Schooling to sell livery or somone coming out to current yard? Need advice

[Lucy J]

So, I just do not have the time or expertise to sort this co-owned pony of mine out. As he is costing £65 per month and I am getting nowhere, I was thinking of putting him in "schooling to sell" livery or just paying (same person) to come and school him 3 times per week. It would be £100 per week (+ 10% of the total sell price) at her yard or £25 per session at mine. So cheaper for him to go there. But he is co-owned and I would have to pay for all the bills as his other owner has run out of cash (bearing in mind she will get half of what he sells for.) The alternative is he goes back out to grass all winter and has the same problem next year. I am not looking to make any money, I just want him in a good permanent home, but i can't afford to throw money away either.

Bottom line is, I am a nervous rider and I don't trust him. I just want to get my mare back into work and enjoy riding again. But considering the pony only cost a few hundred pounds unbroken it is a lot of money to spend, but I just want shot of him. i just worry if he goes to her yard how do I know he is actually being ridden every day? And how long would he be likely to be there for (he is not "bad" just a bit green) Thoughts appreciated. I've just had enough and never want to see the pony again (don't get me wrong, I love him, but i am fed up.) I've had him on this yard for 3 months (while my own mare has been turned away mostly) he has cost me about £700 and I've spent £100 on advertising.

Experiences/Opinions?

Incidently, while he was at the other yard I was under the impression he was being ridden, but I think that was rubbish, he was scared even to come out his field. The initial set up was I paid for him and my old YO paid for his upkeep. I didn't realise I was the one having to back him and bring him on. I backed him 2 years ago, but then moved house and the yard was a 60mile round trip, so I moved my mare and he stayed. I have been out of work for a while so fetched him to my place to do some work and sell him, but it is proving an impossible task.

Sorry for the long post, I just don't know what to do for the best.

[KateWooten]

If your co-owner has run out of money, you need to buy her out. Consistency is absolutely fundamental to success with schooling, training, or re-training. What does your co-owning contract say about expenses like re-training ? If it were me, and you think there's a chance it could work... I'd wait til she really needed to sell, buy her out, then set at it whole-heartedly on the re-training. With the co-owner out of the picture, you could probably be trained at the same time ... you and the pony - so that you end up being able to continue his work more confidently.

Either that, or just sell him. It's not really fair on him to be in this situation. Set his price so he sells, and cut your losses.

[eml]

I think you would be better cutting the price and selling him as he is now. By putting him in a school to sell situation you could be taking on a lot of expense particularly as this time of year is not ideal for selling.. HAve you seen the 'Project Horses' website this may suit.

[Lucy J]

the problem is co-owner won't accept a sale price of less than £1800. This includes all tack (that I have bought) and is a fairly reasonable price for a very smart looking registered pony who is showing well in hand, hacking out alone and schooling OK. He is great with another pony to follow and on the lead rein, just needs some work with turning (well more obedience in doing what he is told as he naps to the gate sometimes), cantering and jumping (I don't jump anymore as i am too scared and can't risk being injured)

i have advertised him not even as being green, but have had little response. This pony easily jumps well over 3ft when loose schooling and loves it. If he could be sold and be shown to do a nice walk trot and canter and go over a few jumps he would be worth a damn sight more, but i don't have the bottle. He is very genuine and has no vices. loads well, comes to the gate when you call etc.

i don't want to learn on him, i don't want to jump, i just want him sold. i want to get my 16.2 mare back into work, as she is costing £120 per month and doing nothing at the moment. i can't afford to buy the other owner out, not if she wants £900, and then if i do that i will be stuck with him, at least at the moment if he doesn't sell i do have the option of turning him out in her field and writing him off, at least then he is her problem. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I have a 3yr old son, and there is no way I can cope with 2 horses. If it was up to me I would give him away, but I can't.

[Afellpony]

Which begs the question.....why, if you already had a mare did you agree to share this pony?...
The easiest solution for you if you're that desperate to get rid of the pony would be to 'cut and run'!!! I know you say you haven't got much money but surely that would be far better than put up with the situation as it stands now? Then you can go ahead and enjoy your mare. At least you wouldn't be paying out for the pony.
Sharing with another, is never easy and if, at all possible, is best avoided.
I know you're in an awful situation and I sincerely hope you find a sollution to it as asap.

[april89]

I feel that if you have been putting all the money into this share, unless this is what was originally agreed, then you should arrange it so that upon sale you get at least half of all of these costs back. It's not fair that you have had to invest not just your money but your time as well, without their support, and yet she expects an equal share of any selling price. Therefore I'd become firm and work out an either or strategy. Could she perhaps take over the responsibilities?

ETA: the costs should come out of her half of the sale so it doesn't effect your share.

[cvb]

lucy

if the 1800 includes tack YOU bought, her share can't be 900. It would need to be (1800 less tack)/2

Plus you have to consider if the £100 a week (plus the 10%) will either improve his sales price by that amount, or increase the liklihood of a fast sale.

If the person who would school him can estimate that it would take 4 weeks before they would market him, he needs to improve by £400 (plus that 10%).

And the co-owner then either needs to pay half those costs OR see the total reduced by the costs before you split it
(i.e. 1800 less tack less schooling cost less 10%)/2

If she is clear what the options are, she may then be happier about a faster sale at a lower price without the extra cost. Right now it seems it is win/win for her - you get all the hassle and additional costs and her share is maintained regardless !

Do you have anything in writing about the co-ownership ? How have you shared costs since purchase ?

[Lucy J]

ok, so we've had this pony for about 2.5 years. I was on maternity leave when we entered into the deal and had time on my hands, i paid for him she paid for the livery (it was her yard so easy for her) needless to say every blade of grass will have been counted. He was supposed to be with us only for a few months, but rather than picking an uncomplicated 3 year old she bought a 7 year old wild pony (granted he is stunning) but he was so nervous it took us 2 months even to get near him with a headcollar. I backed him and started working with him but then went back to work full time. I thought he was being worked - like I said, my intention was only ever to put up the money, not do the schooling. I then moved house too far away and i was told he was being used in the riding school and ridden by another girl, but I see no difference in him this year from when I backed him intially, if anything he was worse. So for the last 3 months I've been doing in hand shows, lots of groundwork, some gentle hacking alone and some schooling, but i only have time to ride a few days a week at most. I don't want to canter him and I don't want to jump, if i am nervous it is not going to teach him much.

we have nothing in writing, but i've just really had it with the whole thing. I care about this pony and I don't want to see him abandoned out a grass for another winter by which time he will be 10 and still have done very little. he is so loveable and keen to please, he should have a nice young teenager who can love him and give him some fun.

i wish i had never got involved, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

[miggy]

just to say feel sorry for you, its the sort of stupid situation I would get myself into!
Would be tempted to be honest in your advertising and just sell at the cheapest price you can afford, perhaps keeping tack and reselling on ebay to make extra return. If you advertise as needs work, at a really low price, someone hopefully will think its worth their while as a "project". Remember that even if you sell for say £1000, thats only a few hundred loss (given that you are only getting half anyway) less money for your partner who doesnt really deserve any, and you can sell the tack and keep all that money.
Otherwise its money down the drain every month and winters coming

[cvb]

it might help to be clear what your "walk away" points are - for example would you sign over your share at £0 ? (That would leave HER with the problem ;) )

i.e. what are the acceptable outcomes from your point of view... not the maximum. but the absolute minimum you would take. Doesn't stop you aiming for more than that, but can help make you steely ;)

[eml]

Without being mean you need to point out to your sharer that a 9 year old gelding who cannot be ridden on his own no matter how well bred cannot be worth what she is asking.

As a comparison I have this summer bought a 10 yo registered connemara gelding, who has won about £100 jumping 14.2 affiliated and is an ideal first affiliated pony for £1800 with tack. I have also been given on permanent loan a green (rides like a four year old) 11 yo NFxTB mare. Both of local show quality and well bred.

[Lucy J]

ok, so i've been paying this girl to school him and he is doing great, just getting her out to my yard, its certainly worth the money he is much improved in just 2 days. i have also suggested to the other co-owner that perhaps we take him to reading sales as ponies seem to go well there, but she'd rather take him to the new forest sales (bugger that, the yard is 60 miles from the sales, reading is 5 miles muggins here would be taking him) as she thinks he would make more there, but she reckons only £1000. I have pointed out in an email that quite frankly that is all he is worth at the moment anyway as people dont care about potential, they care about what the pony can do now. i have also put down a list of what i have spent (not counting livery or farrier or purchase price) and asked how much she wants for me to buy her out as i would rather sell at a loss and have him go to a nice secure home than worry about him out at grass for another winter and be 10 next year and still green. I have also told her she would be welcome to buy me out. i feel my email was a little harsh, but i think you guys are right, I am too soft and am doing all the work for not much in return.

I am waiting for a response, i just hope my email wasn't too harsh, i am at my wits end though. i will happily advertise him on project horses for 1000 if he is just mine.