Totally stuck finding horse a new home... any ideas?

[Bobella]

I think I went to see this horse with a friend. I apologize in advance if this is not the same mare, but the breeding/location certainly match, as does the general description. What doesn't match though is the "mild" sweet itch, as I would have definitely have described it as bad and it was off putting. Also the mare I saw was rising 13 according to the passport.
She did go nicely and we did see her jump a decent fence, but she was not at all straight forward, which is fine, but for her age, physical issues and blemishes, there are others out there.
Again, really sorry if this is not the same horse, but thought it only fair to add the perspective from someone who actually really liked the mare and who's friend was very interested, but not at the price with what else is out there in this buyer's market.

 

[LowenKi]

Thanks everyone for your help I have a few leads which I'm now pursuing! Thanks for your comments Bobella, if it was my mare. I have certainly never described her as a straightforward horse and she certainly isn't suited to what I would class as a novice rider (hobby rider/riding club type). She needs a more serious pro type rider to get the best from her - a BS or BE focused home ideally.

Measles thank you for your wonderful kind comments after seeing the video - she is super. Fingers crossed I can find her a good competetive loan home as a starting point.

I'll let you all know how it goes!

 

[christine48]

3k seems very cheap for a horse with ability and at that price you may attract the wrong type of buyer especially if she needs a competent sensitive rider.
What on earth has the 'pro event rider' been doing all these months other than ripping you off? Yes lots of events have been cancelled but we've managed to get runs in. At the very least the mare could have gone out SJ, affiliated dressage, XC schooling etc.
You could try upping the price. Failing that I'm sure someone would have her on loan to compete, it's the wrong time to loan out brood mares, Spring time is better.
Good luck.

 

[boxcarhorse]

I'd get on the phone and ring round the local Gloucestershire Pony Club DC's tonight. (VWH, Cotswold, Beaufort, Berkeley, North Cotswold, Heythrop).

And see whether they know of anyone who'd be interested in the loan. That way they'll have a couple of days to go and try her.

Contact details will be on the PC website.

 

[DuckToller]

Definitely put her on the PC website, perhaps as loan with a view to buy. I have been looking through them as our competition horse has gone lame with no hope of recovery, and while I am waiting for insurance to sort, I would love something on loan that I could work on and would prefer older horse.

I have no budget atm but hopefully if the insurance pays up I would then be in with a chance to buy, hence loan with view to buy would suit so well.

Someone mentioned video - where please?!

 

[cronkmooar]

Have you looked in the wanted ads on Horsequest??

There could be a couple of possibilities for loan home on there

 

[Cluny]

Lowenki, I can empathise! I've had my German WB (Contender/Sandro breeding) gelding with my instructor for four months now on sales livery at a very reasonable price (under £3k) as he's 13 and we live in Cornwall. He's not straightforward and needs someone who knows what they're doing on board. I've had him advertised on HorseQuest and have had two viewings, I'm now having to go down the loan route but it is so frustrating.

 

[samIam]

Hi showjump, she was entered for three BE's over the summer but they each got cancelled! I was advised that the sort of people interested in buying her wouldn't care about a record, because apparently she is too old to be a serious competition horse for anybody now, which is such a shame as I feel like I've wasted her by not doing much with her now! It wasn't the advise I was expecting to hear but at the end of the day I just wanted her to find the right home so I couldn't really argue if a pro rider says they know best.
She has done BS and BD in the past but only a couple of outings on tickets.

Ladyt25 she is HUGELY capable, but definitely a horse for a sensetive, competent rider. She's the sort of horse that needs to be ridden properly, you can't just put a novice/nervous rider on her and get the same results unfortunately. She's not spooky but is very forwards and this scared some of the potential buyers. She also has an enormous bascule over fences and made these same novicey riders feel very unbalanced.

The sales livery she's been in is commission only, so I do genuinely believe that they tried their best to sell her on. They haven't made any money from keeping her put it that way!

She definitely isn't too old to properly compete-look at Lenamore!! and do you any videos/pics of her she sounds great !

 

[xspiralx]

Just on the flip side, I'd argue that in my experience (both selling and buying), people won't buy a horse for potential over the age of about 10, without a competition record to back it up. You've also got the added difficulty of her not being straightforward, and having sweet itch, which would put a lot of people off.

Based on that I wouldn't say she was underpriced - nor overpriced - but I don't think she is going to be the easiest to sell. It's a shame the pro didn't get her doing some affiliated BS or BD so she had some results - that would really help sell her.

She sounds lovely though, so best of luck.

 

[catembi]

I wouldn't, WD! A week or so ago, I put a perfectly innocent post in NL asking if anyone (i.e. anyone in general) would be interested in sharing an EPSM horse. Meaning am I being deluded in thinking that a person would want to ride Adrian when he can really only plod. I didn't put any specifics or location, & I still got 3 infraction points for my trouble!

I replied to the infraction as I didn't think it was fair, but deleted TFC's reply without reading it as I just couldn't be bothered.

(I replied to an ad on Preloved & a lovely lady came to see him yest & wants to ride him a few times a week. Apparently walking is fine with her!)

So be careful!

T x

 

[LowenKi]

Thank you everybody for your comments and ideas. Interesting to hear from somebody in a similar situation that has decided to loan too!

WD I honestly, genuinely posted looking for advice and have heard so many loan stories now and gained enough confidence from kind posters who have commented on the fact that just because she hasn't sold, doesn't mean I won't be able to find the right rider/long term home for her - that I was able to decide on the loan route quickly enough that I might have a solution to my homeless horse!

After posting in my local tack shops and putting the word out through local trainers, pony clubs etc we do now have a few people lined up to look at her over the weekend with a view to a loan.

I certainly wouldn't have had the confidence to initiate this at such short notice without the helpful and educated comments and advice I received on here.

Thank you very much everybody, am keeping my fingers crossed that one of the potential riders will be right! Please believe I wasn't trying to advertise

 

[Copperpot]

I have just bought a 10 year old horse that was on sales livery at my yard in Bucks. That was sale for 7k and has BE points. He is only 15.2 thou. I agree with the others, I think you should ask more. Although its probably wrong of me, I would wonder why she was only 3k if she has that much ability and it would put me off slightly.

 

[LowenKi]

That's interesting Copperpot so many people have said the same - and perhaps by putting her in that lower price bracket, that's why we've attracted riders who don't seem to have the skills to ride her! Food for thought, and definitely something I'll do differently when we next advertise her. x

 

[Goldenstar]

I have just bought a 10 year old horse that was on sales livery at my yard in Bucks. That was sale for 7k and has BE points. He is only 15.2 thou. I agree with the others, I think you should ask more. Although its probably wrong of me, I would wonder why she was only 3k if she has that much ability and it would put me off slightly.

The horse has sweet itch would that not explain the reduced price to people
I think thinking more about it there's no way I would view a horse with this issue at 7k.
OP would she hunt do you think ?
That might be an alternative use for her where the sweet itch would not be such an issue in the time of year when she was needed to be at her busiest.
Hunting with a big jumping pack might be just they job for her.

 

[Scarlett]

I think your asking too much. I've recently been helping a friend look for a horse around that money and of similar type, we saw the advert for your horse and although she looked nice for similar money there were similar horses with records and, most importantly, without sweet itch.

She is older, doesn't have a competition record to prove ability and has a medical issue that requires management, with some of the utter bargains we saw and tried (horses proven at 1.10/BE100 etc) I can understand why your struggling.

Good luck with the potential loan homes - I hope you find someone suitable.