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To sell, or not to sell!

1K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Hailey1203 
#1 ·
Ok so. I currently have two horses. A 3 year old standardbred mare that is in training (I got her super cheap, and have a friend trainer her for free). She’s a resale project that I’ll probably sell this fall once she’s going fairly well under saddle.

Then, I have Copper. He’s my steady eddie, trail/pleasure draft cross. I love this horses so much, and would trust him with my life.

Problem is, I want to get back into jumping. I had an injury a few years back that left me unable to ride English for a while. However, im good to go now! Copper is never going to be a jumper. Not only is he not built for it, he’s not 100% sound.

Originally, my plan was to sell Copper and then buy a horse more suited to English and jumping, but im really struggling with this idea. Its breaking my heart just thinking about it.

I can afford the 3 horses, that’s not the problem. It comes down to the fact that I work out of town. Because the mare is in training, I’m not worried about her. I have a girl leasing Copper right now, who said she’s be willing to lease whatever horse I end up with. So I know that at least they’d be ridden once or twice a week while im gone.

My question is, am I crazy for considering buying a third horse when I hardly spend enough time with the two I have now?
 
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#2 ·
As someone with a deep appreciation for steady-eddy type horses, I'd say DON'T let Copper go if he's your go-to horse that you trust and have a connection with. Those horses are SO HARD to find and they're worth their weight in gold. The fact that you're in tears over the thought tells me it is not the right idea to sell him.

The STB mare will be gone before long, fall is a scant 4 months or so away- and then you will be down to one horse. If you are ready now, why not consider taking on a free lease for a horse that does jumping? That way if you find you can't handle taking care of/spending time with 3 horses, you've got a backup plan for both the STB and the lease horse in your pocket. STB gets sold, lease horse goes back to it's owner (or you can discuss the possibility of buying the lease horse outright if it suits).

You can ALWAYS buy a new horse, and prices will be cheaper in the autumn when people are looking to offload their horses for winter. Then if you decide to buy a jumper/prospect then, you have all fall and winter to spend getting to know that horse and training for the next show season.

I find it is SO important to hang onto that good-as-gold horse you can trust for as long as you can. You've got someone leasing him, so he's taken care of attention-wise. He won't be upset about more people giving him attention and treats, or spending a bit more time in the pasture eating with his friends.
 
#5 ·
I thought about leasing a horse, but the issue with this is me working out of town. Not many people want to lease out to someone who is gone for 10 days, then back for 4. But its definitely something to consider!

I'm not looking so much for a prospect, more along the lines of a horse that with a bit of work, would be able to start showing this summer/fall.

My coach actually knows someone selling a horse along the lines of what I want. I think I'm going to see him this weekend, but I'm not going to rush into buying him.

I would not sell Copper since it seems like you love him very much, and I have a feeling you would regret it. I would sell your mare, and then wait until after that to look into buying another horse.
I think I'd regret it too :/

I'm waiting to sell my mare till she has a bit more training, and I can make a profit off of her.
 
#4 ·
If you don't spend much time with the horses you have now I don't think it makes sense to get another horse that you're just going to have to pay to keep in training or lease out. If you want to pursue a discipline you not only need a suitable horse but you need time to train. No point in spending the money for another horse if you won't have the time to keep yourself and another horse jumping ready.
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#6 ·
Chances are I'd be leasing him out to keep him in shape while I'm working. I have no problem leasing a horse out if I find a suitable rider. The girl who is leasing Copper from me right now already said she'd ride both horsesw if I wanted her to.

I refuse to not have horses simply because of my job.
 
#7 ·
I was in exactly your position about 2 years ago.

I did end up selling my steady-eddy horse, but it was only about a month ago. I held on to him for 2 years and he sat around in my pasture while I loved him and worked really hard on my project horse.

I guess the time really helped to change my attitude about rehoming him. Yes, he was the best horse I ever had, and yes, we had an amazing connection, relationship, etc. But he just wasn't my horse anymore. I wanted to jump, and he's a TWH trail horse. So I sold him to a trail rider, and she adores him.

My advice to you is to hold on to your horse until you're SURE you want to sell him. If you're not absolutely sure, you'll always regret it.
 
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