Selling from the field

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MDJO

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Hi
I am wanting/needing to sell a horse reasonably urgently (redundancy looming) but the only problem is that he is unclipped and unfit. He's been turned away this winter following some mud fever then the snow. He's a fairly average horse that would probably bring about £3k if fit and in work. I don't have the facilities to get him fit at the moment, so how much do you think it would be reasonable to advertise him for sold from the field?
(also, do you think people would actually consider buying a horse from the field?)
Thanks if you can help
 
In the current climate? If I was being brutally honest I'd have said probably less than
£1k. There are so many horses needing homes right now. It might be worth your while getting someone in to help fitten him a bit for you, or send him somewhere short term. What you pay now you'd get back in a better sale price I'd have thought. Could your family help you fund this maybe to avoid you majorly losing out?

Do you have lots of photos from when he was in work? That would help in terms of getting people to view him from the field. Good luck hope everything works out for you.
 
Hi ISHmad
Yes thats kind of what I was thinking. I will definately look at sending him to 'school' for a few weeks, thats a good idea.
I have plenty of pics of him 'in work' so might give it a go at £1k and failing that send him away
Thanks again
 
Do you have pictures of him in work? Would you be happy to let people ride him if they came to view him? What did he do before he was turned away and how long ago was that? I think a lot depends on the exact circumstances probably
 
He has about 5 years ago evented to BE Novice - have kept up with schooling and he has been working at Nov.Elem at home (don't do the jumping personally, but no reason why he couldn't re-establish it i suppose) Competing unaff Prelim/Nov. Good hack. Only been out of work since beg Oct due to infected mud fever then the snow hit. Unclipped. Def would let ppl ride him. I expect that I shall start hacking around the lanes in a week or so, but reluctant to clip so late, so won't be 'fit' as such but certainly doing something. I guess pics and results can demonstrate his capability.
 
I don't think you should sell a horse which has jumped round a novice track for a grand (assuming his BE record shows that he did of course). Especially if he is well established on the flat as well.

I know the market is dire but he has a good record which should stand you in better stead than that surely? I'm no expert on these things of course but if you can't get a reasonable amount for him as he is I would send him away on sales livery for a few weeks as he sounds like he should sell better than a lot of the horses out there at the moment if he is reasonably straight forward.
 
My thoughts are that if you are prepared to let people ride him when they come to view you are not selling him from the field. Just explain that he has been out of work for a few months they are welcome to come and ride him in the field (if possible) and hack and if they are interested maybe try and set up taking him to an arena and show him schooling a little more. If I see a horse advertised 'sold from field' I think that there is something wrong with it, either lameness with work or phyco as surely the owner could show me the horse being walked around a field or up a road at least. Good luck!
 
It depends on age, recent form, past injurys, etc.

If it is an average, nice horse which would fetch £3000 odd when up and fit, then £1200 fat and fluffy sounds resonable.

Where are you? Think that also effects price - north scotland is very different marked to say East Anglia.
 
I bought one of my horses straight from the field! :D although i did know a bit about him. But definately think you will have interest. People are looking for a bargain at the moment so I doubt you would get much more than £2k for him, but there is still a market out there
 
painted ponies said:
My thoughts are that if you are prepared to let people ride him when they come to view you are not selling him from the field. Just explain that he has been out of work for a few months they are welcome to come and ride him in the field (if possible) and hack and if they are interested maybe try and set up taking him to an arena and show him schooling a little more. If I see a horse advertised 'sold from field' I think that there is something wrong with it, either lameness with work or phyco as surely the owner could show me the horse being walked around a field or up a road at least. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I am horse hunting right now, and would expect 'sold from the field' to mean that the horse is for some reason not able to be ridden - if it is possible to ride, then advertise as just not been in regular work so unfit, rather than sold from field.
 
Thank you all for your advice. Having read the replies, I think it would be better to describe him as 'unfit' (thanks Crazydancer). It would be a shame to sell him for just a grand as he is perfectly sound (never lame) and good at what he does, although he is TB which may put people off (well a New Zealand TB which is not like your usual TB) and he's 13 and we're in Northumberland (again not likely to command as good a price as in the South East), so I guess it balances things out.
I will have a good think about it - thanks again
 
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