Have I priced him incorrectly?

[zoon]

I have a had a pony for sale for a couple of months and am having no luck selling him. He has had 1 viewing where the very nice lady arrived and said he was too small straight away and she’d not actually seen a 13.2 in the flesh before, but other than that no interest at all.

So I’m starting to wonder if I’ve priced him incorrectly?

He is a very chunky 13.2 cob x appaloosa (he is a very nicely marked spotty), rising 4yo.

I’m too big to back him so he is unstarted, but well handled and very easy.

I know he is an awkward size and age and it’s a cruddy time of year to sell so he is priced at 1800. Is that totally unreasonable?

 

[Wizpop]

I would have thought your pricing was fair to be honest although I’ve not been in the market for a youngster. Judging by your description. I would think he’d suit quite a variety of buyers- including small adult. We have a similar sounding one at our yard- but not spots! Anned he’s worth his weight in gold. Takes small adults and also has the temperament to take children.
If you had him backed, you would possibly get more interest and, of course, this would add to his value. Good luck in finding him a lovely home

 

[Goldie's mum]

Price sounds about right.
Do you have pictures of him loading, out & about, with farrier etc that might attract attention to the ad.?

 

[webble]

Thats about right depending on how he is put together. The horse market is very odd at the moment

 

[VictoriaSponge]

I don’t think it’s too unreasonable, but maybe you’ve got a limited market to sell to?

As he’s unbacked you’re relying one the potential buyer being small enough to do it themselves or have the spare cash to pay a professional to do it, which isn’t a given.

This may sound ridiculous but how “big” does he look in his advert photos? If he’s a full up 13.2 you should have some adults interested, but if he comes across as a big 12.2 in his pictures it would put me off.

Good luck, he sounds like a lovely sort

 

[nutjob]

It doesn't seem too much money but I'm not up to date on ponies. I would say that in the last 2 months the weather has been terrible, I've had flooding, snow, frozen ground and wind and wouldn't have wanted to travel to view let alone buy another horse.

 

[Kirstd33]

If I was just looking for me (small adult) I'd snap your hands off for a nicely started, unusually marked stocky 13.2. I could send him away to a lovely local lady to back and then have a lot of fun hacking slowly in the spring and summer. as it is I have to factor in a much taller teen daughter with legs up to her armpits! Gutted.

 

[emilylou]

He's an awkward size, I think you'd have better luck getting him backed then selling. I can back my own, but if I was buying a small kids pony to bring on my budget for something unbroken that size would be much lower, because I know what I'm doing and would be looking for a deal, so would probably speak directly to breeders/go to a sale or buy something that had been unhandled so was less money.
I think you'd be more likely to sell him backed for £3.5k than unbacked for £1.8k

 

[ester]

Awkward size while also being pretty wide by the sounds of it which is trickier for a kid
He’s a spring/summer project for a small adult/teen really so unless someone totally fell in love most wouldn’t want to be buying what he is in December. I don’t think the price is terrible assuming well marked and not badly put together.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Can you do all the starting except the actual backing? If you had pictures of him in tack, long reining, carrying a dummy, you may spark someone's interest.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Have you actually measured him, or are you advertising him as the height he was expected to make as a foal, which is in his passport?
When our RDA group were looking for a new pony, it was surprising how many had not been measured by the current vendor. We did eventually buy one smaller than advertised because his temperament was perfect but the seller had simply advertised him as the height in his passport, which he hadn't made.

 

[Tarragon]

I want to see a picture of him now! He sounds fun.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Have you actually measured him, or are you advertising him as the height he was expected to make as a foal, which is in his passport?
When our RDA group were looking for a new pony, it was surprising how many had not been measured by the current vendor. We did eventually buy one smaller than advertised because his temperament was perfect but the seller had simply advertised him as the height in his passport, which he hadn't made.

This^^
A lot of sellers don't know the height of their pony.
"Recently measured at..but likely to be still growing" might sound better?

 

[ihatework]

You’ve got a limited market for a small wide one that is unbacked. I don’t think the price is unreasonable. I’d be inclined to do all the groundwork and bitting/saddling whilst he is advertised and keep an eye out for a local diddy teenager to do the sitting on. Then by spring you should hopefully have a backed pony at a time when people really start looking.

 

[Tarragon]

Perhaps in a month the market will be picking up and he will be ripe for someone to start.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

If he is pretty wide, as in your description 'very chunky'? If so, when I turn my mind back to buying ponies that size for my children, I would not have gone for a wide backed very chunky sort. When the child is relatively young, which I assume this size of pony would be marketed for, then wide is not good. Short legs sticking out like windmills on a very wide pony is not conducive to good leg work for the child.

I would be inclined to firstly re measure, secondly invest in someone doing a good breaking in job on the pony, then if up to an adult with longer legs than a child would have, re-advertise to that market. 13.2 is a notoriously iffy in between size for selling on IME.

 

[ester]

Facebook just showed him to me I think . I was expecting something with more bone/hairier he’s cute.
Nice markings and a good front but looks like he’s going to be pretty short back wise for anyone on the taller side but it might be deceptive because he’s stood at an angle.

I’d definitely get some better photos, I’d want to see lower legs and hooves with him stood up well.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Facebook just showed him to me I think . I was expecting something with more bone/hairier he’s cute.
Nice markings and a good front but looks like he’s going to be pretty short back wise for anyone on the taller side but it might be deceptive because he’s stood at an angle.

I’d definitely get some better photos, I’d want to see lower legs and hooves with him stood up well.

then perhaps I shouldn't have worded my post quite as I did! Thank you ester.

 

[Rowreach]

Facebook just showed him to me I think . I was expecting something with more bone/hairier he’s cute.
Nice markings and a good front but looks like he’s going to be pretty short back wise for anyone on the taller side but it might be deceptive because he’s stood at an angle.

I’d definitely get some better photos, I’d want to see lower legs and hooves with him stood up well.

Sounds like a nice driving prospect for someone ...

 

[ester]

Rara suggested these a while back as my starter pair

 

[Rowreach]

Ooh, if ester has pointed me in the right direction, then your pony is lovely OP, and sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[blitznbobs]

Unbacked ponies is a tough market… most people who do buy them do it to start them and sell them on… it’s not the price tbh it’s finding the right person . I would buy an unbacked horse for myself but not an unbacked pony for a kid so your market is a lightweight adult that wants a pony and also is confident enough to start from scratch… it’s a tiny sliver of buyers.

 

[Rowreach]

Unbacked ponies is a tough market… most people who do buy them do it to start them and sell them on… it’s not the price tbh it’s finding the right person . I would buy an unbacked horse for myself but not an unbacked pony for a kid so your market is a lightweight adult that wants a pony and also is confident enough to start from scratch… it’s a tiny sliver of buyers.

I used to buy unbacked ponies for my crash test dummies kids, but I had the experience for it. He's definitely the type I'd have considered back then. I do agree that the more the OP can do with him then the wider the market, but I don't think he's currently overpriced for what he is.

 

[blitznbobs]

I used to buy unbacked ponies for my crash test dummies kids, but I had the experience for it. He's definitely the type I'd have considered back then. I do agree that the more the OP can do with him then the wider the market, but I don't think he's currently overpriced for what he is.

I don’t either … but it’s finding the right person so it may take time

 

[maya2008]

If you really need to sell asap, the solution to that is always to stand out - get pony backed (bigger market) or lower the price. It might be less than you wanted, but paying for the pony monthly eats into that anyway. If you can afford to wait, do. Take your pony out in hand to shows, back if you can, add value and increase the market.

I had a look for your current price, and your Horsemart ad says pony no longer available. Then I saw a lovely similar size/age/stage sporty type for £1450 and… it’s a good thing that pony is too far away to view, because my little yearling gelding needs a buddy !

If it helps any, last year I looked at a few 3/4 year olds ranging between 13.2hh and 14hh for £2-3k, all of whom had been shown and were well handled, travelled, had done some prep work for backing. They all had good breeding and were sporty types that would have made good RC type ponies (dressage to Elementary/Medium, SJ to 90cm sort of thing). Then my car packed up and my budget did a nosedive. I became much less picky! I eventually picked up an 8yo 13.1hh locally for £1000. My son also slightly accidentally acquired a 3.5yo 13hh sporty type (ArabxNF) for £550 that was very well handled, had been sat on and driven but wasn’t a huge fan of large vehicles (nothing awful, just edgy). She’s not for the faint hearted (sharp) but will jump the moon when old enough and schooled enough.

Good luck, selling is so stressful!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Just seen him, he is a very pretty boy. Looking at him I am very surprised given the interest that he isn't sold yet. Have you measured him OP?

 

[exracehorse]

Is he the one on preloved. Red and white ? If so , very pretty. Moves well. One I’d definitely go for. I’d back him myself in the spring. Quite tempted