How do I go about this. Foal buyer wants dam for a month to wean

[Enfys]

The scenario.

The lady that wants to buy my colt wants him sooner, rather than later (fair enough, I understand this)
BUT, as he is only 10 weeks old he obviously cannot be weaned yet.

Normally I wouldn't consider this but we are in the throes of selling the property and buying another and all the fun that entails and closing is mid November, yippee

To be honest it suits me to have the foal go an hour up the road to be weaned gradually (as the buyer likes to do) rather than for him to be shipped 3 hours up the road, only to have a 2 hour journey after I weaned which would be far more stressful for him. It would be far better for him to get used to a new environment with his mum, settle down, meet his new companions and then, when the time was right and he was weaned just bring Robin back home.

Still with me? Clear as mud right?

So, how do I go about this? Obviously some paperwork will be involved.

Does the new owner get a reduction in his price?

Do I pay livery for the mare? (same thing really)

Thankyou.

 

[honetpot]

She pays you in full for the foal, so she is responsible for its vet care, insurance etc and a loan agreement for the mare in which you put all the normal things, and she is only on loan until the foal is weaned. As you doing this at her request I would not pay livery but perhaps depending on the stud fee reduce the price of the foal as she is taking more risk.

 

[PorkChop]

I would be happy for this scenario providing on the following - the foal is paid for and changed ownership - that a contact be put in place for proposed weaning date - I would not reduce the price of the foal, I would rather pay a nominal grass livery amount - think about what is important to you in terms of your mares care and companions etc.

It sounds like it could work in both of your favours, just have a sensible chat with the foal buyer and talk through possible scenarios beforehand and make sure everything is put down in writing.

 

[Asha]

I did this last year, bought a foal and her dam came with her. I paid for the foal, and both mare and foal where delivered the next day. Both settled really well, as we had loads of grass and more importantly another mare and foal to make friends with. When the time came to wean, mare was collected. Foal was absolutely fine, as she had her friends with her. In fact she only whinnied the once. I didn't ask or expect a discount, as it suited me to have them both. Nor did I expect a contribution towards the cost of keeping the mare. Maybe I missed a trick !

 

[popsdosh]

The buyer made the request so should not expect anything in return in my opinion. Just a straightforward loan agreement on the mare with the proviso that the purchaser covers any problems that may occur at weaning through mismanagement.

 

[abracadabra]

I wouldn't expect to be paying her grass livery to keep a mare shes asked to borrow for a month?
No reduction in price for the foal, the price is the price. End of, imo.

Water-tight contracts detailing the legal bits, as ever.

 

[Enfys]

Thankyou all, your replies are much as I thought myself.

The mare will effectively be doing a 'job' so the benefit will be to the buyer of the foal, therefore she should be considered to be on loan for a specified period. No renumeration for her involved.

 

[Maesfen]

I did this last year, bought a foal and her dam came with her. I paid for the foal, and both mare and foal where delivered the next day. Both settled really well, as we had loads of grass and more importantly another mare and foal to make friends with. When the time came to wean, mare was collected. Foal was absolutely fine, as she had her friends with her. In fact she only whinnied the once. I didn't ask or expect a discount, as it suited me to have them both. Nor did I expect a contribution towards the cost of keeping the mare. Maybe I missed a trick !

This is how we've done it too especially if I have them here at livery as it's the least stressful way to wean I've experienced for all of us, foal, mare and me!
No, not missed a trick, just the decent way to do things as the new foal owner is the one requesting this so should be the one to pay the expenses for the mare while she is with them.
Just make sure your mare is insured and you are happy with where they're going and how she'll be treated; in this day and age if it's not local to you ask for weekly pictures of them so you can keep an eye on your mare.

Good luck with the move!

 

[Fides]

I've done this as a buyer, except my foal was 3 weeks and I kept the dam until weaning at 8 months (he fractured his fetlock at 5 months so she had to stay longer than planned). A full loan agreement was drawn up for a 6 month period and I paid all livery costs for the mare. Seller paid for farrier, vaccs, wormers etc. worked out lovely and allowed the mare and foal to self wean - by 8 months she'd had enough

 

[ihatework]

I think it's a super way to be weaning a foal.

I'd echo the others in that I wouldn't expect to reduce the price of the foal or pay livery. I would however consider covering the cost of routine expenses had the mare stayed with you, vaccinations/worming/vets/insurance/feet.

Ultimately it's up to both of you what you agree to, but yes I'd treat it as a loan with a contract accordingly.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Sounds like a good idea for both parties. Make sure you have her insured if she isn't already, draw up a sale contract for the foal and a separate loan contract for the mare, making it clear that they are liable for any vet's bills/upkeep etc. I personally wouldn't lower the price but would consider paying a small amount for grass livery for the month, just to make it easier from a legal standpoint.

 

[EventingMum]

I have done this. The foal I was buying wasn't weaned as planned due to problems at the stud I was buying him from. The stud owner suggested sending me the mare (who was in foal again) and foal for a month to gradually wean him. She came and inspected my yard and was happy to send them to me. I paid for the foal as he arrived and after letting them both settled started a gradual weaning process with the stud owner collecting the mare at the end. All went well and the mare returned home and the following year gave birth to the great Mill Law!

 

[Enfys]

Eventing Mum, so you helped cook Mill Law!

All this is moot now, because the lady threw a snit after I said I wasn't reducing the price, etc, etc. She said that she would have to stall the mare for 3 months, I suggested taking the mare for a couple of weeks nearer December to make the weaning process earlier, she was the one who wanted him now. Oh well, plenty more fish in the sea, and to be honest, he's such a nice colt I wouldn't mind showing him a couple of times next year

 

[Enfys]

haha! Boy Oh BOY! Has she got snitty!!!

Never mind, someone coming tomorrow and another one has just booked for Saturday

 

[Fides]

haha! Boy Oh BOY! Has she got snitty!!!

Never mind, someone coming tomorrow and another one has just booked for Saturday

That's a shame that it didn't work out

I see that is the second post. Go on, tell us just how snotty she got

 

[Spring Feather]

I think you may have just had a lucky escape tbh!

 

[Clodagh]

We need details! The joys of horse selling!?

 

[Enfys]

I meant easier (on the colt) not earlier.

Fides, she told me that at 2 months the foal should be leading, picking up feet, tying up etc, she saw him in the field and when I asked if she wanted me to halter him so that she could handle him properly she didn't want me too, so she didn't KNOW what stage he was at. He does in fact lead, tie up (well, stand- you know what I mean) and give his feet, handle him all over, open his mouth, blah-de-blah-de-blah, all the normal stuff. I may have encouraged the snittiness a little by asking her to re-read our emails where she would find that it was HER wanting him ASAP not me.

SF, I suspect that if I were in her league (Western, English pleasure - serious showing) she could make life uncomfortable for me with her contacts, but I am not, so it doesn't matter, I am happy to be just a little insignificant person

Such is life, it is a beautiful, warm, sunny day and I have just spent a lovely half hour out in the paddock having a little leading lesson with Eagle. The sweetest thing happened, he was getting a bit over enthusiastic and Zeus walked up to him, put his nose on Eagles nose and just huffed at him, calm baby again. I love that horse

Eagle loves his daddy

 

[Rollin]

I too think you have a lucky escape.

I remember a lovely conversation in the film the Horse Whisperer - first they have to learn to be horses. As long as mine are OK to get feet rasped if necessary at a young age, I am not too fussed about what they do. They are after all babies.

I hope I never encounter someone like that but we don't sell at weaning as we have such a lovely climate here, I think they are better over wintering with me.

Good luck with your other potential buyers.