Selling horses.... Is it just me or are people just plain rude?

L

littlespritz

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 February 2009
Messages
275
Visit site
I've got to have a rant, sorry. I have two really nice little horses for sale, one of which I really don't want to have to sell. So on Thursday lovely people came to try my bigger horse, three hours later they had watched me ride, ridden her, jumped her 1.10, taken her for a hack, looked at passport, BS record, recent vetting cert and had tea ect.... so they leave (mare didn't put a hoof out of place) assuming they would call back/text saying 'thankyou for your time not for us' or can we come again ect...nothing its now Sat ive not heard a thing 3HOURS of my time.
So yesterday different people came to see my little baby horse who was again perfectly well behaved did everything and more than what was asked, looked at passport asked every question under the sun and promised to let me no either way that night...absolutely Nothing
So am I over reacting here or have these people just been time wasting/joy riding?
Find it hard when reluctant to sell one of them as it is and to be honest both people rode really well and seemed really nice so would of been good homes...but why not a text/phone call just saying thankyou for your time? I don't expect everyone to love my horses like I do!! Apologies for the rant but I had to get it out of my system!!
 
T'is the nature of selling horses I'm afraid. I am happy to show horses to people. If they get back to me and want to buy, great. If I never hear from them again, great. Doesn't bother me one way or the other and I certainly don't sit around waiting for calls back; maybe I've been in the business for too long to care anymore.
 
Is only 3 days, might be having a really good long think....hopefully this would ensure a considered mature decision??? Hopefully.....
 
That's the nature of buyers, and it's up to them whether they buy the horse or not. If it pains you to spend time then just keep things short and sweet, and don't take it personally if they don't fall in love with your darlings.
 
I had a an experienced pair came, wanted an endurance horse, they asked so many questions I was actually exhausted after two hours. The instructor could not ride very well and the purchaser who said she did not want a plod gave him such a whack in the ribs with no warning or preparation that I had to shout at her. Poor horse.

I think some people are just joy riders, others are just plain rude these days. I think the best way is to make sure that you get their name and address and landline number before they come, explain to them that you have had several timewasters.
 
Last edited:
Plain rude. I've never tried a horse I couldn't immediately say either "not for me" or "definitely interested but I'm seeing another one tomorrow so I'll see that one and then decide". It's a buyer's market at the moment so you can expect people to see more horses before making a decision, but they ought to give you at least an indication there and then.
 
Completely agree! Very rude, especially after you spent so much time with each. At the end of the day it doesn't take much to send a quick thank you / not for us text, does it?
 
I haven't sold anything for a while and now I have two to sell and I am dreading it. When I buy I usually know straight away but usually phone back with an offer or no its not for me on the way home once I have mulled it over. Its the same with job interviews now, even if they say they will call you what ever they don't, you would think with e-mail it would be so easy to give you the no thanks.
 
My first horse was an ex-racer and he was fabulous but I must have tried the owners patience because I tried about 11 horses and he was the first. I then insisted on riding him several different times because she had said that she would not ride him because he had reared vertical with her. I believed it was his saddle causing the problem and I was right because he never did rear with me. Everyone said I was nuts taking him on but he still is one of the best horses I ever had.
 
Don't get too down-hearted. It's a lot of money to spend and they may have several horses to try over several days before being able to make a decision. I don't think people always think of others and their needs, especially when they're doing something really important to themselves such as buying a horse. It is rude not to let you know their situation and thoughts but you never know - you may hear back yet. I always try and see the best in people. I was selling a lovely little show jumper a few years ago and the girl came to try him on three different days but seemed very reluctant to decide either way if she wanted him. Not sure why as he was a brill little horse and she rode him well. But I never heard from her for a week and then she called me out of the blue saying she would take him. She went on to do really well with him and gave him a lovely home. So don't give up on them yet !!
 
Know your pain OP: I put mine out on loan a couple years back and seemed to attract every blimmin numpty, fruitloop, psycho, timewaster, and P!ss taker who either arrived late or not at all and messed me around by fixing one time and not keeping to that, then thinking it was perfectly OK to arrive unscheduled; plus their accompanying retinue of badly behaved kids, OH's smoking in my yard, dogs peeing everywhere etc etc.

What TF is wrong with people. Somehow can't remember it being like this in the old days :-(
 
A few years back we were set to sell Charlie, but the people who came were not suitable. One went round and round jumping (and not well it has to be said), and every time we said the horse had had enough she just went "one more time" until eventually my husband strode across the arena and grabbed his reins, telling her to get off the horse!

It worked well for me as he decided that Charlie (my eventer who loved BE 100, but did not enjoy Novice - it was not the height, but he would not trust into space jumps) was going nowhere, and he bought him for himself! He became such a good egg, teaching OH and a whole load of other people loads.

I find it the same the other way though. I buy for an organisation, and if the horse is not suitable then I tell the owner ASAP. I ride enough horses in a day not to need to "joy ride". A few times I have arrived and the horse is not suitable, and I can see that from the car, I will meet and greet, look at the horse briefly, and tell the owner he is lovely, but not what I am looking for.

Often the owners have been rude, even though I have been ultra polite. Even so I bite my tongue and don't tell them what time wasters they are when the horse is a hand taller, 10 years older, lame, has huge windgalls, a blown tendon, has raging sweetitch........ (not on the same horse!).
 
It's not just selling horses! I'm selling a lovely Black Country Vinici and experiencing the same.
One woman called in the AM and asked to come and see it at 1 so I said ok and cancelled my plans for the day, she then called at midday and said she couldn't make 1 so she would come after the school/work run after she had sorted the kids out at about 7.30. Sigh. I said fine I would wait at yard for her. 7 and I get a text at to say she can't come today after all and would come over on Sunday when she has more time.
Grrrr lovely wasted day hanging around the area for a time waster...

And guess what? She never bothered coming on the Sunday either
 
Red-1 said:
I find it the same the other way though. I buy for an organisation, and if the horse is not suitable then I tell the owner ASAP. I ride enough horses in a day not to need to "joy ride". A few times I have arrived and the horse is not suitable, and I can see that from the car, I will meet and greet, look at the horse briefly, and tell the owner he is lovely, but not what I am looking for.

Often the owners have been rude, even though I have been ultra polite. Even so I bite my tongue and don't tell them what time wasters they are when the horse is a hand taller, 10 years older, lame, has huge windgalls, a blown tendon, has raging sweetitch........ (not on the same horse!).
Click to expand...

This!!
I once went to see a horse that before it came out of stable I could tell wasn't for me in build and more importantly, temperament (went to kick my instructor when rug came off, had its ears back permanently and had the most bitter outlook of any horse I've ever seen!) so we were very polite and explained that temperament was the most important thing for me and so we were saying no thanks.

Lady was extremely rude and said we were time wasters, as we hadn't even ridden the horse.

Well surely if we had ridden the horse when we already knew it wasn't for us due to its kicking and face pulling, THAT would have been time wasting? Especially as I'd already spoken extensively to the seller on the phone and explained horse was for me and my inexperienced husband so it had to be very forgiving. To be honest I felt my time had been wasted as it clearly wasn't something you'd want a novice handling.
 
its bad

i ended up loaning mine to the first viewer purely as the home was better than i could have asked.

I did't want to sell and never will - but the amount of timewasters i had from the advert first going up - omfg...

''i like your horse but ive got a limited budget''.........

''how limited''?


''well none'' ok thanks for wasting my time...byebye. fgs.
 
At least they turned up! I had a no show a few years ago and I rang their land line about half an hour after they were due to arrive. The woman said that they were about to set off (2 hours drive) !

I'd booked a lightweight friend of mine to ride the pony to show it off, had to pay her and I never heard from them again.

Rude.
 
Mine has been advertised for 2 weeks. So far one person was a complete no show with no text or call to explain, the other text 10min before they were due... Finally one turned up then said the horse was too small despite the fact he has an AHC to prove his height!
 
Seems to be the nature of folk in general these days, apparently thanks and simple good manners costs money.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
What TF is wrong with people. Somehow can't remember it being like this in the old days :-(
Click to expand...
I don't think it was like this in the old days tbh. But choices were so limited at that time. You only had the local newspaper or word of mouth to find horses back then. The Internet has opened so much more choice to people, and we all travel much further nowadays than we ever would back then, so if we found something suitable (ish) even just 20 years ago, we bought it just in case it was gone by the time we went back to the owner to say we wanted it. It was usually an on the spot decision back then, something I've never changed even though time has moved on. I know straight away if a horse is what I'm looking for or not, if not I don't even bother asking them to get the horse out. So many people are a bit more novicey though these days, or given the choice around, they may just be quite sure that they will get the horse they want if they view enough of them.
 
It's variable. Some are good - some are horrific. Yesterday I had a great one - tried the mare, loved her (and rode her very nicely!) Could she come again with her Instructor?? Of course, I said! But that night she messaged me - bu**er the Instructor, she's organising the vetting, lol!
 
I have viewed lots of horses with potential buyers over the years and the potential buyers always looked shocked when if the horse is not what they are looking for I say 'I think it is a no and they agree' then I turn to the seller and say 'thanks for your time but the horse is not what we are looking for'. I hate wasting peoples time and I always contact the seller later the same day and say 'yes, no or maybe'
 
I have never sold a horse so can only pass comment on buying a horse and I think it's rude not to let you know one way or the other. When I bought my cob I went to see him the first time and rode him on a hack as that is what I wanted him for and saw him being ridden in the school. I rung her back the same day to make an appointment to see him again and confirmed during the second visit that I wanted him and she asked if she could deliver him to me so that she knew where he was going. I saw many horses before him and each time I knew as soon as I rode them that they were not for me and said so straight away so not to waste anybodies time.
 
I think some people are worried about making that call or text because they dont want the horse, and they dare not say it. I am amazed at how many people dont or wont have a difficult conversation, just to say ' lovely horse, just not for me' shouldnt be so hard
 
What's worse is when you go to all the trouble of changing your plans, waiting around all day for people who have arranged to come, brought the horse in, bathed it, groomed it, cleaned tack etc and then the beggars don't bother to show up!

Having this at the moment with our horsebox, people arrange to come and see it, take it up the road and have it valeted, cleaned and waxed only for them to not show up.

Unfortunately people are entitled to come and have a look and not buy. I don't think these are timewasters. If they were coming three/four times and keep you hanging on, they are timewasters!!!!

Think you need to be a little more thick skinned. Selling is hideous, but unfortunately part and parcel! If you don't want to deal with it, you can always send them away to be sold :)
 
I sympathise, they should have let you know either way. Sometimes people do need time to think things over, though - I like to sleep on the decision, unless it's really obvious.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top