Those of you who have had to make that decision to sell your one in a million horse.

Sparkles

Sparkles

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 April 2009
Messages
7,571
Visit site
How did you do it?


Or even consider it?


I'm under the possibility of doing so, and honestly, am a blubbering ruin just at the thought.


I got as far as writing an advert to a friend....and had to cancel it and am now sat here actually shaking.


Some new year.
 
Not the baby cob no. My first pony.

Got a few personal issues with myself that I don't want to air on here...but don't see any other way round than selling one, and she's the only sell-able one out of the lot. I'd promised on keeping her till she was old and grey.

Sent a few messages to close friends to see if I could do a buy back with anyone.

Blubbering again.
 
I'm praying no-one walks in the room right now. I'm a wreck and I've not even done anything yet other than send a few messages.
 
Just want to say good luck whichever way you decide. I have never had to make that decision but I have had my boy since he was a baby (he still is young) and I have vowed I will keep him for life no matter what so I would hate to find myself in your situation. Hope all works out.
 
I did it a few months ago and found it all very traumatic. I took ages to decide whether to do it and kept backing out and would only of let him go to a perfect home.i was actually turning people away as he deserved the best.he was only for sale as I had a baby and couldn't keep competing at the level he was and he loved his job sooo much it wasn't fair.hes very happy now and doing brilliantly but it still breaks my heart as he was my forever horse!peoples circumstances change and sometimes you have to do what's best for you and your horse x
 
I've not been in that position and am very sorry. But think of it that she was your one in a million... and you are going to give someone else that chance of finding their one in a million.
 
I'd put her out on loan before when I left college for a couple of years before her rider outgrew her and she came back, I've owned her nearly over 8 years now. She's just perfect.

I know I'd be able to sell her no problem, which you'd think would make it easier, but it's not as I won't advertise her publicly nor sell her to anyone.

I don't have a clue what to do. If it was a case of being able to just loan her out again, then I would, but it's not unfortunately.

I'm not advertising her. I want her to go to a friend if I can. If not...well, I don't know yet.

I'm sorry for anyone else who has had to. I honestly don't know how you managed it. x
 
PandorasJar said:
I've not been in that position and am very sorry. But think of it that she was your one in a million... and you are going to give someone else that chance of finding their one in a million.
Click to expand...

That was my thought when I put her out on loan. She's been a lot of peoples one in a million x
 
I had to sell Alice a mare I bred! She was perfect in everyway and far exceeded my expectations of what i could breed. she had a massive jump, super mover and fabulous confirmation but we just didnt get on. I produced her till she was 7 but we just didnt click or have a bond. I Felt sure she was destined for great things. she was so talented that it seemed ridiculous that I should keep her when we didnt get on and I was sure she would click with someone else. I decided I would put my mare in foal again and sell Alice. It broke my heart but i sold her to a super family who instantly believed she was destined for great things just like i did. She has since been to hoys 3 times, rihs 4 times, royal windsor, burghley event pony etc. In the meantime i brought a stop gap horse between the alice and ellie (the next foal) and had tremendous sucess with him. Ellie is perfect for me we click really well and have a great bond and she has as much if not more talent than Alice. Selling Alice was the most heartbreaking decision but was definately the right one.
 
Is there no other way you can sort out your issues, if it is a debt then just pay it off with smaller amounts over longer time, could she go on grass livery, all what we sell our horses for doesnt give us huge amounts in our bank balances for what they give us in our hearts. If it was me i just wouldnt do it, selfish i know.
 
Unfortunately it's nothing to do with her I'm afraid or any debt and as far as she goes, she doesn't actually cost me anything livery-wise as included at work for me.

Complicated but I just can't explain on here. :o
 
I had to rehome my boy a few weeks ago I am devastated by it. Had him for 7 years since an unhandled foal. I just couldn't sell him I need to know where he is and he's OK so I went the loan option but not before spending a year trying to find a reliable sharer, loaning him from current yard and even paying people to ride him. Sadly no one was ever reliable and I couldn't afford full livery or pay enough to make it worthwhile to ride him regularly enough, his welfare was at stake due to not being exercised and my health got worse so I couldn't even check him daily. Hardest decision and thing I've ever done, but he is in a lovely home and happy and weight under control which is the priority.

Could you consider a temporary loan rather than sale?
 
I did about ten years ago.. He was a really special little cob, but I was badly injured at the time (nothing to do with him) and lost my job and just couldn't keep him.

It was very traumatic and involved a lot of tears.

As to whether it was the right thing it is hard to say. It gave me a much needed chance to get back on track and ended up being an eight year break from ownership (still rode friends horses) which gave me a chance to develop my career, go on nice hols and save some decent money.

I regretted letting him go as his type are hard to find, however with the help of this forum I tracked him down a couple of years ago, which was lovely, and which also let me see that although he is a real sweety still, like all horses he has grown into himself and perhaps wouldn't be as perfect for me now.

I am lucky enough to have found another special horse now, who although can be daft sod, is very kind and well suited to me (also a daft sod ;)!), so it doesn't have to mean you won't find another when the time is right.

Best of luck in your decision.:)
 
I'm so sorry :(

I'll still have my other two, so won't be horseless as such, but these are my 3 'life long' horses, her especially as she was my first, broke her in, did everything with her and was my first pony off my dad.

Selling the baby coblet....just is a no. Same as selling the big lad as he was a gift horse.

She's the only 'easy' sellable one out of the 3, and one I have no worries about her with another person/rider, as she's a saint and the type you wouldn't ever sell under any other circumstances. If I had any other choice, I wouldn't even be contemplating this, but, I have to.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound blunt in any of my replies. It's just extremely hard to think this all through. :o

Thankyou all x
 
I had to do it once. I bought a 4 year old at 5 and 6 he evented but got an injury. He had 6 months off and then I just did dressage with him. By 10 we were doing advanced. We had bought him with some of my husbands redundancy money and he never got a well paid job again. I rode at a judges training day and was offered quite a lot of money for him. We were broke and I really couldnt afford to compete at that level so I sold him. I regreted it for the rest of my life. That was 25 years ago
 
Thankyou :(

I've popped a message up on my FB to close friends who know her....she's taught plenty to ride, so I'm sure a home won't be hard. Letting her go will be though :(
 
Personally I don't think I could. I was having a similar discussion with my OH yesterday as one of our customers is going through this at the moment and I feel dreadful for her. Just thought I'd share my experience in case it makes it any easier. I bought someones one in a million horse. She had a baby and couldn't manage so she put her up for sale very cheaply and decided to vet the homes. I was the first person to see her ( rang within hours of advert going on ) and I fell head over heels for her. I was so grateful at having the opportunity to own such an amazing horse at such a low price that 2 years later I still keep in touch and we meet up and go to 3 days together. We've been offered a lot more than we paid but she's not for sale at any price. She's my dream horse
 
That's a lovely story :(

My only worry with advertising...as much as I know there are good people out there, people are still just strangers to me ultimately, and I'd hate to somehow end up duped and her end up just going to someone who will just sell her on. :o I'd be terrified despite how many checks, references I did or asked for...I still wouldn't be able to assure myself of the home. Which sounds awful I know :o
 
I am having to sell my first homebred. I love him to pieces and know he would be the perfect ride for me when he's older. But things have gone a bit balls up financially and he has to go. Though i think i've found him the perfect home, it wont be easy for me to let him go. It softens the blow knowing that if he does go to the home i want him to, he'll be doing exactly what i bred him for and more.
 
I tried a month ago, for financial reasons I needed out, this is a dream horse I own, I advertised on one very quiet website, couldn't face the ones I might actually get a lot of interest from, anyway I was turning people away for stupid reasons and I was miserable and couldn't face people who knew and would talk about the sale, also think my horse knew so I was struggling being with her also! My husband eventually put a stop to it and said we'd find some other way to get money together so I'm keeping her ;-) I did sell my last horse though and I was determined he was my forever horse and to be honest he's happier in his new home than he was with me, I'm a competition rider and he is preferring the quiet life, so whatever u decide they can be happy in another home ;-)
 
Thankyou all.

Would anyone be able to help advise regarding pricing at all?

I'm at a loss at what to think of...as obviously I want it a realistic price to reflect her but equally easy to have the opportunity to buy her back easily.

I can PM anyone, as it's against board rules now I think, but I need some impartial advice as I can't put a price on her myself. :o
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top