Is selling horses at Christmas time irresponsible?

[Cop-Pop]

It occured to me as I was advertising YOs ponies that I hate seeing puppies and kittens for sale at this time of year but the thought of someone buying a pony as a present bothers me less (perhaps coz I asked Santa for a pony constantly as a child )

 

[Jesstickle]

I often got ponies for Christmas or birthdays as a child. They were very well looked after. I got my dog as a Crimbo present too. Although wasn't allowed him until January as the RSPCA didn't rehome in December in those days, just in case.

We got him at 16 weeks and still have him at 16 years!

 

[Spudlet]

Depends who's buying them surely? If it's someone who knows what they're doing and will take the same care about selecting the right one at this time of year as they would at any other, then that's fair enough. I think it's the surprise pony that turns out to be completely unsuitable that causes the trouble - the stereotypical non-horsey family that buys a foal so it can grow up with their children etc.

I think indoor animals are different - Christmas can be a stressful time for animals what with all the noise, disturbed routine, loads of visitors etc, and it's not necessarily the best time to bring a puppy or kitten home. Horses tend to be a bit more insulated from the disturbance, I think

 

[nikCscott]

I'm loaning our our pony and getting the new one next week purposefully before the holidays so children can bond.

As with any animal at anytime of year- depends on the owners.

 

[penhwnllys_stardust]

I think it depends on the advert as to how I feel, those shetlands you may have seen recently are a great example of what I hate about advertising at this time of the year.

 

[baily]

just trying to make my mind up with our pony..put on market now or wait till spring...people do want ponys for christmas..not sure its hard time to sell in the winter full stop

 

[rhino]

I think buying over a holiday period is good - you generally are off work/school and have more time to help the horse settle in his new home. You don't want to be turning a horse out for the first time and having to rush off to work, much better to be there to supervise

 

[JFTDWS]

I still dream of waking up on Christmas morning to a new pony - even though I already have a healthy complement of ponies and don't "need" another (and if I did, which I might I could now easily pop out and buy one). It doesn't mean it would be uncared for or abandoned in a month or two

 

[indiat]

I think it depends on the advert as to how I feel, those shetlands you may have seen recently are a great example of what I hate about advertising at this time of the year.

This. Advertising any animal as the perfect christmas present as it is a toy is irresponsible. But in your case, you sell when you get a buyer and an irresponsible owner is an irresponsible owner no matter what the time of year. Although I once had to talk a friend out of buying a pony as a christmas present for his two young daughters who had never ridden in their lives because, and I quote, "I'll be a hero on Christmas day." "No you won't," I replied. "You'll be a prat!".

 

[rhino]

I still dream of waking up on Christmas morning to a new pony

What, like this one?

 

[nikCscott]

What, like this one?

Wow that horse is MASSIVE - makes theses houses look tiny!

 

[Tubbs]

I agree that no animal should be advertised as a "good" present whether that be birthday or Christmas. The horse should be described as is, what its personality is like, behaviour, what activities it excels at, what its potential is and is not. Adverts should not appeal to peoples' emotions as that will only encourage irresponsible people to buy them and then the ponies end up as welfare cases which no one wants.

 

[JFTDWS]

What, like this one?

I put him on my letter to Santa, but he said he doesn't deliver livestock

Wow that horse is MASSIVE - makes theses houses look tiny!

mwahahaha he looks down upon the little people and crushes them like ants when they get in his way

 

[rascal]

We are buying a cob for our youngest daughter for christmas. She had a puppy two years ago but we got him in october so he had settled in before christmas, same with the kitten i had last year, she arrived in september.

 

[fallenangel123]

I worked at a yard once where a livery bought her daughter a pony for Christmas. It had been with us for a month but the girl had no idea till her mum brought her up on Christmas morning to do her horse. We had swapped their stables and this pony was plaited up, covered in tinsel and had a large gift tag tied to her plait!
Not a dry eye on the yard, including her mum who hadn't expected us to do any of it!

 

[soltydog]

Well I have just purchased a pony for my foster daughter for christmas.
When we went to view him last week I took her along with my friend and asked her to ride him as we needed her opinion on whether he would be suitable to buy for friends granddaughter.

I have told her we are just going to be looking after him from the 20th (when I pick Him up) for a few days until friend can pick him up so her grandaughter does not see him.


She has had a shetland on loan for a year as I wanted to know it was not a flash in the pan, and that she could be responsible to have a pony of her own and do the looking after.

I can not wait to see her face when she cottons on the pony is for her christmas day.

 

[Honey08]

The last two ponies that I have sold have both been sold as presents. In both cases, the mothers have come without the children to see the ponies - one with an older sister to have a ride. Both said that their children would have wanted any pony they saw, and that they prefered to check the pony out before they showed the child! On both occasions the mothers were old school, experienced horsey types, and on both occasions the ponies have gone to fantastic homes.. I bought both ponies without my stepson knowing or trying them too!

 

[dibbin]

Nah, I got my first one as a Christmas present and so did my sister.

I do agree that they shouldn't be advertised as the "perfect present", though, as that is just asking for some eejit to buy it for their precious little one.

 

[Ibblebibble]

don't think they should be advertised as presents to encourage the numpty buyers but certainly there's nothing wrong with selling a horse/pony at christmas time
As i said on the shetland thread we bought my daughter a foal for christmas 4 years ago, she already had a pony, who again had been a xmas pressie for her and her brother so it wasn't just on a whim. she loves that pony with all her heart and still says he's been the best xmas present ever