How to sell a horse quickly?!? Hampshire Area

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A friend of mine (a real friend, not me!) has found herself in a terrible situation and has to sell her horse quickly but the question is how!?!

A (very) very short version of how she got there.. please bear with me!

Her novice 12yo daughter had a 13.2 pony which she outgrew. They kept this at a local riding school. The riding school bought the pony and my friend sought a larger pony/horse for her daughter. After looking at only a few they decided upon a 7yo 15.1h (she says but he is actually at least 16h) Connemara x TB x warmblood, been bred for mounted police but didn't make the height so dream temperament and confirmation. They bought him from a lady in Kent who had used him for dressage, placings at prelim and novice. Oliver Townend was at the yard when they tried him and he rode him and jumped him for them and said he was lovely which is what sealed the deal i think.

They are also keeping him at the riding school on working livery. When he came he was sent with rubbish old tack (not the stuff he had been tried in nor agreed on in the sale). This didn't fit and new tack was purchased. A lady at the yard 'fitted' his new saddle which turned out did not actually fit and two months down the line another new saddle and minorly injured back muscles and the reason he has been a bit silly to ride the last couple of months.

He is schooled to elementary but neither the riding school or owners have enough knowledge to school him correctly. When they first started having problems with him- minor settling in problems like being a bit nappy or spooky but enough to scare the girl- the world and his wife were 'schooling' him at the yard, as well as him being used in the riding school for 4 hours a day some days. Due to this i think he has lost his way a bit and being a bit cheeky. He is quite nervous and i think the old owner was very softly softly about everything as he will jump at the slightest thing (not in a bad way, just in a nervous way).

He has had 5* vetting which he passed, his back checked, teeth checked and a new saddle fitted. It appears he just has not settled at the new yard and been confused with all the different riders and so on but the girl is now terrified of him and he is basically taking the pee with minor things such as mounting and transitions so the riding school no longer want him either.

The owners do not have enough knowledge to take him to another yard on their own, nor the money or desire to send him away to be 'sorted' as they have now realised (which is quite true) that they have well and truly overhorsed the girl who could probably have done with a nice 15h been there done it pony club type!

Long and short of it is that they want to get rid of him as soon as possible to replace with something a lot more suitable. I suggested originally that they try putting him out on loan for 6 months to see how he evolves or moving yards but they have now decided they definately want to sell him.

They paid around £6000- the vet who did his vetting valued him at around £7500- whcih in the right hands he would be at least but to be honest my friend totally overpaid for what they were looking for and it is unlikely in this market that he will sell for that money or particularly quickly.

They need to leave the riding school but are not capable enough to deal with him or his sale unaided. He is a really gorgeous horse with a lovely temperament, movement etc and he just needs to find the right home with enough experience to bring him on and show him the world a little bit! I would have him on loan myself but no space at my yard and i have enough of a handful with my own!

I have suggested they either send him away on sales livery and it costs whatever it costs but the yard will deal with the care and sale on the owners behalf. Or that maybe they can find a dealer locally (Hampshire) who may have something suitable which they can swap for.

Can anyone recommend any yards/ dealers in the Hampshire Area which may offer this, or anyone have any other sugestions?

Thank you for sticking with my long winded post :)
 
Try Victoria Hibberd / Victri Equine Agents. Her sales livery is good value and based in Titchfield. I sent my mare to her to be sold last year and would not hesitate to send a horse to her again. She advertises on nfed, you could get her number off there.

£6-7.5k is an extreme amount for a horse only competed at prelim/novice though.....
 
Try Victoria Hibberd / Victri Equine Agents. Her sales livery is good value and based in Titchfield. I sent my mare to her to be sold last year and would not hesitate to send a horse to her again. She advertises on nfed, you could get her number off there.

£6-7.5k is an extreme amount for a horse only competed at prelim/novice though.....

Thank you, i have been trying to find this ladys details but couldn't remember her name :)

He is not ready to be sold as is as he really needs a few weeks schooling and sanity away from his current situation with a knowledgeable rider/ handler to get him back to how he was before this upheaval. They also do not have the knowledge to deal with selling him tbh hence why i think a sales livery would be better but i think if she were to sell him privately she'd want to make as much of her money back as possible :)
 
Unfortunately, going into winter when buyers are rare, she's unlikely to sell this horse without the use of a decent sales livery, only then will your friend get back a decent amount of money.
As is, dealers only pay a pittance for such horses, and a private sale is unliklely unless he's sold as a project which again would only fetch a pittance.
Sales livery seems the only answer x
 
I would say sales livery is the best option if they want to try and make a decent (ish) amount of money back although unlikely they will get back what they paid. If they just want rid asap then sell to dealer although they will likely take a big hit financially or maybe advertise on project horse website for a quick sale. They could also look for a local instructor to come and school the horse from the yard for a month then sell?
 
Another who would say sales livery as someone needs to now sort out this boy. YO at my yard does do sales livery though she had pretty much sold all before winter came on! she is also an eventer. Emily Taggart at Denbies Livery Yard, Surrey. PM me if you want more details.
 
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