When To Sell

Maesfen

Maesfen

Extremely Old Nag!
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Opinions please as to when to try to sell the boys. I have my own ideas but would like your input too please.

For those who don't know (where have you been the last two years plus?!) 'the boys' are two geldings that I reared on a bucket after their dams were needed for maternal duties at a large stud. They are now nearly 2 and a half, by different thoroughbred stallions out of decent cob mares and likely to nearly reach 16 hands. One is more a cob type, the other is far more elegant which is surprising as he was thought to have made a decent show cob (same as his siblings) as a foal; just shows you can never tell.

Do I try to sell them now, before winter, or wait until next spring when they will be three and ready to start something? Same goes for my ugly duckling yearling too who is going to be stunning but you need x-ray vision to see it!

Thanks.
 
I personally would sell them next spring, mainly because like you said, they'll be older and able to do things, and also the market at the minute isn't good. So it may or may not improve by the spring..
 
Quite new to this forum so I don't know much about your boys but I would wait until the spring. I'd start getting them used to being led and brushed etc, if you haven't already, because that'll make them easier to sell.

Also, if you wait to sell them, then you'll know that nobody can start trying to work them before they are ready :D
 
Thanks both, appreciate your thoughts.

Trouble with that reasoning schneeko is in that case nobody would buy foals and youngstock, which we know they do; just look at how many post on here about their new youngsters, they must be buying from somewhere and some are the same age as these, even some with unknown breeding.

The boys are already well handled, very nice characters, good with the farrier and the vet, lead well, load into a trailer, can handle them easily in the field, scratch their back legs without the risk of being kicked and so on. Neither have been bitted yet but that's because I haven't needed to and neither have seen traffic for the same reason but apart from that, they're ready to go and I know there should be no dramas for the new owners as they've been well prepared. If the right people came along, I'd have no hesitation in letting them go now, they have all the basic good manners in place but are just unworldly, that's all.
 
Personally I don't think it would do any harm to advertise a bit now, at lease put the feelers out - so many horses seem to get sold by word of mouth. If the right people come along, great, but if you have your own land and are happy to keep them over the winter then that would do no harm either!

I think if they were kept at livery it would be a different story, having to keep them another winter may not be worth the extra money you could get for them as 3 year olds. Not that the money is the most important thing, but it's not worth 'losing' money.
 
I agree with roo2012 - I would put up a few ads, in the usual places, and see if you have any takers - its not going to do any harm.

I usually find if I advertise, and then make plans to do something, they sell fairly quickly - AKA known as sods law!! A few years ago I advertise a horse, and then joined a local riding club so that I could take part in their training sessions to really get her ready to show off to sell. Someone came along within a fortnight and brought her - I didn't get a chance to go to a single training session!! :) LOL!
 
I'm kind of torn. Sensible head says, sell now, avoid paying out over another winter, but then that little voice says no, dont!
If they are really going to be something nice, selling next year when they are ready to break will see a better return I think.
 
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