How do you decide who to sell???

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Dee

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I am just having a heck of a time right now
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!

I have too many rescue/unregistered minis. I really want to get into showing and get a nice gelding, but that means that I would have to get rid of some minis meaning my unregistered guys
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. I don't have the room to keep them all.

I am so mad at myself for even thinking about selling a few of my beloved minis just to show, but I show jumped horses for almost all my life until I got busy with school and I miss the shows and competition so much!!!!!! I love living out of a stall, being on the road, nursing the sun burns you got while waiting for your next class.

How do these big barns part with their minis all the time?? I think I am just a sucker.

Dee
 
Man if we lived closer, I'd trade you my nice little weanling gelding. He would be a good show gelding.
 
I think for folks who have less than say 20 horses that it's hard to make decisions like that. Now don't flame me folks with more cuz I know you love ALL your kids.

When I got hurt almost 20 mos ago that was the first thing I had to think of and it was a heartbreaker. I am down to 6 and really manage better. I have friends who offered to take a few more to help me bless them.

I would sit and just watch and think and talk to myself and really be hard and make the decision who I cant live without. It also helped that all the folks who did buy my other 6 still keep in touch and I know they are loved and cared for.

Best of luck, this is a tuffy.
 
Well, I HAVE to cut down, I can only really handle 20 and I would ideally like to stay below that. I start by looking at the mares temperaments and asking "Which one of you could look after yourselves if , God forbid, you should fall on hard times?? " I have two mares that fall into this category, and one who might. Then I ask, honestly, "Would I sell this mare to my worst enemy??" That takes one out of the mix straight off
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Then I have to ask, "What sort of money would I get??" Well, one mare throws fantastic foals but just looks nothing herself, so now I'm down to one, and she is tentatively on the market. Of course I shall do my utmost to get her the best home-for-life. BUT once you have sold a horse you lose the right to say what happens to them. The foals?? I ask "Does this colt have what I want??" NO, and he is gelded and sold. Yes/maybe and he is left entire and I keep him. This year I also have a Yes who will be gelded as we are LIGHT YEARS behind the US in gelding appreciation and I feel as one of the premier breeders I should lead by example!!! I also have a filly I shall offer for sale merely because I have two full sisters so can afford to, and a yearling filly I do not really "gel" with, so she will be offered as well. I have just sold a colt that I vowed I would keep if he did not find a home that was above reproach, but, of course, I immediately had three offers on him, no argument about price, from people who wanted a gelding!!! And all of them lovely people. Oh well, one down five to go!! Anyone want a Palomino base Appy gelding??
 
[SIZE=14pt]How about having people come and look and then letting the horses decide... I know that sounds weird but I had that happen recently here and Bonnie confirmed what I was reading from them..... Let the people go out and mingle with the horses and when a horse picks the person then that is the one to sell that day. If none of them gravitate to the people then they are not the right people.[/SIZE]

Lyn
 
We have gradually downsized the last several years from 23 to 10...... The 4 broodmares that we have now were our best & dear to our hearts... We foaled out, showed & raised three of them & raised the other one from a weanling..... They are 11-15 years old so you know they have been family a long time................. Anyway I priced all four & two sold immediately.. I really wanted to keep grandma but had to sell the ones that were spoken for first as I needed to make sure someone was sold before winter. These two are going to a previous customer who has bought 3 & I know will give these two a good home......................... If I can get my horses into good homes I don't worry one bit. Some of our sold horses receive more pampering than I even gave them.......... If you check out the buyers & do everyting you can to see that they get into caring homes then I don't think it will bother you........ We have also sold two of our four 05 foals. Before I had buyers for these 4 horses I was fretting about having to sell as I did not know where they would end up. All four are going to excellent homes & that is what counts in my book............................. We recently took back a two year old that we had sold as a weanling. I had told the buyer to let me know if she ever needed to get rid of him & she did... I gave him to a friend who had one mini gelding & now he also is in a caring home.
 
That is too true LYN. I knew a lady who went to so many farms including mine and just couldn't seem to fint that perfect mini. Mind all she wanted as someone to love.

I took her to a farm I knew and told her just to stand and walk slowly not really trying to get any one and one would choose her. There were about 35 in this pen.

I was talking with the owners and all of a sudden I hear her laugh. We turn and see a very chubby grey mare nudging her butt. They (horse and lady) talked and petted and walked about together and sure enough that was the mare for her. It has been love ever since and it's been over a year. Course she went back last fall and 2 fillies "chose" her also.
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Horses know people better than some people know horses.
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Last summer when we had people drive down from Syracuse to see Grady, the same thing happened. Her daughter is an adult downs and we told her to just go out with us and let the minis mill around. Didn't she and Grady, now Snapple, pick each other and that was that!
 
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It's NEVER easy....but for those of us who only have a few Minis, and they are our "pets" as well as show horses, breeding stock, etc....it's difficult to decide when it becomes necessary to sell.

First & foremost, the horse's welfare is taken into consideration.
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Or, If I have a horse that has never really "bonded" with me as much as the others, or doesn't "fit in"...it would be chosen to sale when that time comes.

Changes in breeding programs can effect these decisions as well. This is especially true for the smaller farms who cannot keep multiple stallions, or have no desire to maintain large herds.

No matter what the reason....it's never easy. But I always try to make sure each horse I sell goes to a loving home where it will be cared for AT LEAST as well as it is cared for here.
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This is yet another thread that I feel hits close to home. I MUST cut back due to some 'stuff' going on with us (in the near future) and I also realized this weekend during the mad rush to secure everything for Hurricane Dennis, I have too much piled on me. It seems that all I do is work and I'm not enjoying the horses or other animals hardly at all anymore. I still love on them and I still get a good chuckle when Dusty nudges me in the butt when I'm not feeding fast enough. I still hug my babies and marvel at how they're growing up. I still Love the horses, but frankly I'm worn slam out. I plan to keep a select few, but I do have to sell several. We are also going to sell down on the goats and put the two lambs from this year in the freezer, and sell some chickens as well (I only want a few for eggs). That will help me a lot I think, but something has to give....I don't want to end up resenting the animals, after all it's my fault they're there in the first place.
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[SIZE=21pt]Lyn J thats how I buy! When I bought my 16 hand Q.H. mare I went out and stood in the pasture and the owner let the herd out everyone else ignored me and she bee lined for me. Her and I have quite the relationship. That didn't work with Tweety my palomino mini as Ginia's whole herd mugs you![/SIZE]
 
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I like all the advice given but I think that is a great comment from Rabbitfizz, "would I sell this horse to my worst enemy..." Once you sell your horse you no longer have a say in where it ends up!!

I have owned a few different minis BUT the 4 I have now are keepers, I was not planning on keeping everyone initially, long story, BUT I love each and every one and I can't part with them. I have had mini's/ponies before that I did not really "gel" with or that did not fit in well and I did not think it was hard to sell them because I made sure it was a suitable home BUT this little foursome will be here for a longtime!!!

I hope all this advice will help!! There are many great potential homes out there, Good Luck!!
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