Dilemma over selling

[superted1989]

A very good friend of mine has recently had a baby and she has now realised that she's mortal! Her homebred mare is very, very quirky and she's made the brave decision to sell her. She's very talented, has done well competitively, but is inconsistent, very difficult to hack and has the worst bronking fits I've ever seen.
Anyway, a girl put a wanted advert on a local site. My friend answered it and bingo, appeared that this girl and her mare were a perfect match. They agreed a price (a lot more than I thought she would get) but my friend insisted on a 'get to know each other' month on her own yard. It's all gone very well, the buyer hasn't been phased by any of the 'tests' the mare has set her, and she is due to hand over the cash on Thursday.
Anyway, today my friend had the mare shod ready for the move. Then the farrier dropped the bombshell that her buyer has had a horse removed, in the past, by the RSPCA. My mate was most distressed, naturally, but we've done some digging and discovered the RSPCA did arrange to pick up one of her old horses. It was wandering in the road as she'd had an accident and was in hospital, the horse was returned within a matter of days. That part was cleared up by several people, but, every single person is saying don't have anything to do with this buyer as she is a compulsive liar and a thief, doesn't know anything about horses and to have nothing to do with her (2 different people referred to her as a skank!). Obviously my friend won't let the mare go without having cash in her hand, and, at the amount she's agreed to pay, there's no way she's taking this mare to turn around quickly to make a fast buck.
I've given her a few lessons on the mare and been there when my friend has quizzed her about a variety of things, all has been fine. Our area is quite a close knit equine community and this girl has never come under our radar, for good or bad, before. Thing is, my friend insisted on the month's trial, the girl wanted to pay 4 weeks ago.
So, the dilemma is, assuming this girl really does have the money, does she carry on and sell as if she'd not heard the bad things today? Or, stop the sale based on other people's say so? I'm undecided, it did seem like the perfect pairing. Normally, I'd say a for the buyer to take the mare for a trial at her own place (we know the yard) but, if she really is as bad as what some people have said, the mare could disappear!
Any comments/ideas welcome!

 

[BonneMaman]

I actually feel really sorry for this girl. She was in hospital and the horse was picked up by the RSPCA but given back to her. She has agreed to all your terms of sale and still wants the horse.

Personally, I would bite her hand off if she wants this mare who you have already said has issues. Times are pretty tough out there - do you think you are going to find another buyer this willing to bow to all your demands? Its not like you are loaning the mare, you are selling her?

You also say that you would be willing normally for the girl to take the mare on loan but you don't trust her not to sell the mare but you also say that she wanted to pay you 4 weeks ago. I would be very worried that she doesn't get wind of the fact that you are gossiping behind her back and tell you to shove it.

Give this girl a chance to answer her own questions before you listen to local tittle tattle.

As for someone calling her a skank - I think this is pretty out of order. Is this a reflection on her personal life or her ability to care for a horse? If it is personal then it has absolutely nothing to do with her horsemanship. LOL - you only have to look at K Price to answer that one!

 

[Flight]

Sounds difficult but from the sounds of it people have been spreading rumours and you have already found out that some of what you have been told has been blown out of proportion. If the girl seems to have a good connection with the horse and has been able to ride it and get on with it to your friends satisfaction then it seems a shame not to give her a chance because of other peoples opinions of her. I wouldn't however let the horse go off the yard without being paid in full first.

 

[superted1989]

I actually feel really sorry for this girl. She was in hospital and the horse was picked up by the RSPCA but given back to her. She has agreed to all your terms of sale and still wants the horse.

Personally, I would bite her hand off if she wants this mare who you have already said has issues. Times are pretty tough out there - do you think you are going to find another buyer this willing to bow to all your demands? Its not like you are loaning the mare, you are selling her?

You also say that you would be willing normally for the girl to take the mare on loan but you don't trust her not to sell the mare but you also say that she wanted to pay you 4 weeks ago. I would be very worried that she doesn't get wind of the fact that you are gossiping behind her back and tell you to shove it.

Give this girl a chance to answer her own questions before you listen to local tittle tattle.

As for someone calling her a skank - I think this is pretty out of order. Is this a reflection on her personal life or her ability to care for a horse? If it is personal then it has absolutely nothing to do with her horsemanship. LOL - you only have to look at K Price to answer that one!

It's not my mare! Personally, I think the pairing of buyer and horse is almost perfect, if the farrier hadn't said anything, no 'digging' would have been done. My friend has spoken to her about the allegation of RSPCA, and about her concerns, but she's really wound herself up about it. She's never sold a horse before, and this mare was the first she bred herself (the mare's daughter is fabulous, not a hint of 'quirky'). Maybe it's better to agree a sale, take the money and walk away?

 

[Syrah]

I feel sorry for the buyer too.

Just bear in mind what a b**chy world the horse world is with several blades waiting to stab you in the back at the slightest opportunity.

The girl was in hospital when the RSPCA removed the horse and it was returned within days.

Poor girl.

 

[BonneMaman]

I know it's not your mare, but you asked for advice and I have given it - give the girl a fair chance. Its not black and white about taking money and running it's all about a horse with issues that your friend is trying to sell and someone that possibly has a few issues herself.

Perhaps they are a match made in heaven, and if she wants to give your friend the money I personally would take it and stop listing to playground gossip.

I know a lot of farriers that some major issues and quite frankly wouldn't touch with a barge pole nor would I listen to their gossip!

 

[Ladydragon]

Your friend could find a perfectly 'respectable' buyer with stacks of references and there's still no guarantee the horse would end up well cared for, in a life long home or be ridden with any aplomb...

It sound like this lass has had some unavoidable dramas and maybe p!ssed off a few other people - who may be talking truth, half a story or totally invented gossip...

The mare has problems and there's plenty of issue free horses out there for sale at low prices... I think to sell full stop your friend has to accept she has no control over the horse's future once sold and so far, the girl has ticked all the boxes when it comes to moving on a slightly problematic horse...

It might turn out to be a good or bad call in the long term - but your friend can only really go on the personal evidence she's provided with (cold hard cash before the horse leaves the yard) and the way the girl and horse have worked well together so far; and make the decision that is right for now...

Easy to say though... I'd be totally pathetic at selling...

 

[superted1989]

Thank you all very much. Maybe I'm a bit harder than my friend, plus I've sold horses on before, and I think the mare and the buyer will be totally fine. It's a fair sized financial investment to buy this horse, I'm sure anybody spending that sort of money is going to make sure the money isn't going to go to waste.

 

[jeeve]

I would sell the horse to the girl. I have seen first hand what bitches people can be in horse world and everything you have seen and dug up, does not back up what people are saying to you.

 

[Pidgeon]

Just remember the horse world can be extremely bitchy so take what has been said with a pinch of salt! Tell your friend to go with her gut instinct and at the end of the day if they click together as it sounds, sell her. Remember once sold she could sell her on to anyone who your friend wont be able to vet.

 

[Clippy]

I feel really sorry for your potential buyer, she sounds genuine enough to me, and personally, I would go on my own impressions rather than listen to second-hand fairy stories designed to bring her down.

You could always advertise the mare and wait months to find someone who can cope with the quirks, possibly miles out of your area and who's to say they wouldn't be described as a "skank" by someone else but you wouldn't hear the gossip so that's ok.

 

[FionaM12]

Nobody whose opinion I would trust would use the word "skank" to describe a person. As I understand the word, it's not connected to their ability to care for horses anyway, is it?

 

[Goldenstar]

there are some horrible bitchy people about , you have cleared up the RSPCA thing the horse and rider are happy together your friend is selling this girl a horse not watching her marry her son a bit of perspective is needed ,the market for less than easy horses is always difficult and is especially so at the moment when straightforward well behaved horses are having trouble finding homes.
Your friend should take the girls money and get on with enjoying her pregnancy and looking forward to her baby,

 

[WandaMare]

Although the horse world can be v bitchy I would still be worried about this. Is there anything else your friend can do to find out more about the girl? Even if people have gone too far being nasty with their comments it does seem odd that its come from more than one source. Without assuming anything bad about the buyer, I would be tempted to stall the sale until your friend understands the truth behind these rumours.

Even if the risk that the buyer is unsuitable is a small one, it is still a risk and one which i wouldn't be willing to take if it was my horse.

I know this is a different view, and I am sometimes too cautious by nature...but the interests of the horse are the most important thing here, not the sellers plans or the buyers feelings.

 

[StarlightMagic]

I believe I'm from the same island as you, if you want could pm and will say if I know of anything?

 

[LaurenM]

Your friend's options;
- sell to this woman whom I don't think has done anything wrong
- advertise again which could take months
- loan horse
- pts

To be perfectly honest I loaned to someone that looked like a perfect match, great yard & turnout. I couldn't fault them. Horse went on loan & it turned out that they weren't the people I thought they were...moral of the story - people are open books that you'll never know enough about!

 

[crabbymare]

Could well be that people are jealous as it would appear that she can ride what is not the easiest of horses, its one of the easiest ways to have people tryingto find something bad to say rather than admit that someone is possibly better than they are. Once 1 or 2 people start saying things others follow just to be in the in crowd instead of going against the majority.

 

[BombayMix]

The horse world can be a nasty place - and if this girl is still keen after the mare has 'tested' her and you have also seen her ride and thought they looked good together - bite her hand off!

Rumours are rumours (very often not true - as you have now proven...!)