Selling a project horse

[tinkerflight]

I had someone come and view my horse for sale today and she fell off her within a minute of getting on her. She is a very forward going horse and I am selling her as I gave completely lost my confidence but saying that she hasn't done anything really wrong with me and I haven't fallen off her.
I have advertised her as a forward going horse and not a novice ride and I think in hind sight this lady was a real novice.
i am not sure what to do, I am not working her really as I am too scared to ride so she is only being ridden when someone comes to view her which isn't ideal as she is better when she's in work.
should I advertise her as a project horse from the field? If so where is the best place to advertise for this type of horse?
thank you for any help/advice

 

[*hic*]

WHy don't you just amend the ad you have saying she is not a novice ride and make sure that you thoroughly vet anyone who comes to see her so that you don't let any "real novices" ride.

 

[Patterdale]

I am not working her really as I am too scared to ride so she is only being ridden when someone comes to view her which isn't ideal as she is better when she's in work.

:eek3:
I hope that you are warning people of this before they get on! :eek3:

You have 2 options.
Pay someone else to ride her and get her going a bit better until she's sold (either a selling yard or a freelancer)
OR
sell her as a project from the field (which is what she honestly is at this point).

I appreciate that you've lost confidence but I can't really get my head around the fact that you're seemingly happy for people to come and get on your fresh horse who isn't being ridden, that you yourself won't ride, and are then surprised when they come off.

Incredibly irresponsible.

 

[Goldenstar]

I am with Patterdale on this buyers ought never get onto a horse without seeing someone ride it first .
If you can't arrange someone to ride ,sell the horse unriden from the field .

 

[hayinamanger]

Agree with all of the above.

You are quite likely to get sued in this age of claim.

 

[tinkerflight]

Yes you are all right. I am such a stupid idiot. What was I thinking! Her instructor did come with her and rode her first but I should have asked more questions before she got on. I have learnt my lesson and luckily she wasn't hurt when she fell but it could have been much worse.

 

[smellsofhorse]

You need to be totally honest in.the advert and when someone is interested.
You don't want any come back, being sued etc!
There is a difference between a forward going horse and one that is fresh from not being worked!

Either sell as a project, from field or send to a yard for selling livery.

Try project horse website.

 

[tinkerflight]

I was really honest on my advert and got no response. I then I posted on here and got lots of comments saying that I should re write my advert which I did and this is the only person I have had come and look at her so far. I can't afford to pay someone to ride her so I'll have to advertise her as a project pony and hoe someone nice comes along

 

[alainax]

Is she worth putting her on sales livery ( ie the expensive of it be worth her value).

This will depend also on how much livery you pay.

For example I pay over £90pw normal livery. I sent my boy on sales livery at £100 pw ( so effectively cost me £10 per week) and they took 10%. I was very very happy with the service, they rode him 6 days, totally looked after him, and sold him perfectly. They took my "bill" off the final price, so I never had to give them any money, the just transferred what was left into my account. Simple.

However if your on DiY paying £25 pw and have a £400 pony, then of course this option isnt financially viable.

 

[Lolita]

Agree with what the others have said about being ridden befor hand. Where abouts are you advertising her? There is a website called project horses which might attract a better suited buyer

 

[welshied]

Agree with others you need to be selling her from the field and make buyers aware she isn't being worked then its up to the buyers to make the decision if they want to get on or not but agree sales livery would be best idea depending on value of said horse

 

[tinkerflight]

I pay £15 a week currently on head livery and have just lost my job so am struggling for money a little bit at the moment. I would happily send her to sakes livery but don't want the bill to come to more than what she is worth of that makes sense. I also don't know how I would know which sales livery places are good as I can imagine there are some that take your money and don't try to sell the horse.

 

[Pigeon]

Stressful situation, I hope you told the instructor that she hadn't been ridden in ages!

I'll admit I did let a fairly experienced friend ride my horse and she came off, it wasn't really his fault, but I was mortified!

Is she talented/sporty, and not genuinely dangerous, just sharp? I know a few young riders that would take on something like that to sell for minimal payment (or even no upfront payment if they were to keep the majority of what she fetched when sold) but she would have to be worth it in the long run, and also good enough to be educational for them.

How much are you selling her for, and are you paying livery (ie is it costing you just to have her around). You might have to take a bit of a hit on her sale price, and remember in this case, finding the right home for her (where she's not going to injure anyone) is the most important thing.

 

[kassieg]

Can you post her add it might give us a bit better idea of what to advise you to do

 

[tinkerflight]

this is her advert:
Sweet natured 14.3 Irish cob mare, 9 years
Sad sale of this lovely mare, who has a fantastic temperament and would make a great show cob/PC horse.
Super to hack alone and in company, excellent on the roads and in all traffic, including tractors and buses, she is good in open fields and is not spooky.
Works in a nice outline in the school and has a soft snaffle mouth, she enjoys jumping, confidently jumps over 3ft and would love to do more.
She is a forward thinking, enthusiastic ride who would be best suited to a keen rider who wishes to do more than I have, I am a lacking in confidence and feel she is being wasted just quietly hacking.
She is not a novice ride as she is forward going but never rears, bucks or spooks, just enthusiastic!
Good to shoe, box, catch, tie up etc, she is up to date with vaccinations, dentist, happy to live in or out, currently out 24/7, she is a good doer with no health problems.
Sad sale of this very special mare as I am being made redundant at the end of the month, five star home essential.
Her full wardrobe inc fitted saddle is available and the price is negotiable.

She has got the most gentle temperament and is a great mare, but she is too forward for me. She hasn't done anything bad with me and I haven't fallen off her, but she isn't a novice ride. I did tell the people who came today that she hasn't been ridden for a while (I am lunging, long reining her and doing other groundwork stuff) and I did say repeatedly that she isn't a novice ride to them. I think they just saw a quiet cob on the ground and thought that's how she was to ride. She is quite sensitive to ride, she's not easy but an experienced rider wouldn't have any problems. I am just a happy hacker and she is too much for me.
I actually don't mind taking a hit on her price, I just don't have any more money to spend on her and I want to find the right person for her. I would be happy to sell her to someone to bring on. She is well put together and has fantastic paces so could do ok in the show ring (I think). She can also jump and loves jumping so someone could bring her on more on the jumping side. She has potential, but she's not a top class eventer. I am advertising her for !650 ono but would considerably reduce the price to the right person

 

[Patterdale]

Her ad makes her sound like a perfect, safe all rounder who's just a bit forward.
How did the woman fall off?

 

[Pigeon]

The unfortunate thing is that her breed and size are working against her - usually the sort of experienced rider that a project horse needs would go for something more competitive, like a sporthorse/tb/wb. And the sort of person who wants a smallish cob wants something straightforward!

She doesn't sound that bad at all from your advert, in fact she sounds very good But then maybe that is the problem? Because you have lost your confidence, it's hard to be objective, because although she may be scary to you, another rider might enjoy it! But then again, maybe she's a complete speed demon and you'll have to be very clear about that. Why did the person trying her out fall off?

In what way is she forward, does she jog, rush her jumps, or is she just very sharp off the leg? She sounds more like a keen teenager's PC horse, than a riding club type. In my experience people wanting a RC horse are looking for something more sedate/easy.

 

[RealityCheck]

2 inches smaller, or taller and she'd be more salable, but that's rather beyond your abilities!

IMO she's far too much money for hack; no show records, no real scope. See these horses, also in your area who have similar (or higher!) levels of scope/schooling, and are all under £1000
http://www.horsemart.co.uk/special-mare-looking-for-an-amazing-new-home-/Horses/317690
www.horsemart.co.uk/bargain-lovely-little-horse-/Horses/317291
http://www.horsemart.co.uk/14-2hh-grey-mare-forsale-/Horses/316562
http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all-rounder-horse-5-yrs-6-mths-13-2-hh-dark-bay-surrey/Horses/314999

You've already been hold in other threads the photos are pants: stand her square, attention forward, ("Show stance") bathed and trimmed, turned out smartly on FLAT ground. Ridden photos need to be smartly turned out, walk/trot/ ideally canter, but show the whole body inc feet! Trim the beard to make head carriage easier to judge too.

Tell enquirers she's sold from the field, or get her ridden.

 

[RealityCheck]

I am advertising her for !650 ono but would considerably reduce the price to the right person

So lower it on the ad
She's a common cob pony, with very little real experience/schooling/work. She isn't worth over £1000, and I'd say even that's being overly generous!

 

[tinkerflight]

Yes I will I think. I am very new and inexperienced at all this. I am in a situation all of my own doing but I am completely admitting that I have messed up. I keep my horses on my own and therefore have no one to talk to. I am very lonely and alone. I have come on here for some advice as I know I have messed up. I just want to find this mare a good home as that is what she deserves as she is very sweet. I have had some lessons on her and my instructor advised me on what price I should advertise her for (she actually said more) so that is what I went with.
I have tried to do the best photographs but I don't have running water at my field so it's very difficult for me to bath her, even in the summer let alone when it's freezing cold and raining. I don't have any stables that I can dry her off in. I don't have anyone to hold her while I take pictures and i don't have anyone to ride her for me while I take pictures so I am limited on what I can do on that front.
I now don't have a job so can't afford to pay people to come and take pictures and ride her for me.
I will possibly re write the advert again and reduce the price or maybe just loan her out to someone and then I can keep an eye on her. Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Where abouts are u based please?

 

[tinkerflight]

Just outside Guildford surrey

 

[thatsmygirl]

Shame as I'm in Devon, would have been interested if closer.

 

[Patterdale]

Don't worry, you'll get it sorted

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Would your instructor ride her while you take some better photos? Can your instructor or farrier help you to sell her by word of mouth? They would able to recommend a home for her, as they will probably already know the buyer/loaner

 

[millikins]

I've pm'd you.

 

[jhoward]

Shame as I'm in Devon, would have been interested if closer.

2,5 hours down the motorway, not that far.

op it may well be worth paying out a little bit to get an instructor to come out and help you. say 30-40 for an hour of there time, in which time be honest in what you want help with, get instructor to get mare stood up for pictures, get a video and pictures of said person on her, not only will it help you sell her, but said instructor may know of people looking, I understand being skint but when its the difference between giving a horse away and getting a semi decent price its worth it.

edit to saya video/pic of her jumping or with traffic going past etc ie actually doing something to prove she is good in the situations you say. so if you cant show her off and people have to take there chance they have seen evidence of what shes capable of being

 

[tinkerflight]

I think that is what I'll do. Thank you