Sorry - rant - buyers!!

vhf

vhf

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Maybe I'm out of line but I'm a bit peeved. I'm selling my mare as a potential fun-horse to do a bit of allsorts, especially jumping. She's only 4 but a sensible, easy sort with plenty of scope for RC level and possibly more. I'm asking 4k.
Anyway, folk came looking for mother/daughter share to do local competitions and hacking. She's foot-perfect with them schooling and alone on a busy road, and they rode and handled her beautifully. They text back to say as she doesn't move totally straight and doesn't have clean legs she'll never show to any level so they offer me 3k. I say no thank you.
They text back 2 days later to say can they come back with their trainer. I say fine. Then trainer ill, so they cancel, can they rebook. I say yes.
Now I get a text saying trainer thinks she might not pass vet for eventing as she has a splint, so what will I take! I showed them the splint as it's difficult to find under the hair... and in my 30-plus years, I've never known a horse fail on a splint anyway!
If they were buying a top affiliated eventer, or county level show horse, or spending £10k I'd understand, but a 4k 15.1hh fun-horse?! Grr!
 
They are timewasters with a capital T. I wouldn't let them buy the horse and I certainly wouldn't let them come to see her again.
 
Its the text thing I dont like, ifthey have something to say, ring you and talk to you, not hiding behind their phone because they darent come out and say these things.
 
What a loan of cr*p - vetting wouldn't fail a horse for that! Otherwise pretty much nearly every horse in the country would fail. I get annoyed at buyers who try and use that approach - at the end of the day the vetting is simply to say if the horse is fit for purpose and if it is just for fun all rounder wouldn't be failed on that! I think they are complete timewasters or have a trainer who really doesn't know what she/he is doing!!
 
Sounds like they are really taking the P. Ask her to phone you if she has any concerns instead of hiding behind stupid text messages!!
 
4K for a nice all round fun type is reasonable at the moment! These time wasters sound like they are waiting to find somebody with a nice horse that they will sell to them at a silly price. They probably don't even have the 4K you are asking to spend on a horse. Splints don't make a horse fail a vetting, I have seen show horses with fairly big splints that have been successful as they were otherwise lovely types of horse. The only time a vet would query a splint was if the horse was lame on that leg or you wanted the horse to go & do some serious showing. Walk away from these people, they would probably be nightmares after the sale trying to blame you for every time the horse sneezes, bucks or farts! Either that or they could be dealers out for a bargain to make some money on....?
 
Been advertising her for a month - very cautiously as there's not many people I'd sell a 4yo to given that she's not going to go to a "professional". And these are the only people who've contacted me, and I loved the way they handled her. Such a shame!
Will keep her until next spring now which I didn't really want to do because she doesn't "need me" any more, and while I have her, there's another horse out there somewhere who does "need me" and I can't look for them until she's gone.
Still, will make a change to start the year with a fun safe easy horse instead of an unknown and generally unhappy "project"!

Thanks everyone for the support - am feeling less like an over-reactive over-protective fuss-pot now!
 
I have to say unless her breeding is really special I wouldn't pay 4K for a 4yo that hasn't done anything and possibly 'doesn't move straight' in fact have recently sold one the same size that is older and has done stuff for less.

You might get the money you want, but only if you put another 6 months work into the horse. I think (without seeing the horse) that 3K sounds about the right money
 
They obviouslt want the horse but are relly trying to get the price knocked down....they've even got their'trainer'trying to but it unseen. Tell them, by text, if they want to know anything then can they telephone you. I wouldn't budge on the price to them after all their scheming.
frown.gif
 
She's competed locally, qualified for the Champs of GB SJ, that kind of thing, got a few 7's and 8's in her first dressge comp, gone clear XC, but certainly nothing taxing, no!
http://vhf.5u.com/cgi-bin/photoalbum/view_photo/432789

I'm not expecting the full £4k of course, but I don't want her going to a "take her round 2 British Novice's and re-sell" home, nor to someone who doesn't understand that while she can go a week without work and still be the same, that she is still only 4 at the end of the day and so isn't suited to a "numptie" home.
 
so she has at least been out and done stuff (and looks cute in the photo BTW) so that does take her value up closer to the 4K you were asking.

She doesn't need to have done something taxing to appealing to buyers, many people are happy with something that will comfortably and safely do RC activities, so maybe you just need to push what she HAS achieved in quite a short time
 
I agree with others, sounds like they are being less than straight with you, I would bet they are looking for a quick re-sale and are trying to get the price as low as possible to increase their profit! They are probably embarrassed to be so shoddy with you over such a nice mare so are using texts to cover their shame. The mare looks as if she deserves better - perhaps try another ad in HorseQuest to attract a nicer buyer (just my predjudice!)
 
Thank you. Yes, she's a bit of a "dear old thing" which will sit more comfortably on a 14yo than a 4yo!
I have no power where I keep her and I work full time, so her shoes are coming off next week and she's going on winter hols for a month or three with my family's broodmares. Then I'll bring her back up for the spring and we'll see if there's some more interest when the clocks go back forward!
 
Buyers can be crappy. I sold my mare this year and had one woman who was really interested she kept phoning and would not get off the phone. I knew her life story by the end. She was going to come and see her and envited my partner and I to come see where she would be going. Then after about 2 weeks she said she could only afford £1000 at which point I was really annoyed as had spent ages on here and the advertised price was £2250!!! I felt really disheartened as we were trying to move as well then 2 weeks later the perfect home came along so hang in there. Sorry this was soooo long
 
You're right of course - I just hoped I'd find a nice "ordinary" home for her down here - most folk won't travel to the ends of the earth (or West Cornwall!) for a RC allrounder/best friend type.
It will be Horsequest in the spring!
 
VHF I totally sympathise with you I am selling my 6 yr old TB gelding due to being pregnant-he passed a vetting today the girl who wants him has ridden him every day this week and even hacked him out alone today which he is a bit unsure on but behaved brilliantly yet she has said she wants to hack him out some more before handing over the money - I am feeling a bit fed up with this either she wants him or she doesnt as I have other people who want to try him out and I am having to keep them hanging on. I explained this to her today and said I need an answer by tomorrow am I being unreasonable, as I have never had the chance to try out a horse as much as she has EVER I have been completely honest with her as it sounds like you have been with your horse. I am quite tempted not to sell him to her and put his price up!
 
i agree as well my mare has been for sale just over a week and the amount of cr*p i have got already is unbelievable-so many people wasting time, especailly people who dont turn up.
im even more annoyed by the people who aer like yeh yeh shes perfect brilliant wil ring u 2moro to book when we can see her and then dont call back-iv said nothing to put them off at all but they decide they are not interested-why not just say that shes not suitable??? as it just wastes everyones time.

Also i would say only about 20% of people who have rang and been quite serious have even asked if she has anythign wrong with her-which she doesnt but then they complain that they got somewhere and a horse had an unexplained this and that.....well if you dont ask then they probably wont tell u!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
You're right of course - I just hoped I'd find a nice "ordinary" home for her down here - most folk won't travel to the ends of the earth (or West Cornwall!) for a RC allrounder/best friend type.
It will be Horsequest in the spring!

[/ QUOTE ]


You have hit the nail on the head here. You are in Cornwall. Horses don't sell well, locals don't have the money, people further afield won't travel to 'the sticks' Cornwall.
I can't sell my top class show pony down here for peanuts. my friend in Glos could take him, sell him quickly, for three times what I am asking.

Tell these 'potentials' where to go. Stick to your guns, the right home WILL come along.
 
Dont' tempt me...
No, she has to be sold when she goes because then I find another "project" and work on that for a few months/year or so. I try not to keep them once they're well, happy, and I know what sort of home will suit them.
Kind of pay-back for everything the horseworld has done for me over the years, I find a horse who needs help to get the life it deserves but once it's ready to move on, it aught to go!
But every year I get numpties or timewasters before the perfect home turns up. I was so pleased this time to get people who could ride nicely... ah well.
The right one's out there somewhere!
 
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