Selling a 3 year old - best to sell backed or not started at all?

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Marigold4

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Next year I plan to sell my homebred connemara x warmblood mare (to make 15hh/15.2hh). If I was keeping her, I would send her away to a professional in August/Sept to be lightly backed (I have someone lined up to do this), turn away for the winter, then start again in the spring. However, if I read adverts that say "started but turned away", I have a thought at the back of my mind that perhaps something went wrong with the backing and that's why they are turning away and selling. And I also wonder if someone is buying a 3 year old, if they would prefer to do the work themselves?

What do you think? Sell unbacked in spring/early summer or lightly backed in the autumn?
 
Marigold4 said:
Next year I plan to sell my homebred connemara x warmblood mare (to make 15hh/15.2hh). If I was keeping her, I would send her away to a professional in August/Sept to be lightly backed (I have someone lined up to do this), turn away for the winter, then start again in the spring. However, if I read adverts that say "started but turned away", I have a thought at the back of my mind that perhaps something went wrong with the backing and that's why they are turning away and selling. And I also wonder if someone is buying a 3 year old, if they would prefer to do the work themselves?

What do you think? Sell unbacked in spring/early summer or lightly backed in the autumn?
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Given the breeding I’d personally not back until at least 4 but that’s just me…both breeds are late to mature. And I’d personally want to do the work myself but appreciate that would reduce the price you can ask. What lines? Sounds lovely! X
 
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Her sire is by one of the Barrowby stud stallions, Killour Star. Her dam is Future glory from the Future sports horse stud. The dam is half sister to Winsome Andante (winner of Kentucky) and also half-sister to Future Gravitas.

I would prefer to keep her till 4 but we are moving house and so losing the field and stables. I would have to pay for livery for another year.
 
Wow sounds lovely! 🥰 I think the “started and turned away” is more to do with getting them familiar with the process then allowing them the time to develop and mature and process the whole thing. It’s not because something has gone wrong, it’s giving them some downtime to think, process and mature before properly riding etc when they are 4 5 or even 6 and physically more capable of work. Well that’s my understanding anyway! I’m no expert though!
 
TheMule said:
You will get a split of opinions on here. Base line is, she's worth more if she can be viewed under saddle
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I'm not too fussed about the price. I want to find an excellent home for her. Think cost of living crisis and increase of cost of keeping a horse so much higher, so maybe there's not much of a market for a youngster? I was considering lightly backed to make her more attractive/find her a great home.
 
Traks said:
Wow sounds lovely! 🥰 I think the “started and turned away” is more to do with getting them familiar with the process then allowing them the time to develop and mature and process the whole thing. It’s not because something has gone wrong, it’s giving them some downtime to think, process and mature before properly riding etc when they are 4 5 or even 6 and physically more capable of work. Well that’s my understanding anyway! I’m no expert though!
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Yes, I agree with the started and turned away principles and reasons behind it. This is what I would do if I was keeping her. I'd like to keep her till 4 but when we move I will have to pay for livery for her = £££
 
Marigold4 said:
I'm not too fussed about the price. I want to find an excellent home for her. Think cost of living crisis and increase of cost of keeping a horse so much higher, so maybe there's not much of a market for a youngster? I was considering lightly backed to make her more attractive/find her a great home.
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In that case, advertise her in the Spring and if she finds a home, great. If not, get her backed and try again.
 
I would prefer either un-backed and in the field, or backed and be able to view under saddle. I would pay a lot more for backed and under saddle, as long as I could view this.

It is the backed and turned away that would out me off. If I'm told the horse is rideable, then I would want to see this.
 
Marigold4 said:
I'm not too fussed about the price. I want to find an excellent home for her. Think cost of living crisis and increase of cost of keeping a horse so much higher, so maybe there's not much of a market for a youngster? I was considering lightly backed to make her more attractive/find her a great home.
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No there is, I think people are looking at younger less experienced horses because of the cost of living crisis now…so you’d definitely have interest! When are you thinking of selling? We are looking for something like yours next year 💕
 
Red-1 said:
I would prefer either un-backed and in the field, or backed and be able to view under saddle. I would pay a lot more for backed and under saddle, as long as I could view this.

It is the backed and turned away that would out me off. If I'm told the horse is rideable, then I would want to see this.
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Yes this is the thing, I rang up about one recently who was backed and turned away and had a foal. They wanted backed and ridden money for her but were unable to show her as a backed or ridden horse due to the facilities, time to do it and experience (she is at stud)..her price was not reflected in this so I think the owner will need to either take a lot less or wait till next year and do the whole process again (at more cost) to get the ridden value
 
Traks said:
No there is, I think people are looking at younger less experienced horses because of the cost of living crisis now…so you’d definitely have interest! When are you thinking of selling? We are looking for something like yours next year 💕
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Probably May or June? We are putting house on the market in Jan/Feb so it will take approx 4 months to go through.
 
Red-1 said:
I would prefer either un-backed and in the field, or backed and be able to view under saddle. I would pay a lot more for backed and under saddle, as long as I could view this.

It is the backed and turned away that would out me off. If I'm told the horse is rideable, then I would want to see this.
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Agree with this, it's the 'what if' of has someone tried and messed up, or they were tricky so don't want to show them ridden. I agree with the principle of backed and turned away, but it can be used to hide an issue (much like project from the field due to lack of time).
 
Patterdale said:
You’ll want a professional home, and a professional will prefer unbacked.

There’s no point wasting the money getting her backed. You won’t put much on her value at 3, but you will make her more attractive to numpties.
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Can you tell me why you say professional home? Is it that you are thinking sell in spring to a professional home to back and they would then sell on? She's only going to make 15.1 so would need a smaller rider.
 
Marigold4 said:
Can you tell me why you say professional home? Is it that you are thinking sell in spring to a professional home to back and they would then sell on? She's only going to make
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Perhaps the warmblood element, does she have Grafenstolz lines if from Future Sports Horses? I’ve heard his offspring can be trickier so better suited to professionals but obviously very variable!
 
Traks said:
Perhaps the warmblood element, does she have Grafenstolz lines if from Future Sports Horses? I’ve heard his offspring can be trickier so better suited to professionals but obviously very variable!
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She is not Grafenstolz. The link with Winsome Andante and Future Gravitas is through her granddam, Justwith Genoa. My filly's grandsire is Royaldik/Royal Diamond/Rubinstein I. Royaldik was trained by Michael Jung at some point, I believe, and won lots of Bundeschampionships. Not sure he did anything with Royaldik after youngster classes though. Rubenstein I was the most successful dressage horse in the world, in his day.
 
Marigold4 said:
She is not Grafenstolz. The link with Winsome Andante and Future Gravitas is through her granddam, Justwith Genoa. My filly's grandsire is Royaldik/Royal Diamond/Rubinstein I. Royaldik was trained by Michael Jung at some point, I believe, and won lots of Bundeschampionships. Not sure he did anything with Royaldik after youngster classes though. Rubenstein I was the most successful dressage horse in the world, in his day.
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Ah yes I know him, lovely sire 💕 She’s got some lovely breeding I’m sure you won’t struggle to sell her when the time comes! Be interested in some photos of her if you want to PM, I’m not a professional sadly but not a numpty either 😂 xx
 
Either unbroken or does the person you have lined up to do the backing also sell? Lightly backed and can be seen under saddle might be an option

Although I think you'll sell her unbacked easily just at a lower price.
 
By the time you have kept her in livery and also paid for pro starting at 3 and restarting at 4, unless she is turning into a superstar then it’s quite possible you won’t even cover your costs.

Given you have home as a priority I’d probably advertise her as an unbacked 3yo at an attractive price
 
Marigold4 said:
Can you tell me why you say professional home? Is it that you are thinking sell in spring to a professional home to back and they would then sell on? She's only going to make 15.1 so would need a smaller rider.
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She wouldn’t be high up there in what pros looking for sports horses would buy as 3yo. She would be more amateur upper level allrounder material.

Depending on if she fits a show horse category, she could potentially attract that pro market
 
I sold my last IDx youngster at four unbacked, to someone who knew the stallions owner and was a semi pro. I probably didn't get as much I could have done selling on the open market but she did a really good job of educating him,and b!gger has he got a jump. I would try the studs connexions or the breed society for selling.
 
ihatework said:
She wouldn’t be high up there in what pros looking for sports horses would buy as 3yo. She would be more amateur upper level allrounder material.

Depending on if she fits a show horse category, she could potentially attract that pro market
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Yes, agreed about professional. She will make a good teenager eventer, I would imagine. She's got a lot of bone so not sure she would be very fast round a track though for very top levels. She's not really a show horse, in my opinion. Possibly show hunter pony or small hunter, but I don't think she would be top level? She's a good solid allrounder type with good conformation.
 
honetpot said:
I sold my last IDx youngster at four unbacked, to someone who knew the stallions owner and was a semi pro. I probably didn't get as much I could have done selling on the open market but she did a really good job of educating him,and b!gger has he got a jump. I would try the studs connexions or the breed society for selling.
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Yes, good idea about stud connections. I see on FB that Barrowby sometimes advertise their stallions' progeny from other breeders.
 
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She sounds lovely 😍
Experienced friend just bought a recently backed rising 4 yo mare. She hacked her, bought her and has left with breeder on paid turned away livery until next Spring. Buyers are out there.
 
Marigold4 said:
Yes, agreed about professional. She will make a good teenager eventer, I would imagine. She's got a lot of bone so not sure she would be very fast round a track though for very top levels. She's not really a show horse, in my opinion. Possibly show hunter pony or small hunter, but I don't think she would be top level? She's a good solid allrounder type with good conformation.
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This is what we are after next year, keep me posted please!!
 
In terms of selling a 3yo who turns 3 in, for example, May 2026, it would go roughly like this:

1) Advertise unbacked in March/April (as rising 3). Possibly some interest, more as you get closer to her birth date. People will be out of hay though after this winter so your market will be more limited and she isn’t yet ‘useful’. You would probably avoid the project buyers at that age but not necessarily.

2) Advertise as 3yo unbacked in May/June. More interest as the grass comes through. If well handled, not too pricey and good conformation and temperament, you should have some choice in homes. At that point you’ll have people buying to turn away until more mature, project buyers who intend to back and sell, private homes who will back in the autumn as you would have done.

3) Advertise as unbacked in the autumn because you don’t want anyone sitting on them until 3.5yo. Might get the odd project buyer, probably will get private long term homes. People might be suspicious as to why you are not backing yourself.

4) Lightly back and sell in the autumn. Again, why lightly backed? Did it go wrong? That’s what the buyer is thinking. Then you have people wanting to sit on your lightly backed horse to try them.

5) Fully back and sell in the autumn - not a great time of year for selling. You’ll never in a month of Sundays get back what you spent on the backing.

Financially, I would choose to sell unbacked in April/May/June - whenever the grass has come through and the horse is almost or just 3. Then choose your buyer very very carefully to suit what is right for the horse.

If you’re wildly attached to the horse and money is no object I would back yourself in the autumn, turn away for the winter, bring back into work as a 4yo then advertise.
 
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