Weird world of horse ads

KP nut

KP nut

I'd rather be riding.
Dec 22, 2008
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Just browsing (as you do...) and have seem some bonkers (and sad) ads.

A 16.3 Sport Horse sold as 'outgrown' !
A 2 year old pony cob sold already backed.
An 9 year old Sport Horse who is allegedly a fantastic hacker and works beautifully in the school but is sold 'from the field' with the line in the ad - "he's a cheap winter project sold from the field so don't be coming with all your riding gear expecting to ride!" Buying unbacked is one thing. Buying a horse who the owner refuses to let you ride is quite another!!
Another ad with every 3rd work spelled wrong and one blurry pic of a pony stood in a field.
 
Also there are so many excuses for selling.

Outgrown I understand. Or rider moving up a level. Or changed circumstances.

But there are sooooo many 'much loved' ponies for sale due to 'lack of time'. Well why have em in the first place if you haven't got time for them.
 
KP nut said:
Also there are so many excuses for selling.

Outgrown I understand. Or rider moving up a level. Or changed circumstances.

But there are sooooo many 'much loved' ponies for sale due to 'lack of time'. Well why have em in the first place if you haven't got time for them.
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I know, this winds me up too. It's just b*llocks isn't it? You know damn well it's not the real reason they're selling.
 
I bought my cob from the field, and re backed him to find he was as green as grass although completely lovable, I've seen small ponies that are maybes 12.2 5 year old being sold from the field as a bombproof excellent first pony, it just doesn't sit right with me that someone who's starting out may buy a pony like this and put their darling child aboard believing every word the seller says. Now I know 12.2s are outgrown but most fantastic ones are passed on through word of mouth and many are aren't 5 year old! x
 
See I find the outgrown (when talking horses not ponies) more irritating than lack of time, life does take over sometimes, work, family etc things can change but who in hell's name out grows a 16.3 :eek: I understand outgrowing ability but surely you'd just put that you are looking to move up???? I rarely look at ad's because they irritate me so much with the poor babies who have already done so much and the out grown 16.3's ;) :p
 
Yes I don't get outgrown for horses at all! Ponies I can understand as what suits an 8 year old is unlikely to suit an 18 year old..
 
To me sold from the field means the horse may not have been worked recently and there may be a lack of facilities for trying out. Not that you aren't allowed to ride. If a horse is sold without being able to be ridden I would describe that as a horse who needs restarting. Like Xavier was. And I'd want to know why an older horse had ended up like that. This ad just sounds like they have an awful lot to hide!
 
Yes absolutely, ponies are a different kettle of fish but the horses, I have no idea who is growing out of them!
 
Out grown can mean things other than too small for the rider. It could mean the riders abilities and competition desires are out with that horses comfort zone or ability.

Ponies can be much loved but the owners are unable to keep them, Eowyn was much loved but it came down to a choice and she had to go, Kia ended up going on loan too and he's very much loved.

Sometimes people are too judgemental. Yes there are the piss takers but we have to remember the genuine ones whose hearts are breaking over this decision to sell.
 
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Horse ads are amazing :)

I'm hoping to buy in late Spring so I have been keeping an eye on what is about. An incredible number of ads don't have basic details such as height, age or sex. The best one I saw had the text "Horse for sale £5000" and 3 pictures.

There are also a lot of ads that say 5* home only (and one with 10*) whatever that is supposed to mean, and quite a few that say that the owner is "thinking" about selling.

I certainly won't be travelling to view a horse that the owner might sell me, or might not because they don't fancy the field I will keep it in!

Horse lorry ads aren't much better. The norm seems to be a compete description of what the living area is like with no mention as to what the payload is, or any details of the horse area.
 
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I have bought several horses advertised as needing a 5* home. And not one seller questioned me about how they would be kept, what experience I had, how the horse would be used etc. It's generally just a meaningless phrase trying to imply to horse has been very well looked after. On the other hand when I have sold on I have quizzed people extensively about their setup at home and plans for the horse so sometimes it's genuine. I just wish ads weren;y so full of cliches and bs - 'low mileage' for 'green' for example. Some people are more than happy to buy a green horse so why not just say it like it is instead of trying to pretend it's somehow a virtue to be 'low mileage' as opposed to inexperienced and uneducated!
 
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Outgrown I agree with @MrC there are other reasons besides height.
The rider may want to go onto something the horse cannot offer.

We do need to remember if you bought your horse. Someone sold it. Some of us have sold horses and we felt our reason was genuine.

I don't browse, I don't see the need to and I already spend too much time online.
 
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The owner of the livery yard told me I had outgrown my horse when we were having a discussion about what I wanted to do as I had done some of the BHS vocational exams to become an AI. I had always thought it meant the rider had got too big for the horse as well. My horse was lovely and taught me and OH a lot, he was our first horse and ideal for what we wanted at the time but as newforest said I wanted to do more than he could offer. We had him for 10 years and had a lot of fun with him.

I don't browse adverts either, Mac will be my last horse.
 
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KP nut said:
To me sold from the field means the horse may not have been worked recently and there may be a lack of facilities for trying out. Not that you aren't allowed to ride. If a horse is sold without being able to be ridden I would describe that as a horse who needs restarting. Like Xavier was. And I'd want to know why an older horse had ended up like that. This ad just sounds like they have an awful lot to hide!
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Mine I bought from the field was stabled without turnout due to colts being in the paddock, he wasnt ridden as had to be taken through the colts to get out. To say when he came out of the stable he was bouncing was a understatement, and he had to be restarted but was a doddle and as long as he gets a hour or so turnout a day he's a lovely boy to be around. The previous owner of him rented the stable and the land owner put colts in the field, she became desperate to sell him. I can honestly say he's one of the best buys I've ever had and I quite enjoy buying from the field but think you have to go with gut feeling over the excuses sellers use:) x
 
Lack of time, I understand. I bought Pete when I was 22 - I'm now 26 and my life is very different to the 'just graduated university student and working my first office job' than when I bought him. And yes, I have significantly greater pressures on my time now - I'm trying to further my career, live 20 miles away from the yard and spend far more time commuting to various locations for work. Add into that family/home/lifestyle factors and I completely get why people do sell up.

If it wasn't for Pete's past issues and the fact I owe him a secure future, there's every chance I could have sold him by now.

Mind you, I can't remember the last time I looked at a horse's advert - years ago, probably!
 
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I've sold horses/ponies and my main concern is if the potential rider can handle them, too often I've heard of ponies/horses be resold quickly as they have over horsed themselves or sellers have been dishonest. Tbh I got a rescue cat from a centre years ago for the centre manager to say to me they didn't do home checks as she felt they were flawed. Iho someone could live in a tiny one bedroom house and adore their cat and yet someone could be very wealthy and yet have no real time for a animal, and tbh I agree. Posh facilities wouldn't make me feel that was a better home, a horse couldn't care less about material things, that's a human thing! I care about my horses and so I like to think they are going to a firstly well matched home, infact the really quirky horse I had is now on long term loan to a family member cause if I'd been honest she would never of sold so worried where she would end up. x
 
KP nut said:
Also there are so many excuses for selling.

Outgrown I understand. Or rider moving up a level. Or changed circumstances.

But there are sooooo many 'much loved' ponies for sale due to 'lack of time'. Well why have em in the first place if you haven't got time for them.
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Yes but some times people's circumstances change and they genuinely don't have 'time' for their much loved ponies.

The one's that always get me are those you see for old horses who 'have looked after me/my children for years and never put a hoof wrong, but can't jump/school anymore' it upsets me to think that someone could 'love' a pony for years but when it has reached the end of it's 'useful' life they want rid, it just makes me sad.
 
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Horses are bought and sold everyday,one hopes both sellers and buyers are honest and the horse ultimately has a good home. I've seen idiots both sides sides of the coin. As for reasons, outgrown means more than height of the rider or horse. Time changes for people all the time as do responsibilities,does not mean they aren't much loved. no offence KP but did you not sell thyme due to changes in your life?
Sold from field I would take as needs restarting and certainly wouldn't expect to just hop on, I have turned a horse away for a year due to my injury nothing the matter with her but when she came back to ridden work I restarted her. Had I been selling I wouldn't have just let someone hop on anyway.
 
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