Is anyone else having trouble selling?

3Beasties

3Beasties

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We've had a horse and a pony up for sale for about a month now and have had hardly any interest and no viewings!

Both are advertised on Horsemart and a local horsey website, I would say they are both fairly priced and described honestly but still no one is interested :(

Is anyone else having problems selling or is it something we are doing wrong?
 
Hey, yes we have a 15.2hh little eventer for sale and we've not had much interest i sold my old horse 3 years ago advertised him in H&H and we were bogged down with calls and viewing and he was a tricky horse! This one is perfect but no interest!
 
I have (luckily) just sold mine, however, it took 2 Horsemart ads and a Pony Club ad before we eventually found the right people. I do know a lot of people who have horses advertised who haven't had any serious enquiries :/
 
I had a pony on horsemart for a month and got next to no calls. I put him on H & H with a slightly lower price, had loads of calls and he sold over the weekend to first viewer. Try H & H. :)
 
I sold my boy today after 2 days on horsemart, i think as long as your really honest and have a sensible price they will sell ... Price was not too important to me just wanted a good home! People still aint got the hugh budgets for horses but sellers seem to think they can put a green horse up for 4k no wonder there not selling :-( ...

Good Luck :-) xxxx
 
I'm selling a safe sane horse of a good size and build and at a reasonable price and not getting any interest either so I know how you feel
 
No, i advertised 2 welsh sec a's recently, just backed, 4 yo and had 8 phone calls and both sold to 1st people that came to see them!!! I was v v v surprised at the response I got I wasnt expecting to sell. Both of mine were v reasonably priced IMO £600 and £700. Perhaps the price is putting people off-dont know waht your prices are? Not a clear picture (i had more calls about the plainer pony than the pretty one but plain pony had better photo), is there anything in yur honest description that could be putting people off? COuld you eliminate this and tell people on phone or when they came to view?
 
Umm, mixed responses then.

One is an Ex-racer, 10 years old, lovely nature but still a bit green. He's up for £2000 but they would take offers. He has masses of potential but was bought for a complete novice so it hasn't worked out.

The pony is 12.1hh, 13 years old, does everything apart from hunting. Has masses of scope, will happily pop over 3'6" so could easily affiliate. He's up for £3000 including tack. A really fun pony but not suitable for a novice.

Not sure if the prices are right or not?!

(neither are mine but I am helping to sell them!)
 
I think there both over priced....

I have just sold my cob for £1500 with bridle and a few bits was a perfect safe hack/ride loves fun rides and jumps and sold to the first person..

xx
 
I've just sold my boy to the first people who came to see him - I advertised him on Horsemart and had a really good response (with at least 6 other people on the waiting list!!) I was careful to price him realistically and was very honest about both his good and bad points!!! I accepted their offer which was a few hundred pounds under the asking price but I think that was the key to a successful deal as i was prepared to negotiate, but then again maybe I just struck lucky!!!
 
I think the key is to be patient. It took me 7 months last year to sell my genuine honest TB who had been competing successfully up to BE Novice and I ended up taking less because I knew he would have a good long term home. If you are selling for owners, you are probably under more stress to get them sold. I don't envy you, selling is awful. Putting sentiment aside, you just seem to get such halfwits ringing up!
 
I thought you might say they are overpriced.

When I say the ex-racer is green I mean he needs schooling on, he hacks out alone and in company, is fine in heavy traffic, good to catch, clip, shoe and box. He is a lovely steady horse that was hacked out by a complete novice for 4 months with no problems.

The pony is fantastic, he'll jump anything you point him at and could gallop all day!

Both their prices are negotiable. I think first to see will buy, we just seem to have a problem getting people to come and see them :(

Might suggest putting them on H&H :)
 
Don't know about horses but I put my DAF lorry on Horsequest last week and have not had a single phone call.

I will put it in H&H and hope to get some response as the HGV is arriving soon!
 
Well my friends ISHx has been for sale for couple of weeks now and she's had hardly any interest.

Another friend had her cob for sale one day and sold it plus a million other calls. Was nothing special and personally I think over priced (£3000), think it's just luck TBH!
 
As a potential buyer I think that horses must be selling very well at the moment - everything I ring up about seems to have gone already!
One thing that has really annoyed me is we've left loads of messages for people and nobody ever seems to ring back. Might sound stupid, but is the phone number right on the advert?
 
I must say it is hard across the board.
You could pick up fantastic ride/drive kids ponies up at appleby for next to nothing.
If i had took a lorry i would have come back loaded, although i did see an American pacer sell for £95,000, a little out of my price range;)
 
I know exactly how you feel!! I have had my Belgian Sport Horse up for sale for a month, some viewings but all just day trippers, he's 16.3 11yrs old, jumps the moon, works well on the flat, hacks out, but does need a competant rider and I have been very honest about that, he's up for 2500 including tack.
The market seems to be quite stagnant at the minute. I do agree that the ex racer may be a little overpriced, but safe sane jumping ponies are worth their weight in gold.
 
I'm looking and have been for ages! There are buyers out there!

I know it sounds simple but make sure your pictures are good, preferably several of them. It really puts me off if I can't get a good view of the horse, I want a good idea of its build before I go and look.

Also make sure you have both a landline and mobile registered and make use of the "contact the seller" button on horsemart too, I find making calls difficult at work and have a long commute so get home late. I don't like risking disturbing people late so I tend to send a message asking if the horse is still available and asking for more info and then if I get a suitable response I'll call to talk to them at a suitable time.

I think the horse is over priced to be honest, there are much more rounded horses that haven't raced for less.
 
I would say your pony is rather overpriced. I have found 12hh ponies are not very popular at the moment especially ones that are not novice rides, really limits the potential market. I would the say the ex racer is fair.

Having recently sold two, which I was in-on-dated with calls for I haven't had your problem but I did spend a bit on advertising, I put them everywhere I could find and think of. I would recommend removing your advert amending the price certainly the pony and put ads back on so they look new. Also give a lot of thought to the pictures you use to advertise them (many people don't), from my experience the better your pictures are the more chance you will have of phonecalls.
 
As a prospective purchaser, I find the lack of information on some ads frustrating.

For the "under £5K" market, I expect to be told if the horse hacks, and if so alone/company/traffic/open areas. I also want to know how the horse is to handle and the very obvious shoe/catch/load/clip. Ads that mention "horse good to shoe and catch", make me assume its poor to load. The ability to leave a horse on its own is also an attention grabber to an "at home" horse owner.

With regard to photos, I'm not going to call if the horse looks miserable in its work. I also like to see a photo of the horse on the flat as well as jumping. Lots of ads just show a jump shot.

Distance is also a key issue. Only so many hours can be spent on dissappointing viewings before purchasers are only willing to look locally.
 
mtj said:
As a prospective purchaser, I find the lack of information on some ads frustrating.

For the "under £5K" market, I expect to be told if the horse hacks, and if so alone/company/traffic/open areas. I also want to know how the horse is to handle and the very obvious shoe/catch/load/clip. Ads that mention "horse good to shoe and catch", make me assume its poor to load. The ability to leave a horse on its own is also an attention grabber to an "at home" horse owner.

With regard to photos, I'm not going to call if the horse looks miserable in its work. I also like to see a photo of the horse on the flat as well as jumping. Lots of ads just show a jump shot.

Distance is also a key issue. Only so many hours can be spent on dissappointing viewings before purchasers are only willing to look locally.
Click to expand...



I absolutely agree with you im a prospective buyer and have been looking for a while and i find adverts to be very brief.
 
I think they are both over priced.
Has the pony got anything under his belt? Does he hunt? Do pony club? I have seen a couple of ponies that have done PPC that have been priced at less than £3k.
Already been said, but you can get a decent sort of ex racer for less than 1K at the moment, with tack and rugs....
If you have the time and can afford to, find what each is good at, and aim them at that market.
 
mtj said:
As a prospective purchaser, I find the lack of information on some ads frustrating.

For the "under £5K" market, I expect to be told if the horse hacks, and if so alone/company/traffic/open areas. I also want to know how the horse is to handle and the very obvious shoe/catch/load/clip. Ads that mention "horse good to shoe and catch", make me assume its poor to load. The ability to leave a horse on its own is also an attention grabber to an "at home" horse owner.

With regard to photos, I'm not going to call if the horse looks miserable in its work. I also like to see a photo of the horse on the flat as well as jumping. Lots of ads just show a jump shot.

Distance is also a key issue. Only so many hours can be spent on dissappointing viewings before purchasers are only willing to look locally.
Click to expand...


Yep I'd agree with all of this.

Photos, I think for an allrounder type you should have one flat work, one jumping and one confo shot. I saw an ad the other day with a super jumping pic, really stunning, but that was it, so maybe it looks like an ostrich in the school. And you haven't a chance of assessing the conformation or even looking at the build with a view to deciding whether it will be up to weight/take up enough leg. I'm sorry but I'm not going to drive for hours if the seller can't put up a few decent photos.

And if there are gaps spell them out. So if you list good to catch, clip, shoe and don't mention loading say why. It maybe something the seller can work on or that isn't too much of an issue.
 
The pony does everything apart from hunting (he used to hunt but got over excited the last time he was out and owners feel he would be suited to a non-hunting home!), he won a SJ class a few weeks ago with a new 10 year old rider, they were against much older/bigger people. He can do a nice dressage test and will hack alone and in company. He's ready to go out and win rosettes!

Just to give you an idea of his jumping ability.........

CIMG1888.jpg


I'll suggest to the owner that he lowers their prices and see if that creates more interest, they are quite desperate to sell to make room for 2 new beasties!
 
The thoroughbred is definitely over-priced- I'd have thought £1500 max for him as he's older and still green
The pony is also too much considering it's age and the fact it hasnt jumped BSJA- she'd be best to market him as a potential BSJA 128cm pony and she may get more interest
 
From what I've worked out your pony is defo overpriced!

I'm trying to sell a lovely little 14.2 who jumps well and is sane etc - I've just put her price down to 2450 with tack as although I'm having viewings, she still hasn't sold as yet....it's defo a buyers market
 
Is he using a picture like that to advertise?? as a SJ'er it looks fab. Can he try gettign the pony BSJA registered and round a couple of BSJA tracks and aim at that market. That would make the pony worth more. Other than that I would suggest it is purely the height that is a problem with that pony.
 
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