selling a horse to someone over the phone

diggerbez

diggerbez

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as the title really...have you ever/ would you consider selling a horse over the phone? its possible that someone might be about to offer to do this with my TB that is for sale...but i'm not sure how i feel about it... :confused:
 
No, I wouldnt do it. If I was selling a horse I would at least want to meet the people who wanted to buy it, and hear about the home it would be going to.
 
no they haven't seen him....just lots of photos of him. lady sounds nice, says she runs a yard and is after a horse for RC for a client of hers...but i can't help having the feeling that she's planning to buy him cheap (he's only for sale for £1200) and then school him a bit (he's been out of work over winter) and sell him on.... which i don't really want. he might be tricky to sell as 14 year old TB but then he was my first horse and i really want him to go to a nice home (i know i can't guarantee where he will end up but i can try my best?):confused:
i've got my non horsey mum and OH saying to sell but i don't feel quite right about it.... but then will i ever sell him and end up regretting it? argh! :confused:
 
I think if you feel uneasy about it in any way you shouldnt sell, even if you meet this woman.

Most people will understand you wanting to make sure the horse doesnt get sold on though once you sell there is nothing you can do. I have sold ponies and bought them back before!

I also got two ponies last year (Oct) intending on breaking and selling them...ive done the breaking bit but just cant bring myself to do the selling bit!

Is the woman close to you? COuld you go and visit the place? i think that i would want to vet the new home even if the person didnt want to come and try the horse?! Which seems a bit odd to me.
 
I would follow your instinct and be cautious.

Would you buy a horse unseen from an unknown person (rather than patches HHO way)?

I suspect at the price and the description you give that she may look at your horse as a schooling and selling project, it is very common.

Good luck with finding him the home you feel he deserves.
 
I wouldn't do it. There are plenty of people out there who do not have big budgets that will give him a good home and not look to turn him aroudn for a profit because he is a 'cheap' horse. You want someone who views him as 'affordable'.
 
I dont think its strange that someone wants to buy over the phone, an experienced rider with the knowledge to iron out most issues wouldnt think twice in doing it. Plus at the price you have him for sale at she doesnt have much to loose. The fact though that you have said that the home is really important to you is the difference. Your mum and OH obviously dont want you to loose the sale and are only seeing pound signs sadly. If she is genuienly interested in the horse could you not drive up to her yard? See how her horses are kept, etc. I would just be wary that she is not a dealer looking to make a quick buck.
 
Someone rang me with an offer on my TB without seeing him said the were in scotland, but he isn't anything special not done a lot i found it very suspicious as there are lots of TBs about that are fairly hard to sell. They did sound very nice and professionel but personally i wouldn't ever do it
 
Its not uncommon. If she's buying on behalf of a client, then it may just be that your horse fits the price, age, size etc perfectly.
for someone with experience its not a big gamble at that price.
If shes going to school him on and sell him thats not necessarily a bad thing, it might mean that he is more valuable to whoever buys him from her because she has ironed out any issues he had. And that they are more likely to want to hold onto him.
I had a breeder who wanted to buy my TB over the phone, just because she had the bloodlines he was looking for.
At the end of the day, you can go and vet potential new homes and sell to the nicest people in the world, but theres nothing to stop them selling on.
 
I sold a horse for a friend over the phone. I just liked the sound of her and the home she was offering. I picked her out of about 50 callers. She came down, had a little ride, paid the money and drove away with her in her trailer, she was going to take her no matter what but I insisted she at least sat on her first. The mare had been sitting around on full livery doing hardly anything as her owner was living the other side of the Country so all in all it was a happy ending.

For me, I had to really get to know the people I sold my horses too, despite only owning 2 of them for less than a year, it's just the way I am and I am still in regular contact with the new owners and I go and see the horses.
 
thanks for your thoughts people. she definitely wants him...i now have a decision to make. i'm really not bothered if he gets sold at a profit- the money is irrelevant to me- what concerns me is the home that he is going to... a friend of mine (v horsey, i trust her judgement) has pointed out the same as a poster above- that he might actually get a better home this way as he'll be sold for more after having more work done... ? i really don't know what to do :confused:
 
absolutely, definitely 100% no. It sounds absolutely crazy that ANYONE would buy a horse unseen. They should come and see him (and ride, if he can be ridden atm) AT LEAST once, and if it was me, I'd want to check where he is going, to make sure he's be okay. :)
 
At least she has been open about buying for a client.
Why not offer the chance to bring the client over to meet/try him?
Point out that money/price will not be mentioned whilst client is present.

This gives you a chance to suss out the situation.


Do, of course, find out her yard, google her phone number etc. too.
 
have googled the number and nothing has come up. i guess i'm going to have to talk to her and see whats what.... :confused:
 
I sold my sec a without the girl coming to see him. He was here in Liverpool and she was in Aberdeen and i dont regret it for one minuet hes doing amazing and a plenty of wife's. Ill be honest i was very wary but she sounded so nice ad genuine see pics of her others etc and was happy for him to go t her. She had in picked up in the most amazing horse box iv ever seen and he does all kinds with her now. Do youir research first and if ou feel at the end of it its not right, then go with you heart and keep him till the "right" person comes along.
Good luck xx
 
i bought my horse over the phone, as he was too far for us to go see, however it was slightly different circumstances as I bought him through a freind of the owner. I think I might be dubious as well in all honesty
 
Personally I'd trust my instinct and if it doesn't feel right to you then it's quite possibly because it isn't. Ok, I am sure many people do buy horses unseen these days but usually I'd expect them to have seen a video etc etc. Also the "on behalf of a client" line sounds strange only on the basis that a "client" I would imagine would be giving some sort of payment to somebody looking for horses on their behalf and (in my mind anyway) such people 'employing' a 3rd party to horse shop for them woud be looking at horses in a higher price bracket? I may be totally wrong but that would be my thoughts. I know plenty of high value horses sell over the phone as they have competition records, will have been seen on the ciruit etc etc and people buying that sort of horse don't concern themselves over such things as whether they 'click' with a horse. But, at the lower end of the scake I would expect the 'client' to want to see the horse in the flesh first.
 
diggerbez said:
no they haven't seen him....just lots of photos of him. lady sounds nice, says she runs a yard and is after a horse for RC for a client of hers...but i can't help having the feeling that she's planning to buy him cheap (he's only for sale for £1200) and then school him a bit (he's been out of work over winter) and sell him on.... which i don't really want. he might be tricky to sell as 14 year old TB but then he was my first horse and i really want him to go to a nice home (i know i can't guarantee where he will end up but i can try my best?):confused:
i've got my non horsey mum and OH saying to sell but i don't feel quite right about it.... but then will i ever sell him and end up regretting it? argh! :confused:
Click to expand...

If he was just a youngish project horse for you with no real attachment then I think it would be OK (not ideal but OK espec if you could deliver) but it does sound a bit like a fast buck making idea on her part and if it doesnt feel right and you are already feeling worried then I would be very cautious. Can you not convince her to come and see him?
 
Tricky one to answer as I have bought over the phone (saw an advert online for a horse in Scotland, was a bit tipsy after dinner, rang the man, liked his accent and bought the horse) random I know but I've now got a great pen friend! However, saying that, I wouldn't sell any of mine over the phone, although have been asked to do so before. Only because we are trade and I don't want any come back at all if they don't like the horse. TBH for £1200 I would expect her to turn up prob. with horsebox, try the horse and then pay cash and take him on the spot. I wouldn't be happy without seeing her ride him, even if he is to be produced on. The only other way you could get round it is if you know she has a client for him is to ring her and say the client can come and try him at yours, she can then put what she wants on top of your £1200 and everyone is happy as then you've also met his new owner.
 
I personally wouldnt sell one over the phone, esp not one that was my 1st.
I would prob buy one over the phone though!

In my mind with this situation, she very well may be a dealer - is there really a client waiting? or will she sell him on and say the client and him sisnt get along...?
Its all unknowns sadly.
I would say really push for her to come and view him, how would you fell if she does come in a box and takes him there and then??? OR what is she turns up in the box for him..... but you dont like her and turn her away - could you do that?

Go with your heart. I think 'if' either her or her client will come and view, let them, then see how you feel.
 
Listen to your gut feeling. I'd sell a hedgehog over the phone but not a puppy or a horse....I'd always want to meet the would-be owner to be sure they knew what they were taking on and to reassure my own mind that they were competent and caring.
 
I have sold (and bought) a few horses over the phone. Knew the people either directly or indirectly though. Just make sure the money is paid directly into your account in full before you hand over the lead rope !!

Good luck.
 
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