Do you think you can advertise a free horse and get nice people???

Vickijay

Vickijay

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Hi,

As title really. My friend advertised her horse as free to a good home and got alot of scary/weird people ringing her.
Im thinking about it for my mare. Its just not about money with her, she doesnt owe me anything but having 4 horses at home is a bit much.
Do you think ill only get weird people? Im not sure I even want to try. I might try to get her pregnant but then Ill have to sell something by summer (or just work a bit more!!)
I dont want weirdos ringing me wanting her
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Do you think its worth a try???
 
I rehomed mine to a lovely lady free to good home .The difference being he had injury and I wanted him to have few years off rather than keep bringing him back to work to breakdown again.I used project horse and it seemed to attract the right type of people.Hope that helps.
Just to add that I didnt advertise as free but put good home/long term permanent home priority.I also talked to her vet for references.
 
Personally I wouldn't do it. Whats to stop the weirdos coming out of the wood work. there are certainly some good people out there but whats to stop someone dodgey calling you up, telling you they will give her a great home and then selling her on?

Most people, (not all) if they don't pay for something wont respect it as it cost them nothing. Not sure if that makes sense. Anyway, I wouldn't risk it.
 
Yeah thats totally what worries me. I guess even nasty people can pretend to be nice. Thats a sorry state hey
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I would advertise as a loan (you retain ownership) and if in a few months time the relationship with the loaner is working well offer to sell for £1?
 
i would agree with ali_m. there are some good people out there who would most probably offer a fantastic home.

as someone else said maybe try an ad but dont state that your mare is free to a good home. Tbh I would have thought with the economy etc enough people are looking for a loan/share for you to find someone genuine on that basis to then talk through the idea of selling for £1 (best to do this for legal/proof of ownership reasons).
 
Yeah she is a bit sharp herself. Not in a bad way. She did go up to Elem dressage tho, but is now a bit of a fat mum lol
 
How about word of mouth? There are loads of genuine people out there who are looking for a nice, older, ploddy horse, or even willing to take on a project, but don't have the initial outlay money to spend on buying one. That doesn't mean to say they don't have the money to look after one..
Word of mouth and a bit of patience and I reckon you could find the perfect person. I would be dubious about advertising a free horse, there are too many unscrupulous people out there looking to make a quick buck.
 
Most of the people I know are either v competitive or happy hackers.
Mag is somewhere in the middle. Sharp ish so no good for happy hackers. Was fab mum tho (shes the black one in my sig) And there is nothing wrong with her.
Im trying to be sensible thinking about finding her a new mum but a big part of her wants to get her pregnant again!
 
yes you can, but you've just got to be REALLY carefull, take ur time looking for new owners/loaners for the mare/gelding
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I have been on both sides.

I have been given horses off strangers. I am normal (as normal can be lol) and offer an excellent life long home no matter what. (hence i have a fie;d full of horses in their 20s!)

One of my liveries last year decided they couldnt keep their mare any more - they didnt give a dam where she went or with whom. She had been a full livery for years - hence i was v attached but realistically, having just goven birth to twins, i didnt want to take on an elderly shire willinilly! (i would have kept her had i not have found a new owner)

Anyway - OMG - i know what you mean about weirdos!

People claimed that no matter what - they would get her in foal despite my saying no they wouldnt as the owner had tried numerous times and you wouldnt put an elderly shire with dodgy legs through it! WELL - apparently they had people that them that about other horses but they work wonders...........
The amount that wanted to compete her....................
Or have free delivery to the other side of the country............
or for me to pay for a vetting for them........................
or her to come with all sorts of tack and rugs.................
or for them to be able to come and collect her in a pony trailer........ (shes a 17.2 VERY HW!)
many were going to jump her...........
some that just asked fro the yard postcode and said they would go straight away and collect her.............
some that didnt have suitable facilities for her....................
and the list goes on and on............

BUT then, i had an email from a lovely lady - who took her on! She has even kept her at my yard as its what shes used to and we were not sure how she would travel etc. Sadly the lady at the moment cant see her much due to family commitments but she knows i'll look after her. the horse is soooo much happier having a more one to one. The lady was happy to buy the rugs and tack etc of me that i had bought with my own money over the years.
Its worked fab!

If i was to do it again - ONLY put your email address on adverts! that way you will not be hassled with the dreamers and its easy to sift through them and send nice refusals rather than having them on the phone telling you all sorts. Once you think you will have to give up, chances are the right person will come along, then you can speak over the phone, if they still sound ok, arrange to show them her etc etc.

I think it can work - just be prepared for all of the hassle and be patient if possible as the right person will come along.

ps - sorry for the essay!
 
Well I wouldn't a woman near us has six the Shetland had a foal (they didn't know it was in foal and neither did the previous owners even though that is what they do breed shetlands). Anyway one of the horses she has was given to her free and it was on bute. When she got it she took it off the bute she's had it about a year and has advertised it for sale. I do not know who it's owner was before or even where it came from. If I did I would tell them she is selling it and taken it off the bute. It is an elderly horse and doesn't really do any work but she only rents 4 acres and now has 7 on the land. Why do people have the horses when they do not have the land to keep them properly.
 
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My friend advertised her horse as free to a good home and got alot of scary/weird people ringing her.

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You don't say?? Your friend was lucky to get the clearly scary/weird ones. She was more likely to get the entirely plausible ones, who are practised at the "loving home" pretence but want a quick meat/horsemart buck.

If I were in your position, and genuinely struggling, I would sell one that had a future, and prospects.

What's wrong with her anyway??! Can't you work on it?!
 
Thanks Luckilotti,

Thats what Im worried about. But you did find someone in the end. I almost feel like advertising her for sale and then letting the right person (if there is one!) know that Im only wanting a new home not money.

Skewby- There isnt anything wrong with her. She is just fat and unfit as has had the baby. When she was in work she was working Medium at home before being a mum. She is sharp, quite spooky and used to be a bit grumpy (but that has gone since the dottie one) She would only put her ears backwards tho! She was a AMAZING mum, think she would love another one, so I guess the broodmare route may be best
 
Two points. 1 - there are good homes who will take your horse on as a long term/lifetime free home. I found one for mine.

2 - when WHW are begging people to think VERY carefully before putting horses in foal for no other reason than they 'need a job to do' why would you breed from her again or advertise her as a broodmare?

I'm starting to think that mare owners should have a license to breed and some sort of qualification to do so.
 
My Ruby was free to good home, and has turned out to be the best thing I ever did and hopefully won't ever have to consider selling her. (in my siggi)

Its just a case of finding the right person as there are soooo may unscruplous people out there!
 
Oh! She sounds perfect for me (but I'll say right now that I can hardly afford my side of my share at the moment). But there must be people like me out there who like a bit of a project and like a bit of dressage and like mares ... but who earn a bit more... Wish I could help!
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I think your idea of vetting people before you mention the free-to-a-good-home bit is a good one. Good luck.
 
I'd like to think im 'normal' and have responded to a free to good home- currently trying to organise myself (in the middle of a move to shropshire) before I commit to anything. There are nice peeps out there!
 
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why would you breed from her again or advertise her as a broodmare?

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Because she is very well bred, has nice conformation, huge movement, goes very nicely and was an amazing mum.
You also have to remember that professional peoples studs are their livelyhoods.
If I was to breed from her again I would keep the baby (as I have with the other one)
Your right about people breeding crap from crap but she is far from that
 
You could advertise a horse with three legs, blind in both eyes and no teeth, but you'll still get the f***wits who sit in their bedrooms with knickers on their heads, thinking the horse ads are like a lonely hearts column. Likewise you'll get the people who expect the same horse to be jumping to Grade A, ready to skip around Burleigh...

you get the idea!!!
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Am in the same situation at the moment. Actually had someone I know offer to take her (and they would give her a good home) but I know they would sell her on next year and am not really happy with that.
Have decided to try advertising her as a project for around £1000 in the hope that the money will at least stop people ringing who would only take her for meat... will probably be proved wrong and might not get any genuine calls but I don't think I'd advertise as free to a good home.
 
I 'gave away' my old mare free some time ago (charged £100 but that included the tack and rugs which were probably worth more on their own). She had arthritis in one knee which was manageable at the time but meant she couldn't jump / gallop etc, and wasn't really happy with my weight.

I didn't actually say free in the advert or whether it was loan or sale, just that she was looking for a good home as a companion / light hack. Also, I only advertised through word of mouth and in H&H (I know H&H is expensive, but I decided it was worth it).

I draw up a contract (based on one I found online I think) which included things like a stipulation that if they wanted to sell her on in the future they had to offer her to me first at the same price. Don't know if it would have proved legally binding if tested, but it looked right and put off some people, but didn't phase the really nice lady who took her as a companion to her kids PC pony and occasional hack.
 
She sounds perfect for me as on a gap year now argh but need to earn a tiny bit more to be able to keep another +take to uni
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But I would advertise as a project horse around 1000, my bay ponio in the sig jumping the log was a project like yours minus the foals :P and i have become a little too attached to her lol
 
We have had 2 horses for free, and I think we are normal
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One was a super 17YO pally TBXshire, who we passed on as she was too easy for Dad, apparently! She was lovely, rescued as a youngster but no real hang ups. Another was a very classy 7YO BYEH eventer, awesome temperament but owners let it jump off the lorry breaking bones in both front legs, should have recovered had it been just one leg, but owner couldn't afford to treat it. We had it but it never did come right and was PTS. Such a lovely neddy.
 
[ QUOTE ]
You could advertise a horse with three legs, blind in both eyes and no teeth, but you'll still get the f***wits who sit in their bedrooms with knickers on their heads, thinking the horse ads are like a lonely hearts column. Likewise you'll get the people who expect the same horse to be jumping to Grade A, ready to skip around Burleigh...

you get the idea!!!
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MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That just made me spit cola all over the place!!
 
Why not just advertise the horse for loan???
And then if someone wants to take the horse on permanently you could sell at a later date?
 
The question is really why you would want to advertise the horse for free if she is worth something (as it sounds like here)?
If the horse was worth 15k and you wanted to sell it at an undervalue for the best possible home, that is understandable, but if people can afford to keep a horse and handle the vet bills that are going to come up etc, it is hard to imagine that they cant pay 1-2k for the horse before they start incurring the cost of its keep. Yes there are exceptions, but they are very out of the ordinary.
By advertising at market value you eliminate everyone who wants to sell the horse on asap for a quick profit, and all the loonies with no money who think they can keep it in the back garden.
If you really want to allow for all potential good homes, advertise at market value with option of loan with view to buy. People without upfront capital can take the horse on loan, and you can sell to them for a nominal fee once you're satisfied they are a good home. Puts of people who think they can loan for a couple of months till you gift the horse to them and then sell it on.

If you feel guilty about profiting from the sale of your much loved companion etc. I'm sure there are any number of charities you could donate the proceeds to who would be grateful.

For horses that genuinely lack any value (long term illness, extremely old, companion only etc.) I can understand having to think long and hard about whether giving away is a viable option, but where the horse has a market value above meat money, asking for it is the best way of making sure that the buyers have the correct intentions.
 
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