Owner is selling share horse...what do I do next?

kc100

kc100

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Well I've been sharing my lovely boy since July but his owner has now decided to sell him and I am gutted, we had built such a close bond and we were really getting somewhere together, but unfortunately she doesnt have the time or money for him anymore so he will be off to pastures new.

She did offer him to me for a good price, and while I could probably just about afford his monthly costs if I found a sharer, I dont have the money up front to pay for him. So here I am!

What I want to know is what I should do next - I've already started checking ads online for share horses as they are few and far between where I live (near Solihull), one horse has come up that I'm viewing at the weekend but I'm not convinced the facilities are going to be up to scratch.

I obviously want to spend as much time with my boy before he goes, but without knowing how long he is going to take to sell (he does have a few health niggles so I'm not convinced he will be easy to sell) I'm not sure what I should do. Do I wait until he does sell, which could be months, so I get more time with him? My worry is that I'll just get more attached (I spent all of Tuesday night blubbing into a glass of wine and couldnt even look at the poor boy at the yard on Tuesday without welling up) and I was planning on starting to compete in low-level dressage tests on him next year, so it would feel like the longer I carry on schooling him the more I am just bringing him on for someone else to benefit.

The alternative is do I just leave as soon as I find another suitable share horse, and have to say goodbye earlier? I would feel a bit guilty leaving his owner in the lurch as she cant afford him on his own, so if I went before he sells I would leave her in a bad position and I dont want him to suffer. There is also the chance (very small chance though) that she will change her mind, she told me the other night that she has toyed with the idea for a long time, so I know that might just be me clutching at straws but there is still a chance.

Also - if he is going to be sold, what should I do in terms of riding him? I was riding him 3 times a week doing long schooling sessions to get him ready to do some dressage next year, but it would all seem a bit pointless! He cant hack out alone either as he's a bit spooky, so how do I find a good balance between keeping him fit but not bringing him on so intensively as I was doing before?

Sorry for the long ramblings, I just dont know what the right thing to do is.

Thanks
 
Or you could maybe see if the owner would mention to potential buyers that the sharer would be happy to carry on? Might be a bit of a sales aid!
 
Gosh what an awful situation for you to be in. I feel for you.

Would the owner consider a long-term loan to you, on the terms that you would then find a sharer for him??

OR would she accept a part payment and/or payment by installments?

Could you possibly get a bank loan or something??? (Umm, word to the wise, you needn't tell them its for a horse...... I've a friend who used to work in a bank and she says that there's a points scoring system for why you want a loan, i.e. good chance is if you say you want it for a car, say, or home improvements as opposed to a holiday or other stuff like sports!!!). Gosh I'd be begging, stealing and borrowing to raise the cash. How devastating for you. Hope this works out OK in the end tho'.
 
I'd arrange to ride out with others as much as possible, have fun and only keeping the schooling up to a basic level. This gives you a chance to get to know the other liveries better, one of them may have a friend looking for a sharer but not advertising it. Good sharers are hard to find so if you come recommended it can help with finding something. If a suitable horse comes up before the current horse is sold I'd go for it. You need to look out for yourself, that's what the owner of your current ride is doing.
 
I have thought about asking her for a full loan so I might do that, but my worry would be how hard it is finding a sharer for him and how I'd cope with full financial responsibility for his vets fees, physio etc.

I was thinking about how I could get hold of the money but then I realised that while I love him to bits, would he really be the right first horse for me (I'm 25 but have never owned a horse) and the answer is no unfortunately. If I had the money it would be better spent on a different horse (as awful as that sounds) - he's got arthritis in his hocks, cant jump over 2"6, is 13 so should be in fairly good health but he seems to be declining, he has to have regular physio on his hocks otherwise he gets a sore back too, he has allergies (dust and pollen) so coughs a lot....as much as I'd love to buy him he's not a wise investment I think for my first horse.

In an ideal world I'd want a horse that could do some eventing as I love XC but my poor old creaky boy cant really do much more than dressage bless him!

Its really tough as I love him to bits and the yard is fantastic, I've made some good friends, the yard is 10 mins from my house and the facilities are great, I know I'm going to struggle to find something as good.
 
Not much you can do really.

Could you see if owner would loan to you? That way at least she doesnt have the expense of keeping him month on month? And perhaps in 6 months time you could give her half of what she's asking for and another half in another 6 months? Or just have him on long term loan?

Otherwise, I think I would keep an eye out for something to share and just carry on riding him in the mean time. Who cares if you school? It won't just be benefiting him it will be benefiting you as well, you'll still be learning every session (I know I do!) She is selling at abad time of year now and if he has health issues....I wouldn't bank on a quick sale!
 
Bless you that is rubbish :-(

I agree you need to look out for yourself here, and the horse if you can! The owner should know the horse will be happy and well cared for with you, and kept locally too.

Look for other shares including ones not advertised, put out a wanted ad explaining your situation (people like loyal people and you have no choice in stopping the share here).

If you find another share then do that, you never know the owner might want you to keep riding him as well until he is sold and if he has health issues that day may never come or she may consider full loan.

Try to be realistic about whether you could afford to take on his full costs, you can't rely on having a sharer as they may not be as reliable as you and can sometimes be more trouble than they're worth!

You may be able to reduce the costs though - would he be able to live out? I do living out DIY and it is way cheaper than livery (like 40 a month instead of 100 odd here) but it would still need to include unexpected costs as I'm sure you know!
 
I think you have answered your own question which is that you realy would like a horse that can do cross country and will hack out alone. I would start looking for your next share or even advertise in local tack shops/feed merchants.
It could take several month to find one so continue to happily ride your existing share horse.
If you can't afford to buy and maintain your own horse then sharing is the ideal solution for you (and your potential sharer).
Good luck!
 
Hmm, having read your second post I don't think he'll be selling too quick and I hope the price she put him at for you is pretty low! A horse like that could be sold as a light hack, but he can't hack alone! I'd hang in there for a while if I was you, I am looking to buy now and there are literally three times as many within my budget as there were at the start of summer.
 
From what you say about him she might find it tricky to sell him! You need to do what is best for you and your right about buying a horse that's right for you :-)
 
She offered me £2k for him including all rugs etc, including bridle but no saddle as that is fairly new. Dont know whether that was good value or not - he is 13, 16.1hh IDXTB. Lovely horse, no vices, good to ride (can be a bit strong) and great in the stable too.

She was a bit naughty when I first viewed him, she mentioned the arthritis in his hocks (didnt tell me he was having physio for it though) but never mentioned the stiff back or the allergies. I had to find out the hard way when he was coughing violently whilst I was riding! I do wonder if she would be totally honest when she comes to sell him, if she wasnt honest with me I doubt she will come clean about all of his health issues. When you ride him he seems fantastic, and the cough has got a lot better (I asked her to change him onto shavings and he had a course of ventopulmin) so chances are if a potential buyer came to see him they would probably not see any indications of his health issues.
 
£2000 :O I know I havent seen him and am going by what you say but for a horse that couldnt hack alone and had physical issues like that I wouldnt want to pay more than £500 and that'd be a very serious push at that too :(
 
I remember you posting about livery in Coventry...

I know its not much help but if you get stuck for something to ride I have a 14.2 that isn't ridden as much as he should be. He's no plod and he isn't great on the road but we have plenty of off road bridleways around.
 
Yeah same here no more than maybe 600, depends how much tack we're talking and if its in good condition etc. You have to ask yourself (as others will) how much the horse is worth (to you but also market value) and work out how much it would cost to get tack you actually NEED. I would say brand new bridle, rugs and some other bits of decent brands done for under 500 easy but I am not someone who has loads and loads of rugs or unnecessary things.

I wonder how much she would want for the saddle then, even if it was really expensive it won't retain that value if she part exchanges/sells it.

You sound like a good sharer anyway, I'm sure another horse will be lucky to have you if you wanted to move on!
 
Wow that is a lot of money for him. Hopefully the new purchaser will have him vetted and find out the truth. I would have said £500 aswell especially without the saddle. hink she might have him a while longer.
I would start looking if I were you. She has decided that she wants to end the arrangement and sell him so it isnt your fault. When you take on ownership you have to accept the responsibilty and that lies with her.
Good luck
 
Keep sharing for now but keep an eye out for something else, she prob won't manage to sell as the hocks won't go through flexion on a vetting.
 
I agree with previous posters and would say keep sharing and look for something else. I was in a similar situation with you, had the loveliest pony to share but she was out of work in the summer due to injury. I did look around for my own but had not ridden for four months and felt my riding skills were in decline! The pony is back in gradual work and the owners have asked if I'd be interested in full loaning her, however work is so busy at the moment I don't have time to commit to her. Hope you find a lovely horse!
 
She is trying it on, pure and simple. The horse is worth little more than meat money in the current market and I bet she knows this. She has seen how attached and caring you are with her poor old horse and is more than happy to screw every penny she can from you - and use emotional blackmail to ensure a sale.:(

I would be very surprised if she can find anyone else to loan it, let alone buy it with all the issues you describe. If you really want him, offer her a max of £500, if she refuses the offer, walk away.

She sounds awful IMO...and if she really cared for her horse she would be biting your hand off to get a decent home for him with you.:(
 
I just bought a lovely 9 year old ISH for £1000 and he seems in great health. Shes a born optimist. People do tend to be a bit blind as to what their horse is worth. Good luxk whatever you decide.
 
kellybee said:
I remember you posting about livery in Coventry...

I know its not much help but if you get stuck for something to ride I have a 14.2 that isn't ridden as much as he should be. He's no plod and he isn't great on the road but we have plenty of off road bridleways around.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer Kellybee, I'm pretty heavy though so I think I would squash your lovely pony! I'm around 11st so I think I need something over 15.3 really to be fair to the horse lugging me around!
 
I really wouldn't pay that for him.

I bought my horse for £3000 including all tack and rugs, he's 13 with a bit of arthritis in his hocks but not to the point where it affects him. I had him on loan previous to this, we were jumping bs Newcomers and Novice level BE. He does only have one eye which reduced price a bit but it affects him less than your boy's allergies, I would say.
 
grumpyoldmare said:
She is trying it on, pure and simple. The horse is worth little more than meat money in the current market and I bet she knows this. She has seen how attached and caring you are with her poor old horse and is more than happy to screw every penny she can from you - and use emotional blackmail to ensure a sale.:(

I would be very surprised if she can find anyone else to loan it, let alone buy it with all the issues you describe. If you really want him, offer her a max of £500, if she refuses the offer, walk away.

She sounds awful IMO...and if she really cared for her horse she would be biting your hand off to get a decent home for him with you.:(
Click to expand...

^^this. It has happened to me too :( silly fool that I am I followed my heart although I knew deep down that I had been taken advantage of.
 
How awful you have been put in this situation :(

I agree with those who say she is asking a lot for such a horse in this market; however lovely he is horse buyers can get a lot for there money right now. If she is determined to get her asking price you could remain sharing him for some time. Of course if she did get more realistic on the price would you consider buying him?

You obviously have a real attachment and in your place I would find it hard to walk away from the share too.

On the other hand, I am considering getting a sharer for my 15.3hh, still working it out in my head so not trying to poach you from your current boy! He is based in Balsall Common so quite near you. A combination of 2 horses in work and a day job mean he won't always getting the attention he deserves. So there will be shares out there...

:D
 
Hi,

Sorry to hear what you're going through, i was in exactly the same situation as you earlier this year so i know how gutting it is. I'd been riding my friend's cob for her pretty much since he was broken, over a year and a half of working with him we'd built up a strong bond together and were getting out doing some low level dressage and some SJ and XC schooling - he was one of those gems who wasn't necessarily exceptionally talented but always tried his absolute heart out and had a lot of fun doing it!
Anyway, just as we were really getting somewhere, his owner decided to sell him as she didn't have the time/money/space.... like you she offered him to me for a really good price, and i did seriously toy with the idea of it (although would have stretched me to my absolute limits!) After a lot of soul searching i eventually managed to come to the conclusion that he wasn't the right long term horse for me (he was only 14.2, i'm 5'9!) and as much as i loved him he'd be better off with a younger/smaller rider who could really bring him on to his full potential. I made the decision that i'd keep working him for as long as i possibly could A) because i wanted to spend every last second with him that i could, and B) because i thought that the more advanced his schooling was, the better home we might be able to find for him - which we did - and he's now gone to a young teenager doing PC etc which will suit him perfectly!

If you know he's not the right horse for you then let him go (as gutting as it is, it will get easier and you'll always remember what you've done together!) - but while you've got him make the most of him!

Hope you manage to find another one soon :-)
 
Well he's solid and the offer's there, even if just to tide you over. Really hope you get to keep your boy tho :)
 
Just thought I would update you all seen as you had all been so helpful - my lovely boy has been sold and is leaving today so I am horseless for the time being!

He was only listed for a week online but someone came to view him on Sunday, and agreed to buy him subject to him passing his vet check yesterday, which he did, so he is leaving today! And his owner got the £2500 she wanted for him as well.

It has all been so sudden, bit of a shock really - we had a lovely jumping lesson on Saturday but little did I know that would be the last time I spent any time with him. I got to see him quickly last night to say goodbye, and thats it now. I just hope he's gone to a good home.

So the search for a new share is on, I'm going to ride a lovely ex-racehorse 10yr old TB on Thursday (went to see him at the yard on Saturday) so fingers crossed we get on well when I ride!

Thanks everyone for the advice - I guess with him selling so quick it has made my life a bit easier in terms of what to do next, and now I'm free to move on to my next share (when I find it!) without feeling guilty.
 
Well, I'm glad you're feeling better and that you didn't have to agonise over a decision. Although it's sad you've had your horse taken out from under you as it were, still wishing you all the best in finding another.

Hope it went well with the TB XX
 
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