial. Long story but the people selling him genuinely were more interested in home rather than price so wanted to make sure we were right for each other. Along with that he is extremely neurotic and so at best was a fire breathing dragon when he arrived and for the next week or so compared to the lovely relaxed boy he had been on viewing. In may ways if I had just bought him back I would be inclined to suggest he had been doped - honestly that was the extreme. Think cantering round his stable bucking etc. The trial gave me the opportunity to get him to settle and get to know him before writing him off.

I also know of a seller who did offer a youngster on trial (to a vet) unfortunately she didn't stand up very well to being worked and so was returned lame. This was not the buyers fault it would have happened anywhere.

I would however like to think I am a genuine person and would always do my best for the horse and I realise not everyone is always of the same ilk so would be reluctant to offer a trial a. if I had not vetted the place and b. if they were not close enough to check a number of times things were going well or maybe even offer trial at my yard so they could get to know the horse a little better but under your control. I also had to have a loan contract and ensure he was fully insured during my trial
 
I would offer a trial but would want the horse to be paid for (refundable if it doesnt work out) and the horse would stay at my place, it would not be allowed to be moved.

Otherwise they are buying a horse but not taking on the liabilities and game of chance re injury, behaviour etc that are part and parcel of what makes up horse ownership.
 
I think trials are a great idea.... If its a kids pony! .....But as amandap has said a young blank canvas i cant understand. LWVTB with contract maybe but would personally risk a youngster being damaged and being sent back worthless!
 
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