selling my gal - only one person interested - low offer - wwyd?

[skihorse]

I'm TTC and my life is changing. Right now I don't have much spare time, to the point where sometimes I resent going to the stables.

Realistically the time issue is not going to get any better. Also, livery is 5k a year and that's a lot of money when it's a real effort to get up and ride (never mind pregnancy and post birth).

I put her up for sale last Monday, she's a warmblood with papers and can be traced all the way back to the Darley Arabian. I'm including "everything", e.g., 2 Stubben saddles, etc., etc. I've not competed with her, just because I'm not really in to that.

Anyway, I've had only one person interested. The girl is 15, lives on a great big farm in the countryside - so land, stabling, arena - and what looks like would be a long-term home.

However, her initial offer was just over half what I've got her on for. I put her on for 5750 and she's offered 3000. (One of the fecking saddles was 1500 alone!) Now she's saying she can go up to 3500-4000.

What would you do? It seems like a really great home and nobody else has even contacted me to look at her.

I've seen people before put a really high price on a horse and then pay 7 months livery until they got the price (which seems a bit daft).

Could you accept £4000 for horse alone then sell tack separately ?

I would do this if I was desperate to sell but she has been up for sale for a very short time... I know that the horse market is very slow at the moment.

Are you advertising in lots of different places ie online horsemart, local tack shops and feed barns.

You don't say anything about her so I can't really gauge how reasonable your price is. How old is she and how big? If you haven't competed, have previous owners? What does she do? Hack alone/in company/in traffic? Good to box/catch/shoe/clip? SJ/XC/dressage - if so to what sort of standard?

The Stubbens may have cost you £1500 but secondhand saddles are tricky to sell and not worth a lot (I can sympathise, I have a couple to sell that no longer fit!) - have a look on Ebay and see what you think you might get for them.

Have you checked horsequest to see what price similar horses are going for and what people are asking for their high quality tack. Mind you what people ask for their horses and what they are getting are often quite different at the moment.

I agree with other posters that saddles are difficult to market second hand and often better bundled in with the horse - why do you have two Stubbens if you don't compete?

I think you would be advised to wait for at least another couple of weeks to see the response to your advert - where did you place it by the way as some sites are so much better than others.

As we've bought and sold many horses in recent years we've found that making an offer is the norm and in this market you may have to take a cut.

I'm not actually in the UK and prices are generally lower here.

She's 9 and 17.2hh. She did dressage before I got her and was jumping 5'.

She hacks out alone and in company - I'm a happy hacker - and she'll jump anything I face her at when we're out.

She loads, she clips, she's shod, all 100%. She's amazing in traffic - I put this down to having lived a while in a triangular field next to a military base & a main road. Harleys, trucks, 4 apaches directly overhead and a month ago a 747 coming in to land just over us - she just gives it a "bovvered" face - and I love her for that.

Her major issue is with cows - and Shetland ponies - although I suspect exhibitionism rather than genuine fear!

I am reluctant to sell the saddles seperately because they were measured and fitted exactly to her and she's narrow and high-withered. I'd hate the thought of someone whacking any old piece of shit on her back.

I have the second stubben because it was a 300 quid dressage saddle on ebay in her size - how the fuck are you supposed to resist that?

She sounds nice and a fair price for the UK though I don't know about the country you're in. I would look at your advert, if I were you as in your original post the only thing you said about her was: "she's a warmblood with papers and can be traced all the way back to the Darley Arabian." - neither of which are particular selling points so I would check that you've included her real selling points in your advert.

I'd include her tack in the sale too but I would wonder if a 15 year old, not on a yard with people to help, would manage a 17.2h WB with an issue about cows or Shetlands. I know some would have absolutely no problem at all but I suspect they are in the minority. If she were mine I'd have a good look at the advert to see if it 'sells' her and maybe think about moving her to a (trusted/recommended) sales yard.

haha it's not a major issue - just the "boggly eyes" with the cows and "piaffe" when she sees Shetlands. We used to pass a string of them from a riding school and I think she was just showing off.

I've shown the ad to friends and they all think it's fine and it does mention her good points and I've put loads of photos up including one I have of her competing with her previous owner. I think it's just "market forces".

I'm not too bothered about the girl's age - I was riding the biggies from 12 - in fact I took a racehorse to pony club camp aged 14! Her parents are horsey and her sister also has a horse at home, so it's not as if she'd be managing this all by herself. I'm in The Netherlands and the kids here tend to go to uni in their home town... so I'm hoping that by the time she graduates my horse would be 17 or so... what sort of a heartless bastard sells a 17 year old horse if they've got all that land? (am I dreaming? )

Has the girl ridden her etc? Would you consider loaning her out? 4000 from 5000 isn't too bad, for a good home.

skihorse, when you said 'major issue' I wasn't expecting just a bit of boggly eyes or piaffe! Glad to hear your ad is fine and you're happy with it but yes, the market for horses is rubbish at the moment.

I know some 15 year olds are fine (and did say that) but a lot aren't; if you're confident she's in the former group then no problem.

"what sort of a heartless bastard sells a 17 year old horse if they've got all that land? (am I dreaming? )"

Yes, you are, but you never know your luck, sometimes dreams do come true!

I'd go for it. From what you say, looks like a good long-term home with decent owners as far as you can be aware. Like you say, you could be paying livery for however long if nobody else comes forward.

I would go for it with this purchaser. It sounds like you can still negotiate the price up a bit. I am one of those people who had bad luck selling a fabulous horse and lost a lot of money, so if I had your choice now I would take it! A quick sale is actually worth quite a lot in the scheme of things, especially when you are paying livery.

Ooo, and can you post a link to the ad?

haha OK - right, well she loves her and is taking her on a two week trial. They have shit loads of land, nice stables etc. etc. 6 kids in the family and she's the oldest at 15. She can't ride right now because she's recovering from an op for scoliosis - although she has had a quick go. So her sister (13) has been doing the riding. Really nice, genuine down-to-earth people who aren't up their own arses - you know what some people with horses can be like... I'm thinking of the little bitch at my yard strutting around in her Pikeur jods and D&G handbag despite the fact she's 14.

They've upped their offer to 4k which I'm going to take if they still like her after the trial. She was ridden today for the first time in 2 weeks due to my mc so I was thinking maybe she'd be a pain but she didn't put a foot wrong!

Anyway, here is the ad for you all to look at.

www.marktplaats.nl/index.php?url=dieren.marktplaats.nl/paarden/259473636-braaf-recreatie-dres suur-paard.html?return%3DeJwtjFsKwjAQRfdSaD%252FbpNUqKUHqTkISaegjw0yCorh3p%252BrXPWfuZYyS6hWUGEjJ80E V5A3aaZhSAtU0cwS%252F1avBOcFiTKJ6W5rfpIYJLo9Fy8qRTrHsRll2VxcYOJfE%252BQzASDdH%252Fxb2q2BYuRi3vHoMlnW %252Bs6K36E0KvmyPrXDoiXLGr4Ax6HgXaX%252FfVgBZiwoiJRud17089cXw%252FgAbMEDB%26df%3D1%26fta%3DeNotj1Fuw yAQRO%252BCVH%252BDiw0s8hVyBWtrlhTViRHgBDXK3Yutfs1IO5o3i6DglUED29M6P3DNzGYQXAKr6yQ6l6eygbAugF0L%252F IZos3ctYWMBbm8R7vuNUljszxMSLYmwBProuUuU876nZiNicnbLAfouxn3iXdxyWTZH0yjUeAAbLuKVmA2tOcMnsODOJUoA84NEl GMlMxg1iOrVYLzRTfWXJ2qqJCdZvR6U7pfqR6fHxVcvjVfYckNP2pjzsdZctoguzyvdr%252BX7IPJ2MMBuWOdjROO6c0UPDJ%25 2FMXv7tg1kEDq%252F3%252Bw8nIWFj%26fta_ind%3D5%26fs%3D1

Your horse looks lovely! And well done, I think that's a good decision. Fingers crossed that they don't mess you around after the trial. It sounds like a nice home.

Oh good, glad that's worked out for you. She is lovely btw.

hope it all works out, think it's a pretty good price tbh in the current market, particularly without a competition record.
think most of the 15 yo's I know who ride are more up for a biy of giddy behaviour than the adults - i was a bloomin nutter at that age and rode quite a few which were advertised then for sale as ridden by a teenager (yeah one with no sense or fear, didn't mean they were sensible )

That's great news! Oldest of 6 children sounds very hopeful too!

BTW please don't take this the wrong way as I am only trying to be helpful in case you may need to advertise her again but I don't rate your advert; certainly not for a nearly 6K horse. She's a nice looking mare and sounds very nice but you don't mention any competing she may have done. You say she can jump but there isn't a photo of her jumping and the only ridden photo is from the front at an angle.

If I were looking at your mare's advert I would want to see:

Details of any competing she had done and at what level/with what degree of success.

An in-hand conformation shot from the side.

Photo/s of her being ridden - from the side.

Photo/s of her jumping.

Hopefully that is all immaterial now as she has found her new home though!