Offering a Trial Period?

Ambers Echo

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Max is still for sale and Ginny will be coming back into work soon. I have not been able to get a SINGLE viewing on him. I was wondering about offering a trial period as I know he is as described but others don't know that.

Risks:
- He is hammered while on trial
- They don't allow any settling in time and are unrealistic about what they expect
- I attract total timewasters who want a free horse for a bit and have no intention of keeping him
- I attract semi time-wasters who don't take enough care over viewing/asking questions/being honest about their own abilities because they just think we can 'give him a go'...

Are there contracts you can draw up or arrangements you can make that protect the seller (and the pony!)

Eg
- If they want a vetting they have to pay for it before the trial starts
- They are obliged to insure him from the day the trial starts and treat any illness/injury that develops during the trial before returning him
- They can only compete him once a week during the trial
- I can visit them and check on his welfare
- The price is agreed up front and does not change
- They pay a 20% deposit. At the end of the trial period they pay the balance and keep him or return him at their own cost and I refund the deposit.
- The trial is a maximum of 4 weeks.

What do people think?
 

ihatework

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You will get many people telling you to not do it.

But if you want him sold you might well have to offer something.

Your list of restrictions sounds fair enough but I’d change 2 points:
1. They get their deposit back if the horse returns sound, you have the caveat to re-Vet
2. Have the insurance in your name. Then if the brown stuff hits the fan at least you have continuity if cover.

Also make sure you get local references and confirm their identity & address
 

Annagain

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I think 4 weeks is too short a period to be attracting people who want a free horse for a bit - especially the sorts who would be looking for a pony like Max so I wouldn't worry about that but your other concerns are valid. The possibility that he gets injured, not necessarily through being hammered, but a field accident or a slip on the road etc and they return an unsaleable horse who needs vet treatment to you is another big concern. This would be my biggest worry.

If you do go ahead, treat it as a loan and have a full loan agreement - with the conditions you want added in. They're not unreasonable in my opinion but the buyer would have to agree of course. I'd continue your insurance as well as insisting they take it out as it normally doesn't apply to the first two weeks of a policy, so there's a possibility he wouldn't be covered.

I wonder if you'd be better off offering a money back guarantee within a month if his behaviour isn't 100% as described? That way if he does get injured they can't bring him back and you don't risk them doing a moonlight flit having only given you 20% of the purchase price. I think that would make me more likely to look at a horse as it would make me think they were being honest.
 

Red-1

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Personally I would ot offer a trial, having said that I know of loads that have worked. One little pony in particular, after a month he was as much loved in the new home as the old, and everyone was happy.

I would keep insurance going, ask them to pay the premium if you like. Have whatever conditions you like, once a week competing sounds great, you could even go and watch. Most genuine people would just be glad that you are allowing a trial.

We used to have work horses on trial for a month, we did the 5 stage vetting on day 1. Apart from anything else this shows that the buyers are serious about purchase. If the horses had a lingering sort of lameness which showed during the trial(ringbone etc) we would return as not fit, but if they irreparably gashed their leg in the field we would simply have purchased.
 

flying_high

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I offered a 5 month loan ending end January with a 16 year old very personable, and fairly talented but rather quirky horse that I wanted to find a long term home for. Worked for us. She clicked with him and bought him at end January.
 

Pinkvboots

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I had one on trial for 2 months we just did a bhs loan agreement for that time, I and the owner did know each other not really well but we knew each other through the Arab horse owners community, he was free anyway they just wanted him to go to a good home and be happy, his still here had him 4 years now.
 

SpringArising

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If he were to break irreparably while out on trial, would you be able to cope (in terms of space/time/finances) with having a 'redundant' pony permanently, and also not beat yourself up about it? I think if the answer to that question is yes, then you probably can't go far wrong, because that's the worst case scenario and the reason I never do trials.

What about dropping his price a bit? For me it didn't make sense to keep hanging on and on and on trying to get a decent price as I was spending upwards of 450 on his livery every month anyway. It made sense to get rid of him for a total drop in price in order for me to be able to move on.
 

Ambers Echo

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Good question. I guess anyone can end up with a redundant/broken pony.... But it must be harder if you feel someone else did it not you?

I have already dropped significantly. And have said all sensible offers considered. I don't think the price is an issue (I could be wrong!) but I am just getting zero interest. I think it is more that he is not the 'anyone's ride' everyone seems to want (and many people PRETEND to be selling!). He is absolutely great for the right rider but I think people see 'needs confident riding' and think 'nutjob'. So a trial might reassure them that he is what it said on the tin - can challenge the rider with nappy behaviour from time to time but it's no big deal if you are confident and can just ride him forward. And if you want a BSJA pony it's not an issue anyway as he never naps in the ring.

I'll offer a short trial and see what happens to the level of interest. Also considering sales livery....
 

be positive

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Good question. I guess anyone can end up with a redundant/broken pony.... But it must be harder if you feel someone else did it not you?

I have already dropped significantly. And have said all sensible offers considered. I don't think the price is an issue (I could be wrong!) but I am just getting zero interest. I think it is more that he is not the 'anyone's ride' everyone seems to want (and many people PRETEND to be selling!). He is absolutely great for the right rider but I think people see 'needs confident riding' and think 'nutjob'. So a trial might reassure them that he is what it said on the tin - can challenge the rider with nappy behaviour from time to time but it's no big deal if you are confident and can just ride him forward. And if you want a BSJA pony it's not an issue anyway as he never naps in the ring.

I'll offer a short trial and see what happens to the level of interest. Also considering sales livery....


I think part of the problem is that people that are genuinely looking to buy will be monitoring the ads regularly and will have ruled him out by now and seeing you drop the price, move the goalposts will probably not really help matters unless you get lucky.
I would probably rebrand him in some way to appeal to a different market, using a new site and totally changing an ad can make a big difference, new wording, new heading and photos you have not used before could help as would a proper video that shows him being "normal" I am happy to look at your ad if you want to pm a link.
 

Summit

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I too was wondering if it’s the price? But in response, a trial would interest me if I was seriously looking
 

SusieT

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Dont do it. Any serious buyers will not be attracted just because of a trial. If he is lame they will simply return him and good luck enforcing a contract.
 
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