'Sold from field' what does it mean?

[dorito]

When an ad for a horse for sale states 'sold from field' what does it mean?

Can't quite picture how they expect anyone to buy, if the horse can't be tried out properly? I guess what it suggests to me is that the horse may not have worked for a while, may be unshod and that there aren't proper trial facilities e.g. school and/or suitable hacking.

 

[Gracie21]

Exactly what you've put It's been turned away for whatever reason. Probably unfit, you probably won't be able to try (although may be able to lunge depending on situation). Probably best to ring and speak to owner to see why it's not in work. It my be that they haven't got the time/facilities to work it, this does happen a lot.

 

[Maesfen]

It means the horse is not in any work. It's the normal way to buy foals and youngstock and possibly hunters in the summer and sometimes horses that have recovered from injury. It's sometimes because the owners are too ill to ride or can't get a jockey. It's not always a bad thing at all, you just need to take care it's what you want but probably better left to people used to buying 'in the raw' and not a novice buyer alone.

 

[Samantha008]

It means dodgy if you ask me!!

To me it means theres a reason the horse isnt in work, or at least cant be shown with a rider on its back!!!. Its either mental or lame. Any person with half a brain that had a decent horse in the field would bring it back to work and sell for a decent price? For instance, i have a mare that looks sound in the field. You start riding her and you realise theres something wrong. If i wanted her off my hands i could "sell her from the field". I wouldnt ever of course. But that to me is a very likely scenario.

I recently bought a new horse- he had been in a field for 2 years. I paid peanuts. But i did try him out- he hadnt been ridden, but they found someone to ride him, i had a go, hacked him a little etc. and they offfered me a trial period and a 6 month loan. Unless you got similar, i wouldnt consider a horse you cant try!!!

 

[sbw]

As above. The price should reflect that you would be taking a risk but personally i would be worried that there is a good reason (physical or behavioural) the horses is being sold this way

 

[bobajob]

Sounds like there is something wrong with it and to me 'sold from field' means there is no come back once you have bought it. Stay well away, could be buying trouble.Take your time the right horse will come along.

 

[millitiger]

I don't mind buying 'sold from the field' but if it is an adult horse and has been ridden in the past, I expect to be able to get on and w/t/c to make sure it isn't totally loopy before handing over any money.

I've bought a few this way but have always sat on them first and they should be at least 50% less than the same horse would cost up and working.

 

[dorito]

Thanks all, thought it might basically translate most safely to 'avoid'

Just another phrase to add to the list of alarm-bells!

 

[cyberhorse]

Can sum it up in one word "risk"

The horse will most likely have been turned away due to injury or behavioral problem. However it is always worth asking as you can get the odd genuine reason, but be very suspicious. I initially "loaned with view to buy" my current horse from a field as the owners wife had cancer so he did not have time and the horse was too quirky to let anyone loose on it so he thought less risky to turn away. With these if you can find previous owners on the passport you'll get an idea what the horse is like in work (somewhat less biased than from the seller) and check things out a bit further. I doubt I'd have gone further than the loan with view to buy due to the risk, but if I had done on this particular horse it would have been fine.

 

[MrsB]

I'd get the seller to get on it first to see it w/t/c!!! Rather their neck than yours

 

[Goldenstar]

It means exactly that it's in the field buy it if you want it.
Never pay a penny more than you are happy to lose and proceed with extreme caution .
Of course there are degrees of risk say 4yo unbroken very little of unhandled buy suck it and see.
Or a nice looking WB 8 yo clearly well handled used to people big big risk research ask about dig a bit and perhaps chance it.

 

[Littlelegs]

Agree with maesfens definition, it doesn't necessarily mean dodgy at all. And in some situations you can ride them before buying, with decent facilities. But as the horse won't be in full work, you won't get the full picture of how it behaves when fit, or its full ridden capabilities.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Best horse I ever brought was sold from the field and iv had her 10 years and done everything with her. Not a days lameness or illness. She's fab
I paid 800 inclu tack and full rugs. The previous owner had paid £3500 before me and I traced her history.
She's not the only one iv brought from the field and all have been fine.
Rather buy cheap from the field than pay a few grand

 

[cyberhorse]

I'd get the seller to get on it first to see it w/t/c!!! Rather their neck than yours

Oh and look out for any sellers with any limbs in cast!!

 

[DW Team]

I am having to sell one from the field and it is because I have had a heart problem and am on blood thinners and on cardiologists advice not riding. I know it is putting a number of people off but if people took the time to come and see her and more importantly me they might give her a chance. I have both indoor and out areas she can be lunged in but I can't ride her. I breed this mare so I can tell you what she has done. If I could I would be sending her away to a selling yard but at the moment can't so am caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

People as in the comments above and in my view understandably are worried there is something not quiet right. It would only be the cost of a phone call and make your mind up from there after all you might be turning a good one down.

 

[thatsmygirl]

I wouldn't expect to try out a sold from field horse.

 

[Littlelegs]

Don't worry dwteam. For every person who is put off, you'll attract others like me who prefer to pay less & put in the work.

 

[DW Team]

Littlelegs I wish but I can but hope that someone out there would like her and some of my other horses (11) as I think I am giving up completely other than keeping my stallion who is on full livery but I d get to enjoy watch him compete.

 

[PandorasJar]

Depends

1. Young
2. Known Box rest (with full medical history)
3. Long term out of work with genuine known reason (horse or rider)
4. In foal/at foot
etc

I wouldn't be put off. I'd certainly look at a 'sold from field' horse and be as careful as I would with a ridden horse.

However if priced at full work and no real reason given I wouldn't be parting with money in a hurry.

 

[EllenJay]

My current horse was "Sold from Field" and 13 years later has never been ill, won at county level showing and is a complete dude.

 

[9tails]

I'd get the seller to get on it first to see it w/t/c!!! Rather their neck than yours

This wouldn't happen, hence the description "sold from field".

 

[Flame_]

I have both indoor and out areas she can be lunged in but I can't ride her. I breed this mare so I can tell you what she has done. If I could I would be sending her away to a selling yard but at the moment can't so am caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Why don't you just hire a local rider to sit on her a couple of times then show her to people? You don't have to send horses away unless they need a lot of work or you have no facilities.

I also think 9 times out of 10 times a mature horse is in the field for a reason.

 

[DW Team]

Flame great idea will look into it.

 

[thatsmygirl]

Flame mine iv got now plus all the others iv had as I can't affords thousands. Non have had any issues and were not in the field for any reason other than owners problems.

 

[PiggyB]

If anyone has seen my recent thread in veterinary, they will see that buying from the field can have many pit falls! I did it earlier this year and despite buying from someone I know, having solid knowledge of the horse and it's history prior to buying, riding the horse twice in the weeks before I bought it and having a 5 stage vetting...i have still ended up the ***** creek very quickly after I brought it home!

It's not always the fault of the sellers that the horse doesnt turn out right either, as others have said it is important to know that the horse will be suitable for the level of work you want if paying decent money. There is no way of knowing that unless it's done it already, which is why this sort of certainty comands more cash.

I took a chance on what could have been a really good buy..unfortunately, luck wasnt on my side this time

 

[mandwhy]

My old loan horse is being sold from field as his saddle is way too tight for him, I am injured (yes, yes it was a fall off him, yes I returned him because of it) so cannot ride for viewings, and the owner hadn't ridden him for a long time because she is mega nervous (of any horse) so unsurprisingly we haven't had many people interested in buying! I wish I could explain to people that he is a really nice horse and he is not dangerous just a bit young, the saddle made him buck (i think, I mean I can't even guarantee it was that) and my fall was unfortunate, but how do you explain that without sounding dodgy and selling for peanuts?! I think it would be better if the owner would just pay for his saddle to be refitted as it would just be flocking. Sigh, I don't really mind as I still get to see him but he is no cheaper than a ridden horse at the mo, and he is a TB so plenty of others!

I think it has to be something really special at a bargain price to take the risk.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

One of mine is currently advertised for loan from the field. He has been sat on a handful of times this year and it purely becauae I haven't had the time to do anything with him.

I would have no hesitations about him being tried out under saddle by anyone.

I would be very wary if you were not allowed to try the horse without a very, very valid reason.

 

[laura_nash]

My current horse (in my sig) was sold from the field and he is great, no hidden problems. He did need to lose weight, get fittened up, and get his feet sorted out, but I didn't really have any other problems with him other than the usual settling in issues.

In his case the owner was given him for her birthday (yes, I know!) after her old horse died and never really took to him. She had young kids with ponies and was more interested in them. Left him in the field for two years and then sold him. She did get a local kid to ride him for a week prior to sale so he could be sat on, but he couldn't go out onto the roads due to his feet condition (unshod and neglected) so all I did was take him for a walk around the field. He was too fat and unfit to do anything much more, and also could only have a 3 stage vetting as vet wasn't happy to canter him (he was really fat!).

He was just the type, size, age etc i was looking for so I took a chance. I did get the owner to sign a contract stating he didn't have any serious behavioural or physical issues and listing the obvious ones (e.g. habit of bucking off rider, bad to shoe, history of laminitis, sweet itch etc).

 

[hayinamanger]

To me it means that the owner is not prepared to get on the horse, usually because they are overhorsed. Not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you get the whole story from the seller.

 

[Ladylina83]

My new horse has come from the field 8 years old, hasn't been ridden for a year, stonking 16.3 ID mare, has a good reputation from the hunt and owner has been honest and told me her quirks, he is elderly and his knees have gone so has given up riding, doesn't want to see her stood in the field for another year. He even paid for her to have a full set of shoes on the day before I picked her up so I could get on with it. We have a loan agreement with a view to see how we get on and the possibility of me buying her.

I am really looking forward to getting on her.