Selling a horse off potential or competition record?

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southdowns

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This got a bit long, sorry . . .

I have made the decision to sell my horse as i just can't manage commuting 3 hours a day to and from work coupled with keeping a horse on DIY/competing etc.

As i'm struggling with time i have decided to send him to an event rider to sell, he is going to her on Monday.

What i can't decide is whether to leave him with her for a couple of months, get some money on his BSJA card, get a bit of BE history and then sell him or whether to sell him now on more of a potential basis?

He is 6 rising 7, nicely bred - by Accondy, very brave and bold and moves nicely. Jumping clear BN with me (pretty amatuer rider!) and has XC schooled over BE Novice fences no problem. Will this be enough for someone or should i wait and get more competition history under his belt? If i left him he should be jumping Disco's and pop round a PN within a month or two but of course it would cost me more to leave him with her for a couple of months.

I don't want a huge amount of money for him so the query about the benefit of competition record is more for a saleability point of view rather than profit. Having said that i don't have an excessive amount of money to put towards schooling etc prior to the sale.

I know its perhaps also not the best time to sell
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Any suggestions welcomed!

Thanks
 
How about advertising in the next week or so (so he can get use to new rider) on some cheaper to advertise websites and if you get intrest and he sells great. But if not wait a month or so for some "results" and re-advertise more. When he goes out make sure you get quite a few photos (your own and maybe a pro one or two) and videos. You then have more stuff to show people when hes actually been out and about
I'm sure he'll sell as he sounds lovely to me
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Good Luck
 
if he is talented then he deserves to go to a home who will fulfil this. Therefore if it was me i would send him to the event yard and let them compete him get some money on his card and then let them sell him they may even know someone who wants him.
The cost element is obviosuly important but if your comuting that much and paying for diy livery feed etc is it such a massive difference in the short term - the value will automatically increase with money on his card and yes his saleability will increase too
 
Be very careful to fix cost beforehand for example if you can sell your horse for £4k now , how much are you adding to that by putting more record on him balanced against cost and risk of injury

If after two months with this rider you have spent £2k and the horse is now worth £8k you will have done ok , however if the horse is still only able to be sold for £7k you will have only made a further £1k and that is assuming the horse goes really well , he doesnt injure himself ,passes the vetting and that you will actually be able to sell him at the profit you think you will.

Bear in mind the recession and that it is more probable that horse prices will fall rather than rise as it starts to affect more people.The horse world will not be immune from this

At the sales 3-4 year olds with no form are worth as much if not more than their respective 6-7 year olds with some exceptions

If you can negotiate a deal with the event rider something like splitting costs and they get a % of the final sale price and they will then be keen to sell asap and maximise the money made for both of you

Has this rider had a lot of experience bringing on horses for sale ?
Also bear in mind that
 
I would never buy something on the potential but A LOT of people do, and I think you will get more for him this way. If he goes to the event yard you will end up paying her a load of money to school, and compete him,he could get injured and/or he might not take to eventing as you had hoped or a freak incident may look really bad on his record (eg missing a fence to give him an E) so I would sell him without doing all this.

Psychologicaly a lot of people will pay more for a clean sheet which looks like it could go far, than if he has bad or average form, I think people use results to barter you down, but theres no arguing with potential you either agree and pay the price or you don't and walk away (I'm in the walking away camp)

Also people may thinkit fishy that you sent him away to a pro rider to take him further as they may think he is to tricky for an amatuer...

If I was you I would keep him at home draft out an advert try to sell him unspoilt as he is, and if this doesnt work then try your original method.
 
Hi

Thanks for the responses so far.

Billyslad - yes she has had a lot of experience in that department, and bought on a lot of young horses etc she won the PAVO 5yr old championship in 2007.

Chloe - i really can't see that i'll have the time to keep him at home until he sells, i won't be able to work him regularly enough to keep his schooling consistant etc. I have a lot of video footage of him from first buying him, through lessons, competing etc so hopefully people could see that there is nothing difficult about him for an amateur. I totally see your point of view about the clean sheet though . . .

Maybe FH's idea of an advert now and then an advert later if the first one comes to nothing is a good idea?

Thanks everyone!
 
Get him advertised straight away, otherwise if he is any good you may find the person you are sending to may want to string it out. Hope you have chosen wisely, how much are you asking at the moment,If he is not fit it will be about 6 weeks before he can compete[ less if he is half fit] That can be expensive without competing, doesn't the person he is going to know anyone after a lovely sounding horse?
 
Sell him now, perfect time of year for selling. Espec coming up to Easter .Any later and the recession may have got doubly worse. Is he grey?
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I did't want this to turn into a how much post (!) but i haven't really decided what i should ask for him and would appreciate some views . . . .

He is 16.3hh rising 7, good paces, has only competed BN with me but jumps 1.05 courses at home with scope to go much further (not with me, i'm not brave!), competed in hunter trials - clear and been placed, xc schooled consitatntly over BE PN fences and some Novice.

He is relatively green and i would still put him under the 'potential' bracket. He grew a lot in his 5/6th year and therefore things have been taken quite slowly with him. He is very willing and trainable though so he is more than ready to go now and progress into a decent career.

Any ideas on price? I do want him sold so i don't want to ask anything unrealistic but i also want him to go to a decent home where he can fulfil his potential. Its the classic 'right home right price'

O_B - sadly he's not grey like his daddy!
 
i am in the same situation with my 5yro and she is going to her new eventing rider tomorrow!
she is not a novice ride so the decision was made she would sell better with a competition record and would not be very sellable as she stands despite huge potential.

if she was easy to ride then i would advertise and sell her now, and in your position i think i would sell now.
 
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