Things NOT to do when selling a horse.

So I went to see a pony today, and the owner was sooo unprofessional. So here is my list of things NOT to do when you are trying to sell a horse or pony.

1) Try to look nice, I don't care if its cold out; but don't wear mud stained track pants that are 5 sizes too big. (a little bit of dirt is fine, horses are dirty)
2) don't dis the place you board at.
3) Don't dis the potential buyers coach or a horse the potential buyer has trained (mhm - she did)
4) Don't complain about how you werent allowed to buy that last horse because the owner didnt feel you were suited for each other.
5) don't show off your swaybacked "old" (15years) mare as your 'amazing show horse'
6) don't tell me your pregnant mare isnt broke to ride, and the only reason you bred her is because she throws palomino's with big bums.
And last...
7) don't light up a smoke and stand there talking to me and blowing it my way.

What are some of things that sellers have done to you that screams 'unprofessional' to you?

Wow, that's pretty bad!

So once I went to go look at what a lady claimed to be a kid broke short stirrup pony that turned out to be barely broke and jumped her first line with me on her.... (which I didn't find out until after I already did it!) I asked her how long it had been since the pony was ridden consistantly and she (in one long run on sentance) proceeded to tell me about how she was institutionalized for several months because of some mental issues she had, how she slipped and hurt her back, then was hospitalized again for the constipation resulting from her back pain! BLECH! I don't make these things up kids....


... I didn't buy the pony :)

Gosh that is bad. I bet you didn't know what to say or do.

When we went to look at our girls (yes we did buy them) we told the lady on the phone that we didn't want them caught because we wanted to see how easy they were to catch. A big plus to me.
Anyway, when we arrived she said she would go get the horse. Next thing we heard was a dirt bike taking off across the pasture with a couple of dogs behind. A short time later a herd of about 40 horses came running toward us. We opened a pen gate where they alll proceeded to run in. We almost left, but had driven over 100 miles trailer in tow so figured we would at least have a look. Surprisingly she kept all the horses on about 400 acres and this was the way she always brought them in. They were such great horses we went back the next day to ride them (note she lived 12 miles from the nearest paved road) long story short we brought 2 of them home and never regretted it a second.
I'm so glad I didn't leave the moment she took off on the dirt bike. But just for future reference never tell someone not to "catch" the horses.

Edit: I guess this is more what not to do when you look at a horse. Oh well

Just over a year ago we bought a new horse for my sister, who was lacking confidence. Her previous horse had to be put down due to old age. We went to look at 'vodka' who was in a very poor state. The guy that was supposed to be 'training' her for a girl I knew said that my sister would be able to do everything with her herself.
We turned up and the guy had ridden her down to the showground, so we went down there. I rode her around and she was good. My sister had a little ride and decided she liked her. So we bought her!!!

Well..when the owner dropped vodka off she was wet from head to toe 'been doing some cattle work this morning' he said. We soon found out that you couldn't get a drop of water on her! Not even a sponge, she would rear!!! (now we can hose/bath her anywhere except her head) she would only walk behind you, again she would rear if we tried to get her to walk next to us. When saddling her she was ok except when I tried to do up the girth, she would squash me. Mum rang them up and asked how they did anything with her and they said they just used a twitch all the time!

About a month ago mum sent me out to cut her mane with scissors(her clippers were not working) and it took me about an hour to get her to stand still, in the end she stood there with the leadrope just hanging over her neck. She just needs alot of patience.

Yuck! Those are bad!
I posted a thread on my blog along the same lines:
http://jdirants.blogspot.com/2008/02...sell-your.html

Wow those are terrible.

I totally agree JDI! One of my pet peeves are the terrible photos people post. I am currently helping a friend of mine look for a horse and we laugh over the terrible photos people post. We say to each other, "why even bother posting one!!"

Oh! I was looking for an english pleasure/show horse a few years ago, and we went to see this guy about a horse. He had about 10 horses on his property for sale, and they were all nightmares! This one mare actually kicked him when he walked behind her. I politlely refused to get on anything he had because he could just barely handle them himself! I felt so disgusted when we left, he was such a skeezy horse dealer :(

Oh man, so on Friday I told the girl I would email her by Sunday to let her know where we stood as far as either putting in an offer, or passing. So last night I emailed her and asked how firm she was on the price (the price is fair, but of course if I can get her cheaper I will) and she sent me an email back saying that she has raised the price because she took her to a show on Saturday and she placed top 3 in all her classes... (it was a small, in barn show - so not really a good judge if you ask me).
She did not mention her raising the price if she did well (she did say she was probably taking her to the show). Rediculous.
I just got another email... and she is now asking what my offer will be, that she likes what I am planning to do with her... now to decide how much I want to offer her :roll: