teeny rant about sellers

I_A_P

I_A_P

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right first of all im say im lucky that the one horse i have been to see was as described but a lot is to be desired with some that i ring up.

The first i week i rang up about 7 in H&H did not get through to one person...have now got through to a couple...but some i have left numerous messages with...do these people actually want to sell their horse??

Then others on the phone are very cagey and give you a no, no, no , no answer without actually saying anything-you come off the phone and dont feel like you know anything about the horse at all.

I just rang up about one she was like yeh hes done 2 pavos...had 2 clear xc rounds-looked on his record hes actually had a stop-i mean why lie BE is very easy to look up-and this has been the same with other horses.

Others just make no effort at all to tell you about the horse, and wjile i understand that some people dont have access to photos/computer/email its a lot easier nowadays and some are very reluctant.

just feel stressed!!
 
It's soooo stressful isn't it.

I found a very good trick was to always ask an open ended question - one that doesn't give them a chance for a yes or no answer.

The other was, so tell me a bit about him...... And then go quiet. People can't bear silence and you'll be amazed at what you can find out by keeping your gob shut....
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The stop might have been rider error - not jumping the fence and having to come back to it maybe?

Anyway, I TOTALLY agree, but I seem to be rather good at getting people talking - as Amy says, open ended answers and "tell be about him" is always good
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Ah, Fran, I know EXACTLY what you mean. Some people are so full of [****]! And when you do finally get round to arranging a viewing, they call you up just as you're about to leave for the 4 hour trip to tell you it's just been picked up by the new owner. Thanks.

I've also called people several times and left messages and you wonder whether they actually want to sell the bloody thing or not. I've also been told 'everything' on the phone, only to get there and find something completely different that was overpriced by about £3,000!

That very same horse I went to see, the people were awful. I say 'people' but I really mean 'trainer' and 'kid'. The 'trainer' had bought this as a 3yo for the 'kid' and I quote "so she can learn to ride a youngster". Honestly, this kid was about 15 and could not ride for the life of her. You do not get a 3yo to 'teach someone how to ride youngsters'. Anyway, she was flapping all over the place on the poor thing, came into a jump (horse was now 4yo) and it stopped, surprise. Not that that necessarily bothers me, it was what happened next that made me turn about face and drive home..... The 'trainer' picked up a broom, screamed and the horse and charged towards it, banging this poor hrose on the arse until it capleaped over, getting yanked in the mouth, a great thud on its back and more flapping. That poor horse. I think it can't be in any worse home. Hope it is ok now with people that know what they're doing.

Sorry for the rant, this is something that really gets to me.
 
yes i always start off with the "can you tell me a bit about the horses" but sometimes people are just so dead on the other end...when i was selling i tried to explain really well..give examples of when she had been good....really say something....there was one particular event rider who was awful to talk to on the phone...no offence and i wasnt asking silly questions...i felt quite annoyed!!

i mean yes the stop may have been rider error-but why lie when i had asked for its registered name to look it up??
 
I try to start off with the "can you tell me all about your horse?" but it often backfires by the sellers saying " well what do you want to know" followed by them saying "what are you looking for?", and if you are foolish enough to answer that one, surprise surprise the seller will tell you their horse is exactly as you have just described, and just what you are looking for!
I had better not get started otherwise I will have a major rant about ponies and horses I have travelled miles to see who are nothing like the horse described to me over the phone.
Time to sit on my hands before I go off on one!
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oh Fran call me up ill tell you all about my horse you will love him !!! ive been on the phone for hours before as a seller wanting to make sure that i dont get a numpty turn up to ride my boy - ive had quite a few !!

one telling me they wanted to compete do this and that - then when they turn up cant ride and only want something to hack im sorry but he is a happy hacker and if im going to sell him i want a competition home for him as thats what he deserves !!!
 
When I last looked I pt in a wanted add, it did find me a nice horse, but the amount of people who had exactly what I wanted for £1000 was quite impressive!

In fact it's amazing how many horses for sale that are perfect in every way yet only £1000
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I always worry I say too much on the phone as I am so pasionate about my foals and like to tell any potential buyers as much as possible about them and their dams and family before anyone makes a long trip to see them. To be honest if the foal is not what the buyer is looking for, it wastes my time as much as theirs to come and see it.
 
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I always worry I say too much on the phone as I am so pasionate about my foals and like to tell any potential buyers as much as possible about them and their dams and family before anyone makes a long trip to see them. To be honest if the foal is not what the buyer is looking for, it wastes my time as much as theirs to come and see it.

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Exactly i do think i must put some people off though keep waffling on !!
 
From a selling point of view, it is also quite tiresome talking over and over again knowing full well they just want to have a chat on the phone, with no real interest in coming to see your horse, the horse i currently have for sale, i have described him exactly as i would not want to waste mine or anyone elses time.
 
I never understand that either Fran. I think perhaps some people are just a bit simple with all aspects of life and they just aren't any different when it comes to selling their horses.

I tell my potential buyers absolutely everything about the horse AND I ask tonnes of questions on the phone to try to find out about them and if they sound suitable for the horse then I'll let them come, if they don't, then I will tell them that the horse is not for them.

Any horses I am interested in possibly buying, I always email first and ask all the relevant questions. If I get a good run-down then I will phone or send further emails asking more questions; again if all is things I want to hear then off I toddle to go and view the horse. If I feel I'm dealing with numpties then I will simply ask for specific photos of the horse and judge in on the photos rather than the info given.

I have been duped buying horses though, as most people will have been. One horse I travelled miles out into the wilderness to see - turned out the darned thing was blind! And the owners hadn't realised!!

I have also had some nice surprises though and paid well below the market value for some nice horses who have had owners who don't know what they are doing.

It really can be a bit of a lottery though and nowadays I do tend to buy from people I know who breed the sort of horses I am looking for - they are always completely honest with me and I like this.
 
daisychain-i see where you are coming from-but when isold my mare last month- i was pleased that i had someone ring up and ask about her-i immediatly asked what they are looking for so that i could tell them honestly whether or not she would be suitable-otherwise it just wastes everyones time!
and answered ervything i could as fully and honestly as i can.....tbh im more put off by someone living so far away and then not really telling me anything , rather than someone who gabbles on!
 
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daisychain-i see where you are coming from-but when isold my mare last month- i was pleased that i had someone ring up and ask about her-i immediatly asked what they are looking for so that i could tell them honestly whether or not she would be suitable-otherwise it just wastes everyones time!
and answered ervything i could as fully and honestly as i can.....tbh im more put off by someone living so far away and then not really telling me anything , rather than someone who gabbles on!

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My loan horse has just been sold and when people called me (the owner told them to speak to me for up to date info on the horse) - I always asked them what they actually wanted the horse to do. Mainly because I didn't want either of us to waste our time (ie. them come and see an unsuitable horse for their needs). I had to tell two people he wasn't suitable as i think they were both looking for something stuffed on legs
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When I'm selling, I always ask what people are looking for because like one or two others have mentioned, I will know if the horse willbe suitable or whether to cut the conversation short and stop wasting their time and mine. It does annoy me though when people say they want something 'not a complete dobbin' and they see what I would describe as a well-mannered rc all rounder who is forwards but not fizzy, off the leg but not strong, polite and capable of working correctly only to say 'oh, I think she is too lively'. What do they want FFS, an electric wheelchair with legs? I was selling a very sweet mare a while ago and had some real numpties turn up to try her. If they are only capable of riding walk, trot and center on a horse with one foot in the grave, I'd have far more respect for them if they were honest and just told me! I sold the mare to someone in the end who had only ridden riding school horses for the past 30 years but she was honest about her abilites and is keeping the horse in a yard where she has an instructor on hand to help her - both mare & new owner are very happy!
 
When looking for my current horse, I rang up a fair few before finding Norms.

Alot don't ever get back to messages, I presume they have sold the horse but please just let me know so I know for sure?! Others are a bit mean on the info side and others too much! (I know that sounds mad but when I rung up about one they went on and on and on about different hacks they'd been on, what they'd met etc etc) just tell me is he good with traffic/dogs etc !! Was on the phone for aaaaaages!

Good though as the horse is now mine and is a treasure!
 
Actually it is so difficult, as the one lady that tried him, then went on to say she had only been riding for 3 months!! He is safe and quiet, but not a riding school horse! I wish she had told me on the phone and i would have told her not to bother..
 
I had my first real experience of buying/selling a horse this year. In the past all my horses have just appeared and then when I'm thinking about selling people have appeared who want them. I didn't realise how lucky I'd been. As I was in a new area that I didn't know when I sold my mare this year it was wierd having phone calls from the add. If people asked what's she like, I had to ask in what way as she was such a love I could have gone on for weeks!
 
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