Sales Livery

[Katieg123]

Please be gentle on me - I haven't made my mind up yet but even thinking about it I am finding upsetting!

I have a gorgeous 8yo 17.2 ISH that I am thinking about selling. No fault of his own but due to some health problems and anxiety issues I am not riding and I haven't ridden him since July. He is a big, powerful competition horse that deserves to be out and about and have an amazing life which I cannot offer him at the moment. He has done some showing, low level eventing, SJ etc. but I have not been consistent enough with him to bring him up the levels although is more than able. He is a happy, friendly (if slightly cheeky) type.

I am thinking of putting him in sales livery but have some questions. How does pricing usually work and what kind of money should I expect?

Is it better to give him to a trainer for a month to bring him in to work since he hasn't been ridden since July or would the sales livery usually be happy to do that?

Do I have to pick a price for him or will the sales livery decide? Any ideas what he would be worth once he is back in work?

Any recommendations for somewhere good to take him in Ireland?

Any advice in general? I really appreciate any help!

 

[Barton Bounty]

@JBM will hopefully know. If you tell me north or southern ireland I can ask my friend as well if she can recommend. This is the kind of thing my friend used to do but she is more well known in racing now but I am sure she will have an idea.

 

[Katieg123]

@JBM will hopefully know. If you tell me north or southern ireland I can ask my friend as well if she can recommend. This is the kind of thing my friend used to do but she is more well known in racing now but I am sure she will have an idea.

Thanks so much. I am in the south (Co. Waterford) but don't mind travelling him a bit if its a very good place!

Forgot to ask in my original post but is there a best time of year to sell a horse? I'm in no real rush but don't want to miss a window if there is one.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Id say now coming into the good weather

Eta

Sharon does it and ill pm you the details shortly, she is quite near you.

 

[Abacus]

Please be gentle on me - I haven't made my mind up yet but even thinking about it I am finding upsetting!

I have a gorgeous 8yo 17.2 ISH that I am thinking about selling. No fault of his own but due to some health problems and anxiety issues I am not riding and I haven't ridden him since July. He is a big, powerful competition horse that deserves to be out and about and have an amazing life which I cannot offer him at the moment. He has done some showing, low level eventing, SJ etc. but I have not been consistent enough with him to bring him up the levels although is more than able. He is a happy, friendly (if slightly cheeky) type.

I am thinking of putting him in sales livery but have some questions. How does pricing usually work and what kind of money should I expect?

Is it better to give him to a trainer for a month to bring him in to work since he hasn't been ridden since July or would the sales livery usually be happy to do that?

Do I have to pick a price for him or will the sales livery decide? Any ideas what he would be worth once he is back in work?

Any recommendations for somewhere good to take him in Ireland?

Any advice in general? I really appreciate any help!

I would compare the pricing of sales livery with a local trainer who can do the first month of fitness, it'll probably be cheaper to put him with someone for a bit first just to get him fitter and in an ideal world a little schooled, before he goes to the sales yard. They tend to charge quite a high monthly livery so no point wasting it to do the basic foundation work. Good luck.

 

[JBM]

Sorry I’ve never used sales livery only time I sold a horse I did the selling on fb and donedeal and did the viewings myself
Sales livery can get expensive if it’s by week
I would pay someone to train him up and advertise him myself
But it depends if you can ride him as most people want to see you ride first

 

[JBM]

Thanks so much. I am in the south (Co. Waterford) but don't mind travelling him a bit if its a very good place!

Forgot to ask in my original post but is there a best time of year to sell a horse? I'm in no real rush but don't want to miss a window if there is one.

I’d say summer/spring is! Winter is the worst

 

[Katieg123]

Sorry I’ve never used sales livery only time I sold a horse I did the selling on fb and donedeal and did the viewings myself
Sales livery can get expensive if it’s by week
I would pay someone to train him up and advertise him myself
But it depends if you can ride him as most people want to see you ride first

Thanks for your response! I'm not in a position to advertise him myself for a few reasons (lack of facilities, time and current abilities).

In the past I have always done it all myself so even the thought of sending one of my horses to sales livery is completely new to me!

 

[Bernster]

Long time ago but I sent a horse to sales livery. We didn’t get on, he was too sharp for me, so I sent him to a comp rider who took him to a few events to get a record for him. It wasn’t cheap - full livery plus 10% commission plus entries, but at the time he was not a cheap horse and it was the best way to sell and find him the right home. I didn’t have the riding ability or confidence to do it myself.

That rider ended up doing a bunk a few years later leaving people high and dry but fortunately I didn’t have that experience with him and mine was all fine. But choose your sales person carefully!

 

[fredflop]

Get a watertight contract. State how much/what work the horse will be doing, and where it will be advertised/how the advertising will be pushed/renewed. If you need the horse sold asap, give them a date it needs to be gone by.

Guess who had problems with sales livery before!

On another level I’d also get his back and teeth done before sending away so you know he’s ok in that department

 

[IrishMilo]

If I ever had a horse I wanted to sell but couldn't ride, I'd send it to a local pro/friend rather than to sales livery. I struggle to trust the concept of it and fail to see what the incentive is for the yard to get it gone when they're making upwards of £800 a month on having it in...

You could also just pay a pro to come to you - pay for it to be ridden 2 or 3 times a week + for viewings and you'd still be saving money than if you'd sent it away.

 

[Abacus]

If I ever had a horse I wanted to sell but couldn't ride, I'd send it to a local pro/friend rather than to sales livery. I struggle to trust the concept of it and fail to see what the incentive is for the yard to get it gone when they're making upwards of £800 a month on having it in...

You could also just pay a pro to come to you - pay for it to be ridden 2 or 3 times a week + for viewings and you'd still be saving money than if you'd sent it away.

If their business model works and they move the horses on quickly, replacing them quickly, they’ll get a % of each sale so it makes more sense to sell them than keep them. So they make standard livery income plus a % of value every month or so. That makes sense.