Horse ads are depressing

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NeilM

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Like most of us, I wander around the on-line horse for sale adverts, just to see what's there and how much.

Increasingly I am seeing seemingly good horses with tiny price tags and some really nice looking horses which 'proved too much for novice rider' that are being 'sold from the field'.

If I had the land, I would snap up a few bargains, but to be honest, I find the thought of so many people dumping horses into fields and onto the market a bit depressing, more from a welfare point of view than anything else.
 
The problem (IMHO) is that people aren't happy with the common heinz57 horse which would be happy to plod around the lanes, do local shows etc - they are swayed by fancy warmbloods (that they can't ride either side of) which prove too much for them, scare them and hence being sold on - very sad - but like it's already been said - it's the sign of the times
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Kate x
 
Yes, it is very sad!

Too many people are taking advantage of the current climate, and are finding they can afford the fancy warmblood, buy it and then weeks or months later find its just too much, and want it shifted ASAP!!!

Such a shame, as in the right hands the fancy warmblood could do so well!!
 
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The problem (IMHO) is that people aren't happy with the common heinz57 horse which would be happy to plod around the lanes, do local shows etc - they are swayed by fancy warmbloods (that they can't ride either side of) which prove too much for them, scare them and hence being sold on - very sad - but like it's already been said - it's the sign of the times
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Kate x

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I rather think the problem is that the common heinz57 horse is almost impossible to find. It is easy for the unsuspecting, perhaps novice, horse-buyer to be duped into buying something totally unsuitable by an unscrupulous seller. I have recently been totally conned myself - luckily I only ended up with a couple of cracked ribs, but it could have been a lot worse.
 
It is sad though if It hadnt of been for a Novice owner I wouldnt have gotton my girl at the price I did.
She has good bredding and the person b4 me who had her from a 5Yo after broken bought her beacuse her dad had a stables and though it would be easy to just get on a ride.
the people who say Giddy up and expect a horse to move lol.
Though the idea of owning a few acres and stables buying a few ponys at a young age turning them out for a year then breaking and schooling them and selling them on wouldnt be a bad idea
 
Well put TGM.
People dont seem to accept that it takes time to become good anymore,or that even if all you want to do is hack you still need the odd lesson to tune you both up.
I dont think it is a new problem,at my first job there were 3 on the yard for sale for much less then bought for because owners coudnt ride them
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I think everone should have a coloured cob lol! (i have a nice one for sale
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id LOVE a nice coloured cob with more hair than 'cousin It' but OH is seriously prejudiced against them and wouldnt have one on
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if i thought i could hide one,lol....
actually my neighbour didnt tell her husband for 6 months that she'd bought her first horse!
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There is an article in one of the horsey mags this month covering exactly this subject and the tenor seems to be that people want a flashy warmblood from the Continent because they believe it will "get them to the top" pronto...
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What they don't realise is that the horses have been bred to compete at a high level and are used to being kept at a "professional yard" with a rigid routine, no turnout, daily riding by strong professional riders, and the purchaser can't understand why the horse reacts badly to a DIY, laid back yard where the amateur owner will ride maybe 4 times a week schooing in a howling gale or unlevel field....
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Bound to cause problems....
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Interesting that you are saying prices are cheap, they aren't up here in Scotland, but that doesn't stop people, there is still plenty of money about and in any case popping over to Holland courtesy of sellers on the internet and Ryanair/Easyjet makes it all too easy...

I totally agree with the poster who said a genuine straightforward, honest 57 horsey (ID X ??) is amost beyond price and a true rarity..
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actually my neighbour didnt tell her husband for 6 months that she'd bought her first horse!

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How the hell did she manage that?!

That aside, the heinz 57 happy-to-do-everything is impossible to find- or was 5 years ago when I was looking, and even browsing since then seems to be the case still. Shame really.
 
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What they don't realise is that the horses have been bred to compete at a high level and are used to being kept at a "professional yard" with a rigid routine, no turnout, daily riding by strong professional riders, and the purchaser can't understand why the horse reacts badly to a DIY, laid back yard where the amateur owner will ride maybe 4 times a week schooing in a howling gale or unlevel field....
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There's one like that on my yard at the moment. Likely to be sold as seen (she's unable to even canter the horse in the school) to some other complete novice who over-estimates their ability.
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Actually, viewing is way more depressing than looking at adverts. At least the majority of horses look good in the ads, get there and they're lame, napping and their legs and feet are struck on at all sorts of angles.

They aren't bargains, they're worthless. If someone buys a horse that's just too much for them, all they have to do is send it to a professional to sell, these rejects sold from the field won't stand up to being ridden, or the seller would send them somewhere to get a decent price for them.
 
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Actually, viewing is way more depressing than looking at adverts. At least the majority of horses look good in the ads, get there and they're lame, napping and their legs and feet are struck on at all sorts of angles.

They aren't bargains, they're worthless.

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yes, as per my post yesterday about a horse i tried being mental, and then the owner asking ME how much i wanted to pay?! i think if id offered £50 and a half eaten ham sandwich out of the car, hed have taken it!
 
I think the problem here is that people with these safe heinz57 horses tend to keep hold of them - there has to be a reason that most horses are for sale afterall -whether it be unsoundness/behavioural problems etc - Also the market is driven by what is perceived to be wanted (ie flashy horses)
Kate x
 
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I think the problem here is that people with these safe heinz57 horses tend to keep hold of them

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also, when they do change hands often they arent advertised but are sold word-of-mouth
 
It's very sad, a girl I know is telling everyone her horse is a warmblood x Trakhener....


...Reality is, she bought it as a 2 year old trotter offa Gypsy in county Durham.

When people ask me, I say I don't have a clue about laddies breeding. People these days seem to thin ktheir horse HAS to be a posh name/type to be respected.
 
the conversation i had when me and OH got together was' this is cob , in terms of pecking order you are 2nd ok darling' and hes fine..

we lost said cob 3 weeks ago and OH was brillaint and devastated at same time... i would love a colured cob daisy chain as i have always had cobs of various forms- sadly prices dictate that i cant afford one- if anyone does no of anything heavyweight, 15.3 + and under 10yo in the 2500 bracket please pm me xxx
 
too many people having a too high opinion of their ability...
boosted by ego-tripping "instructors"...
 
totally agree - why people need to overhorse themselves i have no idea because it usually turns out to be a disater!!! my stunner cam of an irish hill and looked like a wooley mamoth!!!
 
It's driving me mad at the moment as I have a yard full of genuine irish horses who all would do any job you wanted, hunt, jump lower bsja etc. and all hack safely, but because they aren't very flashy looking, i've had no real interest in any of them! They are all smart enough, but none are drop dead gorgeous and I'm also not prepared to give them away for peanuts. The only one i've sol recently has a been a flashy but stupid warmblood that came in on sales livery! she was smart and moved well enough but give me an irish horse over a fence any day!
 
You know, I definately think the flashy showjump look has got something to do with it. People don't want plain tack, it has to have 'bling', have a grackle noseband, be whitaker stamped etc.
 
So where are these adverts? All I've found are average looking horses that are over priced or extortionately priced young dressage horses that haven't yet been trained past prelim (admittedly with nice breeding but at the end of the day that doesn't guarantee success)

I'm looking for a good moving horse, under 5 (broken or unbroken) to BD and poss BSJA lower levels (not brave any more) and can only find horses at the furthest parts of the country from me
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Last year I was just such a numpty - saving up all my money for the flashy well bred TB to 'take me to the top'...

What a fool, I couldn't do a thing with him, he needed rugging, in SEPT!
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I just couldn't cope with him.

Now I have a delicious, hardy IDx who is as simple as to keep and who, interestingly, has more scope in his right leg than the flashy TB had in his whole body. And at a third of the price.

Funny how things work out.
 
It makes me sad when you see the old boys and girls that aren't wanted anymore. I know it's not realisitic for everyone to keep their horse for all of its life, but I feel so sad when I see older horses that have been and done it all and have all the t-shirts and get traded in for younger models...
 
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too many people having a too high opinion of their ability...
boosted by ego-tripping "instructors"...

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I couldn't agree more. These types just make me cross, as they have a nasty habit of dramatically over horsing themselves and them blaming the horse for their own shortcomings.
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I know there have always suckers who get sold unsuitable horses, but it seems just recently the numbers coming up for sale have grown and frankly I don't fall for the 'lost my job' line. It is undoubtedly true in some cases, the same as the fact that some people really do sell their horses before emigrating.
 
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It makes me sad when you see the old boys and girls that aren't wanted anymore. I know it's not realisitic for everyone to keep their horse for all of its life, but I feel so sad when I see older horses that have been and done it all and have all the t-shirts and get traded in for younger models...

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one of the things that makes me saddest is old horses advertised for sale.

not so much the ponies as they go on forever - most of the ponies at my old local riding club were there year after year after decade, just the tots on their backs that changed
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but old horses
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i hate to see the really old ones advertised, my old age pensioner is with me for life (really life as ive had him since he was weaned
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), and if something happened which meant i couldnt keep him hed be pts
 
my cob had to be retired a year or so ago and was with me up until he passed away 3 weeks ago- i would rather not ride than get rid of him as he was th ecoolest horse ever and was like a family member seeing as we had him so long....
 
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