Selling horse - concerns?

Question

I have had my horse Four years, i abseloueltly love him. Hes always been there for me. and i've been through so much with him. Anyway i rode this arab like 5 years ago, and i wanted him so bad. he was overpriced and we could not afford him. He was my dream horse and i still have a picture, framed in my room. I was so upset when i heard the news "he is sold." I got my horse for christmas the next year. and i've trained him myself, and he taught me so much. Im 5'1, hes 13.3. I dont look big on him, but pretty soon i'll have to sell him anyway.

i put him up for sale, not suring if i will regret this decision or not, because the horse i had longed for so long, is for sale again. Have you regretted selling horses? Tell me some stories, and help me feel better about this decision. I dont want someone else to snatch up the horse of my dreams... i need some encouragement im doing the right thing. he will teach other kids the same stuff he taught me

Answer 1

You're ready for this, and horses are not dogs or cats....we ride them.  And we outgrow them.  It is okay to sell your horse.  They are expensive to keep and should provide what we want from them.  Someone new will love the horse you sell...it's like the natural order of horse ownership.  Not everyone can afford the luxury of keeping their first horse and buying more to meet their changing needs.  You're doing the right thing.

Answer 2

I've bought and sold horses throughout my life.  Several I wished I could have bought back, but then they wouldn't have gone on to where they were if I had bought them back or never sold them in the first place.

As we grow older, circumstances in our lives change.  The lone surviving foal out of one of my favorite QH mares is now currently in her 20's.  If I hadn't sold her she may have ended up the same way her 1/2 brother did, DEAD.  I leased him out to an old friend when things got though after my dad passed away and my old friend due to stupidity, killed him and my then 17 yr old TB (I'd also raised).  As it is, the mare has raised 3 good foals and one even got her ROM on the track even though she looks just like her grandma!

I have a friend who actually sold her first horse when she was in her teens (She got her as a long yearling, broke and trained her herself.), then when the mare was over 30, the gal she sold the mare to, gave her back to my friend, who had her for several years again.  So see, what's meant to be is meant to be.

Answer 3

I got out of horses 3 years ago and sold my Fjord gelding and I have regretted it ever since.  I just got back into riding and I lease horses now.  I really didn't have much choice to give him up since I wanted to move out, so it was either move out or sell the horse.  I gave up my whole life with horses, and I have regretted it ever since.  I'm just now in the process of buying tack all over again.

My first horse Rio i bought as a green broke horse and trained him myself.  I bought "bored" with him and wanted a new challenge.  So thats when I sold him to get my Fjord.  

I have never really had an attatchment to a horse like I would a dog.  This has helped me sell & move on from horses very quickly.  Do what benefits you best.  Write down a list of what your horse does for your now and what this new horse could do better.  Weigh your options.  Good  luck.

Answer 4

Thats a hard one I have faced the same thing over the last month or two but I would say do you ride him often? Can you achieve what you want to acheive on him? If you sell him could you possibly get another more experianced horse for what you want to do? Or if its due to other reasons would you rather have him sit wondering why no one is their riding him or where you are? or would you like some girl to ride him and love him as much as you have? I had a rought time with that because I had a 16 yr old Qh who was lame and I loved him but I couldnt jump, I couldnt canter much he just couldnt hold up to the work and it was only fair to him to let him go.. I sold him to my instructor for her w/t kids and I think he has now retired and living happily in a big feild..

Answer 5

Life is full of regrets and learning to move on.

I have had horses I hated to sell and didn't want to sell, but most always lead to something better for me.

Answer 6

It's always hard selling a horse that you've owned and cared for, especially if there are many years involved. But sometimes you just have to move on. It's not disloyal as long as you work to find him a good home that he fits in with ---- ditching one at a local auction to who knows who, yes that is disloyal but I don't think you are considering anything like that.

If your are absolutely certain that the new horse is what you want and you can not afford to keep 2 horses then there is nothing wrong with selling him. In all honesty it is probably best to sell him, then he can move on to teach some other young person to ride.

One thing you need to be certain of is the new horse, much can change with a horse in 5 years. Why is the other horse coming up for sale? Why is his price so much lower than before -- if he's been trained, promoted or shown during that time he should be worth more now than 5 years ago. Be very certain you haven't built him up to be more than he actually is. Be sure to ride him and get a thorough vet check before you make a decision with your current horse.

If all checks out and you need to move up to a better horse just be sure to find your current a good home. Carefully screen prospective buyers. Ask for references from both farrier and vet as well as personal references. Go to their facility and check it out. Make sure it is a safe place for your horse to go to. If you wish you can even add a Buy-Back Clause to your sale agreement that you get first option to buy to him back for the same amount you sold him for if they ever sell him.

You might find this helpful

http://www.equusite.com/articles/other/o...

Answer 7

Unfortunately life is full of sacrifices....and decisions...

I'm sure it is a difficult decision but in the long run, unless you can have two horses, you have to think about your future and your goals that you want to achieve.  

Just because you sell him doesn't mean you can't keep in touch with the new owners.  Maybe he'll be close by so you can keep in touch..and visit.  And you can offer to be there by phone or whatever means to answer questions...maybe you'll even make a new friend that you can e-mail and they can send pictures to you.  

Once you get your McDreamy Arab and have new challanges and experiences to look forward to...the feelings of seperation will diminish....and  your love and memories will always be with you to cherish.

And your right..just think of all the lucky kids he will also have the opportunity to welcome into our world of horses...and your the one who trained him!!!

Answer 8

yep same thing with you i had this pony snowy and he needed training having no experience what-so-ever except with riding we trained together, bonded, became unseparble. Then im 5'4 he was 13.2hh and i had to sell him. It's been 88days since i seen him and i can remember when they drove out of our drive-way. When they pulled out of our drive-way i remember running after the trailer yelling Snowy, just before they were out of sight i heard the familiar knicker of Snowy's neigh in the trailer :(

As time goes on you get better i still miss him like crazy but i know it's what he deserved for all he had done to me good or bad. I couldnt imagine him been 13 and not having anyone ride him, he would not be the same pony anymore so that helped me get through it. Trust me you cry for a couple of days maybe wks (i did) but as time goes on u get better.

Goodluck

Answer 9

I think it's the right thing to do. See if you can sell him to someone you know or at your stables or just keep in contact with the 'new' owner and make sure he's going to the right home. I know good and bad stories about people selling horses but if you do it right he'll go to a good home (I'm sure you will).

My stable owners go to the sales and buy horses all the time (lots of them are rescued), last time they were there one of them recognised one of the horses in the yards and went a dragged the other owner over. It turned out that it was one of the first horses she'd trained and sold like 8 years ago. He'd gone to a good owner but then she'd sold him and hadn't checked out the owner. They bought him and brought him back to the stables, he wasn't in the best shape. He's good now, it's a happy ending. (not saying this to discourage you from selling, it's just that's it's a really nice story)

Many of my friends have sold their horses amongst each other.

One of my friends like after two days of selling her horse, regretted it and went and bought her horse back. He'd gone to a good home and she sold him again a couple of months  later.

My dream horse was for sale a few months ago and he was bought by a girl. I found an ad online for him last week and she's selling him again because she's not that experienced and he takes advantage of that and pushes her around on the ground and it's made her too scared to ride him because she's only little so she's only ridden him in the round yard (when he can jump 120cm+, cross country, dressage, trails, he's really allrounder and awesome). I know that I can handle him and everything, he's fine with me, I'm looking to buy him now.

Just for everyone out there (esp those saying it's like adopting kids), if the horse isn't right for you (eg it's too strong for you, too go-y, or getting too small), sell it. Then it can be another persons/childs adored horse and can teach them much, there's someone out there that this horse would be better suited to or could handle.

Though a don't get the people who buy and sell horse all the time (I get it if they're training them) because they get bored, like over a span of a few months (not years). There's a girl at my stables who over that past 9 months she's been through 11 horses and she's just bought another two horses, and has gotten bored of another of her horses.

Answer 10

I have regretted it...Every horse i have sold I'm in contact with the now owner, i know they are safe and healthy that part makes me feel better.  I had a warmblood that i adored, he took care of me after my accident and helped me relearn to ride...No matter if i was screaming dismounting him because of the horrific pain i was in, he would quietly stand there and looked concerned.  I miss my gentle giant :(....

Answer 11

Selling a horse is always difficult if he's been good to you since you've owned him.

I had to sell a mare when I went to college (I had purchased her as a 2yr old, and she was the first young horse I had ever trained).  I owned her for 3 years, but I couldn't afford one when I was at college.  The woman I sold her too showed her, and liked her so much she kept her as a broodmare.  She sells some of her babies, and keeps and shows some of the others.  She said she would never sell her.

Another horse I got that was an orphan baby that I bottle fed, and I had her for 2 years, then I had to move out of state, so I sold her.  I sold her to a 4-H family that wanted her for their kids.  The family trained her for reining and barrels, and the kids still have her on their ranch.  I've seen some of her barrel results, and its really cool to know that they family loves her that much.

Just screen the people interested in buying your horse, and make sure you think they are a good fit.  You will eventually outgrow your horse, so find a family that will love him as much as you do, and ask them to keep in touch.

Answer 12

No i dont think you should sell him! Its like a child being adopted, but they wanted a different kid, so they put that kid back at the orphanage and get the other one! If you really love your horse that much, dont sell him! Maybe there is a reason its up for sale again. This horse is special! you taught him, and got him for christmas! Dont give that up for a horse you dont know very well. Be happy with the horse you have and move on!

Answer 13

give deep breaths and think about how happy u would be with the new horse and how happy that other person would be with your old horse.