Fussy buyer, joy rider or genuine lack of choice out there?

[Ample Prosecco]

Just a random thread to distract me from paying some bills......

I browse FB horse ads all the time. (Beats twitter...... )And if a wanted ad reminds me of Toby I glance at who it is. Not that I'm selling, just out of idle/procrastinating curiosity.

So anyway there is a wanted ad that would basically be what I would write if I were selling Toby:
Connie/Tb or other Connie X
15-16hh
Gelding only
5 +
Then the temperament bit which is along the lines of allrounder/nice paces/good to hack/easy to do.
Realistic budget.

So anyway whenever I see this ad or variations of it, I glance at the poster and there is a person who has been looking for a horse like this for almost 8 months now. The same poster, asking for the same thing since the beginning of August! Hardly anyone bothers to reply anymore so I assume I'm not the only person who has noticed. I would not bother telling her about Toby even if I was selling - as I find it impossible to believe that if you are a genuine buyer, with a realistic budget, you can't find a horse like that in 8 months. So I imagine she would waste my time and be inpossible to satisfy. But maybe I am wrong.

What's the longest time you've taken to find a horse? And if it wa a while, why do you think it took so long?

 

[Polos Mum]

That sort of horse is rare and rarer if they are sound.

My guess would be that the realistic budget hadn't been updated for covid / lockdown madness - where an OK £8-9k budget wouldn't get you anything near what they are looking for and £10-12k + would be needed.

A really nice type, sound and in the age / size range everyone wants could easily take that long - IMHO.

 

[TheMule]

I would guess their budget is unrealistic

 

[dorsetladette]

Realistic budget - that could mean anything. Everyone's perception is slightly different.

I always think wanted adverts are generally time wasters or bored kids. But I'm cynical

 

[chaps89]

I can well imagine she may have found a couple that might have fitted the brief but haven't passed the vet too in that time.
I had 3 failed vettings along the way to getting last time (should have trusted my gut on all of them and just not bothered vetting!)
Plus, as above, that type of horse is the type everyone wants but there isn't many of.
We've also had lockdown and travel restrictions which means where previously travelling a few hours might have been possible, it perhaps hasn't been which limits the search further.
Prices have gone up, maybe what was a realistic budget for the last few years is no longer realistic now so that could be playing a part too, but could only determine that if you had 1 to sell I guess!
Wouldn't put me off tbh.

 

[Caol Ila]

Not long, ever. We're talking weeks tops. The first horse was at a dealers; the second one was Gypsum, who was advertised with a flyer at my yard when I wasn't actually looking (my parents and I had talked about it in a theoretical sense, but hadn't actually done anything until that ad appeared); third horse was an unbroke youngster; fourth is also an unbroke yougster. I think it's probably easier to find youngstock.

When I was looking this past month, I did trawl ridden horse ads a bit. There was something tempting about buying one I could ride now, instead of in a year, but I saw nothing I liked that I could actually afford. Could have compromised and just got whatever, so I had something to ride, but I didn't feel like doing that.

 

[Renvers]

I would guess their budget is unrealistic

Me too, when I found one of mine after just a few months of looking I was the only prospective buyer who didn't try and get the asking price reduced, one apparently wanted to get a 50% reduction, another wanted a payment plan. I felt it was a fair price and was happy to pay it.

But then I went looking with a budget, he was the top end of it but I didn't view anything above my budget.

 

[MuddyMonster]

It wouldn't put me off either for all the reasons chaps89 said.If I had a horse for sale that met that criteria that I was wanting to sell, I'd certainly contact them.

 

[Bernster]

As above, I could see that being the case given lock down, travel restrictions, high prices and searching for a unicorn. But in this market horses do seem to be going fast so I can understand you being sceptical (their budget too low, or expectations too high) without them giving more details.

The longest search I did, I think I viewed about 30 horses over maybe 6+ months. Some of those at dealers who had multiple horses. I was less experienced then and looking for something rock solid, with a record, and in a narrow age band. I suspect I’d be quicker nowadays!

I browse too and was surprised that the schoolmaster section of horse quest is packed with wanted ads but very few sale adverts. It made me think that buyers are looking for something that doesn’t really exist!

ETA a lot of the FB wanted ads I see, I’d say the budget is too low in the current market.

 

[Amun]

If this buyer is repeatedly there for so long, I would probably skip her too as I would be suspicious - is it budget? Is this person rude? What is wrong? I do the same when buying (I'm a collector), whenever I see that item that usually sells fairly quickly is sitting on the market for months, I don't even bother to ask, I just know that something is wrong.

 

[Cowpony]

I've owned mine for 10 years now, so not in the current climate, but it took me 10+ viewings and several months even then. I was about to give up for a while and take a break until the spring, and then found her by word of mouth and several hours outside my preferred viewing area! So I can totally understand that somebody might not have found the right horse in the present circumstances.

 

[Melody Grey]

I would guess their budget is unrealistic

Or they’re more novicey than they let on?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Ive had bad experiences with time wasting sellers so perhaps I am overly suspicious! The worst was a woman who viewed Max (pre lameness obviously). Tried him, said she loved him, put in an offer, said she did not want to vet, agreed a price then messaged me to say she needed knee surgery and could not go ahead. 2 weeks later she posted a ranty 'Time-wasters' post on FB sying she'd been viewing not-as-described horses, ending with the lines God I hate time wasting sellers. I saw it as a mutual friend commented! I was sooooooo tempted to reply "Time wasting buyers are pretty tiresome too" but managed to restrain myself.

 

[gallopingby]

But what IS a realistic budget? Same as a piece of string! There are no set rules but l wouldn’t tend to take any notice of this type of ad. Easier to ask via friends or other connections.

 

[ihatework]

It’s generally a balance of expectations versus budget versus ability/experience. Most things come down to that.

Buying for myself has never taken too long, I generally just half-heartedly browse until something takes my interest and then move quickly.

One I helped to buy a couple of years back took months, was an expensive process and very frustrating. But it still boiled down to expectation v budget

 

[Marigold4]

Someone once told me that people who put up wanted ads are dreamers. People who are keen to buy respond to for sale ads.

 

[Bernster]

Also made me realise I’ve been pretty fortunate on the sale side. One went via a friend who was the first to view, one sold to his sharer/loaner, two on sales livery to great homes. But those were all several years ago.

 

[ihatework]

Someone once told me that people who put up wanted ads are dreamers. People who are keen to buy respond to for sale ads.

I wouldn’t believe that.
I’ve used wanted ads 4 times and from responses to those have purchased decent horses within a couple of months from all 4.

 

[Littlebear]

Someone once told me that people who put up wanted ads are dreamers. People who are keen to buy respond to for sale ads.

I put a wanted ad up last time i was looking and bought from a response to it. Also sold the last horse to someone I knew wanted ad, I am not sure that theory works from my own experience.

 

[Baccara]

I think if you want something a bit special, or you have specific criteria you have to be in it for the long hall. Im looking for a quality cob but with the movement of a warmblood, with a seriously good budget. And I think to find this type of horse it will either be word of mouth, being lucky or a lot of miles travelling after lockdown is lifted.

 

[Goldenstar]

The most likely reason is the realistic budget is not realistic.

 

[DirectorFury]

Where are people finding horses these days?
I have incredibly specific criteria that only ever return about 15 horses when filtered on H&H and HorseQuest, and that’s without adding budget into the equation! Searching on FB is a nightmare as you can’t filter ads.
(I’ve vetted 3 unbroken youngsters in 4 years, 2 failed, 1 the owner put the price up after it passed the vetting ?)

 

[Wishfilly]

8 months is since about June, right? Over the summer, horses were going incredibly quickly and it was a struggle to get viewings with anything decent. Going into autumn when I was looking, I had one fail the vet and one where an internet search threw up some red flags. I was out basically every weekend I could manage viewing anything that sounded likely too, and I ended up travelling quite a long way to view Blue!

Then I would guess perhaps lockdowns have got in the way of viewing somewhat?

I do think it's likely that her budget isn't actually realistic, but I could also see how someone could spend 8 months looking in the current climate.

 

[Ceifer]

I’ve seen so many for sale via Facebook these days. People are getting around the advertising animals rules by putting things like ‘looking for new postcode’ or using emojis.
Lots aren’t on groups and just being advertised on personal/pro pages. So sometimes a case of who you know on Facebook.
I met a lady last year who buys Connies in specifically to be sold as mother/daughter allrounders. She has a dedicated Facebook page and sells all through there. She keeps them for a few months and they do go out and about and are educated well. They all start at 15k+ and sell very quickly.

 

[Nasicus]

The phrase 'realistic budget' always sticks out to me, as you can take it either way. You either get people with budgets that reflect the current market rate for what they want, or you get people living in the past thinking they can still pick up a bombproof ridden cob with tack for £500.

I’ve vetted 3 unbroken youngsters in 4 years, 2 failed, 1 the owner put the price up after it passed the vetting

I hope they refunded you the cost of the vetting DirectorFury!

 

[Flame_]

There's willingness (or indeed ableness atm) to travel. When I've had friends "searching" for horses, I've told them about something advertised that sounds worth looking into and been met with "But it's 3 hours away".

It usually takes me about 3 months, 2 failed vettings and a few disappointing trips. I am willing to look nearly anywhere in England or Wales.

 

[Annagain]

Sometimes it's just luck. I was after something similar - bigger but everything else the same. It took me 14 months, countless messages, over 100 phonecalls, over 1000 miles, 25 viewings, 2 trips to A&E (one very naughty horse and one just a mishap) and a new hat before I found Charlie. I had a realistic budget and some that I saw that were almost right were 1/4 of my budget. I took a bit of break just before Christmas and the first lockdown was in that 14 months too but even so, it took me about 11 months of actively looking.

There were two other than Charlie that I was close to buying and it was sheer bad (at the time, good in the long run) luck that I didn't. One was the one I fell off (the mishap). I initially thought I wouldn't get over that start so said no but after an A&E checkup and good night's sleep, I changed my mind and phone the seller. Unfortunately, he'd sold that morning. Charlie came from the same seller though, albeit 10 months later. The second belonged to a friend of a friend. She wasn't 100% sure she wanted to sell so I always knew it might not happen. After my first ride I knew I liked him but I wasn't 100% sure. I rode him again and did really like him the 2nd time but she still wasn't sure. Then lockdown hit and by the time it had been lifted she'd spent a lot more time riding and had built her confidence up so had decided to keep him. I think if I'd decided yes after that first ride, he'd be mine now.

 

[Gloi]

Could be that the person knows this is a popular sort of horse, is finding them with a wanted ad, tidying them up and reselling at a profit.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Could be that the person knows this is a popular sort of horse, is finding them with a wanted ad, tidying them up and reselling at a profit.

I did actually wonder that! Dolly's full sister is up for sale for ££££, 3months after being sold to a 'forever home'. The producer is gutted. She did not think she was selling to a dealer and was assured she was going to a long term family home. I have no problem with dealers dealing! But why can't people just be honest about who they are?

 

[ycbm]

Just a random thread to distract me from paying some bills......

I browse FB horse ads all the time. (Beats twitter...... )And if a wanted ad reminds me of Toby I glance at who it is. Not that I'm selling, just out of idle/procrastinating curiosity.

So anyway there is a wanted ad that would basically be what I would write if I were selling Toby:
Connie/Tb or other Connie X
15-16hh
Gelding only
5 +
Then the temperament bit which is along the lines of allrounder/nice paces/good to hack/easy to do.
Realistic budget.

So anyway whenever I see this ad or variations of it, I glance at the poster and there is a person who has been looking for a horse like this for almost 8 months now. The same poster, asking for the same thing since the beginning of August! Hardly anyone bothers to reply anymore so I assume I'm not the only person who has noticed. I would not bother telling her about Toby even if I was selling - as I find it impossible to believe that if you are a genuine buyer, with a realistic budget, you can't find a horse like that in 8 months. So I imagine she would waste my time and be inpossible to satisfy. But maybe I am wrong.

What's the longest time you've taken to find a horse? And if it wa a while, why do you think it took so long?

Without the Connie or gelding requirements a friend of mine with exactly that spec, a 2 hour travel radius from Cheshire and a 10k+ budget took a year to find a horse that was sound and would pass a vet in 2019.

We saw one lame horse after another, and had 2 vet failures on ones which we thought were sound, it was shocking.
.