Height Guarantees

[ontherisefarm]

How does your height guarantee work? Do you give money back and let them keep the horse? Do you give money back and take the horse back? Do you give a farm credit ? And ALso if you do give a height guarantee do you offer it on horses not from your breeding program or just on those foals you raise??

I really need to get some insight into this...Thanks for all your help

 

[maestoso]

I bought a horse with a height guarantee in the contract, and would NEVER buy a horse that didn't have a height guarantee unless it was tiny tiny and obvious that it wasn't going over. The way that my height guarantee works, or at least as I understand it, should my colt go over before his 5th year, I have the option to trade him back for a horse of equal value, or get my money back, minus my deposit. I think this is a very reasonable guarantee. I also have the option to return the horse at anytime, and the owner will buy the horse back, minus my deposit.

That said, Pogo could grow to be 8 feet tall and grow another head, and I still wouldn't return him

. But seriously, this protects me in case I get into financial trouble, and also gives the owner the comfort that the horse is not going to get thrown away. I think that the buyback clause is rare, and would not expect many breeders to offer it, but I think it shows that the breeder really cares about her horses, and the people that she's selling too.

My contract also offered show incentives, which I have already used up.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I offer a height guarantee on all horses I sell unless I specifically say otherwise. But in general all my horses are tiny so it's not a big concern for someone buying from me. If a horse were to go over whatever height we'd agreed upon, I will take the horse back and give the buyer an 80% (of original purchase price) farm credit. Or they can keep the horse and I will credit them in cash 20% of the purchase price. There's more to it than that, but that's the gist of it. Things to consider are: the health of the horse you're getting back, does it now have training on it, is it more or less saleable now than it was before (probably less unless it's had training), etc. It's not easy so my main advice is always sell to people you trust first and foremost.

 

[Frankie]

Over the past 10 years I have bought 2 with height guarantee,,,,,,,,,both went over. How odd is that.

Anyway, with both farms I was given farm credit and I had to return the horse that went over.

Uhhhhhhh,,,,,,,nope, they are still here.

I think some farms give a guarantee, it being 3 or more years out and they plan/hope for the attachment that does not get the horse returned. Not saying that is good or bad on their part.

There is too gurantees the other way. I got a horse with a guarantee it would go over XX,,,,,,,,it stayed 4 inches under. They did nothing.

Just make sure it is spelled out in a contract and you are happy with the wording too.

 

[Katiean]

I have never sold a horse or bought a horse with a size guarantee. I have however sold Yorkies with a size guarantee and never had to take one back for that reason. One the dog was ruining the womans Marrage and the second the people were moving to France. They just wanted me to take them back without a refund. I kept the second one the husband wanted HIS dog back. I gave her back to him.

 

[JWC sr.]

We have bought two horses over the years, 1 R and 1 A. The guarantee was that if the horse went over on the R hrse by age three and the A horse by age 5 then we would recieve farm credit against anything else we wanted.

We styled our farm height guarantee in the same manner.

I have also seen some farms where there is a monetary amount where the horse carries no guarantee(height, sterility etc.) unless it was sold for more than than a set amount. Literally, I had a friend pay 1,000 more for a horse at a farm to get the sterility guarantee on a colt he was buying as he wanted it for the bloodlines.

So bottom line I have seen these guarantees all over the board and you need to be sure and ask about all the terms. There should be no room for interpetation.

 

[ontherisefarm]

Thankyou everyone for your input. I just had someone ask about a height guarantee on a horse I was offering. So was wondering..I appreciate the feedback..