Selling my mare - what a stress!

L

LowenKi

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 May 2012
Messages
188
Visit site
I've never sold a horse before, but am quite anxious about it as I want her to go to the right home. I've been strung along the past month by people wanting to try her lots and see her do lots - which I've graciously allowed to happen and have driven her to various venues etc for them... and then they say that her sweet itch has put them off. Really irritated - I've always been honest and we had a long chat about it the first day they came! It's only mild I can't believe it's a deal breaker for them when they knew from the outset :confused:

Everybody else who has come to see her (I've been very honest about her needing a competition home, not being a novice ride IN ANY WAY, and being best suited to very competent event/competition riders)has blatently lied to me on the phone about their level of competency, as they sit on her and ride really badly... and then complain that she's a bit tricky. If you're a numpty rider she will be a bit tricky! Hence best suited to PRO! Grrrrr :mad:

Getting so frustrated with this. Is this a normal selling experience or not?! Am I being too nice?! I feel like I'm going to flatly refuse to take her anywhere for anybody else now for fear of being messed around again. Which honestly probably isn't fair to potential buyers.

Very irritated by the world :(
 
Its always hard especially when the horse in question is sharp as from experience schoolmasters are easier to sell that said my friend has a little mare has pretty much sold it 6 times now and every single time the people have tired a horse the next day and bought it, the little mare is a really sweetie and i can only think she gives them confidence and when they get on next horse they compare to her and she is a bit boring!!! i think its luck of the draw and you have just been unlucky!! it doesnt help that there are so many horses for sale!! the right home will come along eventually!!
 
Don't worry you will find someone eventually. I am trying to buy at the moment and just wish people would be honest from the start, honesty is good! I don't care if there are issues, if someone tells me there are issues I will be more inclined to think they are telling the truth rather than lying to me until I actually see the horse, boo :-(
 
Totally know what you mean mandwhy - I once travelled three hours to view a horse that was 'straight moving' with 'no vices' to see it weave, dish, and bite her owner within the first 10 minutes! Wasted 6 hour round trip. Felt so cross!
 
It sounds like you're being too nice and accommodating by boxing her all over the place for potential viewers. Is that because you have no facilities to try her out?

I would get them to see her first and if they are keen then suggest you can box her somewhere.

However, I'm afraid you're always going to get numpties - there are a lot about !
 
YES! This one dished terribly!! The most unbalanced horse, tried to buck me off several times when I tried to get her to canter, was over my budget at £3000 too so I dread to think what it'll be like when I try the £2000 ones! She was a nice sweet tempered horse though and the girls selling her were lovely so at least they weren't these weird aggressive sellers you hear about! Next time I am going to specifically ask about conformational defects, another question for the list!

Glad it wasn't far away, really reluctant to do any of these 3 hour drives now unless I see a lot of video first!
 
I share your pain! my husband always says I am far too honest! but I care very much for the ponies I am selling and don't see any point in selling them to someone who will then try and sell them on and so forth. It is incredibly frustrating though when you go out of your way to tell people the pony is very forward going and not a novice ride and they still come and try and re-try before telling you she is too forward going and they want a novice ride! c'est la vie I guess. I get a bit grumpy at the time but soon realise they are not the right owners for the pony.
 
LowenKi said:
I've never sold a horse before, but am quite anxious about it as I want her to go to the right home. I've been strung along the past month by people wanting to try her lots and see her do lots - which I've graciously allowed to happen and have driven her to various venues etc for them... and then they say that her sweet itch has put them off. Really irritated - I've always been honest and we had a long chat about it the first day they came! It's only mild I can't believe it's a deal breaker for them when they knew from the outset :confused:

Everybody else who has come to see her (I've been very honest about her needing a competition home, not being a novice ride IN ANY WAY, and being best suited to very competent event/competition riders)has blatently lied to me on the phone about their level of competency, as they sit on her and ride really badly... and then complain that she's a bit tricky. If you're a numpty rider she will be a bit tricky! Hence best suited to PRO! Grrrrr :mad:

Getting so frustrated with this. Is this a normal selling experience or not?! Am I being too nice?! I feel like I'm going to flatly refuse to take her anywhere for anybody else now for fear of being messed around again. Which honestly probably isn't fair to potential buyers.

Very irritated by the world :(
Click to expand...
Certainly the beginners coming to ride a horse stated twice over not to be a novice ride, is the norm.
I would not take my horse anywhere unless your home facilities are very poor, even then I would only do it after they had ridden at home, and you assessed them.

Here is my numptie * rating
* - takes a nice new hat out of its packaging, about horse, says, ooh isn't he beautiful?
** - makes a mess of mounting, is not to sure how to ask horse to "walk on".
*** - clambers on to horse, yanking on the cantle, horse puts ears back and is wary of walking forward
**** - talkative type, does not notice that horse is not going in a straight line, except through the corners!
***** - has all the kit, all quality, all new, takes no notice of your advice, kicks like hell, gets left behind, trots over five poles and almost falls off, says she wants to do a bit of dressage and eventing.
My horse assess them ......... if a big crowd all rush up to his stable, he backs off and flip flops ears, wrinkles nostrils, says ............."mum what is going on?"
Mounting problems, he looks to me for help, ears back a bit .............."oh for goodness sake"
Walk on......... follows me out of the barn .......... "I'll just follow you, mum"
Trot on, wanders about as if he has no idea where he is going. "mum where are you?"
Canter, "well when it suits me, I will start cantering and stop when I like." "This is what I do"
"Mum can I go back in my field please"
I have managed to talk people out of coming, though I may be have been wrong to do so, it is very difficult.
 
Last edited:
LOL! ^
very true, although I hate trying horses out, really puts me on the spot, and i do feel as if some of the *'s are like me! oh dear!
but to OP
deffo get alot of people thinking they can handle a, erm, not a novice horse!
i wouldnt bother taking it anywhere, like someone else said even if you have no facilities id let them atleast try it as much as they can at yours, and then if they want to try again then fair enough!
and as for sweet itch, it wouldnt put me off, and i think its a bit unfair the other people knew and then didnt want it..
one of mine has SI and i feel as if people look at me like im a bad owner because of it? which is slightly unfair again :(
good luck, and hopefully you find the right person!
 
Thanks guys. I certainly wouldn't box her anywhere until I knew they were half decent. People who mucked me about were wanting to see her at a comp to watch her temperment, and then wanted to take her XC schooling with their trainer... had to wait for a suitable time for them, the trainer etc... just dragged on! We have a good arena, coloured and rustic showjumps etc, hacking routes through fields and a village... I think that's enough for them to know.

JellyBen I totally agree that SI shouldn't have put them off if they knew from the outset. At the end of the day, she's a serious competition horse, being a bit itchy when the weather is damp doesn't affect her ability to perform under pressure and get results for the right rider. I think the right rider wouldn't care about her SI.

I always feel that you have to feel about 70% sure the horse is right before you buy it... the other 30% comes with your relationship. Don't think I'm going to bend over backwards for anybody any more! She's massively talented, I just need to attract the right sort of riders I think. Maybe I'll be more harsh with people on the phone!

Never want to sell again... it's too stressful!!! :(
 
Last edited:
I found selling my mare very disappointing.She was sold to 5* home teenager coming off ponies.I was told home for life and believed her,she competed at high level wanted something sharp and she could ride her. She lasted one week horse wouldnt stand still tacking up it was wet windy and her oter horses were playing up :eek:although fantastic when she took her out local sj comp on ticket.Shes now with friend who recommended home to resell and I have no say where she goes.:(
 
Oh dear Cellie that's a real shame for you. It's so hard when you're trusting people to take on what is essentially a member of our family. I think different people have different understandings of terms like 'hot' or 'competent rider' - it's all so subjective! I can't understand how people do this regularly, it's playing on my mind all the time I'm starting to lose sleep over it! I really hope your mare ends up in the right home Cellie :(
 
Gosh that sounds like a lot of effort LowenKi, and sounds like your facilities are quite decent anyway!

I too hate the whole trying a horse in front of its owners, I don't think I'm a great rider or anything and don't profess myself to be, but I think 'not a novice ride' is seen in about 70% of adverts if not more! I don't want a riding school horse or a schoolmaster, but I obviously don't want a horse I can't ride. I hope people don't think I'm a numpty, It's a minefield for us all!
 
mandwhy said:
Gosh that sounds like a lot of effort LowenKi, and sounds like your facilities are quite decent anyway!

I too hate the whole trying a horse in front of its owners, I don't think I'm a great rider or anything and don't profess myself to be, but I think 'not a novice ride' is seen in about 70% of adverts if not more! I don't want a riding school horse or a schoolmaster, but I obviously don't want a horse I can't ride. I hope people don't think I'm a numpty, It's a minefield for us all!
Click to expand...

That's a fair point about 70% of adverts stating 'not a novice ride'. It can cover anything from a complete nut job to just a forward going pony. Maybe we need more recognised statements such as 'not a school master' to indicate something perfectly rideable but not a riding school plod. I don't want to put people off by making out pony is unrideable when she is one of the safest rides we've ever had, but equally it would be a waste of time for a beginner to try and get anything out of her and she would most likely run away with them - it's a minefield for both sides really isn't it?
 
LowenKi said:
Oh dear Cellie that's a real shame for you. It's so hard when you're trusting people to take on what is essentially a member of our family. I think different people have different understandings of terms like 'hot' or 'competent rider' - it's all so subjective! I can't understand how people do this regularly, it's playing on my mind all the time I'm starting to lose sleep over it! I really hope your mare ends up in the right home Cellie :(
Click to expand...

Thanks for kind words friend runs livery so she is well looked after.I put 4 years hard work into making her good hack and worked really hard on schooling just wanted to step down from comp sj due to my age so thought i made best decision for mare as she loves competing. I feel guilty for what was best decision for her.:(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top