Valuing a 'bucker'

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L&M

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I hope this doesn't get pulled as not an advert but a genuine query!

I have a great allrounder, competed and won in all disciplines at RC/local level, hunted weekly, hacks alone and good in traffic, great personality and fab to handle. I would like to move 'up a level' so am considering selling him come spring.

In essence he is the perfect RC level horse, but unfortunately he will throw in a buck on occasions - not full on broncs and not everyday, but enough to put off a nervous rider.

If I do sell this horse I would clearly state in the ad he bucks, and if did not have this annoying habit (all relevant checks done...), think he would be worth around £4000.

So with a declared ridden vice, how much would this affect the price? Or would you not reduce the price, and just say 'not a novice ride' and the reason why?

Any thoughts?
 
I wouldn't reduce the price personally, my horse is also a bucker when he is fresh or excited but the type of rider that would want to buy this horse to carry on competing RC etc would have to be a capable one. You would be right to say not a novice ride in the ad. I wouldn't be put off if I phoned about him, any horse that is good at what they do tend to have the quirks to go with talent :) good luck in selling him! Being honest will be the best way to find the right person for him too.
 
I don't think you should class him as a bucker. I would go for the latter - not novice ride and explain that he occasionally bucks.

My mare is suitable for a novice OR an experienced rider but she has, on the odd occasion, had a buck. A horse that has bucked isn't a bucker. A bucker would be a horse that regularly bucks when faced with a particular issue, or goes into canter etc etc. All horses are capable of bucking so I guess you need to think about how regularly or the cause.

My mare has bucked three or four times when going into an excited canter - this is in three years though and I don't think it is worth labelling her as a bucker....
 
I would mention it in the advert as well but along the lines of " throws an odd buck when excited, nothing a competent rider couldn't handle" rather than saying not for novices - I find I put no novices and all I get is novices!

TBH I wouldn't mind a horse that does little bucks & don't think it should effect his value too much.
Perhaps knock some money off (for the right home!) and specify he should cost more, but only because he has a ridden vice, is not being sold full price.
 
I'm not convinced it makes much difference depending on the market. My last horse could do some pretty amazing ones on occasion, never in malice, just excitement. Not when being worked properly, just when over excited, like cantering on a fast group hack at the back, & occasionally waiting for the gate xc. Made no difference to his value, because anyone capable of riding or competing him anyway wouldn't have needed to make much effort to stay on. Same for yours, if you are selling as a first horse or a confidence builder for a nervous novice, then yes the bucking means he isn't suitable. As a fun allrounder for a competent novice, I wouldn't call the occasional high spirited buck that is easy to sit to a vice.
 
For this type of horse I wouldn't put it in the advert or class him as a 'bucker' and wouldn't reduce the price.

I would mention it on the phone to potential buyers, and I would accept that it will put the odd person off.

It describes one of my horses very well. He is a classy individual, safe as houses but sometimes fizzes up and is very predictable in his leaping and bouncing! I have never even wobbled on him, and I don't do bucking in general!

A previous horse I sold, had a proper buck in him. He rarely did it, but when he did he did it properly. I think my words to the purchaser were something along the lines of ' At some point you will be on the floor, it will come out of the blue and it may hurt!'
 
Thats been a real help all and thanks for your advice. He never bucks to get you off, more of a 'yipee I want to go Mum!'.

The reason I asked was that I was looking through Horsemart - there were 2 horses on there that were described as having a 'buck in them' and were both advertsised very cheaply to reflect that, and in these days of litigation, feel I need to be cautious.

I will be upfront with any prospective sellers and see how we get on, as am sure the right person will enjoy him as much as I have.
 
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