Sales livery dilemma

[Bobthecob15]

We have a pony on sales livery, has been advertised for about 4 weeks now, only on the main websites for the last week (prior to that was on the sales livery persons fb page only). We’ve had multiple viewings cancel or not show up and 2 unsuccessful viewings (children were too novice for her). The issue we are having is that the lady who is selling her is really busy and sales livery is not her main focus…she does other things she is selling her for us as we are liveries at the yard already…so we have switched to sales livery the past month. I know she has had lots of enquiries about the pony but I’m not convinced she is following up on them all that well. She doesn’t keep me that well informed about what is happening and I wonder if she is getting back to all the people contacting her.

We need to sell her asap, her price is correct based on other comparable horses, I am thinking we might need to move her to another sales livery..or do we just need to be more patient? Really torn as to what to do. Do you normally need to give notice if you leave a sales livery spot and don’t sell on? We don’t have a formal agreement as such in writing that I’ve seen. We are paying sales livery rate and she will get 10%.

It’s really expensive and eating into our sales price at this rate! There is another lady locally with a good reputation for kids ponies who we have used before and I am considering moving her to that lady as she did a good job last time. However this horse is more expensive than that one was…so could be that the market is different.

When we sell this one we will get something else and keep her at the yard we are currently on…so part of me doesn’t want to upset the situation for the future! If that makes sense.

We are also getting free use of one of her ponies in the meantime because she wants my daughter to have something to ride while we wait for her pony to sell…so I don’t want to seem ungrateful.

Not sure what to do!

 

[AmyMay]

If she’s too busy to sell the pony either send it to someone else, or do it yourself.

 

[meleeka]

I agree you have to tread very carefully if you want to stay there with the next pony. It does appear that she doesn’t really want to earn her sales livery money though. I think if you are on good terms, you should probably have a chat about the rising costs of the pony not selling. Why not ask her, if she’s busy, whether she’d prefer it if you moved the pony elsewhere? You say it’s not her main focus, so it may be something she’d be happy to do without. I’d word it as a favour to her. At the least, it might give her a kick up the bum to get the job done.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I agree you have to tread very carefully if you want to stay there with the next pony. It does appear that she doesn’t really want to earn her sales livery money though. I think if you are on good terms, you should probably have a chat about the rising costs of the pony not selling. Why not ask her, if she’s busy, whether she’d prefer it if you moved the pony elsewhere? You say it’s not her main focus, so it may be something she’d be happy to do without.

That’s a good idea, it is tricky. We have two viewings today, will see how they go and then have a chat next week x

 

[Ambers Echo]

If pony does not go today, I'd be honest and say you wonder whether she is struggling to find time for sales as she is so busy with other things, and would it help her out if you a) moved the pony or b) did some of the leg work. Can you not follow up some of the promising enquiries - after all you know the pony better than anyone? She may have felt obliged to offer sales livery and be relieved to be off the hook for it. Or she may take huge offence at being 'accused' of not doing enough. So feel your way into the conversation carefully, as you are staying on her yard.

Good luck with today's viewings.

 

[w1bbler]

It does sound like you need to have a good chat with her, discuss the moving option as a positive not a threat.Also offer to deal with some of the calls? I responded to an ad from a sales livery a while ago that listed owners number & sales livery number, I spoke to both ( who gave me slightly different stories) but it was useful & you may be able to wean out some of the inappropriate enquiries for her?
Do remember there are lots of time wasters about though, It may be alot of the enquiries are 'will you take 1/3 of horses value, can it teach a novice round badminton etc?' yard owner may well be weeding those out without passing much info on.

 

[Wishfilly]

It sounds like she is being pretty generous in offering your daughter a pony to ride, but it also sounds like she is really busy. I'd also consider the pony's welfare- is two moves in quick succession something she would cope well with, and would it set the pony up to succeed?

Perhaps you could offer to do a bit of the admin side of selling, e.g. following up on leads? And your YO just does viewings/provides a rider etc?

It's worth bearing in mind that a lot of people can enquire and turn out to be really flaky, or end up buying something else, or speak to the YO and realise it wouldn't be the right fit. It sounds like this pony isn't totally straight forward so perhaps people are enquiring and then realising it wouldn't be a good fit?

I don't think ponies are selling that well at the moment- it's so wet I think a lot of people are holding off, hence the cancelled viewings.

Is there a particular reason you're so desperate to sell? Is there no way you could wait until things are a bit dryer?

 

[Bobthecob15]

It sounds like she is being pretty generous in offering your daughter a pony to ride, but it also sounds like she is really busy. I'd also consider the pony's welfare- is two moves in quick succession something she would cope well with, and would it set the pony up to succeed?

Perhaps you could offer to do a bit of the admin side of selling, e.g. following up on leads? And your YO just does viewings/provides a rider etc?

It's worth bearing in mind that a lot of people can enquire and turn out to be really flaky, or end up buying something else, or speak to the YO and realise it wouldn't be the right fit. It sounds like this pony isn't totally straight forward so perhaps people are enquiring and then realising it wouldn't be a good fit?

I don't think ponies are selling that well at the moment- it's so wet I think a lot of people are holding off, hence the cancelled viewings.

Is there a particular reason you're so desperate to sell? Is there no way you could wait until things are a bit dryer?

Cost! Sales livery is expensive and my daughter is really keen to get another more suitable pony..she can ride the YOs but not often as she’s used for other things and she’s a bit forward for her outside the school environment…she’s not ideal either. So I’m getting pressure from my husband because of the cost and my daughter because of her want to get going with a new pony…I’m stuck in the middle she is quite sharp at times so needs an experienced rider. Hence it not being a straightforward sale.

I’ve explained to my husband it will take time, I don’t really want to move her again so it is tricky x

 

[Wishfilly]

Cost! Sales livery is expensive and my daughter is really keen to get another more suitable pony..she can ride the YOs but not often as she’s used for other things and she’s a bit forward for her outside the school environment…she’s not ideal either. So I’m getting pressure from my husband because of the cost and my daughter because of her want to get going with a new pony…I’m stuck in the middle she is quite sharp at times so needs an experienced rider. Hence it not being a straightforward sale.

I’ve explained to my husband it will take time, I don’t really want to move her again so it is tricky x

I think I remember some of the other threads about this pony, and I'm not convinced she's going to be an easy sale. Is the reason she's on sales livery because your daughter won't ride her for potential viewings? If so, then I do think that will be a tricky prospect to sell, unfortunately.

In terms of your daughter, I think she's in a very lucky situation, and she needs to be reminded of this. I would hope she cares at least a bit about her old pony finding an appropriate home?

With your husband, I think you need to explain to him it's not an ideal time to sell, due to the weather, and this pony isn't necessarily going to be sold that quickly. Rather than nagging you, can he make any helpful suggestions?

Are you normally on DIY? If so, might it be worth keeping the pony on DIY until Easter and then trying to sell again just before/over the Easter holidays? I know it's not ideal but you might not sell until then anyway, and at least you aren't paying for additional weeks of sales livery? If you don't want to do that, then your only option may be to drop the price- if you want a quick sale then pricing at the same level as other ponies probably won't help.

If you're willing to share the advert here, then people might be able to offer some feedback on it as well? But equally you may not want the pony associated with your threads on here?

 

[Bobthecob15]

I think I remember some of the other threads about this pony, and I'm not convinced she's going to be an easy sale. Is the reason she's on sales livery because your daughter won't ride her for potential viewings? If so, then I do think that will be a tricky prospect to sell, unfortunately.

In terms of your daughter, I think she's in a very lucky situation, and she needs to be reminded of this. I would hope she cares at least a bit about her old pony finding an appropriate home?

With your husband, I think you need to explain to him it's not an ideal time to sell, due to the weather, and this pony isn't necessarily going to be sold that quickly. Rather than nagging you, can he make any helpful suggestions?

Are you normally on DIY? If so, might it be worth keeping the pony on DIY until Easter and then trying to sell again just before/over the Easter holidays? I know it's not ideal but you might not sell until then anyway, and at least you aren't paying for additional weeks of sales livery? If you don't want to do that, then your only option may be to drop the price- if you want a quick sale then pricing at the same level as other ponies probably won't help.

If you're willing to share the advert here, then people might be able to offer some feedback on it as well? But equally you may not want the pony associated with your threads on here?

Thanks, I have explained that to her but can understand her frustration when she sees her friends riding and she can’t join them etc…it’s not easy when you’re 9!

Food for thought definitely, thanks x

 

[Wishfilly]

Thanks, I have explained that to her but can understand her frustration when she sees her friends riding and she can’t join them etc…it’s not easy when you’re 9!

Food for thought definitely, thanks x

I do get that for sure, but equally I think it's really important to manage expectations as well? It may take a while to find the right pony for her to buy, and I think if she is going to have horses, it's really important that she understands owning horses is a massive commitment in terms of their welfare- they're not just toys that can be instantly got rid of if things don't work out.

Maybe I'm being a little bit harsh here, but:

a) I do feel a little bit like the pony is coming last in this thread- it feels very much about the money and your daughter's needs.

b) When I was a child I fully understood why I couldn't have a pony of my own, and even when I was loaning, I understood what a massive privilege that was. I get it's hard missing out, and I get that 9 is a tricky age, but I do think it would be good to emphasize the importance of the pony having the right home, and her finding the right home, and hopefully by the summer she will be able to have an amazing time with her new pony.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I do get that for sure, but equally I think it's really important to manage expectations as well? It may take a while to find the right pony for her to buy, and I think if she is going to have horses, it's really important that she understands owning horses is a massive commitment in terms of their welfare- they're not just toys that can be instantly got rid of if things don't work out.

Maybe I'm being a little bit harsh here, but:

a) I do feel a little bit like the pony is coming last in this thread- it feels very much about the money and your daughter's needs.

b) When I was a child I fully understood why I couldn't have a pony of my own, and even when I was loaning, I understood what a massive privilege that was. I get it's hard missing out, and I get that 9 is a tricky age, but I do think it would be good to emphasize the importance of the pony having the right home, and her finding the right home, and hopefully by the summer she will be able to have an amazing time with her new pony.

Oh absolutely you are right. Like I said I am stuck in the middle really with a very unhorsey husband who does not understand all of this well, I have explained to him and her the situation. If it was me alone and only me paying for her I wouldn’t be so keen to move her on, trust me!

Will try explaining to my daughter and husband again..thanks all x

 

[maya2008]

Definitely the wrong time of year. If you advertise now, you need to be prepared for it to take some time to sell. That, and half the responses you get to any advert are duds. You have to sift through the rest to try to find the right home! If you're having viewings then that's positive.

In terms of the child - the pony was once suitable, so she either rides what she has now, or waits until it sells. That's life.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Tbf, your daughter seems to be keener on the concept of owning and riding a pony than the reality.

I believe that this is the second pony that’s she’s become too nervous to ride? Maybe riding isn’t her thing, or maybe she’s lost her nerve after being over horsed. I wouldn’t be in a rush to get another. A good long break from ownership just riding safer RS ponies seems like a wise move if she wants to keep riding.

 

[Shinx]

You have my sympathies! I posted that recent thread about my horse not selling on sales livery and, surprise, he's still not sold so he's off the market now until the weather is nicer. So many cancelled viewing because of this horrendous rain!

It's not a good time of year for sales.

 

[Wishfilly]

Oh absolutely you are right. Like I said I am stuck in the middle really with a very unhorsey husband who does not understand all of this well, I have explained to him and her the situation. If it was me alone and only me paying for her I wouldn’t be so keen to move her on, trust me!

Will try explaining to my daughter and husband again..thanks all x

I don't know if any of this will help, but this is the sort of thing I'd try saying to your husband:

-A bit like with houses, there are particular times of year when it's easier to sell horses. Spring is normally a good one, but because it's been so wet, it still feels like the end of winter, not the start of spring. People will be holding off on buying until their fields are in a better state so they can turn out more and spend less on hay/feed.

-As an additional point, if the weather is appalling, people will cancel viewings

-A bit like with viewing cars (but even more so), people can turn up and be really interested and then "test drive" and realise things aren't quite right for them. The pony has to be the right fit (important he gets his head around this before your daughter starts looking for another, anyway), and so it will often take multiple viewings for a straightforward pony to sell. Yours perhaps isn't straightforward, so it will take even longer to find the right fit.

-Again, a bit like with cars, unless you're an expert, your car is more likely to lose value than gain value. Is he worried about getting back the money that was spent on the pony?

-Like when you try to sell anything e.g. via facebook, you'll get a lot of enquiries from dreamers or people who just aren't that serious. You have to filter them out to get to the ones who are serious about viewing, let alone buying. Part of what you're paying for is this service, but perhaps if he's willing to do it, then the service might become a bit cheaper?

I'd probably present him with two options:

-Drop the price of the pony, and try for a quick sale now. If you drop the price low enough, and she is a nice enough pony, then someone will snatch her up even at this point in the year. Equally, if she needs an experienced rider and is a little bit overpriced, then it'll be harder to find a buyer. You might then need to save a bit to buy your daughter a new, suitable pony, but that won't take too long as you won't be paying for livery.

-Accept it's not the best time of year to be selling the pony, and you need to be a bit patient. If she's getting viewings, then that's positive, and everyone just needs to be a bit patient in terms of her finding a home that's the right fit.

 

[Arzada]

Is there any reason why you can't take her off sales livery and your daughter ride her and then back on sales livery in say the Easter holidays ie when we hopefully will have better weather and better viewing conditions?

 

[Palindrome]

I was going to say something a bit similar to Arzada, could you daughter ride her pony on the lead rein and then lunge line if pony is too forward? Your daughter gets to ride and it might help to sell the pony by training him further.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Is there any reason why you can't take her off sales livery and your daughter rider and then back on sales livery in say the Easter holidays ie when we hopefully will have better weather and better viewing conditions?

will definitely consider this

I was going to say something a bit similar to Arzada, could you daughter ride her pony on the lead rein and then lunge line if pony is too forward? Your daughter gets to ride and it might help to sell the pony by training him further.

Yep will definitely try this too, thanks.

Viewing went well, coming back next week to try her again and hack out etc. Other one cancelled but going to rebook x

 

[gallopingby]

I’d wait until the Easter holidays. There will probably be people looking before then but many are still hoping to acquire a cheap pony because it’s winter. Ponies up and in work, out competing and with a performance record are always going to sell before others.

 

[Bobthecob15]

I’d wait until the Easter holidays. There will probably be people looking before then but many are still hoping to acquire a cheap pony because it’s winter. Ponies up and in work, out competing and with a performance record are always going to sell before others.

Ok yes I can see that, will definitely keep that in mind x

 

[eahotson]

will definitely consider this

Yep will definitely try this too, thanks.

Viewing went well, coming back next week to try her again and hack out etc. Other one cancelled but going to rebook x

Fingers crossed.

 

[Arzada]

Trakky14 and Bobthecob15 are one and the same?

 

[ester]

They've just changed their username, if you hover over it a clock comes up by people's names and it tells you they've changed.

 

[Lotsoflemons]

Its entirely up to you but for a quick sale I would definately go to a yard who specialise in Sales livery someone with lots of contacts and Good ratings etc It may be more expensive but will save you alot of money in the long run! It could also be they have not found someone suitable for your pony at this time but I would keep on to get a response on what the situation is, The amount of money it costs a week will soon add up and you will be at a huge loss, its not the best time to sell but I wouldnt keep my pony on sales for more than a month or so at a time, People who buy Childrens ponies will probably expect more viewings as its for their child but the sales livery should have the time to make sure they are serious etc

 

[Bobthecob15]

Trakky14 and Bobthecob15 are one and the same?

Yep! Changed it to something more relevant