Deposit?

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greenberry

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Am selling my horse and have had a few people come to view her. The latest want her but due to their circumstances cannot take her for a month. I want to ask for a deposit so that if they change their minds I haven't been waiting around for a month when other people could have seen her.

What percentage would you ask for as a deposit?

Thanks in advance!
 
20percent sounds ok. I have just sold my novice eventer on a buy now pay later to a well known young rider, who has been competing him, she has to sell another before she can pay for mine. Signe of the times... Becoming like d.f.s.,!
 
Think we paid 10% for our first horse, but recently paid £50 deposit for £350 shetland. Each time they were only waiting a couple of weeks though, not months
 
£150 0r £200 is fine for ie a £2.5k horse etc

Give a receipt wording non refundable final payment XYZ (date). Final sale payment includes 14.2h horse etc etc rugs/saddle etc etc.

You could include ........ above subject to horse passing full vetting prior to final payment date.

You could add deposit refundable if said horse fails 5 stage vetting.
 
when my friend was buying a horse she got asked for 10% deposit, she had to wait a couple of weeks to pick it up too so the seller asked her for £25 per week for its upkeep untill she picked it up because she had other people interested who might have bought straight away and no have to pay for the horses upkeep for the couple of weeks. the £25pw wasn't taken away from the price btw.
 
I'd say anything between 10 & 20% is reasonable. But if your selling at a lower price, make sure the deposit covers any costs if they don't buy it, eg re-advertising, livery etc.
 
If you are keeping the horse for a month I would ask for a 20% deposit.

Normally I ask for 10% but then I am only holding the horse for a few days.

Alternatively, you can get them to buy the horse outright and include 1 month's livery and get them to insure the horse- I have done this before because I wasn't happy holding the horse for so long.
 
When we sold our last one the purchaser couldn't have her for 2 weeks so i asked for full payment and for her to insure the horse for that 2 weeks. Alot can happen in 2 weeks!
I would do the same again, i would take a 10% deposit to hold a horse before vetting, refundable only on a failed vetting.
 
My friend has just recently bought a haflinger & she left a £100 deposit then collected a week later. I have known people hold horses taken a desposit & also ask the new buyer to pay the livery on it for the time it's still with current owner, but thats only if they have been asked to hold it for a while. What ever you decide I would certainly write a reciept for the deposit stating that it's non refundable etc.
 
I ask 20% non refundable deposit except for vetting failure. Once horse vetted ok if is not collected and balance paid within one week they pay keep and insurance until it is.
 
I know of some dealers who ask for £100 or £250 deposit and sometimes livery costs after vetting until collection.

I have paid 10% deposit on the purchase price upfront, subject to trial.
 
millitiger said:
If you are keeping the horse for a month I would ask for a 20% deposit.

Normally I ask for 10% but then I am only holding the horse for a few days.

Alternatively, you can get them to buy the horse outright and include 1 month's livery and get them to insure the horse- I have done this before because I wasn't happy holding the horse for so long.
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I agree.
 
greenberry said:
Am selling my horse and have had a few people come to view her. The latest want her but due to their circumstances cannot take her for a month. I want to ask for a deposit so that if they change their minds I haven't been waiting around for a month when other people could have seen her.

What percentage would you ask for as a deposit?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
You can ask for the full amount and for a small charge for livery, then if anything happens [!] it is their horse not yours, I did this with my little mare, and it was three moths before they came for her, later they complained I was making a profit!! ..........£40 per week for a mare and yearling on full livery with exercise!!!!
I later sold the yearling to another person [they never paid for the yearling], and he never came for seven weeks [transporter problems], I charged £25 for grass livery and veterinary expenses [jabs and worms and farrier]. This seemed perfectly OK with purchaser.
 
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When I sold a horse whose owners couldn't collect for a month I requested vetting and full price paid up front and then gave them I months full grass livery for free
 
ihatework said:
When I sold a horse whose owners couldn't collect for a month I requested vetting and full price paid up front and then gave them I months full grass livery for free
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This so you know they are committed to the purchase, they need to insure also as if anything happened it should not mean you losing out.
 
Thank you for all your helpful replies.

She is having her vetting this week so after reading all your replies I think I am going to (subject to her passing the vetting) ask for 20% deposit, with the rest of the money being given when I drop her off.

If this doesn't sound ok, please let me know :)
 
If she's having the horse vetted - I'd get her to pay for it (if it passes), insure it, and leave it with you for the month.
 
Get the money up front!!! But if you are going along the 20% deposit line make it very clear it is non refundable under any circumstance, and that includes a fatal injury to the horse!!
 
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