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moorse
New Member
16 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 09:31:14 AM
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I have a 14.3hh 9yr old pure bred arab gelding that I am thinking of selling this year. Do you think I should start advertising him now or wait until the weather picks up a bit - will people be more inclined to buy then? Dont want to waste money on advertising now if the market is slow.
Also do you think £2800 is a fair price for him? He is a good allrounder with no vices but I would like to find him a home with someone who understands arabs and their quirks!
Any advice on writing a good advert and screening timewasters would be much appreciated - I havent sold a horse in a while
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precious
Platinum Member
England
2253 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 09:56:18 AM
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Only advice is make sure you get good pictures and these give the first impression.
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Gemma Thompson
Birmingham West Midlands
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:01:36 AM
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I think that no time is a good time to sell horses  , there seems to be so many for sale, all looking for that good forever home trouble is people started breeding heavily from the 80's onwards and there are now so many Arabians ( once considered the royalty of all horses) that you can pay more for a shetland pony these days ! sad but true people thought to make mega bucks from these beautiful creatures , and they are still being bred with that in mind .
but the truth is so many of them will end up in dog food, or worse still neglected or left out in fields to fend for themselves, and we have all seen the results of this. this could all have been avoided by curtailing the numbers bred every year instead the greedy have flooded the market to saturation point. and VERY few will find that dream home by the way what is a time waster? why would people waste anyones time , they simply call to find out more about the horse, if it is not suitable they back out, surely thats not time wasting? sorry I am just disillusioned ! |
   
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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Meggie-Lu
Platinum Member
England
1519 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:08:30 AM
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I agree, horses are not somthing people seem to buy all the time it does take a while for people to find the right horse. That said i think your boy sounds lovley and people that are looking for arabs expect to pay more than a mix bred. Good pictures are a must, i know when i have a look if the pictures are rubbish i don't bother looking, i no it's bad but i just don't.
Good luck. |
   Danger Mouse |
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moorse
New Member
16 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:09:27 AM
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By timewaster I mean someone who comes and tries your horse with no intention of actually buying it - just came for the day out and a ride! I would'nt mind someone who spent ages on the phone/email asking me all about him as it would prove they wanted to know al about him.
Unfortunatley I only have a few piccies of him so if i was looking for some to put on an advert i would have to wait for the weather to improve otherwise the pictures would look horrid with him standing in a lake of mud that passes for my field.
With regards to pics would people want to see just conformation shots or ridden pictures? |
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sub
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1919 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:11:59 AM
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Personally, I like to see a good side shot to get an idea on conformation and then a ridden shot in trot.
Any other pictures are a bonus! |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:13:37 AM
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I think there is still a shortage of good, well mannered, ridden all-rounders without problems. A lot will depend on how many people there are looking out for a ridden Arabian when you advertise.
I have to say I agree about the timewasters Lynda. There is SO much to think about and consider when you get to the point of actually trying to sift through the adverts for horses. So many people are less than 100% honest about their stock and try to pass on horses that are not all they're cracked up to be.
That leaves the buyer trying to make a shortlist from the ads on here, the websites and magazines, decide what to spend money and time going to see, and then trying to make a decision.
My neighbour does quite a bit of buying and selling and she calls any person who comes to see the horse but doesn't buy it as a 'timewaster'. It makes me think she doesn't really mind who the horse goes to, and I think it's unfair to think the buyer - who will either have the horse for years or will have to try to sell it on - should not be choosy about what they end up with. After all it's their money, hard work and potential enjoyment that's at stake.
The point is selling a horse is about finding the best home for it, not just flogging an unwanted TV or something. There will always be a lot of time spent, but it shouldn't be seen as 'wasted' at least from the horse's point of view! |
Roseanne |
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:15:33 AM
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| PS, on Arabian Lines you get five pictures so you can and should put an assortment of photos there, showing off, inhand, ridden - and showing off his good points and his good temperament (i.e. ridden with no gizmos etc). |
Roseanne |
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Meggie-Lu
Platinum Member
England
1519 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 10:22:00 AM
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| I like to see a good ridden shot. I agree anyother picutres r a bonus! |
Danger Mouse |
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nissibay
Gold Member
England
595 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 12:02:39 PM
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Good points LYNDILOU!!!! and the bit about time wasters too!!! i have enquried about a good few horses over the last few months, im not time wasting im just trying to find the right one.if id bought the first arab i looked at last year i would of ended up with a four year old gelding, which i know now is not what i want. i get put off when i see STRICTLY NO TIMEWASTERS i think oops i better not as the pic in the add isnt perfect so i might not like the horse or its a bit far. wont bother to ring then as ill be seen as a dreaded "time waster"
i do feel for the owners too, but it aint guna stop the real time wasters but put of genuine people (imo) |
Sheen 
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jaybird
Gold Member
France
1192 Posts |
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nissibay
Gold Member
England
595 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 12:46:40 PM
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Jaybird that isnt right what you said. i didnt say what age i was looking for!!! last year i thought i wanted a gelding as id had a mare 10 years previously! so when i got back into horses i had thought i wanted a gelding. but after seeing the gelding i got home thought about it hard and decided id like a filly as i would like to have a foal to keep later on . so i still say i wasnt time wasting. are we not aloud to have a think about it? i would of been disapointed if i had just said yes to the gelding "who was lovely" then had a yerning for a mare so i could breed my own foal.that might be the point where someone then puts the poor gelding back up for sale!!!!! and four isnt to young for me i want a weanling FILLY !!!!! please dont make a mockery of my post if you are not guna read it properly. thanx  |
Sheen
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Edited by - nissibay on 25 Feb 2010 12:57:37 PM |
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nissibay
Gold Member
England
595 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 1:01:43 PM
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PS, incase anyone doent like me saying i want to filly to breed from, it was more i dont want a gelding as i have no choices but with a mare in the future i have a choice if i would like to have a foal. |
Sheen
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jasjmm
Gold Member
625 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 1:02:10 PM
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I agree with Nissibay, I don't think you are wasting someone's time if you are genuinely looking at a horse, even if you then decide its not what you want. How can you know, unless you look? I will be advertising my filly around April/May when she has de-fluffed and no doubt I will get a lot of that, but I would rather someone said "no, she's not for me" than bought her and then decided she wasn't for them and sold her on again. I went to the Maxwell's open day in October 2001 with no intention of buying a stallion, and find that I have now had Madaba 8 years since New Year's Day 2002 (where has that gone??!). Never once regretted it, have learned so much over the years and have met so many people as a result, so sometimes 'unexpected' choices do work!!
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Bristol |
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moatside
Platinum Member
England
3224 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 1:44:10 PM
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If we all brought the first horse we went to see there would be a lot of unhappy horses and owners! Looking, tying and deciding he/she is not the one for you is not time wasting - time wasters are the ones who want to know EVERY detail then turn up (late) and them say "Oh, I wanted something older/different colour/different sex/cheaper/dearer" etc.
Cynical?? Moi  |
www.spanglefish.com/kasanarhythmbeads/ |
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alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 1:58:40 PM
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Realising the market I have priced our mare to sell. That way I can be picky who gets her . |
    
blue moon |
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T42
Bronze Member
England
215 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 2:40:31 PM
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I'm looking for a horse at the moment. Found one that stole my heart. Went to see it twice, then had it vetted, which raised questions. After 5 days decided not to buy. Am I a time waster?
From the buyers point of view, I like to see good whole body shots of the horse stood & moving & may be a ridden one. I want to know sex, age, height, colour (you wouldn't believe how many sellers leave at least one of these out!). If it's an Arab I'd like to know dam & sire. Good to box, shoe, clip, in traffic, vet, etc & lastly its experience & perhaps temperament. Lastly put in something that catches a buyer's eye & makes your horse stand out from the rest.
I don't think there's a good or bad time to sell. There aren't many horses about in the autumn/winter so buyers have less to choose from. In the summer there are more about so that might mean your asking price is less. In the end if it's a nice horse, sensibly & honestly described with a decent owner it will sell & if you're picky about the buyer it should go to a decent home. |
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moorse
New Member
16 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 2:51:59 PM
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Thanks for all your replies.
I think when it warms up enough to give my boy a good bath I will get someone to come and take some photos - ridden and body shots.
Also I will start thinking of wording for my advert so that when I come to put it up on the for sale page I dont forget anything.
How do I word my advert so I dont put people off buying him but at the same time still ensuring he goes to the best home? Its hard enought thinking of selling him without thinking what sort of home he may end up in - suppose that is the chance you take with selling any horse? |
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mollydog
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
55 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 3:11:30 PM
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Agree with T42 - those are the things I want to see in ad. I cannot understand people who advertise without putting horses age.
On the question of time wasters if you arrive at yard and immediatly know the horse is not for you is it better to say straight away or at least show some interest and then say you don't think its for you? I know the owner has prob. spent time getting horse clean etc. and I hate to appear so blunt about their horse.
I am also looking at present if anyone has a bay mare 5/6 yo for sale! |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 3:17:50 PM
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you should start by being honest about him, say he is open to any vetting, his age, colour, vices or none, how good he is to do, talk about his positive sides. BUT, make sure when you come to sell him that he goes to the best home you can find for him ( dont forget he is your sole resonsibility and you owe him that) and that he is not going to be passed on after a short while.
you may be asked How long have you had him for? where did he come from,? what is his history? be sure to be honest , use a nice picture and I would advise the sooner the better, some people may want to start the new season with a new horse. |
www.dreamfield-arabians.com |
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LYNDILOU
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
13976 Posts |
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Susie T
Silver Member
257 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 5:30:45 PM
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I am looking for a safe, calm ridden arab at the moment. I try to be as honest as possible about my ability, which is not great at the moment, and ask as many questions as I can before I would arrange to see anything. Today I made a 500 mile round trip to visit a horse that sounded like she might be suitable. Went for a short hack and she spooked at a white van, ran up a small bank and fell over with me on her  (I stayed on, so maybe my abilities aren't as bad as I think ), and felt I had no choice but to walk away (after I had ridden the horse back to the yard). I still felt guilty because the horse had been bathed yesterday specially and a school booked to show her to me, but I hope they would not consider me a time-waster. |
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phoenixbruka
Gold Member
England
1190 Posts |
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george
Gold Member
Wales
1353 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 7:07:08 PM
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I was selling a couple of colts a few years ago and the amount of people who rang, made arrangements to see them and then didn't even turn up was unbelievable. We had one man who rang us six times to ask questions and tell us all about their new potential home, how he was having stables built and so on, when it actually came to it on the day he was coming to see them....nothing....no phone call and his was a withheld number it made me so angry, just a quick call is all that was needed, now that's what I call a time waster |
George xxx
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lisa rachel
Gold Member
Wales
831 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 7:34:32 PM
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I agree entirely with everything Roseanne and Lyndilou have said, which goes to show the irony of the situation we are in, Lyndilou rightly contends that there is overbreeding warns of the uncertain futures that many young Arabs face, whilst Roseanne equally correctly states that it is not actually easy to find a good ridden Arab!!!
I think is worth reflecting on why this should be the case.
(OK to some extent there are people like me who buy their horses very young or breed them, back and bring them on themselves and would not dream of selling them for all the money in the world. It is to the Arabs credit that many find themselves cared for and ridden all their long lives by a devoted owner, and may partly explain why not so many good ridden Arabs are for sale. However this is not the whole picture.)
I have said many times and upset a few people, which I am sorry about , but will say again , in my opinion every Arab bred, should be bred with a view to being of the physical and mental calibre such that he or she will make an excellent riding horse. This is the essence of the breed. I am not for one minute saying that the horse should not have, or indeed would not benefit from ,an in hand showing career as a youngster.
I just believe that he or she should have a bright future as a ridden horse waiting when he or she hits 4 years old and not the prospect of sales/unsuitable homes/ irresponsible breeding/dogmeat.
This is my ideal future...
That people at shows at all levels can enjoy inhand showing, that the horses can be seen to be enjoying it, that they are presented to the judge in a manner that the judge can actually assess the horse's natural conformation and place the horses accordingly. That the general public can watch and enjoy these classes and appreciate the breathtaking beauty of our lovely breed. That members of the public would see the type of horse in hand that would have them think... wow I'd love to have him/ her as a riding horse, I'll go and ask if he's for sale.
That Arabs are seen COMMONLY yes, doing what they do best... endurance, racing, showing but also as riding club horses, hunter trialling, eventing, team chasing, as dressage horses, hacks, TREC competitors, in private driving classes, being ridden western and taken out hunting. I know that I am preaching to the converted, that many people on here do these things to high level and yes Harry and I get out and about with ours, but I would love to see the day when I never hear again ...
'she's very good isn't she ...FOR AN ARAB!!!'
I always reply 'of course she's good ... SHE IS AN ARAB!'
This is the crux, the public perception should be ... if you are looking for a tough, athletic, handy, affectionate, versatile and useful riding horse (who, btw,EXPECTS to be treated and ridden with tact and intelligence!)you need look no further than a purebred Arab. I would agree with what First Lady suggested on the racing thread that this is most definitely NOT the current public perception
Cheers
Lisa
PS I am very tired of seeing welfare issues this winter most could be avoided by heeding Lindylou's warning to breeders ... it is a massive responsibility to breed a horse, and finding the right home is part of that responsibility, if less horses were bred and they were more expensive to buy it would be no bad thing, they are after all very expensive to keep.
Sorry to rant
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lisa |
Edited by - lisa rachel on 25 Feb 2010 7:43:26 PM |
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Zenitha
Gold Member
England
1078 Posts |
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Good time to sell?
