Has anyone ever swapped a horse?

Spit That Out

Spit That Out

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I've just been mooching online and wishful thinking at some of the horses out there for sale and I've seen a couple of adverts asking for a swap.
One person had a 13hh fell pony and wanted to swap for anything over 14.2hh!!

Do these swaps really work, what are the chances of you having something you'd want to swap for something else?

Why not just sell and look for another horse?

Has anyone swapped a horse?

I'm not talking about someone who has bought from a dealer and didn't get on with their purchase and did a swap with the dealer. I mean the people who no longer want their horse and hoping someone out there has something they do want and swap it.

How do you go on with the value difference?
 
A friend of mine has swapped two of hers. First one she swapped her very forward going Arab x mare for a calm cob, then she swapped the calm cob for a 3year old American Paint.

Can't for the life of me work out WHY she does it, but hey x)
 
Friends of mine did, one had a lovely TB mare that had talent but was spooky hacking, the other friend had an older gelding who'd probably reached the limit of his competition scope.
They'd ridden each others horses before and I think it came up as a joke in a pub one evening - but logically it was ideal.
They didn't nickle and dime on value - just did a straight sway - horse only no tack/ stuff.
Gelding loved the quieter life and was wonderful hacking (although looked a little daft in much too big TB sized rugs!)
Mare - went on to compete sucessfully until she had a nasty injury that nobody could have predicted.
Both friends still friends years and years later - all the evidence I need that it works.

However - usually with strangers it'd be much easier to sell and then buy - it's tough enough to find the right horse, let alone find someone who is perfect for your horse and who has just what you're looking for!
 
Yup I swopped a homebred who lacked scope but who was a lovely person for a strapping nappy ISH who was too much for his beginner owner.
I dealer I know set up the deal it was a great sucess.
 
I've swapped twice. First time with a friend, she'd bought a youngster who was to much for her and was really a competition horse. I had an older horse who really just wanted a hacking home, worked perfectly for us.

I've also swapped my very slow pony for a much mired forward going horse, via a forum.
 
Yep. I saw an advert where lady wanted ancient tiny leadrein pony (which I had) inexchange for her beautiful 13hh pony she had bought which was too much for her tiny kids.
We had a "pony day", where I went there with my lead rein, and my son rode her 13hh. At the end of the day we agree to "swap" for a trial period.
It all worked very well, and now the swap is permanent.
 
We did a swap and it was the best thing we ever did.

I was 5 at the time and my sister was around 18 months. My Mum had a 5 year old homebred NFxTB mare that she didn't really like and just didn't have the time for with 2 small children.

A teenage girl on our yard had a 12.1hh Dartmoor gelding that she'd done everything with and at 19 he was looking for a quieter life. She wanted a youngster to bring on and do everything with.

So we swapped! Straight swap, no money exchanged hands, although tack did because it wouldn't fit the other horse and it was all old/cheap anyway.

Unfortunately we lost contact a few years later so we're not sure what happened to the mare but we certainly think we got the better deal with the gelding. He was worth his weight in gold, taught around 30 kids to ride in the time we had him, at 32 he was doing hunter trials with my sister, at 33 he was still showjumping and we finally had him put down at 34 because of cancer. We had 15 wonderful years with that pony and swapping the mare for him was the best decision my Mum has ever made.

So they do work :)
 
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