What to do with a horse you can't sell?

[BronsonNutter]

Basically question in title... Wibbles has to be sold as I'm off to uni (other side of the country, five year course that is pretty intensive, we have no land of our own, no way I can take him with me...) and has been advertised for three weeks now. However, he is just not selling and I don't know what to do now!

I'm fed up with the phone constantly ringing, people cancelling, people claiming he was lame (when he is not...), then the one that took the biscuit over the weekend - me and mum transported him to a show over an hour from home for them to see him and then try him at - ringing them with my times, telling another lady that she couldn't come as someone else wanted to see him there first, getting so nervous about it all that I was almost sick - then they didn't bother turning up

It's not like he's a 'bad horse' - if he was an oddball I'd understand, but when I was looking for a horse after Bronson died I would have snapped someone's arm off for something affordable that was at Wilby's stage now... He's never going to be a world beater but he's a nice, reasonably easy, PC/RC allrounder and could go BE/BD with the right person. I just don't get what to do - what other options are out there?

 

[Orangehorse]

If you are really desperate and MUST sell him, then enter in an auction. They are not all bad! There are sales where there are quite strict warranty conditions and there will be a vet on site to do vettings for purchasers. You won't get as much for him as a private sale, but he sounds like a nice sort of horse and would probably be bought by a dealer looking out for that sort, which is easy to sell on. They have the contacts.

You are a long way from Leominster Sales in Herefordshire, but I know several people who have bought some lovely horses from there.

Other than that, all you can do is advertise, advertise and not just in the paper. Contact livery yards, instructors, Riding Clubs. There is nearly always someone around looking for a some sort of horse.

Or there are people around who will take a horse and sell it for you, at a price. Again, they have the contacts and might know someone a couple of counties away who is looking for something just like yours.

Good luck.

 

[kirstyl]

Have to say that three weeks for sale is nothing! I know it is frustrating but it really is a waiting game and if he is as nice as you say he is, the right person will come along

 

[xspiralx]

Three weeks really is nothing. If you've got lots of people calling and viewing then you'll be fine, its just about patience.

Only one person has even been to see the horse I'm selling and he's been advertised since mid July - that's despite him being a lovely horse at a very reasonable price

 

[nicelittle]

How about loaning to an agricultural college doing equine courses?

 

[Wilbur_Force]

Have sent you a pm

 

[Gamebird]

I have been trying to sell my straight-forward all-rounder for 7 or 8 weeks now. I'm sat here looking at a wall full of rosettes and trophies she's won in all disciplines (including two BD wins, a RC Area Horse Trials placing and county showing). She's probably not suitable for a total numpty but barring that she's anyone's ride. I've had numerous people try her, daclare her perfect, say that they'll need to pop back with their instructor to give her the thumbs up then.... nothing. I let her go to PC camp with one kid - the mother loved her, the instructors loved her but the girl only wanted her old horse back and wouldn't contemplate anything else.

I've dropped the price twice to the point where I really am getting the numpties ringing now and.... nada. So I've entered her up in a load of BE90s and we'll have to sit it out.

Having said that I've just sold my 4yo. Put advert up, phone call within 48hrs, viewing 24hrs later, didn't quibble over the price and they left me a sizeable deposit and are picking him up at the weekend. What an odd world!

 

[TGM]

He's never going to be a world beater but he's a nice, reasonably easy, PC/RC allrounder and could go BE/BD with the right person.

This is the type that normally sells quite well even in the current slow market, so I wonder whether you are advertising him as well as you could. Do you have some really good photos of him jumping and doing flatwork on your ad? How have you worded it? Is he reasonably priced?

It does sound like you are getting enquiries though - is there anything you are revealing on the phone that is putting people off?

 

[wench]

York sales?

 

[D66]

pony club website and phone your local DC. Also ads at venues where you have competed (hopefully successfully).
Three weeks isn't long, don't give up yet.

 

[lannerch]

It dosn't sound to me that yours could be chatagorised as can't sell!
3weeks is no time!
You should have pit him on the Market a lot earlier than last minuit if it was that essential you sell before going to uni and if you had been horseless for a few weeks so be it!
Have you tried a video with the advert if it's good it certainly helps and generates a lot more interest also is the horse priced correctly for quick sale, is the advert honest and hides nothing ( eg if the horse had sarcoids or a vice that is obvious to any viewer but not mentioned in the advert generates distrust ) and finally there is a lot of time wasters out there who overestimate their ridding ability or search for the purfect horse that will never exist unfortunately that is horse selling! Good luck

 

[VRIN]

I would get someone to check out your advert, though if people are calling I suspect it must be OK.

Ditto what someone said above - is there something you are saying on the phone that is putting people off?

 

[miller]

Can you and gamebird pm me the ads, might suit someone OH knows who is looking

 

[ForeverBroke_]

I am looking for a 16-16.3hh Irish type... if either of the 'for sales,' in this thread are one?

 

[jumptoit]

I have this exact problem but I have 3 to sell before I go to uni, I have one just like yours but I'm finding it impossible to sell and I thought she'd be easy to sell tbh. My problem is that I live in the middle of nowhere and everyone thinks it must be miles away even if it isn't actually that far!

 

[brown tack]

I had the same thing, sent my boy to a chap that took him on sales livery sold him to a hunting home (couldn't of got any better for my boy) he was sold within a week, picked him up etc. Got a got price and only cost me £80 as he livid out. He had viewings 2 times a day and some of them were double viewings.
He wasn't a big dealer, just livid horses and knew a lot of people by word of mouth ie hunt stables, big show jumping yards etc. He only took in 2 horses at a time as he was short of land for many more. Worked out well for him, me and the horse.

 

[lannerch]

I got round that problem jumptoit by using my oh work address to place the advert which is Chester even though I live in north Wales ( people often consider the middle of nowhere ) then the advert was categorised as Cheshire so many more bothered to view and found on their search range ( I had on the advert horse 40 mins from chester nth Wales) . The horse then sold very quickly ( with a video )
.
When the horse was advertised north Wales the number if views was a lot less! It may or may not work for you but just incase

 

[Puppy]

I think the problem is that lots of these type of horses are for sale due to their rider going to uni, and tbh the sensible thing would have been to have advertised back in the Spring/beginning of Summer. I am truly surprised that this is the second thread I've read this morning where those off to uni have left it so late to sell. This means the market isn't great; uni and winter are looming and through desperation prices are dropping. I wouldn't say that 3 weeks is a long time though, so don't lose heart just yet.

Do you have good photos? Can you share your ad with us?

Have you considered getting a good, reputable dealer to sell him on your behalf? You may not make good money for him, by the time you've paid commission, but if it finds him a good home and frees you of the responsibility, then it might be the best plan.

Good luck

 

[Firewell]

He sounds nice, the sort of horse I would buy if I was looking. I'm sure it won't be long before you sell him .

 

[jrp204]

We have had our boy up for sale for about 3 wks too, a couple of phone calls and emails but no viewings. I'm sure it has something to do with being in Cornwall! Cracking little horse, we've decided that if he doesn't sell she will carry on with BS, BD and hunting through the winter and try again in the spring. I also think people want something with a good comp record for nothing.

 

[LEC]

Have you got great photos?
Have you freshened up the advert?
Is the price realistic?
Does your advert stand out?

Everything will sell but you just need to catch peoples eyes.

 

[jrp204]

Have good pics, think the ad stands out, is the price right......who knows?
Ok folks, price please for 7yr, 15.1 (may measure 153), £279 act, 99 Not. Jumping DC's Discovery, qualified Tagg 66 Nov. Champs, 1m Am Champs & PC Int Champs this year.
Lovely dressage with consistant results, working nov/ele at home, won only BD comp, a novice test. Placed at BE 80 & 90. Hunted 3 seasons. Good traffic etc.

 

[LEC]

I would say £6500 - £8500 depending on conformation.
Would it measure in for working hunter at 15hh?

 

[jrp204]

Not sure, he is 155 with shoes, he is the black in my sig. He has won the 3 workers he has done but we have no real interest in showing so haven't done too much. I like your top price, he is advertised between the 2.

 

[BronsonNutter]

I was planning on advertising him in June, but we had an accident (I fell off and he got scared, ran off and fell down on the road) so couldn't really advertise a horse that was stuck in the vets on a drip being pumped full of antibiotics...

What is the norm when sending them to a dealer/professional to be sold on your behalf? Do you have to pay livery as well as them taking a cut, and how much is it usually? Thinking this might have to be the way forward... We're not really in an ideal set up to sell from (no enclosed area for people to try him in, only a mssive field which is fine for me, but I don't know how people are going to ride...) so have had to keep boxing him over to an instructor's yard - which people seem to keep taking to mean that he must be mental?!

He's advertised on horsemart, horsequest and my local PC website. Is it worth doing a 'one last shot' thing in the H&H before sending him away, or do only the really experienced horses sell in there? He's 6 and did his first elementary at the weekend (59.4% and 2nd) but isn't the most experienced jumper as he only started jumping last year...

 

[ihatework]

Not sure, he is 155 with shoes, he is the black in my sig. He has won the 3 workers he has done but we have no real interest in showing so haven't done too much. I like your top price, he is advertised between the 2.

£7500 in central/southern England
To get people to travel to Cornwall you will need decent pics, preferably video and in all honesty a pricetage in the 5.5-6K region I reckon.

 

[wench]

Bronson, I would think it depends on which dealer they go to. Normally you pay livery, and then probably a percentage of sale on top.

 

[Tempi]

Deleted because i hadnt read the rest of the post, sorry!!!!

 

[dieseldog]

I was planning on advertising him in June, but we had an accident (I fell off and he got scared, ran off and fell down on the road) so couldn't really advertise a horse that was stuck in the vets on a drip being pumped full of antibiotics...

What is the norm when sending them to a dealer/professional to be sold on your behalf? Do you have to pay livery as well as them taking a cut, and how much is it usually? Thinking this might have to be the way forward... We're not really in an ideal set up to sell from (no enclosed area for people to try him in, only a mssive field which is fine for me, but I don't know how people are going to ride...) so have had to keep boxing him over to an instructor's yard - which people seem to keep taking to mean that he must be mental?!

He's advertised on horsemart, horsequest and my local PC website. Is it worth doing a 'one last shot' thing in the H&H before sending him away, or do only the really experienced horses sell in there? He's 6 and did his first elementary at the weekend (59.4% and 2nd) but isn't the most experienced jumper as he only started jumping last year...

I wouldn't go the dealer route, I would just drop your price. Livery adds up, as does commision - you would probably be better off knocking £2k off the price.

I am looking for a horse, have been for ages, can't find anything. Still lots of overpriced ones out there - and ones that fail the vet I can't face driving to Yorkshire though or Kent.

 

[asset2004]

I'm desperate to sell mine, 15hh 5yo event/ WH type, by Grade A and out of BE intermediate event mare. I had thought he'd sell at the start of the year no bother but had no interest. He's been turned away since June as can't afford the training fees, now 3 months on I'm worried I'll be left with him this winter.
Located in Scotland so that may put people off but a chance to buy a unspoilt youngster for less than he cost me as a 2yo.
I'm open to offers as don't have the space/time/ energy to look after the number I have this winter.
Looked at sending him to a yard to sell but at £150/week plus 10% commission I could see I'd get nothing back for him.