What do do about my horse

[Spudsmyguy]

I have a horse that is still back in Washington State at my trainers who was supposed to get him sold. He’s been there since May and I’m still paying training board. I don’t think he’s doing much to actively get him sold even though I told him to price him at bargain basement, K-Mart special. The thing is, I want to start riding again, just trails, next spring with possibly some lessons thrown in.

I’ve seen some horses online that seem a good fit for me (safe and half dead) but can’t justify moving on a purchase with a horse that seems unsellable out of state. I don’t need to money to purchase another and am considering signing ownership over to the trainer to do with as he wishes. The horse and I are not a good fit and I really don’t want him anymore but here I am. So should I pay to ship him out here to NY and see if I have better luck selling him here or keep him with the trainer?

[MorganMaresVT]

Can you tell us more about the horse? Around here, I see a lot of adult re-riders looking for the magic gelding who can sit in a field indefinitely yet still happily stroll down the trail during summer & fall weekends. If that’s your horse, then I’d say you can probably recoup your shipping costs. If he’s a project or needs an experienced rider, then it would probably depend on his discipline and other selling points.

[rulex]

What about moving him to another sales barn in WA so you save yourself the shipping? Do you truly think the horse is unsellable or is the trainer not that motivated? Depending, you might get better results with a more motivated trainer.

I once looked at a horse at a sales barn. Thought it was cute but overpriced and had some minor confirmational things that were not dealbreakers but affected how much I was willing to pay. Sales barn wasn’t really coming to the table so I moved on. A couple of months later the owner had taken the horse back and was advertising it at a drastically reduced priced. Turns out their instructions had been to just get the horse sold but seems like the sales barn was happy to collect training board until the owner had enough. The horse sold very quickly once the owner dropped the price. I felt bad for them having spent all that time and money on training board.

[Spudsmyguy]

He’s a horse that is best with a lot of riding with someone who has a modicum of experience and he will take advantage if left to his own devises too long. Not a good candidate for sitting in a field with a once or twice a week re-rider. If he was that horse, I’d definitely ship him out here and ride him myself. Most of the other training barns I contacted were full with a waiting list.

[pony_grandma]

Is trainer using him for lessons on the side ? Beyond beginner lessons bc you said he’s smart.

I’ve seen trainers work this kind of hustle on a sale horse that has it’s bills paid and an income flow.

I went to look at a horse with a friend on the trainer’s day off, away from the barn. Every person there cheerfully greeted the looker with oh you’ll love him I rode him at xyz show! Meanwhile the poor guy tried to bite me when I went to saddle him and was too stiff to pick up his feet. And then he rode lame (trainers day off so no bute that day). The poor owner said she didn’t know ‘what’ was wrong with him, the behavior. I bet she got chewed out the next day.

Just saying …

[NJRider]

Is the horse being actively marketed with a good video, photos etc? Do you have some type of contract with the trainer that spells out what the obligations are for each person?
Because if the horse is just there in full training they have no motive to sell the horse because they are making money every month.
There are a lot of credible consignment type barns that are very professional and they would spell out the marketing plan, expenses, etc.
It sounds like you might want to rethink this arrangement. Miramonte Farm in KY is a good example of a credible sale barn.

[OverandOnward]

Always have a timeline. Always have an end date.

You can adjust your plan as you go.

But it doesn’t sound like the trainer is ready to forego your monthly checks.

[NaturallyHappy]

I know there are very honest people in the world. There are also some not so honest people. If money isn’t part of the equation, and you actually don’t want him, I’d sign him over to the trainer and stop hemorrhaging money. I do not have the impression the trainer is trying hard and you are clear across the country.

[OnAMission]

What does he “do” without being ridden a lot?

[fivestrideline]

I used to catch ride at a sales consignment barn - the way it worked was the owners paid board which included hacking and basic work by the trainer and a group of very capable teens, as well as the advertising and legwork for trials and vettings (it wasn’t expensive either, cheaper than some of the other places in the discipline). Once the horse sold, the barn took a commission as well - on a sliding scale relative to price.

It worked because the horses were mostly ponies and ammy or back burner types - having them going with some teens and maybe a weekly tune up was valuable to the buyers. The kids were scrappy and could generally get something half-feral going around like a hunter pony in a month. It was a business model that motivated the barn to get the horses sold ASAP - they weren’t raking in cash from training board!

I say all this because your current barn may be making more money off the horse now vs selling him. Especially if they’re making training board money + using him in lessons and charging the rider (you’re across the country after all, and none the wiser). IIWM I’d be looking for a sales barn with a good consignment contract - one that motivates them to get the horse into a new home.

[SMF11]

I’ve seen this with a particular trainer. Sells someone an expensive horse not suitable for the rider (makes a $$ commission). Predictably the owner stops wanting to ride it, trainer says they will sell it. Owner keeps paying a lot in board. Trainer doesn’t sell. Owner keen to stop hemorraging money, signs horse over to trainer for free or for little money. Trainer miraculously sells horse soon after the transfer, making $$$.

The horse world is filled with sleazy professionals.

[findeight]

Yeahbut…if this trainer, who OP knows well, wants the horse and can use him? And shipping horse to OP nearly 3k miles away is…lets say…burdensome. After all the new house stuff plus moving herself and household that same nearly 3k miles recently?

Trying to investigate and manage relocating from a great distance is going to be a grade one PITA. Hopping a plane is not much of an option either at 5 to 6 hours each way, priced accordingly.

In this case with these specifics, IMO, signing the horse over might be an option worth considering. Better for the horse and OP. Likely not that big a market for a horse like him and if trainer wants him? Why not?

[pony_grandma]

Circumvent trainer? Gift the horse to an old friend/acquaintance in the area?

[Spudsmyguy]

Unfortuantely, he’s not a horse the trainer would be interested in for himself except to flip him. Trainer shows a lot out of state, California, Arizona, in the grand prixs and other show jumping classes and that’s the kind of horses he likes. His neighbor helps him out and has a mostly western background and she loves my horse and has been riding him (she’s very good) and trying to turn him into a 4-H horse. His lesson students all have their own high level horses so not needed in that regard.

What he does if he’s not regularly ridden, is he can be unpredictable, doesn’t buck or rear but can scoot out from under someone if they’re not on their toes and can redirect him. Doesn’t do it when he’s in consistent work but will with too much time off and needs to be lunged before riding. He’s a good and willing jumper and will go down the trail by himself and he’s not getting any younger.

[hoopoe]

Your trainer of choice does not sound as if he is very invested in doing right by your fellow and there is nothing that says he needs to stay in the H/J home. Your fellow does not sound like he matches the trainer in client base so trainer likely cannot make more money on him after the sale nor is he likely getting customers being recommended by his peers.

You fellow sounds like a potential match for a dedicated rider who does the local shows only and needs a local barn focus

I think you need him to be someplace where he will meet more likely matches and that is not happening here. the Neighbor Trainer sounds more likely but that might create some friction between the two. Have you talked to her about it?

[candyappy]

@Spudsmyguy

His neighbor helps him out and has a mostly western background and she loves my horse and has been riding him (she’s very good) and trying to turn him into a 4-H horse.

Can you not reach out to her ? Let her actively market and hopefully sell the horse( for a good commission) ? She rides him and knows him.

[Walk_N_Gal88]

@Spudsmyguy

His neighbor helps him out and has a mostly western background and she loves my horse and has been riding him (she’s very good) and trying to turn him into a 4-H horse.

Why not reach out to her and see if she wants to buy him? It really sounds like your trainer is honestly taking advantage of you