Standard Sale Contract ?

[canteron]

I have just put a horse out on loan, and using the BHS loan agreement have listed her likes/dislikes and quirks - in an informative not authorative manner.

Wouldn't it be nice if a similar document was standard for sales. Would just help the new owner have an idea where they were starting from and could deal with any quirks sympathetically?

What do you think?

 

[gummybear]

how many people would actually use it though? I recently sold my horse and was very upset to see him go but pregnancy forced the sale. I did a 2 1/2 page essay for his new owner on his likes, dislikes, what to do with him at certain times of the year, feeding, schooling etc etc. She was very grateful of this and I did it almost for my own piece of mind so that she knew how he ticked. Quite a few friends of mine who have bought horses have been given similar things from the sellers (all private) - but I think you would struggle with dealers producing something like this

 

[spacefaer]

I think it could make more difficulty than it solves - I can see where you're coming from and it's a basically good idea

but IME horses can behave differently depending on the handler, management routine, yard atmosphere etc etc - it is not possible to control all eventual situations with one written outline of the horse as you had him

think how differently horses behave at shows when you take them compared to ho they are at home.... then change the handler..... then change another factor in their management.... they may be quieter, they may be stressier - there isn't a piece of paper in the world that could cover every eventuality

You can warrrant the horse generally ("good in traffic") than to say "unless he has just been spooked by a blackbird in a hedge, when he then might flinch at a passing car"....

Also, surely it's up to the new owner to get to know the horse and ride him as theirs, rather than be dictated to by a bunch of notes from the previous owner, no offence intended. Isn't it part of the fun of having a new horse, finding out his character?

 

[Faithkat]

I think any relevant comment regarding likes or dislikes are a good idea. I sold a mare who was a devil for eating acorns (not good, as we would all agree) so I put a note to that effect on her sales receipt. The purchaser was very grateful as she had oak trees round her fields and had never had a horse before that ate acorns so it had never occurred to her.
The mare was also very prone to mud fever and although I had told them that when they came to view her, I also put it on the sales receipt.
Behaviour is more difficult though, as others have said, it depends a great deal on individual circumstances and how the horse interacts with the new owner. I have just sent a NF youngster off to be backed and was amazed to receive a text saying that it had taken him a few days to settle down and that he hadn't eaten for 2 days. He is the kindest, gentlest pony imaginable and I never thought that anything would upset him so how wrong can you be? Food comes between him and his dreams and he can finish a feed faster than anything I've ever owned (with the possibly exception of a gutty-pig Arab!) so for him not to eat . . . . . . . . and it was his normal feed as I sent a supply with him.

 

[MrSpam]

I quite like the idea, though I don't think it's practical really, especially for professional dealers.

I bought a horse and was told everything about her, the old owners really cared about her and where she was going. So I knew about her being prone to rain scald etc. It was really useful. I've got another also from private home, they were less frank and only told me positives (all true), but I would have liked to know the pony had sweet itch, only realised when the poor pony was scratching and of course the rugs are v expensive.

 

[abbieandfiona]

thinnk it would be a great idea only told the truth on my 2nd pony i brought all likes dislikes etc from them. The first pony that i still have they said all good info how quite in traffic it is which is true not the fact that it bolts out of stable, bites, has kicked out in past, hates men, sweet-itch and has no respect on the ground for anyone.