selling/ loaning

[lynnemh]

just a follow on from another thread i was reading. i personally wouldnt sell or loan a horse via the internet, ( well i wouldnt sell one anyway) as i would only feel comfortable about selling, loaning or buying locally, where i would have a chance of keeping abreast of any news of said horse, and know of the new home. just wondering how other people feel about using internet for this purpose.

[Mary Poppins]

I think that several people use the internet to find and sell horses. Just look at horsemart and all the other classified sites. You always take a chance on the people you loan or sell to. Only by regular checks and keeping in contact can you monitor the welfare of your horse.

If you needed to loan out your horse and you didn't know anyone to take him, how would you find him a home if it wasn't for the internet (or local advertising which is effectively the same thing?) At least by getting to 'know' someone on an internet forum beforehand you can guage a level of their knowledge and their history. Of course people can and do lie, but on the whole I think that the success stories outweigh the negative ones. I think that more loan horrors happen when you loan to complete strangers compared to when you loan to someone you have 'met' on a forum.

[pedilia]

In an ideal world yes, but that scenario really isn't workable for everyone.

I think the internet has made buying/selling a lot easier for many people. None of us know what our future circumstances are, I know people who have have always said they would never sell their horse, but have been forced into selling to keep a roof over their childrens head!
The internet has made an already difficult decision much quicker.

Before the internet, people advertised via newspapers and magazines, its all still advertising.

[Sofi P]

I imagine there are almost as many horror stories from people who have sold/ loaned to 'friends' and it still goes wrong. Just because someone lives in the same village as you doesnt neccessarily mean you know them!

Having said that, yes I'd love to be able to only sell a horse to a good friend, but what if you didnt have any friends who were suitable for the horse? I'd rather see my horse with a suitable owner than one who may be less suitable but I know them.

I actually know people who wont sell to their friends because it means you're always involved. I have a close friend (friend A) who bought a youngster to bring on as a project, she kept him at the same yard as me for a while and a mutual friend (friend B) fell in love with him. Friend A thought great, I dont need to advertise and I'll know he's going to be well looked after. This pony was the perfect height and build for friend B but that is where the suitability ended! He was also young and green and needed a confident rider more than anything, friend B was perfectly able to ride him but doesnt have the self confidence to know that she's good enough. Of course she was fine while friend A was teaching them both but when friend B bought the pony and moved him to another yard she started to have problems. One broken ankle later they are still progressing but friend A has decided never to sell to another friend again as she now feels commited to helping them out through schooling and teaching, services she normally charges for but doesnt feel able to given her involvement with the pony. Ok so the pony will always be well cared for because friend B is very able and has a lot of experience keeping horses (we all worked at a RS together) but in hindsight she was never going to be capable of bringing on a youngster because of her lack of confidence. There might have been a much better owner out there had friend A bothered to advertise him more widely. That being said, I'm sure there are far worse owners out there too!

[TEmily]

Selling to someone close by is no guarantee whatsoever that you will know what will happen to your horse. Even if your buyer has promised a 'home for life' for your horse there is absolutely nothing to stop them selling it the week after!

I think you have to accept that if you are selling your horse its totally out of your control, and at least the internet gives you a wider range of suitable buyers.

[x.Moomoo.x]

I agree with what others have said.

Selling your horse is going to be a risk and out of your control whoever you sell it to, whether it be a local person or one a couple of hours away.

Who says the person you sell a horse to locally is going to treat your horse better than someone further away and tbh, if someone is willing to take your horse on when its not local to them, then they must really like them?

Nowadays 99% of things are done on the internet and if I hadn't put an ad out on a horsey website, I would never have met my dream horse (nor would the owner have found a perfect loanee ;) haha)

But yeah, I think it's fine as you're not exactly going to sell them without meeting the person first and if you don't like them, don't sell your horse to them.

The internet is just a quick and easy way of finding a wider range of horses available :o