Have you ever refused a sale?

[Genie]

Wondering how would you approach that situation under a scenario where you are aware that for instance, their stable and pasture conditions are unsatisfactory.

 

[MindyLee]

I never came across this before BUT if I did, I would tell them no way! And I would point out exactly why if I knew what their place looked like. friend/neighbor or not.

But that's me and Im blunt about things and dont suger coat nothing.

 

[LindaL]

Actually, yes I have. I was all ready to sell a bred mare to someone, plans were to meet at a show for her to pick her up. Several (not just one person) people told me that they would not sell to her and why (same reasons given) and that just brought a huge red flag up for me, so I politely told the "buyer" that I decided that her home would not be best for my mare and I would rather keep her....and that was the end of that. I am nota confrontational person and didn't really want to make an issue out of it. I just wanted my mare to not end up in a home with improper care (with a foal on the way). I ended up finding her a much better home right after that!

 

[Matt73]

I refused a sale on my one stallion, Teddy. The father wanted a mini for his daughter, who was 14 or so. I asked him how experienced his daughter was with horses and stallions in particular. He said she was experienced, but I still didn't feel right. I said that Teddy was kind, but like most stallions had to be properly handled and not be allowed to be pushy etc. The decision was made to not sell him to this family when the mother asked if he was really gentle since her other younger kids would be around him; they were 7 and 10. Teddy is good with kids, but I just had a bad feeling and I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if something happened to one of the kids (or Teddy, for that matter).

I stick to the over 18 rule and/or very experienced with stallions when selling a stallion.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I have refused a sale before. . .

I was in the process of finding an excellent home for my gaited buckskin dun tobiano spotted saddle horse and when this potential buyer came along, I was pleased with the people I met and they **said** that they had a barn with stalls and pasture. We arranged a date for me to transport him to their place and when I got there - there were 4 skin and bones horses all in a dry lot, no water, just an old barn to get into (which by the way I wouldn't have walked into if someone paid me millions - it was half fallen down) and no food available that I could see. 

I promptly told him that I hated his conditions of the horses and their environment and loaded my horse up and went home. I would have cried and cried if I knew that I left him there for him to become another skeleton in his pasture. 

I did however, fix the problem. I contacted my local Humane Society, told them the problem and I am happy to say that the four horses (1 stallion-now-gelding and 3 mares) are now in loving homes. 

 

[Leeana]

Well no, but I have refused a sale as I decided to keep the horse back to show so that is a little different. Had nothing to do with the person who inquired and I was upfront that I really did not want to let the horse go but had the horse priced but in the end decided to rather keep him back and show. So glad I did

 

[Sterling]

Yes I have ...on a horse and a horse trailer in fact. The person buying the horse ended up being wishy washy, and I decided that her home would not be a good home for my horse.

The trailer incident was comical after I look back on it. Buyers came all gung ho, probably sat and planned out that if they picked it apart enough they could get it for cheap. This was an older, well built, kept in excellent condition trailer. Girl and dude came over, took a look at it and started their speel, picking it TO PIECES, pulling things left and right banging on the sides and hopping up and down on the ramp. Then when they were finished, they proceeded to chew me down on my asking price. I started to close up the trailer and told them no. Fast forward to the evening hours...they called me back and said they wanted it (at my asking price no less!), they had cash to pay me and that they could come back out right away. I plainly told them no, and that I would not feel right selling them a trailer that they were not happy with and had so many, in their terms...."faults" with it. She was flabberghasted and told me she had CASH and was willing to help me "un-loooowwdd" it". I said naw..... I just wouldn't feel right about the sale. An hour later she had her mother call me..... Long story short, few days later I sold the trailer to a different buyer.

 

[miniwhinny]

I'd HIGHLY recommend anyone refuse a sale if there are ANY red lights because you're talking about placing a living breathing animal who can't make that choice for themselves.

I sold 2 full sizers a number of years ago. I'd heard a few rumors about the person I sold to but I also knew the people spreading the rumors were jealous of this person...and had a habit of gossiping about just about anyone. So I ignored them...after all the lady arrived in a brand new truck pulling a brand new trailer and owned two ranches - one in Napa Valley and one closer to San Francisco.

Well a year later all heck broke loose. One horse was found lying in a mud puddle in her field too weak to get up. All of her horses were taken from her, she went to court etc. I got a picture of the horses I sold to her and I've never seen anything as disgusting in my whole life. My beloved horses were walking skeletons - barely walking.

If you have a bad feeling...go with it.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Yup- to someone who wanted my 30" gelding for PONY RIDES. No way.

Lucy

 

[Shari]

Yes, I have refused to sell animals to some people.

Am very picky where my animals end up, as I want the best home possible for them.

So if you have "buyers" that you or your animals don't like or like you said, they don't have a good set up, then it is your right to refuse to sell to them.

 

[Loess Hills]

[SIZE=10pt]Yes, we have refused a offer from a person whom we knew had a history of previous problems with providing enough feed to horses. [/SIZE]

He wanted to come and visit.............and just the thought of having him come to our place gave me cold shivers. So we told him a sale was pending on the horse he was interested in, and actually sold to a very nice young couple.

 

[Marty]

Yes Ma'am. I turned down a sale for my Noelle a few days ago because although the people have a nice barn, they indicate they never use it for horse shelter. Sorry, my horses aren't used to be thrown out in all kinds of weather to fend for themselves.

I turn down horse sales for quite a few reasons but mostly would be:

1. Horse and human are not suited well for their intentions or level of experience. I am happy to refer them to someone who does have a horse that is more suited to them.

2. Inadequate facilities. I have no problem in coming right out and blurting out the problem as nice but as straightforeword as possible; Your fencing is dangerous, your barn is not fit for animals, etc. If they care to learn and make things right then I'll work with them.

3. People who don't take horsemanship as a serious committment speaks volumes about how the care or lack of it will end up. If they are looking for a lawn mower, I point them in the direction of Tractor Supply.

4. My pet-peeve......Horse Traders. Its so easy to see who buys and flips them like pancakes and yestardays news week after week. They are in it just to double their money in a short amount of time and heck with what the horse is going through being sold month after month.

5. Mini mills. I don't want my horses being used as nothing but baby making machines every year without a break and proper vet care. There is a difference between a mini mill and a respectable breeding farm. I'd rather my horses not become part of a herd that is so huge they will get lost in the shuffle and not be tended to on a daily basis. The ones that are pumping out minis by the huge amounts, sorry, not the life I want for my horses.

I find if you wait and bide your time, the perfect buyers do find you. I like happy endings and being able to sleep at night.

 

[Minimor]

I wouldn't refuse a sale based on facilites--unless those facilities were actually dangerous....boards with nails sticking up in the horse pens, broken fence rails that a horse could be impaled on, that sort of thing. A barnyard can be rundown in appearance and still be safe for horses--it may not be "pretty" like many would like to see, but that doesn't mean it's unsafe....I'm more concerned with the condition of the animals that are kept there. If they are sleek and shiny, obviously well cared for--that is what counts. If they are scrawny and potty & sorry looking....then no horse of mine will go there, no matter how fancy the facility. If they're in okay condition but there are lots ofscars, wounds, eye injuries or whatever, no thanks. Accidents can happen anywhere, but some farms just have way too many of them.

I have turned down a sale to someone that wanted Minis for a lesson program--they were wanting to buy a yearling I had, and though they never actually admitted it I know very well that they intended to use that yearling for riding that same year. And the gal's son was the one that was going to do the "training"--he'd fix any attitude problems that a horse might have (so mother said). I suspected that the kid really wasn't much of a rider, just plain rough--but it didn't matter, he was much too large to be riding even the largest of Minis. People went away saying they had to discuss it, and when she called back to say they'd decided to buy the yearling I said no, sorry, since you were here someone else came along & said they're going to take him. As it turned out someone else did come along and buy him awhile later--he went to what I considered a good home.

 

[RockRiverTiff]

We've never been in this for profit, and I'm way too attached to my horses, so I've turned down many sales. Generally if it's due to an inadequacy on the part of the buyer I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and politely suggest that they look into better housing, fencing, feed etc. A lot of mini buyers seem to be impulse buyers, and I truly think with a little guidance and research they have the potential to be good homes. Unfortunately, I've noticed that if I won't sell them the horse someone else always will, so a good number of them forego the suggested research in favor of buying NOW. Then a month later guess who gets a call because the new horse is skinny/sick/lame/injured/untrained/aggressive/pregnant...

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Then a month later guess who gets a call because the new horse is skinny/sick/lame/injured/untrained/aggressive/pregnant...

I hate when this happens... we've had people come out, look, and buy elsewhere. THEN they decide they'd like OUR help training/showing/health care. Well, where's the people you BOUGHT from?

I don't mind helping, but we hold Amateur cards and can NOT take payment for training and showing. And we won't use our equipment to train a horse that isn't ours. Too many worries if something goes awry....

Lucy

 

[Kawgirl]

I've never had to refuse the sell of a horse, but I did have someone interested in a mini I had for sale once that I knew did not take care of their animals. So I just went on and on about how difficult and expensive minis are to keep. They decided they didn't want one after all, and still haven't bought one!

I have refused to let someone have a kitten before. I had some kittens to give away and a family came by to pick one out. They had a rather large teenage son who was mentally challenged. He picked out the kitten he wanted and looked at me and said "I want this one because it looks just like the last one I threw against a tree and killed!" Well, I have no problem with giving a kitten to someone that is mentally challenged, but I did not feel this would be a safe home for the kitten so I told the mother I could not let them have the kitten.

 

[HGFarm]

Yes I have and more than once. For all the above, improper facilites and the lack of desire to get some, lack of knowledge, which is not bad, but refusal to learn and didnt have the desire to learn. Lack of taking care of their animals....

I also care where my animals go, and if it's not a good place, forget it. I dont care how much money they wave in my face. I just could not sleep nights. I had one screaming at me via email and DEMANDING that I HAVE to sell him one of my stud colts for his 3 yr old daughter... he 'promised her a pony' - and it was to be housed in the back yard with their four pit bulls. (no horse pen or shelter) Uh, NO!!!

 

[SweetOpal]

I would tell them NO WAY.... I have made a page just for this type of thing on my website it is called Seller Beware. Sadly I will have to live with my wrong decision and I would never want someone else to go through what my horse has had to go through.

 

[Mona]

Yes, I definately would, and have done so on a couple of occassions. Once because they planned to breed the 39" mare to an Arabian stallion, (which I felt would be detrimental to her well being/safety) and once to a place I felt did not give proper care/feed to their horses.

 

[Loess Hills]

We've never been in this for profit, and I'm way too attached to my horses, so I've turned down many sales. Generally if it's due to an inadequacy on the part of the buyer I try to give them the benefit of the doubt and politely suggest that they look into better housing, fencing, feed etc. A lot of mini buyers seem to be impulse buyers, and I truly think with a little guidance and research they have the potential to be good homes. Unfortunately, I've noticed that if I won't sell them the horse someone else always will, so a good number of them forego the suggested research in favor of buying NOW. Then a month later guess who gets a call because the new horse is skinny/sick/lame/injured/untrained/aggressive/pregnant...

[SIZE=10pt]All too true! And it happens over and over with people who have e-mailed, visited, or called regarding a horse. We had a couple visit looking at a mare in foal we had for sale............they were new to miniatures, but not horses in general. They wanted to see our facilities, stall measurements, etc., which we're always glad to show and visit with those who are new to miniatures. They did not purchase our mare, but leased, and later bought several mares and a stallion from a breeder in another part of the state. Six months later they called and wanted to know if our mare was still available (she had been sold) because the mare they bought produced a dwarf. It was their first miniature foal, and they were just devastated. Unfortunately, we know the particular breeder and they have had other dwarfs, but there was little we could do about the situation.[/SIZE]