Dilemma...Sell or Loan/Lease?

[Bobthecob15]

Help I'm in a bit of a dilemma and not sure what to do!!

We have our lovely pony on sales livery, we bought her last spring and she is amazing...but she's a bit zoomy for my daughter who has lost her confidence on her after a few falls. She occasionally spooks in the arena and shoots off...she's not done it a lot but cumulatively its knocked her confidence. I know she is not the right pony for us at the moment, but everyone keeps saying she's amazing, she'd be perfect in a couple of years for my daughter etc. She's 9, pony is 14hh but actually she looks fine on her. She just doesn't have the strength to stop her when she shoots off. So we decided to put her on sales livery where we keep her and she has had so much interest...I'm not surprised she's an amazing pony for a competitive teen or small adult. She's perfect in every way, incredible jump, beautiful for dressage, excellent hack, hunts like a dream, no vices, easy to look after etc... its just the spooks in the arena with my daughter (suspect she is picking up on her nerves too). She only does it with my daughter nobody bigger (she's been ridden by teens/small adults and doesn't seem to do it). She would be worth a small fortune in a couple of years with a competitive home. We are looking for something a little steadier and not so fussed about jumping ability etc.

Anyway, local DC of the pony club is keen to loan/lease for her granddaughter...so the ideal competitive home. However...if we did this then no money for another...so we would have to loan something ourselves. We have the possibility of a loan pony where we keep ours...so it does sound like a good option. But if that didn't wok out...we'd have to find another loan pony and they aren't easy!

But its a risk loaning her out, if it went wrong we would have to have her back or sell again...or what if she got injured??

If we did do it we could get her back in say 2or 3 years when my daughter would probably be ideal size wise...and strong enough. BUT what if she never gets over the confidence thing?? Would she be too big for her then? No way of knowing with kids how they will change.

Its so tricky I don't know what to do as she really is an incredible horse, ones like her don't come around often.

Any advice appreciated!!! She has 2 viewings this weekend so really need to decide soon.

 

[cauda equina]

Sell, and then you have the option to buy the pony your daughter needs now if a paragon for loan doesn't show up (and it probaly won't!)

 

[millitiger]

Sell.

You don't know your daughter and this pony will ever gel so sell her and then you aren't tied to a pony who might never be quite the right fit.

 

[Bernster]

Sell, too much risk and uncertainty involved otherwise.

 

[Patterdale]

Sell it.

It might break a leg next month, and even if everything works out and it’s the most amazing competition pony, your daughter will still not like it AND will have the awful pressure of being expected to do well on it.

Sell it now and buy the pony you need now

 

[AmyMay]

Sell.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thank you, that was my gut but hard to say goodbye to a fab pony xx

 

[AmyMay]

Thank you, that was my gut but hard to say goodbye to a fab pony xx

Give the DC your price, and go from there. First to offer and vet gets the pony.

 

[Polos Mum]

Even if your daughter gets her confidence back she may always be a bit funny about the pony that caused the issues.

2-3 years is such a long time and so many ifs / buts / maybes could come up for both pony and daughter

You could ask to have first refusal when she's sold on - there's nothing legally binging but your DC would be more likely than most to honor that sort of agreement

 

[Bobthecob15]

Sorry DC wants to loan her, not purchase x

 

[Tiddlypom]

What DC wants and what DC gets may not be the same thing.

Just tell DC that the pony is up for sale, not loan.

As others have said, this may well never be the pony for your daughter. Though a 14hh for a nervous 9 year old does sound rather on the big side.

 

[tda]

Tell the DC they can loan her if they find you a suitable loan for your daughter

 

[maya2008]

I would absolutely sell. Agree with everyone else!

 

[Winters100]

Definitely sell. Too much can happen between now and pony being suitable. Good luck!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks all x

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I agree you should sell. What if the pony becomes unsound and therefore unsalable.

 

[PeterNatt]

Sell!

 

[Wishfilly]

If you were planning to sell prior to this, then I think you should carry on with that plan- especially if you need the sale to fund the next pony.

I agree that even if your daughter gains a lot of confidence, she may never gel particularly well with this pony. I think you need to think a lot about the pony she needs now, and not what she might need 2-3 years down the line. If she's only 9, she may well be happy on a 13hh type for a number of years yet!

 

[Bobthecob15]

If you were planning to sell prior to this, then I think you should carry on with that plan- especially if you need the sale to fund the next pony.

I agree that even if your daughter gains a lot of confidence, she may never gel particularly well with this pony. I think you need to think a lot about the pony she needs now, and not what she might need 2-3 years down the line. If she's only 9, she may well be happy on a 13hh type for a number of years yet!

Yes that’s the sort of size I think we’ll look for once she’s sold, fingers crossed for the viewings x

 

[honetpot]

We had several ponies all at the same time, they were a bit like school jumpers, the one they were growing in to or out of, and experience has taught me that once a child has lost confidence in a pony, they never get it back. In some respects someone else getting on with it is worse because children can feel that they are at fault when really they just to not have that skill at that time, but eventually they will get that skill. I would sell.