the woes of selling horses.

[June Scheunemann & Mike Bernsdorf <equineent@lakefield.net>]

Selling a horse is the most frustrating endeavor one could think
putting oneself through!!!!  For 2 years I tried to sell a
standardbred mare ....who rode and drove and was road safe!!!  I
kept dropping the price thinking well...it is a breed most
people don't consider for riding  blah blah blah.  I had all
sorts come and try her out....the kids who dragged mom and dad
around the countryside looking for a horse....they get here and
"oh I've had lessons......2 years ago..." but, they didn't know
how to mount....How big is she???  I'd tell them 16'1 and they'd
get here and wow she is such a big horse!!!  Too big for me."
We ended up loosing money on her....(which I didn't care as long
as she went to a good home) but, even when teh buyers were
recommended by  abet ....we ended up going to their place and
showing them how to saddle her as they were cinching her up way
tooooooo tight!!!  Poor horse coudln't breath.....and when they
would got o pick up her feet...she'd collapse in the cross
ties....we had them cinsh her when we were present ....and
noticed how tight the cinch was...you could NOT even nudge the
cinch once they had it tighten...we told them to loosen it so
you could slip an hand between thehorse and cinch and guess
what....the horse hasn't fallen down in the cross ties since.

The other problem is when we got o look at "broke to death"
horses for people we get there and ...the horse is far from
broke to death.  Our 3 years old and gentler and better managed
than most we have gone to look at.  We finally ended up selling
a young girl one of our 4 yr old that we considered green broke
....but, he was broke far better than anything she looked at
plus he was sound!!!!  Her parents were willing to pay big bucks
for a horse for their daughter and everythign they had us go and
look at was honest to goodness LAME.  I guess what I couldn't
believe is that people had NO problem asking $3500 and up for
these lame horses.  One horse they were able to bring home for a
2 week trial period and we almost fell over when we saw teh
horse move.....head bobbing lame.  (that one we didnt' go to
look at with them but, they had called us to trailer it home for
them....)  So we suggested they have it vet checked...the vet
took one look and said send it back he's lame.  The seller was
then UPSET as they didn't persue the lameness to find out what
was causing it.....she had told them the horse was alittle stiff
in the shoulder......luckily for the buyers the seller did take
teh horse back.....but, that one too was sold as a kid safe
horse and he dragged me all over teh yard to eat grass....I
couldn't get his head up....Anyhow, the boy they bought from
us;  we allowed them to lease for 3 months with the monies from
the lease going toward his purchase price.....well, they just
love him.....but, it's hard to understand when you see
everything out there and our price is lower than the others why
they then ask if you would consider a lower price yet.  It is
frustrating but, it has worked out ....but, it is amazing who
looks for what when horse buying (I don't like that color....I
want bigger....I want smaller.....I want spirited....then the
fall off)  .