Selling Horses

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Bert&Maud

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Some people have been to try my horse today - he was a total star while the girl did some flatwork and then quite a lot of jumping, he didn't put a foot wrong and she was very happy. They are very interested, and Mum wants to come back to take him for a hack. She then said that they would also like to do some cross country. I'm not very happy about the cross country - I think it's quite a lot for a teenager to take an unknown horse cross country schooling, although he's very genuine and I am sure he would be fine. We don't have any XC facilities, so it means he has to be transported to somewhere that does. I would also worry about the safety issue. He has a proven record cross country and has been recommended to these people by a local jump trainer. Do you think it would be unreasonable to say that I wasn't happy for them to take him xc schooling?
 
If he is being sold as an event horse or top all rounder then would say its getting more normal. However I can really understand your concern so how about a compromise by agreeing BUT it has to in a lesson scenario (with perhaps the trainer who recommended your horse) or your own trainer. That way you can be really sure that neither horse nor rider are at risk. Double check your insurance though - as an eg I am with NFU and its standard that no other rider is covered to ride my horse - I am covered if someone rides one of mine and the horse does damage but nothing for the rider.
 
I had a similar request on Tuesday and I initially said yes, depending on how the viewing went, as I would travel with the horse to the venue and be on hand and I also knew my insurance would cover the situation, however the teenager didnt jump even though there was a cross and a straight with filler which I had popped over. I asked her if she wanted to jump and she said no. At this point I had to mention that i wouldnt allow them to cross county school without seeing her jump first as with a new horse that was an accident waiting to happen. If you're not comfortable with the situation just say no. I had a lady come out yesterday who I would be more than happy to let her take the horse around the cross county as she rode really well and found the right buttons quicker than most - but again I would always be present if she did.
 
I would explain exactly what you have said to us, then offer to take him somewhere to XC school, but you will ride him - then they can see him in action and see if he is strong/fizzy. Perhaps say that the girl can do a coulpe of small fences at the end?
 
I had a teenager and her mum come to try my horse and she rode her in the menage and jumped her very nicely. They asked if they could take her to a pony club training rally the following day to see how she went XC. I said that would be fine as one of the instructors was a friend of mine and promised to keep an eye on her. I even took her round the XC the same evening so that she would be geared up for the next day. She went round like a star.

The girl and her mother returned my horse the following day saying that she had been really naughty and wouldn't jump the ditch or steps. I asked the instructor who said that my horse had jumped really well and been well behaved. This was confirmed by a girl from my yard who had also been there training. I am feeling like a real numpty as it seems that all they wanted was a free ride for the day!
Still, at least I can add 'been to PC' to her ad!!
 
TBh if I liked a horse enough to make the effort to come back for a second viewing and try it cross country, and the vendor said they weren't happy (or even said no) then huge warning signs would flash up and I would probably walk away.

sorry!
 
abi31 said:
I had a teenager and her mum come to try my horse and she rode her in the menage and jumped her very nicely. They asked if they could take her to a pony club training rally the following day to see how she went XC. I said that would be fine as one of the instructors was a friend of mine and promised to keep an eye on her. I even took her round the XC the same evening so that she would be geared up for the next day. She went round like a star.

The girl and her mother returned my horse the following day saying that she had been really naughty and wouldn't jump the ditch or steps. I asked the instructor who said that my horse had jumped really well and been well behaved. This was confirmed by a girl from my yard who had also been there training. I am feeling like a real numpty as it seems that all they wanted was a free ride for the day!
Still, at least I can add 'been to PC' to her ad!!
Click to expand...

To me, this is typical of a certain section of the horse world. The saddest thing is that mother is teaching her daughter to be dishonest and fraudulent. What nice people :mad:
 
If i was buying and i could see a horse jumped and have proof it would xc then that is all i would expect.
It would of course depend on how much the horse is up for i think you have to consider the risk of injury to your horse if the rider isnt up to it,i am probably a good buyer as i would be thinking about horses legs etc wouldnt over jump when trying.

If i was you i would find something i wanted to go to then invite them to watch at that event if they have jumped the horse already that should be enough you arent really indicating you really think these people are the ones for your horse or are going to buy for sure.
What if you have another 10 viewers and they all expect you to do this the cost alone would be alot,i hate viewing horses and try to do as little as i need to be sure before i buy, but i have had someone try fully vet then decide the horse was wrong colour.:eek: so some people do like riding horses for sale for the sake of it.

Just go with your gut i usually find this is right when selling a horse.
 
Mmm tricky one - on one hand, as a Mum I would want to try a horse XC as they can often be much sharper and stronger than when in the school, they may worry that the horse will be too much for the daughter XC, a proven XC record is no good if the rider isnt up to it!

On the other hand I completely understand where you are coming from. I would try and get it straight what they want to do. A XC lesson under supervision, watch you take her XC or do it themselves? I would also check both your and their insurance before making a desicion.

If the people seem keen though and are otherwise saying what you want to hear it would be a shame to loose a buyer and more importantly a good home for your horse for the sake of not letting them try the horse XC. I understand selling is tough in the current climate and serious buyers are thin on the ground.
 
as a buyer - i want to see the horse:

1) caught
2) groomed and tacked up ( dismissed a few at this stage!)
3) mounted and ridden in school by owner/rider
4) ask for horse to be jumped over a jump - watching for movement and height given.
5) watched on road - interaction with some traffic

if all well

6) ride it myself in school
7) on road (if passed 6)
8) pop over a small fence in school


At no point would i ask to take horse over a XC course 2 jumps or a whole course. You should be able to tell enough by it manner within the school and on road/away from home.
 
It's a tricky situation. He's not proving easy to sell, because although sound and going brilliantly, he does have spavin (fully disclosed to potential buyers) which has been treated successfully. His price is a fraction of his original value but it still puts people off. The young teenager rode him OK, and the flatwork improved after she had been on him for a while, but although I was told that she was looking for something to do PC Intermediate (BE90 ish) on, when she had jumped him over something about 80cm she said it was the biggest she has ever jumped. So it's not the home I would have dreamed of for him, but as I am sadly having to give up horses altogether for family reasons (after 50+ years it is heartbreaking) I have to sell him, and although she may not be perfect for him, I think he will be well cared for and enjoyed, which at the end of the day is all you can really hope for for a much loved and cherished horse. I just think that she should be more used to him (she's had a difficult horse on loan for a few months which isn't the most genuine jumper so my lovely chap left her behind a little bit as she isn't used to being able to really go with the horse over a fence) before she sets off on cross country fences.
 
I thought PC intermediate was more like BE100 :confused:

I would not expect to be able to try a horse XC, unless, perhaps, if I was going to be spending LOTS of money. I have only tried a horse XC once, but only because there happened to be some XC jumps on site. My current horse I did not jump nor saw jumped because there was nothing to jump!

I once had someone ask to try a horse I was selling XC (which meant boxing him somewhere). He was only a fairly cheap (£2.5k) reschooled ex race and ex polo pony and at first I agreed, but then I decided I couldn't be arsed, so I phoned the interested party and told her I'd sold him!
 
Had exactly the same today, someone came out to try my OH's horse. She was awful, couldnt get him moving, was very very handsy and kept smacking him with the whip!!
I stepped in to give her a bit of advice as I thought she may just be nervous. He was going much better so when she asked for a jump we put a small one up for her, she almost took his back teeth out over the fence :eek: At which point I said to leave it there. She then asked if she could take him over x country before buying him :eek:
I mean really, it would be an accident waiting to happen. I can understand letting someone do it if, a) they are competant b) they and you are insured c) they are doing it under your or an instructors supervision but not otherwise.

Needless to say we will not let her buy him and in fact were just going to keep him I think :D
 
I don't really think its reasonable to say no, if they are prepared to pay for transport and course hire fees.

I think you could say that you'd happily jump him xc for them and she could hop on at the end and do a few smaller things - but at the end of the day, if they were to buy him, she'd want to be taking him xc. If you genuinely don't think he would cope to jump a few small things xc with her, then she's probably not right for him anyway.
 
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