Is anyone struggling to sell their horse at the moment??

[bonbeau]

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone else is having trouble selling at the moment? There seems to be a lot of horses and ponies for sale on various websites.

I started advertising my mare in November, left it to go quiet over Christmas then started advertising properly again for the new year.
I have had a little interest, mainly people asking if I would loan, and a few people that want a confidence giving horse even though her advert says she needs a confident rider/not novice...getting a little frustrating!
I've had one person to view but decided they would only want to loan and not buy, she is only for sale, I don't want to get involved in loans (bad experience in the past!!)

So maybe I am being a little impatient, I have lowered her price, I do really need her to go quick as I've got a back injury so have had to cut down on my work so physically and financially it's a struggle and I have other horses so it's all too much at the moment.

If anyone can give any advice/tips or some more websites to advertise on I'll be most grateful! I wonder if I have worded her advert well although I wont post it on here else it'll look like I'm trying to advertise!!

Thanks

 

[rowy]

I havent had any interest at all! I put her up in I think september last year on horsemart and didn't get any phonecalls at all. Only got some emails from preloved site. So over the winter I basically only had her on free sites and am planning to put her back up on horsemart and other websites in the spring.
Im in no desperate need to sell and don't have her overly expensive. I dont think £1250 ono is too much to pay for a 12.2hh pure bred and reg exmoor mare rising 4 and backed and always placing in top 3 out showing.

 

[bonbeau]

I havent had any interest at all! I put her up in I think september last year on horsemart and didn't get any phonecalls at all. Only got some emails from preloved site. So over the winter I basically only had her on free sites and am planning to put her back up on horsemart and other websites in the spring.
Im in no desperate need to sell and don't have her overly expensive. I dont think £1250 ono is too much to pay for a 12.2hh pure bred and reg exmoor mare rising 4 and backed and always placing in top 3 out showing.

I put her on horsemart yesterday. I think I am so impatient I wanted the phone to start ringing straight away! I don't want to advertise her on too many sites as I'll end up spending loads in advertising and she's only up for £850 ono inc some tack and rugs so I've put her on a mainly free sites.
You're lucky if you don't have to sell, I'm feeling quite desperate at the moment but there's only so much you can do then it's just a waiting game :s

 

[Bluecat]

is there a reason she is so cheap?how big is she?the fact she is cheap maybe putting people off

 

[bonbeau]

she's 15.3hh, she's 17 this year and hasn't done a great deal in the past year so I don't think I can be expecting a lot more than that. I had wondered about her being cheaper, 2 experienced people I know had suggested around that price. I really don't know!

 

[Bluecat]

aww ok that seems a reasonable price then.maybe wait till the spring more people will be looking then after the winter

 

[bonbeau]

aww ok that seems a reasonable price then.maybe wait till the spring more people will be looking then after the winter

Yeh I know its not the greatest time to be selling but I really need to sell her asap, I don't have the time or money and I can't even ride due to back injury, which has also stopped me working as much therefore not getting paid as much, having to pay for extra help at the livery yard etc desperate times

 

[caitlin95uk]

Agreed! Got a 14.2hh 7 year old that has a nice jump i thought would go quickly, but I'm still here waiting, had 2 time wasters so far! Also put her on horsemart and horse quest and expected immediate response silly me!

 

[Capriole]

Actually Im having trouble NOT selling my foals, people keep asking if they are for sale and theyre not even advertised

Is a loan or a loan with a view to buy out of the question OP? It might give you some breathing space, financially and physically. Or can she be turned away on a cheap grass livery for now?

Well, spring is nearly here, so hopefully there are some buyers for her out there that are just hanging on for a little while before looking

 

[bonbeau]

Agreed! Got a 14.2hh 7 year old that has a nice jump i thought would go quickly, but I'm still here waiting, had 2 time wasters so far! Also put her on horsemart and horse quest and expected immediate response silly me!

Where are all those people that are sitting at their computers day and night waiting to call us?!!!

Capriole - I'm really not keen on loaning, she went on loan in 2010 and came back in an awful state, I know there are people out there that can be trusted but it has totally put me off and I also worry if she went on loan if something happened to her ie an injury I'm going to get a lame horse back accompanied by some nice vet bills :s
If I did do a long term loan that worked out then I don't know what position I'm going to be in in the future if it ended after a year or 2, all these things worry me with loaning!
I thought about moving her to grass but then I have no facilites if someone wants to come and try her, but it would be cheaper with upkeep.
I feel I am in a little dilemma!!

 

[Capriole]

I know, Im actually scared to loan myself, but it does go well in many (most?) cases, we just hear about the bad ones all the time...
Its a shame you had a bad experience too

I dont know, if im buying a £850 horse I wouldnt argue about trying a horse in basic surroundings, I wouldnt necessarily expect bells and whistles facilities, but maybe thats just me. If you found a grass livery could you hire/borrow/transport to an arena if someone wants to try her in 'proper' facilities?

 

[welshies]

haven't had any interest, first advertised last August

 

[bonbeau]

I know, Im actually scared to loan myself, but it does go well in many (most?) cases, we just hear about the bad ones all the time...
Its a shame you had a bad experience too

I dont know, if im buying a £850 horse I wouldnt argue about trying a horse in basic surroundings, I wouldnt necessarily expect bells and whistles facilities, but maybe thats just me. If you found a grass livery could you hire/borrow/transport to an arena if someone wants to try her in 'proper' facilities?

Yes I think I might do that, the livery yard where she is is about 20minute hack from where I could keep her at home, my youngster and shetland are there so she could live with them for a little while.
The person who came to see her last wanted to jump a proper course of jumps, afraid not everyone has fantastic facilites and the manege where she is isn't in the best condition at the moment due to all the horrible weather so it's difficult to get a decent canter.
I may bite the bullet and take her home, at least then I'm not paying livery, and she may take a while to sell!

 

[bonbeau]

haven't had any interest, first advertised last August

wow that much be frustrating, where have you advertised?

 

[noodle_]

preloved is good!

trouble is the market is flooded!

ive found several horses today between 800-1500 that i would want to buy (cant i already have one and thats enough)!

And i wouldnt be paying asking on the ones ive found.

 

[Puppy]

Yes, I've been browsing the ads the last couple of days and there's a LOT of cheap horses out there. The trouble is, as we all know, it's not just the buying part but the keeping them which is pricey with horses.

We'll be looking for a good alrounder for my mother come Spring and I must say I'm hopeful we will be able to get quite a lot for our money.

 

[welshies]

wow that much be frustrating, where have you advertised?

Driving me mad, the odd enquiry i have turns out to be a time waster! more annoying is the fact i want to sell him for his own sake as much as mine, he's 5 now and just does nothing, i'm worried he'll be harder and harder to train the longer he is there! I have 2 others, one is due to be broken this spring so really don't have the time! just makes the fact i need to part with him more than want to a hole lot harder when it goes on for so long.

 

[LouS]

I think it depends what you're selling. I find there's always a market for a safe, straightforward all rounder. I've had a bit of a sensitive mare for sale for a while, she jumps anything from anywhere, hunts in a snaffle etc, just straight forward except she's very forward going, after having countless unsuitable people come to try her I've decided to take her off the market and get her schooled up more and out jumping myself, then add a few 1000 on to her price tag and re-advertise around the easter hols. Selling cheap just doesn't seem to work out even if you've got a decent horse, it just seems to attract the wrong people, everyone wants something super safe, schooled and good at everything but they're not prepared to pay what its worth.

 

[bonbeau]

Driving me mad, the odd enquiry i have turns out to be a time waster! more annoying is the fact i want to sell him for his own sake as much as mine, he's 5 now and just does nothing, i'm worried he'll be harder and harder to train the longer he is there! I have 2 others, one is due to be broken this spring so really don't have the time! just makes the fact i need to part with him more than want to a hole lot harder when it goes on for so long.

Thats what I'm finding, I know if it goes on I'll want to change my mind and keep her, even though I can't afford to and dragging it out makes it so much harder now I've made the decision!

 

[bonbeau]

I think it depends what you're selling. I find there's always a market for a safe, straightforward all rounder. I've had a bit of a sensitive mare for sale for a while, she jumps anything from anywhere, hunts in a snaffle etc, just straight forward except she's very forward going, after having countless unsuitable people come to try her I've decided to take her off the market and get her schooled up more and out jumping myself, then add a few 1000 on to her price tag and re-advertise around the easter hols. Selling cheap just doesn't seem to work out even if you've got a decent horse, it just seems to attract the wrong people, everyone wants something super safe, schooled and good at everything but they're not prepared to pay what its worth.

Yes, all the wanted adverts I've looked at are for safe, straightforward types, everyone wants a horse thats 100% in every way...don't we all!!

I thought about doing that as she hasn't done a lot in the past year, get her schooled, take her out etc but I really don't have the time or money right now. I've got a youngster that's going to take up a lot of my time in a few months and if I still have my mare she'll be getting even less attention/work.
I see what your saying in that people aren't prepared to pay what a good horse is worth but there are people out there that just don't have a lot of funds up front to pay out, evenif they can afford the upkeep. It's a funny marketplace out there, someone said about putting her price up so she's not so cheap but I can't keep changing her advert else I think that will look a bit dodgy!

 

[Capriole]

I think in that situation youd have to take the ad down, completely redo it, inc pics so its not as recognisable.

I have heard of people struggling to sell cheaply, whove readvertised at a higher price, and the horses have sold for more. Maybe people just think a cheap horse isnt worth anything and the more you pay the more you get, I suppose. I know its not always the case but it can seem that way.

 

[Super_Kat]

Seriously, stick them in H&H, it's worth the £45, I put my 7yo done sweet F A chap up for 900 on monday night, had somebody try wednesday night and he's being vetted in an hour and a half still being inundated with emails and badly worded txts

 

[LouS]

My friend also gave me some good advice (well more mocked me and told me off haha) that the photos and the way you word the advert make all the difference. Its worth taking the time to bath/trim/clip/pull your horse, then get some very smart confo shots in a bridle or nice headcollar, preferably in the sunshine if you can catch a sunny day. Then get some good ridden shots, if it jumps get it doing the most impressive thing you can safely. If you know you can pop 1m don't just include a pic of it popping a cross pole covered in mud. Put bright fillers etc as well, you've got to catch people's eye.

I find it mad when I see adverts and the horse is in a rug or covered in mud, or they say it jumps this and that yet have no photo of it jumping anything. Also if its broken and jumping I have no interest in seeing it jumping loose, I want to see what it jumps like with a rider on it.

My friend has sold several fairly green ponies in the last few weeks for 5k each because they are safe and straightforward, walk, trot, canter in a good shape, hacked out, clear round jumping etc. And people will pay it.

 

[Ibblebibble]

I'm looking through all the ads at the mo hoping to pick up something relatively cheap and all the ads seem to to be for horses 100's of miles away!!,or they've been snapped up pretty quick!
i want something about 16hh + to have a bit of fun with as my girl is 17 now and being 17hh her early active life has taken it's toll and she doesn't fit in a trailer only a lorry

 

[bonbeau]

Seriously, stick them in H&H, it's worth the £45, I put my 7yo done sweet F A chap up for 900 on monday night, had somebody try wednesday night and he's being vetted in an hour and a half still being inundated with emails and badly worded txts

Very sadly dont have £45 spare at the moment! I might just give horsemart some time and see if I get any interested from that, if not then I will consider H&H, I mentioned it to a friend but she said not to bother with that as she's cheap. Too many points of view get confusing. Good luck with the vetting
badly worded/texts emails are quite annoying!!

 

[bonbeau]

I think in that situation youd have to take the ad down, completely redo it, inc pics so its not as recognisable.

I have heard of people struggling to sell cheaply, whove readvertised at a higher price, and the horses have sold for more. Maybe people just think a cheap horse isnt worth anything and the more you pay the more you get, I suppose. I know its not always the case but it can seem that way.

I guess I was thinking if she was cheaper she would go quicker amd a good home is more important than the price but maybe it's not reaching the right people. I wouldn't say not to more money! But now I've put up a fair few adverts I don't think I can suddenly change the price....unless I say it was a mis-spelling and there was a 1 missing from the price!!

 

[Bustalot]

I am currently looking for a horse to buy and am finding the opposite. Nearly everyone i have phoned have had someone make them an offer and this was only within a couple of days of the ads being posted!

Horses ARE selling.

I get the feeling that every one is looking for cheap reletively young horses to bring on over the winter to either sell come summer or bring on enough to get themselves out competing in the summer. I am looking for the latter, although do have a resonable budget.

I think if you have what is classed as 'vetren' looking for a quieter life you would be better waiting until spring / summer when you get the happy hackers out looking.

Good luck


--- excuse spelling - having a total blonde day today ----

 

[bonbeau]

I am currently looking for a horse to buy and am finding the opposite. Nearly everyone i have phoned have had someone make them an offer and this was only within a couple of days of the ads being posted!

Horses ARE selling.

I get the feeling that every one is looking for cheap reletively young horses to bring on over the winter to either sell come summer or bring on enough to get themselves out competing in the summer. I am looking for the latter, although do have a resonable budget.

I think if you have what is classed as 'vetren' looking for a quieter life you would be better waiting until spring / summer when you get the happy hackers out looking.

Good luck


--- excuse spelling - having a total blonde day today ----

She is veteran age but she's far from it in her mind, she's still up to going out competing locally, schooling, hacking etc. I don't think she'd be too happy with a quieter life just yet! If she was I'd consider just retiring her and keeping her at home but she still has much more to give.
Shall continue being patient and hope the right person comes along.

 

[Ibblebibble]

where abouts are you Bonbeau?

 

[Toffee44]

Had Samba up on horse mart and preloved last summer as a green ride, drive or broodmare £1000 ono including all tack and rugs (she is nr bombproof and turns out to be lovely in harness).

Decided to keep her and have had so many rewards its fate she never went and that the only person who tried her made her a shivering sweating wreck (took her up the lane and back). Shame because I keep finding lots of nice ex racers cheap but oh well I will stick with my 14.2hh welshy