Finding a 'good' home - how do you do it

C

Clannad48

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 February 2010
Messages
1,840
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
As title really, we are helping a friend to find either a really good loan home or a permanent home to sell to. She has already been concerned about a loan home and we just wondered if anyone had any advice about what to look out for. We thought we had covered all the bases last time but apparently not.

Advice needed to make sure he goes to a 'home' not a dealer who will sell straight on with no concern for happiness.

And yes I am aware that there are some brilliant producers out there who really care where their horses are going
 
For me, a good home is someone experienced with horses, and who has had horses for a while, who has a bit of common sense. They are not always the ones with the all singing, all dancing yard and big 4x4..

I've sold two much loved ponies recently. Both times, the buyer did not bring their child with them - they didn't want them falling in love with something unsuitable! I did exactly that when I bought both ponies. They brought an experienced rider small enough to try the pony, after seeing my son ride it. They knew from seeing the pony that it was safe and their child would be fine on it. Thats just what I did too! They didn't ask stupid things or seem like they thought that they knew it all. In both cases they decided pretty much there and then. Both of them came with trailers and old but good 4x4s. Both of them were in old horsey clothes, and more bothered about the pony than themselves.

On the flip side, I've loaned horses to very well off, "new" horsey people who had all the facilities and money you could want. On both occasions it hasn't worked out that well as the people didn't put the horses that high up in importance, so they didn't get looked after/ ridden quite as well as I'd hoped (not badly treated, just not quite right), so they've come home. Also one of the homes were not at all experienced, and didn't realise how much looking after a horse took..

There are some negatives with loaning that you have to watch when you loan your horse out. Yes, you want it looking after properly, but you do have to be flexible and let go of the reins a lot. Just because they aren't doing things exactly as you did doesn't make it wrong.. Also if there are any problems with the horse the horse is more likely to be sent back if on loan - if its their horse they will work at things more.
 
Agree with all comments re. loans.

I've just loaned my boy out; he's basically been kept by the borrower on working livery, at a riding school, which means that hopefully there will be someone there to keep an eye on things if he does decide he wants to do things his way.

I think the problem with loans is - as has been said already; that people often don't try to resolve any issues, instead they'll give up and hand the horse back. But if they'd bought it, they'd blimmin well have to sort issues out themselves.

I think it depends on the horse whether you loan or sell. My boy is sweetheart 99% of the time; BUT the 1% ASBO behaviour he's capable of includes some very nasty little habits like rearing, so I couldn't sell him without telling someone what he's capable of. He's OK when he's given plenty of work, but if he went to someone who didn't give him this, then he'd just get sold on and get into a downward spiral. So I'm loaning him, never selling.

The thing I would do if I was selling would be to offer (and get it in writing) that I'd offer first-refusal to buy the horse back if they ever wanted to sell. That hopefully might ensure the horse stays in a good home???
 
Visit and choose who they go to, a good buyer will not mind. Also reference ask who their vet is and if you can speak to them(they will have to give their permission etc) But shouldnt object etc

The seller came to see where her horse was going to and came when he was delivered and she came and saw him whenever she wanted. In fact I told her she was welcome to take him out if she wanted to ride him again. I didnt mind at all. She only visited a couple of times though. He is still here years later until end of his days!Going nowhere!
 
I have been lucky with 99% of loan homes. The only one that wasn't right was purely because the pony was getting bullied in the particular herd and was unhappy, I went home, got trailer and picked her up.

With selling horses, I have never been very good at it! In fact, I had a mare on the market last year, that because of circumstances, I was getting fonder of, even though she'll never be suitable for me to ride. I had numerous phonecalls, and could tell by most of them on the phone that they wouldn't be suitable as mare is sharp....not nasty, just typical show pony! I had 3 people out to try her....none of which I was happy with, so I took her off the market. Unfortunately, because of the type of hosre she is, I did have a lot of 'la-di-da' types that talked the talk and turned up in their brand new range rovers and daughter from boarding school (I'm not stereotyping....honest;) ), but not one of them I took too, if you know what I mean!

The best home I have found is for my old show pony....she's on permanent loan to my now friends, no frills DIY, horses come first types and one of the last homebreds is in a fab home competing and I have been down to visit.

Especially with loaning, I do check up quite frequently in the first few months and I'm always at the end of a phone for problems. I take a long time to trust people now, as have been bitten quite badly in the past and I do care deeply where they end up. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top