Loaning pony out for 2 weeks before sale - advice please!

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Imozarabelle

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Hi,
selling daughters pony as due to family reasons struggling to have the time available for it. Lovely family viewed it, made good offer but want 2 week loan before fully committing. They would have it on livery at a very smart yard 2 hours drive from me and would give me a postdated cheque for the offer price, 10% below the asking price. She would be insured by them whilst away.
Am I being naive letting my pony go to strangers for a fortnight or is this quite common? Concerned that pony will be the same if returned and security of money.
The loaning mum has good horse knowledge and the yard BHS approved.
Any advice.... Thanks!
 
I think they need to pay you and bank/clear the cheque before they take the pony. If the pony is not suitable, and you will need an agreement as to what conditions they can return the pony. And I would only return the money less costs of readvertising, transport at their cost etc.

I would be concerned that they may return an unsound pony, that was sound before it left you, where do you stand then.

It is fine if all goes well, and very very stressful if it does not. I think 2 hours away complicates things.
 
I'm sorry to be negative, but I wouldn't do it, especially if it were so far away. If I knew them and the pony was staying in the local area I may consider it. In my opinion, the pony won't even be settled in during that time, so its not very fair. Also, how do you know the cheque wouldn't bounce etc.

If you are going ahead with it, perhaps ask for references from local people, such as their vet/farrier/instructor, just to verify they are genuine.
 
I'd definitely avoid this....a postdated check with somebody 2 hours isn't worth the paper it's written on. Offer them the chance to try it loads, spend the day 'doing' it
but don't send it away
 
nope, you could agree the conditions under which you would accept return and provide a refund but a postdated cheque for 10% less than the asking price wouldn'd be acceptable to me.
 
Loan with view to buy comes up a lot on ads I can understand why a buyer would want to do that, if your pony doesn't get on with them, or the rider isn't capable or any of the other animals they have don't mix well its an easy return.

I wouldn't change the insurance over I'd retain everything like that because there is usually a delay in cover where they will pay out so your pony won't technically be insured if they need to make a claim. They could pay the fee for it I suppose.

I'd want the cheque to clear too there have been a few stories on here where people have accepted a cheque and then not been paid.
 
I definitely wouldn't do it.

We sold my son's very good PC pony a few years ago. They paid us cash (full asking price) when they collected her. Called the next day & said that all was going well. Then three days later i get a call saying that she was too much for their son, he'd taken her to a pc rally & they were told that they'd made 'too big a step' & he wasn't ready for a competition pony!
I did have her back, no questions asked, as we knew what a fab pony she was & she was in the same super condition that she'd left us in, less than a week before.

I felt that i was in control of the situation & the fact that they had paid for her in full made me feel that they genuinely had wanted her & weren't just messing me about. Of course i could have said 'no' especially if there had been any problems, like she been lame.

You could write a note saying that if your pony proves not to be suitable, you would have him back, subject to all being well, less 10% of price paid.

Good luck.
 
IF you decide to go ahead then get her 5 stage vetted before she leaves (at buyers expense) if she is returned then get her vetted again (at buyers expense again unless very good reason)

Normally when I sell a pony I allow a trial, the buyer pays a decent deposit BUT the pony remains at mine and they can come and ride it as many times as they want over a prearranged period. I even allow them to take it to a PC rally.

I wouldn't personally allow a trial away from home, it takes a while for a pony to settle ina new place so they won't see the 'real' pony in just 2 weeks anyway.
 
Agree with Thistle on this. Trying not to be cynical, but are there any shows their way in the two weeks that they have the pony? Perhaps they want to have a joyride?
 
jeeve said:
I think they need to pay you and bank/clear the cheque before they take the pony. If the pony is not suitable, and you will need an agreement as to what conditions they can return the pony. And I would only return the money less costs of readvertising, transport at their cost etc.

I would be concerned that they may return an unsound pony, that was sound before it left you, where do you stand then.

It is fine if all goes well, and very very stressful if it does not. I think 2 hours away complicates things.
Click to expand...

This is what i did, though i took cash, i gave them a months trial & if it didnt work out i would have refunded the money, it was a hard sale for me but i couldnt have asked for a nicer home & it all worked out well in the end. Though doing it this way does mean the seller needs to trust that you will refund the money if things dont work out.
 
Don't. I did once, let a cracking pony go on a weeks trial, fully insured etc. Prospective owners had it vetted on day 6 unsound on all four legs and brought it back. It took me over 6 months r and r to get it right and sellable again, turns out they had motorbiked it about for 6 days solid. Poor chap, I'll never make that mistake again.
 
I think the suggestions above of being paid in cash in full when the pony leaves your yard but with an agreement, in writing, that you will refund the money within 2 weeks if the pony is returned to you in the condition it left you (with vets cert to prove that is the case). Then, if the worst happens, they return a lame, underfed, exhaused pony to you in 2 weeks you can deduct the cost of rehabilitation from the refund you give them.
If they are genuine buyers with the ponies bests interest at heart they shouldn't have a problem with this.
 
Even a cheque dated today isnt worth the paper its written on until it clears through your bank - even then there is a chance it can be returned unpaid.

If you were selling your car... would you allow them to take the car away on a 2 week trial? I know its a different situation but just the way id think about it - answer would be hell no!

If they are genuinely interested, and you will happily have the pony back if un-suitable. It should definately be money up front with a contract in place . Or they pay a deposit for you to take the for sale ad down, and they can test the pony for 2 weeks at your yard.
 
No way
1, postdated cheque means nothing but a scrap bit of paper.
2, 2 hr drive away? Pony could really end up anywhere.
3, iv loaned twice before and both came back with problems ( stright forward sell is what you want)
4, everybody sounds nice/ yard great etc until things go wrong.

Worst case is you end up with no money and no pony and it does happen.
 
Can I just offer an opinion from "the other side". I had a nasty accident back in May which injured me as well as shattering my confidence. Sooner than I had anticipated I found a potential confidence-giving cob in August and his owner was so convinced he'd be suitable for me, she offered me a two-week trial before asking for payment. I needed to try him before committing to check that I truly DID want to ride again. For those two weeks before he officially became mine (thankfully, he's been perfect and exactly what I needed :D) I wrapped him in cotton wool, separating my other gelding who may have kicked seven bells out of him and whilst I did ride him and handle him lots, I was also very careful not to overdo things because (a) what is the point of having a horse on trial if it is lame or unrideable and (b) if he DID go back, my conscience would not allow me to return a horse that is lame if avoidable.

The point of the trial from a buyer's perspective is to check that it is everything the owner said. Whilst there ARE many honest sellers out there, there are also more than a fair share of liars. It's a shame that there are so many dishonest dealings in the horse world that make us all so suspicious.
 
while i can fully understand why they want a trial for a childs pony and actually think it's a good idea I'd want something more than a post dated cheque in my hand to go ahead with it. As others have suggested i would want full payment with an agreement that you will take pony back and return the money after an agreed period. Make sure the period agreed is set out clearly so that they can't turn round in 6 months time and claim you said you'd take pony back! i would be tempted to get a solicitor to write up the agreement so that you know it will stand legally if problems occur.:)
 
Just don't. There are no ifs against your pony, you don't know these people. Someone appearing knowledgeable means nothing. A BHS approved yard doesn't mean a lot either and its 2 hours away.

The only time I have seen this work for both parties is when these has been a question over the horse and then it was a question of seeing how it went but the risk is entirely yours the way they have presented it to you!
 
Sounds ok but I still wouldn't.

They could try it from your yard as many times as they liked or even do a sort of part loan so you are still around but I wouldn't let horse leave the yard!
 
When selling livestock, ownership passes with the cash!

That really is the safest way for both parties. Suppose the horse is injured or killed in an accident? Who takes the loss? The intending purchaser is only responsible to look after the horse "as a responsible owner would do". A couple of lawyers could argue about that until hell freezes.

And warranty extends as far as the gate! I would hope that the seller would be honest and tell the truth about the horse he/she is selling and their reputation would hang on how the sale worked out. When I have occasionally bought an animal that has later turned out to be unsuitable, for some reason, I've swallowed my pride and kept my mouth shut -- but I'll never dealt with that seller again! Reputation is everything.

"Cheat me once, shame on you. Cheat me twice, shame on ME!"
 
If you think your pony will be ok in their care for 2 weeks then let her go on loan or trial however I would ask for the money in full (cash) and in sure them that you will keep it safe for those 2 weeks until the trial ends. Either they return the pony in good health and condition it left you and you give the money back or you've made a sale?
I wouldn't however let them drive off with the pony without money (not a cheque unless it clears) changing hands.
If they can't afford to pay maybe due to payday reasons I.e end of the month then take a deposit and you keep the pony until they can pay you in full.
With them being 2hrs away you can't keep an eye on them and just because they show you pictures of a nice yard doesnt mean it's where the pony is going?!!?
If they do take the pony and you have the cash and the sale goes through then make it clear that there are no returns as they have had a trial...you don't want to sell and then 2 weeks later the pony is suddenly unsuitable and they want to return.
 
I have one for sale at the moment & I have told interested party I can travel it anywhere for them to try as much as they like or they can come here as often as they like. I wouldn't want mine to go out on loan, he takes a few weeks to settle in new places anyway so they still wouldn't get a true reflection of what he is like.
 
I would never ask for a trial or give one. Things can go wrong. You will be the loser and just because he is insured means very little. Accidents are not covered at start and if they insure and anything happens they get the money. Dont do it
 
Please do not do this. as everyone as said they pay for it up front cash especailly if they are making an offer but not the full price.
I have seen ponies trialled and beleave me they have them doing everything all at once so the poor pony who is settling in to a new home has the pleasure of being hammered at the same time.
You can quantify lameness but it takes a lot longer to undue mental harm and loss of confidence.
I have just had a bad experience with someone who looked legitamate, unfortuately with horses the sharks come well covered in joules camaflage.
Any trial, full price or slight discount, reduced price, cash and its all yours. I have just bought one from a photo, cash up front and delivered by transporter and I am well chuffed.
 
No, no, no definitely not! I wouldn't be happy in any way shape or form about this. If the pony was staying at current yard I MIGHT consider it with a 10% non-returnable deposit (depending on how much she is to be sold for). In this instance I would also be insisting on a full vetting beforehand (buyer to pay) and a second one if they decide she isn't for them and wish to return her. The only way I would allow the pony to leave the yard is if she'd been paid for in full. I would happily give them a written statement advising I would refund money (minus the 10% deposit) if they are unhappy with her at any point in the next month, again subject to satisfactory before and after vet reports. A post-dated cheque from someone 2 hours away isn't worth the paper it's written on I'm afraid. If the cheque bounces then what? You go to the yard they're saying they wish to take her to and find a day or so after you dropped her off they moved to another yard? They send her back lame? Sorry to be a killjoy but too many unknowns. Either she's sold with a warranty or she's on loan at my yard would be my own stance on this to be honest.
 
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