How would you approach selling this horse?

A

Abacus

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 February 2011
Messages
2,647
Visit site
I have advertised my horse for sale and had little interest. He is rising 11, 16.3, Irish, good looking and nice to handle with no vices. He events, hunts, showjumps and his flatwork is lovely. His only ridden downside is that he is a big forward going horse which, while some people like it, did put off two people who tried him. He didn't do anything bad, but is just forward going. He can be strong to hunt although safe - he is just keen. He never bucks, rears or bolts. His good points are that he is so talented and willing - his flatwork is a dream, and he loves to jump and has great scope (far more than I have ever exploited!). We have jumped him at home up to 1.30 and he made it look so easy.

I have disclosed in the advert that he has had hock arthritis which was treated with injections and at the last x-ray (a year ago) the vet said that the hock joint was nearly fused and probably wouldn't need doing again. He has been sound since and is competing now up to 100cm (came 3rd at a hunter trial last week and will be booked in for unaffiliated ODEs shortly).

My instructor says that he is over-priced (I will keep the price a secret until you tell me what you think!). What would you say he is worth? I do realise that some people will be put off by the hock and I don't blame them, but I have been honest about it so they can talk to the vet and assess for themselves. I have priced him based on his talent and nice attitude but I realise that a buyer reviewing adverts won't have seen that... so it's a tricky thing to get right.

This is an honest query, not an attempt to advertise him.
 
Really tricky.
Does he have an affiliated record and if so how recently, doing what level etc.

If he is unaff and a RC allrounder I’m afraid the hocks will really devalue him as that market will be scared off unless very cheap (£1500-2500), and even then he would be tricky to sell.

If you could get / have a proven aff record then I think he will sell (at a reduced price) to people on a budget willing to take a punt and keep up with hock injections
 
Tricky one.... Has he got a competition record of any type and what's your reason for selling?

If no record, along with the fact that he is a bit big and possibly too strong for the average amateur as an all rounder, I would say 4-5k without the hock issue. With the hock issue possibly 3k or even a little less.

If he is good to hunt have you tried selling him as a straight up hunter?
 
You have a "problem" he is beyond the capabilities of a lower level rider yet has a physical issue that would put off someone with the skill and experience to ride him, his age would also be against him for a more ambitious capable rider, the last time I had a similar horse for sale, proven eventer but not a mugs ride with some minor physical issues, we had a lot of interest but not many up to riding him although several wanted him I was extremely relieved when the right home did come along.

I think pricing is going to be really difficult and key to selling him, without the arthritis he would be worth at least double, if not more, than he is with it, I think you would be struggling to get much over £3k unless he has an affiliated record to bump it up a bit and appeal to a young rider with limited funds looking to move up quickly and use him to gain experience but if he is only doing 1m I guess that is not the case, ours had a record to 2* and went for similar money although he was a few years older he did not have arthritis.

You cannot sell an 11 year old as having potential, by then it needs to be proven even if there is still room to progress further.
 
DabDab said:
If he is good to hunt have you tried selling him as a straight up hunter?
Click to expand...

I’d say this would be your easiest market, especially if he jumps well and would take a man. The hunters are generally a bit more pragmatic about things like a touch of hock arthritis.
 
ihatework said:
I’d say this would be your easiest market, especially if he jumps well and would take a man. The hunters are generally a bit more pragmatic about things like a touch of hock arthritis.
Click to expand...

He could suit a hunt rather than a private home, it may be worth approaching your hunt to see if they need any more for the coming season or even as a relatively cheap masters horse if he is smart enough.
 
ihatework said:
Really tricky.
Does he have an affiliated record and if so how recently, doing what level etc.

If he is unaff and a RC allrounder I’m afraid the hocks will really devalue him as that market will be scared off unless very cheap (£1500-2500), and even then he would be tricky to sell.

If you could get / have a proven aff record then I think he will sell (at a reduced price) to people on a budget willing to take a punt and keep up with hock injections
Click to expand...

This

As per the above. An affiliated record would help here. It wouldn’t up his price much but would open the market up.
There was a horse up for sale late last year that had the same diagnosis. She had been there and got the T-shirt eventing wise (very good record at BE100 and Novice )and was being sold as a perfect pony to horse prospect for teenagers. She was on for 14.5k and I believe they got their asking price.
 
It needs to be the right person (obviously) but assuming he's relatively chunky as you say irish a friend sold hers (17hh ish) with a hock issue (had had osphos etc, was vetted but this was known problem) to a family that wanted something big enough for the Dad to hunt, but that could also act as a PC spare for son (he'd hunted/done some SJ and eventing). They had really struggled to find anything suitable in our area so decided even though vet wasn't keen decided to buy him even if he didn't keep going forever.

They paid about 3.5k I think, less than he was advertised at but it proved me wrong a bit as I didn't think he would sell half as quickly or easily, just a case of right people right time.

They love him, as a good allround egg.
 
I cant add to what others have already said really but great post and very thought provoking so will be interested to keep watching (and itching to know what you have him valued at, lol)
 
I bought a 16.1 lovely allrounder type, almost anyone's ride, consistent BS affiliated record with very similar hock problems fused in one and fusing (slowly) in the other for ………..


£1 - sorry, not what you want to hear but even £2-3k is a lot when they might not last a year. A hunting home might be prepared to pay a bit - but I'd guess that sort of wear and tear on a horse won't help in the long run, if you're happy with him working hard for a year or two then that's it - hunting might be a good option.


Mine is doing much lower level hacking and the odd dressage - the owner wanted his longer term welfare paramount (she'd paid £6k just a year before).
 
im going to disagree with the majority on here. Id say, for a safe, sane ( all bit a bit strong) no vices that could possibly event i would put a price on him at £6.5k.
Id just get him out and do a couple of BE events, so you have a record.
 
There was a horse I viewed over a year ago from the bd page that had hock arthritis, it was declared on the ad but this horse was a young superstar, looked like a chestnut valegro, was probably worth around 30k but with the hock trouble went for 7k and that was a mega star dressage horse someone took a punt on, its still going and doing amazing but could obviously become unsound at anytime and then someone is left with a field ornament or a plod (which doesn't always suit some!).
My thoughts are that if he is a nice looking animal that would carry a bit of weight you could probably still ask 2-2.5k perhaps but I would think that would be the absolute maximum but depends.
The other question I would be asking if I was buying would be the suitability to the jumping he is doing with the arthritis.
 
With a recent SJ 1.20m and BE Novice eventing record, and vet willing to state that hock is fusing and likely to be problem free, I would as 10K, assuming nothing else on vetting. And is suitable for a brave novice.
 
I bought a 16.2hh mare that has only ever hunted to do some eventing on she is 13 years and i paid 4.5k for her and she is worth every penny. Safe to do all the time, she can get a touch of sweet itch in the summer but doesn't seem to have reared yet this year. I had her on loan first and we know the people we bought her from. I am now competing her at 90-1m and still hunting, in fact her work load has probably increased since her last home and i have had many people tell me how she is thriving. The only thing i do is keep her on the supplement so sound, she was on supaflex but this works better.

If you can get him out in a pc/rc group where others may be able to vouch for him or may know of people buying, same through a hunt if you have the contacts, he should sell but it might just take some time. You may want to consider a lwvtb perhaps.
 
I think he'd only do one, maybe two seasons max on the hunting field. And you may get £1500 for him if he's known to be a good hunter.

Realistically I think he's probably only worth in the hundreds.

Do you have to sell?
 
ester said:
surely that depends on the hunting?
Click to expand...
Yes!
And the extent of the arthritis (horse currently sound)
The riding
The medical management


If people can keep advanced event horses on the road with hock arthritis and dressage people PSG +, I wouldn’t be too quick to write a hunter off after 1 season :D

But it does show that perceptions vary
 
Thank you for the replies. I'll try to answer the questions:

- He hasn't been out BE as I have never had the time to justify paying for a whole season. He has been placed unaffiliated (in decent venues - Tweseldown, Aston -l-w, Ascott Under Wychwood etc) - from memory twice a couple of times, a 6th and a 7th...
- Only ever done one novice dressage test and came second
- yes he's very good looking and up to considerable weight

I'm selling because of work commitments - about to start a serious central London job and he'd be wasted with me from now on. He's the most saleable one I have, which says something about the others :)

He's well behaved hunting but as I said, strong - he'd like to be up front. I've never felt unsafe or scared, just slightly annoyed that he pulls and jogs. He does stand nicely at the meet and when everyone is waiting. He might suit a heavy man (i'm 9 stone and although I know it's not about weight and strength, he has something of an advantage over me).

So the results: I advertised him at 4.5 which is about in the middle of the very wide range that you lovely people have suggested! I have had an offer of 2.5 which feels low for his talent and 'niceness' and tempts me to keep him...

Thanks so much for your thoughts, advice and general level of interest. xx
 
flying_high said:
With a recent SJ 1.20m and BE Novice eventing record, and vet willing to state that hock is fusing and likely to be problem free, I would as 10K, assuming nothing else on vetting. And is suitable for a brave novice.
Click to expand...

The horse in question is only competing at 1m, unless the OP has done more previously that is not mentioned, so it is hardly going to get a record at 1.20 sj or BE novice within the next couple of months so this is irrelevant as is the value of 10k.
 
I bought similar but slightly younger with an affiliated record for £6k. Too much for a complete novice, too old/not proven enough for a professional despite being with one before previous home. But it hunts, events, hacks, does everything, might be forward/strong but nothing nasty.

For your horse therefore I’d say around £3.5k providing it is ‘just strong’ out hunting and expect to get 3k. I wouldn’t pay more than 5k for this type (not anyone’s ride) without an affiliated records. Add the hock issues and unfortunately the price reduces even more as people may be concerned he may not stand up to life as a pure hunter.

That said in the right hands he sounds like he could be a horse of a lifetime for someone at a cheap price that would hopefully last them many years.. :)

ETA: Just seen the price post. I think he’s maybe a little overpriced but not ridiculously so for the online market, however if a local, trusted home came up that would get on well with him I think I would settle for the 2.5k.
 
Last edited:
Abacus said:
Thank you for the replies. I'll try to answer the questions:

- He hasn't been out BE as I have never had the time to justify paying for a whole season. He has been placed unaffiliated (in decent venues - Tweseldown, Aston -l-w, Ascott Under Wychwood etc) - from memory twice a couple of times, a 6th and a 7th...
- Only ever done one novice dressage test and came second
- yes he's very good looking and up to considerable weight

I'm selling because of work commitments - about to start a serious central London job and he'd be wasted with me from now on. He's the most saleable one I have, which says something about the others :)

He's well behaved hunting but as I said, strong - he'd like to be up front. I've never felt unsafe or scared, just slightly annoyed that he pulls and jogs. He does stand nicely at the meet and when everyone is waiting. He might suit a heavy man (i'm 9 stone and although I know it's not about weight and strength, he has something of an advantage over me).

So the results: I advertised him at 4.5 which is about in the middle of the very wide range that you lovely people have suggested! I have had an offer of 2.5 which feels low for his talent and 'niceness' and tempts me to keep him...

Thanks so much for your thoughts, advice and general level of interest. xx
Click to expand...

Given lack of a record, I’d be inclined to think 2.5K is a fair offer.
It’s then up to you to decide if you would rather keep him. But if it’s a nice suitable home don’t dismiss it out of hand.
 
amymay said:
Yes, very much you're right. I was basing it on someone who would want to hunt 5 or 6 times a week over the season.

But of course there's more to consider than just that.
Click to expand...

Not many hunts go out more than 2 or 3 times a week and most people would only hunt twice at the most or more normally 3 times a fortnight, even the hunt horses will not do every day and most will do half days in very active country.
 
be positive said:
Not many hunts go out more than 2 or 3 times a week and most people would only hunt twice at the most or more normally 3 times a fortnight, even the hunt horses will not do every day and most will do half days in very active country.
Click to expand...

Sorry that should of said 5 or 6 times month, not week.

If a good home is offered at 2.5k I'd bite their hand off.
 
amymay said:
Yes, very much you're right. I was basing it on someone who would want to hunt 5 or 6 times a week over the season.

But of course there's more to consider than just that.
Click to expand...

I don't know many people with that sort of time on their hands :D.

edit, yes seen the correction :)
 
Thank you so much for all your thoughts. I tend to think that the market decides on whether a price is good, and the low level of interest indicates that 4.5 is too much. The people who have seen him have really liked him and it was the forwardness rather than the hocks that actually put them off (I suppose once you know about that , you either dismiss it or decide it's an ok risk).

I'm inclined to agree about the 2.5k. It is a good known home with a friend of two other friends. I don't especially agree with the people who have said £1 or just hundreds - but that's because I know him and what he is capable of - i do appreciate that to a buyer, he is a horse with an issue.

Thank you again for all the comments.
 
I don't think 2.5k is an unreasonable offer either, even more so if you vaguely know the home and presumably without a vetting that might through up any other issues.
You could drop his advertised price to 3.5, but people will be looking to offer no more than 3, and I don't think advertising at 4, will generate much more interest than 4.5 because people do tend to look at the front number ;).
 
Where in the country are you? I think that can make a whole load of difference. As i said i bought a similar one to yours for 4.5 but i knew her, would i have been willing to take the risk on an unknown I'm not sure. 4 or 3.5 might see more doors open up but as i said before a loan home may be the way forward for now and see how he gets on from there.

I would agree that the home is the most important thing though and if you are happy and the other people are happy then price can become irrelevant. To someone he will be worth his weight in gold and to others he is worth nothing its all in the buyers perspective.
 
I think 2.5k is fair, you could hold out for more but it could cost several hundred to keep him, shoe, readvertise etc and you still may not get a better offer from someone you feel suitable, from my experience it can make you feel like you are giving him away but at the end of the day you want to sell for a reason so take it and move on, I certainly would not have let him go for hundreds or £1 when he is in full work and enjoying himself.
 
I think he sounds great! A big forward going horse whose only vice is enthusiasm is my cup of tea.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top