Sold my filly - but terms of sale?

[Arkmiido]

My sweet little foal was snapped up by the first person to view her, yesterday. He's coming back at weekend to give me some money, but wants her to stay here for a bit until he's ready for her. Should I be asking for full amount this weekend, rather than a deposit? Really can't afford to be messed around, if I am going to stop advertising her, or say she is unavailable if anyone calls/wants to view. Or is she still for sale until the deposit/full amount is in my hand?? If deposit, what % of asking price is usual?
Would you charge extra for the additional time she stays here? In some ways I'm quite happy because 6 months seems too young to be weaned, IMHO. What would you recommend as a good weaning age? My previous youngster stayed in the herd with her dam until she was about a year, had pretty much weaned herself, (or the mare's back legs had!) and was happy with mum hacking out for hours at a time. I'm worried being thrown in a lorry and taken for a long drive is going to be really stressful for mare left behind, and foal!
And finally, how do people word receipts for youngstock?
I'm very new to this selling game - my guys are usually homes for life, but my life has gotten in the way this time round. Any help gratefully received!

 

[jaypeebee]

Sell the foal out right this weekend. Give free livery until the agreed date the foal will leave. Start to wean foal after payment has been received in full. I do not take deposits for my foals. They are sold or they are not. I have contracts in place for foals sold pre-weaning stating that the foal is here on a livery basis until set date. So foal is just like any livery horse and owner assumes the same risks. I also give a receipt or bill of sale. Sale is final and if foal injures itself then it is owners liability.

 

[Luci07]

Agreed. If he wants her to stay with you and you are happy for that, then he needs to pay for the whole value of the foal, have it in writing that the foal is now his (as previous poster, in case of accidents etc). I am not totally sure about the free livery - if you are happy to do that then thats very kind of you, but I would put it in writing that additionial monies for vet, feed, extras would need to be paid by the new owner and are not your responsiblity. I would also have an end date whereby either the foal has to go or your free livery starts to be charged at some sort of rate!

 

[flowerlady]

Sell the foal out right this weekend. Give free livery until the agreed date the foal will leave. Start to wean foal after payment has been received in full. I do not take deposits for my foals. They are sold or they are not. I have contracts in place for foals sold pre-weaning stating that the foal is here on a livery basis until set date. So foal is just like any livery horse and owner assumes the same risks. I also give a receipt or bill of sale. Sale is final and if foal injures itself then it is owners liability.

Totally agree with this ^^^^ you need to cover yourself if the foal is injured they may not complete and want money (deposit back) like jaypeebee says it's like a livery they are responsible for the foal. I would start the weening process now if you are selling. When does the man want her??

 

[misst]

^^^ agree too baaa baaa. When I bought an 8 month old I paid fully, after his vetting. He stayed there for another month whilst things were sorted out for him my end. I had him insured from date of purchase, I had a receipt and I offered to pay livery for the month he was there. The seller charged me a very nominal amount to make it business like. The only thing I would not have been happy with would have been if he was in what I considered to be an environment he was likely to get injured in. This was not the case - he was very happy and safe.

If the buyer is not prepared to pay in full and then pay livery then I think I would wait for someone who would. I would also insist they took out insurance from the day they paid for him.

 

[Arkmiido]

Thanks for that - I agree - sold or not, no halfway. I only still have her as my friends who were "definitely having her" decided couple of weeks ago they no longer had the money. She is my winter hay money (or at least, my means of mum being paid back for purchasing it...), so can't really afford for this to go wrong, and to waste the advertising costs etc. I just didn't want to demand full amount now unless that was fairly standard practice.
I'm a little reluctant to start the weaning process in case it causes accidents ie her running through a fence? They are almost new, very solid stock fences with electric topline, but foals can be silly.... Would the purchaser be obliged to insure her? If I am taking money for a "livery service" does this cause more problems if she had an accident?
I just want someone to pay the money and collect her really... but I'm really, really sad she's going!

 

[ossy]

Sell the foal out right this weekend. Give free livery until the agreed date the foal will leave. Start to wean foal after payment has been received in full. I do not take deposits for my foals. They are sold or they are not. I have contracts in place for foals sold pre-weaning stating that the foal is here on a livery basis until set date. So foal is just like any livery horse and owner assumes the same risks. I also give a receipt or bill of sale. Sale is final and if foal injures itself then it is owners liability.

As JPB says can't really add to that. Can't run risk of injury during the weaning stage.

 

[Arkmiido]

"in a few weeks" he said. He has offered to pay in full, and pay livery, so I won't be asking out of the blue. His daughter's horse only died recently and he wants to bring her home as a surprise. (Yes, this doesn't fill me with huge amounts of confidence as a premise for buying an ISH x Wb filly who will make 16.2..) but she sounds very competent, as does he, and a very good, loving home, for life. Its just I can envisage the phonecall, saying "very sorry but I think another horse is actually a bad idea for my daughter, she's still grieving.." bla bla. (Not that someone's grief for their horse is bla bla per se, but when they no longer want my foal it is!) oh dear, I can imagine the responses I'm about to get here!!

 

[jaypeebee]

I just didn't want to demand full amount now unless that was fairly standard practice.

It is standard business practice to sell foals of this age out right.

I'm a little reluctant to start the weaning process in case it causes accidents ie her running through a fence?

This is why you do not wean until transaction has been completed and money is in your account.

Would the purchaser be obliged to insure her?

I always advise buyers of foals to take out insurance.

If I am taking money for a "livery service" does this cause more problems if she had an accident?

I dont know because I dont ask them to pay for livery service. It is included in the purchase price of the foal.

I just want someone to pay the money and collect her really... but I'm really, really sad she's going!

Yes but the foal is not weaned yet so she cant go until that happens anyway. Make sure you put an agreed date on the sale contract and that the foal must be collected by that date. Good luck.

 

[Tinseltoes]

I agree with everyone else.

 

[ossy]

I'm a little reluctant to start the weaning process in case it causes accidents ie her running through a fence?

Don't start it untill he has paid money, but if it was to fall through and she is not sold sooner rater than later you would need to start this process anyway.

 

[Faro]

When I bought one of my boys at 8 weeks of age in 2000, I paid in full (although he was an absolute bargain price). He was to come to me when weaned, and until then, he was kept at no extra cost to me, with his dam at the stud where he was born.

The agreement was that once he was weaned I could collect whenever I wanted, but would from then on pay grass livery fees until I took him. That was perfectly agreeable to me and to the breeders (except that that was the year we had Foot and Mouth and livestock movement restrictions, so unfortunately there was a 3 month delay in me being able to bring him home).

The other two boys I bought after they had been weaned, so I didn't have to wait. In both cases I paid a 50% deposit on the day of viewing and the other 50% 1 week later when the boys came home to me.