If you sell it, you don't have a right to care

[JoJo_]

You do have a right to care but not ask for constant updates. I sold my horse last year (first time i've sold one) and I keep in touch with the new owners on facebook. Have had a few updates so probably once every couple months and I think the last time they msged me first with a quick update which was nice. I'm also quite sure that he is in a home for the rest of his life which is a relief as I dont like seeing horses passed from home to home.

I think it is easier these days with social media to keep in touch but should the new owners not want to keep in touch that way then theres not much a seller should do about it.

 

[Shantara]

I have Neds old owner and a woman who took him in previously on facebook and if they want to know something they're more than welcome to ask. Though I post about him all the time, so it'd be unlikely they'd not know something!

However, if his breeder contacted me, I'd tell her where to go! She has no right to know after what she did to him.

If I ever sold a horse, I'd want to know how it was getting on and if they were enjoying it, but I think I'd maybe ask to have them on facebook so I could see progress or whatever that way. FB is a great tool, even though it can be a bother sometimes.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

There have been a number of people who thought they were selling their horse pony to a 'lovely person' or 'lovely home' only to discover that in fact they were sold to a dealer or the meet man.
I always strongly advise people to have their horses Freezemarked before selling/loaning them just in case they want to find them at a later date. i.e people have sold horses and allowed them to be taken away before the full payment has been made.

Yes well that is more related to fraud than emotion. I am not sure I would freezemark. What about chipping? either way, if its dead its dead.

 

[Cobbytype]

I had a nasty experience with the former owner of a horse we bought many years ago. The horse had gone to a yard to be sold and had some basic schooling and tidying up prior to our purchase of him. The horse was a big ID X TB, 16.3hh and still growing; the former owner, according to the dealer, was petite and had struggled to cope with the horse. This became apparent with the horse's behaviour - he was fine with men, but terrified of me (I'm quite petite) and would break free from his tie-up and flee if I bent down to pick up a brush from the tack box. The horse thought he was going to get thrashed:-(

Some weeks after we bought the horse, we received a phone call from the previous owner, asking how much we'd paid for the horse. I smelt a rat and asked if the horse had been sold without consent. He hadn't, but the former owner had a agreed a price that she wanted for the horse and any amount over that was the dealer's commission. When I refused to divulge what we paid, the former owner turned very nasty and made all sorts of threats, saying she knew where the horse was and would harm him.

I was extremely cross that the dealer had given our details to the former owner without consent, particularly when it was obvious that she had a screw loose and had mistreated the horse.

Whilst it is nice that former owners take an interest, the flip side of the coin can be disturbing and distressing. It turned out that the dealer had only divulged our phone number to the former owner and back in those days, it would have been difficult for her to trace the horse, but we were left very worried and concerned about our new horse, and had his paddock and stable locked for several weeks to ensure he wasn't removed/harmed in our absence (we were on a livery yard at the time).

 

[southerncomfort]

You don't have a right to know how it is. You sold it. If your purchaser wishes to update you then that's lovely. You say you "bothered the poor lady" you sold your horse to. I'd have happily replied a couple of times. If you "bothered" me I'd have stopped responding. In fact I'm going through just this at the moment. How many texts per day is reasonable to check up on an animal you sold? Eight? In my book that's getting a bit excessive.

IMHO one time of reminding buyer that you'll take it back, coupled with writing that on the receipt and in the passport is enough.

I had something very similar from the owners of the last pony I bought. I wanted to keep in touch with them but their idea of reasonable contact and mine were very different and in the end it was beginning to feel like harassment. I had no choice but to cut contact completely which is a shame but I was finding it stifling to be honest, and until I cut contact with them I never really felt like the pony belonged to me.

 

[sasquatch]

I've never been in the position of selling, but if I was I'd like to know the horse was alright and had settled ok and the first few months be able to offer any advice/answer any questions from new owner, and maybe every few months be able to ask how he's doing and possibly notified if he's sold on/retired/pts (especially as if I was in the position to, no doubt I would love to buy him back)

I can understand why some people don't want to be in contact with previous owners though, however I know for my peace of mind I'd like to know my horse was happy and healthy - and if he was pts I'd like to know so I'm not forever wondering where he ended up.

 

[honetpot]

I recently got back a pony I sold several years ago. I sold him to a professional because she loved the pony and she had the time, money and skill, so I thought, to bring out the best him. I saw him on FB for sale just before Christmas, I knew him straight away and contacted the seller finding later that he had done virtually nothing in the last five years. He has not been neglected but he is not the pony with so much potential that I sold, and in a way I am a winner because I got him back for the cost of transport and I can look at his lovely face every day. If the original buyer and rung me and said there was a problem, I would have had him back.
I have sold very few , mainly because I have no regular riders, my children have grown up and no longer ride. Do I care about them, yes and they will always have a last home with me. I have been for the most part lucky that I have been able to keep track of most of them, praise google. So why do I sell them? Well I have loaned out a lot but when someone pays a fair and sometimes substantial price for a pony I think they have a much larger commitment, with loaning it just too easy to send it back and the pony actually ends up having more 'homes' but you have ultimate responsibility and have to pick up the pieces.
The ponies I have bought I have always tried to keep in touch, if only a Christmas card.

 

[Grinchmass]

I keep in touch with my mares old owner, I have her on Facebook and knew her before I bought her. I happily send photos and updates