When you buy a horse do you expect tack to be included??? *Rant potential!*

charlimouse

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I have 5 horses, I have 3 different width saddles which were made for me, which I use on all my horses (I do get all saddles checked by a master saddler). When I was recently selling one of my horses, everybody seemed to assume tack would be included. My tack was made for me and my ridiculous short legs, at a very large expense, I am not going include it in the price of the horse!!! I had several offers made for my horse. All went along the lines off "well seeing as we will need to buy tack.............". One person even said "Oh I love the saddle, but it doesn't fit me very well, so if I don't have the saddle that would only make the horse cost £x":eek:. I was rather speechless, but pointed out tack was not included. To which the lady said "who sells a horse without tack, how do you expect the new owner to ride the horse without a saddle?"

The horse I was selling was an event horse, with several BE wins, at a very reasonable price as the market was so slow. I was aiming the advert at the top end RC market/ grassroots BE. Should I expect to have to send tack with the horse? I have never bought a horse with any tack included, and I like to choose the tack I like, and what fits me, not what a previous rider liked!!!

Am I being unreasonable??????
 
No your not being unreasonable i would never expect tack to come with a horse unless it states it in the advert, or you pay for it ontop of the price of the horse. But like you i would prefer to choose my own tack anyway. Just stick to your guns.
 
Maybe your ad should have said 'tack not inlcuded' then people wouldn't have expected the tack to be included. When I bought my last horse, I didn't want the tack, so the owner knocked £500 off the price. Obviously not an event horse, don't know if that makes a difference.
 
Completely agree! Unless you state that tack is included (and have added it into the price) I would automatically assume that it is not. If I had a particularly odd shaped horse for sale and had an expensive saddle made specifically for him I would consider it going with him but would obviously add it to the price and state that! Silly beggars, do they think they cannot buy a saddle seperately? It's not a frickin Barbie horse...
 
When I look at a horse for sale, if the ad says the tack is included then I expect it to be, and if it doesn't say anything about the tack then I would expect to get my own - maybe too straightforward! Tbh I would always sort my own anyway as included tack tends to be a bit manky and you have to trust the fit of the saddle and get your own fitter out regardless. I have mad long legs anyway which don't seem to fit most saddles. I also am picky about my bridles, so will make one to fit.
Guess its another of the joyful aspects of horse selling. Maybe mention on the phone when people first enquire to root out those with wrong expectations!
 
I would do with a small kids pony perhaps, but not really with a horse. I didn't buy mine with tack, think we took our own headcollar to travel him in too :)
 
Most horses only come with a Bridle and maybe some rugs, If I bought a horse I'd like a head collar to get him home with lol but I wouldn't expect tack unless the advert stated 'With Tack'!!

I don't think your being unreasonable at all
 
My reply to one of the people who had really got me annoyed after seeing the horse about 5 times in every different situation possible, who then tried to quibble was "If you bought a saddle would you expect a horse to be included?"!!!!!!
 
I've just bought a horse with no tack. When I was asking about potential horse I always asked whether tack was included. The tack I tried her in didn't fit me so I'd of had to buy a saddle anyway. I'm currently waiting for my new saddle - its been ordered but we've got a bridle so are riding bareback. It shouldn't be assumed that tack is included and I'd think they're not the right buyers if they can't get their hands on a saddle themselves. Good luck with the sale.
 
People are stupid!

Personally I usually don't really take note if tack is included or not, because I've only met 1 horse that was bought with tack that actually fitted!!! (although all his rugs were too small!!)
 
When I buy a horse I fully expect it to come as naked as the day it was born!
That is obviously unless the advert stated that tack was included.
 
No not being unreasonable. I expect to buy my own tack which is why although I have enough savings for an amazing all rounder, I am having to look at horse to buy for a bit less so I can ensure I have enough savings left to buy tack. I would like to buy my own saddle and bridle that suit me as well as the horse. Also I have a few friends that have bought horses with tack, only to find the tack does not fit properly and then selling and buying new tack anyway!

I would only expect tack if it says in the advert, however if it is not stated then I would assume that no tack or rugs come with. If they did I would probably sell and get all my own tack and rugs anyway :)
 
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When I was horse shopping last year I checked the advert to see if tack was included. I was shopping at the lower end of the market and it was my first horse. Usually adverts said 'tack included' or 'tack available - separate negotiation'. If the advert didn't specify I would ask, I certainly would not have automatically assumed it was included.

At the higher end of the market or for 2nd horse onwards, I would expect people to be a bit more fussy about the tack they have and want to buy their own tack.

I was happy with the good condition Wintec that came with my horse, included in the price.
 
If the advert says inc tack then yes....otherwise i always assume its open to negotiation at an extra cost or its a case of getting a new set of tack when the horse comes home.
When i bought mine....it actually didnt say he came with anything....but he actually came with tack and rugs and travel boots, 2 headcollars and leadropes, a fly mask and a folding hoof pick! bonus!!!
But no...if an advert says nothing about tack i assume....no tack!
 
It is a negotiation tactic.

Unless the ad says tack included you can't assume anything but you can try to use it to help negotiate the price down. I would, or they may actually think the saddle is worth having for them (it makes life easier) and hope that you will throw it in to clinch the sale. They aren't to know you use it for your other horses, so just say no there is no way I can include it as I use it for my other horse but you can buy a saddle that will fit you perfectly very cheaply.

Alternatively up the price by £500 and when someone complains that the saddle isn't included drop the price by £500.
 
No, I don't... in fact, I'd rather not!!! I love having a nicely cushioned saddle to protect my overly sensitive bum, lol. And it seems many people go for harder saddles!!!

Depends on who is buying though. Beginners may expect that...
 
Definitely not if not included in the advert and I would take my own headcollars to collect too!

Reminds me of someone I knew selling a pony, decided to throw in the tack with the price when this person tried it out and was haggling; his answer was 'you value your tack highly then' as it was 'worth' more than the pony!
 
When I was horsey shopping I discovered it depended on where the horse was coming from. For example, the parents of a teenager giving up wanted rid of everything and tack was included but when I looked a a dealer or ex-hunt horse then it wasn't.

Depends on the type of vendor.
 
Unless the advert stated 'tack included' i presume the horse comes with absolutely nothing, no tack, no rugs, no headcollar etc.
 
I didn't even get a headcollar with my last horse I bought. The only time I have had a saddle included, was when the saddle had been custom made for the horse, and the previous owner was quite keen for this saddle to stay with the horse.

Also any horses I have sold I kept the saddle. Hence, the reason why I have 4 useless, but very nice saddles sitting in my attic which don't fit anything I currently own and which I can't sell !!!! :(
 
Not unless it stated in the advert AND even then, if I was sure the saddle fitted, otherwise no I wouldnt expect the tack, just a headcoller and leadrope really.

"who sells a horse without tack, how do you expect the new owner to ride the horse without a saddle?"

.....errrrr you out and buy one luv!

Honestly some people :rolleyes:
 
Wow... People have a cheek these days dont they!

I have never bought a horse and had the tack included, one pony we liked the tack so much so made an offer over the asking price to include the tack which they accepted. The only one thats come with tack is one I had on loan.

Im really fussy with saddles anyway so i'd want to buy my own most likely! :D
 
No, I wouldn't expect tack to be included (unless the advert stated the price was to include it) and I have always negotiated the tack separately.
 
No, I wouldn't expect tack to be included but I think it's reasonable to offer the tack by separate negotiation if the purchaser wants it. I sold a yearling at the weekend and I'm afraid I asked the purchasers to bring their own headcollar as I wanted to keep mine - it took me so long to find a narrow leather pony-size headcollar that I am very loathe to part with it.
I love the ads that ask for some paragon of an equine that's been there, done that, is bombproof etc etc and must include tack and, oh yes, don't want to pay more than £500!! So you want a free horse then?????
 
I didn't even get a headcollar with my last horse I bought. The only time I have had a saddle included, was when the saddle had been custom made for the horse, and the previous owner was quite keen for this saddle to stay with the horse.

Also any horses I have sold I kept the saddle. Hence, the reason why I have 4 useless, but very nice saddles sitting in my attic which don't fit anything I currently own and which I can't sell !!!! :(

And that is why asking the seller if they will throw in the tack is a good negotiating tactic, it can be win win.

As a seller if I have a horse advertised for £5000 I'd rather get £5k for it and throw in the saddle than get £4500 for it and keep the saddle.

Unless it fits another horse already, the chances are you won't use it for the new one and it will either gather dust or need selling in which case you will have to pay to advertise it or list it on ebay.
 
No don't expect tack.

I was selling a cheap horse once and I had borrowed my sisters saddle, these people came to see it and offered me £500 less if I included the saddle - the saddle was worth £1k - they couldn't understand why I said no.
 
No, I would not expect a horse to come with tack unless it was stated in the ad. If tack was included, unless it was to my taste I would ask the seller to keep it and drop the price of the horse accordingly.

None of the horses I have bought came with anything, apart from one who came with a headcollar and a tail bandage, both very old and faded!

I have never sold a horse with tack, but I did throw in a couple of old rugs with one, but only because they were too small for his replacement!
 
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