Selling is a nightmare!!

[Nadia]

*Waves to everyone first off, since im kinda new around here*

Urgh i need some advice!! I have my mare up for sale who is the sweetest thing ever, shes a forward ride and has a great jump on her....she's a lovely quality mare but not really a novice ride. Ive advertised her as such but why do i still get phone calls for 'first horses'?? Its driving me insane.

Worse still, i had a teenage boy come to try her out. Now, i'd say she is more of a small adults ride but i explained this (and the fact that shes not for a complete novice) to his Mother and she seemed happy enough, so they came along. I rode her first and all was well, but as soon as he got on i could see he was a novice. And im talking a total beginner!! Before i had a chance to say anything he had her in canter, couldnt control her and ended up steering her into the school fencing. She didn't know what to do and ended up trying to climb it....and in the process pulled all the skin off her front legs. He fell off. Luckily neither were hurt but im sick and tired of people telling me they can ride on the phone but when they get on board cannot. She's not danergous or silly, but she does need a capable rider.

Now i have a horse that looks like she's had a close call with a tiger, and im tempted to give any more callers the third degree on the phone - but i dont want to put suitable people off at the same time.

Any ideas/suggestions??

 

[rrose]

thats a shame, sorry about what happened. we are too struggling to sell a mare which we want a small adult to ride as she can be a handleful. we got fed up of it we asked them many questions before they came down. as it what are they looking for in the horse, what riding experience have they had. this enabled us to say yes come down or no dont bother. good luck

 

[Tia]

Oh no. I do ALL of my vetting over the phone or email. There is no way I would let someone unsuitable even come and view my horses, let alone ride them. They are wasting my time and their own.

 

[Nadia]

[ QUOTE ]
Oh no. I do ALL of my vetting over the phone or email. There is no way I would let someone unsuitable even come and view my horses, let alone ride them. They are wasting my time and their own.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats the thing though, i've been asking questions over the phone but people are either lying to me or have delusions of grandeur!! I mean, if they say they are capable and have been riding for so many years, used to forward going ride etc etc how am i to know any different??

Besides all that i dont think my girl is that bad! Yes she's a forward ride but she isnt a nutcase, she been out jumping BSJA the last few months and i have no problems what so ever.....

im at my wits end!

 

[Enfys]

[ QUOTE ]
* and im tempted to give any more callers the third degree on the phone - but i dont want to put suitable people off at the same time.

Any ideas/suggestions??

[/ QUOTE ]

Hello, Welcome to HHO,

Give them the third degree, I would/do, I actually interview prospective buyers and if they don't like it, well, they aren't good enough for my horse anyway. I am not at all offended when people ask me lots of questions when I go to try horses.

Do not be afraid to say "I'm sorry, I don't think you will be suited/she's suitable for what you want, Thanks for calling, Good Luck with your horse hunt, Goodbye" you don't have to be drawn in to why you don't think they are suitable, it's still your horse at this point, your decision who comes to see and ride her.

Also, if someone does "slip through the net" so to speak, again, don't be afraid to say that you don't think she's suitable, or, "I think that will do now, thankyou" and take hold of the bridle and stop them riding.

Good Luck.

 

[Tia]

LOL!! Yes I have people lie to me all the time. The trick is asking them what they are looking for......then sit, wait and say nothing until they have finished.

They will waffle on and give you lots of little stories (take them with a pinch of salt). Generally once they have finished you have a better grasp of how well they can ride or if they are just spewing out rubbish. If you are not certain, then ask more questions. If they don't sound suitable - just come out and say it.

 

[Nadia]

Enfys - Thanks for the advice, i guess i just have to be strong with people if its clear they are not right. I couldn't put my poor mare through that again.

Heres to finding a good home for her!!

 

[Stella]

Its amazing to me that people will put themselves at risk like this by overestimating their ability! Its all about perception though I suppose. I have been riding just over 5 years. I have my own horse and am only too well aware of the differences between the avarage riding school horse and the avarage privately owned horse. I consider myself a novice and I will for years to come I suspect. I deliberately play down what I'm capable of when talking to others about getting on anything new because I have learned that when people have ridden for donkeys years, they don't always understand that a novice rider can upset an otherwise laid back horse if they are always used to a confident, correct rider!

No one ever seems to call themselves a beginner in horses, they just go straight to novice! And there are those who just don't know what they don't know, so will say that they are experienced after a couple of months of sitting and being a passenger! In your position, I'd be much more directive when people come to try her until they make you feel confident. People may not like it, but they will put up with it if they are really interested. Insist the person trying the horse just takes her around in walk for a few minutes, then take hold of your mare and tell them to get off as soon as you have the impression they are not up to the job.

Good luck

 

[LauraBR]

I'm in the process of selling a horse, and I have a two fold strategy... first of all when they call I ask them exactly what they are looking for (very easy to then say no, sorry not the horse for you) and secondly I make the horse sound worse than he actually is in terms of riding difficulty.

Might sound crazy to try and put people off like that but really all I'm doing is counter acting peoples inflated view of their riding ability and balancing it back up again.

Works for me

 

[LEC]

We always give 3rd degree over phone - ask how many horses they have owned, how big they were, whether they are members of PC/RC, how many years they have been riding? Have they competed? What are the plans with horse? Do they have lessons? Who does the work for horse?
I think if you do give 3rd degree shows you care.

 

[Artois]

Some buyers are just straight out of a ridding school with money burning a hole in there pocket.

I had one woman who couldnt ride and never jumped BSJA wanting to know if my 5yo was a schoolmaster and if he had jumped fox !!!!
(she was insistant that fox was only 3ft class)
she drove me nuts!!!!!!
now if i get even an inckling they are novice - i just say "sorry - i dont think right for you "

 

[Stella]

[ QUOTE ]
Some buyers are just straight out of a ridding school with money burning a hole in there pocket.

I had one woman who couldnt ride and never jumped BSJA wanting to know if my 5yo was a schoolmaster and if he had jumped fox !!!!
(she was insistant that fox was only 3ft class)
she drove me nuts!!!!!!
now if i get even an inckling they are novice - i just say "sorry - i dont think right for you "

[/ QUOTE ] I completely understand where you are coming from, but what would you do with someone like me. One of the first things I'd ask is "is it a novice ride"? I'd then go on to explain that I am a middle aged novice who can be nervous on a strange horse. I'd tell you that I have ridden and owned my own horses for 5 years (I was one who bought way too soon on the bad advice of someone who convinced me to buy my own so that she would have something nice to ride - if you know what I mean), have weekly lessons with an excellent dressage instructor, attends clinics, is a member of a riding club and doesn't want to jump.

I still have a huge amount to learn, but I'm not a beginner, but totol beginners are refered to as novices aren't they?