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The tack room
How do you decide what offer to make on a pony/horse?
TheWindowDonkey · 29/01/2015 23:15
Hi all,
We are on the verge of putting an offer in on a pony known to us. My child has ridden it often, we know it to be of lovely temprament, caught easily, stands beautiflly when being tacked/groomed etc but with enough pep to keep dc interetsed. We cant afford trailer so will just be schooling/Pony club use.
Pony is welsh section c , over 13 years and has done some Hunting/shows, but nothing for the last couple of years. It is 12hh or therabouts and dd is 10 (just) so should last her for at least a couple of years?
I have no idea of pony values, this would be our first owned and not loaned pony, so any advice would be gratefully recieved. We have been given a figure by owners, but thought i would ask here first what someone would pay for a pony as described above.
Kept dc and dpony sex out of it as i'm worried enough that my post is identifiable. :)
TheWindowDonkey · 06/02/2015 21:22
Floral, DS is only 4 and she's probably going to be too forward going for him at 6. Dd manages Dpony at 9 but they are selling because their 8 year old couldn't handle her...
exit, the honest answer to that is that we can't afford her for the rest of her life. Not f we have to stable her.
Floralnomad · 06/02/2015 22:03
Lots can happen in a couple of years - your dd could give up riding at any time , your DS may want a pony ,something could go wrong with the pony . Personally I think the pony is over priced which is probably why you are already concerned with resale , I'm like exit I've never bought anything that I haven't been prepared to keep forever so it's not a problem I've had to worry about .
TheWindowDonkey · 06/02/2015 22:37
You are both very lucky to have the land or money to keep them for as long as you need. I wish we had the same. What i dont want is our lack of that to prevent our kids from having the amazing experience pony ownership will bring them...which is why i am trying to be practical about it....for the pony's sake as much as anything else.
Floralnomad · 06/02/2015 23:32
lots of people happily sell horses ,it's just not for me ,to me they are family pets and I wouldn't sell my dog so I wouldn't sell a pony . On the issue of cost have you looked at the price of section Bs on Horsemart as I seriously think you are paying too much unless this pony has an outstanding back catalogue of show winnings ( at major shows not local) .
Pixel · 06/02/2015 23:34
Our first pony was a section B and we were told he was 10. Later on after a previous owner had recognised him we found out he'd actually been 16. We had him until he was a month short of 35 and still sound (his liver went in the end), so I shouldn't worry too much about 18 months difference!
But yes, maybe offer a bit less money if you think they've deliberately lied.
It does seem a bit sad that you are already looking ahead to selling on, 2 years isn't very long at all and will fly by. You don't know yet what kind of rider your ds will be when he is 6. My ds is over four years younger than dd but he is bigger and stronger than she is, as well as more fearless.
Pixel · 06/02/2015 23:45
You'd be surprised. I have no money (am sitting here under a blanket because I can't afford to put the heating on) but just about manage by being organised and looking ahead. I put £20 away every month which covers hay and most of the feed (my sister does the same so between us we have enough for 2 horses). I put all my £2 coins and 50p pieces in a jar so that by the time dhorse's insurance needs renewing I've got the money (even if the lady at the building society hates me 
). Dhorse has never worn shoes in his life, or been in a stable, but he's quite healthy and happy as a mud monster.
Once you get into a routine it will be part of your budget and feel 'normal'. In two years time you will have devised your own ways of paying the bills.
TheWindowDonkey · 06/02/2015 23:53
We have been kindly offered half and half financial help for 2 years to keep her from one of my parents. After 2 years we have to meet all the costs ourselves. Of course by then i may have more clients (run my own business) and be in a position to take that over with no problem, so not definateoy selling, but I'm just trying to think ahead. I guess i want more certainty than life offers :) i'm kind of prone to that. :)
The owners paid 3k for her 18months ago, i'm confident they'd just advertise her elsewhere if we tried to come down in price. Stable owner says we're probably overpaying by a couple of hundred, and she's very savvy. Am leaning towards taking the view that our prior knowledge and certainty of her and dc's existing bond make up for the overprice. She really is a gem, vet today said she was great and that ponies that nice were like golddust, thiugh he thought we were paying close to the top of what he'd give for her.
i think if we were more experienced i'd have overthought the whole thing a lot less.
Anyway, am boring MYSELF now, so off to bed. Thanks again for your viewpoints, its been valuable to hear.
kormachameleon · 07/02/2015 00:02
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
TheWindowDonkey · 07/02/2015 08:29
How lovely! The vet just called me as he said he wanted to set my mind at rest, (he came recommended from a family friend) to say that she was a lovely pony and iho worth £1400-1500. And maybe i could negotiate the £200 difference on the change of date basis. He has a lot of his own ponies and must see loads as they are equine specialists so will go with that valuation.
Think we have decided to suck it up and overpay a little for the peace of mind that we have found a pony who has/will look after my kids well. :)
Butkin · 07/02/2015 12:29
Yes we immediately thought he'd be a Section B given his height. This won't make a difference - B's generally make more money than Cs as they are the classic children's riding pony. However he is 16 now (ponies officially age on the 1st Jan) so that isn't good and I'd smell a slight rat. Have you looked at his passport? On that it would say his age and breeding and you need to find out if he's pure bred because if not that would limit some things you could do (admittedly only showing but..)
I totally disagree - ponies are not generally for life (unless they are already quite old) and you are right to think of how you're going to sell him to a good home in the future.
Children grow and ponies then need to move on to somewhere they can have a happy and useful life - they shouldn't be field ornaments.
I would try and negotiate the price down a bit given his increased age and also ask to see his passport..
Floralnomad · 07/02/2015 12:53
I disagree butkin , I know loads of people for who horses and ponies are for life ,I do think that it's different for you because you are travelling in a different horsey environment than the majority of 'normal' pony owners . Your daughter shows ponies at a County and National level and yes those types of ponies will obviously be sold on to continue their career ,introduce other children to showing etc - the impression I get from the OP is that this pony is to be a 'family' pony for local shows / fun/ pony club i don't feel she has expectations to be showing at the HOYS . That said there is nothing wrong with her wanting to sell him in a couple of years but the fact that the current owners probably paid too much when they bought him doesn't mean she should pay over the odds now ( and she probably is ) .
Incapinka · 07/02/2015 14:54
Op why don't you offer £200 less and see what they say. You can always up the offer again but even if they meet you halfway then that's £100 towards something. After all the pony is a year older and you are offering the dosh and they know it is going to a good home. If I was selling I would bite your hand off...
I am also in the group of not seeing a pony is for life. Growing up when I outgrew one it was either passed on to a smaller child or we sold it. They need work and they need routine and not just being turned out in a field.
TheWindowDonkey · 07/02/2015 17:41
Well, we paid this morning, so its all done now. :) we did get saddle (though it needs a small repair) two bridles, and five rugs with her, as well as haynet, water bucket etc, so recoup some of our costs that way i Guess.
Anyway spent a gorgeous afternoon in the spring sunshine grooming, fussing over and riding the pony, two very happy children and one very loved equine.
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