Checking on possible purchasers.

[Lizzie]

On other forums, I recently advertised two rescue horses for a lady. Both geldings. One Gypsy Horse cross and one QH. The owner is very particular about where they will be placed.

I have had many enquiries.

I've received emails from some very iffy people, asking to adopt these free horses. Several from obviously young people, wanting free horses, but probably without their parent's permission.

One thing I did, to try to sort them out, was to ask for their home address and the address of where the horses were to be kept, since I wished to look them up on Google Earth. This put a stop to many requesting more information. GE is a wonderful tool, for checking up properties, where one's horse is going to be kept and housed. I wonder if any of you do that, when selling a horse? With obviously young people, I requested their parents write to me also.

Sifting through requests, when a horse is purely for adoption, free or very inexpensive, became much easier when I did/requested the above.

I think it might also help when considering a horse to purchase. Having a look at the property, if it is too far away to visit, one can possibly learn a lot.

Lizzie

 

[Mona]

With Google Earth, can you really get zoomed in close enough to see specifics of a person's househome and property? I have tried using it to look at certain land for the terrain etc., and I can never get zoomed in THAT closely. Maybe I am doing something wrong???

 

[Minimor]

It doesn't work for me--I have only dial up & I've found that google earth simply take forever & a day to load for me--and most of the time they just give up the ghost & don't open at all.

I don't put much stock in the idea anyway. A rather scruffy looking farm can give the very best of care to its animals, while the fanciest of places won't guarantee that the prospective buyer won't starve or abuse the animals, nor will it guarantee that he/she won't turn around & send the horse off to the slaughter house for some piddly bit of profit. Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover, but all too often....such is not the case.

As a buyer I really don't care where the horse has come from. If I like the horse I really don't care if he's coming to me from a fancy barn or a falling down shed. In a lifetime with horses I have seen some very nice horses come from very humble homes, and I've also seen some very mediocre horses come from some ritzy looking places.

 

[Lizzie]

I think it is more helpful when selling a horse. Hopefully, we all want the best homes for our horses and the more you know about a possible buyer, the better.

You can often get fairly good views by actual street views, rather than aerial. Can't 'walk' down every street of course. Sometimes it's only aerial. GE has just updated a large portion of the world. Virtual Earth hasn't updated for years.

Lizzie

 

[Mona]

OK, I was looking at arial shots as I was using it to look for small ponds, lakes etc. Not long ago, I tried to use it to look at land near us to try to see where trails were, but couldn't zoom in close enough. I remembered thinking that the way people talk, it should zoom in closer, but I never could get it to. Oh well, just thought I'd ask since it was mentioend here and opened up the opportunity for me.

 

[ohmt]

I get vet and farrier references and any others they will give me and I DO check them. I will discuss plans for the horse, etc and I will also do a background check to make sure they have never been charged for animal abuse or anything like that (I have have had two people convicted of animal neglect try to buy a horse in the past two years) . Some of our best horse friends are retired cops and they have insisted on that last part. I do not do a google earth check-to me it crosses that privacy line and like Minimor said, just because their place may not look the best doesn't mean they don't take excellent care of their animals.

 

[ohmt]

I was just thinking that it's probably no different than driving up and taking a look from the street, but I still always felt like I was snooping. Does anyone else feel that way or am I thinking too much into it?

 

[Lizzie]

I do think you are possibly thinking too much into it. After all, I suspect driving by, we could always see more in person, than on Google Earth.

Coming from England and always being so homesick, I have loved being able to walk down the roads and see the houses I lived in as a child. It's fun to see what they look like now. You can never actually see right into someone's windows, as was first thought when GE started up. You can see plants or things on the window sill maybe, but nothing further.

Lizzie

 

[Suzie]

Google Earth is a good tool, but be aware it can be outdated. I have used Google Earth for my farm and can get good enough to identify certain horses in the field. But it is about 18 months old. Lots can change in 18 months..... I Google Earth'd my friend and saw her old horse trailer in her driveway- 2 years ago she sold it. But you can get an idea of pasture space, etc.

I rely on vet references, etc to determine where my horses go. Of course, anything can change at any time for some folks these days. As said above, if you can see it person it goes a long way to determine a good home. I always try and get them to allow me to deliver my animals so I can see where they are going at least.

 

[Barnmother]

Google Earth has a time and date stamp on it for when the images were taken and cataloged. So if the view is actually old (like it is for here in rural Montana) then the date stamp will reflect how old. Also you are right in more rural areas where the photos are quite old there isn't a street view, and on our personal property you can't zoom in very close. Still think it is a useful tool, just need to follow through if photos are old. Also be sure the address is showing correctly. When I put in our address it actually takes me to a place miles away. Seems our physical address isn't in the system even after 11 years.

 

[2minis4us]

Great idea ! You can also use Google Maps and get a pretty close look.

 

[Riverrose28]

Does anyone know how often they update these images? I googled my place last year and the image was from many years ago before we built the new mini barn and the indoor arena. Not good for prospective buyers to see.

 

[Carolyn R]

Great idea and great in theory. The images for our place is outdated, but beyond that, since it is based on Ariel images for this area, the wood line and being placed on an uphill grade gives the appearance that there is much less open area than what is available. It also does not take into account that the property that borders us on one side and along the top is family owned property (approx 40 acres) that is in a partnership and is used and accessed but can not be built upon due to the agreement in the partnership.

The other thing, there may be more than sufficient property and it may even look great in person, it doesn't mean the horses will have access to it. Corny I know, but trust me, YOU NEVER KNOW!

I completely agree that extreme caution should be taken if one is giving a horse away. It will bring all kinds out of the wood work. Unfortunately there are never any gaurantees, and I am sure there are members that can attest to being duped by some of the best (well dressed, well spoken, and appearing to be the most upright individuals). I know there are many more good people out there than not, however there are some that are very good at what they do.

 

[HGFarm]

Some of those aerial shots are NOT up to date at all. Also I would take it a step further and have the parents CALL me, rather than write, as anyone can send an email claiming to be the mom

 

[Lizzie]

During the last year or so, I know GE has updated many areas. It has shown my daughter's farm, with the new pool, 40 new trees and the new patio. Even the new chicken coops. This is from the aerial shot only. However, from the actual road, it has not been updated, since the neighbour's new fencing does not show. I suspect they are updating all the time but obviously cannot do all areas of the world at once.

Lizzie

 

[shelia]

I suppose it might let you know if there is a bunch of old rusty cars, refigaraters and other large hazards scattered on the property. That would be about all you could really rely on though. it is better than nothing. i think having some long conversations with the buyers would be a good thing also. it might help to get a feel of the attitudes about how they take care of their animals. vet references are good to ask for. They should at least know how far away the vet is and know if they treat horses or make house calls before they purchase a horse. How free are they with giving the information you are asking for?

In the end though, it is still a crap shoot. the only way you can be sure they are taken care of the way you want is to keep them yourself.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

It can be a lot older than 18mo.... also, it depends which satalite viewed it as to the resolution. Newer cameras that spend more time on an area (ie, populated areas, not the country) have higher resolution pictures. You can ID vehicles and such with the high res stuff. To me, its being incredibly nosy. Get references, then leave me alone. I don't need you watching over my shoulder.

 

[topnotchminis]

Google Earth shows our place before horses. It is a picture from 2006 I think.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I suppose it might let you know if there is a bunch of old rusty cars, refigaraters and other large hazards scattered on the property. That would be about all you could really rely on though. it is better than nothing. i think having some long conversations with the buyers would be a good thing also. it might help to get a feel of the attitudes about how they take care of their animals. vet references are good to ask for. They should at least know how far away the vet is and know if they treat horses or make house calls before they purchase a horse. How free are they with giving the information you are asking for?

In the end though, it is still a crap shoot. the only way you can be sure they are taken care of the way you want is to keep them yourself.

What if the place sold since then? Or was cleaned up?

 

[Lizzie]

I imagine you can always ask prospective buyers, how long they have lived in a location and request current photos of the place. Contacts also help. I don't think it's nosey at all, to discover as much as possible, about someone who is purchasing a horse from you.

Lizzie