Ever sold a horse and regretted it

[Toffee44]

I had a project pony to keep me going until something came up that I knew I would want to stay. Any last week this horse turned up and shes very much ideal. 15.1hh hackney x welsh ride and drive 7yrs old know someone who knew her when working so happy she will do the job I want. Downside she has foal at foot but he will be going at weaning.

However it meant that I couldnt have her and my two on two and a half acres, even though my grass is fab I would end up completly over grazing the field. Any way I knew some one was interested in project pony so I named a price and she accepted it. Now I told her how far I had got with project pony (had her two months) and she was happy, pony was sold as seen basically. Anyway saw on her facebook that project pony was rearing etc which is exactly how she was when I got her however I felt we had cured most of this and she was coming on really well. She even tied up by the time I sold her which was a real issue for her. Working on the ground however she had come on so well and my sister rode her twice and she was so good and listened well only in ten minute sessions (newly backed pony). Anyway just commented on facebook saying aww such a shame shes gone back to this but she should come round with TLC and some bonding I think she just has people issues. I couldnt catch her etc when I got her. Anyway friend replies saying pony has no manners or ground work what so ever and also commented to some one else she was backed too early and had had a really nasty time before she had got her. I now feel like ****. I went to see her and pony came whinnying over to me and now I feel like utter s*&t for parting with her, we must have bonded so well. I cant be the only person to feel like this after selling. Its stupid because I didn't get upset selling Winston (the cob that benson 21 liked). But this pony is really cutting me up.

I would share some of my jaffa cakes with you all for reading this but I have now eaten them all but do have some wino left

 

[Toffee44]

and just for photo purposes this is Samba who after coming running over to me whinnying and putting her nose into the head collar today will be staying with me Seamus , 2months, is her lil un who is out of Samba x 15.2hh gypsy cob. Will be for sale either this september or next spring.

 

[jenh166]

Not regretted it in the same way as you, but did sell a pony last autumn, partly because he was a bit small for me and partly because I'd taught him everything I know and wanted him to go and have fun doing what he loved - and once he'd gone I realised just how super he really was and that it was going to be very difficult to replace him in terms of temperament and character. Luckily I seem to have found the bigger braver version of him, but has taken almost a year!
All I can say with regards to your position is that you have to think that you made your decisions at the time that were right for you, so don't beat yourself up about it. The only other peice of advice I have is, unless you are planning to get this pony back, I wouldn't go and see her - it'll only make you feel more emotional.
Good luck x

 

[Sparkles]

Yeaaah. I sold one of ponies last year Wish I never had tbh but had to due to circumstances at the time. He got sold again little while after but am told he's in still in a lovely home down the road from her.

 

[Blaise]

Never regretted selling one but did have doubts about whether i'd done the right thing for weeks after selling Ben. The only thing that made it better was knowing he went to a fab home who could do loads more with him than i could (he is a big ID & i have major hip & back issues so riding something as wide as him hurt lots) I really feel for you, it must be horrible :-( When the foal goes is there any way you might have space to have the pony back?

 

[Brandy]

Yes I have but not in the same way. Bought a project pony years and years ago. Had him for a year. Broken in and going very nicely, qualified for in hand and ridden showing champs (coloured) and started jumping wee jumps, was hacking out nicely. Thought he was ready to go on, sold him for 5 times the amount I paid for him (was hard up and the intention was always to sell him)

He went to a lovely home but I wish I could have kept him. He was a real 'me' pony and I loved him. Was gutted when he walked up the ramp so trustingly and felt guilty that I wouldn't be there when he came off the other end (he went across water to his new home, long journey)

 

[Kallibear]

Yep, I had a standardbred gelding. He was a pain in the ass at times with a huge list of issues (some of them so ingrained they weren't fixable) and a real dominance issue with nervous handlers, but he was stunningly beautiful, laid back and chilled and we had such a strong bond - he'd have followed me to the ends of the earth. I sold him a good few years ago due to a lack of time and money. He's still with his new owners where he's happy, but I still miss him, even with my two new horses.

I especially miss him at the moment due to the common rides - my new horses are improving with each ride but still stressed and over-excitted. Brodie was amazing at them and was the perfect common riding (and hunting) horse.

If I ever have the land and money, I'd have him back in a shot and he could come and retire with me.

 

[Toffee44]

Well shes still on the same farm so I kinda see her but although me and person who have bought her were friends shes completly blanked me the other day. Gonna sound like a bitch now but I do wonder how much of the FB pictures is a show so she looks like she has solved this wild pony but I think thats just my way of mind at the moment. I think I am just wound up lol.

Also pony was always to sell at the end of the summer, only sold now because thinking about if we had a winter like we just have I did not want to risk having my (hopefully) brood mare on no grass and having to feed the new girl and potentially a weanling colt. Just feel I have let her go at the wrong time and should have seen her through a bit more. I think im just being a silly billy. Just needed to air I think, sorry.

 

[kateknights]

Yep, sold my lovely girl to what i thought and was promised a home for life! She stayed with her 3 months max! She now wont speak to me. I met her on here!
never again!

 

[RuthnMeg]

I sold Juno (my dun mare) back in 1995. Basicly it went wrong, she was sold on 3 more times. Just by chance I was at a show one day and walking through the lorries - she was looking over the back gates and I spoke to the owners. Turned out the son was out growing her and the daughter too small to ride her and could we have her back on loan.. said yes in a heart beat.
Still got her 10 years on - but we missed 5 years and in that time she didn't have a happy time. That I regret. She's here to stay now.. and thats final!!

 

[Little_Miss_1]

Yep. I sold my pony in 2004 to a 'forever home' and immediatley regretted it when he got rapidly sold on. I know - I should have kept him, no comeback after selling blah blah blah. Have since spend that last 6 years tracking him down and he is with a lovely little girl teaching her to ride (his fave job!). But he is now 23 and girls mother has agreed that once he has finished his job with the daughter he is coming home to retire with me

So a happy ending, but for 6 years of tracing and coming to dead ends the £1500 I sold him for seems like pennies. I should never have let him go and so very glad he is coming home at last.

I'm not usually sentimental and have sold other horses but he is just something special...

 

[fornema]

The bay in my siggy i really regret selling he was my one in a million pony, was a bit of a loud mouth at shows and to small for me, sold to what i thought was a permenant home and was sold within a couple of months again which is what i didnt want to happen I was told he was sold to an unscrupulous dealer and i would love to know where he is now as not many people will say they trade with the dealer in question i would have him back in a second if i could

 

[tabithakat64]

Yes, I'm about to sell the two Fell project ponies my friend and I have. I'm going to be gutted but just can't afford to keep a third myself at the moment.


Winnie is so chilled out and will have a fantastic career in the show ring ahead of her, she just makes you smile every time you ride her and is good at everything she does, she will be a real superstar.

Faye is the sweetest pony I've ever met, she's kind and gentle and tries very hard to please even though she's still green. I adore her and I know she will make whoever buys her very happy.

I really, really wish I could afford to keep them but I just don't have the money or the time tbh, but that doesn't mean it will be any easier to let them go

 

[Rosiefell]

I sold Juno (my dun mare) back in 1995. Basicly it went wrong, she was sold on 3 more times. Just by chance I was at a show one day and walking through the lorries - she was looking over the back gates and I spoke to the owners. Turned out the son was out growing her and the daughter too small to ride her and could we have her back on loan.. said yes in a heart beat.
Still got her 10 years on - but we missed 5 years and in that time she didn't have a happy time. That I regret. She's here to stay now.. and thats final!!

Slightly off topic, but I remember Juno. I used to keep my pony at the farm that the last people had. Lovely pony, glad it's all ended up well for everyone.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Oh yes! We sold our wonderful TB x Shire because my daughter was off to uni. One term later daughter was home again never to return to uni. We hoped to buy him back but he had already been sold on.

 

[Snowysadude]

I really regret selling my boy. Hes gone to a perfect happy hacker home who will keep him for life but I really want my Tobes back! Simply a case of I just never should have sold him in the first place

 

[Rudey]

I haven't had personal experience of this, but I have seen many of my friends go through this. I must say OP, it must be heart retching to see your horse on FB going backwards at high speed un-doing all of the work you put into her I must add, I would be furious with the comments she made to others, that's just not on. It's funny you posted this, I was saying to my friend only the other day, that if I sold one of mine, it would have to be out of this area to someone that I didn't know. I said that I didn't think I would be able to be FB friends with them as I would get too jealous over any photo's they may post! xx

 

[maxapple]

I have a pony on full loan who is more or less mine now (never see the owners - just keep in touch by email)

I THOUGHT I wanted something bigger, found myself a lovely loan horse and once that was going well I made the tough decision (with the agreement of his owners) to find my pony a new home.

I found him a lovely home with a new family but was gutted when he went. Kept telling myself I'd done the right thing as I have another horse already so three was just too much. Missed him every day

About 2 weeks after he'd gone, things went really wrong with my new horse and he ended up going back to his owner. I tried not to think about the cracking pony I'd given up - his owners would have terminated the agreemtn with the new family if I'd asked but I'm not mean enough to do that.

Then about a week later I got a call from them to say it wasn't working out and would I take him back! I am so lucky and ridiculously happy to have my boy back - and will never let him go anywhere again! A big lesson for me in appreciating what you have got!!!

 

[skychick]

I sold Juno (my dun mare) back in 1995. Basicly it went wrong, she was sold on 3 more times. Just by chance I was at a show one day and walking through the lorries - she was looking over the back gates and I spoke to the owners. Turned out the son was out growing her and the daughter too small to ride her and could we have her back on loan.. said yes in a heart beat.
Still got her 10 years on - but we missed 5 years and in that time she didn't have a happy time. That I regret. She's here to stay now.. and thats final!!

Blimey what are the chances of that, thats amazing. Thats a lovely ending

 

[finkle]

Yes...7 years ago I sold Ebony a lovely ShirexSect D Black mare. I was in hospital and was diagnosed with an auto-immune illness and felt financially and physically it was the best thing to do. My daughter was only 5 at the time. My daughter is now 12 and a lovely little rider and I often regret selling her. She would have been so perfect for her now. The power of hindsight is a great thing. Though to be honest it was still the right decision back then, but I often think of her and like most people would love to her back. Life doesnt always go the way we planned it though does it.