Vetting today serious second thoughts!

ExpressPrincess

ExpressPrincess

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I’m selling my lovely horse today 5 stage vetting is booked in for 2pm however I’m now thinking I just can’t part with her!!! I need her sale money and she is a very expensive horse to keep, yard owner is now putting pressure on me to have her stable as she has just brought another horse.

My horse is not perfect but i've had her since 2011 and she does what is asked of her to the best of her ability, I was planning on selling her and buying something with more potential but due to the sales market I have reduced her price so much that I will now just be clearing bills with what I get for her, I don’t want to disappoint the people who are buying but I don’t feel happy about it anymore. I know this needs to be a head over heart decision but I finding that so hard, I know I’m in the last hours of being able to change my mind and its scaring me, HELP NEEDED! :(
 
Actually I disagree. While disappointing for the would be buyers, the mare is still your horse. Think how you would feel if the sale fell through? relieved? or despondent? I forked out over £600 for a vetting and xrays for my Mr Perfection and he failed his vetting dramatically. Its not over till the vettings done and money has exchanged hands.
 
It is a hard one really, the fact you are selling for a lower price and cannot replace is going to make you feel far worse than if there was money to go out looking for a new horse. The YO pushing is not helpful, the mare may fail the vetting and not go anyway, which will solve your problem, although create a new one for you, as said above until the money is in your hands the purchasers may pull out how would you feel then?
Not very helpful but just my thoughts:)
 
She is only up for sale for £950 but buyers having 5 stage vetting due to the fact she had multiple fractures of the left hind sesamoid bone as a 2 year old (she is now 8) so I’m thinking she will fail anyway, although this has never affected performance at the level I have competed but I don't know if any residual issues. Or even if I should back out now and save everyone time and money!
 
Ok, try this and see if it makes up your mind, warm up your mare on the lunge and then lunge her on a tight circle on HARD ground. This is what the vet will do in the 5*. If there is any sign of unsoundness, this is when it very likely show itself and that could resolve the problem for you and save money for the potential buyers. Its a hard test but something I see my YO do when she has new horses in for sale. Any questions and she won't keep them, they don't even get as far as her vet doing a check.
 
Once she has gone, she has gone. She is still your horse and you can back out now if you want to. I would do it before the vetting though if you are going to, to save the buyer the cost of the vetting.
 
If you are having serious doubts I would back out now.
I would ring the buyer - say you have thought long and hard and are 90% sure that with a hard vetting your mare will fail. You want to save everyone the heartache and also you want to ensure your mare's future, as there will no doubt be changes at some point.
You can say the fact that you would be hoping she would fail speaks volumes. Just be honest - you have every reason I think to be having doubts, she is little money and to clear a few debts is sad reason to sell. Be honest and apologise for their time. These things happen.
 
I do think it's natural to be having second thoughts but think realistically about WHY you are getting rid of her, what you aim to do and whether she will do this. If you are selling just to deal with debts there are other options out there - loaning with a contribution from the loaner may be one for example. If you are selling because of time is there anything you could do to increase time with her? If you have any doubts at all I would be phoning the prospective buyers, apologising profusely and explaining that you have thought it over very carefully and just cannot go through with it. You may have to offer something towards the cost of vetting if they do get charged but this will be a small sacrifice if you really do want to keep the horse. As for the yard owner who has bought something else and is pressuring you for the stable that's his/her tough luck I'm afraid and the pressure she's putting on you is extremely unfair so I would be thinking long and hard about whether this is the right yard for me. Do the right thing for you and your horse, the prospective buyers will be upset but they'll get over it and find something else.
 
I don't mean to sound harsh, but if you are selling because you can't afford to keep her, how will you manage if you change your mind? However, if you really can't part company it is better to let the purchasers know before they waste their money on a vetting.

I am a great believer in fate, if you are meant to keep her she will fail the vetting.
 
You must of thought long and hard in the first place when you decided to sell and then you would of thought again when putting up her advert and again when you arranged the viewings, the chatter, the selling, the haggling?

You must have a very good reason to let her go'?
 
As the seller you can pull out when you like .As a buyer id rather be told sooner than later, also if she passes the vet and you pull out, id be well peed off and expect you to reimburse the vet
 
Continue with the sale, its the right thing to do for yourself right now. The money will pay the bills and you can take a break, re think life (and enjoy the warmth of indoors more .. its lovely I can tell you) and get back in the saddle when you are financially in a better place.

Good luck with the vetting.
 
These are the deliberations to be had before deciding to sell, advertising, letting people spend time and petrol money viewing, choosing your horse, and arranging and waiting for a vetting. Sorry but piddling around now and changing your mind is out of order.
 
Another thought....probably a bad one.....could you tell a little white lie and say she has come in lame this morning so no point in vetting today? Give you a bit more time to think about it?
 
We all get 2nd thoughts when selling a horse. Try to look at pros and cons of keeping/selling rather than looking through those rose tinted spectacles we tend to wear sometimes. I'd personally go ahead with the vetting sell if she passes and you have tochance to rethink if she fails. I sold a homebred 6 yr old graded mare last year was absolutely heartbreaking but it was the right decision she just wasn't the horse for me. I felt like backing out numerous times but didn't. Glad I didn't now as have got a lovely mare who suits me to a T.
Perhaps whilst you are having financial difficulties you could help someone out with theirs or perhaps share. I have a lady who rides and competes my daughters show cob, she doesn't pay anything towards keep but is getting the mare out and about for us.
 
I have decided to let the vetting go ahead and let fate play the hand the new owners are now coming along and going to take her out for a nice hack after. Don't think they are looking for a clear pass but just to know if there are any issues likely to cause issues they are very down to earth and aware that is she was not an ex racer with previous injury she would be up for a lot more money!

In the end I had 3 people fighting over her. I think she is a very good horse for the money (BSJC winnings, Trailblazers placing's, placing's in ROR inhand and undersaddle, ridden in the school by 8 and jumped up to 90cm with 11 year old) so I was lucky enough to be able to hand pick the home and I have every confidence they will have such an amazing time with her and she will be very happy.

Unfortunately the yard is my long term friends and is opposite my house (which by the way i also rent off her!) and my mare has been very unsettled over the winter due to loss of her companions and a new giant bully horse arriving and she has started messing up the field walking fence lines, hanging in the gateway wanting to come in and chewing rails - so I decided to sell because she was very unhappy and because although i love her I did buy her to show and do dressage but after several years of retraining she remains too impatient / stroppy to show to a high standard but she is quite a talented jumper however but i'm just not happy much above 1m so wasted with me :(

I did advertised for a sharer but only had enquiry's from people under 18 and did not want that responsibility.

Basically I was thinking of the horse originally but my wobbles are all for selfish reasons and now having to give up and go back to riding other peoples is just not the same choice as I was making originally!

Will update with how the vetting goes Rossdales are doing it so fingers crossed don't want her to fail as i have come this far :confused:
 
I think you need to be sure. I sold a horse almost 8 years ago now (due to situation and other people telling it was for the best etc. Although i wasnt in dire straights and although at the time it made life easier, it could have been worked around) and i have regretted it every day since. I still think about him and still wish i hadnt.

So in your own mind you need to be sure. Or you will regret it and then cant do anything about it.
 
Think seriously about why you are selling.
Talk to someone who is a sensible reasonable persons

But decide by tonight preferably before vets closed so they can cancel vetting.

Yes you will annoy the buyers but its but its your horse to sell

Unless you and horse are not suited together it may be pointless to sell.
Keeping any horse is expensive.
Maybe you can adjust the way you manage her to save money.
Or get a sharer etc.
 
What you are feeling is totally natural. My little story from this past weekend. I have a horse that I'm very on the fence about keeping. I've owned her for 2 years and she's nice but she's not really what I'm aiming for and I've mentioned this to a couple of friends over the past year but have never advertised mare or really even considered advertising her. Anyway one friend messaged me on Saturday saying she had a friend who was looking for such and such. Well my mare fits the bill to a tee; exact breeding, confo, colour etc that the lady wants. Next thing I know, within minutes the lady contacts me and in first communication asks to put down a deposit on mare, which I accepted. She asked to pay in full next week to which I agreed. She's seen pictures of my mare and she knows her pedigree and she's very excited about owning her. Fast forward to Sunday morning, I start having pangs about selling her. Spoke to friend who reminded me why I was on the fence about mare in the first place, so I mulled it over all day and Monday and came to the conclusion that my friend is right. So my sale will go ahead and I will wave bye bye to my lovely mare and I know she's going to a terrific home.

I think you know that this is the right thing for your horse OP. It is what makes sense. However if you do have those pangs right up to and after the vetting, and then you decide to pull out, you will have to swallow the cost of the vetting and tell the buyers your decision. Try, if you can, to make a positive decision as soon as you can because once your horse is sold, there's no going back.
 
UPDATE: Well she passed with flying colours the vet commenting on what a super little mare she was no negative remarks to be made she proved to be very fit with a resting heart rate of 35 and a heart rate following fast exercise of 79, sound as a pound even lunged on concrete. New owner then took her out for a half an hour hack and they both came back with a big smiles on their faces after a nice blast, very happy with my little lady and have deposit in my hand so all is go.

Still not 100% sure that it’s the right decision for me but it IS the right decision for the horse! :rolleyes:
 
Well doneop, it'll be hard on you but your doing it for her as much as yourself by he sounds of things. Sometimes when you love someone so much, you have to let them go.

I hope it all goes well.
 
Aww well done op sounds like it was the best for the horse given the yard set up etc. When I bought my Ellie the other week her prev owner was gutted and cried buckets the day we agreed the sale and I was worried that she might not have been able to go through with it. Ellie is settling in so well and is a lovely honest mare and I have made sure her prev owner knows she is well , happy and loved. I hope these folk do the same for you to let you know that it was the right decision:)
 
You could offer long term loan/LWVTB? It'd give you the chance to try life without her, and give you more assurance that you've found her a good home. You could agree a timescale with the potential buyer, and if you still don't feel comfortable with that, then ask for her back.

It's a very brave decision to make.
 
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