The joys of selling horses!
For those of you who are unaware of the "joys" of dealing with the vagaries of horse buyers, let me tell you a story :-)
In the year 2000 I had a little bay horse who was so bright red that I used to call him chestnut with black points. He was a stunner, 4 years old, a natural jumper who went clear at his first xc and had super paces. I had his full brother, a 16.1 with a flat wither, but he only grew to 15.3hh so I had to sell him. A buyer persuaded me to drive him 20 miles to where her 14 year old daughter was competing so that she could see him. She particularly wanted a 4 year old around 16 hands. She waxed lyrical about Harry, agreed to buy him and said she would phone me later to tell me when the vet was coming. Instead, she phoned later to say that she had changed her mind.
The potential buyers for Zippy booked the same training ground for tomorrow, and had waxed lyrical about him and talked about arranging a vetting. I was beginning to wonder if there was a connection, when they rang and said they were pulling out. I phoned back to find out why and she started burbling about "price" and "too close in his action". So I asked her how old her daughter would have been in 2000 - answer 14. And if she had bought a 4 year old about 16 hands for her daughter in that year - yes. So I reminded her how she had already agreed to buy one horse from me and backed out, and said goodbye!
Timewasters the pair of them!! As I said, the joys of selling a horse. I sold Casper three times before the deal got completed.
Meanwhile today, Radar has been super with his feet and now sports a lovely mustang roll on all four, which are coming into shape nicely now he is doing roadwork with no shoes on. Zippy schooled in walk with particular emphasis on contact, submission and bend. He was pretty good, definitely making progress on all fronts. And Jazz and I had a lovely hack - once he had realised that his shadow was going to trot alongside him without trying to eat him!! Yes, he was, literally, afraid of his own shadow :-))) He's a different horse from this time last year and was bouncing along happily past motor cycles, horse-eating daffodils and various other distractions.
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 4:32 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Forget the "buyers." Not worth the trouble of bothering about them at all. The right person for Zippy will come along.
As for shadows...Tuck was afraid of his in the riding arena for a while, but seemed to overcome it...I think. It would all depend on what time during the day I rode him and where the sun was.
If Jazz is no longer afraid of those killer daffodils, he is definitely making progress! *lol*
Stupid people. ah well. don't deserve your lovely horse in that case! Have you thought about keeping the ownership of him and passing the ride to a pro dressage rider, so you can keep your hand in with him & yet know that he's doing what he was born to do? Or does that not appeal to you?
So glad to hear that Jazz is continuing to prove his growing maturity, that must be so rewarding or you after all you've been through with him
:-)
I've thought of it Sarah, but a Pro rider will charge and I don't have that kind of money to spare. A friend of mine has one of her horses ridden for her and her livery/schooling bill is £140 a week with competition fees on top. I have a semi-pro young rider, who needs but can't afford a top class horse, lined up if I don't find a buyer, but I still have several other irons in the fire and he hasn't been in Horse and Hound yet. I really would like to sell him so that I can "release" the responsibility for his future to someone else.
I turned down another lot that I thought were timewasters last night Jean. She was moaning about it being "a long way" to come and see him (about an hour and a half!!!) and trying to get me to book a training arena for today - at half past eight on the night before Easter Sunday ! - eventually I just said "no" and she said that she wouldn't want to see him then and I was pleased to accept her decision - she seemed a bit shocked by that, as if I should be begging her to buy him! I'm in no hurry for him to go, he's easy to look after, costing me almost nothing, and a pleasure to ride, why would I be?
C
Some people are unbelievable.Whats the chances of getting the same people twice though:0. Oh well their loss the right person will come along in time and it wont be so hard on you having three during the summer months i'd think?
It's nice that you don't need to sell Zippy right away. These people were not sure they wanted him (or your previous horse) but didn't want someone else to get in line before them. Not a very fair way to deal with people. Good for you to make the connection and call their bluff! Not much gets past you! I remember two years ago trying to talk you into leasing Tetley to me but I totally see your point. You can only be responsible for so many horses at one time. It's not just the money; it's also the huge responsibility that goes along with ownership.
you'd think if people are going to wind people up, they'd remember who they did it to and so not go back ... duh. well, you're well shot of that potential non purchaser!
The key was Claire, that they had never been here before, so they didn't know me at all - but I remembered the Mother's peculiar enthusiasm and it brought the whole episode back to me.
ML I just couldn't face being responsible for his welfare for the rest of his life. I needed you to take that on, and you have done it brilliantly.
Ooh, let me think Nicola. Three in summer? Sounds just like good fun to me!
C
My friend Stacie just emailed me to tell me she MAY have found a horse. But she drove 18 hours to another state to look at him! And hour and a half is nothing.
Post a Comment
<< Home