Once its sold.........its SOLD!

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stormox

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I find it rather strange so many people want to contact the current owners of horses they have sold, sometimes years before.
I can understand (possibly) in the cases where people have been forced to sell, and are now in a position they would be able to buy their horse back if the current owner ever wants to sell. Although after the new owners work with him the horse might be worth more than the old owner sold him for, going by some of the posts ive read, people seem annoyed if they cant get the horse back at their original selling price!!

People should realise that once a deal is done and the horse sold they have no rights whatever over how the new owner keeps him, what they do with him, or when and who to they sell him.

Theres even some people who seem surprised when the new owners don't want to keep in contact. One even wanted to send the horse a new rug, although the new owner had made it plain she didnt want to keep in constant contact..
Saying that, I have contacted two current owners of horses I have owned in the past because Ive recognised them on 'tracing horses'. But I wouldn't have gone seeking them myself, and pestering their new owners for information.
 
I've only ever sold two horses. The first one was a youngster that hadn't grown big enough for me. I have been able to see how she is getting on through FB from day one which is great. The owner doesn't post a huge amount of updates but when she does it's great to see, I'll occasionally 'like' or 'comment' on a piccy but otherwise try not to make a nuisance of myself. At times it's meant sitting on my hands when I've wanted to offer some advice (recent problems catching her) but she is no longer my horse and I don't want her new owner to feel that I am undermining her in anyway.

The second horse I sold was slightly different. I waited over a year before contacting his new owner, she was good enough to reply and sent me some wonderful piccys but if she hadn't have done I wouldn't have held it against her. Sadly it was not good news as she had lost him a few months earlier but I know he died happy and loved so for that I am grateful.

I am friends with the old owner of one of my horses through FB. I contacted her with an 'update' via email about a year after I had purchased her and she was so pleased to hear how she was doing. We then found each other on FB so she follows our progress on there which I think is nice.

It can work keeping in touch with new owners/old owners but I think it has to be a mutual agreement and the old owner MUST remember that the horse is really not their concern any more, if they are not prepared to accept that then IMO they should really think twice before selling.
 
Even when selling was absolutely the right thing to do, the emotion of seeing an old friend again, or even just knowing he's still OK can be overwhelming. Where's the harm?
 
No particular thread- more about FB really, 'expose dodgy horsedealers' page has more people trying to trace horses than dodgy dealers. And the vet page is the same. Ive seen threads on here in 'tackroom' as well as 'trying to find', and then I suppose the last thread on here, though I didn't read it all, made me think......why?.. why sell and wish you hadn't?.....maybe people should think harder before they decide to sell.......put on loan and see how much you miss him or something?
 
In 35 years of horse owning I have sold 5 horses and have never contacted the new owners.
2 new owners have however contacted me and I been more than happy to talk to them.
I think it would be nice to know how they are getting on but its up to the new owner to get in touch.
 
stormox said:
No particular thread- more about FB really, 'expose dodgy horsedealers' page has more people trying to trace horses than dodgy dealers. And the vet page is the same. Ive seen threads on here in 'tackroom' as well as 'trying to find', and then I suppose the last thread on here, though I didn't read it all, made me think......why?.. why sell and wish you hadn't?.....maybe people should think harder before they decide to sell.......put on loan and see how much you miss him or something?
Click to expand...

My apologies. I over thought it :-)
 
I find it even stranger that a person who buys a horse is then so worried about establishing ownership that they don't want anything to do with the previous owner who has produced the horse to the stage where they wanted to buy it in the first place.

Ah well, it takes all sorts.

The only reason I can imagine somebody getting antsy about it is if the horse wasn't healthier, fitter and better behaved than it was when bought.
 
I can imagine if I ever sold a horse I would like to keep in some form of contact with whoever bought it, unless I was selling it because I had a pure hatred towards it and was glad to be seeing the back of it!
I'm in contact with my arabs breeder, we have become friends since I tracked her down, she comes to visit him and I'm also in touch with the woman who I bought my sons shetland pony from, I have them on Facebook and they LOVE seeing how they are both getting on.

Don't see any harm in it.
 
I'm still in contact with the breeders of two of my horses and one of them has visited a couple of times. I like both of them and if my grey's breeder lived closer, I'd be more than happy for her to come and visit too.
 
stormox said:
No particular thread- more about FB really, 'expose dodgy horsedealers' page has more people trying to trace horses than dodgy dealers. And the vet page is the same. Ive seen threads on here in 'tackroom' as well as 'trying to find', and then I suppose the last thread on here, though I didn't read it all, made me think......why?.. why sell and wish you hadn't?.....maybe people should think harder before they decide to sell.......put on loan and see how much you miss him or something?
Click to expand...

Why sell and wish you hadn't? I wish I hadn't sold either of my last 2 horses, I'm sure it didn't help that they were sold and picked up within 3 days of each other.

I wish I hadn't sold smokey, but I knew I had to for his sake. I wish I hadn't sold him, but circumstances mean I had to. I found the best home for him I could have ever wanted, and I'm sure I annoy his owners with constant likes and comments on him on Facebook, but they know how much that horse meant to me so I hope they understand.

My other horse Owen, not only do I wish I hadn't sold him, but I regret it. He's not far from me, and I'm invited to visit him regularly, am allowed to ride him, and constantly get updates on him through Facebook. Several things have come up, that I have had to sit on my hands and not comment on, because he's not mine now, but I know if I did say something, his new owner would listen, as I've known him for a lot longer than she has.

I don't think it's up to you to say people can't keep in contact. If both parties are happy, why can't they?

Bexcy-bee x
 
If both parties are happy I don't see why the occasional text/photo/fb convo can't be exchanged?

TBH i'd not want someone wanting to come to the yard the horse was at all the time etc, so i see both sides.
 
What a stupid judgmental thread!

Sometimes people are forced to sell their most beloved friends it's a heart breaking reality and given the very real situation going on up and down the country where horses are being pushed about, neglected or sold for meat I sure can sympathise with someone wanting to make sure their best friend is still happy and healthy.
 
When we sold our home bred filly I wrote in the back of her passport that we would always love to hear how she is getting on (the person who had her from us moved her on almost instantly). We would be pretty easy to find on the internet, maybe on day I'll be contacted... as my used name on here is also her registered name Goodge doesn't help much, all I find is my own posts!
 
Selling my last horse was a big deal for me, he didn't get on with my circumstances and needed a new home. I spent a lot of time and turned some good money down to find him a home that I genuinely thought would suit him.

I know I have absolutely no obligation to updates, but I am so glad that his new owner is keen to keep in touch and still thinks to ask me how he might react in certain situations.

I did what I needed to do for the animal by selling him, but after 7 years of owning him, when I first sold him it was very difficult to grasp that he wasn't mine. I watched him out hunting last weekend and I couldn't have wished for a happier home for him.
 
No, I don't think it at all wrong to keep in contact- if both parties agree. Indeed, like I said, I have got in touch with 2 of my past horses current owners, when they advertised. If nothing is said about it when the horse leaves for his new home, then I think it is up to the current (NEW) owner to make first contact
If the new owner, for whatever reason (maybe theyr a dealer and sold the horse) doesn't want to keep in contact its entirely up to them - the previous owner really -legally or morally-doesn't have any say over what happens to the horse after she has accepted the money.
 
I am FB friends with Kal's former owner - I sometimes tag her if he has done something particularly special . . . she has let me know how happy she is to see him doing so well with us - not really sure what the harm is tbh?

P
 
I don't think it's odd/wrong to want to know how a horse you cared about is doing.
Equally the desire to keep in touch has to be a 2 way thing and not expected or forced.

I have always let the breeders of all horses I have purchased, know that I have them and provided my contact details. All have written back to say thank you. One breeder we exchanged annual Christmas cards with updates.

Equally for those I have sold on its nice to hear how they are doing, in a non-interfering way.

One I heard nothing from, and never pressed. One I bump into their YO every now and again so hear updates via a third party. Another I followed on Facebook.

Whatever works for those involved :D
 
Selling penny to be a quiet hack was a big deal to us, unfortunately she had an accident and fell onto a knee and has been lame ever since( while she was in new home) her current owner is considering her future as she is 21 now. I keep in touch, but would not dream of trying to influence what her owner decided to do now winter is here. I can't see any harm in the odd text message.
 
I think this is a bit unkind, bearing in min the other thread that is causing a stir. Horses sometimes have to be sold for reasons that may be beyond the control of the seller -and it must be very hard to give up ownership. I don't think that sellers have any right to expect updates, but I think it's nice if the new owner is happy to keep in touch. I am in regular contact with Alfs first owner, who started him and competed him up to PSG, and she was absolutely thrilled when I tracked her down. We've had several slightly (happy) tearful phone conversations about his recovery/progress, and she will always be part of his life now.
 
I bought a 3 yr old in 1980 from a breeder. They sent a Christmas card for the next 28 years and I sent a picture of the horse back. Lovely people, genuinely interested in the stock they bred.

I drove past their premises a few years back, it was a housing estate, no idea why but I felt quite sad.
 
People can do want they want surely? OP the reason some people try to contact their previous horses' new owners is most likely because they care about them and would like to know how they are getting on. The new owner can always say no if they want to, its up to the 2 parties to agree between themselves.
 
i guess it depends which side of the equation you are on as to how you feel about it, having been on the end of a stalkerish ex owner i can fully understand some new owners being wary of old owner contact. I'm also of the opinion that once you have sold a horse you have absolutely no rights over it what so ever, if the new owner is happy to keep contact then great, but if they don't for whatever reason then that is totally their right and the old owner should respect that. with the couple i have sold i have always told the new owner i am happy to keep in touch but it is entirely their choice. it's not that i don't care about what happens to the horse, i just understand that my involvement ends when they leave me.
 
I'm another who doesn't understand why people expect to stay in close contact with a new owner once they've sold the horse. :confused3: It's weird. If someone can't let go emotionally then don't sell it.

I had a friend who bought a horse and kept it local to the seller as they both lived in the same area. The seller had been less than honest, though hadn't lied about anything that the buyer had asked, and the horse had passed a vetting.

But there were niggles. Such as the horse developing a persistent cough after a week of being stabled nights on straw and fed dry hay. The new owner found ventipulmin in the horses first aid kit, which came with it along with all other tack and equipment, so the seller must have known of the problem. The saddle was found to not fit. The horse was fed straights, which is unusual these days, and after being gradually changed onto a commercial mix the horse repeatedly colicked over a few months, until all hard feed was removed from the diet. Despite these problems and the lack of disclosure, the new owner didn't complain to, or about, the seller and very kindly stuck to her offer to let the seller visit occasionally.

After the first few times, the new owner was being pestered to have the seller visit weekly at awkward times for the new owner. Then the seller started turning up without prior arrangement and whilst the new owner wasn't there. Luckliy the YO put a stop to it all the day the seller brought the horse in and went to tack it up, claiming that the new owner had said she could ride whenever she wanted! :eek3: (she hadn't).

I think a brief contact after a week or so just to let the seller know the horse has settled in ok, maybe a pic a few months later when the new partnership has formed so the seller can see they are doing ok, and maybe a visit from the seller once a year, is plenty. I don't understand why anyone would expect more than this. Anyone who seems really keen to stay in touch reminds me of the seller mentioned above! At the slightest hint of someone who was finding it hard to let go, I as a new owner would cut all contact. I just wouldn't want the hassle when I'm trying to get to know and enjoy a new horse.
 
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