how much & tricky situation

[minesadouble]

Hello,
A rare visit as still no working home pooter. I know everyone is sick of the how much thing, so sorry, but this is a genuine query.
13.2hh full up gelding NF X no papers. Absolute confidence giver, 100% heaviest traffic, the first pony my daughter has hacked out alone on the appalling roads in our locality.
Always placed/wins at local level, Riding class, P.C. pony jumping etc. Has never refused in the time we've had him and daughter had never really jumped until we got him - she now loves it & it is all down to him!
He has done 3 WHP pony classes this season and won all 3 & was reserve champion at the only show that had a WHP Championship.
He's no show pony but jumps with such nice style that he'd prob get placed county level novice - but bad height & splints would stop him going any further.
He has hunted 5 seasons & is apparently a fantastic hunter - we're looking forward to finding that out this season! Has also won hunter trials & is super X Country.
3FT is about his limit & he's no speed merchant - he has to be ridden forward but is totally unspooky & will jump anything. We will prob sell bout end next yr when he will be 12/13 - so how much do you reckon?

Now second part of my query - a friend of mine (not a close friend) expressed an interest in him a few months ago - on behalf of a friend of hers. The home sounds as though it would be a good home for him BUT I know they are looking to knock the price down. My friend seems to think they are in some kind of '1st refusal' position - I've never implied this AT ALL & while it is vital he gets a 5* home (it'll break my heart when he goes as he really is one in a million) I obviously have to buy my daughter a new, bigger pony so I do need the money. Where I go from here kind of depends on your responses as I'm really not sure what he's worth...

Sorry for long post & thanks for making it this far!

 

[AmyMay]

Bomb proof pony - worth quite literally a bomb. I would always pay good money for something like this if I had kids. And his age imo is imaterial. So around the 2.5 - 3k mark - although that may seem a bit high for some people.

Re query two. Well he's not for sale yet. Let them know when he is what his price is and if they want him at that price great - if not, well tough!!

 

[Claireg9]

i agree with Amy May on the second part, and whilst he is bomb proof and sounds like a gem of a first pony i dont think people want to pay more than about £2k for a first pony of that age, as kids will grow out of him height and probably ability wise as your daughter has and it is much harder to sell him on at 16+!
So id say £2k would be a fair price.

 

[harvgj19]

Well, I agree with what the others say about the price.

As for the second part of your question, it is cheeky of them to assume they have 1st refusal if you never said anything, but regardless of that, 1st refusal means they have the right to buy him first if they want him, not a right to a knock down price! As Amymay said, when it comes time to sell him let them know, and if they cannot afford the price - TOUGH!

 

[siennamum]

I am something of an expert at this precise thing at the moment!!
Depending on his looks and whether he has something a bit 'special' about him, anything from £3.5k upwards.
Lots of people around looking for a pony like him at the moment.
Don't let your friend have him cheaper, tell her he's being advertised and what for and say she can be the first to view.
You will need considerably more than 3.5k to find his equivalent in a bigger model.
Best place to advertise without a doubt is the PC website, if you are a member.

 

[Claireg9]

Im not saying my price is right at all, but please dont price your horse on what you think you'll need to replace him. It will mean a lengthy sale and heartbreak for you and your sibling, not to mention the costs of advertising and keeping him whilst your waiting for a potential buyer, if you want a good home for him make sure you dont price yourself out of the market!
well thats just my opinion anyway!
Claire x

 

[Sparklet]

I tend to agree with this - in some ways there is a compromise to be reached in exchange for a good home. Particularly when the little fellow has looked after your daughter so well.

If the people interested in him meet that criteria and it saves you advertising I would be obliged to let him go for a bit less - £2000 would be a starting point for me.

If you are trying to raise maximum capital but are not too worried about where he goes than put it up to £3000 and see what happens but I think a pony is unlikely to go for that amount.

 

[Claireg9]

mmm i suppose it depends on area too, my friends are looking for a pony like that, but want 10 yrs or younger so they can sell on and are only prepared to pay up to £2k, and i know others in the same boat!
theres just a couple of factors that make me think people wont pay to high, age is one, splints is another and the fact she mentions its not the prettiest pony so showing is also out the window.
People want a perfect pony for a perfect price IMO. And most the time its not realistic but they'll hold out.
Good luck whatever price you decide on!

 

[minesadouble]

Thanks for you replies - I baulked at what I paid for him - but my inclination now is that he's worth a little bit more as when we got him he was sold as brilliant jumping X C, Tetrathlon and hunting confidence giver - in the words of his previous owner "he brings them home safe"..

He really was everything they said and more but couldn't even canter a circle. My daughter has worked really hard on his flatwork and he's come on a ton - he has been well placed and won local shows and I anticipate his flatwork will have improved even more by the time we sell him. Most of your answers confirm what I was thinking about price - people round here aren't as keen to part with their money as those in the south so I was thinking about the 3k mark.
Thanks!!

 

[minesadouble]

I appreciate what you are saying - it echos what I was feeling when my daughter was begging me to buy him!! But since I've had him I have realised the true worth of a pony like this! You can't put a price on your child's safety and he really is 110% in every respect, we were at a show on Sunday and a horsey friend said "I bet the money you spent on that pony was the best money you'll spend in you life" - and she was so right - he's patent safety but still able to compete and win and he's taught my daughter so much.

As far as showing goes he has been succeful at local level and I think anyone looking for success at County level would have to pay a fair bit more than I want for him anywaY.

 

[siennamum]

Certainly am not suggesting that you would randomly guess the price of the pony based on what you need to pay the mortgage or buy it's replacement.
Am also not going to recommend to someone seeking valid advice that they sell their pony for nearly half it's likely worth.
From the description, for £2k I'D buy this pony and sell it two weeks later for at lest £3.5k!!

 

[siennamum]

I have had people prepared to fly from Scotland and Guernsey, arrive after an 8 hour drive from the other side of the country and turn up in car with chauffeur attached.

Although there is some truth in the north south divide regarding prices, there are some things people will always pay good money for. A pony which has competition credentials and a track record of being absolutely safe and a real schoolmaster between 12.2 and 14.2 hh is one of them.

If you advertised your pony in the terms you've described him and put him in for £3k you would be inundated with serious replies from all over the country.
If the market is the same next year and if you've done even more with him, then even at 13 he would easily be worth that.

 

[siennamum]

With the demand for safe ponies so high, not only can you ask top money, you can also be selective over home.
Previously when selling horses I've been able to chose the prospective purchasers based on who would be the best person for the horse. I've also done so with ponies. You certainly don't sell expensive ponies with little regard for where they go, in fact I think the opposite is true.
When you sell an expensive animal, you do not want a phone call to say that it's not been as described, which is far more likely to happen than if it was cheap - people want their monies worth. Consequently you ensure it's going to a home where it will thrive and be well treated.

 

[minesadouble]

Hmm - I only just read your reply - specifically this bit

"If you are trying to raise maximum capital but are not too worried about where he goes than put it up to £3000 "

- I have to say that in my experience the cheaper the pony the more dubious the grade of people that come to see it! Sweeping generalisation I know but in general it tends to be true

!!

 

[Clodagh]

People will pay anything for a pony like him. (I would, if you kept him another 2 years!!)

Don't under sell him, get him to Pony Club next summer if you can and sell him through the DC. She will know everything about what everyone wants and how much they can pay!

 

[Sparklet]

I was probably thinking about the spoilt little girl at our yard. Daddy buys her ponies to keep her occupied - she shows so consequently Daddy pays quite a bit because she wants to win. She gets on yanks their mouths, bounces on their backs (she is a porker) and then sells them when they dont win......and on to the next pony.

The quiet and more bidable the pony the more they will put up with. We all cheer when this one gets dumped.

I wish you luck with it

 

[flying_change]

I've often wondered what 'first refusal' really means.....

RS