Selling a horse - does this forum terrify you?

Munchkin

Munchkin

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We often read threads about sellers ripping off, conning and lying to buyers. However, how often are we hearing the full story?

Reading this forum terrifies me. Of course there will always be questions from novices and that's fine, probably a very good thing. But many of the questions on here make me wonder how the posters manage to keep themselves alive, let alone another creature.

I therefore wonder how regularly forum users buy a nice, or potentially nice horse, ruin it, and blame the previous owner rather than looking first at what they might have done wrong?

I'm thinking of questions such as:

"What size saddle does my horse need and is it better if it's too wide? How do I tell?"
"Does it matter if my horse has no water? He is still alive so far..."
"My horse has colic, so I came home and logged onto HHO to see what you think I should do. Is it necessary to call the vet? I hear it's expensive."

I will have a horse for sale in the spring and am genuinely more worried about selling him than I ever have been when selling a horse before... due to reading too many threads here! Common sense, let alone horse sense, seems to be absent in many cases.

Thoroughly vetting homes is one thing but some people are incredibly good at talking the talk, not so much walking the walk. I have no issue with people doing things differently to me, but we see so many cases of horses suffering through basic stupidity, large egos and ignorance.

Do others genuinely worry that there is a very large chance their current horses will end up with complete idiots, perhaps not immediately but somewhere down the line?

Disclaimer: I know that the obvious solution to this would be to keep the horse but unfortunately this is not an option.
 
Yes I always worry who I sell my horses too which is why all of my old ponies and horses have been sold onto people we know in our pony club. It puts your mind at rest as I know that they are being well looked after.

But the real idiots who will genuinly kill your horse are easy to spot as they just do not have a clue
 
Yes, but you as his existing owner can do everything in your power to make sure he doesn't end up being sold to a numpty. The one I sold, I had so many phone enquiries about him, but I managed to get rid of all bar 2 of them before they even came for a viewing , they were just not even remotely suitable for him. Partly my fault with hindsight, I put up a nice photo of him showing, and got lots of ladies who wanted to do dressage with him. As he liked going fast and jumping things, those were totally the wrong type of home for him. Maybe if I'd put up a photo of him galloping about somewhere I might have had less of the wrong type of rider interested in him.
 
luckily my three have homes for life :)

when I sold my New Forest, the people who bought him were experienced show people and had been waiting for him to come up for sale after he won Ponies UK.

When I sold my Grade JC Mare, we sold her to people we knew and said rider was competing in the HOYS Leading Young Rider the 1.45m class this year.
We visited the pony on a few occasions and watched her having lessons, she competed for Scotland. I had been been competing with the girl for 3 years and saw her most weekends so knew she was going to a great home. She doesnt have the Pony as she is on 148cm not 138cm anymore and I did a search for the Pony and found out she is jumping about 1m and winning lots and has qualified for lots
 
I wouldn't say the forum terrifies me as such for selling, as when I sold my first one, I was just as concerned then as I would be now and in fact told a lot of people straight that they were not suitable for him, over the phone.
One mother called wanting a happy hacker for her 11 yr old and I often wondered, why on earth would you phone, when the ad explicitly said, experienced rider only, horse excels SJ etc etc. He ended up in Ireland with a lovely family.

As ever, you can only do as much as you can, and generally you can spot the numpties. The problems arise when the seller wants the money regardless of who the buyer is.
 
I hear you on this one. I have an amazing horse that will shortly be up for sale - she is friendly and trainable but also sensitive. I am worried that if I say that then people will think she is a nutcase, which she isn't at all. She is a young talented horse that has lots to give someone, but not someone who is a numpty - how do you explain that in an ad?!
 
I also have a horse to sell in the spring but have asked my friend to do it - guilt factor but she is very good at weeding out unsuitable people. I did try a year ago (half heartedly I will admit!) but despite specifically aiming him as a showjumper/lowlevel dressage I seemed to predominantly get people calling who wanted him for eventing - and without exception they all truly believed they could "solve" his XC issues. He will follow anything over anything, he will jump but then SJ's them and I have tried for a very very long time to get him enthusiastic and so have different trainers. We have come to the conclusion he does not like fixed fences although will jump coloured big fences very happily! When I had a tricky horse to sell (windsucker, bit of a pee taker on the floor) as he was also truly stunning (county level show horse) and looked fantastic dressage wise, as he was quite cheap I had all kinds of idiots. Most of whom didn't actually get as far as a visit. Still he finally went to a really experienced lady who wanted an older dressage horse to play with. He demonstrated every single annoying trait when she came to see him but went beautifully for her - now THAT gives me hope! and there is nothing wrong with my current horse, just that I want to event again and he doesn't...!
 
Couldn't agree more!

What I find funny is when a poster will humiliate another poster for a supposedly stupid question then ask something equally as stupid the next day! :rolleyes:

Everyone needs some reassurance from time to time but if you can't tie a horse up, move a horse over, know who much water they should be drinking etc then sorry but your not quite ready to own a horse im afraid. Everyone should be aware of the basics of equine managment before undertaking ownership.

I've had more than enough of fixing peoples cast off's in the past. All turned out to be lovely in the end.

Shame it's always the horses that suffer in those situations tho :(
 
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The lack of knowledge does concern me somewhat - i say that with reference to the colic and vet threads. I understand that like driving we all started out somewhere and we were all learners and to a certain degree we are constantly learning, there is no one that can say they know it all (but i bet some will try!)

whenever i sold my horses on i ensured they went to a good home - the one went to an equine vet so i couldnt ask for any better.

As for the older ponies they stay/ stayed with me for life - thats the way it shall always be. xx
 
I think a lot depends on what you're selling. When I sold my young sports horse she was suitable for and marketed at a competition home, and when I had the odd phone call from anyone wanting primarily a safe hack, I put them straight off.

The only people who I let come to view her were perfect for her and bought her. I'm 100% confident she'll be well cared for and that the horse will do the job for them.

Selling a cheaper, quiet, older cob was actually more nerve wracking. He was straight forward, safe and genuine but with a proper welsh streak. Trying to get him him the right home was harder, and again I put a lot off on the phone who wanted a guarantee that he'd be an absolute saint in any situation no matter how novicey the rider they wanted him for was. I think i found him the right home, but it felt a massive responsibility just claiming that he was the confidence giver he genuinely was, if that makes sense? He would have been the sort of horse real numpties would have bought if I had let them come.
 
mollylolly said:
The lack of knowledge does concern me somewhat - i say that with reference to the colic and vet threads. I understand that like driving we all started out somewhere and we were all learners and to a certain degree we are constantly learning, there is no one that can say they know it all (but i bet some will try!)

xx
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Agree with you here ^

Thats why sharing your experance on somewhere like here can be great :)

I just get worried about the basics that some people are unaware of and how it may effect their horses. We have vets, EDT's, physios and saddlers for specialists problems.

Saying this tho I do know a few very experienced horsey people who's stable management leaves alot to be desired :eek:
 
No, not especially. I would just ask for references if you're genuinely concerned. Anyone worthy of having a horse will have a vet/farrier/trainer you can speak to. I have had to hand over a reference for a loan horse before and I certainly wouldn't be offended if I was asked to provide email or phone number of someone (suitably qualified) who would vouch for me. I would do it gladly if I liked the horse and think well of you for asking frankly.
 
jesstickle said:
No, not especially. I would just ask for references if you're genuinely concerned. Anyone worthy of having a horse will have a vet/farrier/trainer you can speak to. I have had to hand over a reference for a loan horse before and I certainly wouldn't be offended if I was asked to provide email or phone number of someone (suitably qualified) who would vouch for me. I would do it gladly if I liked the horse and think well of you for asking frankly.
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Would your vet or farrier genuinely 'dish the dirt' on a client?
 
MunchMincePies said:
Would your vet or farrier genuinely 'dish the dirt' on a client?
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I reckon my vet would yeah. They have their own reputation to worry about. Besides, she is somewhat blunt at the best of times. I wouldn't want to be there when the call went in but I think honestly she would say if she thought it was a terrible idea. Maybe mine is a rarity though. :)
 
That is true I guess. Now YOU'RE terrifying me. Hmm. I suppose because I've always bought and sold locally there has always been a link in the chain so to speak. I have always known someone who knows someone who knows who I'm buying or selling from. Seems to make it less stressful somehow.

I know my vet wouldn't stick up for me. They've just lost a client because they refused to dope it, telling the owner to turn it out in the bl00dy field with a friend if it's getting worked up in its box (horse never goes out). That is why I like them as a practise :)
 
Some of the posts on here do make me shudder.

I regret very much selling a horse to the wrong home - it wasn't a bad home, he was well looked after - the new owner was simply not a good enough rider.

I don't intend to sell the two I have now, but my circumstances may change and I may not have any choice. It would be easy for one of mine - I contacted one of the ex-owners listed on his passport to find out some history on him and she turned out to be a PC DC who said that if I ever wanted to loan or sell him she would have him back like a shot.
 
canteron said:
Just be glad that people are prepared to ask on this forum .... the ones who really terrify me are the ones who 'know it all' and never question their own judgement!!
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I agree with this ^^^

When talking recently with some people I know, they asked about our horses and where we kept them as they were considering buying horses themselves.

When I asked where / when they had ridden, it turned out they were both expert riders, having spent several days riding on several different holidays in Spain and the Mediterranean. :eek:
 
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