Never, EVER again.......selling ponies to friends. Do you?

[Enfys]

I had to sell Finn (long and boring story) and found him a fantastic Pony Club home, with friends who will look after him very well and I'm very happy about that.
However, I had my arm seriously twisted and I broke my long term rule of selling a "personal" horse locally (of course I didn't expect to still be around, but things have changed), by personal, I mean one that is actually mine or my daughters', rather than a bought to sell on pony.
Yesterday I was at the yard clearing out my stuff and Finn was ridden onto the yard, looking happy and well, but OMG, it absolutely broke my heart seeing someone else on him and knowing that he wasn't ours anymore. Thank God that Evie wasn't there. More than anything else about this last rotten fortnight that is the only thing that has genuinely upset and hurt me.

So, general question here, when you sell a horse on, for whatever reason, are you happy to sell locally and still see them, or would you rather that they went well away? (Out of sight, not necessarily out of mind)

 

[seaofdreams]

i also would never do it again, i sold my pony 5yrs ago to a girl on the same yard, my coloured and brothers pony have recently moved back there due to it being very near home and we don't need many facilities and my old pony is still there but she looks in such a state, to the point that my mum is thinking of calling the rspca
a girl who i grew up with (at another yard) was also at this yard she had been there a few months i think and it was only the other day when she realised that it was my old pony, she was horrified
so no i would never make that mistake again
although kept in touch with my first pony and that was ok, he is now with and RDA center and very well

 

[Ferdinase514]

I have a general rule of never selling cars, horses etc to friends and never lending them money! Usually ends in tears for one reason or another. Either because something goes wrong or it just breaks my heart (happened with my Citroen 2CV...sob)

 

[sojeph]

OMG! I'm afraid I'm a hoarder when it comes to horses/ponies. I just kinda keep them but I really couldn't bear to be in your situation and if I had to sell it would defo be to someone who I was sure I was never going to see again.

 

[fjudge]

About 5 years ago we got a 12.2 section B that we fell in love with...well actually, felt very sorry for. He had been so badly beaten and was so head shy and pertified of men. He could jump, but had quite obviously had a terible experience that as soon as he landed after a jump he would bolt, and then continue to run from you because he was scared he was going to get told off for what he had just done. We had him for 3 years, and in this time he became alot safer to ride and so much more laid back and happy with life. (I will not give the ponies real name for reasons i am sure you can all figure out...i just dont want to bring up things from the past as all is fine now). Anyways, norman is what we called him at home and in the time we had him he did Ponies UK and did rather well. He qualified for the Open M&M ridden, First Ridden, Novice Ridden and the Junior Ridden...he did jump but didnt really enjoy it so there was no point scaring him. He also became Ridden Champion of all the PUK classes at East Soley a few years ago. He was a very specail little pony, that had been torn apart by cruelty.

Sorry guys...there is a reason to this story that is relavent to the thread!!!.....

Basically, he was too small for any of us at home to ride him properly (even tho he was an M&M i know, but it just looked silly). So, we ended up loaning him to a little girl that lived very close to us. She had him for a year or so, then we asked them if they wanted to buy him as it was quite apparent they got on so well and norman loved the little girl. They couldnt pay straight away, but in time, they did (we only asked for a small amout, a lot less than we paid for him, which wasnt that much to begin with!). But the home was far more important.

In the time she has had him, yes he has bombed off with her once or twice, but not nastily and as soon as he realises he isnt going to get into trouble he stops. She is a little bigger now though and so if she tuggs on the reins, he does exactly what he is told...walk, trot, canter and even jump!!! This little pony has been transformed from a total nervous wreck to a perfect 1st pony. And we sold him localy so we could keep in contact with them and visit him sometims. When you have had a pony been through that much, you WANT to watch their progress. We even saw him at a show with the little girl last weekend! (C&T champs). He just looked so happy and chilled out it was the nicest feeling to see something that had scars on his face and his eyes on stalks and would bolt, to a relaxed little HAPPY pony.

Anyways, the point of this long and dull story is that yes, selling locally can be a good thing. My first pony, bumble, went from me, to my sister, to a girl in our pony club, to her sister and is now with another family in our pony club!!! Bless him!! But its lovely to see him at pc events. Makes you realise what a super little pony you had when you see them doing stuff with other people.

Sorry this post was long, i havnt hi-jacked it! Just given my reason why selling locally, or to someone we know was a good idea!!! (If anyone wants the name of the pony, please pm me and i will happily give it to you). x

 

[cariadssogreat]

The further they go the better it is in my eyes!

 

[RachelB]

I sold my beloved first pony to friends, she now lives two doors up from the yard we kept her at! I see her regularly, being hacked about and in the field behind their house. She looks so much happier than she was with me - but I am fine with that as that was the reason behind the decision to sell her, that she was knocking my confidence so much that I would worry while riding her, which would worry her, which would worry me more... (she is a Welsh Cob). She is now ridden as a pleasure horse, she is allowed to bomb round xc and sj courses regularly with a rider who is not (generally) holding on for dear life and screaming, she doesn't have to do that poncy dressage stuff (although apparently she still remembers it), and best of all she is allowed more turnout than I could give her. There are some things about they way they keep her that I wouldn't like, but she is their horse and I would never say anything. Luckily for me that turned out ok! We picked the right people for my baby anyway.
I have a friend who sold a 17yo pony with bad arthritis in both hocks for practically meat money, to a mother in the village (friend/ acquaintance) who wanted a light hack to be able to go out with her children. This was on the understanding that the pony would not be used for anything other than light hacking, and definately no jumping. About six months later, said pony could be seen doing local 3' sj competitions and PC xc rallies. Luckily the ex-owner doesn't know this, we didn't have the heart to tell her.
Definately two sides to the coin!

 

[clipclop]

I have been very lucky, I know where all but one of my old horses/ponies are.
I love hearing how they are doing, good or bad!

I have sold to one friend and I couldn't have found a better home for her as she was off to work in a local event yard and I knew she would be well cared for and loved. It turns out that for the last few years she has been a livery at our place, so I see her all the time. Yayyyyy!!

I think you just have to accept they are no longer yours and wish them well.

Don't be

or

be

!

Cheers
C x

 

[MagicMelon]

I think it depends on the horse Ive sold. Some I like to see again, especially youngsters (as long as they are doing well....!). One or two I prefer not to see too often at shows because either I loved the horse to death and it is just too weird seeing my baby with someone else or the horse isn't going so well anymore..... which irritates and upsets me!

There is one pony who I had the longest. It is very hard to see him with his owners. Its stupid little things I pick up on like I think "jeez, Id be putting his rug on now" or "why are they wearing THAT on him?" etc.!!

 

[Irishcobs]

I've not sold any of my horses yet but I wouldn't sell to friends or people near me, as I don't think I could not interfere. There are things my friends do that I don't agree with, nothing bad but just things that I wouldn't do, and I don't think I could stop myself interfering.

 

[Doreys_Mum]

We sold Midi and Monty locally, I used to go and visit Monty (I made the trip to go and tell him his Beloved Cariad had died...) and I drove past Midi on a driving lesson once... nearly crashed cos they'd hogged her.... LOL!

 

[Hanz]

I would sell to a friend, because then I have the chance of having a sit on them every now and then, but not locally as it would break my heart being able to look but not touch...

 

[gemz666]

i would never sell one too a friend
i cant stand too see other people on my ponies i know how upset i got when i saw someone riding my pony when i couldnt ride

alos break my heart too see my old pony when we drive by

 

[niashadow]

I'm very lucky, all my horses were sold to friends and i have been fortunate with MY choice of mummy number 2's. Absolutely love seeing them at shows and regular updates on their education are a blessing to me.