Selling a Horse.... Managing Viewings

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ChestnutHunter

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I put my special 14.2 up for sale on Sunday evening and have been inundated with phone calls and messages wanting to view her.

I wouldn't say the pony is particularly dirt cheap (3250 without any tack) but I have so far had 5 people claim they are 'seriously interested' and wanting to come and see the pony ASAP. Obviously I have tried to narrow down the homes which sound the most suitable, but for fear of letting each viewer down, do I let them know that there will be other viewings before theirs or do I just do it on a first come first served basis?

I am in no hurry to sell the pony, but I have also spoken to lovely people that cant make their 4 hour drive until Wednesday, but have people wanting to view literally all weekend until Wednesday... it is a difficult one!
 
Take them in order that they turn up - assess them as much as they asssess your horse, don’t take a deposit if you don’t like them... simple.

If you like the sound of a particular person on the phone put the others off til next weekend ... if they are keen they will still come but be prepared for them to have found something else in the interim. If it is a good 14.2 it is dirt cheap so be prepared for a lot of interest.
 
Allow them to come and see whenever, buyers are flakey and prone to changing their minds, buying another horse in the meantime or anything else you can imagine.

If they say they can't get there until x day, just explain that other viewers may come first and you'll let them know if the horse sells. Same thing with second viewings and vettings, the horse stays on the market and open to viewings until someone puts a deposit down.

Most buyers will be understanding, and appreciate that first come, first served works well enough.
 
Never assume anything with buyers! They will let you down at the drop of a hat.

On a weekend, providing horse is fit enough, I’d allow 2 viewings a day but always let the second viewing know the pony will already have been ridden that day (some won’t want to travel in that case). Have the viewings timetabled far enough apart that if you accept a deposit you can alert the next person before they have left home.

If you have a lot of interest I suspect the pony will be sold by end of weekend if accurately advertised.
 
When I sold my last horse, I only advertised through my own friends, I was inundated and had 2 people arguing over her, it was a little uncomfortable as the first person wanted her but had to wait for her trainer to look and the second person offered to take her the next day and was an amazing home (they both were to be fair) I went with the guaranteed sale, I liked the woman and the way she rode her etc. Let them come on a first come first served you don't have to sell to anyone if you aren't happy with anything, sell only to who you would feel happy for the horse to go to. The lady that wanted her the next day signed a purchase agreement I drew up and paid a £500 non refundable deposit for me to even wait 1 day.
 
18 odd years ago I put my daughter's 14:2 up for sale and the phone rang off the hook starting at 7:30 am on the morning that H&H came out (where he was advertised). I could have sold him 30 times over as good ponies are like gold dust. I had people begging to come and see him and a couple offered to buy him sight unseen when that was a very, very unusual event. In the end some-one from our old yard who knew him had heard he was up for sale before H&H came out, phoned, came up an hour later to try him, put the deposit down and arranged the vetting so he was already sold before the advert came out. She went on to have many successful years with him.

In your situation I would do as you are doing and try to cull the no-hopers out and then arrange the viewings on the basis of who can get to you first. I would let people know that other people are viewing him. I agree that two people a day is the maximum I would want to be showing him to.
 
At the risk of being pilloried on here, If a pony/horse is accutarately described and you are being inundated with potential buyers, I suspect it is being priced too cheaply. Good 14.2s are worth a lot of money, we sold our full up 14.2 that had done FEI trials but was not a team pony for £12K and that was 13 years ago. He was a 9 yr old complete allrounder, safe but not boring and 100% to do. A real no ifs or buts, type. I was not over run with buyers but we had enough serious buyers to be able to choose where he went and sold him to a super home, who kept in touch with us. £3,250 seems very cheap for a good 14.2 even if she's not FEI material. If she's an allrounder that is safe and sound and not old, she's worth more than that.
 
To be honest, I didn't really look at the market before I advertised her and was shocked when I did as I had already put the price far too low. Obviously I cant really now increase it! ... she is more than accurately advertised, with her 'bad' traits (of which she genuinely has only one, whereby she can threaten to kick another horse) she is the easiest pony ever to do. She is young, but talented and a true all rounder. She is however green which reflects her price, but totally safe.
 
ChestnutHunter said:
To be honest, I didn't really look at the market before I advertised her and was shocked when I did as I had already put the price far too low. Obviously I cant really now increase it! ... she is more than accurately advertised, with her 'bad' traits (of which she genuinely has only one, whereby she can threaten to kick another horse) she is the easiest pony ever to do. She is young, but talented and a true all rounder. She is however green which reflects her price, but totally safe.
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Its interesting horse value, if shes really genuine and thats her only bad vice she probably is cheap depending on her confirmation, looks etc. Before my cob had his medical issues I thought he would be worth about £3000 2 years ago, general alrounder a real one in a million, but saw a advert for something less talented than him for £5500. I advertised my welsh once for good money and had 3 people wanting to view him in one day but he was at the correct price.

People will want to see a nice horse quick, they're hard to find! You can always turn them down if you don't like them.
 
ChestnutHunter said:
To be honest, I didn't really look at the market before I advertised her and was shocked when I did as I had already put the price far too low. Obviously I cant really now increase it! ... she is more than accurately advertised, with her 'bad' traits (of which she genuinely has only one, whereby she can threaten to kick another horse) she is the easiest pony ever to do. She is young, but talented and a true all rounder. She is however green which reflects her price, but totally safe.
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Well you can take her off the market and re-advertise. We paid £3250 in 2000 for our 14.2 as a rising 6 year old. He was very green, a bit nappy to hack, had done a season hunting but didn't know an outline from a washing line. Don't know if this helps or not?
 
First come first served, a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush..... people are notoriously unreliable when it comes to following up on phonecalls...
 
I tried to find the best match when I've sold in the past. I just want the horse to be happy. I sold a lovely DWB youngster and chose a 13 year old girl over two dressage judges. She didn't ride as technically well, but I could see the absolute joy on her face as she rode her, and my mare looked softer and more relaxed. 10 years later, they're competing successfully all over the country,
 
Not first come first served in my book, I am picky about where my horses go so I choose the best / most suitable home. I would tell people when they view I have other viewings lined up and if they were happening shortly after then I'd tell them I'd want to let them view and then make my decision based on who wanted the horse. I would never sell to the first person just because they offered to buy, I feel horses deserve more than that!
 
Just something that a friend advised me when I was putting mine up for loan, was to get yourself a little "pro forma" with all the questions you feel you'd like to ask the potential viewer, for e.g. "How long have you been riding" (obvious I know), and then going on to ask stuff like what sort of horses they've ridden and where (ask them to be specific so as to weed out the riding-school hopefulls); ask them if they've had any horses before and if so what sort of type e.g. WB/TB/cob/RS plod/donkey!! etc; if they say they've ridden under the supervision of a professional then ask who that is; ask what competition experience they've had; where they'd be keeping the horse etc, how much experience they've got of "doing" their own horse; what they'd want to do with it in the future; and one crucial question would be to "describe EXACTLY what sort of horse you're looking for".......

You are the seller, you are looking for the best possible home for your horse. Be unashamedly fussy.
 
Let them all view, as you can pick up vibes when people come to the viewing, if anyone wants to put a deposit down, just decline and say you have other viewings first and once they are completed, get back to person who you liked the most!
If they are really interested in your horse then they will wait for you to get back to them :)

Good luck!
 
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