Why have you sold past horses? Or why are you selling?

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Horses24-7

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Just considering my options and was wondering what reasons you are selling or have sold horses for previously?

I've had my lad 4 years, 2 of which he's been off work due to me being in foal ;) (rubbish timing i know!) I'm coming to the conclusion that now I'm on limited time etc with a young family I just cant keep him ridden as often as he needs, he's quite a high maintenance horse that could do fab with the right owner- I always dreamed of eventing him :)

I'm thinking my current lifestyle would be more suited to a horse with less of a competition mind (if you know what I mean?).

Not sure if it's a silly reason? I'm just starting to think that my needs as a busy mum who wants to ride to chill out etc and his needs to work/compete aren't working as a partnership anymore?
 
when we sold ollie who i had at the same time as taz we sold him because it was going to cost over £2000 for the both to be kept over the winter... we werent doing anything with them and it really was a waste, it was probably the best thing we did for that horse and hes getting on really well, we still have taz and he is doing well, i think it freed up a lot of time to do something with taz who was a youngster at the time and ollie got the love and attention we couldnt give :)

i would say its not a silly reason, i think you could sell him and he could do what he is capable of and you can get something that isnt too bothered about working but could have the possibility to event when your children are a bit older :)
 
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Horses24-7 said:
Just considering my options and was wondering what reasons you are selling or have sold horses for previously?

I've had my lad 4 years, 2 of which he's been off work due to me being in foal ;) (rubbish timing i know!) I'm coming to the conclusion that now I'm on limited time etc with a young family I just cant keep him ridden as often as he needs, he's quite a high maintenance horse that could do fab with the right owner- I always dreamed of eventing him :)

I'm thinking my current lifestyle would be more suited to a horse with less of a competition mind (if you know what I mean?).

Not sure if it's a silly reason? I'm just starting to think that my needs as a busy mum who wants to ride to chill out etc and his needs to work/compete aren't working as a partnership anymore?
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It's a great reason!

He'll have a lot more fun going places with someone competitive.

You'll have a lot more fun with a "pickup and put down" cob who you can use to lead the kids ponies from when they are older :)

Do it!
 
I think I'm just finding it hard to accept that i haven't got the time to do what I want with him :mad: it's really frustrating but at the moment my children and family have to come first.
 
Love my boy to death but he is just far too much for me.

I am 47 and very aware of my limitations he is a very immature 6 who has great potential and needs someone braver than me to take him on.

In short on the ground I adore him but riding him scares me to death!
 
Other way round but my horses last owner sold him as he was wasted not competing and hardly getting ridden

I have sold 2 ponies in the past (2 I still have haha )
One as I wanted to showjump and he was a steady working hunter pony

One because when I started secondary in 2005 I started other sports and gave up riding for a few years she is now with the showjumper Paul barkers nephew doing very well
She also competed for Scotland after I sold her

Your reason is a good one IMO
 
Yes I've sold 2, one because she was clearly the wrong pony for my daughter and she was losing her confidence, the second I had a horrendous accident on and I could never have got on him again.

I now have my daughters smaller pony up for sale, as much as I'd like to keep childhood ponies, we can't.

I think it makes total sense to sell and get a low maintenance type. My cob can be left 6 weeks and rides exactly the same, great types for us busy mums :)
 
My daughter bought her horse as a skinny, quiet 3yo just out of racing, we didn't really have the experience to have such a young horse but there you go. We fed her, rested her and loved her as best we could and she did blossom into a real beauty.

Everything with this horse has been difficult, at first even just brushing her mane and getting her to lift a foot. (when she got her 1st abscess it took 4 of us to poultice her, now if she does get the odd abscess I reckon even I could do it alone)

Over the nearly 4 years we've owned our horse my daughter has learned so much, had some great experiences and met some great people and her horse has come on so much and as challenging as its been I know she doesn't regret a minute of it.

The horse now has fair ground manners (even I can handle her these days) she jumps and schools well, hacks alone and in company-though she can still be quirky so could never be a novice ride, but my daughter cannot get past her competition meltdowns and she'd would really like to have a horse she can take to fun rides, competitions and things so she is trying to sell her, but of course it has to be to a person who can either get her through this or who doesn't want to compete, not easy home to find.

So, short answer, the horse is for sale because despite her best efforts her horse isn't happy competing and she'd like a horse to compete with.
 
Missyme10 said
"Yes I've sold 2, one because she was clearly the wrong pony for my daughter and she was losing her confidence, the second I had a horrendous accident on and I could never have got on him again.

I now have my daughters smaller pony up for sale, as much as I'd like to keep childhood ponies, we can't."

I also moved on a pony because it was not the right one, a lead rein pony and he kept bucking and shying.

I also had an accident (bad ) with my other pony and while I could have got back on, (probably/eventually) i decided the time and effort involved, with that particular horse was not what I wanted to do at that time, so again a home was found.

I also sold on my child's pony, because all kids had out grown and she was wasted in paddock. Extra cost, the other ponies picked on her, she got no attention, and she enjoys doing something... it is working out for her in her new home and she has given the little girl back the confidence she had lost.

I have also sold horses because they were a project horse I never intended to keep. Another because I had bought a mare for the specific purpose of breeding a foal, sold her as a broodmare, after I decided not to breed anymore. I sold a 2 year old I had bred because he was a colt, and he was too big for me. I have sold a mare because I simply did not have room to keep her.

I do not think that you do a favour by hanging on to horses when you have no further use for them, simply because you have the room. If they are young and healthy and still have somthing to offer, then they may have a better opportunity elsewhere. By the same token if you had a horse that you have had forever, and he simply has reached retirement age, then I kind of feel you owe it to the horse to provide a home.
 
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