So many unsuitable people !

Santa Clause

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After putting my horse up for sale yesterday I've had 4 young/inexperienced people contact me about her after I stated - Needs a strong/experienced handler, Knowlagable home only, not a first/easy horse. Do these people not understand or do they just think ohh I'm good enough.
I just don't understand :confused:
Someone explain ?!?!
 
I think a lot of the time they think they are good enough but in fact are no where near up to the standard of riding a slightly quirky horse.

I had a horse advertised (we were completly honest) and it stated clearly he bucked, reared and kicked but on a good day was fantastic but needed a brave adult, and I had a someone ring me up for a child straight from a riding school looking for her first pony! I asked if she had a death wish and she replied,
"well once one of the school ponies bucked and she stayed on so she is more than capable"

I will never understand :/
 
It might be the price that has attracted them. I'm glad that you've detailed her correctly as I still laugh over my boy's advert from previous owner ;)
 
I am quoting this from a similar thread in 'Competition riders' forum the other day.

"I had advertised a quirky 5yo that needed a dressage home as he disliked jumping. He also needed an experienced rider as he would suddenly throw the toys out the pram if he felt that way inclined that particular day! I had a phone call from a lady which went along these lines:

Lady: would he be suitable for my teenage daughter coming off a pony?
Me: no
Lady: but my daughter is very good.
Me: he isn't really a teenagers horse, he needs somebody experienced with young horses he isn't a horse you could take out to pc or a comp any time soon, as he can be very unpredictable.
Lady: well we can deal with that, what is his jumping like?
Me: I'm selling him as a dressage horse, as he doesn't enjoy jumping.
Lady: but my daughter wants to jump.
Me: then he isn't the horse for you then.
Lady: well my daughter can get anything to jump
Me: I'm not selling him to a jumping home, he is talented on the flat.
Lady: well my daughter doesn't do any flatwork she only jumps.
Me: like I said he isn't suitable
Lady: when can we come and see him?
Me: you can't.

Woman then went ballistic down the phone, so I put it down on her! I then got a text asking is I would drop the (already low) price for them. Needless to say I never text back!"

selling a horse way harder than it sounds- never want to go thru it again....to think some peeps make a living from it.
 
one of the girls was 9 ;o
When she was sold to me she was sold as a perfect first horse - turned out they lied baout age, breed - everything & she was doped:mad:
I am selling her as she is too much for me to handle so want to be as honest as possible to find the right home for her.
It's all so frustrating, i just want a nice experienced loving home for her - proving rather difficult :(
 
I am quoting this from a similar thread in 'Competition riders' forum the other day.

"I had advertised a quirky 5yo that needed a dressage home as he disliked jumping. He also needed an experienced rider as he would suddenly throw the toys out the pram if he felt that way inclined that particular day! I had a phone call from a lady which went along these lines:

Lady: would he be suitable for my teenage daughter coming off a pony?
Me: no
Lady: but my daughter is very good.
Me: he isn't really a teenagers horse, he needs somebody experienced with young horses he isn't a horse you could take out to pc or a comp any time soon, as he can be very unpredictable.
Lady: well we can deal with that, what is his jumping like?
Me: I'm selling him as a dressage horse, as he doesn't enjoy jumping.
Lady: but my daughter wants to jump.
Me: then he isn't the horse for you then.
Lady: well my daughter can get anything to jump
Me: I'm not selling him to a jumping home, he is talented on the flat.
Lady: well my daughter doesn't do any flatwork she only jumps.
Me: like I said he isn't suitable
Lady: when can we come and see him?
Me: you can't.

Woman then went ballistic down the phone, so I put it down on her! I then got a text asking is I would drop the (already low) price for them. Needless to say I never text back!"

selling a horse way harder than it sounds- never want to go thru it again....to think some peeps make a living from it.

That was me! It was a classic moment of mummy thinking her darling was the worlds best rider. I did explain to her that I have evented at a reasonable level, am a BHS instructor, worked for Olympic riders etc and school/break youngsters on a daily basis, And he has chucked me off several times when jumping. He has also chucked off my trainer! But stupid woman just told me how much better than me her daughter was! Apparently the daughter had once ridden on a local rc team!
 
I totally feel for you and completely understand. I am having the same problem for my horse, not selling her, but finding someone to part loan her! Exact same problems.
 
I've never had to sell a horse myself, but can imagine it's a nightmare trying to find someone suitable. A girl I know has just bought a 3yo warmblood. This is the same girl who thinks getting a horse down on the bit involves pulling hard on the reins and whipping and then shouting if they go backwards and absolutly bricking it when the horse she was demonstrating on threatened to buck. The same girl who's already got said 3yo in a flash and a dutch gag and who goes round telling younger riders they "are making a really nice shape over the fence" when they are halfway up their ponies neck and the pony has jumped it about 4ft over a cross pole. Argggh.

Why are people so reluctant to admit their actual ability?
 
sadly to many people believe thier aility is greater than it is and also to many ppl totally novie buying horses/pomies - many exampes i have seen - daughter has 10 lessons totally novice mummy and daddy buy her a pony - a young pony ffs. then buy a green horse for mum whose had a couple of lessons ***** throws hands in air ***** and yes beore anyone says we all have to learn and I will help anyone but come lets be realistic here
 
I totally agree, it's a sad story for these horses sometimes. I'm afraid some people would probably classify me as one of these people, having bought my boy at 18 months with no experience of youngsters...

However, I have spent the last year and a half doing everything I can to make sure I am a competent enough rider to ride him next year (after being professionally broken), and I will be the first one to put my hands up if I'm not. So maybe we're not all bad. Then again, I was 21 when I bought him, which probably made a difference....
 
Why are people so stupid?? I put an ad on my riding club website last week asking for someone to come and ride my 20year old TB out a couple of times a week. No stable duties, no cost involved. Just turn up and hack him out. I said that although he was 100% traffic he could be spooky with hedge monsters, was nicely schooled but needed an experienced sensitive rider with quiet hands. The first text I got was from someone asking whether I would consider letting him go on full loan to a novice rider?!?!? What bit of the ad couldn't they understand??
 
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I totally agree, it's a sad story for these horses sometimes. I'm afraid some people would probably classify me as one of these people, having bought my boy at 18 months with no experience of youngsters...

However, I have spent the last year and a half doing everything I can to make sure I am a competent enough rider to ride him next year (after being professionally broken), and I will be the first one to put my hands up if I'm not. So maybe we're not all bad. Then again, I was 21 when I bought him, which probably made a difference....

I am in the exact same position as you, but my girl is 2. I am going to take lessons again as of next year until she is broken. She is a good girl on the ground but that cant determine what she is going to be like broken in. I need alot of confidence with her and will get that whether it kills me :D

She means the world to me but i have turned her away now over the winter as she is very babyish and needs time to grow up x
 
LOL! I just called up to find out more about an ad for a horse I'm interested in, and found myself justifying my abilities, experience etc before I even asked about the horse! :D
 
x1xpixiex1x

Have you found that time just handling them and getting to know them is invaluable though? I agree that you cannot know how they are going to be ridden, but I feel that I have built a real bond with Harry and he trusts me and we have a really good basis to go from. Cannot wait to ride him :)
 
I have had people turn up to eercise my green horses and dare not even touch the said animals nd asked if i had something quieter and older, yes i do have but i wanted someone with experience to get the green horses used to different riders and the older comp horses were there as a you can compete on them forr fun if your want.
Why do horse riders always want to big up their experience, where as i always put myself down
 
Why are people so stupid?? I put an ad on my riding club website last week asking for someone to come and ride my 20year old TB out a couple of times a week. No stable duties, no cost involved. Just turn up and hack him out. I said that although he was 100% traffic he could be spooky with hedge monsters, was nicely schooled but needed an experienced sensitive rider with quiet hands. The first text I got was from someone asking whether I would consider letting him go on full loan to a novice rider?!?!? What bit of the ad couldn't they understand??

I have a very similar issue - asked for someone who wants to hack out mid-week only, no stable duties, no cost involved. Horse very sensible but want a reasonably experienced rider as most hacking will be alone and I want horse and rider to be safe.

The response? Mostly from people wanting to ride weekends ONLY. I'm not sure people actually read the ads or maybe they think we're not being honest in what we are advertising for? I just don't get it.

:confused:
 
Whilst I agree that you get allot of people who think they are better riders than they are i also think there are many horse owners that make their horses out to be more than they are.
I've often turned up at an "experienced only" "not novice ride" and have found the horse to be fine...one of which we used in the riding school.
Ok, I understand that there are many horses that need an experienced rider but there are owners out there that think because they can't get a tune out of an horse it's the horses fault and not their own ability to ride.
Sellers and Buyers need to be more honest about their own ability and their horses but the rose tinted glasses are often worn by both sides.
 
Whilst I agree that you get allot of people who think they are better riders than they are i also think there are many horse owners that make their horses out to be more than they are.
I've often turned up at an "experienced only" "not novice ride" and have found the horse to be fine...one of which we used in the riding school.
Ok, I understand that there are many horses that need an experienced rider but there are owners out there that think because they can't get a tune out of an horse it's the horses fault and not their own ability to ride.
Sellers and Buyers need to be more honest about their own ability and their horses but the rose tinted glasses are often worn by both sides.

This may be true but I am selling her because she is TOO much for me, I would say im pretty experienced owning horses but im not the best/no knowlageble. I clearly stated she needs to be retaught some basic groundwork & have a strong rider as she is quirky & then i get people ringing up as a first horse for their 9 yo daughter - NON HORSEY parents ?!
 
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