Why is it SO hard to sell a horse?? (small rant)

[emmab13]

We are dealers, and normally the way we sell our horses goes like this:

Person rings up and says, "I got your number off such and such, have you got xyz"

We say yes, would you like to come and try/have a day/take him home and try him for a week.

They come, and generally they take them home and they don't come back.

We advertised one in H&H this week, a little hunting cob, as he's not what we would normally have, we just bought him because we liked him!

Must have had 15 phonecalls, 8 of which were perfect for him. Did have to tell people that if they wanted to lead their 3 year old child from him they were calling about the wrong horse, he is small but mighty!

Have spent about 6 hours on the phone, sent out 50 photos and videos, and can't get anyone through the gates!!

Admittedly a lot of the phonecalls are from down south, and we are Cheshire, and people are trying to justify coming up here when they have been told a pack of lies by other people.

But I honestly thought he'd be gone by now, he's not overpriced, he's safe and sane, and instead I am on the phone at half nine on a Saturday night answering the same questions!!

 

[Jnhuk]

Nothing stranger than folks. Better than getting folks making appts to view and not showing up I suppose. However, my sympathies that is a lot of time on the phone.

Maybe just the time of year?

 

[be positive]

He looks very nice, found the ad, I think at the moment there is so much for sale, most of which is probably not as described that people just are not going to travel, especially at this time of year.
What I dont get is why they phone in the first place if not prepared to go the distance, I looked for your ad to see if you had left out where you were and if I got the right one, you didnt.

 

[almorton]

been like that last 18months here
market is non existent let alone poor!

 

[cptrayes]

I think he's right at the top end of his price bracket in this market for a 15h cob who's wearing a strong bit. If people are asking if he will go in a snaffle, and you are having to tell them that he won't, then maybe that would be one reason that they won't come and see him?

For £5k I would want to be able to lead a child from him, if I had one, and I wonder if that's putting quite a few people off too? Or simply the thought that he may be too feisty if you cannot lead from him?

Lastly, your photo shows a tall girl on him and you have the description "ridden by a lightweight 14 year old and a small gent", leading to the conclusion that the girl in the photo is 14. If so, she makes him look rather small and one of the biggest problems with travelling a long distance to see horses is how often you can turn up to find out that they are inches smaller than they are being sold as. Are your callers asking if the photo is of the 14 year old, because if so they may think he is not actually 15 hands?

15 phonecalls is unusual with not one viewer. Something's clearly going on!

 

[emmab13]

Thing is, he is a superstar, in his particular field.

He will take someone who can ride, or someone who can't, and give them a proper days hunting. He will jump round a course of showjumps and leave most of them up, but if you gallop down to 3 strands of wire he'll go 2ft higher than he needs to!

Maybe I've been too honest, but I hate anyone being disappointed so I'd rather say any ifs or buts. He needs a kind, quiet farrier and must be twitched to clip from halfway up his neck to do his whole head.

If he was 16.2hh he wouldn't be going anywhere, ever!

My partner has hurt himself out hunting, so I'm currently doing 16 by myself hence advertising. I'm trying to get down to 10!

 

[cptrayes]

He needs to sell himself in the hunting field, doesn't he? I hope you are able to find someone to ride him for you. Good luck, it's not too late to get a lot more calls yet and one of them will want a genuine small hunter.

The two Cheshire Drag Hunts both have Facebook pages - you could put something on those?

 

[Miss L Toe]

Thing is, he is a superstar, in his particular field.

My partner has hurt himself out hunting, so I'm currently doing 16 by myself hence advertising. I'm trying to get down to 10!

To me this sounds like a great family hunting horse for teens and ladies, I would not expect to find many lead-rein type horses out hunting, I think you have to "grow you own"
Have you tried the local hunts, i can't believe he can't be sold locally.
I think you can say something like, ill health forces downsizing.

I have had only one person to look at my 15.00, and she could not ride [never mentioned she was a novice], in fact, sad to say she did not know she was, I had to tell her she would not manage him.
I do wish her instructor had told her what she needs is a happy hacking schoolmaster. Would have saved her a thousand mile journey!!!

 

[Naryafluffy]

As someone else has said, it could just be the time of year, I'm currently running about everywhere trying to get shopping done, meet friends for dinner/lunch, christmas parties etc, I really wouldn't have time at the moment to go and look at a horse.

 

[L&M]

I too saw the ad and thought what a smasher, especially as he is the spitting double for my cob.

The only thought I had was his price. I paid the same for my cob last winter, and although he is predominately a hunting cob (whips horse for 3 seasons), he had also been placed in showing classes, sj, ht's and ode's. I was looking for a cob to hunt weekly over the winter, but also to do RC activities over the summer, so he ticked all the boxes.

Hunting folk might pay that much, but I would also mention if he can do another job, such as sj, to attract a wider audience.

Also bear in mind that it is less than 2 weeks before Xmas so doubt a new horse is high on the list of priorities for many people, especially in the current economic climate.

Good luck as he deserves a good home.

 

[MagicMelon]

As far as I can see the c*ap is selling and the decent, honest horses with good records behind them aren't! Guess in the current market sellers of the c*ap are simply getting better at lying!

I'm still waiting to sell my one in a million horse - the easiest, more honest horse in the world with a decent performance record behind him and only had 1 viewer to date. That viewer came all the way up from London, I spent an entire day picking them up from the airport and ferrying my horse to hire an indoor school for them (all at my cost) and they seemed to get on very well with him, they then decided apparently to go for something totally different from what they had wanted... they wanted an eventer, they ended up buying a showjumper. Thing is my horse does both...!

 

[FairyLights]

There are too many horses and not enough people who want one or if they do suitable livery at an affordable price is becomming more and more difficult to find. A lot of people are in debt including mortgages,fear for loosing their job,and so on. Its economics,and its a buyers market. People can afford to be very choosey.

 

[Holly Hocks]

I think it's just the current market and time of year to be honest. 15hh cobs used to be sold before they were even advertised, but I know a few people trying to sell nice reasonably priced horses at the mo and they're not moving.
I bought a youngster a few weeks ago, cheaply. Not my sort of pony in the slightest, I prefer TBs, but in the back of my mind was that if I lost my job I needed something that I could sell easier than a TB. I think a lot of people are also having to consider the resellability as well, when they buy as a lot of people don't know if they are going to walk into work one day to find out that their job no longer exists. Good luck with selling.

 

[hollyandivy123]

speaking from the other side of the fence..............its not been that fun trying to find a new one. seen about 20 this summer, not one as described, quite a few had shrunk, become pigeon toed or not quite sound. all i am looking for is a young coblet 2-4yr old to end up about 15.3 mark

i an guessing that people are holding on to this type of horse.

maybe so close to xmas is the problem, also the dark nights etc probably aren't helping

 

[emmab13]

Well, had our first viewer today. 13st, 5'11 older gent. I said on the phone that he may feel under-horsed. Sent a photo of me on him (I'm 5'6') for comparison. He explained on the phone that he'd expect to see me jump a hung 5 bar gate, a hedge and a decent set of rails. Fair enough.

He came, I jumped a gate I'd specially taken off its hinges and hung with one side on the rails in the school and the other on the wing, all our hedge fields are seeded atm so jumped a drop hedge off the road, then jumped up back onto the road. Then jumped the boundary rails, slightly crapping myself as don't really do cold-blood heroics!

He got on, walked up and down the drive, said what a lovely horse if only he was an inch or two bigger. But did say he'd think about it as what he lacks in size he makes up for in guts.

So we'll see what happens!

 

[marmalade76]

Is this the lovely little black cob, then I want!!! And he def wouldn't be too small for me! But sadly I don't have the money and even if I did, I don't think the OH would allow me to have another

Good luck anyway, and if my lottery tickets are winners, I'll give you a call!