Wanted ads, do they work?

marmalade76

marmalade76

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I will be looking for another horse at some point, and to stop myself ending up with something too lively again, I thought a wanted ad might be the thing to do. But do you get lots of dodgy dealers replying? Do people reply trying to sell you horses that are nothing like what you asked for? Does stating a budget (mine will be limited) make a differance? Any experiences please, good or bad.
 
I had lots of genuine people reply to my ad but I ended up buying my girl through word of mouth...just be very specific in your ad as to what you want!
 
I really do think they work, I had great success with one.

But you also need to be prepared to shift through all the rubbish that doesn't meet your add description too (of which there was some!)

I wouldn't mention price on the add, you might find a cheaper horse suddenly becomes more expensive
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Mine worked (really quickly too) - I had quite a few replies, many unsuitable mind (not dodgy dealers, but they just hadn't read my ad properly), but one of the first ones was about Andy (who I have ended up with) so I didn't have to wait long.
I only gave my email address and (with permission!) gave my instructor's tel number so she helped to weed out the unsuitables!!! Once I got him, I took off the ads quickly to stop unnecessary calls / emails.
 
Yes, although you'll probably get inundated with people trying to offload unsuitable horses. In terms of age, height, temp, price, distance I was willing to travel etc! At least that's what happened with me and I started off being really polite, emailing to say thanks but no thanks but in the end just had to start ignoring people. I was very clear in what I wanted and at the end of the ad even said 'please do not contact me unless your horse fits this criteria' but still had plenty of 17.1, 4 yr old, quirky, £10k plus horses that were 300 miles away
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Wanted ads have worked for me. I've posted several in the past for project ponies and have bought 4 through the replies. I wouldn't tend to put in a price though... otherwise if someone has a cheap horse they'll see what you're willing to pay so will automatically put the price up to that!
 
Yes, yes and yes, although as Wagtail says you do get people trying it on! I got my beautiful boy via a wanted ad in H&H nearly 8 yrs ago. He was on the verge of being sent to the police so not been advertised.
 
YES!!!

See:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/galleries/main.php?g2_itemId=9331&

He cost me £3,000 this spring and he's 6 years old. OK he was unbroken but he's the biggest bargain I've ever bought. I absolutely love him!

If your price is low, name it. If it's reasonable, don't, because people may raise their price to meet is as someone else has said.

My price was ridiculous for this horse, but I struck lucky with someone who wanted a good home and a quick and easy sale.
 
I got my boy through a wanted add - spent 5 months looking and was on the verge of giving up, so as a last ditch attempt I put up a wanted add. Got lots of replies. 75% of them rubbish - over my price, too far away, not what I was looking for etc (all clearly described btw!), but I did get some good 'uns and got my boy through it, and for probably about a third of his market value. She just wanted him to go to a good home, he wasn't advertised at all, she just looked through wanted adds and replied to ones where he fit their criteria, but also that sounded like he would have a nice home.
 
Yes, but I also had alot of people contacting me all hours with horses that didn't even nearly match the advert lol! But in the end I did get the perfect one!
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We did this a month or so ago and as others have said did get a few chancers to who we just politely said thanks but no thanks. Ashe looked at 4 that were suitable and found a fantastic 7yr old at a bargain price.We have had him a fortnight or so now and he hasn't put a hoof wrong.We did put our budget in as well.
 
I've responded to wanted ads before now and found people who either ask for what they don't want, or don't know what they want..... I'm sure you know what you'd be looking for M76, but in my experience, most "wanted" ads are dreamers, looking for the impossible, or hopelessly over estimating their own abilities.....

(PS not including you guildford!)
 
Yes!

I found my last horse through a wanted ad and she was exactly what I needed at the time.

I've also placed wanted ads several times for riding/share horses and been very successful, found some lovely horses through them.
 
Thanks for all the replies, they are all more or less what I was expecting.

CP, your horse is gorgeous! What is he?

The trouble is, I tend to be drawn to the 'not novice rides' because they are often good performers, (at least at the level or slightly above the level at which I have competed) but would not be everybodies cup of tea and are therefore cheap. I have never had a lot of money in one go to buy a horse, and these sorts have been the best I can get for my money.

However, these days, I don't get the chance to actually ride much, let alone compete, so I need to be a bit more sensible, I don't need a horse that will lead round a team chase anymore! I cannot have a youngster or a project that needs a lot of work for the same reason.

Spacefaer, I admit, I am a dreamer!
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I know what I want but I know I probably can't afford it, but as someone said, someone might just be looking for a good home for their horse, and I feel I can def offer that, for life to the right horse.

Many thanks all.
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Thankyou, he IS gorgeous, I'm so proud of him! He is "parentage unknown" in his passport but he was bred by the man who sold him to me. He is an accident, by a colt by Cavalier (Mary King's Call Again Cavalier is by him) out of a Shire mare, who was left ungelded too long and served a Hill Farmer mare. What an accident he was! He's nearly 17 hands and that was the smallest hedge we jumped that day.

I put a wanted ad in Farmer's Guardian and got only 2 calls that matched my spec within travelling distance (and ten that didn't - how is a 16 year old between 4 and 7?). His owner happened to see it, though he never normally reads it, and wanted a good home and an easy sale. He was due to go off for re-breaking and showjump training the next day but at £3000 I wasn't going to let him go and bought him on sight. He wasn't up for sale at that price, but I found out later that his breeder has cancer and I thnk he just wanted to see Radar settled before anything happened to him. His bad luck was my good fortune.

Have you thought about a charity horse? They'll know the horse's temperament and ability and be concerned to get the right home for it.
 
Charities are not for me, for a start, there is some barbed wire
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at the farm my two are at, and owner won't change that because there are cattle there too. Plus, I don't like the idea of paying to loan a horse (I have heard HEROS charges a grand for theirs) and then being checked up on like a child. I have also heard that there are long waiting lists for good riding horses, not that I'm in any hurry though.
 
Mmmmm, I'd share your concerns on that idea. If you team chased you should have the experience to buy an ex racer? Dead cheap and the ex chasers are usually quiet enough to ride. You can pay meat money right now, so if it wasn't right you should be able to sell it without a loss on horsemart and try again.
 
I've had quite a few and they nearly all made super riding horses. And right now, you could go to a bloodstock auction - Ascot for you I guess, Doncaster for me, and pick one up for 500 guineas. At Doncaster you can have them vetted on site before you take them home. It's a great day out too.
 
I have brought on ex-racers before, but at the time, I had the time to do lots of schooling and had lessons. I don't have the time and money for that now, so if I was to have another, it would have to already be a reasonable hack at least. Also don't have the time to keep a horse stabled, so I need something to live out, although I know that some TBs can live out, my horse's field companion is a very old full TB who weaves himself into a sweat if he is stabled.

The TBs I have had did not come from sales, they were bought locally (not hard to find them round here). I did go to Malvern once a few years ago, but the horse I bid on went over my budget, which was a shame as I have since found out through NED that said horse now has BE pionts, missed out there!

Have sale prices gone down then, I had heard that it was difficult to get something for under a grand a year or so ago.
 
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