Selling horses

Faithkat

Faithkat

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Are horses selling at the moment? The reason I ask is I have my mare and foal up for sale (separately) at the moment and have had precisely zero interest in either of them. They are on various websites and forums
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and although I have seen scores of hits . . . . nothing and I'm not asking silly money. I've even tried replying to "wanted" ads and haven't even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement. I'd be happy with a "she's not actually what we're looking for " (although she meets all the parameters!) or "we've got something now, thanks all the same".

How long should I persevere before admitting defeat and putting her up for loan/shooting her/whatever? I've only been in this position once before and I ended up virtually giving the horse away and I don't want to have to do that again. Someone suggested to me that horses aren't selling at the moment because of the so-called hay shortage.
 
Just a thought, but I think comments about mare and foal from "hell" are probably not the wisest when trying to sell. I also thought [although don't know much about the value of foals], that yours seemed quite expensive bearing in mind things you've said about its temperament and being difficult to handle and things.

edit to add - its a difficult time of year to sell as the outdoor show season is finishing, winter is approaching, and lots of people are selling horses before Uni etc. The foal would be doing nothing much for a few years, just eating a lot over winter, and the mare is not currently in work [I think?] and so isn't a viable prospect for getting on and competing, she'd need a fair bit of work to get back into shape, and I imagine people are less keen to do this in the school year over winter.

IMO your best bet is to offer them for loan, or lower prices.
 
My three year old Sec D is up for sale and all I seem to get is e-mails where people seem very interested and then all goes quiet.....so perhaps it is going to take quite a while. I suppose unbroekn horses are more difficult to sell aswell!!!! Its going to take me ages.
 
I started to advertise 2 weeks ago and have sold 2 in those past 2 weeks. I still have 1 for sale but he is a specialised horse therefore I never expected him to sell quickly. I'm not fussed either way though as he will be more valuable next year so I'm not pushing him and I won't undersell him to just anyone.
 
It is a hard time to sell. I remember when I was selling my mare I had a few people come along and say we wont be looking next month ( this was july time) as it is coming into winter and will just wait for the new year.
Dont give up, the right person is out there. I did sell my pony quite quickly but friends before me who were selling horses for more money and had done more did have a lack of interest at the moment. Foot and mouth also does not help and loads of shows have been cancelled this year due to rain so some people might just be holding out and looking again for something at the start of the year.
I originally had my pony up for loan to buy which also seemed to pull in a few more people although in the end I sold her pretty quickly. Most of the people who came to see her were for the loan to buy option.
 
i think they're selling... i'm looking now (had 2 fail the vet) and i know of other people looking. umm, maybe try advertising in different places or something? i know it's a nightmare selling horses though, and sympathise.
 
I take your point but to be honest, I wouldn't actually expect a weanling foal to have been handled much, if at all. I've had three in the past (two of which were wild straight off the Forest). Her price is commensurate with her quality and breeding and if/when she goes as a weanling, I shall not actually be making a penny on her. I asked the people at the stud where she was born (and who stand her father) what I should ask for her and they pointed out that they don't sell anything under £3k (and, I might add, don't handle ANY of their stock until it's 3). She's not actually difficult to handle at all but for some reason, since they came home, she had decided that she doesn't like being caught.

The mare was backed as a 3 year old and was lunged, long-reined and hacked out several times a week up until she was put in-foal. She's done nothing since then because of having the foal so I think it's perfectly reasonable that she's not "in work". Any mare that's just had a foal will take a bit of work to get up together and, as far as I am concerned (and I asked around as to what I should ask for her) her price reflects this. If she was up together etc she'd be an awful lot more.
 
Its just as hard buying a horse! We are desperately trying to replace a grey ID x gelding (lost our much loved boy to colic- its taken 8 months for him to get over it) for my husband to hunt (16.2 ish 3k ish)- so far we have had nothing but timewaster sellers who never phone back with a time to see the horse following long conversations discussing it or who dont reply to any message or email enquiring about their horse etc or worse still lie about the horse so we waste hours viewing completely unsuitable animals and last weekend the horse he was trying turned into a bucking bronco, he sat several large bucks but got thrown and cracked his ribs- turned out the horse hadnt even been ridden for 2 weeks! Aargggggghhhhhh!! I know that thanks to insurance company we are on a budget and dont mind schooling, getting fit etc as we are experienced and he is a good strong rider but now his confidence has been really knocked and i am running out of ideas. I suspect my spare cob will have to do another season...
 
I know what you mean which is why I've been totally honest about my mare in her advert. I know someone who bought a horse recently from a very reputable breeder but was told hardly anything about him. She was told he was green and hadn't done much. She lives right in the New Forest and hacked him gently round her place and then took him out on the Forest. He was an angel and she decided to have some lessons with him to get him schooled . . . . he was a bit silly when she took him for lessons so went back to the breeders to find out a bit more (he's 5, by the way, but quite immature bodily which is why they hadn't done much with him). It turned out that he'd actually been backed 3 weeks when she bought him and hadn't done any more than walk and trot round the arena and hack round a field. All that considered, she decided he really was angel and it was a wonder that going out across the Forest didn't blow his mind. They had no idea of her riding ability (which is quite long and extensive - she used to event) but I do think it's a bit naughty not to have said he's only been backed 3 weeks. if she had been a real novice there could have been a horrible accident.

Similarly, my son was given a horse on permanent loan by his former riding instructor. The horse had had a tendon injury and was only suitable to light hacking (had showjumped and evented previously). The wretched thing was dangerously unrideable and when we went back to them about this, they then informed us that the horse had an injured back too. I suspect that was why it freaked when ridden (in pain) as it was fine to handle otherwise. Why don't people tell the whole truth. Needless to say, he went back but I often wonder what happened to him. It was a shame a 16.3 tbxwb rearing and throwing himself around is a little disconcerting
 
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I asked the people at the stud where she was born (and who stand her father) what I should ask for her and they pointed out that they don't sell anything under £3k (and, I might add, don't handle ANY of their stock until it's 3).

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Does this mean that you are asking a similar price? IMO that is alot of money for a youngster, i would expect something extremely well bred with a proven sire in a certain discipline for that much. Perhaps this is the problem?

Obviously i dont know the background so it is hard to comment, but personally i find that nine times out of ten if a horse is not selling it is because of something the venor is doing, i.e. the price is too high, the horse is not a described, bad photos in the ad etc.

This time of year it can be difficult to sell, people are thinking of winter and the costs...and with a youngster its going to be even more difficult. If i were you i would perhaps look at everything again - the price you have them advertised at, pictures, the ad itself and so on, to give yourself the best chance of selling before winter.

Good Luck!
 
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My three year old Sec D is up for sale and all I seem to get is e-mails where people seem very interested and then all goes quiet.....so perhaps it is going to take quite a while. I suppose unbroekn horses are more difficult to sell aswell!!!! Its going to take me ages.

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I used to buy and sell horses and i always used to find the opposite. Sold 5 un broken youngsters in the 2 week run up to xmas last year! and they wernt at give away prices either
 
No, I am asking less than that and she is extremely well-bred with a proven showjumping sire (he's a son of Carnaval Drum out of a Voltaire/Ramiro mare). He won his way to the 5 year old World championships by being 2nd in the British Championships but at the World Championships he had a terrible accident in the temporary stabling that badly damaged a hind leg. He can still jump like a stag but the leg would not be able to jump competitively as the leg would take that level of work. According to the stud he is the best they've ever bred.
 
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