Opinions on project horse as a medium to sell horses?

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Hovis_and_SidsMum

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I have a dilema and I could do with some advice.
We are trying to sell my husbands horse and I am considering putting him on project horse.
To give you some background he was sold to us as being siuitable for a competant novice to learn the ropes and move up to jumping BSJA one day.
He is not this horse.
He is talented beyond belief - can jump 1.20m with his eyes closed, XCs like a dream and has paces to die for - not my opinion but that of the people who have ridden him. These include our instructor (Evil army Man), Polly Jackson and Tiny Clapham.
He is not a high grade eventer (i.e. Polly or Tinys level) as he is just not sharp enough but is a very talented horse.
HOWEVER..... his attitude is terrible. In the right mood he's a dream. In the wrong mood he is stubborn, obstinate, pig headed and an absolute nightmare. He is also not tolerant of rider errors - hes so fast to learn that if he knows for example he can unbalance you he keeps doing it.
He's been cubbing and is fine when running with the crowd but goes up the wall when forced to stand about. One day will hack out like a dream - the next day spooks at blades of grass. One day jumps like a stag - next day will jump but is hard work. One day does a dressage test that would make you cry with joy - the next day needs a rocket up his bum to get him going. I.e. when hes in the mood and enjoying himself hes a top class horse - when he's not hes a pillock.
So hence my question. Is project horse the place to advertise him?
I want him to go to a home who can appreciate his talent but can work with him 1-2-1 to try to get inside his head. He's been with a good friend of ours who has admitted he's the most frustrating horse he's ever met - all that talent but a total prat. I want to be completely honest about him as i don't want him to go to the wrong home again the way we were missold him.
So whats your view on using project horse as the medium for this? Do people look for this kind of horse on that website? If not project horse where else?
Any advice greatly appreciated as I'm losing sleep over this.
 
He sounds like a real character and could be a lot of fun for somebody. Some people, like to be challenged and tire quickly of a straight foward samey steed.

Of course he would go on project horses and if he has that kind of hidden talent, someone will just snap him up and love all his quirks.
 
he sounds fab!....

id try and sell him in the normal ways - horsemart etc to a talented rider... someone will love him.. :)
 
Possibly.. it all comes down to what price you want for him.. It won't be easy to find someone willing to put up with a horse that is fine one day and then difficult the next..

I think in this climate I'd advertise him relatively cheaply and be very selective who you sell him too, horses like him are at risk of being sold on and sold on again as people quickly become frustrated with them
 
But do people go on project horse looking for just a cheap horse or do people use it the same way as I would use horsemart (for example?)
I don't want him to go to some kind hearted soul who thinks they can "cure" him by hitting him round the head with an orange stick: he's be likely to take said stick off you and hit you with it - hes that kind of horse!!
I wish there was a site called "Talented but Tricky" - that'd be perfect!
 
bj_cardiff said:
Possibly.. it all comes down to what price you want for him.. It won't be easy to find someone willing to put up with a horse that is fine one day and then difficult the next..

I think in this climate I'd advertise him relatively cheaply and be very selective who you sell him too, horses like him are at risk of being sold on and sold on again as people quickly become frustrated with them
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Agree with this. But he does sound like he will be someone's cup of tea! I like the sound of him a lot :)
Good luck
 
I think it might be a good place to advertise. I did very similar with a pony I had bought from the sales. Pony was in terrible shape and terrified of everything. I had him nearly 2 years and was forced to sell. He had improved beyond recognition but I wanted a buyer who would treat him as an individual and give him what he needed. I found exactly this person, pony is now 8, still with her and the family invite me regularly to go watch him compete BD. I 'might' have found someone great elsewhere but I think being able to be so specific in his ad really helped. You do get some thinly disguised make-a-fast-buck types phoning but they are easily deterred :)
 
I think people do tend to look on there for cheaper horses, and ones they can 'try' and sort out and make money on, i would advertise him on a normal site first and see what happens, i for one get very bored very quickly with 'normal' horses, i love horses that are quirky and i know alot of other people the same as me. A horse doing what you want when you want, for me is uttlery boring!
 
I think Project Horse is a great site for cheap 'problem' horses.

It is a site that you can tell the truth about your horses without feeling bad aout it.

I am not sure how many actually get sold off there as they seem to be on there for months and months and never seem to come off, I have had a horse (talented but a with problems jumping) on there for months and I have only had unsuitable people emailing (under 16s) but he is still on there -vwithout a reply for weeks now.

Good Luck :)
 
appylass said:
I think it might be a good place to advertise.
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Thanks for that. The thing that bothers me is whilst i appreciate we will get no where near what he would be worth is he wasn't "quirky" I don't want to give him away.
I'm prepared to take a loss to find the right home for him but I don't want him going bargin basement as this to me increases his chances of being passed about. He's out of some amazing breeding and I just tear my hair out - on paper hes bl**dy amazing just a complete ar$e.
I've just always viewed project horse as the home of failed parelli horses - i just need some reassurance that "normal" horses just with a few issues also sell on there?
 
Lik the mental picture of him hitting someone over the head with an orange stick!!!I would go with people who have said that what makes him a problem to you might make him perfect to someone else. Have you thought of a decent selling livery? It worked well for me when I had a horse that was a bit too much for me!If it is a good one, they will have a good rider who will try him, assess him, be honest when he is being sold and may have an idea of a client he might genuinely suit.You maintain control so will be in a position to veto anyone you feel is unsuitable.A decent selling livery will not sell him behind your back, but keep you up to spead with what is happening and in my case they sold mine within a month!
 
I would suggest you market him using a video in his ad which clearly shows what a talented jumper he is and how fabulous his flatwork can be. Then I think he is far more likely to attract the right sort of buyer.
 
He doesn't sound like a project horse to me - but a talented, sensative and slightly quircky individual - i.e your typical competition horse.

Send him to a professional to sell for you and triple your money.

This horse should not be on Project Horses, and will end up in absolutely the wrong hands.
 
Also there's no reason why not to put his completly honest advert on the more normal sales sites too.
There's talented riders and horsepeople out there with not mega bucks to spend, he could well appeal to one of them.
But for his best chances you need the good photo's and video's as per TGM's reply.
Good luck.
I think you have the title for your add anyway, "Talented but Quirky"
 
amymay said:
He doesn't sound like a project horse to me - but a talented, sensative and slightly quircky individual - i.e your typical competition horse.

Send him to a professional to sell for you and triple your money.

This horse should not be on Project Horses, and will end up in absolutely the wrong hands.
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totally agree with this- i don't think the sort of people who look at Project Horses are the right sort for your horse.

if he truly is talented then i would send to a pro to sell as they will attract the right sort of people at a better price.
 
I'm not very happy with the idea, as someone suggested, that a horse put on Project Horses will end up in the wrong hands.
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No - this horse will end up in the wrong hands.

I've no problem with Project Horses, it is an increasingly useful and important site - and have advertised there myself.
 
Project Horses IMHO contains some of the most honest adverts of any site on the internet. Because that is specifically what it was set up for. Wherever you sell a horse there is the issue that they *could* end up in the wrong hands. That is for the seller to vet.

Equally as others have said you could advertise your horse anywhere as talented but quirky.

Good luck whatever you decide re advertising etc.
 
He sounds very much like my Fleur - we eventually got to the root of the problem, after spending a huge amount of money on her hocks, and it was her back - this also took months and a lot of money to put right. By then, it was in her head that riding at times was uncomfortable. She was a highly bred warmblood, extremely talented and a very quirky ride though wonderful to handle.

I put her out as a broodmare to give her a break, and had intended in two years time to bring her back into work. However, she was so happy and chilled and produced the most amazing foal, that I left her this way and said goodbye to £5,000 that I paid for her as a youngster.

Unfortunately you don't have this choice and I think as AmyMay said, he is a competition horse, and many don't do fun rides, hacking, standing around but go to a competition, warm up, compete and back on the box and home in a very strict routine. Fleur would have thrived on this, but I wanted something that I could compete and also be an all rounder, hence even without the back issue, we were not truely suited, this was the other reason for my leaving her as a mum.

It was not her fault I bought something that was not up to the job I wanted and she too was the type that could have easily ended up in the wrong hands and passed from dealer to dealer.

I would try selling him as a talented but quirky competition horse that needs a strict routine, only trained and competed and not an all rounder type and only for a very competent rider.
 
Doesn't sound like a project horse (you'd be selling him short putting him on there), just a horse with a stronger character than most, but some people like a horse like this, not everyone enjoys a horse that goes like clockwork all the time, gosh how boring would that be, seriously though, not everyone that competes goes out to win, perhaps if you found someone who just enjoys doing things with him (enjoying the type of horse he is) as opposed to doing things on him...if you see what I mean.
 
I think he sounds fab! I would try horsemart etc first. I think project horses is a good site, but quite often I think people over price the horses and think being honest justifies a higher price. If a horse has an issue/issues, it should be priced accordingly, especially when advertised on a site called 'project horses'.
Your horse sounds like a great horse for someone wanting a bit more of a challenge, but not necessarily a 'project horse'. Good luck selling him, sounds like he could be perfect for someone who wants something to work with.
 
Quick reply...

I put Adrian on there to loan as he has EPSM. I didn't want to use a 'normal' site as I thought it more likely that people looking on proj horses would be open to the idea of something with issues.

I put 'EPSM' in the title of the ad, stuck a picture of him on there...& he was only on there for a day or 2 before he was snapped up. Cost me £5.50 & he's gone to a fab home, so worth every penny.
 
Thanks everyone - I didn't mean to cause offence to the owner of the project horse site - i was merely expressing how i viewed the site from a point of someone who has never used it.
My horse is not lame, sick, sorry, has no health issues etc - just is a quirky loon with a bucket of talent. He needs a new home and i need advice on where to try selling him.
I don't want him passed about as its not his fault he was missold to us - i've never been in this situation before and could really do with help / advice / experiences to help me figure out what to do with him.
Thanks for all your suggestions so far xxx
 
Varkie ... as I said I think Project Horses is a great site, I am using it myself for a horse that I want to loan/sell to someone who would understand his problems/quirks and I feel that I can describe him honestly on this site.

I thought (and it seems I maybe wrong) that it was for the cheaper end of the market - as these project horses should be priced accordingly.

I hadn't thought of the site in any other way.

I don't suppose my horse is really a project - he is a 'challenge' for someone, but I wanted somewhere to advertise him as he is quirks and all.

If you look at 99% of the ads in H&H they make out their horses are perfect, we all know there is no way this is true, at least on Project Horses you can be honest.
 
I would deffo try him on just normal websites... sounds like my cup of tea actually! Just out of interest (tell me to buzz off I will not be offended :D) how much are you looking for?
 
I would class him as a project as he needs work with a experienced rider and is very inconstistant which is very very annoying at the best off times. If he doesn't come round which I'm sure you have tried than he would be a very hard horse to put up with. I for one do not like a boring horse and don't mind quirks but for him to change daily depending on how he feels is no good for a rider who likes to go out and compete.
As for project horses I know a hunts man who got his horse via there plus a good friend off mine who is a up and coming eventer so there are good homes via that site and the people who think the horse will end up in the wrong home is unbelievable. How can you say you? Goes for any site,paper etc. People who aren't experienced etc are not going to buy a horse with quirkys which are declaired unlike most sites where people hide the horses faults, they get into the wrong homes.
Good web site
 
Why don't you contact the site owner and ask?
When you sell a horse you lose control over their future. You could sell it on Horse and Hound and it could still end up with someone who has a tendency to wave orange sticks around. I gloss over my "nh-style" background when buying a horse, because I know many people will make wrong assumptions about what I do.
It is cheap to advertise on Project Horses, and I know of some really good people who have brought via the site. So why not give it a go? Wherever you advertise you'll have to make judgements about whether or not prospective buyers will give good homes or not.
 
Thanks everyone for your help, ideas and support.
I'm having enough sleepless nights as it is (my dad has just been diagnosed with lung cancer) without horse related issues as well.
You have given me lots of food for thought so I'm really grateful
Thanks again for taking the time to reply xxxx
 
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