WWYD- Youngster dilemma

[dominobrown]

Unusual position to be in....
A friend has contacted me asking would I sell my yearling. They know someone who is looking for a filly by a particular stallion and that year the stud I think only had colts. Mine is the only filly of that age known.
The problem is this is my 'first born', bred out of my mare to be my next event horse. Plan was to event her and then keep her until she is bobbling about in a zimmerframe.
She has also been pretty the much the perfect pony until now as well... great to handle, lovely kind temperment (like the mare). She will load and travel by herself, the farrier can trim her feet in the middle of the field easily. Just easy to do.
She is quite well grown, same height as her mum and the stallion isnt much bigger than mum!

Problem is we are doing up a house/ farm and the money wouldn't go a miss.
So far I have just given her details, such as height, colour, mums breeding but couldn't give a price. I just said I am not a motivated seller.
Really don't know what to do... boyfriend says that I have horses to sell regualry and that doesn't bother me so why should this. The ones I normally buy to sell are exactly that so I don't get so attatched.
I know the money would be handy but the last ponies I sold where for boring stuff, a fridge freezer and new fencing, or payimg the joiner and plumber. If I sold my yearling it would be for dull stuff like new sofa, furniture and house stuff.
Really flumoxed as its out of the blue. Head says sell, heart says keep forever. What would you do?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

As you bred her to keep and there is no chance of replacing her with a half sibling of the same age in a year or so, I wouldn't sell.

 

[minesadouble]

Hmm, it's a tricky one but I think if you couldn't bear to be without her you wouldn't even be considering it. A lot can go wrong in the 3 years until she can come out under saddle,if you are going to get top dollar for her and unless you really can't bear it I would let your head rule your heart.

 

[ihatework]

I wouldn't be inclined to sell.

 

[Wheels]

As they did the approaching then I would ask them to make you an offer! That might sway your decision one way or another

Have a ballpark figure in mind / lowest you would poss sell for and dont go any lower

 

[Sandstone1]

I'd keep her.

 

[cundlegreen]

Ask silly money for her, if they'll pay it, then go for it. I have a yearling colt here, the plan is to event him at 5, but so much can go wrong. I've put him up for sale for big money. Fortunately, so far no takers.

 

[dominobrown]

You are all persuading me! Haha
As pearlsasinger said she wouldnt be easy to replace. The stallion is older approaching his twenties, my mare is approachimg her mid teens so its not like I can breed another, or very unlikely.
I am not sure whether I view her from a "mother's prespective" but I quite like her conformation. She is quite gangly at the moment but imo opinion has quite correct limbs, good feet, nice shoulder and obviously a lovely head with big ears. She has nice rangy movement with a bit of suspension or 'float' in the trot. My plan was as my current event horse gets to the point he wants his pipe and slippers she would be ready to take over as a 'serious' amateur event horse, it of flash and talent but with a nice easy temperment. Thats the Grand Plan anyways...

 

[Micropony]

Prices for yearlings aren't so extortionate that I would have thought it worth letting a special one go in exchange for, as you describe it, some dull stuff. Stick to Plan A and keep her!

 

[DD]

tricky one. the first youngster I bred won lots of rosettes for me at county level and was to be my next riding horse. could have sold him at 2 r 3 years for quite a lot but i kept him. he didn't do well undersaddle and I sold him for a modest price as a 5 yr old as a family pet.so you never can tell.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I would keep her if you can’t have a bash at breeding another at least. Different if there was something you didn’t like about her but she sounds nice.

 

[dominobrown]

tricky one. the first youngster I bred won lots of rosettes for me at county level and was to be my next riding horse. could have sold him at 2 r 3 years for quite a lot but i kept him. he didn't do well undersaddle and I sold him for a modest price as a 5 yr old as a family pet.so you never can tell.

True, there are no guarantees. She might not be able to jump of stick... and I am not going to start bashing her about loose jumping or anything silly to find out. It's an oppurtunity to produce as horse exactly as I want too.

All I am thinking is if I sold her to see her winning around Badminton while I was sat on a stupid sofa from Ikea would be so frustrating. Far more worringly would to hear about her being passed from pillar to post or see her being ruined by someone would be beyond unbearble.

 

[Ladyinred]

I was persuaded into selling my first mare for her bloodlines, many years ago. I have always regretted it.

 

[dominobrown]

I would keep her if you can’t have a bash at breeding another at least. Different if there was something you didn’t like about her but she sounds nice.

Yes if she was an evil cowbag or as ugly as sin it would be different. She is so friendly and easy with no desire to kick or bite, like her mum. I have also been lucky as the things her mum has faults on, like being a little light on bone, she is an improvement on which is SUCH a gamble if ypu are breeding.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

True, there are no guarantees. She might not be able to jump of stick... and I am not going to start bashing her about loose jumping or anything silly to find out. It's an oppurtunity to produce as horse exactly as I want too.

All I am thinking is if I sold her to see her winning around Badminton while I was sat on a stupid sofa from Ikea would be so frustrating. Far more worringly would to hear about her being passed from pillar to post or see her being ruined by someone would be beyond unbearble.

Then there is your answer!

And sofas from IKEA don't last very long, you would probably need another by the time she was winning Badminton.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Keep her. I’ve just bred my last horse and I won’t sell him because he’s bound to either suit me or my daughter in the future.

Also if you’re used to selling them then you’re not just being sentimental.

 

[AdorableAlice]

There must be something special about the sire for the potential purchasers to be so keen. I am guessing that the stallion has prolific success with his progeny, which is why if I were you, I would keep the filly and hope she is successful for me.

 

[dominobrown]

Then there is your answer!

And sofas from IKEA don't last very long, you would probably need another by the time she was winning Badminton.

Haha! Stupid sofa...

Its decided then... I am keeping her unless the offer is Significantly better than Ikea furniture money, I mean a lot a lot better...

Yes stallion has produced decent stuff very consistantly. His sire died last year in his late 20's and the stud has no bother selling its youngstock, and has a waiting list, hence why they have contacted me on behalf of a client.

 

[DD]

OP reading your replies on this thread I think you have answered your own question. You want and need to keep her. Keep her, don't sell.

 

[irishdraft]

No sofa is worth a homebred filly imo

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Being female and with desirable bloodlines even if she proves to be naff under saddle then she can always be a broodmare and still have value. If I were you I would keep her knowing that you can sell at any point because you'll never lose the bloodlines like you would if you gelded a colt.

 

[JJS]

No sofa is worth a homebred filly imo

This with bells on. I didn't even plan to have Flower, but there is nothing more rewarding than knowing that every part of her education and upbringing has been done how I want it to be, and that every success she has will be mine completely. More than that, I saw her come into the world, and I can't think of anything more special than getting to be beside her every step of the way until she's old and grey.

 

[dominobrown]

I have a yard and land which I own now, so unless aomething goes horribly wrong there is a place for her here until she is an old biddy.

*running off to show bf irishdrafts comment of the value of sofas....*

 

[FfionWinnie]

Should we start mentioning the value of home bred fillies versus boyfriends now??

 

[dominobrown]

Haha ffionwinnie... as other thread the value of boyfriends that henry hoover out your stables and help do up night yards is another thing...

 

[DabDab]

The money will go as quickly as it came, whereas the filly sounds in many ways irreplaceable. Maybe sell a kidney instead?

 

[tristar]

the way you said what you like about her, its obvious you want to keep her really, no way would i swap her for a few bits of furniture, yes its a gamble, but look how fr you have come from a hoped for conception to reality and having something special to look forward to in the future.

keep her and buy a quality secondhand sofa etc and save yourself a fortune.

 

[FfionWinnie]

The money will go as quickly as it came, whereas the filly sounds in many ways irreplaceable. Maybe sell a kidney instead?

One of the BFs if he’s still not convinced about keeping the filly

 

[Apercrumbie]

I've always thought sofas were overrated anyway...

 

[Hallo2012]

keep the filly filly and buy a beanbag!

when OH and i moved in together we bought a massive cheap and cheerful beanbag to see us through the first week as no sofa........................now the cats sit on the sofa and we still sit on the beanbag so i say buy your OH a beanbag and tell him to be grateful lol!