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Post by Surprised on Dec 7, 2015 17:11:50 GMT
Sometimes people are upset and insulted when people make offers on their ponies way below what they consider to be a 'sensible asking price' but are happy to do it themsleves when they are buying?
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Post by catkin on Dec 7, 2015 19:50:59 GMT
I am not sure the price thing is as some remember it. My mother gave £1000 about 35 years ago for probably the ugliest pony we have ever owned. A total and utter saint and a real performer. At about the same time, I recall her giving £200 for a v green unreg Sec A and £400 for a small cross breed wonderful all rounder. At the sales they would have been a fraction of this price. So as always, 'proven' ponies will and do sell. I think that more people are concerned with looks now...rather than performance, so they compromise on the later. Also, a lot more self rather than PC educated families. Most kids started in PC when we were young and most bought from that circle ie. from a trusted source. No internet, no video etc, so people sought advice and opinion from those they trusted. This still works well, but many bypass this useful asset! I also think lack of time is an issue nowadays. More working mothers, children with lots more homework, so quicker,instant fixes required.
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Post by harrythepig on Dec 7, 2015 22:53:56 GMT
We were fortunate to be asked to sell one of the most genuine and all round pony's we've ever been lucky enough to have to sell in the summer this year. Whilst we did sell him as I knew we would ( to the first people to view) the sale involved: A viewing with just the family to see if they liked him The next day, the family came back with their instructor for a lesson to see how he'd behave The following day the prospective child hacked out with my daughter to see how he'd cope on the road the next day they came back. He had to be vetted, then go for a faster hack with my daughter and their friends child on her pony who apparently was ' an expert as she goes to Pony Club) followed by loading on to a trailer.
The whole process lasted a week and I totalled up involved 17 hours. The pony passed. The mother was a nightmare. The memory of her walking over to the vet with a red clipboard on which she had a list of 20 questions for the poor vet is something that will stay with me for a very long time.
Having undertaken all of the above when the mother asks if I would take an offer she was VERY lucky all I said was not a chance.
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 8, 2015 9:11:02 GMT
I can see both sides of this. After having bought the wrong pony (after trying it at its home, then at a show away from home, then had it vetted) and had my daughter succumb to nerves I was VERY careful about the next one. Ridingwise she needed a second pony, but needed to get her confidence back and I didn't want to buy a stodgy pony and then change it yet again so the search was difficult. Luckily her previous pony was still with us so she went back onto her and we got rid of the rogue pony. Some we went to see she was too frightened to get on at all having seen them under saddle in spite of explaining over the phone (no internet then) exactly what I was looking for. We drove a long way to see our precious Welsh B, retired from top level WHP (Q plaited for Peterborough year after year and the courses were big) but a total saint, and I knew it was the right pony when she got on him and hacked off up the road without a second thought. Moral - watch your child, that can often tell you more about the prospective partnership than you might think. So maybe like us the child required a pony that was near perfect for whatever reason.
Having said that - I would have thought your buyers could have truncated the process somewhat by taking him out on the road for a bit after the lesson, then all it would need was the vetting. I used to let the vet get on with this on his/her own, having had a chat with them first - they are working for the buyer not the seller after all, and it's a set procedure. I wouldn't have bothered with trying the loading - if the pony was as good as you say and right for the child I'd have been prepared to sort that out if it had proved a problem.
With my selling hat on, non-horsey families buying for their child can be a nightmare. Of course they want their child to be safe and happy, but don't always understand that ponies have to settle in to a new place and expect them to be unchanging, like a new car, and have no personalities of their own. Ideally they need to be under the wing of an instructor who will help with the whole process.
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Post by No offers on Dec 8, 2015 9:12:39 GMT
Well done harry!!! I do think the 'offers' syndrome needs addressing. When I put 'no offers' that's exactly what I mean, and if the home is the most important thing - which it usually is - any horses I sell are priced to reflect that. This is an educational issue and the 'offers' seems to be reflected in the current internet selling problem i.e. nice photo, no way can I afford it but I'll see if they will take 50% of the asking price!
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 8, 2015 10:10:49 GMT
There are offers and offers. I usually price mine with a little haggle room built in, and likewise would normally expect to have a reasonable offer accepted - this is how horse buying and selling has traditionally been conducted. But I'm talking say ±10% of the asking price, not 50%! I can often be more lenient too if I would really like to see that pony in that home.
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Post by switchblade82 on Dec 9, 2015 23:14:21 GMT
maxandpaddy as usual, you have summed that up perfect!
You are right the auctions are all vanishing. So rather than where you used to take your chance selling/purchasing at an auction, no questions (well not many asked). It was a done deal.
Now these days horses which would have been auctioned, are sold on by owners, dealer's, friends, friend of a friend, are sold on in a more personal basis. Sold cheap, tried, lied! A persons reputation can spread fast through social media, about poor experience buying/selling. Sadly people judge without knowing all the facts first.
I have lost a lot of trust in people, by personal experiences of owning a horse. I used to be an honest, bubbly, outgoing individual. Now I cross examine every situation I get into in life. It can at times be a trait as well as a God Send.
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Post by Remembertheolddays on Dec 10, 2015 8:22:38 GMT
Its a minefield for buyers and sellers nowadays. Going back 35-40 years ago the overall standard of horses and ponies for sale ( I think ) was far higher You have to bare in mind the difference between sale/auction prices and private ads back then. Our nearest horse sales when I was growing up was Beeston where you could pick up a pony in the unwarranted for £50 and in the warranted for not a lot more. Compare that with my own first pony, aged 9 a true all rounder, known in the area, bomb proof, nowt flash but hunted/show jumped/evented/dressage/you name it he did it for £350 Ponies with vices, personality quirks, or just down right difficult weren't put up with, they went to the sales and another was bought...sounds harsh and tough but people (in general, not all) didnt throw money away on problem horses and ponies the same as today because the price difference between the two wasnt that different. Because of this you didnt see many horses or ponies with vices or health issues, you didnt see many with behaviour issues, so navigating buying one or selling one was far easier Nowadays I'm rubbish at selling because I'm almost too honest, and crap at buying because I'm a complete sucker!! Doomed either way!! Yes you are completely right! But also horsemanship was so much better in the old days. If non horsey family's bought children ponies they were put into either the local livery/riding school / dealers yard ~ normally that was ONE place! And the owner was a true horse nagsman/woman who ran the yard with a rod of iron and had forgotten more about hours than the rest of the yard would ever know. Nowadays people pled can buy and keep - I guess because people have so much more disposable income / room for a pony at home etc. sadly many don't have any real knowledge and are advised either online or in person by a whole host of 'experts' who quite frankly are complete and absolute idiots.
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Post by Remembertheolddays on Dec 10, 2015 8:37:30 GMT
Add to that many of the 'new' breed of buyers WILDLY overestimate their talent in the saddle and what they wish to achieve! They want something that looks like Valegro for 2k and in reality are never going to get out of a trot, but their 'expert' has told them they need a big sharp Warmblood for 'dressage' when in reality their riding skills and knowledge would be more suited to something far less 'Highly bred and corn Fed'
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Post by thatboythatgirl on Dec 11, 2015 10:17:48 GMT
As a buyer at the moment we just had quite a nice experience. We've just purchased at 14shp who is coming from the person who had current ponys dame when she foaled and showed him inhand tillhe was 2. I fell in love with the 14shp she had when I saw him as 2 year old but was beyond our price bracket for a new pony. We went and visited the breeder again to give her some photos and update on our 13shp and the 14shp came up. The breeder wanted us to have him because of they way we had treated our 13shp, she hadnt advertised him because she didn't want him to end up in the wrong hands and has come up with an arrangement for us to have him.
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Post by trying to buy on Dec 15, 2015 18:44:14 GMT
Just giving an update, have now successfully purchased a gorgeous mare from a lovely lady who I might add did answer the phone, sent plenty if photos and gave a price guide even though the advert said offers, so we knew it was in our price range or thereabouts. Visit made, deal done and happy daughter. I know there are plenty of timewasters out there not only in the horse world, but in this day and age with technology it's a bit easier to sift through what you want to go and see so you're not wasting time for either the buyer or the seller (have been on both sides). There are still emails that haven't been replied to as well as messages left on phones, politeness dosen't cost anything.
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sarahp
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Post by sarahp on Dec 19, 2015 13:00:43 GMT
Thrilled to say I've sold my two ridden ponies together to a BHS first class approved equestrian centre, where I know they will be very well looked after and used under professional eyes. Nothing of mine left to sell now, although I think daughter would sell a couple of hers.
So yes, some of us do really want to sell!
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Post by catkin on Dec 21, 2015 9:12:24 GMT
Well done SarahP! Hopefully they will be going on to lead useful, productive lives.
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