Keep, sell, loan - HELP!

[ycbm]

Keep, sell, loan.

I've got a horrible dilemma. I bought Henry as a four year old four years ago to break and sell. I wanted to test whether I could be happy in my old age riding a stockier, slower horse. I bought a 'sports horse', at the same time, who was supposed to be for keeps. The sports horse turned out to be a spooky fellow who I could never really relax on. I didn't feel I was the right rider for him or him the right horse for me, so I sold him last year after trying to get on with him for four years. During those four years Henry was my star, doing so much more that I ever thought he could.

Until this autumn. Now I'm riding my three year old who is reminding me what it's like to ride a horse who is naturally up in front of you and really carries you forward. And Henry is beginning to struggle to get beyond the level he is at now, which is just about BD medium, at the lower end, plus single flying changes.

I'm not sure I'm being fair to him to ask for more, but I'm not happy if we have to stop where we are. I feel I'm giving him too hard a time and life is in danger of being all work and no play for him.

He hacks alone and in company, but again I keep feeling that I want something with more zip when we are out. He hunts fantastically, but I don't want to hunt with the ones around here any more. The drag doesn't feel safe and the rest almost openly hunt fox.

So, good peeps of HHO, help me work this though. Should I sell him? If I do will I regret it? Should I loan him to hedge my bets? What happens then if I take him of the loaner to sell him? Should I just keep him and try to accept that I don't really enjoy riding him a lot of the time these days? How can I motivate myself to work him enough to keep him slim next year if I have a four year old I prefer riding in full work?

Aaaaaaarghh, he is such a super boy. What shall I dooooo????

 

[Cortez]

If you arn't enjoying riding him (and he's not enjoying being ridden the way you want to, perhaps?) then why are you even waiting? Life's too short, etc....

I'm sure there is someone out there who will worship the ground he walks on. I'd sell him.

 

[millikins]

I think you have your own land? I'd keep him and find him a sharer. Loaning can work but my personal experience is poor so wouldn't go there again.

 

[ycbm]

I'm pretty sure he's not enjoying me nagging him to keep lifting his shoulders 😒. Thanks C.

 

[Clodagh]

Sell. He is worth his weight in gold to many people.

 

[Cortez]

I'm pretty sure he's not enjoying me nagging him to keep lifting his shoulders 😒. Thanks C.

Yes, been there with a lovely cob I had years ago: I got tired of asking and he got tired of saying "I can't".

 

[ycbm]

I think you have your own land? I'd keep him and find him a sharer. Loaning can work but my personal experience is poor so wouldn't go there again.

OH doesn't want other people around the place. I shared him with a friend while she was looking for another horse to buy for eight months or so. He ate one pair of reins and later a girth strap even though she knew he eats tack if you leave him unattended and tied up. It drove me mad. And she 'detuned' him from my aids.

It's a great suggestion, but I don't think I would be happy to do it.

 

[EventingMum]

Send him to me!!!!!! He's obviously working at a good level for his type and I'm sure they'd be people keen to have him. I think you could get a sportier model that suits you better if need be in the future.

 

[ycbm]

Sell. He is worth his weight in gold to many people.

This is on my mind. Eight. Great for an improver coming up off novice, or a downsizer coming down off sports horses, nothing he can't turn his foot to, up to a level, natural jumper to a metre or more. Traffic immune. Snaffle mouth, also goes really well in a double. He's got to be worth a lot of money, hasn't he?

 

[Myloubylou]

Sell him, he sounds like a fab all rounder so will be perfect fit for someone. You’ve obviously done a great job bringing him on to the stage his at but is not quite the ability you are capable of. As you enjoy riding your other one more then do that until you are ready to slow down. There will be the right horse down the line for you,

 

[ihatework]

Sell him while he is worth something.
He’s the type that flies off the shelf

 

[ycbm]

What do people reckon he's worth? I haven't got a clue, I've never bought or sold one like him. I only paid £1200 for him, unseen. He's just under sixteen hands. This is him in a recent low level group lesson.

 

[Chinchilla]

Give him to me
Jokes...Well if he was smaller.

Being serious, I think you need to remember that we do this for fun, don't we? And if neither of you are enjoying where you are currently, then go somewhere different - even if it means taking a separate path to your handsome boy in order to get there.
You could permanent loan if you are worried about him going somewhere bad. In fact if I were you that is what I would do tbh. Price is hard because to someone he will be absolutely priceless.
Good luck anyway...oh, any chance of a Ludo update? Miss the spotty botty pics and on this horrible dark November day think most of us could do with cheering up

 

[ihatework]

How many points does he have?
Any video of him jumping?
Any vet history / management issues etc?

 

[gunnergundog]

You say he hunts fantastically......with which packs, how many days has he done, has he been out this season, could you gate shut off him, could you lead a kid on a pony off him? Any hunt references?

 

[ycbm]

No points, I'm not affiliated. Mid sixties unaffiliated elementary but he's going a lot better than that now. No video of him jumping. I can take some but I've never needed it. Vet history locking stifles xrayed as a precaution. Clean. Now grown out of it, never locks at all. Unrecorded slight muscle myopathy, undiagnosed. Needs vitamin E or he can feel a bit solid in the bum in winter. Never caused any issues at all.

 

[ycbm]

You say he hunts fantastically......with which packs, how many days has he done, has he been out this season, could you gate shut off him, could you lead a kid on a pony off him? Any hunt references?

Been out once with the drag and once with the bloodhounds. No references. Might be a bit too strong to lead off, I use a Pelham when he hunts. Fine with gates but I don't know how he would react if the rest of field left him to it.

 

[gunnergundog]

Assuming you don't need the cash, then in your shoes, with own land in case a loan boomerangs back, I would endeavour to find him a suitable loan home for a couple of years and then review. He will still be in his prime at ten, you will have more of a feel as to how your spotty is panning out, you will also be a couple of years older and (from personal experience) what suited five years ago doesn't always suit now and sometimes it's better the devil you know. This way you're hedging all your bets.

 

[gallopingby]

hmmm he'll be worth his weight in gold to someone, think you really really need to be sure you want to sell/loan him before you decide. Also be sure you are happy with his replacement. A friend once had a similar looking horse which gave her tons of confidence, did everything she wanted but wanted to do more and so bought a sporty model and sold the heavier one - sold very well to a good home. Friend then discovered new sporty model maybe was a little more challenging and not quite as traffic proof etc and eventually gave up all the time regretting selling the chunky model!

 

[dixie]

I’d think you’d sell him very easily as he’s a nice type, age etc etc
Having recently been on the buying market I would have thought you’d easily get £6k for him.

 

[SEL]

No idea how much he's worth but I think he'll be a very popular type. Given he's young I think you should sell - vet your buyers and I think he'll end up in a great home.

 

[Clodagh]

This is on my mind. Eight. Great for an improver coming up off novice, or a downsizer coming down off sports horses, nothing he can't turn his foot to, up to a level, natural jumper to a metre or more. Traffic immune. Snaffle mouth, also goes really well in a double. He's got to be worth a lot of money, hasn't he?

No idea how much, but people on here always say a lot but in reality no one wants to spend more than £2k!If you were marketing him as a hunter or allrounder I would lose a lot of that hair, but that is just my preference. If you cannot prove he hunts well then you can't sell him as a made hunter, as no doubt you know.

 

[ihatework]

OK, so disregarding the muscle and stifle and on assumption he passes a 5 stage vetting (I did note rhythm bobbling on the video, I assume just throughness) then I wouldn’t accept under 6K for him. You would get more if he was proven competing and hunting.

If you declare the muscle/stifle it will scare some off. It could bring sale price down but I wouldn’t automatically reduce price first up. I’d test the market high and be prepared to come down.

 

[Gloi]

I'm sure he'd sell very easily. However he looks to be the sort of horse who is handy to have around if you need someone to accompany your youngster anywhere so I think I'd keep him a little longer if you might need that at any point.

 

[emilylou]

Sell. Having loaned and sold lovely horses in the past. Sell

 

[Polos Mum]

Tough time of year to get good value for a solid lower level riding club type. I'd ask around and see if you can find a local loan, maybe tell they you're planning to re-assess options next year. It might actually be a perfect loan WVTB for 6 months for someone.
If you decide to sell now He's a jack of all trades and master of none - so to be really valuable he needs to have a job so work out what is best market locally to you and spend a bit of time doing that so he builds some experience either hunting or a handful of BS or BD points as well as getting a local reputation.

 

[ihatework]

Tough time of year to get good value for a solid lower level riding club type. I'd ask around and see if you can find a local loan, maybe tell they you're planning to re-assess options next year. It might actually be a perfect loan WVTB for 6 months for someone.
If you decide to sell now He's a jack of all trades and master of none - so to be really valuable he needs to have a job so work out what is best market locally to you and spend a bit of time doing that so he builds some experience either hunting or a handful of BS or BD points as well as getting a local reputation.

Whilst I don’t disagree, I think it’s easy for people who have competed / are used to sportier models to overlook how much value safe & sane has. His job will be to look after someone of a nervous disposition and put a smile on their face. There are people who are prepared to pay for that (although I appreciate many won’t either!)

 

[AmyMay]

He's fabulous. If you do decide to sell i wouldn't take a penny less than 5k

 

[scats]

I think he’d make a super friend for someone and I don’t think you’ll have any problem selling him. If you don’t really enjoy riding him or he can’t do what you want, then I would sell him on. It sounds like you have produced a super horse who will never be short of people wanting him.
Plus he’s absolutely gorgeous!

 

[DabDab]

I think you should sell too, and agree with 5-6k.

I'm in a similar position with Dabs, who has spent the last 6 months getting chunkier and chunkier, and realistically he is never going to easily manage to do much more than he can do now happily. Fortunately my OH wants to ride and if he didn't, life as a happy hacker alongside a comp horse for me would suit his needs fine. But it sounds like with H's weight management needs, that just isn't possible, so selling seems like the best option.