Horse going on a 2 week trial tomorrow....nervous!!

[flyingfeet]

I think I am a bit of a mug really aren't I

I just so want to find him a good home

A trial won't necessarily show that they are a good home - if they totally change his routine and screw him up and hand it back what will you do?

I will give people unlimited trial at my yard, would even take horse to competition or box to hacking area

I would not let a horse off the property without being paid for in full, you wouldn't do it with a car, so why with a horse.

Your nominal sum worries me, are these people doing a trial to make sure all appears fine so they can sell him on??! Only saying this as some chancers take a horse on trial, immediately put them up for sale and ideally get the money before having to pay the original seller.

 

[xspiralx]

PP - did he get over the girthiness?

 

[Goldenstar]

Well,

One of the reasons I have agreed to the trial is that they want him predominantly for hacking around their private estate (so all off road which is fab for him as he is not good with large vehicles) HOWEVER, the hacking at my new yard is terrible, for the first 2 miles it is just a long, extremely narrow country road with limited passing places and ditches either side so not like you can even get the horse out of the way easily. You have to hack for about 25 mins (and pray you dont come accross any large vehicles) before you reach a bridleway and places to trot and canter (he shouldn't be trotted on roads anymore due to arthritis) so I WOULD have asked them to just keep coming back to try him but really, it would be v hard for them to do so due to my hacking.

I have just typed out a trial period 'contract' if you like, IF they don't want him, would it be fair to stipulate that they would have to have him transported back at their cost? I am being nice and paying half for a transport company to take him to them tonight but would not pay half again.

I picked up and returned if necessary all the trial horses I had here at my cost.
And yes one the reason for the last trial I had here was unsuitable conditions at the owners yard for a fair trial for the horse seller knew that and was very keen to get him on to my yard to sell himself.

 

[Perfect_Pirouette]

PP - did he get over the girthiness?

With a lot of hard work and paitence from me over the past 5 weeks yes. He is still a bit wary but I suspect he always will be or at least will be for a long, long time.