Did you offer a trial when selling your horse?

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Parkranger

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Just interested to hear peoples views on this.

If I do go down the road of selling my boy then it's so important he goes to the right home. He was a mess when I got him and it's taken him over a year to get to the point where anyone can get on him, he'll hack out alone or in company and he's been reshooled.

I like to think he's attached to me but he's soppy with everyone and loves my sharer - I just think he needed to trust people again.

I know that when you sell you have to let someone get on with it, but I'd rather wait 2 months before looking for another one and make sure that he'd be the right match for his prospective home so that I could take him back if I needed to.

What are people's views?
 
I hadn't planned to let mine go on trial but after a little bit of difficulty and a failed vetting I decided this was my best option. I advertised him for loan with view to buy and actually loaned him to the first person that viewed him. I had planned on seeing everyone that called first but actually knew as soon as I met this person that she was the right one. She had him on loan / trial for 4 weeks with a full loan agreement and a price already arranged and she bought him 4 weeks later. It was the best thing I could have done. I even went on a hack with her on my other horse the day she bought him and we still keep in touch now. Good luck whatever you decide.
 
It's good to hear positive stories! I just want to make sure he goes to the right home and I'm in no rush to sell him if that's what I do decide to do.....
 
You are in a similar boat to me although I sold my boy because he was a jumper and I'm not!!!
Althoug I miss him madly I made the best decision all round. He is now jumping pre novice size xc clear when he was getting eliminated in a minimus with me!!!
Go with your get instincts. I had 2 full weeks of viewings of 2 people per day and cancelled them all for the first person that came and it has worked better than expected!
 
Yep I had a similar experience to halfpass, I just liked the woman on the phone, and I already had 3 people coming to try before her, but they came and none 'clicked' with the mare. So pony went on a months trial, and she has the best home ever, and they keep in touch.
 
I have to admit I havent, but I am currently trialling a prospective purchase although my trial is unusually long at 3 months! But this is because little mare has some serious issues. The only thing i would say is make sure that both parties agree on price beforehand and have a full loan contract! I would not have taken her on if this was not an option as she was unrideable when she first arrived. I email owner 3 times a week and we are off to the Monty Roberts demo too- so it can be good way of handing over a much loved horse.
 
We offered a trial (I didn't want to ) for a very expensive pony by PC standards, they had 3 weeks as we were on hols and they got him vetted etc, had no problems and they still have him a year or so down the line. Most of ours have gone with trials, but all have been to people we know in some way shape or form
 
Personally I wouldn't offer a trial away from my yard, alot of damage can be done to a horse in a short perios of time. I would however let someone come several times to the yard to ride him & try him out. That way I can still have some control over what is happening.
 
Yes, and would never do it again. We let my ex-racer TB, who was also blind in one eye (unknown at the time of trial). He had lots of trouble settling in, and came back after a weekend and then took us at least a month to get him back to how he was.

We kept him for another year, then next time he was sold he only lasted a weekend in the new home before they demanded a refund. They dumped him back in his old stable, and were camped out outside the YOs house... They'd took him for a hack to a fairground on his second day and wondered why he was upset by it. He was shaking in his stable when he returned, and wasn't the same horse afterwards.

I would just let potential owners try him out as much as they want on your yard before they buy.
 
yes, have the last 2 times. a month's trial with the first, an open trial with the second (i'll buy her back at any time.) i just insist that they get the horse insured first, and that they've signed something to say they'll pay for vets bills if anything happens and they bring the horse back. haven't needed to worry either time though. it gave me huge peace of mind that my horse was going to the right people and was ideal for them, and vice versa.
 
I did with Dollar and never ever again! They sent him back just as the trial was finishing and said he bolted (whatever), but they did something to him and it took me months to get him right again
frown.gif
Now he has a lovely home for life with some lovely people who didn't need a trial.

My advice is don't do it, unless you know the people.
 
I think it is unlikely he will pass a vetting because of his eye and it is therefore something you will have to consider, however I would not offer a trial on a good clean sound horse that has passed a vetting - but your circumstances are different becasue your boy has a problem.

It is often the owners who think more than the horses, My old mare does not recognise me unless I give her carrotts, horses adapt easily.
 
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