The delicate art of making an offer

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indiat

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Hi peeps,

As some may know we are on the lookout for a family horse, with a woefully small budget. Everyone keeps telling us to look beyond our budget a little and make an offer. What's the best way of doing that and when? Should I steer clear of the horses out of budget unless the ad specifically says they will take an offer? Should I tell some one my budget before I go to see the animal? What's an acceptable offer? 10 per cent of what they are asking? Sorry to sound such a numpty.

Also, a lot of people seem to advertise five year olds as family horses in our price bracket, is this right? I would have thought a five year old would need a very competant rider and certainly wouldn't be for the nervous (I'm not brave on a new horse and I like to take things slowly).

To cap it all off, I'm falling in love with the most beautiful coloured five year old gelding on our yard. His owners can't come up at the mo and I've been giving him a bit of love. I am starting work next week looking after a couple of retired veterans at the yard in return for rides and I do love this boy. I know he's not suitable for us and his owners would probably never sell him and if they did he would be beyond our budget but oh, he's so lovely!

Just realised how often I said the word love in the last para, lol!

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
My horse was up for 6k, we didn't have 6k, about 5k and so after seeing him twice, well once but then he got sold and then they changed their mind so went to see him again, we offered 5k but they said they would accept 5,300 including tack so we agreed- you have just got to put it out there! they can only say no and give their lowest price!
I don't think you can really say an acceptable offer, obviously you can't look at a 10k horse and offer 4k because thats just silly, but i think especially if they are looking for a good home etc. then they will be more flexible, especially if they like you...
Only once when selling a horse have the new owners not haggled- oddly the guy was a top bloodstock agent buying a pony for his son, but they were happy to pay full price!
I would just go and have a look, if you like what you see, put in an offer there and then and see what they say!
The ads saying no offers, well obviously don't try with them unless nearly within your budget...
 
If you want to make an offer you try the horse out and then say "I would very much like to buy him/her and am in the position to offer you £..... Depending on the price of a horse a drop of £250 to £500 is not an unreasonable offer. A five year old is young if this is your first horse but it really depends on how much experience and help you will be getting. Some young horses can be sensible whereas nutters seem to span the whole age range! Is it possible to take someone more experienced with you when trying out horses? Also please budget to have the horse vetted before you buy. I hope you find a lovely horse.
 
So do you think its better to go and see the horse and make an offer if we like it, rather than warning some one we will HAVE to make an offer beforehand? I just don't want ot be a timewaster!
 
It is a slow market at the moment and I honestly don't think people will be surprised to receive offers. Quite often they price them above the amount they are actually expecting to achieve anyway.
 
Hi Divasmum,

I am not totally inexperienced, this will be my second horse. My mare died last year after 10 years together. And don't worry, I'll be getting anything we like vetted, I've heard too many horror stories! I worry about younger horses as my smallest child is only five and I still lead my eldest out on hacks.
 
indiat said:
So do you think its better to go and see the horse and make an offer if we like it, rather than warning some one we will HAVE to make an offer beforehand? I just don't want ot be a timewaster!
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We didn't and i wouldn't recommended it... but i think you have to be reasonable. So if you have 1k then going to look at a 3k horse is wasting time but looking at something 1.5-2k then that is fine although be prepared to have to add a little extra to your budget....
People wont see you as a time waster if you make an offer that they wont accept, because after all you are just offering what you think the horse is worth, or what you can afford.... If you are looking at horses worth 5k with only 1k, then that is timewasting!
 
I too wouldn't necessarily rule out a younger horse. I bought a 2 yr old, who's now 5, and I would and have put a total novice on her, as she's rock steady. Just depends on what you want to do with the horse longer term. I would draw up a shortlist and go see. If there's anything you particularly like, think about what you'd realistcally want to pay (the seller may be well out, esp in current market). Then, call seller back, say you liked the horse and would like a 2nd viewing but don't want to waste their time so would like to discuss, at this point, whether they would be open to a conversation about negotiating on the price. They can only either say yes or no! Good luck!
 
Generally when selling horses I expect people to haggle with me. However the maximum I would budge would be 10% off asking price to a really good home. I would maybe look at horses upto 20% over your budget, so if you have a £5000 budget you could maybe look at horses upto £6k. I wouldn't say to the seller at the beginning you can't afford the whole asking price, but when you view the horse try to gauge how open to offers they maybe. Don't look at horses well over your budget, as then you would be timewasting IMO. I had a lady come view a horse I had for sale at £7k (worth every penny of that £7K!), she tried the horse twice, then we took the horse to a competition for the prospective purchaser to see in a competition environment. That evening I got a phonecall, telling me how perfect the horse was for what they wanted etc and offered £4k as that was all they could afford!!!!! I turned down the offer. IMO that was timewasting. The horse had only just been advertised, so I wasn't desperate to sell her. When I turned down the offer they pleaded with me to take it as my horse was so perfect (hence why she was £7K!!!!!!)!!!!!!!
 
That would certainly open a lot more of the market to us. My budget is pathetic, 1500, but it will rise to 2000 by the end of April so I am going to hold off until then. I might as well shop with the best budget I can!

Charliemouse - I do pity you, putting up with people like that! That's why I wanted to check out how to make an offer, I really don't want to find a horse I love and then find out its a few hundred pounds out of my price bracket.

Thanks for all the advice!
 
I would sooner have a 5 year old with the right attitude and a sensible head than a 10 year old who has got all the experience but is still a bit loopy! Don't let age put you off if you think it could be the right horse.

I too was wary about looking at a horse last year that was only 4 years old, but I felt safe on her and she's been really good so far. On hacks she walks past scary things that my friends much older horse is freaking out over. The way I see it she's an investment for the future, she is nearly 5 now. My other horse is 15 and was often spooking and spinning at things out on hacks, it was just her nature. She's the one that is often winding up the 4 year old in the field too!
 
Thanks for that Tobey. I have to be honest, I didn't think of a younger horse at all, I was thinking of 10+. But I suppose it all depends on temprement and the education they have had so far, as you say. I just need to get out there and start trying but like I said, I want to do it with money in my pocket so the right one doesn't get away.
 
Divasmum said:
It is a slow market at the moment and I honestly don't think people will be surprised to receive offers. Quite often they price them above the amount they are actually expecting to achieve anyway.
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I agree with this. I have noticed a lot more nice sounding allrounders advertised for under £3k recently. I will hopefully have some money by the summer to start looking seriously.:D

I did phone up about this though:-http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/marketplace/classified/4-details-horses-for-sale_224839.htm


sounds really sweet, but hasn't actually pointed (apparently H&H made a mistake) and has very limited jumping experience, which could be a problem for me. I'm waiting for them to email me some more pics.
 
My horse was advertised for 10K on website and without a price on another website, which is the ad we rung. After talking about him and how ideal he sounded we did ask how much and then gulped as our budget was 6K. However, the lady was lovely and said the most important thing was a good home so if we came out to try him and got on well with him she might be prepared to drop to 7K - which is how it turned out and we bought him a few years ago! He's been wonderful ever since, although through no fault of his own will be for sale soon. I think we will advertise him for between 5 and 6 thousand but considering he is now 13 that may be very optimistic and I'm sure we might take less.
 
QR one of my horses was originally advertised for £13k and I got him for £4.5k - obviously that is very extreme and would not usually happen, and there is a long story behind it, but the moral of the story is that you never know the circumstances and it is always worth making an offer :) If you dont ask, you dont know :)
 
Bloomin' heck Gazehound - want to do my horsey shopping for me?! I'd like Totillas please if you can get him within budget. :)
 
There is no harm in making an offer. Everyone wants as much as possible but all have a bottom line figure. Our best hunter was for sale at £5000, i didn't have that amount so offered £2500. Got him for £2750 and would have paid £3000.

I have a very talented jumping mare for sale at the moment and I know I will take a less than she is up for.

So just go for it.
 
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