Dealers?

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moodymare_1993

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So my friend has a horse, who is completely not suited to her. She has had a rough time with him and thinks it would be best to sell on. However isn't the sor of horse that would sell tbh as has some behavioral issues. A bit like me, she has no facilities eg an arena. So has been thinking about selling to a dealer. And so I thought I would ask people's opinions and experiences.

First of all, how do you go about contacting a dealer? What would you say to them, in regards to if you have a horse to sell on?

Please help. She is at her wits end.
 
word of mouth is the best way to gribbs nice dealer.
So what area are you in?

What about putting horse on sales livery.
Give it the best chance to find a decent home after a bit of schooling.
 
We are in Cambridgeshire. She cannot afford to put it on sales livery. It pretty much attacked her the other day ripping her coat. So she just wants it gone. Sounds horrible but if you had seen her coat, you'd know what she means. She has been given the name of a good dealer, but she has no idea what she's supposed to be saying to him? And I've no experience with them either?
 
If he goes to a dealer she will not be getting a decent price for him and she should disclose the problems. Dealer would try out the horse properly anyway. A good dealer with a reputation to lose would not thank her for passing on a horse with real problems though.

A good sales livery might allow her to pay the livery etc out of the price the horse sells as well as their commission but she would need to have a full and frank conversation to understand how long it would take to work the horse properly and make him saleable.

Really awful that your friend is having such a poor time of it but honesty is most definitely the only way forward.
 
She could try advertising him on the ProjectHorses website.

The quickest way would be to send him to a dealer. Just ring him, explain the horse is too much for her and see if he will come and look at it. He'll tell you there and then if he's interested.
 
The problems that I see are Because the horse is never worked. The horse is not good to hack and with no facilities, hasn't been ridden properly all winter. It's not so much the behavioral issues, but it is just too much horse for her and I think she's fed up and Just wants rid. She is having no fun an isn't enjoying horses any more. It's not so much price as it is knowing the horse is going to be in an experienced home and things tbh
 
I feel rather sorry for the horse - it sounds like it is in the wrong home.

If she just wants shot and can afford to lose money, there are a couple of dealers that advertise regularily in the back of the H & H. She will be offered 'peanuts' but a friend sold one this way and it went asap.

If it was me I would turn the horse away until spring, then pay somone to get it 'up and running' from it's current yard and try to sell it that way. This may be cheaper than sales livery.
 
To be blunt, what makes you think that a dealer wants to take on and pay for a problem horse? Most would only take a problem as a trade in for not a lot of cash.
 
Sadly if your friend does send him to a dearler she will not know where and who they will sell it too... First you have got to find a dearler to take a horse with issues in the first place.

Its a hard one could she not try him on a project website??

I am not up for putting a heatlhy horse down but if his behavioral issues are really bad, why pass him around to pillor to post and that's what will happen he will spend the rest of his life doing sadly...
 
It's not what I'd call a problem horse. It is exactly like Sidney said. It is just in the wrong home. Was mis sold to her aswell. Sold as a lovely quiet ride, novice ride was the exact line, and good to hack out alone and or in company, well even our riding instructor has said she is not a novice ride and the last time was hacked, was with me and she just leaped, threw me off and bolted back to the field. This horse needs to be worked very day for it to be at it's full potential, however, as there is no facilities, nt even any that she can hack to, and like me, not enough land to risk ruining the field, the horse just can't be worked properly. It's just not suited for her sort of set up. It's not a "problem" horse. She wouldn't just throw her to the highest bidder. She just wants a suitable home for him. And it needs regular hard work before it can be sold on to anyone and she just cannot provide it
 
Im sure one of the dealers in the back of H&H would rub their grubby little mitts together for her horse, they will offer her £850 odd cash on pick up and sell it a week later for £3.5k.
If shes happy to lose lots of money andhave the horse sent off into the unknown to god knows what she will be able to sell him quickly.
 
Thought you said it had ripped her coat? Assumed it had bitten her? Agressive behaviour on the ground is very different from a horse who is an experienced ride and too much for owner?
 
Ditto firewell. Tbh my sympathy lies with the horse, if your friend doesn't feel its financially worth the outlay of sales livery, or even getting someone to come & do some work with it & selling herself, then its not financially worth it to an honest dealer either. It's hardly the horses fault she messed up. I really can't abide the attitude of 'just wanting rid asap', no matter what its done, especially just ripping a coat. Tell her the hunt will take it asap to a pleasant, experienced, & guaranteed future. And tell her to take up another hobby where the equipment can be chucked away easily when she gets bored next time.
 
Thanks little legs but I'm not asking for sympathy for my friend. At the end of the day. The rider and horse aren't suited. My friend didn't mess up at all. So before you go around bitching about people You don't know and considering all I said was that my friend knew they weren't suited etc, I don't think you have to right to say what you have said. I Spose no one can be as perfect or mistakes apart from you eh little legs
 
Afraid I agree with Littlelegs, poor horse.

If your friend isn't willing to invest a little money in giving the horse a chance to suceed in a new home then it would be better off being pts. Chances are the type of dealer that would take a punt on it would probably end up misadvertising the poor thing and in a few months later we'll get another post of 'been missold a horse'....

Either invest some time and money in to making it sellable or ensure it doesn't get past about and potentially hurt someone else by having it pts.
 
Actually Littlelegs was offering sympathy to the horse not the seller, anyway what you have to understand if you want a quick now must sell situation it will probably not going to end well.

We buy and bring on to sell a few horses, it is amazing how many sellers bearing in mind we are very small scale horse comes first, I do it because I enjoy it so profit is not foremost even though we turn out a few good horses we are always up for taking on a horse in need.
Most people on first contact are wanting the best for horse want a good understanding home until they realise you cannot pay top dollar for a potentially unsellable horse, we have a few who have never left us some because we liked them to much, others because nobody else would like them at all because of behaviour or physical problems.

I am afraid if you have paid over the odds for a horse with a problem then the most honourable thing to do is absorb the loss try and find an understanding person to bring on or sell or pts at your home.
I do wonder about the biting because the horse ripped the coat does not mean alot if a horse wants to really bite you clothes will not save you, are you sure the horse is just too much for your friend and the horse is confused, my mum was bitten by one of my dad's new pointers she still has the damaged muscle the horse bit and did not let go and in the end he was the most lovely boy he was fear aggressive, forget what she paid and find a suitable person to sell this horse for her.
 
The situation is as follows if I have read it right?
-friend buys horse
-friend overhorsed, not suitable etc.
- horse now exhibits behavior meaning its not sellable through normal avenues.
So far I sympathise with the friend, apart from being mistaken with initial purchase, friend has done nothing wrong. Until we get to last part,
- friend wants to get shot as quick as possible, regardless of where to.
I'm not perfect, & of course I've made mistakes. But I don't treat animals like an old car that can just be dumped on the first taker when they are no longer fit for purpose. My thoughts actually stem from one basic moral viewpoint. If a horse won't sell at above meat value, pts at home & save it the very likely future of an ever downwards spiral & further suffering till it ends up at an abbatoir anyway. Your friend sticking it on project horses just above meat money & doing her best to choose a good future home would be the approach anyone with an ounce of decency would take. Not just looking for the quickest way to get rid. Like I said, if that's what she wants or it won't sell above meat money, get the hunt. I'm also not bitching about your friend, I am just exercising the right of free speach to express my disgust. So I do indeed have the right to say what I did, just like your friend unfortunately has the right to dump her horse on the first person that will have it.
 
That is why my friend has been recommended to sell to a dealer. Not to just sell ASAP but so she knows that it is going some where that the horse is going to be worked by experienced people and sold on to someone that wont get Into the same situation as my friend. It's not just the ripped coat, the horse is just too much, things have been problematic all year but she never wanted to give up until it completely turned and went for her And grabbed her coat. he needs daily work, thats what she has been told and with my friend it just can't be done in the winter months and she is just not comfortable with the horse any more in terms of riding and handling. I don't mean to have a go at anyone on here, it's just annoying when you look for advice and then people are sarcastic Abd just criticize the way people do things. It's not that she wants to just sell the the first person that comes along, however both the owner and horse are miserable. The horse is in a field and my friend has lost complete trust in him. She cares more for the horse than the money she thinks she might get from him. She just wants to know that the horse isn't gunna sell to novice, inexperienced people like herself and then have to sell on and on and on :/
 
She is going to advertise first. I didn't actually put that on the first statement. I am just trying to help her with all her options in terms of if the horse won't sell. She does already have a lady lined up to come and view him. But she has Been told how if she can't sell, then perhaps a dealer would be his best option because he is top dog and needs a firm hand. After biting her, she has lost all confidence in herself And her horse. I'm sure she isn't the only person in the horsey world who has over horsed herself and is now quite terrified to be around him
 
This is how dealers basically work, buy horse, put in work, find buyer, sell on for more than initial purchase price. The problem lies with the doing the work bit. A decent dealer would have to take into account the cost of the horses upkeep & their own time in doing the work, plus ongoing costs whilst finding a buyer. And even if all that's wrong is more experienced riding & handling, its still going to take a few weeks at least to even make it vaguely ready to sell, & probably longer. And as it probably still won't be an easy horse, its not going to sell for vast sums, & only has a small market, all of which is going to eat into any possible profit. If a slightly unsuitable buyer comes forward, few dealers are going to risk turning them down, whilst waiting for the perfect home to come forward. But your friend can take the time to choose a good experienced home, & unlike a big dealer she should be able to put his best interests over profit.
 
Ok, if she's willing to sell herself, but doesn't have the money to pay for schooling etc, I have another idea, something I've done for people. Find someone that will work it/prep it for sale etc, in exchange for a % of the sale price. But ask for word of mouth recommendations from experienced people you trust, & if you do find someone they should be able to offer verbal references at least from others about their ability. You don't just want some escapee from the local riding schools intermediate class who fancies themselves as the horse whisperer.
 
She wants his best interests. She would rather get less money, and it go to a suitable home, than selling to a dealer for peanuts just to get rid. I read through my statements and I realized I shouldn't have put "she just wants rid" what I meant was, this was the final straw when he went for her and ripped her coat. She has tried, even when other people have said to her there's no point. She's just fed up with all the problems, she has now realized and told herself that the horse is not the right one for her. I only started this thread to find out a bit more about dealers for her. Not to start a what is wrong right thread. Neither of us have had any experience with them before. I just wanted to find out what other options where out there for her
 
Well if that is the case I am sure there are people on here who can advise you on a good person in your area, I am at the opposite end of the country so cannot give the best person for the job, however there are probably loads on here who can.
Hope there is a good resolution for your friend and her horse.
 
Could you post on the regional board? Someone local will have a recommendation I'm sure. I can give you a contact in Berkshire if that is any help.

The other alternative as a last resort is to put the horse through a sale, not something I would do as you have no control over home, but if your friend is completely out of her depth (it happens) then it would be solution. Ashford is in late Feb. People get ticky about it but they often sell well there and she could put a reserve on.
 
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