WWYD, sell, send away or persevere with 5yo?

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wiseguy

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I have a rising 5 y.o warmblood x gelding who was professionally broken last year, however, I have no arena and my fields are so wet at the moment and combine this with dark nights and lack of time I haven't been able to keep him going (this hasn't bothered me too much tbh as many horses are 'turned away'). I am now considering restarting him but am stuck as I am not going to have time. so I think I have three options (a) sell him, personally I would like to sell him to dealer or other experienced person as I don't have time to put up with timewasters etc. (b) send him away and pour more money into him and then bring him back and probably find I still haven't enough time (c) keep him turned away and hope I can find time eventually (not really an option as I feel he really needs a job).

Am disappointed to be considering this as I bought him with the hope of competing dressage mainly and a bit of everything, he moves beautifully (better than any other horse I've had), but I don't feel he's going to be the sort of horse that can cope with a few weeks off like my tb and other horses can.:(
 
In response to each of your options:

A) you'd make a loss, but fine if you don'tind that,
B) you'd get a horse you can ride, so it's up to you if you have time,
C) this doesn't seem a good option - he needs to be learning, otherwise you'll waste what you have done, and he will gradually lose value

Would sales livery work better? Get him to a point he can trot a decent circle, and then get him sold - this might take a month to 6 weeks, and would probably cost £100/ week or so. And if at the end of 6 weeks you like him and want to ride him, you can always just take him back.
 
I agree with Sprig - the tone of your post suggests that you just want rid - but I don't think it would hurt him at all to turn him away until the weather improves.
 
Abacus said:
In response to each of your options:

A) you'd make a loss, but fine if you don'tind that,
B) you'd get a horse you can ride, so it's up to you if you have time,
C) this doesn't seem a good option - he needs to be learning, otherwise you'll waste what you have done, and he will gradually lose value

Would sales livery work better? Get him to a point he can trot a decent circle, and then get him sold - this might take a month to 6 weeks, and would probably cost £100/ week or so. And if at the end of 6 weeks you like him and want to ride him, you can always just take him back.
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will look into this!
 
I would say just sell him as a project from the field, or would the person who backed him like to take him (out-right or to sell?). I think if you go down the sales livery route it could very easily cost you almost as much as he is worth if not more, for lots of hassle and stress.
 
Sprig said:
I would say just sell him as a project from the field, or would the person who backed him like to take him (out-right or to sell?). I think if you go down the sales livery route it could very easily cost you almost as much as he is worth if not more, for lots of hassle and stress.
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The pro who backed him at the time expressed interest in him and said he'd be good for dressage, I'm being stupid really and I don't know what I want. I've become disillusioned with horses and the money working with them pays so I've also enrolled on p/t uni course so hopefully I can get a better job , maybe this is influencing me.
 
While your tone does suggest you want to sell, there are a couple of things you may want to consider: 1) Do you *want* him gone? 2) Why can't he cope with time off? I too have a rising 5 year old, who is doing sweet fa at the moment. I backed her myself last year and with the dark nights and work, etc, not to mention the hideous weather, she's been lucky to get a spin on the lunge once a week in the last few months. However, I took my chance during a lull in the weather today and jumped on her and she sauntered out for a hack as though she hadn't had a break at all. (She is, by the way, something of a hot-head and a drama queen, but remarkably tolerant of time off). As frustrating as it is not really having time for her, I like her too much to sell her so I'm pretty much going to live with the less than ideal lack of riding/quality work situation until the weather improves.

Regarding yours, if he was professionally backed and has simply been turned away, but you have no reason to assume there are any problems, he ought to be sellable.
 
Thanks to all who have replied, would like to describe him more in detail but am worried about people thinking I am advertising. Dare I ask where to advertise and for how much etc? ((((((((((awaiting button pushers))))))))))))))).
 
I would wait a while, unless you just want rid and are not that bothered about getting a fair price and nice home, to give the best chance of both I think someone is likely to want to at least see him moving well and looking ready to get on with, lunging in tack even better if they could see him sat on in all paces. Unless you have some video most people will be a bit suspicious that he is being sold from the field and not offer much, if he has really good breeding to sell his potential that may help a little but if he were mine I would wait until the spring when he will look good in his coat, send him away for a couple of weeks or put the work in myself to get him going and give him the best chance of finding a good home to take him on.

I would consider offering him to the pro who started him, either at a sensible price or if they are keen possibly come to an arrangement to split the "profit" over a certain figure, I have done this and it can work out well for all involved.
 
Could you move to a livery yard with arena? or find an experienced friend/sharer to ride him during the week? Then you could still do some dressage with him!
 
Selling from the field is a waste of time. Especially in this weather. He's a young horse and people want to see him doing basics.

Sometimes despite our best intentions, it may not be the right time for a horse. And while no it's not a big deal to have the winter off, he will need consistent work to be all he can be.

Will you feel the same in good weather? Sometimes we don't click or don't have an attatchment to certain horses. Again, this isn't a bad thing, it's reality. Said horse may be somebody's dream horse. In this case new owner and horse win. People seem to think they've failed when they feel like selling. There's a guilt there. This horse seems young, healthy, and talented with no hangups. Very saleable to decent homes. There should be no guilt.

Good luck, T erri
 
Why not pop him on a schooling livery with the original breakers (as they know him) for a month or two, ask them to take him out and compete at least twice (so you have some proven results)....then make a decision. By which time it might have stopped raining. Possibly.
 
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